Providence Special Commission on the History of the Providence City Council-3/11/2026-12:00 PM
Call to Order and Roll Call
The meeting was called to order, and roll call was taken for the Special Commission on the History of the Providence City Council. The chair read the resolution establishing the commission and outlined its foundational purpose.
Election of Chair and Vice Chair
The commission conducted elections for its leadership positions. Councilwoman Joanne Ryan was elected as Chair, and Councilwoman Harris was elected as Vice Chair.
Discussion of Commission Charge, Scope, and Goals
The commission discussed strategies to preserve and share the legislative history of the Providence City Council. Key proposals included creating interactive digital kiosks, improving orientation for new council members, and integrating departmental databases.
Adjournment
The commission concluded its first organizational meeting and adjourned. Members agreed to collaborate informally and meet again in a few weeks to review progress.
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That's a terrible term, didn't I? Good afternoon, folks. Welcome to the special commission on the history of the Providence City Council. This is our first regular meeting, Wednesday, 03/11/2026. It is just 12:03.
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We have have madam clerk, do finally, all roll. Councilwoman Ryan? Present. Councilwoman Harris? Present.
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City clerk, master Yadde? Present. City archivist, Gordon.
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John, present.
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City council communications coordinator, Gabrielle. Present. Mhmm. Wonderful. Vice president, we have a forum.
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Thank you very much. Okay. This is an exciting meeting. This is the first, that I am aware of, but a very important, task is ahead of us. Mhmm.
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So the resolution on, creating this committee was passed by the full council on recognizing that the council has played a central role in legislative, institutional, and civic development of the city of Providence since its form since its establishment in 1832. Historical actions, government practices, operational structure, and evolution of city council are essential to understanding the city's policy making process and democratic values. That's the basis for the form formation. Mhmm. Alright.
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So before we get into our discussion, I'd like to just start our our madam clerk, item one. For the record, it is an organizational meeting. Item one, organizational meeting, election of chair, and election of vice chair. Okay. So let's not
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Madam Clerk, I would like to nominate councilwoman Ryan as chair. Second. Okay.
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Are there any further nominations? Are there any further nominations? Are there any further nominations? There being no further nominations, the city clerk is hereby directed to cast one ballot for councilwoman Joanne Mine as chair. Thank you very much.
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I'm excited about this. The next challenge we have is, I'd like to entertain a motion to elect the vice chair. Motion made by
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I, will nominate Councilwoman Harris as chair vice chair. Thank you.
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And do I have a second?
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Yes. Certainly second.
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Okay. Are there any other nominations? Any other nominations? Any further nominations? Any no nominations?
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Further nominations, city clerk, I have my direct to pass one ballot for vice chair, Harris. So the team of Ryan and Harris. Like to Ryan, you're all excited, and we're working on this as Yes.
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We're working on history.
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Okay. So
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brought it up together for the team to know.
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So item two, madam clerk. Item two. Discussion relative to the charge scope and goals of the commission. Okay. Alright.
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So, as indicated, reform by the the city council with the intention of kind of formalizing, kind of our approach and our work that we do here. Let do this back. I don't let me move it again. So we've got a fabulous our department. We've got a fabulous medications department, and we have an equally fabulous parts department.
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One of my goals was to get us all working together so that we're sharing information and that we're putting our best foot forward all the time Each department has significant access to significant data and records and reports, and we feel that it's somewhat disjointed in that if we're doing a press release, we don't always have the exact dates and details and facts and figures. I've seen it over and over again. I noticed that, obviously, when it impacts me, but I also know that that exists. So when each council comes in, it shouldn't be a bathroom. We shouldn't lose the one that we've done in the past.
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Because the reality is the electric you know, people elect representatives, but those representatives stand on their shoulders with people that came before them. And there is a body of work that needs to be celebrated. Whether they believe in it or the earth has shifted, it's still a body of work that was contemplated and, labored over, and people had, you know, input in. And it's it's there, but it's hard to access and get that. So, you know, I was trying to wrap my head around before councilor Harris councilor Harris and I left.
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She and I have shared nominally similar conversations about how do we build a system that celebrates all of the work we do, its significance for the city council as a whole, but just the city of Providence also. How do we maintain that going forward? How do we set up a system or put a structure in place so that all the t's are always crossed, all the i's are always dotted, and they're we're working in rhythm on what's celebrating the city council and the city of Providence. So that's kind of what I had in in my mind. I've talked to each of you guys that are on the committee individually, And I hoped that this first meeting would be an opportunity for us to kinda talk about our own expectations, and we could set up our kind of scope of of work on in goals for this commission at this first meeting.
