The Elorza administration is hosting a series of public meetings on the idea of selling the water supply to a regional entity. The mayor has stated that selling to a private company is not currently on the table, but selling to a quasi-public entity like the Narragansett Bay Commission is. See below for further detail, but the meeting nearest us is:
March 4, 2019, 6:00PM – 7:30PM
Nathan Bishop Middle School, Auditorium
101 Sessions St, Providence, RI 02906
———- Forwarded message ———
From: Allen, LaJuan <LAllen@providenceri.gov>
Date: Mon, Feb 25, 2019 at 1:48 PM
Subject: Providence Water Meetings
To:
“Good Afternoon Community Leaders,
City representatives and elected officials announced the introduction of State enabling legislation that will allow the City of Providence to partner with municipal water supply systems or regional water quality management district commissions in an effort to ensure long term rate and quality stability of the city and state’s greatest asset, the Providence water supply.
Providence Water is the leading water supplier in Rhode Island, serving 60% of state residents. There is consensus among leaders that the City of Providence cannot continue to provide and pay for the water supply that serves over 600,000 customers. Should proactive steps not be taken to stabilize the City’s long-term finances, the system would likely be among the first assets at risk with insolvency. The proposed legislation would enable the City to continue to put itself on solid financial ground by protecting this asset and using the expertise of partners to position Providence Water on a more sustainable path, ensuring reliability and high quality service.
The City is inviting residents from across Rhode Island to participate in community conversations hosted by the Mayor’s Office and partners focused on the legislation and its potential impact statewide. Community meetings are set to take place on the following dates, times and locations:
- March 4, 2019, 6:00PM – 7:30PM
Nathan Bishop Middle School, Auditorium
101 Sessions St, Providence, RI 02906
- March 11, 2019, 6:00PM – 7:30PM
Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School, Cafeteria
375 Adelaide Ave, Providence, RI 02907
- March 21, 2019, 6:00PM – 7:30PM
Nathanael Greene Middle School, Auditorium
721 Chalkstone Ave, Providence, RI 02908
Community member participation in this meeting is extremely important! We do hope that you all can attend at least one of the following meetings listed above. For more information please contact:
Alexandra Batista, Neighborhood Outreach Manager
401-680-5567
Thank you all and I hope to see you there!”
