2025 Ward 2 Special Election

We Cautiously Endorse Matt McDermott for City Council Of the five official candidates in the Ward 2 City Council special election, three of the four Democratic candidates responded to our survey on noise issues and policy. We were disappointed that David Caldwell didn’t respond — despite publicly citing noise as an issue — and could not reach Brown … Read more

We oppose performative leafblower laws

In late 2024, Providence City Council member and Environment Committee chair Sue AnderBois (Ward 3) introduced a proposed amendment (47724) to regulate the use of heavily-polluting gas-fueled leafblowers and similar landscaping equipment in the city. The amendment co-sponsors were John Goncalves (Ward 1), Helen Anthony (Ward 2), Miguel Sanchez (Ward 5), Ana Vargas (Ward 7), … Read more

Deja Vu All Over Again: PVD Noise Meters

In 2023, newly elected Providence Mayor Brett Smiley proposed addressing excessive noise by purchasing hand-held noise meters for Providence Police, which sounded oddly familiar to Noise Project volunteers. The text below is from Providence City Council member Jo-Ann Ryan’s Oct. 2017 News & Notes blog: We asked Mayor Smiley’s office what happened to the noise … Read more