Good evening, everyone.

I'm Providence Councilwoman Joanne Ryan.

Uh, this is the Committee on Finance Public Hearing on the Mile of History Project.

We have um before we begin, I just want to make some announcements and uh recognize some folks that are with us.

We are uh staffed today by solicitor Leonella Felix.

Thank you, Leonella, for being here.

Finance committee members, of course.

Um to my right, uh Councilwoman Sue Andebois, Councilman Miguel Sanchez, and we have Althea Graves.

Um also want to recognize the councilman in the group.

Um John Goncals.

So noted.

Don't see anyone else.

Okay, awesome.

Um, what we're gonna do this evening is we're gonna start out with uh a number of presenters uh on this matter so that we have a full understanding of what is before us, and then after that presentation, um we will open it um up and engage uh the public in public hearing.

Napoleon, may I ask you please to um deliver the sheets for the people who have signed up to speak, and after the presentation of the matter, we will call the public.

Thank you very much.

Okay, with that, first up, um chief.

Oh Madam Clerk, please read the matter into the record.

Item one an ordinance of the City of Providence approving the financing of the Mile of History Project by the issuance of appropriation obligations, therefore, an amount not to exceed six million two hundred thousand.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Okay, presenters, Chief Mancini.

Chief, I'm gonna ask you to be the MC of the presentations this evening if you would be so kind.

I will be honored, Your Honor.

Thank you.

So maybe Madam Chair, good evening, and uh thank you for the opportunity to prepare for the uh public hearing.

I'm joined this evening by a number of individuals.

And before I begin my testimony, I will have them introduced.

Uh we're joined by members of the Milo History Association and their leadership, Mr.

Dan Bowden and Ms.

Liz Marancy.

You'll also hear testimony and presentation from department directors that include Director Joseph Mulligan from the Department of Planning and Director Ted Carr, who is director of economic development.

We also have testimony from the Chief Engineer, uh Craig Hawkins from the Department of Public Works, and last but by no means least, the Director of Tourism uh in the province war convention bureau, Miss Kristen Adamo.

They are all here to provide individual testimony, Madam Chair.

So for the benefit of the public in this committee, Madam Chair, this is a project that uh I was asked to give testimony on from the finance perspective.

And I am here this evening in my capacity as the city's chief financial officer and a person who gave testimony previously when this matter was heard by the Finance Committee in late June.

The project is a project that spans wards one, two, and three along the Benefit Street Corridor, hence the name of the Milo History.

It um again it appeared before the finance committee in late June.

The matter was set to be tabled, and by the will of the council, you're having this as a public hearing this evening.

What I can tell you about this project that's important to note is this project has already been approved by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, and it now sits on the project priority list.

That is a key element to this project.

In order for this project to proceed and therefore be eligible to borrow under the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank, you must be approved to be on the Rhode Island DOT project priority list, which they have been approved.

The dollar amount that we will be looking to borrow is an amount of 6.2 million.

5.5 million will be in project dollars, the actual cost of construction, and an additional 700,000 that is necessary for the terms and conditions of the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank that include a debt service reserve and those cost of issues, including closing costs.

For the benefit of the public and members of the council, a debt service reserve is a provision based upon the size of the loan that is held in reserve.

And should there ever be a failure of payment, which I believe would never occur with a municipal government, that amount would be set aside as a payment to make any fail payment.

It is a typical financing mechanism in all financing matters.

The benefit of borrowing through the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank, this program, this project is done through the project known as the Road and Bridge Fund.

Therefore, it will receive a 33% interest rate subsidy.

Just today, I spoke to the program manager, Mr.

Greg Miller, and he has said that today, municipal borrowing rates under this program could run between three and a half percent and four and a half percent, and with the subsidy of one third, that actually reduces the rates to 2.33 percent to a maximum of 3%.

The term of the loan could be as long as 20 years.

For effective budgetary affordability, the city council adopted the FY26 budget with a provision already made in the debt service line that would include an amount necessary to meet a payment of 412,000 annually fixed.

That amount is already in the FY26 budget.

It wasn't meant to presume that the council would approve this project, but at the time the budget was submitted by the administration and therefore considered by the council and therefore approved by the council, that provision needed to be included because we were before the finance committee in late June seeking that approval.

The repayment, as I said earlier, will be over a period of 20 years, and that provision has already been made in the debt service line.

During the meeting, and just prior to the meeting in June, we were informed by outside council, and we're here this evening.

We have Mr.

Neil Pandozi from Trout Peppermint and Locke, an associate of Miss Karen Grandy.

They are the city's outside bond council available for any questions.

We were informed that legislation approved by the state general assembly just that day would permit, if passed, and it did pass, any type of borrowing like this to be treated as if it was a general obligation bond and therefore enjoy the benefit of a general obligation bond, which generally assures lower interest rates.

So while I won't predict that rate today because the market can change, what I'm saying is there now is opportunity with the resolution that was amended in committee already before you and in this public hearing already has that provision received, amended, and pending further consideration by the finance committee, and therefore that will provide a benefit as well.

What that might do, that might drop the payment from 412,000 annually to a payment between 375 and 385.

Still another good benefit based on the interest subsidy.

So, madam chair, members of the committee, members of the council, members of the public.

Uh, the next opportunity will be to hear from members of the Milo History Association, and I would like to bring them together, Mr.

Dan Bowden and Miss Liz Marancy, if you'll be so kind to bring them together.

Thank you, Chief Mancini.

Please join us.

Just want to recognize a council member Shelley Peterson who has arrived.

Thank you.

So noted.

Hello, Madam Chair, and thanks to the committee for this opportunity.

If I may, I'll provide a brief background and then read our Mohaw letter as testimony.

In order to fulfill our mission to preserve and protect Benefit Street, six years ago, the Mile of History Association engaged a landscape architect to perform a streetscape study of historic Benefit Street.

Our mission is not only about Benefit Street's extraordinary history, but it is also about making it safe and accessible for all visitors to enjoy.

The plan examined every inch of the street, focusing on street paving, street lights, trees and tree pits, and sidewalks.

All aspects of these elements were documented, relying on photographs and other documentation from private residents.

We then developed a plan for restoration of historic sidewalks.

CAD drawings and costs were developed in order to provide a complete picture to present to our community, especially wards one, two, and three.

Mohaw was proud to work with city councilors Andrebois, Anthony, and Gonsalves to bring attention to the street, which has resulted in Councillor Gonzalez filing of this resolution.

