Committee adopts ordinance requiring notice to ward councilors and community meetings before city property sales

The Committee on City Property on April 14 approved an ordinance amending chapter two of the Code of Ordinances by adding section 2-1-110 to require that, when the city sells real property within a ward, the ward's councilor be notified and the selling department host at least one community meeting.

Councilwoman Davidson, who introduced the ordinance, said the measure was prompted by the Humboldt Street fire station sale, which occurred during a vacancy in the ward seat and left neighbors surprised. "What this is suggesting is that when the city sells real property within a ward, the city councilor of that ward is notified," she said, adding the measure calls for at least 30 days' notice and a department-hosted meeting so neighbors can "weigh in about their desires for property."

Aaron Easterbrooks, deputy chief of staff for the council, described technical amendments adopted by the committee. He said the ordinance will refer to charter section 416 rather than restating charter language throughout the code, and will preserve the council's ability to waive the notice requirement by resolution where necessary to avoid title defects. "Rather than restate the charter, we refer to section 416," Easterbrooks said. He added the solicitor's office recommended keeping a waiver mechanism so a resolution can clear title if notice provisions were missed.

Nick Cicatelli, the city real estate representative, told the committee most city property is sold through the Providence Redevelopment Agency (PRA) and that sealed bids and public advertising (including prior Providence Journal coverage) were used in the Humboldt sale. He said staff supports piggybacking existing public meetings to maximize transparency, while noting that open houses tend to draw prospective buyers and that departments can add programming so neighbors can learn about zoning and project implications.

Committee members debated whether a developer open house would satisfy the community-meeting requirement, and sought language to make clear that meetings include opportunities for neighbors to ask questions and receive staff responses. The committee approved the ordinance as amended; committee members and staff repeatedly noted the solicitor's office had vetted the language and that the waiver-by-resolution is intended to prevent inadvertent title defects.

The committee carried the motion to approve the ordinance as amended; the transcript does not specify a full-council schedule or subsequent steps beyond committee approval.