Photos by Rich Dionne

EAST PROVIDENCE — Only a few weeks into his tenure as the new city manager, Richard Kirby already appears to have a good bead on the pulse of East Providence.

Mr. Kirby, chosen and approved for the position by the City Council in late September, recently discussed his views of East Providence and his vision as he begins what is on paper, at least, a minimum of a three-year term in office.

On the process of his hiring and what he's done in his first few days as manager, he said: "The executive session meetings went for over an hour each. They (the Councilors) asked very thoughtful, cogent questions and we were willing to challenge me on my answers, which is something I assume they did with the other applicants.

"Right now I'm on a very active learning and listening tour of residents and employees on every aspect of the city. The city went through a budget commission, and there were really serious matters that were addressed. And I think we're at a great launching off point for a new beginning, a new era for the City of East Providence in terms of prosperity. And I think that all starts with listening and assessing where we've been and where we hope to go."

Mr. Kirby, a lawyer by profession and a native of Cumberland, has lived in East Providence for 12 years. Though he is still finding his footing in the job, he said one of his early focuses as manager will be to create and build upon an atmosphere of expansion.

"Well, I think we need to encourage economic development," Mr. Kirby explained. "I think the waterfront district is primed and ready to go. I think it sat somewhat stagnant for a while through no fault of the city but firstly the environmental issues that were there for years needed to be taken care of and then the extremely cumbersome real estate market, the economy and lending from 2008 until really this year were factors.

"Now you're seeing different projects starting to take hold whether it be Village on the Waterfront or Kettle Point. Now you're starting to see activity and that's all serious commitment from developers to move a project forward. It's expensive, but they're ready to move, and I think that's a real positive for the city. I've already been hearing from developers who are interested in other parts of the city. I'll be working with the Planning Department on the comprehensive plan they've been putting together to reflect the long-term appropriate growth between retail, commercial, industrial and residential construction. We've got to hit the appropriate balance."

Balancing the distribution of revenue, specifically how the city allocates money to its schools, is one major budgetary issue Mr. Kirby said he plans to study in short order.

"We spend about 42 percent of our budget on schools," Mr. Kirby said. "I'd like to get a lot of comparable data of governance in terms of revenue and expenditures from an historical point of view and come up with some models for projections based on demographics and things like that. My understanding is if you can find communities of comparable size and quality of life that East Providence has, their percentage of the budget is higher, something like 52 or 53 percent. Now whether a percentage of your budget reflects success is another question. So we need to drill down to see if percentage of budget is appropriate or not. But certainly we want to get the best that we can out of the dollars that we spend on our schools.

"When you talk about economic development and growth of a community, hand-in-hand with that is having a first rate educational system. It really is. I think that the budget should support that in the best way while at the same time challenging that the expenditures are being maximized."

Mr. Kirby has maximized his initial days on the job attempting to meet and greet as many employees as possible. He spent his first full day as manager with his predecessor, Paul Lemont, discussing what is happening in East Providence and what is on tap for the city.

"My second day here, the day after I was officially hired (on September 22) I started at 7:30 in the morning and Mr. Lemont was very, very cordial and professional," said Mr. Kirby. "He showed me around the city. We had lunch and I wanted to go to the Public Works Department to say hello to the director. I asked Steve Coutu what time most of his guys come in in the morning, and he said 7:15. I said I'd like you to let them know I'll be there the next morning so I could speak with them.

"Part of my conversation with them was I've been a resident here for 12 years and I've never really had a complaint with the department. And none of my neighbors have. They seem to be genuinely hard-working people who are concerned about the city. And I asked them how many of them live here in the city, and I think all but about four of them said they weren't. I told them we're going to take pride in the city and the work you do, and that I'm here to support you in any way I can…I also met with all the union heads, the other department heads. I want to have a good relationship with them. I want to meet all of the city employees, as many as I possibly can."

Mr. Kirby inherits a city currently attempting to remedy its' ailing water system to the tune of some $60 million in projects. In recent years, following many of neglect, East Providence has also begun to reinvest in road improvements. The new manager said its incumbent upon himself, the Council and the community to continue to rebuild the city's infrastructure going forward.

