[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6655113,"mediaKeyId","5419996-6170fa74bb9b5399f749e5af93dc5083","parentId",5419996,"title","Council committee advances Excel Academy lease for vacant Providence school building; vote sends measure to full council without recommendation","audioSeconds",4913,"startMs",5126000,"endMs",10039000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5419996-6170fa74bb9b5399f749e5af93dc5083&start=5126&end=10039","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5419996-6170fa74bb9b5399f749e5af93dc5083/thumbnail_5126000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6655113/Providence-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Council-committee-advances-Excel-Academy-lease-for-vacant-Providence-school-building-vote-sends-measure-to-full-council-without-recommendation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655113-2f8d96bc5824ba6fdd451a9f66654681/orig.mp4?Expires=1770741872&Signature=lGKwN5JZhGcykU8-ftZzc~6MQzWTFOmIXJSOzzdJjBvW7iXG3ZaG13~IzkfKjUU77XRNzWlw9mj2J0Vvv3J~NHH-jfYhQ~cb695vfq3qM5P5UG~KJpD2OWFVpKbpF7Ry8pD~U1KNESypCzJ6P-Soc0oSabSgaVixzfmX-d3g9FTPDAoZCB~mO7PT5tbq3d1jlbFHMjOIf7oGcD13rcSXgplsv~7HopBio3hPeduN5SY1cCqQnVqha35YoGogZ03~vbt870o2xKe3wcadTi7wB78naDcBo0U0zrSiNa1QI54ZhcK0nZjvrJYqnLN20N1xfBr4d~iVt8nl9AQ4-pvPQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Providence City Council","date","2025-07-18T00:35:26.883Z","article","A Providence City Council committee voted to send a resolution to the full council authorizing the mayor to enter a lease agreement with Excel Academy for a currently vacant school building. The committee’s procedural vote was recorded as five ayes and the measure advanced to the full council “without recommendation” as amended.

Key terms presented in committee: the lease covers an initial 35-year term with potential for three 10-year renewals. Under the agreement Excel would undertake capital improvements credited against rent (committee materials projected roughly $14,300,000 in capital investment over the initial term and a separate $1,300,000 in work on shared middle‑school space). The first five years would split space among Providence Public School District (PPSD) swing-space needs, shared middle‑school space and Excel operations; Excel’s early capital work would pay for the construction of the shared swing space used by PPSD while their building is renovated. Committee documents and presenters also referenced a separately pledged $1,200,000 donation to support renovation of the swing space, and a commitment of $50,000 per year directed by the Ward 13 councilor for neighborhood improvements.

The lease includes several community benefits and reporting obligations added during negotiations: an apprenticeship requirement for contracts over $3,000,000, annual informational reporting on instruction and school performance (including race/ethnicity and disciplinary data where available), and a clause prohibiting the lessee from retaining outside counsel for anti‑union activity that would be funded with public monies. Committee members emphasized that the reporting requirements were intended to increase transparency given that the city offers public building access and rent discounts as part of the arrangement.

Committee discussion focused heavily on the potential fiscal impact to Providence Public School District if a charter operator expands local seats. Councilor Royes and others raised a district‑level fiscal analysis showing projected enrollment and per‑pupil figures in committee materials: Excel’s charter application projects growth to about 2,186 students by a future year and the committee heard a councilor’s estimate—based on that application—that roughly 85% of those seats might be Providence students. Using Providence’s per‑pupil spending figure cited in the meeting, the councilor presented an illustrative gross revenue shift of about $34.15 million and an estimated net loss to the district of roughly $17 million (the speaker emphasized those are projections and that school finance mechanics reduce some immediate line‑item impact). Committee members asked PPSD staff to provide more detailed, long‑range impact analysis; PPSD representation was present in written materials but some councilors said the district’s financial representative was not available at the table to answer all questions.

Proponents argued the lease would activate a vacant, city‑owned building, pay down maintenance costs the city would otherwise incur, and provide swing space that helps advance school renovation projects. Opponents warned the lease accelerates the fiscal pressure on the district as charter seats expand and urged caution and further state‑level conversations about charter caps and school funding formulas.

The committee approved the motion to advance the measure to the full City Council without recommendation, as amended. The committee recorded a 5‑0 vote in favor of the committee action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Providence Committee on Ordinances-Thursday, July 17, 2025-5:30 PM","oneSentenceSummary","A Providence City Council committee voted to advance a resolution authorizing the mayor to lease a vacant city school building to Excel Academy; the committee sent the matter to the full council without recommendation after adding community benefits and reporting requirements.","taxTitle","Providence City, Providence County, Rhode Island","taxId",3637,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6655118,"Councilors debate student-impact fee, licensing and nuisance-task-force changes; items continued for public hearings",2921,2094000,5015000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5419996-6170fa74bb9b5399f749e5af93dc5083&start=2094&end=5015","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5419996-6170fa74bb9b5399f749e5af93dc5083/thumbnail_2094000.jpg","/articles/6655118/Providence-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Councilors-debate-student-impact-fee-licensing-and-nuisance-task-force-changes-items-continued-for-public-hearings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655118-b629d182cd5b251c1d9b39e002403610/orig.mp4?Expires=1770741872&Signature=OPAY76jRTUoOqrxTBwitr6qol-HHkTVUzV2lsPTBnHgCp1hAHkr71PoqJQXb9GSmj4ulHkk6DKvAzrWTZ8mnvYPOzpyZA4Aw-7OVuBbxG4~fYrY4EZ~B29v1M2ZmC2zhxmpfePXrmv0ihGjCX1T8gyrqV~quB50yzqbQsUlWUtZYyINg8V~MVYzx2YH5zfo4NxSofVzTiZsz~BXN-uYyn~zoj7ii2svfB1gwL0bgWpcc7lshlTJFFelkMTSA-C68~QS0Ymuv3kVpNYjhLStNjila-rNxLDF02a7NM3Bo9hTmVbwxDHpJJxoHccy4BrRBa6JvhQRCoTeJLa~RMRLwSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Providence City Councilors debated a package of proposals aimed at addressing the concentration of student housing, neighborhood nuisance issues, and municipal costs tied to high student residency in some neighborhoods.

