The City Council will be meeting twice again this week. On Tuesday at 4:30, we have our recurring COVID-19 status update from the City Manager, and on Wednesday at 6:30 we will be holding a regular City Council meeting. Both of these meetings will be held virtually, and the public is strongly encouraged to call in and listen. If any members of the public have any questions about any docket items, please email the Council.
As we continue to adjust to new ways of life in this time, the Council is doing the same with our meetings. The Governor’s new Executive Order on the Open Meetings Act has allowed us to consider items other than those deemed essential in this state of emergency. Our finance director and City Manager continue to work with our department heads to fully understand and document the needed changes to next year’s budget due to the reality of the City’s decreased revenue from the COVID-19 crisis.
During Wednesday’s City Council meeting, we will be receiving a memo from the City Manager that will spur a discussion on economic issues within our community and how to tackle them moving forward. I have been talking to members of our community and reviewing policy research to be able to present the best options for Newport. I am looking forward to hearing the results of my fellow councilors’ research into addressing this unprecedented challenge.
We, of course, cannot have a conversation about economic issues and policies without discussing the proposed bond to build a new high school and add an addition to Pell Elementary School. This is an important consideration with short- and long-term economic benefits. I continue to stand firmly behind this project and will be soon releasing a position paper that further details the case how Newport will benefit from the project as a community.
Newport has been working hard for years to build up the technology and innovation leg of our economy to complement Newport’s robust hospitality industry. This work is evidenced in the success of Innovate Newport. With the new reality we are facing – job losses and economic downturn – we now must accelerate this work in a way that none of us anticipated. The North End Urban Plan is a critical component of this effort – we want to make sure that Newporters have their voices heard.
When the Council meets on Wednesday evening, we will be having a public discussion on the future of Newport, but it is just the beginning. I am asking all Newporters to reach out to us as your elected representatives and give us your insights as we begin our recovery from this challenge. We are in an uncertain time for our city and society, and recovery and prosperity will take time. But if we don't build Newport's future, who will?