Welcome to the Providence City Council on this beautiful 12/04/2025. Madam clerk, please call the roll.
Council president Miller? Present. Deputy majority Consolves.
You have 13 present and one absent. You have a quorum.
Thank you, madam clerk. Tonight, we have some special guests I'd like to recognize. We've got the parent, leadership training participants, will you please stand up and be recognized? Thank you very much. Thank you so much for joining us.
Please stay after for a moment. We'd like to celebrate everything you did in the leadership cohort and take a picture. We also have city council elect Jill Davidson here with us. We're welcome, Jill. We are very much looking forward to your swearing in and getting to work.
Counselors, am I forgetting any other special guests in the room tonight? Alright. The invocation will be given tonight by councilwoman Shelley Peterson. Will everyone please rise, including our guests who are able? Thank you, madam president.
Hello. As we embark on our holiday season, I wanna take a moment to pause and remember why we're here. And while we may define public service in our own ways, the heart of it is still the same. We show up because we care about the people who call Providence home. We don't always approach things the same way.
Some of us focus on the needs right in front of us, and other others look at the bigger picture. But every morning, we step into this work with a shared purpose, to lift up the residents of this beautiful city. This time of year can bring out both our best efforts and our toughest debates. We'll still wrestle with decisions about sidewalks, budgets, and the many challenges ahead. But I hope we also remember that in every one of our neighborhoods, there are people carrying burdens that we may never fully see.
Some struggles are beyond our reach, but others, we have the power to ease. So as we continue our work, may we put our residents first, honor the trust they've placed in us, and remember that the seats we hold are only ours for a short time. The choices we make should reflect the needs of all of our communities. And finally, I wanna say, truly, it's been an honor to serve alongside each and every one of you. As we enter our final year together, I can say that I've learned so much from every single one.
I'm grateful for your commitment, your grit, and the heart of what you bring to this council. May this season bring you peace, clarity, and a renewed love for the city we all care about. Finally, as we close out the year, I pray that each of you feels the strength, patience, and grace that only God can serve. May this guidance shape our work, steady our steps, and remind us that service is a calling bigger than any one of us. Wishing you and all of your families a blessed and hopeful holiday season.
Thank you, councilwoman. And tonight, the pledge of allegiance will be led by, pro tem Juan Pichardo.
to the republic which you stand.
under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all.
I want you to waive the reading of item three and move approval.
Second, madam president. We have a motion and a second. Any discussion on that motion? Hearing none, madam clerk, please open the vote.
The vote is now open. Thank you. Councilman Vargas? The vote is now closed. And that is 13 ayes.
The minutes are approved.
Thank you, madam clerk. Item four.
Motion to weigh the reading about them four through six.
Second. We have a motion and a second. Any discussion on items four through six? All in favor? Aye.
Any opposed? Any abstentions? The motion passes. Madam Clerk, please note four through six as received. So noted.
Motion to waive the reading of items.
Madam president. We have a motion and a second. I just on item seven. Hearing none, madam clerk, please open the vote.
The vote is now open. Councilwoman Ryan. The vote is now closed, and we have 13 ayes. When absent, the matter passes on a voice vote.
Thank you, madam clerk. Item eight.
Motion to weigh the reader of item eight and pass on a roll call vote.
Second, madam president. We have a motion and a second. I need to go to item eight. Councilwoman Ryan.
Thank you, councilor. Oh, I can hear myself now. So what is before us tonight is a lease of the building on to the Water Fire Organization. A few weeks ago, we passed, the bonding for the purchase of the building itself. On each year, through the mortgage crisis, the foreclosure crisis, the banking crisis, and all of the back to back crises we endured together, as a city in our recent history, Waterfire lost corporate sponsorships that sustained it financially.
We all know that. Over the years, Waterfire came before this body. Over these years, Waterfire came before the body and asked for support. We have continuously voted to support the organization because we recognize its value to our city. Waterfire has become synonymous with provenance.
At first, it was an artistic expression, highlighting our own riverfront. Over the years, it has become part of our identity and heralded throughout the country and beyond. On Waterfire nights, anyone who visits Providence, young and old, go to experience Waterfire. We've heard testimony that our hotels are fully booked and at premium rates on WaterFire nights. Restaurants and other entertainment venues across our city are packed.
Everybody talks about WaterFire nights. We've heard testimony water fired contributes about a 162,000,000 of economic stimulus to Rhode Island annually, a return that dwarfs the city's investment and underscores how vital it is to our economy. This is not merely an investment in a cultural anchor, but a fiscally sound decision to help sustain a vital economic engine for the city of Providence. We heard testimony from Mark Allen, the new executive director, about organizational restructuring, new donor program on that has already yielded results. WaterFire is entering a promising era under the leadership of Mark Allen, and we all know our good friend, Bartomy Evidence, along with a newly constituted board.
This with this experience, the organization is well positioned to strengthen its operation, broaden its partnerships, and chart a sustainable path. This comprehend stabilizes the finances and set them sets them up not only to succeed but to thrive and to continue to provide financial benefits to our entire city and our local businesses. I urge passage. Thank you.
Any further discussion on item eight? Councilman Gonsalves.
Madam president, I just wanna echo those remarks that were made by councilor Ryan. We all know how important water fire is to the city of Providence, and so supporting the proposed lease of the WaterFire Arts Center is the right thing to do. As you just heard from my colleague, it's truly a cultural cornerstone of the city of Providence. No matter where you go far and wide, people come to water fire all across our country to see the fires, lit and to also spur economic activity that uplifts downtown restaurants. It supports our hospitality businesses and also our small bars and restaurants downtown, which I'm so proud to represent here in the city of Providence.
By approving this case, we essentially safeguard really
