Like, every single person you've told where we moved the last couple of years, I'm like, it's helping. I promise the stadium's gonna open. Correct. Okay. That's with the double red flag.
Are we all soft? Green? As far as I But
It looks great. Everything about it.
to call the special commissioner of Veterans Affairs to order. Manuel Clark, if you could call the roll call, please.
Vice chair, Joseph Ayanuchi, is absent. Commissioner Anthony J. Alves?
Yarn? Present. There's a quorum.
Thank you very much. Before you commissioners, is the agenda, and first item that we have is update relative to Veterans Exemption in the city of Providence. I'd like to, just have a quick brief Yeah. Yeah. I can Update on on the legislation that we worked on and and now is moving through the, general assembly.
Indeed. For the record, Aaron, with the council staff here. And, yes, as you had all some of my you know, earlier or a couple of months ago, that this would be legislation that would be very much palatable to the general assembly has proven to be so. We've had successful hearings, and I just double checked. And right now, both bills are in in the senate.
It's, senate bill seven twenty, and the house is fifty three zero seven. They're scheduled to be passed in concurrent, so they're gonna be put on the house and senate consent calendar, and they should pass, likely this week or early next week. It just depends on their backlog, and we're very happy about that. And it was very, those changes allowed for some of the things that we actually put in our city budget this year. So it's something that probably wouldn't have happened.
I'm I'm actually sure it would have happened if, we didn't start it here. You all didn't start it here, so good stuff. Thank you. Right.
Let's let's take our wins.
Absolutely. Indeed. I I believe the numbers have been set.
Yes. Yes. If I'm not mistaken, don't don't quote me if somebody can correct me. But if I understand it, at the very least, those numbers are gonna be doubled from what they were previously.
From what I think I saw, I
think it's doubled. Yes. Yeah.
About a 153 to sorry. I think it's 653 or something. Mhmm. And and still go up if if we Exactly. Try to push it a little more.
And I I and I can't I'll make one further comment that, yes, that is the, you know, assumption that what it would be. But as we do move forward in the budget, there still is an option to increase that more because the legislation at the state level gave the city, the power to set that by ordinance or resolution. So if an amendment comes in the budget, veterans can get more. So it's an ongoing conversation.
So yeah. So that will be up to us and then city council and and the mayor to have more if we we wish to and also what the budget allows for. Well, thank you very much, Aaron, for your work and also for Tricia Padreli for working with Aaron and on this piece of legislation and and helping us out with the commission and moving things forward. Anything you would like to add, Tricia?
No. It's just a personal note. It's the first legislation that we drafted for state level, so I'm kind of a nerd. I'm excited about that.
Very good. We're excited too. Do we're really putting forward a benefit to veterans. And, also, you know, as a result of of our effort also, this also impacts seniors in the city of Providence. So that's a that's a plus too.
So and that was one of the things that at least for for our constituency at the local level and the city council, very happy to report to them. But, also, it's it's gonna be a reflection of this budget. While this budget continues to be a very challenging one, financially, but we're gonna get through it, and hopefully, we can provide a plus to our veterans and also the senior. What was
the, timeline for the, for the bills?
Oh, so they've already gone through their, you know, the committee process. They've all had, you know, votes out of committee. So the timeline wise now is they're just waiting to put it on the the consent calendar on both sides. And, so, literally, it could be, like, you know, any day that they add it, and they just go ahead and pass it.
I was just wondering if if that timeline has has any reflection of, say, like, the city's budget
at the time. Not at all. Okay.
Yeah. Well, they will both, have to pass before, we take action because, once we get the authorization You have to approve. Then we have to submit our resolution and then authorize us to put it on the Yeah. On the in the budget. Okay.
That's why I was wondering if it would happen.
Prior to the budget? Yeah. Yes. It would. Okay.
Yeah. I think that with the timeline that they have set at the general assembly now, those will certainly, you know, pass both sides before we're finalizing Yeah. Our You know, I'm willing to try to Right. Yeah. We could either we can either buy, ordinance and one of the budget ordinances actually just, you know, modify a change of line, or the council can just pass an individual resolution stating that, you know, this is the authority that we have.
And either way, it would allow us to move forward with
And and just so you know, I'm sure the director could chime in on this or, will advocate for this is that once the bill is passed on both south and the senate and then transferred over to the governor, the governor can sign this piece of legislation. And when that happens, y'all will be invited to. I'm sure that's that this will be probably one of the bills that, the governor and the general assembly passes, for a package of of of veteran bills.
And that can be done at the at the request of the awardees in terms of where the sponsors.
Exactly. I would think it'd
be a prominent place in the city of Providence. Do we do that ceremonial sign bill signing?
And, you know, chairman Interesting. I could help to, you know, start organizing that to put in the request. Like, now, I think that if we want the governor to do that signing ceremony here, if I could reach out to Rico in his office and see if I can get that set up with your clearance, I can just reach out to him today.
Yes. Please move forward with that. Will do. Thank you. And make sure that, all the commissioners are aware of and, and the respective parties are aware of.
Thank you very much. Moving on. Second item for discussion relative to the Memorial Day ceremony on May 23, which is a Friday of this year with majority leader Pedro Espinal, which is on Broad Street and and and Prairie Avenue, also known as the I forget the name of the square now. But