Moha's given testimony at March and June City Council meetings, and we are pleased to present this letter to the City of Providence and the Finance Committee of the Providence City Council.

I am the president of the Mile of History Association, representing 100 members.

And I am the Rhode Island Vice Regent to George Washington's estate, Mount Fernan.

Returning from there last night, I was struck again by the vast history which Rhode Island boasts.

Founded for the benefit of all, Benefit Street is the site of the friendship between the Narragansett tribe and Roger Williams, which has benefited Rhode Island's Rhode Islanders for 400 years.

Immigrants from all over the world have landed here on Benefit Street.

It is also the beginning of religious tolerance in America.

Again, thanks to Roger Williams.

The first Baptist Church in America is on Benefit Street, in addition to our 70s 1760 old State House.

The plan for burning the Gasby was developed here.

The Shakespeare's Head Declaration of Independence was printed here.

11 times Governor Stephen Hopkins lived here and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

John Brown built his fabulous house and empire here.

The Door Rebellion was executed here.

Barker Playhouse, the Providence Athenaeum, Brown University, and RISD are all here.

Accessibility to all of these amazing sites of national importance is prohibitive due to sidewalk conditions.

Our culture and history are here and should be available and accessible to all visitors.

Please pass this resolution for the benefit of all.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Ms.

Morancy.

Madam Chair, members of the committee.

Uh, with that, I'll introduce to you the Director of Planning of the Bellman, Joseph Mulligan.

Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the council and uh visitors as well.

Uh it's great to be here.

Our department staff are throughout the city.

I left the city planning commission meeting and on my way to the port planning public meeting this evening, but wanted to make sure I was able to come by and speak to this matter.

That is a very important in terms of the form and feel of the city.

Um we I won't go into the history.

I think you'll hear a lot about that tonight, and we had a good introduction from the Milo History representatives.

That was primarily based on an open space with a with a public building on one side and maybe a religious structure on the other side that was counter to Roger Williams' extortion of separation of church and state.

And as a result, Providence is oddly deprived of kind of major public open spaces.

And what we do have it's been carved out over the decades through moving public infrastructure, rail yards or an overhead highway, or annexing a farm and attacking it to the to the part of the community here.

In many ways, our our transit corridors act as our connectors to our neighborhoods and our communities, our major public open spaces.

We're doing work now in the valley down along the Winnescatucket to transform it from an industrial canal to a connected space for shared use paths for pedestrians and bicycles and others.

And there's there's an imperative to add special attention to these places because that is where we invite the world to come when they come to visit.

It's where our neighbors and our community go to do their shopping, to meet their neighbors, to be out in the open air and to to be in the public space.

And Benefit Street, certainly because of its history, is very important among those spaces that we need to pay extra consideration to.

In wards one, two, and three.

Um it is a compact area.

There is not a lot of public open space.

And again, these these areas serve as our places where we go out and we walk about, we get fresh air, we enjoy the community, we enjoy the beauty of this town and this in what we have uh to offer.

Uh, because of that history, too, there's this unorthodox conditions that we'll see in this neighborhood that we don't see in other parts of the city.

Uh we have buildings that were built that could not be built today.

They have stairwells that intersect the public way, they abut right up to uh kind of a zero lot line.

We have to make accommodations.

Uh, there's also uh a varying amount of materials.

The sidewalk has granite slabs, there's uh pavers, there's bituminous, there's concrete.

Uh and I salute the uh representatives from the Mile History from taking the initiative to advance a design at their own expense to take into consideration all those variety of of problematic issues and meetings and intersections and materials and existing conditions.

Uh, and that comes at a premium.

And I and I think we have to acknowledge that uh to do this is gonna take a little extra lift, but the story of Benefit Street is the story of Providence, and it's a story we need to tell.

Uh, it's a story we share with the world.

We invite them here, and we want that experience to be pleasant and safe and accessible to all.

And therefore, I'd I'd like to urge your special consideration on this matter uh for authorizing the funding for this very important part of the city uh to benefit all of our neighborhoods, all of our residents, and uh to point a pride for the city of Providence as a whole.

So thank you very much for your time.

Thank you, Director.

Thank you.

Uh Madam Chair, members of the committee, members of the council.

Next speaker is uh our director of economic development, Mr.

Ted Carr.

Teddy, good evening, members.

Thank you for having me.

I've been before your committee many times.

I'm very glad to be back.

Um, as the director of economic and uh development for the city, in addition to the programs that we run on behalf of the city broadly, it is my job to look after the economic climate here.

Um I I know it is you will hear lots of stories tonight tonight about the importance of history and change and investment.

Uh, and that while this is a um uh important decision for you, I also rise in favor of it.

Um I I was trying to think and try to give a little example of um how the change in history and the change in the city relates to what's happening today in the city.

So um, as many of you know, recently we welcomed back to the city of Providence, the American Cruise Line Company.

Let me tell you a little bit about why that's important.

Uh, this brings visitors into our city that come from all over the country.

They operate the tour here 27 weeks a season, uh approximately 200 guests each week, and they start and stop in Providence.

So they stay overnight here, they go out to dinner here.

Uh they tour our city, and I want to mention this specifically because this is one of the most important stops to them.

So when you can invest in opportunities like this in wards one, two, and three, uh, and showcase the city in the best light it can.

It only adds to more economic vibrancy.

Small businesses will thrive when other people come here, people that come here to see and enjoy our beautiful city.

Uh, this is also very important.

Um, in the past, I've talked to you about the uh importance of vibrancy all over the city.

Uh I love that in the um in the same theory around how Providence started, that it took a few citizens to come forward and think that this was important and to work with everyone to make sure that this uh tries to happen.

Um this cruise boat uh spends more than a million dollars a season.

It's taxable to the city.

They start and stop.

Uh, you will see their um their buses around here.

But one of the number one things as we spend time with these new guests that come to town, and they are not alone, is that Providence is a beautiful place, and it starts with their experience.

And so um I think an investment like this is critical to any city's success or infrastructure, but it relates to how we change and how we grow every day.

So I hope you will um uh share in my enthusiasm to support uh this effort uh as you consider many, many things before you, but this is an important investment, and it's why this administration shares in its support.

And I'm glad to be here to answer any questions.

Thank you very much, Director.

Thank you.

Okay, Madam Chair.

Um, we have also with us from the city of Province the uh Chief City's chief engineer and director of the Department of Engineering at the Department of Public Works, Mr.

Craig Hockman.

Craig Uh Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the Finance Committee and Council.

