Providence City Council Urban Committee Meeting - April 22, 2026
Providence City Council Urban Committee Meeting - April 22, 2026
On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the Providence City Council Urban Committee convened under Chairwoman Harris. The committee considered communications from the mayor regarding two commission appointments and heard presentations on the proposed Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) budget for program year 2026-2027, including four funding requests from community organizations.
Consent Calendar
- No items were included on a consent calendar; all actions were discussed individually.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were recorded during the meeting.
Discussion Items
-
Appointment of Ansa Lumsa to the Providence Chief Nations Commission: Ansa Lumsa, a junior at Roger Williams University double-majoring in community studies and graphic design, introduced herself as a K'iche' speaker and expressed interest in increasing student and community engagement with the commission. Committee members praised her language skills and social justice background. A motion to recommend the appointment was seconded and approved unanimously.
-
Appointment of Larone Hyrek to the Providence Human Relations Commission: Larone Hyrek, executive director of a juvenile justice division at DCYF, previously served on the commission from 2021 until his term expired. He highlighted his work to keep young people out of the justice system and emphasized the importance of a deliberate approach to restorative justice. Council members strongly supported his reappointment. A motion to recommend to the full council passed unanimously.
-
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Budget for 2026-2027: Emily Freedman, Director of Housing and Community Development, presented the proposed budget as the second year of the 2025-2029 consolidated plan. The city received nearly 100 funding proposals totaling $17.5 million in requests (including $12.5 million for CDBG and HOME). HUD announced federal fiscal year 2026 allocations, allowing a budget based on actual numbers. The committee heard from four organizations seeking funding:
- POLARIS: Ryan Canfield, Executive Director, described the organization's youth development program serving approximately 98 young people. He noted challenges including rising costs and the need for scholarships. Committee members thanked him for his long-standing community leadership.
- Mathewson Street Church: Kevin Sand, Director of Outreach, reported that in the past year the church served over 45,000 meals, provided 30,000 restroom uses, 12,000 clothing room visits, distributed 80 bus passes, offered 230 emergency housing cases, and helped 20 individuals obtain stable housing. The church seeks funding to expand a culinary training program for unhoused individuals, aiming to train cohorts of 6 participants in an 8-week course with food safety certification. Committee members discussed the program's cost (over $100,000 annually) and the impact of a new food service director.
- Woonasquatucket River Greenway: Mark Burner, Civil Engineer, requested $475,000 to construct a 1,200-foot multi-use path from P Street into Roosevelt Park, along with crosswalks and stormwater measures. The project totals $3.5 million, with a $75,000 funding gap. The path would address safety issues where pedestrians currently walk in a 21-foot road without sidewalks. Council members discussed coordination with DPW and RIDOT for crosswalk striping and noted the project's importance for accessing the park, especially for residents of nearby public housing.
- Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: Oscar Mejias, Founder and CEO, described the chamber's growth to over 1,200 members, making it the second-largest chamber in Rhode Island. He reported that 10-15% of small business owners are considering closure, and membership dues have declined due to economic pressures and fear related to immigration enforcement. The chamber requested CDBG funding to expand services. Council members expressed strong support and offered to introduce a resolution for state funding.
Key Outcomes
- Appointments Recommended: The committee voted unanimously to recommend both Ansa Lumsa and Larone Hyrek for appointment by the full city council.
- CDBG Budget Continued: The committee continued agenda item three (CDBG budget) without a final vote, allowing further refinement of work projects and finalization of the ordinance. The budget will undergo a 30-day public comment period before submission to HUD.
- Follow-up Actions: Council members suggested exploring discretionary funds and a letter to RIDOT for crosswalk improvements near Roosevelt Park, and committed to supporting the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce through a state funding resolution.
Meeting Transcript
Day is Wednesday April 22nd. Please call the wrong. Chairwoman Harris. Thanks, Chair Pashardov. Absent Councilman Barclaws is absent. Councilwoman Graves. Councilwoman Barcus. And we have three presentations to ask Count War. Let the record show that we also joined my sister Lysman Daniel. So thank you. Okay, thank you so much. We also have our clerks. Okay here as well. We'll call our clear. Communication from his honor the mayor made in April 6th, 2026, informing the honorable members of the pursuit to sections 302B and 1103 of the Providence only Charter of 1980 as amended in public law chapter 25 through 58. Sections one through 30 months passed in 157 at the AC we didn't set up on the province as a member of the Providence Chief Nations Commission. Yes. Could you please join us at the table? Hi. Welcome to our to the urban committee we call it here. Nice to see you. How are you doing? Very good. Uh you are submitted um uh application via part of the relationship commission and have been one of our meetings. Yes. Tell us a little about yourself. Great. So my name is Ansa Lumsa. I am currently a junior at Roger News University. I am double major in community studies and graphic design, but also a double binary in library studies and professional and public writing. Um so a little bit about sort of the committee subside tool involves interpretation services. I have the ability to speak to paper just for weekly, which includes English, Spanish, and Kitchen, which is a one-common dialect. Um and I don't know how those about my community, especially if you speak it on live resources. Um while to speak very many cards, we got a lot of extensions. Um, first of all, thank you for introducing us to the language contact. And that's um indigenous language. Yeah, thank you. Um the more we know, the more not to be our people, especially around us about the server people. So thank you. Tell us why you want to change why you want to be a part of the relationship. So I have been reading a TD meetings just as public. Um as a student and I'd be lucky. I feel like adding that connection to the PHC is very important. Um, I can contribute me, and we have more students involving um generations to be a whole discussion. That's awesome. Glad to hear that. So have to deal with part of the social justice. Social justice struggles later. Yeah, so about it. Yeah, sorry, I was um so that is that I represent the body at my school.
openpublica.com