We are celebrating and commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday; the NAACP of Newport County has a full schedule of events to make it a day on, not a day off. On Wednesday, we'll be discussing these items and more at the regular City Council meeting:
In January, the City Boards and Commissions submit their yearly reports to the Council. This docket has reports from the Tree and Open Space Commission, the Cliff Walk Commission, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, and the Planning Board. The Boards and Commissions do a lot of work for the City – I highly recommend reading through their reports. If you are interested in serving on a Board or Commission, consider these opportunities to volunteer to serve Newport.
The Council is receiving the proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for FY21-FY25 and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for FY19. We use the CIP to guide the drafting of the budget; it is not a binding document, but it is an important tool in long-term planning. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions and comment at the regular City Council meeting on February 12. I encourage you to read through the CIP and come to the meeting on the 12th.
The City Finance Department has provided an update to the Debt Affordability Presentation that was given to the Council in February 2019. This presentation focuses on the amount of debt the City is able to take on and the potential effects it could have on our budget. We are looking at additional ways of generating revenue beyond property tax, such as Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) for non-taxable properties, increased tourism-based taxes, and changes to our tax structure.
The City Council and City Administration have been working to understand what changes are needed to implement to best control and regulate short-term rentals. There are items on the docket making required amendments to our zoning ordinance, calling on the state to reform short-term rental tax reporting, and reporting on the progress implementing the recommendations from the Short-Term Rental Investigatory Group.
The Council is receiving the draft of the Stage II Application to build a new high school and an addition to the Pell Elementary School. We will be reviewing the application over the next few weeks to provide feedback before it is submitted for approval at the February 12 meeting. Once approved by the Council, the application will be submitted to the Rhode Island Department of Education for their approval.
We have an update from the City Planner regarding the ongoing work of the Zoning Working Group to update our zoning code to conform with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. NBBJ has started work and outreach on the North End Urban Plan. This plan will help shape development in the North End and public input is crucial. Please stay tuned as meetings are scheduled.
You can find the full docket here. As always, you are invited to come and voice your questions and concerns at the meeting.