"Public Works, the police and fire departments are the public faces of the community. They can make or break a city's executive administration as (former Providence mayor Vincent) 'Buddy' Cianci would say. And I said that to them. I said I expect them to work hard, but that I'm committed to them. I'm here, there and everywhere. I really am. I said I may see you working on the side of the road and I may stop and talk to you. I'm not there to bird dog you, but I'd like to learn and know what you're doing. It's vital we address these issues, our infrastructure," Mr. Kirby said.

He continued, "It's a common complaint here in New England, about our roads. We're not the only community dealing with these problems. Our state is having problems. We have to find a way to pay for them, and that has to be part of a long-term commitment from the residents. It has to be part of our budget process because that also goes hand-in-hand with growth and economic development. If you're doing that, you're telling developers and those people who may want to move here that you're committed to having a good community with good infrastructure, that's safe and has a good school system."

On the budget process, which Mr. Kirby is currently in the midst of, though on the periphery because of his date of hire, he said, "What's the saying? I've got one foot in the boat and one on the dock."

He added, "I was involved in Central Falls. I wasn't an overseer, just the city solicitor. I didn't ask for a city car. I didn't want it. I just want to really take the opportunity that's in front of this city to work with everyone and keep the energy going. I want to take the hard work that the Council has done and move forward. I'd like to have an open and cordial relationship with the Council and the School Committee. I know there's always a natural tension between the School Committee and the Council when it comes to the budget but I think we can work towards things openly and diligently in the future."

Like the budget, the recent deconsolidation of the Human Resources Department by the administration and School Committee occurred prior to his arrival. How the city broaches similar subjects under his watch is something he is acutely aware of.

"Part of the learning is listening to and understanding what has taken place in the past," Mr. Kirby said. "Obviously, consolidation always sounds good and can work in certain instances. I'm not sure if it can or can't. It's something the Budget Commission put in place and it should be respected. We should be trying to work with what the Budget Commission put in place.

"My understanding is the Facilities issue was just too much for one person to be out looking at all the buildings. That's kind of reasonable. The HR end, that happened before I got here. I have to look into that. There may be a disconnect somewhere. I know there are different reporting requirements for a standard city employee as opposed to an educational employee. As a lawyer, I know the education system has its' own kind of legal world and compliance issues. So it's something worth looking at why it happened and making sure that any movement like that doesn't increase budgetary issues. I've heard people say it does or it doesn't, and that's something I need to look into."

Mr. Kirby said he looked deeply into the position of East Providence city manager before applying for the position. Initially, he was to sign a two-year contract, but requested an additional 12 months for the extra job security if afforded.

"I asked for the third year. Not to be boastful, but I have a successful law practice that I'm winding down. I'm 54 years old. I've read the City Charter, all of the ordinances and there's an election coming next November. Under the Charter, the Council can release a city manager with just three months notice. They can have the hearings and if they have the votes, they can remove you. And I get a three-month severance. I just figured I would like to have a three-year contract so I could prove myself to this Council and the next one," Mr. Kirby said.

He continued, "I'm appreciative, sincerely appreciative of this opportunity. It's an honor that they hired me. And I need to prove myself to them and/or the ensuing Council at least for a year. It takes time. To understand and get your arms around a job of this magnitude it could take a while, then it takes a while for you to implement a vision and then to see the fruits of it. Because some of it you're not going to see for years to come and you may take a hit for it now. I understand that. This is not a sprint. It's a marathon."

Mr. Kirby said being available most if not every day, at any time and by any means necessary will be a cornerstone of how he operates in the position.

"I'm totally dedicated to working with the Council, the employees here to move the city forward," he said. "I'm open, accessible and I told every department head and I will tell anyone that's willing to listen, no idea or suggestion is too crazy. If we can make city services run efficiently, make them better and possibly at a lower cost to taxpayers then it's worth a look. Let's look at everything. Why not?"

And though not a native of East Providence, Mr. Kirby said he grasps the concept of "Townie Pride," of being a resident who is invested and engaged in the city.

"There's a lot of pride here and we need to push our pride," the new manager added. "We need to tell the rest of Rhode Island that East Providence is ready to move forward. We have a marquee area in the waterfront, but there are plenty of other great things here. We need to let people know about it."