Good evening, and welcome to this, special meeting of the Providence City Council. Today is Monday, July 14. Madam clerk, please call the roll.
Council president Miller. Present. Deputy majority whip Vanderbois. Councilwoman Anthony. Present.
Senior Deputy Majority Leader Goncalves.
Councilwoman Graves. Present. Deputy Majority Leader Harris. Present. Councilwoman Peterson.
Present. Council president Pro Tempur Pichardo. Present. Council Arroyas. Present.
Councilwoman Ryan. Present. Majority Whip Sanchez. Present. Councilman Taylor.
Councilwoman Anna Vargas is absent. Councilman Oscar Vargas? Present. You have 14 present and one absent. You have quorum.
Thank you, madam clerk. Madam president? Majority leader.
Motion to weigh the reading of the reading of the invocation and pledge of allegiance.
Second, madam president. We have
a motion and a second. Any discussion? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed?
Any abstentions? The motion passes. Item one.
Motion to waive the reading item one and two.
We have a motion and a second. Any discussion on items one and two? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed?
Any abstentions? The motion passes. Madam clerk, please note items one and two as received. So noted. Item three.
Madam president. Councilor Personal expression.
Thank you madam president. I wanna emphasize what I'm about to say with a lot of love and respect for all my colleagues here and the people that we represent. I wanna rise today and speak about an incident that happened in our community. And as I'm sure most of you are aware, I'm speaking about an incident yesterday morning that included ICE immigration and Providence police Officers. The chief has, spoke on this item today.
To my opinion, there's still a lot of answers that that remain. A lot of, anger, a lot of hurt, a lot of pain in our community during this time, when it comes to to these actions by federal agencies and in our vulnerable communities. But what's extremely disappointing is, our mayor has not gotten in front of a camera and and said basic, thing along the nature of providence stands with our immigrant community. Whether folks are documented or not, these are neighbors that, contribute to to our society, that are in our schools, our business owners, that support all of us in in many different ways. So to to be here twenty four plus hour later, and and have our chief saying that all policies were followed, but not provide any footage, body cam footage.
To me that says an investigation has already happened. So so why can you let this information out here to to for the public, to feel a little more comfortable. All across the country, we're seeing our our families ripped apart, by these Nazi federal agencies, under ICE and and other federal agencies. And for so many months, for this last six months, we have told our constituents ICE, proudest police does not work with with ICE. And that incident that happened yesterday is is not very clear that that is the policy that that we have in place.
Obviously, it might be the case. I I I don't wanna judge without knowing all the facts, but that's what I wanna know. I wanna know the facts. As a city councilor that represents my neighbor's 65% Latino ward, My phone has been blowing up, for the past twenty four hours, about this, situation, this incident, and I don't have those answers for for my neighbors. Right now is not the time to to be silent, to wait for investigations to happen.
Right now is the time to to stand up for our neighbors. Any possible opportunity we get, especially especially our immigrant community, during these hard times. So until that happens, this business that that that we're doing is is so silly to me. If we're not standing up to families being ripped apart as as city councilors, what are we doing here in in these chambers? That's our biggest, if not most important responsibility.
So I just wanna share that with with all of you. To demand the the body footage of yesterday's incident to to be released. To demand a basic humanitarian statement for from our mayor. To me that's the bare minimum that we should all be doing right now during these horrific times that our communities are enduring. Whether it's this issue, whether it's education, whether it's trans rights, this administration that we have in the White House is coming for us.
So if we don't take a stand now then it's just gonna be the next issue. So obviously a bunch of you are like oh let's on local issues. This is a local issue colleagues. If this isn't a local issue of communities and families being ripped apart in our neighborhoods then what is a local issue? Obviously, I'm gonna be very emotional and very passionate about this issue because all...
Most of us come from immigrant backgrounds and we're just supposed to look the other way when these attacks happen in our communities. I I rather die on my knees than than live during these times. Our our neighbors put us in these positions to to be the voices to use our privilege to advocate for for our neighbors. So so please use your your platforms. Obviously I know some of us are are more passionate and involved with with these issues.
But as Providence City Councilors, it's all of us to use our platforms and and fight for our neighbors. Thank you, madam president.
Thank you, councilor. Madam clerk, item three.
I want you to weigh the reader of item three through six and pass for the second time in a roll call vote.
Second, madam president. We have a
motion and a second. Any discussion on items three through six? Counselor?
Thank you, madam. Are we going to do a roll call?
We are going to do a roll call vote. Yes. Do you have any discussion on items three through six? Six?
Yes, I do. Okay. Thank you, my pleasure. I rise to work together in this next year, fiscal year. And what I know in this budget, I will do my best to help my community to create more resources, to create more programs for them to make money to pay these property taxes.
And hopefully, the administration will open their eyes and and try to work with us to have better service or serious services and consolidate some departments. Our city needs help. We are in the hole. But the solution is not to raise taxes.
Thank you. Thank you, counselor. Further discussion on items three through six?
Seeing none, Seeing none, madam clerk, please call the roll. Council president Miller. Aye. Deputy majority Wip Vanderbois. Aye.
Councilwoman Anthony. Aye. Majority leader Espinal. Aye. Senior deputy majority leader Gonsalves.
Councilwoman Graves. Aye. Deputy Majority Leader Harris. Aye. Councilwoman Peterson.
Nay. Council President Pro Tempur Pichardo.
Nay on three and yay on the rest, four, five, and six.
