During this week’s Council meeting, we will consider a program that would allow Newport residents to source a percentage of their energy from affordable, sustainable sources. If Newport approves a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program, all ratepayers in the City who don’t choose to opt-out would be automatically enrolled to use renewable energy sources and receive a lower utility rate. The City Council and City staff have been working on implementing CCA in Newport for over a year, and held a workshop on the topic several months ago. The effects of climate change are a reality here in Newport – choosing CCA means that we are actively taking steps to use sustainable energy sources, and we will save money for Newporters in the process. It is a win-win.
Also on Wednesday’s docket is a resolution sponsored by Councilor McCalla and me addressing how the State’s redistricting will impact Newport. Every ten years, State voting districts are redrawn based on population changes documented in the Census. Rhode Island is currently undergoing this based on the result of the 2020 Census. The State Redistricting Commission has been meeting across Rhode Island and is gathering public input; the City must emulate this effort and make our process as public as possible. Once the State level effort is completed, Newport will need to redraw our Ward lines to reflect the changes. Our resolution would require ample public input and at least three public meetings to determine the proposed ward lines.
The resolution to establish a Charter Review Commission was continued to this week's Council meeting from the last meeting. The City Charter establishes our form of governance and determines the roles and responsibilities of the City Council, the Mayor, the City Manager, and more. The last time a Charter Review Commission was formed was in 2014. I encourage you to review our current Charter and make sure you are well informed as changes are discussed.