The City Council will be meeting this Wednesday at 6:30, and we are once again meeting entirely through Zoom. It is still a goal of mine to have us back in the Council Chambers, but there remain some significant technical hurdles to overcome before we can meet there in a way that will easily allow the public to follow along and participate. The nature of public meetings means that we cannot limit the people who are attending, unlike the closed groups that have been used in summer camps and are being looked at for school re-openings. All members of the public must be able to attend a meeting when they desire. This means that until we have the technology in place to allow the public both at home and in the Chambers to safely attend and participate in meetings, we are continuing with everyone on Zoom.
This week’s docket features a resolution to name the Pell School gymnasium in honor of the late Mayor Paul Gaines. We want to honor him in this way, so that all Newport elementary students will know of Mayor Gaines’ extraordinary life and his contributions to the City of Newport and the Newport Public Schools.
Also on this week’s docket are two updates from the City Manager and staff regarding traffic in Newport. The first is an update on the Transportation Master Plan and Green & Complete Streets. City Staff worked with the Transportation Subcommittee of the Planning Board, the Newport Transportation Planning Committee, and Statewide Planning to create a Request for Proposals for the creation of a Master Transportation Plan for Newport. This is the most comprehensive traffic study and plan done in Newport in years. A draft of the Green & Complete Streets ordinance has been completed and is currently under review in the City Solicitor’s Office. Once that review is complete, it will go to the Planning Board and then to the City Council.
The second update from the City Manager is regarding recommendations on short-term traffic solutions, a response to a resolution from the Council that seeks to improve the safety of the streets near Pell Elementary School. The update details a number of short-term improvements that can be made in the area and also addresses potential long-term solutions as well.
Finally, with the local primary coming up on September 8, I want to remind you that voting by mail is a safe and easy way to participate in the election. The deadline to request your mail ballot for the primary is August 18.