If you have not already seen, the City of Newport has started a newsletter relating to our response to the COVID-19 pandemic with resources available to our residents and businesses. It has lots of important and helpful information - please sign up!
As I’m sure you know, we are in a census year. It is so important to participate and be counted – the data helps determine the number of Congressional Representatives that Rhode Island has and the federal funding provided to the state and municipalities. The census also provides critical information to officials responding to emergencies like the one we are in now, directing resources to where they will be needed most. The City has established a website to help Newporters fill out the census, including how we are trying to make sure everyone in Newport is counted. Please take the very short amount of time to be counted, and help make sure your family, friends, and neighbors are counted too.
The City Council will be meeting twice this week. We will be receiving our second weekly update from the City Manager on the COVID-19 efforts in Newport in a virtual workshop on April 7. On Wednesday, April 8, we will be hosting our first virtual general meeting. Our ability to meet this way is granted by executive order from the Governor. We are limited in what we can discuss and vote on; all items must be necessary for continued government operations or to ensure compliance with statutory or regulatory deadlines. This means we can discuss things like budgets, declarations of emergency, and the North End moratorium; all of which are time-sensitive based on charter or ordinance and required for continued operation of government.
We will be discussing and considering a resolution to reduce our current budget by $1,785,000 due to shortfalls in revenue from the COVID-19 pandemic. We are all making adjustments to our budgets and planning based on this crisis, and much like you the City is doing the same. The proposed plan to cover the shortfall includes a freeze on non-essential purchases that was enacted by the City Manager in mid-March and reductions in capital projects, including fire alarms and radios in the Fire Department, street lighting, Planning and Zoning equipment replacement, traffic signal replacement, and sea wall improvements. As we continue to assess the longer-term impacts, the Council and City Administration are working hard to make sure that we are able to keep investing in Newport's future.
The Council will be receiving a communication on financing a potential school bond - we will not be discussing this at the recommendation of the Attorney General regarding the executive order. We will continue it to a workshop. There is also a resolution on the docket concerning placing the bond on the ballot. This item cannot be voted on until RIDE approves the project which likely will not happen until May, and we will continue this item as well.
There are three items on the docket related to the development moratorium in the North End. Draft proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance concerning Floating Zone, Base Zone, and the Map are being received and voted on to refer to the Planning Board for recommendation. A resolution proposing an emergency extension to the moratorium due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a related ordinance amendment are both on the docket. The proposed emergency extension is for two months, given that normal City business has halted, staff has been prevented from meeting with the public and retained consultants, all City Council, Planning Board and Zoning Board meetings have been cancelled, and the required public hearings on zoning ordinance changes cannot be held, all of which has delayed the ability of the City to consider and vote on new zoning.
As the coronavirus emergency continues and we prepare ourselves for more challenging weeks ahead, please keep supporting the community and everyone putting themselves at risk to keep us safe by following the direction of the public health experts. If you need help, please reach out and use the resources that are available. I have been heartened to see the creativity and innovation in our community to help one another. I am confident that as tough as it gets, Newporters will be there for each other and our community will come through this together.