Uh Benefit Street is a pretty significant pedestrian corridor spanning across this ward from one, two and three, and it's a significant north-south transportation connector.

Um, this is one of the most uninterrupted north-south connectors uh spinning across these wards where parts east are disconnected in South Main Street and North Main Street uh is one way in many of these uh many sections.

Uh Benefit Street is about 1.2 miles long uh between Burrs Lane and Wiccan Street, and the sidewalks represent about 2.2 miles.

Um citywide, there's about 625 miles.

Um, as Director Mulligan mentioned earlier, there's a variety of surfaces out there concrete, asphalt, brick, slate, bluestone, cobble, granite, and in many cases, any combination of these materials.

The plant proposes to restore the historic character of the sidewalks by resetting bricks, slate and bluestone in areas, removing concrete and asphalt, and replacing with brick and other historic materials.

The sidewalk is in varying state of disrepair.

Uh, we do have some good sections, some new sections, which will plan to uh remain.

Uh but we also have many sections that are fair or poor or just impassable in many spots.

Um we started discussing this project with uh utilities.

We are aware of some advanced gas and utility work that has to uh I'm sorry, gas and water work that has to occur here, um, which I think could be to our benefit to get these this work in before we start some excavation, uh, with the potential to get some reimbursements from the utilities on the back end to help fund this.

Uh we're also working on a safety improvement project at the intersection of Waterman and Benefit Street, uh, which is a high incidence of uh vehicle accidents, and including that into the design and construction of this project.

Uh, like many of our other sidewalk projects, this is a corridor-focused approach uh to make traveling seamless and to take away trip hazards for all of Benefit Street.

I think you for your consideration and for having us here tonight.

Thanks.

Thank you very much.

Okay, so Madam Chair, members of the training, we do have just uh two final speakers.

Our next speaker is the president and CEO of Go Providence and the Providence Warwick Convention Visit Bureau, certainly no stranger, ladies and gentlemen, Ms.

Kristen Adamo.

Thank you.

Good evening, Madam Chairwoman and members of the city council.

As Mr.

Mancini said, my name is Kristin Adamo.

I'm the president CEO of Go Providence, which is the Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau.

And our job is to bring leisure travelers, meetings, and convention delegates and sporting event attendees into Providence.

And tourism and Providence is a really big business.

Last year, about eight million people came to Providence.

People come here for a variety of reasons.

I don't have to tell you about our fabulous restaurants, our amazing arts and cultural offerings, and our neighborhoods.

And Benefit Street is really part of that wholly unique, wonderfully special Providence that we sell.

Benefit Street is our mile of history and a center of tourism in the city, and we know it's home to revered institutions like the Rizzi Museum and the Athename and the John Brown House, but it's also just small businesses like Brown Bee Coffee and the Providence Tour Company.

In the past few months, media outlets like Vogue, Town and Country, and the New York Post have talked about the street and glowing profiles that we see of the city.

The story of Benefit Street is really the story of Providence, and like most things, it has a complicated history, which we delve into with two of our self-guided walking tours, one on the east side and one on the early Black History of Providence.

More than 7,000 people accessed information on our website last year about Benefit Street, and we printed 10,000 of each of those walking tour maps in the last uh five years.

My team is working with the Mile of History Association Association on their privately funded interpretive signage program that will educate those walking the street on its historic and cultural significance.

But to take a deeper look at just who is on Benefit Street, our organization did something which sounds pretty creepy, but is actually very interesting.

We drew a digital fence around the mile of history, and then we analyzed cell phone data to see who visited that section of the street last year.

We took out anyone who lived within a one mile radius so that we felt like we could get a truly accurate look.

Uh, here's what we found.

294,600 non-residents visited Benefit Street last year.

That includes 50,000 people from Massachusetts and 20,000 from New York.

And in case you're wondering, North Dakota was the lowest, they only had 15 people, but I think that's quite a commute, so we're gonna let it go.

Uh closer to home, we took a look at the zip codes in Rhode Island to see who was visiting Benefit Street, and we disregarded 02906 and 02903 because those are people that probably use those streets a lot.

But the next two highest were 15,620 people from 02906 and 12,648 people from 02908.

So we know Benefit Street is important to visitors, many of whom, of course, stay in our hotels, dine in our restaurants, and shop in our stores.

But Benefit Street is really also important to our residents, and this funding will provide much needed upgrades so that the sidewalks will be safe, walkable, and ADA compliant.

Um, and mea compliance is an issue of equity.

Uh Go Providence, my organization uh hosts many groups that include those using wheelchairs.

Uh, last Friday, I was at the wheelchair bowlers um of America's national tournament, which was held in Providence and East Providence, and so I got to see those athletes, and the majority of them were uh servicemen and women that were wounded in the line of duty.

And it strikes me that Benefit Street, which tells the story of a country that they fought to protect, would actually be a struggle for them to access.

So, on behalf of Go Providence and our many tourism industry partners, we hope that you will approve the use of funds for the infrastructure bank to improve Benefit Street.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And then, Madam Chair, members of the committee, members of the council to close it up.

Uh, like to introduce um another active member and officer of the Milo History Association and the former executive director of the Providence Foundation, uh, Mr.

Dan Bowden.

Good evening, Madam Chair, City Council members, good to see you.

My name is Dan Bodwin.

I'm a volunteer and member of the Mile of History, and I'll just elaborate on many of the points that have been made.

One is the work that the Mile of History has gone into to develop this plan is started three or four years ago under the leadership of Sarah Bradford of Bradford Landscaping, and it was a tremendous effort to meet with all sorts of stakeholders to develop this plan.

So there's a lot of work that came into this wonderful design plan that is in front of you.

And the Mile of History pushed it and funded it, and now is looking forward to seeing working with the city on the specifics of it.

Why are we in support?

One is that, and it's been mentioned several times about the importance of Benefit Street.

It's importance to the city, to the state, to the region, and to the country.

It has the one of the highest concentrations of colonial buildings in the country.

But even beyond that, there are 15 art organizations, cultural organizations, religious organizations along that street, which is really extraordinary to have that in a setting that has the one of the most colonial buildings.

This is a real gem.

Some people have described Benefit Street as a living walking museum, a living walking national park, really, when you think about it.

Those 15 art, cultural, historic, and religious institutions have membership, have visitors, and in talking to them, the vis membership yeah, comes from afar, but many come from throughout the city.

The city residents are served by many of these 15 institutions, and that's something that I think is important.

