The Council is meeting again this Wednesday, via Zoom, at 6:30 pm. Continued from the August 12 meeting is a memo from the City Manager regarding traffic controls in the North End Neighborhood. Councilor McCalla introduced a resolution at the July 8 meeting requesting that the City Manager work with staff to develop potential short-term solutions to improve pedestrian safety in the area of Malbone Rd, Girard Ave, Hillside Ave, and Leal Terrace. With school starting up again soon, there will be an increase in pedestrian traffic there. The Council voted to continue the memo because Governor Raimondo delayed the start of school by two weeks, so we were able to give the staff more time to work on solutions. We will receive an update during the meeting this week.
This past week, I took part in a forum organized by Alliance for a Livable Newport and the League of Women Voters. Five other At-Large candidates participated, with the other six taking part the following night. Our answers were limited to 60 seconds, so I was only able to scratch the surface of the issues. On Thursday, I was interviewed live on What’s Up Newp as part of their Video Voter Guide. We spoke for over an hour and I took the time to delve into solutions I see for Newport and how to implement them. I talked about our need for smart development that supports residents and local businesses, my work to make Newport an affordable place to live year-round, the importance of funding our schools, and more.
In my interview with What’s Up Newp I also highlighted my ideas to revamp the City’s budget process. Right now, there is not enough time built into the review cycle to allow for substantive change to be driven by either the Council or the public. This year that was really brought to the forefront because our timeline was shortened even more by the outbreak of the coronavirus. Our goals as a city are accomplished through funding, so we need to ensure that the budget we pass reflects our vision for Newport. I have been researching different budgeting methods that can applied to municipal budgets like zero-based budgeting and participatory budgeting. We can use these tools to both gain a deeper understanding of how and where we are spending our money in Newport – and engage residents on plans and changes that would make sense for our community.
Although the deadline has passed to request a mail ballot, there is still the option of early voting. You can vote at City Hall all the way up to Primary Day on September 8. Newport is in a critical time to determine the direction our city will go for decades, and your vote will set the course the city will take. Please take the time to research the candidates and cast your vote in the Primary in the next two weeks, and in the General Election in November.