The City Council will be meeting virtually again this week. Residents are invited to join and participate via zoom or on the phone.
Newport is in a housing crisis, with extremely limited housing availability and high rent and home prices. A contributing factor to this crisis is the proliferation of full-time investment short-term rental units in our neighborhoods taking homes that could be used by families. Disallowing this non-residential use will help return housing stock to the market for year-round residents. The Council will receive and refer to the Planning Board several zoning amendments concerning short-term rentals. As was discussed in the Council Workshop in October, short-term rentals are currently permitted in several residential zones with a special use permit. These proposed amendments would remove the ability to apply for a special use permit in those zones and make it so that investment short-term rentals are not allowed in any residential zone.
Newport Public Schools has sent a communication to the City Council regarding the state of the Thompson Middle School playground. Currently, it is in very poor shape and requires substantial repairs to be safe and accessible for TMS students. The total cost is estimated to be $300,000. NPS is requesting some of the funding to be provided from the City Council and the approval to submit the application to RIDE.
Based on a Council resolution passed in November, a contract for the redrawing of City Council Ward and Precinct Lines is on our docket this week. The State level redistricting has been completed, and the new maps have been approved. It is now in the City’s hands to adjust our ward and precinct lines based on the new maps to determine which ward you are in and where you will vote. The first public meeting to discuss the potential changes is scheduled for February 1st at 11:30 AM; additional public meetings will be held in the evening or weekend.
Our City Charter establishes our form of government and defines the role of the City Council, the Mayor, the City Manager, and more. The Charter Review Commission has been meeting to discuss potential changes to the Charter. Their most recent meeting was on January 13th, and the commission plans to meet on the second and fourth Thursday of every month until May 11th.