The poor condition of the sidewalks, thank you.

That's been documented.

Our study said that 40% of the sidewalks are either in passable, very poor surface, or poor surface.

So that makes it really inaccessible to anybody who is physically challenged.

And I'm glad that the engineering company has further documented that fact.

The importance to the tourism and economy section, that's been highlighted by Christian.

One point that I'll raise is that the better the tourism economy, the more the city has in terms of jobs, tax base, meals tax, hotel tax.

This is something that drives your bottom line.

So this can help your bottom line by increasing the attractiveness of the tourism and convention uh industry.

Um extraordinary amount of public support.

Uh when we came in June to the finance committee, we had a petition signed by about 60 people, and several people submitted letters, and many organizations submitted support.

I think now, Councilman John, I think you have a hundred members of the petition, and there are more and more people in support.

And when you read the comments, you know, you can people talk about safety, they talk about the importance of the city, but they also talk from the heart, it seems.

It seems like there's an emotional bond, and there should be with that city, with that street, the benefit street.

If you had a chance, just read the comments.

I know yet there's a there's a lot of them there, but they're really insightful.

And the final point is there are many organizations and institutions, and I have a list here that I'm gonna hand out.

Uh, we're up to about 17 organizations and institutions, a couple of very important ones.

One is the real access motivates progress ramp.

Most of you probably know Tina Penn.

I'm gonna say that right.

Uh Tina, she's just a dynamo in terms of advocating for the rights of the disabled and challenged.

She is in full support.

She's been with us since the beginning, helping us to design the project.

And now we also have the governor's commission on disabilities and support, and they've been with us since the beginning in designing the project.

And we have a number of other organizations that are adjacent to us.

College Hill Neighborhood Association supports it, Fox Point Neighborhood Association supports it.

So those that are in the general area see the importance of this street to their own organizations.

And I have a list of uh all the 17 in here in a package that I'll I'll hand out to you guys.

And we also have a lot of photos here of the condition of the sidewalk.

So appreciate the opportunity.

Uh, if you have any other questions or concerns as you go through the process, just feel free to contact us.

Thank you.

Dan, please give your uh package to the clerk who add that we got to our testimony.

Thank you.

So, madam chair, that completes testimony and presentation by presenters, and uh, we are available to answer questions as the public substance.

Thank you again.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, presenters.

That was great.

We all appreciate it.

Um, and now on I have the um list of folks who have signed up to speak, and we're just gonna walk through this whole list here.

Um we're going to ask, we're gonna provide three minutes for each uh presenter.

Uh the first help me now Bradley Vandersdad, please.

Uh good evening, Madam Chair.

I'm the owner and founder of the Providence Tour Company, and recently the executive director of Gallery Night Providence.

Um we do art tours and all kinds of things throughout the city.

Uh tourism is my full-time job here in Providence.

Um I transitioned to become the executive director of a nonprofit organization.

I had to shift my mind from making money in my business and making sure that every dollar went as far as it could, to spending money as it were to pertain to values of a nonprofit.

And um I find that this bond is similar in discussion because it's less about the economic implication of the spending, even though it is an investment, uh, more than it is a statement of the values of the city of Providence.

When we talk about history and we talk about value, we gotta think is our history worth investing in.

Is our history important to us?

And that's the question that we're deciding here.

The I do have a captive audience here.

I have a lot of fun facts about Benefit Street that I'd love to share at length that everyone keeps saying that we're gonna hear so much history.

I'll just share one.

Um General Ambrose Burnside's house is on Benefit Street, and his um he wasn't a very talented general, but his sideburns were so impressive that they named the facial hair feature after him.

So that's just a fun fact for y'all.

Um Benefit Street is very important.

Uh what I wanted to talk more about is the value, right?

That importance in Newport.

The cliff walk in Newport is damaged.

Uh so recently, some erosion has happened there.

And they've estimated the repair of the cliffwalk to be between 15 and 20 million dollars.

But it was not a conversation, it was not a long conversation to decide whether or not they should make that investment.

In fact, they mobilize the federal delegation.

Um from a variety of sources to get that fixed as soon as possible.

And I believe that Benefit Street is without reservation our clipwalk.

It is so important.

It is a it is a vital artery of tourism and history and culture here in Providence.

There is a um a certain Professor Butler who spoke about the life cycle of a tourism area, and that every tourism area goes through many phases, uh, starting with exploration, development, consolidation, and eventually reinvention.

And Providence is still very early on this trajectory.

There's so much space for investment.

And I I'll just conclude to say that Providence's tourism potential is so it's it's doing wonderfully, but it's still untapped as far as investment goes.

And it starts with believing that our city is worth this investment.

Thank you very much.

Grant Delgarion.

Okay.

Thank you.

Liz Bolin, Bolis, Moran.

Well, thank you.

That was very efficient.

Okay.

Bill Applegate.

Bill Applegate, going once.

Teasing.

We were excited that we had made it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Grant, you're next.

Okay.

Good evening.

Thank you.

I'm Bill Applegate.

I'm a resident of 106 Benefit Street.

But I'm here tonight to talk about the Barker Playhouse, which is at 400 Benefit Street, where I was served as general manager of the theater that performs there.

Uh each season, our small but dedicated group of actors, technicians, and volunteers welcomes roughly 5,000 audience members through our doors.

While I was general manager, we undertook two major renovations to make our building ADA accessible, installing ramps on Benefit and Transit Street.

These improvements were made possible through our fundraising efforts and matching grants from Riska and the Champlain Foundations.

However, accessibility remains a challenge.

The sidewalks leading to the theater on both sides of the street of Benefit are still uneven and inconsistent, creating hazards for patrons, especially at nighttime, which is when most of our uh shows occur.

Uh even with the improved lighting that was installed by the Milo History Association.

As a nonprofit, we contribute to the city's cultural and tourism economy, supporting nearby restaurants and drawing visitors through our productions, along with other organizations' educational tours.

On a given day, you'll find me walking the streets and this hill.

As Annika pointed out, nearly every spot on that Benefit Street where there's a problem and a risk to pedestrians.

But broken sidewalks undermine the accessibility and safety.

Given this area attracts an estimated $300,000 300,000 visitors a year, it was pointed out.

Thank you.

Okay, Grant.

It's all on you now.

I apologize for my slow pace.

No problem at all.

Susan.

This is the no-brainer.

This is Providence.

You know, the home of the First Baptist Church in America, religious freedom, separation of church and state.

What more can one ask?