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So this is kind of meant to basically get your employment. True. So Councilwoman Harris, if you don't mind, I spoke for you. I took the liberty of speaking for you.
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That's all good.
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But Yeah. What are your thoughts?
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Well, yeah, absolutely. I actually definitely agree with what you're saying about the history itself is not as clear as it should be. I know Kayla does a really good job when we ask them to go dig for a stop. But I think in order for us, especially the new members of the city council coming in Right. To understand the work and expectation of how that work is done.
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Right? A lot of times, people you know, their their perspective of life and what they've been doing in their own perspective doesn't always allow them to evaluate it. Right. Policies work out. You know?
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And so I think, knowing some of the things that people have done in the past, like, I had no idea about the first woman, councilwoman, until we displayed it and didn't make it very, very big for us to pay attention to. We have as the city grow and as the city change, there's different policies that need to be recognized and different things that we need to try to try to dig in and wrap our mind around. So I think this is a quick approach. I think it's really good. Something never been done before.
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And we hear names possible and sometime of people. I mean, we've been around a while from the politicians, and I because my prior work, I knew a lot of kinds of politicians. But you don't hear names like Rita Williams, Joe Luca. Folks, you know, I don't if was back in eighteen something, but, yeah, as policies are driven and as politicians shouldn't trust it more, I
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think there's more transparency behind. It's up to us to celebrate the work that has been done.
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And the transparency behind.
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And as long as there's a clear presentation of what has been done Mhmm. And where you could go to find it Right. It's easier to celebrate it Right. And move forward. Right.
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And and, again, I'm not saying it's right or wrong. You know, word changes. Uh-huh. And the council changes with it. Right.
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But it's important to know what has been done. Right. You mentioned that when we first came, counselor Harris and I came as we came in together, and we've been together. We've been Working
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on how to say something?
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Together from day one. But I can recall when we first came into the building, we walked through the chain the, hallway, and we looked at each other. And everybody knows me, and everyone knows how someone has. Do we look like we're easily dissuaded with two strong women and focused and not afraid to take the bull by no more. But we looked at each other, and we said, oh my god.
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Where do we start? And we actually felt a bit disheartened. And I know that that happens to all new council people. And we want to if we do anything, have us annoying, we wanna be able to build a ship that when new council people come in, they don't have that same feeling that we had that day. Now I can tell you that what we did is we went out and we worked with the council president.
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Luisa Ponton said, you ladies come in here to my office, and let me ask you. How can I answer your questions? How can I make you feel bad about the task at hand? And other council people also to rest under their weight and not in a way that I wanna influence them because they really just want their vote. Mhmm.
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But other council people who were senior council people said, well, this is how I would approach this problem. And and you might be different for you, but, you know, this is kind of how I would approach it. But we're losing that as we lose council people. There's a crop of new council members that don't have the historical past that Councilwoman Harris and I had the benefit of because we served with council people that spans many, many years. Oh.
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That was before the, term limit question. So we're trying to rebuild those connections with this effort. So that's kind of where we're coming from. But I just wanted to say, oh, who would it be when you just mentioned the board that you put up that Caleb helped us with with all of the past counsel. How cool if that was an automated board that you pushed that person's name?
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And their history and all
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their legislative work that they did. That's awesome. Can that be done, Pam?
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So, yeah, that's actually what we're ultimately would like to achieve. So right now, we're putting a date of ours. I I have I I keep I haven't written much on the city council, including timelines, party backgrounds, chair the committees that counselors have chaired, been a part of, basic information, but also first. Know, Ali's been a tremendous help the past couple of months going back even farther to the record to kind of not only just see the research on individual counselors, but to really give a grasp on the basic functions of the legislative body through the history of Providence. I mean, Providence is three ninety years old, one of the oldest cities in America.
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But we've always had a strong legislature. I mean, which Roger Williams is our basically our first announcer. It's fact. Member city. I mean, he he conducted meetings and meetings much like this in his house on a, like, kind of, like, on the hill, basically.
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It's five year for lots. So, you know, when envisioning this, how neat would it be to have founding documents, the kiosk on Williams on the left, and on the right, you would have the kiosk on the legislative history of the city? Yep. I think the focus, of course, on that kiosk should be more modern. It should be the modern city council nineteen four, which I consider, you know, when we reached a certain point of modernity in the legislative body, would be 1941, the mass and charter change and the elimination of more involvement.
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I still think it's very important to cover that history.
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Can you do that in in in a kiosk?
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Sure. So