Some random thoughts…
– When Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline first took office, he knew he was stepping into a difficult job. The city’s finances were a mess and the public had been sort of spoiled by the splashy developments that came to fruition (like Providence Place) during the tenure of his now-imprisoned predecessor, former Mayor Vincent A. Cianci, Jr.
Rhode Island's Market Has Changed. Developers, Builders, Investors and Sellers Must Change With It.
By Emilio DiSpirito IV License Partner | Engel & Völkers Oceanside Leader | The DiSpirito…
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Cicilline’s early accomplishments – like a contract with public school teachers that includes a health insurance contribution or the deal that has colleges in the city now making an annual payment in lieu of taxes – have been important ones. Important, but not necessarily splashy.
But now, with the explosion of upscale downtown residential projects, including the most recent plan by a joint venture of Providence and Boston developers, a 32-story condominium tower on Westminster Street, Cicilline is seeing the kinds of headlines that should bode well for his political future.
Politics isn’t always fair. So it’s good to see that while he toils away on the less glamorous aspects of city business, Mayor Cicilline is now also enjoying the benefits of a city that is clearly moving in the right direction.
– When asked about the most effective way to acknowledge employees after the completion of a major project, chief financial officers from across the country overwhelmingly chose a monetary bonus as the most fitting reward.
The recently completed study by Accountemps found that 46 percent of the CFOs surveyed chose money as the most effective reward, easily beating out other options, such as time off or a departmental lunch or social gathering.
“When budgets are tight, non-monetary perks such as time off or a departmental celebration can be valuable tools to acknowledge staff accomplishments on a major project,” said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps. “But employees also expect financial compensation for their efforts, which can be an effective retention tool.”
– Brown University will reportedly increase its tuition and fees for the 2005-06 school year by just under 5 percent, bringing the total cost of one year at the Ivy League school to $41,770.
– NBC-10 has launched a free obituary listing service on turnto10.com. Good for them.
According to a press release, NBC-10 started the Internet service about a month ago after being contacted by the Rhode Island Funeral Director Association. Included in the service is copy written by the family and funeral director, a picture of the deceased and a link for family and friends to share comments in a condolence book.
“This is really a community need identified by the funeral director associations who contacted NBC-10 a few months ago,” said Mia DiBenedetto, NBC-10’s Webmaster. “We have received hundreds of e-mails and telephone calls asking us for the service.”
What the NBC-10 press release does not point out is that this action is a direct response to the Providence Journal’s decision in early January to charge for running obituaries. During the week, obituaries now cost nearly $7 per line, or about $100 per inch. On Sundays, it’s nearly $8 per line or $110 per inch. It was a sad and greedy move on the part of the Journal – a company that prides itself on being Rhode Island’s community paper.
How many folks – particularly those from the poorest of our neighborhoods – simply can’t afford the $400 or $500 or $600 bill?
I hope Journal executives recognize soon that whatever revenues they may gain from charging for obits aren’t worth what has become a public relations nightmare.
– If your accounting department is stretched thin and you’re thinking about bringing in help, be advised that it could take awhile. According to another nationwide survey of chief financial officers, this one by Robert Half International, it takes an average of four weeks to fill a staff-level accounting position and six weeks to bring a new manager on board.
– I am sure it’s beautiful, but at $10 million, the Rhode Island Historical Society will not be waiting on a call from me if they do in fact decide to sell off that desk at the John Brown House.