Sponsor Councilor Peterson presented an ordinance that would charge a $300 annual student-impact fee on dwellings exclusively rented to students. The fee in the draft would be imposed on the property owner; landlords would be able to decide whether to pass the cost on to tenants. The proposal included a mechanism to adjust the fee for inflation and allowed for potential exemptions for students with demonstrated financial hardship. Councilors discussed payment timing (the sponsor described a $150 six‑month payment or roughly $25 a month as examples), enforcement and penalties for noncompliance (the draft included a $500 fine for violations), and whether the fee would be viable where management or ownership structures are opaque.

To support enforcement and program design, the ordinance requests anonymized, nonidentifying information from postsecondary institutions: total student enrollment, counts of students living on-campus and off-campus, and an anonymized breakdown of units occupied by students. Councilors raised concerns about federal privacy rules, including FERPA, and acknowledged universities have told the council they are limited in the identifying information they can provide. The sponsor said the request is nonidentifying and limited to aggregate counts.

Councilors also discussed a companion licensing proposal that would require properties exclusively serving students to register and pay a $500 annual licensing fee, and a separate measure to codify the city’s nuisance-task-force to meet monthly and act more promptly on repeated reports of problem properties.

Several council members supported the concept of requiring student housing to contribute to municipal services, citing pressure on police, fire, street maintenance, and other services. Others pressed for stronger enforcement language, questioned whether fees would be passed on to students, and asked for clarity about how quickly refunds or proration would be handled if tenants move during a billing period.

The council did not vote on these ordinances. Members moved to continue the items to allow further drafting, to add reporting requirements, and to hold public hearings so landlords, students, universities and neighbors can comment.","Councilors discussed three related proposals: a $300 student-impact fee on properties exclusively rented to students, an annual $500 student-housing licensing fee, and codifying a monthly nuisance-task-force. Councilors asked for more analysis on enforcement, privacy and financial impacts; the items were continued for public hearings.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6655120,"Council reviews amendments to city vehicle use rules amid concern employees take cars home",618,1442000,2060000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5419996-6170fa74bb9b5399f749e5af93dc5083&start=1442&end=2060","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5419996-6170fa74bb9b5399f749e5af93dc5083/thumbnail_1442000.jpg","/articles/6655120/Providence-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Council-reviews-amendments-to-city-vehicle-use-rules-amid-concern-employees-take-cars-home","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655120-1704ec21bf0e9cf9a53c5f7357f68ca6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770741872&Signature=VFiebKCG3XG4ABDv2WqHLEC4WZArCcMIGcjWctFZcYCsBZYmd-0RFt8L-Nz-qO2xhEvZ9C3sLYah6MgA75ALV0hgJb8ad6qEAHI0iJgJmSyNXHDdRZ9CL4AvpCawOGbcrRxeq4QAvisCMtI-eHsiakhrmBJLt6feVmRwUfuruci9eJKdOrsvEF33HX2pRmfnGxbyWzr-9LcGkBRQ6jAt1PES4lKECSG0EOfjWbjzK0PZlAQV2JmO9cZen-mb5L524TPfYgbHVCGqKUqVkKhWIe5cDSpclXMAS6oAfWsN4r8gAGuRjCC-rF5dr0NC-LrlglhEeh6V8kDa4sLSGDraWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Providence City Council members discussed an amendment to Chapter 2, Section 2-13 of the city code that would tighten limits on personal use of city-owned vehicles and require clearer identification of departmental vehicles.

The sponsor presented the proposed change after staff reported instances where city vehicles were being driven outside Providence and concerns that some vehicles lacked department seals or other markings. Council members sought clarification about which departments regularly allow take-home vehicles and whether public-safety vehicles (police detectives, for example) would be treated differently under the revised rule. Council members also asked about enforcement mechanisms and whether the mayor’s designee or a department director already authorizes such take-home use.

Discussion focused on balancing legitimate operational needs (for example, police detectives who might need to respond quickly) against the goal of preventing routine personal use and protecting municipal fuel and maintenance costs. Members suggested requiring department-specific seals or markings on vehicle plates and exploring clearer authorization processes when take-home privileges are granted.

The council did not adopt the amendment at the meeting. Members moved to continue the ordinance for further refinement and public process so staff can return with clearer enforcement language, scope for exemptions (including police), and options to ensure vehicles are properly identified and tracked.

Implementation and next steps: the sponsor and staff will continue drafting ordinance language and return the item to the council with proposed enforcement mechanisms and clarifications about covered departments and exceptions.","Providence City Council members discussed an ordinance amendment to Chapter 2, Section 2-13, to restrict personal use of city-owned vehicles and improve identification and enforcement. The item was continued for further work and public process.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council committee advances Excel Academy lease for vacant Providence school building; vote sends measure to full council without recommendation

Councilors debate student-impact fee, licensing and nuisance-task-force changes; items continued for public hearings

Council reviews amendments to city vehicle use rules amid concern employees take cars home