Pay for it.

And uh and I just wish uh the council and the finance committee and the city of Province would have done the same when it comes to the proposed purchase of 444 Westminster Street.

Uh, because as far as I'm concerned, that's a big mistake.

There's so many better alternatives than what we're proposing to do.

And uh, and I'll just mention one of them.

If we insist on having that building, why don't we simply acquire it by eminent domain instead of what is being proposed at an enormous amount of money, um which could uh you know pay for Benefit Street uh you know two and three times over.

So um I want to commend you for this, and uh hope you will um reconsider uh your actions on 444 um right away.

Thanks.

Take care.

Good evening all.

I am Holly Applegate, a resident of 106 Benefit Street in Providence.

My husband and I purchased our condo in June of 2006.

We are thrilled to be living on this very special historic Benefit Street.

Our home, located in the College Hill Historic District, and on the mile of history, is the Nathaniel Smith House, a federal-style home built in 1798.

We take great pride in preserving our property through necessary maintenance and improvements that adhere to historic guidelines.

Along the front of our property runs the brick sidewalk that is deteriorated over time.

Many of the bricks have come loose, creating a tripping hazard for everyone who passes by.

The broken bricks are particularly unsafe for seniors, families with strollers, and residents with disabilities.

We experience a tremendous amount of foot traffic in front of our home.

Horizdian brown students, Benefit Street residents and visitors from all around the world who come to experience the history of this area.

Safe sidewalks are the most utmost importance to the residents of Benefit Street, the City of Providence, as well as the thousands of people who come to enjoy this remarkable mile of history.

I hope you will support this critical Benefit Street bond.

Thank you.

Thank you, Holly.

Deborah Chase.

Good evening.

I live at 11 Benefit Street.

I've been there for 25 years.

It is a classical viable house from 1840.

My sidewalk, exclusive of my driveway, which is brick is asphalt, which is completely deteriorated and patched, uh cracked and broken.

You can see from here, I don't know if you can see, I hope you can, but when it rains, there are no uh there's no pitch to put the rain into the street.

So I myself walk in the street when it rains, unless I have boots on.

Of course, in the winter, it's ice, which is makes it impassable.

We have a significant amount of pedestrian traffic on a daily basis, going particularly to the whole um whole foods uh mall uh down the street.

All sorts of students, neighborhoods, uh people obviously, elderly people from the Episcopal home down the street, not to mention tourists who are interested in Wild History.

I've called 311 over the years to ask for a review without having any result back.

There have been incidents where people come to my front door and report how unhappy they are with the street or speak to me when I'm in the garden.

Most egregious egregious incident happened a couple of years ago where a woman from the salon across the street, which is a commercial property fell, was unable to get up, was completely disoriented, hit her head, and I had to call an ambulance.

Was very upset at that point and called the city, concerned about a lawsuit.

It's not possible for me to uh change the sidewalk because I'll be liable for it.

It's time uh to make this historic street safe and accessible to everyone.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Matt McDermott.

Excuse me, Matt.

Um Ms.

Chase, I just wanted to give you the opportunity to uh present that to our clerk that um handout, if you wouldn't mind.

We're happy to add that to testimony.

Um thank you very much.

Mr.

McDermott, please.

Well, good evening to members of this committee.

My name is Matt McDermott, and I have the privilege of speaking tonight both as uh an east side resident and as a candidate in the upcoming special election to represent Ward II on this esteemed council.

I am incredibly proud to be here tonight standing with my neighbors in strong support of the Mile of Histories Association Restoration Bond.

I think by any measure, and the photos that we just saw are emblematic of this.

The streetscape on Benefit Street is unsafe.

It's not ADA accessible.

We've seen broken bricks and uneven surfaces that make this corridor frankly hazardous uh for all of our neighbors, seniors, families with strollers, residents with disabilities.

It's a public safety and accessibility issue that we can and must fix.

But I think we've also heard a lot of testimony tonight about how this is a unique opportunity to benefit the entire city, not just the east side, but all of Providence.

Look, Benefit Street is a citywide cultural asset and is one of Providence's most visible national landmarks.

It draws travelers from across the country and around the world who support our local economy and is part of nearly $2 billion in annual tourism revenue that sustains jobs uh and tax dollars in every neighborhood across this city.

We know from recent research that was presented tonight that nearly four in ten visitors to Benefit Street are coming from out of state.

These are visitors who are coming for conventions and events and are looking for authentic experiences, and many of them are choosing walking tours like those on Benefit Street.

Keeping this corridor safe and welcoming supports our economy and our identity as a historic city.

Every single day for the past few weeks, I've been knocking doors across board two.

I hear the same exact thing that our neighbors want real renewal and reinvestment in our public infrastructure.

Our streets, our sidewalk, our lighting, and I think a project like this represents exactly that kind of prudent and tangible investment in our communities.

Funding this restoration project at the end of the day is going to improve safety, accessibility, and economic opportunity while preserving a place that uniquely tells the story of Providence.

So thank you so much for your time tonight and for hopefully supporting this essential step to make Providence and Benefit Street safe, accessible, and worthy of its history.

And I also just want to use my last moment to especially sincerely thank the neighbors and advocates who've dedicated so many countless hours to ensuring this project success.

Thank you.

Nina Markin.

Hi, I'm Nina Markov.

I live on College Hill and I'm president of the College Hill Neighborhood Association.

I have submitted a letter on behalf of the association already, and I'm not going to speak long at all because others have said very eloquently all the things that I strongly believe.

But I just wanted to reiterate that that this street is not just an east side thing, it belongs to all of Providence, and fixing it will make it accessible, more accessible to everybody in Providence, from children who go trick-or-treating there from all over the city to families who want to enjoy the Christmas decorations when it's decorated.

Um to um visiting relatives who want to see Providence.

I think of it as a kind of linear park, and um it's it's for everybody.

So I strongly support this.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam Chair, members of the committee, good to see you all.

Moha has worked uh diligently to secure resources to continue to make the sidewalks on Benefit Street accessible for all.

They've also fiercely advocated for ongoing street repairs and continue their beautification efforts with seasonal decorations and lighting.

Mohaw is a treasure.

Our value as a city in no small part is a direct result of our history.

Liz Moran shared an overview of that important history with you tonight.

We are proud of our history of preservation.

We are thankful for all those who came before us, but we cannot assume that this great work will last forever with no further effort on our part.

It is for that reason, as the president and executive director of the Jewelry District Association.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Jill Davidson.

