Back to Providence Special Committee on Environment and Resiliency

Providence Special Committee on Environment & Resiliency-4/9/25-5:30 PM

April 09, 2025

Call to Order and Roll Call

03:05 - 04:14

The Special Committee on Environment and Resiliency was called to order by the Chair. A roll call was conducted and a quorum was established with four members present.

Item 1: Update on ProvPort Master Planning Process and Recommendations

04:14 - 01:32:20

GZA consultants presented an update on the ProvPort master planning process, detailing environmental resilience, port electrification, and prospective land use scenarios. Council members discussed potential zoning performance standards, enforcement mechanisms, and plan implementation.

Public Comment

01:32:20 - 01:44:38

Members of the public addressed the committee on various local environmental and economic concerns. Topics raised included gym energy capture, vacuum filtration systems, and federal funding uncertainties.

Item 2: Update on Sustainability Projects Reserve Account under the ProvPort Tax Exemption Agreement

01:44:38 - 02:05:18

Deputy Director of Sustainability Kevin Proft provided an overview of the sustainability project reserve account funded by ProvPort revenue and the proposed RFP allocation process. Council members discussed funding timelines, match opportunities, and consulting with ward councilors.

Adjournment

02:05:18 - 02:05:32

A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the committee meeting. The motion was approved unanimously by the members present.

Unknown

03:05 - 03:08

Oh my god. Hey. How's your work?

Unknown

03:08 - 03:16

I'm Shannon. No. We're not reporting. Yeah. Yeah.

Unknown

03:16 - 03:18

By the way, I'm. I work on the policy case.

Unknown

03:20 - 03:22

Seen your names. Yeah.

Unknown

03:25 - 03:27

A little bit. Yeah.

Unknown

03:30 - 03:34

So we're ready when We're ready whenever? Okay. So are you ready now?

Unknown

03:34 - 03:35

Yeah. Let's

Unknown

03:35 - 03:35

let's be

Unknown

03:35 - 03:36

ready. Let's see.

Unknown

03:36 - 03:37

When it's done.

Unknown

03:37 - 03:59

I make time at the present. Same. Awesome. We're gonna call the special committee on environment resiliency work. I am to Andrew's blog, and it is Wednesday, April 9 at 05:30 to 05:34.

Unknown

03:59 - 04:06

Can we please take the role? Chair Andrew Blogg. I'm present. Vice chair Sanchez, absent. Councilman Anthony?

Unknown

04:06 - 04:11

Present. Councilman Ethanol? Present. Councilor Roy? Present.

Unknown

04:11 - 04:11

We have

Unknown

04:11 - 04:15

four present and one absent. We have a quorum. Awesome. Thank you so much. I'm excited for us

Unknown

04:15 - 04:16

to get raised in the.

Unknown

04:16 - 04:37

I know we've been particularly interested in what happens at the court. And our friends at GBA have been working really hard on the cross court master planning process and early recommendations. You guys have doing so much amazing work to, like, on communication and moving us forward. So we were just really excited to welcome people here today and Kevin on the screen.

Unknown

04:37 - 04:39

Yeah. Very helpful. Thanks both. Yeah.

Unknown

04:39 - 04:50

Yep. So thank you for joining us remotely. And if you don't mind, we would love to introduce yourselves and then take it away. And, actually, a question I have oh, we have to square you in.

Unknown

04:50 - 04:52

No. Well, do you have to re rehide the agenda item?

Unknown

04:52 - 05:06

It's okay. I can't read I didn't want to the agenda. For the record. Update on Prop four master planning process and recommendations. Presentation by consultants from GBA, Kevin Williams, and Kirk Spaulding.

Unknown

05:07 - 05:15

And, Claire, do we need to enter this as a new visitor? We can do that. Okay. Can we please have a motion to enter this presentation to give it a shot? Second.

Unknown

05:16 - 05:19

Motion second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye.

Unknown

05:20 - 05:33

Now we're excited to be here. I'm so excited I skipped the formal part. And question before you guys start. Do you want us to wait till the end for any questions, or do you want to flag me down if we need find what works best for Evan?

Unknown

05:33 - 05:37

Never had him wanna handle that. Questions as you go or wait for the end?

Unknown

05:37 - 05:42

Well, so first question I have is how much time should we allot to to present?

Unknown

05:43 - 05:44

How much time do you need, Kevin?

Unknown

05:45 - 05:46

I can probably do in thirty minutes.

Unknown

05:47 - 05:49

That's amazing. That one's perfect.

Unknown

05:49 - 06:02

Yeah. So, I mean, I'll I'll be quick. You know, there's a lot of content. So, you know, if elaboration is needed, go ahead and speak up. But I think for the most part, probably easiest if you reserve your questions till the end.

Unknown

06:03 - 06:10

But, honestly, if there's something burning, you know, where you you really want clarification, please just let me know, and I'll pause and answer.

Unknown

06:10 - 06:18

Okay. That sounds great. So we'll let it go through unless there's, like, a clarifying or urgent thing, and then we'll ask questions if yes. That sounds great. And are you able to share your screen?

Unknown

06:18 - 06:19

Unknown

06:19 - 06:21

Yeah. That that would be great. I'll do that.

Unknown

06:22 - 06:27

You'll do it? Okay. Great. Perfect. And then do you want do you wanna introduce yourself, Kevin?

Unknown

06:27 - 06:28

And then I'll

Unknown

06:28 - 06:28

start with

Unknown

06:28 - 06:31

the and then get going. Maybe Sure.

Unknown

06:31 - 06:48

I'll I'll start, and then I'll let Kurt and Wayne. So I'm Kevin Williams. I'm principal in charge of planning, planning practice at GZA, and I'm the principal in charge of overseeing the the preparation of the master plan for. Wayne, go ahead.

Unknown

06:48 - 07:03

K. I'm Wayne. I'm with GCA Norwood, Massachusetts office. I'm a vice president, and my role on the team is to help on the community engagement and also to help on the offshore wind market and our

Unknown

07:04 - 07:20

And I'm Kurt Spaulding, senior consultant with GCA. And my role is to basically help help the whole whole effort be grounded in people we know, people that do do know things around us and given my long tenure in in the city and and and state. Yeah.

Unknown

07:20 - 07:27

Kirk really helped out with forming the the advisory committee to the the master plan, and I came up

Unknown

07:27 - 07:28

with the app and and PAC,

Unknown

07:29 - 07:40

as it sounds like, Impact. Yeah. Hence, the master plan advisory committee. That's community stakeholders, folks that are from that area, and they're advising us to go.

Unknown

07:41 - 07:45

Awesome. Thank you. And for folks who haven't been to the committee before, this is

Unknown

07:45 - 07:46

a new basis, which makes me so happy,

Unknown

07:46 - 07:55

we do owe some time to tell the comment. So there will be time if you want it. And there's a sign in sheet by the TV. So if you wanna sign in, that helps the courts as well.

Unknown

07:55 - 08:02

Would would you like us to firstly, introduce the process or introduce the content? Because Kevin can do both of

Unknown

08:02 - 08:04

I mean, the process and then content.

Unknown

08:04 - 08:06

We know Okay. Both brings up as leadership.