Ward 1 City Councilman Seth Yurdin was elected to office in November 2006 on a three-issue campaign platform - he promised to focus on the environment, education and the quality of life of his constituents in light of the city's development. Now, a year later, he is making progress in these areas for Ward 1 - which includes Fox Point and most of Brown's campus - and has plans to continue these efforts in the future.
Environmentally, Yurdin has continued support for projects begun by his predecessor, David Segal, now a state representative for District 2. Yurdin, like Segal, advocated for full implementation of the city's Renewable Energy Ordinance, which mandates that 20 percent of Providence's energy be renewable by 2010.
Segal, who backed Yurdin in last year's election, told The Herald he is pleased with Yurdin's continuing support for the project. "The fact that the ordinance exists in its own right doesn't provide any assurance that the goal will actually be achieved, but you need activists and I think (Yurdin has) done a really good job of achieving that," Segal said.
The city's greenhouse gas production and its role in global warming are also concerns for Yurdin. "It's a big task, but it has benefits in a number of ways," Yurdin said, adding that not only is a reduction of greenhouse gases good for the environment, but also that an increased energy efficiency will save the city money.
Yurdin has created a volunteer task force on environmental issues, which he said is made up of council members, environmentalists and academics. "There hasn't been a nucleus structure in the city to take on these issues, so I thought it was important to create a place where that could happen," Yurdin said. "There needs to be a much broader discussion to get anything done."
This committee-based approach to city problems extends beyond environmental issues for Yurdin - he serves as chairman of the Special Committee on State Legislation, which makes recommendations concerning decisions made on the state level. Yurdin said the committee is particularly useful when it focuses on public education.
Generally the problems with education in Providence stem from a lack of state funding, Yurdin said. "Rhode Island is one of the three worst states in the country in the percentage of aid that the state provides to the cities for education," he said. "I don't think there's any question that we don't have enough funding."
Segal similarly noted that the city has very little control over its education budget and that the city's only means of raising funds for education is the property tax. If state funding for Providence schools is insufficient, the city must make up the difference using property taxes. This model, which is repeated across Rhode Island, puts an unfair burden on poorer families and poorer cities, Segal said.
But Yurdin is doing a "good job of trying to make the city focus better on pushing back against the state," Segal added.
Providence has had some successes in education this year. Vartan Gregorian Elementary School in Fox Point, for example, has almost finished a project to restore a 100-year-old building adjacent to the school to be used as a library. The space currently housing the library will be devoted to resources for special education, Yurdin said. This project has been completed with a mix of city and state funds, he added.
Yurdin has also advocated for neighborhood planning and outreach as a part of citywide planning and building development.
Under state law, cities in Rhode Island are required, every 10 years, to adopt a comprehensive plan, which encompasses building, zoning, subdivisions and planning for the city as a whole. The city first looks at individual neighborhood plans and must consider them when formulating the final comprehensive plan. The most recent plan was adopted by the Providence City Council last Thursday night.
"This has presented a real opportunity to make sure the neighborhood voices are heard," Yurdin said.
However, this year the city proposed making changes to zoning ordinances prior to the completion of neighborhood planning. Yurdin said he negotiated with the planning department to make sure that nothing changes while neighborhood plans are being completed.
"The outcome is important, but the process is just as important," Yurdin said. "I try to do as much as I can to preserve the process and make sure people can really weigh in."
One issue that has especially affected Yurdin's constituents is the relocation of the I-195 highway. To prevent too much construction, one of Yurdin's first actions on the council was to place a temporary moratorium on large building projects around the new location of I-195.
"I was concerned that while the comprehensive plan was going on, someone might take advantage of the chaos, might push for a big project before the planning was finished," Yurdin said. His moratorium froze large construction for a year, giving the city a chance to adopt a plan for construction within the changing area.
Segal, who said he talks to Yurdin "a few times a week," said he admired this sort of concern for Yurdin's ward and constituents. "He has developed a reputation for being his own man, thinking things through and refusing to say yes to people just for the sake of going along," Segal said. "He's very earnest about the work that's in front of him."