Hi, I'm Jill Davidson.

I have lived in Providence for more than 20 years.

And like Matt, I am also here as a person who's a candidate for the Ward II City Council seat.

I really want to thank Madam Chairman, the committee, and all council members here for your hard work.

I want to note that professionally I work at the Winasquatucket River Watershed Council and have been part of the investments and improvements that our nonprofit has made in conjunction with the City of Providence that Director Mulligan referred to.

Those projects have an emphasis on accessibility above everything else.

We're an environmental organization.

We care about our environment, about the quality of the river, but the projects that we do are around improving the ways that people can access this city.

That's the spirit in which I come to you today.

We need to make sure that Benefit Street is accessible to as many people as possible.

We need that in every project we do in the city.

But because Benefit Street is a center of tourism, is an economic engine, it really will benefit the entire city to make these investments.

This is not, you know, this is critical for everyone.

If it's not you, it's somebody you know.

And it's one and four people who visit Providence.

So it's incredibly important that we make sure that people can access our history and access this central corridor, I like how Nina referred to it as a linear park, right in the center of the city in a place that so many people come.

We have so much potential here.

I think it's incredibly exciting, and I really want to make sure we continue to make these investments.

So I urge you to support this.

I think it's an exciting project, and I think it's going to be something that really continues to put Providence on the map for history, for cultural inclusivity, for tourism, and I think it's one of those investments where we will get back in dollars and value more than we are put in.

So I recommend that you approve it, and I thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Joyce Lily.

Good evening, Madam Chair, City Council members, and uh the community.

My name is Joyce Lilly.

I live one block off of Benefit Street, and I'm a member of Moha.

And although people have mentioned collaterally about the history of Benefit Street, I just like to read something that probably hits it a little bit closer to home.

The statement that Benefit Street in Providence, Rhode Island was built for the benefit of all was made by the City of Providence when it was officially when it officially named the road in 1756.

The phrase was not attributed to a specific person, but represented the public purpose of the street.

Benefit Street is for the benefit of everyone, and the repairs that I hope that you all will prove to allow to happen will also be for everyone, not just the city of Providence, but the state and all the visitors.

Thank you.

Lily Bagosian.

Good evening.

Respected council members.

Anyone who walks there knows it is one of the most beautiful and well traveled streets in Providence, used daily by residents, students, and visitors.

The restoration is important and long overdue.

It's about making Benefit Street accessible to everyone.

People using wheelchairs, strollers, or simply walking.

But this project goes beyond Benefit Street itself.

It's about smart urban connectivity.

Benefit links directly down to Wickenden Street with its local shops, restaurants, and cafes, and most of the side streets off of Benefit Street lead straight to the new I-195 park and the growing residential and commercial district.

Restoring these sidewalks will help tie all of these pieces together, encouraging people to walk, explore, and support local businesses while experiencing Providence's history on foot.

FPNA is grateful to the Mile of History Association, whose persistence has been and vision have brought this project to this point.

Our neighborhood is ready and eager to see it move forward.

We urge the city to give its full support.

And I thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Good evening.

Providence holds a significant place in our nation's history.

Millions of tourists visit annually and admire our museums, libraries, colleges, and especially the beautifully maintained period architecture of our city's east side.

Central to these attractions is Benefit Street with its brick sidewalk, street lamps, and houses dating back to the early 1800s and 1700s.

All of these structures require regular upkeep and maintenance.

Homeowners and institutions alike work to keep the area inviting.

Unfortunately, several sections of the Benefit Street sidewalk have been degraded and fallen into disrepair.

We now need to invest in professional brickwork restoration to preserve its integrity.

It seems only logical for the city to provide the capital necessary for this upkeep in return for the profits gained through its robust tourism traffic.

Thank you.

Thank you.

John Morgan.

Thank you, Madam Chair and Council members.

I'm John Morgan, a resident at 40 Benefit Street for the last five years.

On January 10th of this year, my wife was struck by a pickup truck in a pedestrian crosswalk, not on Benefit Street, but up in Boston.

She spent two months in the ICU at Brigamin Women's, two months at a rehab hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and came home to rehabilitate.

Wouldn't it have been nice, we thought, if she could enjoy our beautiful street and use her walker or a roll later to begin her rehabilitation and physical therapy, but we rule it out immediately because of the condition of the sidewalks.

I would drive her not far up to Congdon Street and by Prospect Terrace for her to do that because it was the side condition of the sidewalks are much better.

So all I ask here today is that uh I ask you to make our seats safe and accessible for all.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Steve Irvine.

I live at the north end of Benefit Street, and uh our sidewalk is hardly among the worst parts of Benefit Street, but we had some pretty big holes in that brick sidewalk.

And um a lot of foot traffic on the street, and I felt compelled to do something about those holes, and um, even though I'm quite lazy, I got out there and actually uh got my hands and knees and filled in those holes, but it's hardly uh adequate, and I strongly urge that you support this project to fix the rest of Benefit Street.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Toby Harris.

Um good evening.

Thank you so much for the um opportunity to speak in support of this bond.

Um, my name is Toby Ayers.

I uh came here in 1987 for a job interview, and they drove me up and down Benefit Street all over the city, but up and down Benefit Street as uh prior to the job interview, and I said to them, I don't care what the job is, I want to live here.

It took me a few years, but today I live at 81 Benefit Street.

Um I did provide my testimony with some pictures, so you should have those.

If not, I have extra copies.

Um, and I I just I agree with things that people have said about tourism and the importance of this street.

I love this street beyond what I can say.

Um, but I also want to point out, as other people may not have really said, I have lived on North Benefit Street, the northernmost part for 33 years since 1992, and never once have I seen systemic maintenance for those brick sidewalks.

They were put in 50 years ago, and 50 years is a long life for brick sidewalks, and um they're really in need of maintenance.

When underground pipes have been repaired through the sidewalks, um, what has happened is that asphalt has been put in, and I showed you pictures from in front of my house.

Um, I've talked to the workers, and they say the city is coming back to put the bricks back in, and it never happens.

The picture by my house uh with the asphalt uh interrupting the brick corridor is more than 15 years old.

Um, so I'm really excited about the possibility that we could get this bond and get these sidewalks repaired.

Uh, every year we see more and more of the brick lost.

Um I gave you some uh some uh links to TripAdvisor and US news that say, you know, tourism dollars matter.

Providence is um is uh well, you know, well known and well regarded place, and Benefit Street is high up on the thing that people want to do when they come here.

