As a reminder, there is a Statewide Special Election this Tuesday to vote on a number of state bond issues (en español). If you have not already voted, find your polling place here.
At 5pm on Tuesday the Council is holding a workshop to discuss the proposed FY22 – FY26 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The CIP is a financial planning document – it is used as a tool to help determine what goes into our City budget. When the Council originally received the CIP, we had a lot of discussion about whether or not to forward it to the Planning Board for their advisory opinion on how it aligns with Newport’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Although the Council majority ultimately decided not to refer the CIP to the planning board, we did schedule this workshop to discuss the CIP and its alignment with the Comp Plan.
Infrastructure investment has consistently come up in the talks surrounding the North End Urban Plan (NEUP). The CIP is where detailed planning for local infrastructure investment begins. We set lofty goals for Newport in both the Comp Plan and the NEUP and the City’s fiscal policy needs to support those goals. As the City Staff uses the CIP and works on the budget, I believe that the Council would benefit from advisory opinions from Newport’s multiple Boards and Commissions. We have a host of knowledgeable people working for our City’s future, from staff to board members, and we should take advantage of all resources available to us.