Providence City Council Committee on Finance Meeting - March 31, 2026
Providence City Council Committee on Finance Meeting - March 31, 2026
The Providence City Council Committee on Finance met on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 5:30 PM, chaired by Councilwoman Joanne Ryan. Present were Chairwoman Ryan, Councilwoman Graves, and Councillor Sanchez (three of five members, constituting a quorum). Vice Chairman Taylor and Counselor Angoth were absent. The committee discussed and voted on several items, including a judicial reappointment, contracts for traffic enforcement cameras, parking enforcement software, a climate justice plan consultant, and waste cart management software.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar items were identified.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were received.
Appointment
- Reappointment of Courtney Hobbins as Associate Judge of the Providence Housing Court: Hobbins, a criminal defense attorney and mother of two, highlighted her three years of service as associate judge and her background as a pro hac vice judge. She expressed enthusiasm for continued service. Committee members praised her qualifications. A motion to approve was made by Councilwoman Graves, seconded by Councillor Sanchez, and passed unanimously (3-0). The appointment will proceed to the full council for a final vote.
Discussion Items
- Vera Mobility Contract for Traffic Cameras: Chief Walkins and Crystal Mayer presented an informational update on a proposed $19,045,000 contract for speed and red light cameras, to replace the legacy vendor Conduit. The contract is a five-year term with five one-year renewals. It includes full hardware replacement, reduced per-ticket costs, and pilot programs for “block the box” and sound enforcement. Council members asked about camera size, location flexibility, and timeline (target July 2026 implementation). No vote was taken; the contract will return for approval after negotiations are finalized.
- Passport/Classified Labs Contract for Parking Enforcement: The committee considered a $3,300,000, three-year contract (with five one-year renewals) for parking enforcement technology, permitting, and court integration. Anthony from Passport participated remotely. The system will provide real-time ticket payment, automated registered owner lookup, digital permits, and full integration with the court’s case management system (Curia). Council questioned data ownership (city retains data), AI capabilities, and transition timeline (July 1 launch). A motion to approve was made by Councillor Sanchez, seconded by Councilwoman Graves, and unanimously passed.
- Civic Incorporated Contract for Climate Justice Plan: Deputy Director of Sustainability Kevin Croft presented a $35,000 contract for community engagement and equity consulting to update the climate justice plan. Civic was selected over two lower bidders (by $20–$75) due to their fixed pricing, local experience with environmental justice issues in Providence, and prior work on the Providence Master Plan and waterfront access project. The update is expected to be completed by late 2026 or early 2027. A motion to approve was made by Councillor Sanchez, seconded by Councilwoman Graves, and unanimously passed.
- Pacific Company Contract for Waste Cart Software: Kevin Croft also presented a revised contract for software to manage the city’s new trash and recycling carts. The original award covered three user accounts; the revised contract expands to 14–15 accounts over five years with five one-year renewals. The per-account fee dropped from $2,300 to $1,560, resulting in approximately $11,000 in annual savings. Negotiations were commended for bringing the lower price and transparency. A motion to approve was made by Councillor Sanchez, seconded by Councilwoman Graves, and unanimously passed.
Key Outcomes
- The committee unanimously approved the reappointment of Courtney Hobbins as Housing Court Associate Judge.
- Approved the Passport/Classified Labs parking enforcement contract ($3,300,000).
- Approved the Civic Incorporated climate justice planning contract ($35,000).
- Approved the Pacific Company waste cart software contract (five-year term with reduced per-user fees).
- Took no action on the Vera Mobility traffic camera contract, pending further negotiations.
- The meeting adjourned following a motion by Councillor Sanchez, seconded by Councilwoman Graves.
Meeting Transcript
Here we go. There's no water here. I think there's water that you see how that would be. Yeah, thanks for this. Good evening, everyone. I'm Providence Councilwoman Joanne Ryan. Welcome to the committee on Finance, right from the meeting. It is Tuesday, March 31, 2026. It's 5 30 p.m. Richard Prime. Chairwoman Ryan. Present. Vice Chairman Taylor is absent. Counselor Angoth is absent. Councilwoman Graves. Councillor Sanchez. We have three present and two absent. We have a quorum. Thank you very much. So no. Okay. So why don't we just get everybody up and we'll get everybody sworn in at once? How's that sound? Anybody who's testifying, presenting, talking about us, saying anything, nice to show you. Does that include Chief the Visitors on Speaker? Okay. So we need you to put your raise your hand. Take over pencil on me and clerk. Please raise your right hands. Do you swear into penalty of perjury that the testimony you're about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Courtney Hobbins, Chief of the United States. Okay. He just aunt the name is named. He needs to state his at the only Zill that's in here. Okay. So wonderful. Thank you very much. Okay. Item one interview. Communication from his honor the mayor, dated March 10th, 2026, informing the honorable members of the city council that pursuing to section 302B of the Providence Charter of 1980 as amended section 8 and 13 of the code of ordinances of the City of Providence and Public Laws, Chapter 45 through 50, sections 1 through 31 passed in 1987. And respectfully submits the same thing approval. Thank you. So I'm so grateful to be here and to again re um hopefully we get reappointed to the Providence Housing Court. Um, so just a little bit about my background. Um in East Province Nadework Native. I um at work currently at Lynch and Pine full-time as a criminal defense attorney. Um, and also um a my major role in life is a proud mother of two girls who are um well into adulthood and living the best lives. Um they're actually just making me laugh because my uh youngest daughter is um just got her master's in um neuroscience and just thought I'd share the story, but she sent myself and my younger daughter a um link that says that your children always stay with you when you give birth, their cells stay within with the family, and so she's like so you can never get rid of us, mom. And I'm like, you can never get rid of me, and I'm always in it with you. So um, they're just really funny, and I I that's my greatest role, but I'm so grateful to be here again.
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