Um agree with everything people have said about the investment in tourism dollars.

Um, but finally, the broken sidewalks, as people have said, are inaccessible and they are unsafe.

My neighbor has a young child, and we desperately want children in our neighborhood.

We want to see families move in and raise kids, but she can't take her stroller along the sidewalk.

Um we discourage families this way.

And I am now grown into a senior citizen, and I am afraid of falling.

Um sidewalks that are broken are dangerous to elderly people like myself.

And finally, I see the tourists walk up and down Benefit Street, and they are gazing up at the architecture.

They are not looking down at their feet, and it is dangerous for them as well.

So none of this is good for the city, um, not least because falls on the sidewalk lead to expensive lawsuits and city payouts.

Um Providence is lucky to have this mile of history, and I ask you to invest in it.

Thank you so much.

Okay, Carrie.

Next up, we have um Elke, LV, Chloe 290 Benefit Street.

If you could get ready, um thank you.

Hello, everybody, and and thank you for uh uh this opportunity to speak with you today.

Um I'm Kate Carey, and I live in Fox Point, and I walk on Benefit Street every day to go to and from work.

It's a well-used pedestrian thoroughfare for the surrounding neighborhoods.

Every day I share the street with neighbors walking their dogs, runners, Brown and RID students, and people who work and staff many of our signature institutions.

And it's graceful trees and historic street lights and varied architecture are some of the many things that make Providence a very special place to live.

But it's not just for the benefit of those who reside there.

Benefit Street is one of the main arteries feeding the businesses on or near North and South Main Streets and Wiccan Street.

I'm thinking of institutions like Adler's and Coffee Exchange and now Trader Joe's, where there's a steady stream of people coming back on weekend nights.

It functions as a pathway connecting the east side and river walks and down city areas used and enjoyed by many.

And we want to make sure that it is safe and well-maintained to make it easier for people to frequent our businesses and our restaurants.

And Benefit Street is not just a thoroughfare, of course, it is the mile of history, a destination by itself.

It attracts people who come to the city to attend water fire.

I see university parents and other visitors to our beautiful campuses, and many tourists who appreciate the unique architecture and the museums and the galleries that have been mentioned.

Friends and family who come to visit us often walk parts of Benefit Street.

And just most recently, my sister who's in tourism in the state of Virginia, who knows a little bit about history, um, was marveling at what a unique uh experience it it is.

And so, for all of these reasons, the maintenance and upkeep of Benefit Street sidewalks and other infrastructure is in Providence's best interests.

Our iconic bricks and uh other spaces in the wide sidewalks are in need of repair.

And failing to do so would be like inviting guests to your house and not cleaning up the front room.

So please support the proposed restorations and upgrades.

Thank you.

There's a name on here.

We're having trouble reading.

Um I'm gonna call up Catherine Taylor on.

And if there's anyone that signed up on you're not on the list, okay, we'll call you up after Ms.

Taylor.

Thank you so much, Madam Chair, members of the committee.

It's good to see you all.

Um, I'm Catherine Taylor.

I'm here wearing three hats, so one minute per hat, I think.

Um, first hat, I am the state director for AARP Rhode Island.

You have a letter on your desk.

We are strong support of this um of this uh uh measure um because it will make um Providence much more livable for people of all ages.

You know, we have a strong commitment to livability in Providence, and as many of you know on the council, we've been um celebrating um with a Woktober activation this month to bring attention to the wonderful walkability of all parts of our city and the incredible barriers to walk availability across our city with a number of walk audits, walk events, and um and and uh uh things we've done with uh partners in wheelchairs, and we discovered you know some really incredible things on foot and some really horrific things on foot.

And so, in that spirit, um, we are in full support of this measure because of how it will improve the mile of history.

Second hat, briefly, I am a commissioner on the governor's commission for disabilities, and so this is a really important measure for people with disabilities.

Um, people in in wheelchairs and mobility devices um are fearful of going to Benefit Street because of what might befall them.

We mentioned our our colleague Tina Gannett from Ramp, who's actually encountered has encountered um a curb cut that was too wobbly and not wide enough, and she her wheelchair toppled over and she fell out and broken arm.

So thank you for considering um uh the fact that people with disabilities from all over our city, all over our state, and all over our country and world would like to be able to enjoy a Benefit Street.

Third hat, Catherine Taylor, neighbor who living a couple blocks from Benefit Street, who had an encounter with a similar sidewalk situation, not on Benefit Street, but a couple of blocks away with the stork pavers and a sidewalk and a sidewalk that was not quite even.

Broke my arm in four places, wrist in four places, surgery, really not fun.

So I am so grateful for the um the prospect of Benefit Street being evened out so that people of all ages, all abilities, all sectors of our city will uh be a little risk-free.

Thank you so much.

Thank you very much, Catherine.

Okay.

Um, yes, please.

Um I can't make out this name.

I'm gonna ask you to uh provide your name and address for us.

My name is Claire Andre Watkins.

I currently live at 280 Benefit Street, and as of this Friday, October 24th, I was born in the middle of the last century on a street off Benefit Street.

And you can blame my bad handwriting on the Fox Point Elementary School where I failed penmanship in kindergarten.

So not gonna go there.

Thank you.

Uh I'm here today on behalf of the Taquaton Fox Point Cape Freudian Heritage Place Project.

We submitted a letter typed Better Than My Handwriting, and it says, on behalf of the board of the Tocquot and Fox Point Cape Fordian Heritage Place Project and our team.

We are writing to support the ordinance for the Mile of History Association's proposal to restore the sidewalks on Benefit Street to make them ADA accessible.

Moha Moha has tirelessly upheld its mission to preserve the historic architectural, cultural, educational, and religious attributes of Benefit Street.

A mile of history that stretches from the North End of Benefit to Wiccan Street is literally figuratively and historically the timeline of American history.

Centuries of footsteps up and down the street, intertwine familiarities of the denizens of Turtle Island, colonial settlers, formerly enslaved, and immigrants into our unique roadie story.

TPC VHP team, myself included, descends from Rhode Island's first Cape Rodian settlement of volunteering immigrants who arrived in India Point on Cape Rodian owned packet boats at the end of the 19th century.

We settled near the port along India and Talkwatton Streets, and on both sides the Georgian Column Boulevard.

And this is when Benefit, Travis, and Brook Streets crossed the Boulevard before the construction of I 95 and ran straight to the river.

Most of us are first and second generation Cape Verdean Americans, born and raised on South Plain, Wiccan, or adjacent and abutting streets between Benefit and South Maine.

