Elorza Yet to Submit Any Appointments
Kate Nagle, GoLocal Contributor
Elorza Yet to Submit Any Appointments
"I think people are a little surprised. There have been no appointments [from the Mayor's office] on the council docket to my knowledge," said Council Majority Leader Kevin Jackson. "Any appointments would to come to the council, and then be referred to committee. Thursday will be last meeting in January, so it won't be taken up until the first meeting in February."
"We were surprised, all our stuff is in -- the committee assignments, the internal auditor, city treasurer," said Jackson. "The council has two members on parks, water supply, housing authority, PRA, which will be addressed on Thursday. So we're pretty much set up and good to go."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTRecently elected City Council President Luis Aponte said that in total, there are "thirty plus" slots the new Mayor needs to appoint on boards and commissions.
"There are a bunch of appointments that need to be made, but there's not any statutory time frame," said Aponte. "They've got to address the school board, licensing board, and a few others. The school board, probably a third are up for reappointment. Licensing has two members, city plan commission, deputy directors."
Aponte pointed out that the issue of having a quorum in some instances could present a problem.
"There may be some committees that don't have quorum," said Aponte. "The administration's probably being deliberative. There are probably 30 plus slots to fill. Different Mayors do it different ways."
Key Decisions Made, to Come
"Appointments aside, there's also the issue of student apartments," said Jackson, regarding the proposal to build dormitories on the 195 land. "A [tax stabilization agreement] isn't on the agenda for Thursday, and I know they have to move quickly on that. Then it becomes our problem if things don't get done fast enough."
Former interim Mayor and City Councilman John Lombardi, who is currently a State Representative, offered his perspective.
"The trouble he'll have is Cicilline's people," said Lombardi of the former Providence Mayor. "And you've got Smiley and York in there who haven't ever run a city. The Mayor's job is technically head janitor -- everything needs to be cleaned, and tended to. I'm not trying to simplify it. I think we'll see what the dynamic of the council brings, to see what issues arise out of that."
The Mayor's office did not respond to request for comment as to the expected timeframe of addressing board and commission appointees.
School Board Extension
"They extended the application deadline until the 19th," said Oliveira of the prolonged appointment process. "I have no idea of anything more, right now I'm just another applicant. So the board is currently a 6 member board -- we can have a quorum 4 of a 6 -- ideally you want to have the board full constituted, so this a temporary situation. "
"I have to go through the nomination process, and the time frame depends on how quickly the administration moves,' said Oliveira. "The Mayor has explained to me that education is a top priority of his administration, as I understand it he's making these appointments as soon as he can, especially given they extended the deadline. The they have to have to public forum to consider the appointees. I hope they expedite the process."
Jackson warned of the potential of undermanned boards.
"It could hold up business," said Jackson. "Let's face it, at the School Board meeting last night, if one member was missing, there wouldn't be a quorum. It puts the onus on people to show up, which they should be doing anyhow but If someone's sick -- the flu's certainly going around -- there's an issue."
"I'm surprised because Tony Simon is experienced in the world of politics," said Jackson of Elorza's new Chief of Staff. ""I don't know if they're trying to be cautious. We want to work closely with him -- and them -- moving forward."
Ten Issues Elorza Can't Hide From
Staffing Costs
Elorza has announced a slew of hires to date -- including the position of Chief Operating Officer in addition to Chief of Staff, as well as two Deputy Chiefs of Staff. Outgoing Mayor Taveras' former Director of Administration was the highest paid city official at $196,086 in total compensation before departing (but retaining a private contract with the city). To date, Elorza has not responded to requests for salary information for his administration. Once the budget is submitted he won't be able do hide.
One Time Fixes
The current Administration loaded up this current year's budget with one-time stop gap measures. So while next year's budget gap is projected to be anywhere between $17 million and $24 million, Elorza's also got to factor in where the city will get the money -- roughly $7 million -- from the one time fixes in FY15 that won't be on the table in FY16.
Council Relations
When Elorza was elected, and announced his transition team, he didn't give likely council-President Luis Aponte heads up or prior notice. The council has two new faces in the way of Mary Kay Harris and Jo-Ann Ryan, but the remaining 13 seats are returning. Will Elorza work in tandem with the council -- or will it be a more hands-off approach from the Mayor's office?
Body Camera Funding
Since Elorza was elected, the fallout from grand jury decisions Ferguson and New York has brought a new reality to cities -- both in protests and policing. While law enforcement members said they would support the use of body cameras -- and some community members sided with them, while others did not -- the question is where the funding of both the technology, and manpower to oversee it would come from, given the current constraints of a force that is looking to get up to full complement .
195 Development
Developments since election day have included the purchase and sales agreement for a dorm on 195 land -- and reaction from those who are opposed to tax breaks for such a project. Will Elorza work in tandem with the 195 commission to articulate a vision for the future use of the land, or will it largely be dictated by outside interests? And with minority contractors looking to be sure to be part of the process, there are more questions than answers at this point.
East Side Crime
East Side Crime: In December, residents, and a City Councilman, flagged crime issues on the east side as and issue, and Elorza did not respond to request for comment. Whether it was a seasonal aberration, or indicative of a long-term trend, the uptick of crime has residents concerned about the safety of the community.
Superman Building
Whether it be Citizens Bank or another bidder, the looming behemoth at 111 Westminster continues to need to be addressed. High Rock Development failed in its attempts over the past two years to gain traction for apartments coupled with retails space. Will Elorza play a driving role in determining the fate of the downtown anchor? With the reconfiguring of Kennedy Plaza, whether or not the Superman building can find a tenant is an issue Elorza cannot hide from.
Blackstone Boulevard
The initial proposal for a sub-division of the Granofff property on Rochambeau and Blackstone Boulevard -- which faced vocal opposition from neighbors -- did not pass the City Planning Council. But could the team of Granoff, Moses, and DeRentis, husband of Chief Operating Officer Brett Smiley, come back to the table for a new lot subdivision based on new lot allotments? If so, Elorza will have a major issue on his hand that he's been able to stay out of until now.
Labor Issues
Following an election that saw most of labor's support got to Cianci, labor issues are at the forefront. "Right now one of my top priorities is to get a tentative agreement and subsequently a collective bargaining agreement that respects Providence teachers and the amazing work they do everyday," said Providence Teachers Union head Maribeth Calabro. However, even labor leader Paul MacDonald said he sees bigger issues -- the council. "Can he get the support of the city council will be a bigger challenge for him than labor. The big question for the Mayor is he willing to work with the Teachers, firefighters, hotel/bartenders and the big one the Laborers union 1033," said MacDonald in Decemb
Affordable Housing
During the campaign, Elorza's announcement that he would create a bonded $5 million revolving loan program to redevelop foreclosed and abandoned properties in Providence was met with questions from affordable housing advocates as to its impact both on the market, and neighborhood redevelopment.
"There are lots of questions here. I'm not sure it's been completely vetted for a long term strategy. You can't just fix a house and sell it, and cross your fingers and hope it works," said SWAP's Carla DeStefano. "What this program needs to do is work within the greater context of neighborhood revitalization, and incorporate best practices from other states, and our knowledge." How Elorza will work with the affordable housing community to articulate his vision -- and succeed -- will be a major test
