At last Wednesday’s Council meeting, a resident who has worked for the US Census Bureau spoke to the Council about Newport’s Census response rate. Only 54% of Newport residents have filled out the Census. The Census helps determine how much funding our City receives, and will determine whether or not we keep a US House Seat. If you have not yet completed the Census, please visit 2020census.gov and urge your family and friends to do the same.
The Council is meeting on Tuesday to interview applicants for the Waterfront Commission. The Waterfront Commission is an important body that advises the Council on matters concerning Newport’s Waterfront and is overseen by our Harbormaster. The Commission was instrumental in the recent revision of our mooring ordinances and continues to be proactive in working on the long-term viability of the waterfront.
The City’s Boards and Commissions are an important component of our local government. Their work is not always recognized, but it is vital to keeping Newport running. We are also looking for new members on our Zoning Board and Historic District Commission (HDC) and working to schedule interviews with those applicants soon. The Zoning Board and the HDC are legal bodies that oversee and administer our ordinances. The volunteers that sit on Newport's Boards and Commissions are instrumental in shaping the present and future of our city. If you are interested in volunteering to serve on any of the many bodies doing important work for the City, please apply.
The Council is also meeting on Wednesday for our regular COVID-19 update from the City Manager. We had previously been meeting for these updates on Tuesdays of the weeks that we did have regular Council meetings. We have changed the updates to Wednesday to better align with updates on municipal numbers from the Department of Health.