TFP CDHP is a community-based research initiative.

And we're proud to be partnering with Mohaw.

Supporting the Mohawk proposal fosters inclusive community partnerships, such as those with us, and demonstrated a commitment to honoring the diverse histories that shaped Benefit Street.

Hope, Bit, and Providence are the attributes that make Rhode Island unique.

The ATA accessible improvements create an enjoyable and safe pathway for future generations to appreciate what Rhode Island has contributed to American history.

Benefit for all.

And this is on behalf of Glenis Ramus Mitchell, the president of TP CBHP, and myself, Claire Andrade Watkins from The Point, Vice President and Director.

Thank you.

And my birthday's on Friday.

You can support Providence by voting for this audience.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Okay.

I saw a woman that wanted to speak.

I've been in here.

Please provide your name.

Can someone help him with the microphone?

I need your name, sir, and your address.

I live at oh cool.

I live at 26 East Manning Street.

Providence is not about buildings, it's about stories.

And we all have them, all of them.

And when we start comparing our stories, this city exposes itself in wonderful ways.

Here are some numbers.

And I met this drop-dead gorgeous woman.

You know where I'm going with this, right?

Um anyway, uh Stella, uh Stella grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the housing projects.

She was looking down on Bethlehem Steel.

She also was a very, very talented artist, as were both of her parents.

Her parents met in New York City at the Art Students League.

They studied with Jean Charlotte and Diego Rivera.

And Stella was damn good too.

So we came up here.

And here's the number 376.

Stella and I lived at 376 Benefit Street.

We lived on the third floor.

I could look out over the canal.

I could see the Narragansett Electric.

I could see um uh uh uh I could the Cotalpa palms and these cedar wax wings, and and all of a sudden I thought, wow, this is a cool place.

And I actually went down to Rockefeller Library because I had I uh somebody in one of our other apartments, some students had left his library card.

So I got to go to the Rockefeller Library, and I got to look up all these places where we had lived, and it was cool.

Um, I I thought it was kind of neat that I lived in a house that H.P.

Lovecraft lived in.

I thought it was kind of neat being at Mars Avenue, but Benefit Street was it.

Benefit Street was where it all kind of came together.

Um at the end of Benefit Street, uh, below Benefit Street is uh First Baptist Church.

So and I got married there.

We we didn't belong to the church.

We we we we saw W.S.

Merwin give a poetry reading there, and I thought that that was kind of cool, and I really liked the building.

And the the priest was okay with it.

He said we could do that.

And at one point, my wife Stella said, look at his palm of his hand.

What it was red, he's an alcoholic.

Oh is he really?

Well, he seems like a nice guy.

Stella has issues with alcohol.

I won't tell you about her father and all that.

But anyway, let me wind all this up by saying um I love being here.

I I grew up in Chatham, New Jersey.

I was growing up, I was born up in Jackson Heights, Queens.

My parents moved me here in 19 or uh uh uh uh uh we moved to Chatham, New Jersey in 1950, and I was there until my father retired and moved to uh to Virginia.

But this place, Providence reminds me of Chatham.

Chatham.

Um Chatham is one of the oldest cities in New Jersey.

Uh uh Washington stop there.

Um there's a famous, famous place there.

Anyway.

The cities merge in my memory.

Um, and I'm I'm happy to be here.

And uh I think John Gonçalves is doing a real good job.

Thank you.

And thank you for sharing your story of Stella with us.

Okay.

Okay, that's all we have.

There's another one.

Okay.

Joanne?

Yeah.

Joanne wants to speak.

Councilwoman Joanne Ryan is allowing Joanne to speak.

Please identify yourself for the record, please.

All right.

Um, so Joanne Rich, two thirds.

Is that Joanne with a capital A?

J-O-A-N-N-E.

Okay.

No, no capital A.

Okay.

How do you do yours, Madam Chair?

J-O-Capital A and Okay.

I won't hold it against you.

No, no, it's my parents' fault.

Okay.

Anyway, um, so I'm not going to be popular in the room tonight.

Um, but um, thank you all for being here, Madam Chair, committee members, counselors.

Um, I live near the observatory, and I'm here tonight to testify against the Mile of History Bond because it is inequitable at this particular time.

About a year ago, I was walking my dog near my apartments, and I tripped over broken sidewalk in my neighborhood.

I fell flat on my face.

I have a tremor, that's why my hands are shaking.

I have I fell flat on my face, smashed my glasses, got a bloody nose, and split my lip.

Every part of the city has bad sidewalks, not just Benefit Street.

What Benefit Street has that many other neighborhoods do not is wealth.

It has Brown and RISD.

It has three exclusive private clubs, and of course, it has some of the most expensive homes in Providence.

Walks are not keeping all the tourists away.

While I understand that Moha is passionate and committed and has worked very hard to secure financing from the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank, they are still asking every neighborhood in Providence to pay 6.2 million to fix up one of the richest areas of the city.

The full amount being requested is a slap in the face to historically, systemically, and deliberately underserved neighborhoods.

Think redlined, not tree-lined.

Think about people who can't afford cars and have to walk on sidewalks with and walk in neighborhoods with sidewalks as bad as the ones in Benefit Street.

There are people in other parts of the city who are choosing between rent and medication, between food and utilities.

Mayor Smiley went to the legislature with a straight face to ask for a sky-high property tax increase, showing just how little he cares about working families.

At a time when affordability is the number one issue affecting every neighborhood, except perhaps some on the east side.

This is no time to add to the city debts.

This is no time for trickle-down economics.

Moha's 501 C3 IRS 990s filings show that for years they have raised less than 50,000 a year.

Given the wealth of Mohaw's members and its member organizations, and my um retired fundraiser background, I'm not clear why they haven't raised more privately instead of wanting to burden the rest of us in the city for yes, the ADA stuff, but also partially a beautification project.

Sidewalk repair and ADA compliance should take place as part of a citywide comprehensive approach to the decades of neglect that have resulted in the problem we face across the city.

Or if this is mostly about tourism, let's try a new citywide lodging tax.

Thank you.

Yes, please.

Thank you very much, Joanne.

Um I don't have anyone else signed up to speak.

With that, I am concluding the public hearing on this matter.

I want to thank you on behalf of the finance committee for all your testimony.

It was an enjoyable evening.

I also want to thank uh the presenters who provided such compelling uh and clear information on topic.

Thank you very much.

Meeting is adjourned.