This week’s budget workshop on April 22nd is being rescheduled. When we have a new time set, I will make sure to send it out. These workshops have been informative for both the Council and the public - you can view recordings of the previous workshops online.
The School Building Committee has been meeting for more than 2 years, and we are nearing the point of construction of both the Pell addition and the new Rogers High School. The architecture and construction teams have been selected for both projects. This Monday at 5 pm, there is a Pell Community Meeting for the public to meet with the Design/Build team that has been selected to construct the addition at Pell School. The team will present the plans and status to the community and engage in discussion on resident and neighbor concerns or questions. A series of community meetings will take place over the next two months to ensure that the public is properly engaged in the process. The School Building Committee meetings will also continue, tracking the progress on design and construction. To catch up on the previous meetings and get more information, you can visit the NPS website. This school construction is vital to Newport’s future and ensuring that our youth are getting the education that deserve. I hope that you stay engaged as this process continues.
As a reminder: COVID-19 vaccination appointments open to all Rhode Islanders 16+ tomorrow. If you have not yet scheduled an appointment, go to www.vaccinateri.org to make one. If you are having trouble making an appointment online, you can call 844-930-1779.
Councilor Bova's Update For April 11
Last week the City announced that Toole Design Group has been selected for the development of the Newport Transportation Master Plan (TMP). This process began in 2019 with two public workshops that gathered the community’s concerns about getting around Newport, which helped inform the language in the RFP that was sent out for bid. The City partnered with State Planning to issue the RFP last summer for a plan that would specifically build on the Rhode Island Long-Range Transportation Plan for our local streets. The Planning Department will be giving us an update on this project during the City Council meeting on Wednesday night.
An important part of the development process will be public participation. The Council will be working with the Planning Department to put together the Citizens Advisory Committee. We are looking for community members with backgrounds in diverse areas such as accessibility and the ADA, pedestrian access, water transportation, and more. If you are interested in serving on the Committee, please let me know.
Finally, we are continuing with our department budget workshops this month. I hope you are able to join us:
Thursday, April 15: Zoning/Inspections, Planning/Economic Development, Public Services/Beach
Thursday, April 22: City Council, City Manager, City Solicitor, Canvassing, City Clerk, Finance, Harbor
Upcoming Budget Workshops
The City Council will continue holding budget workshop with all City departments over the next three weeks, with the next one tomorrow evening. It is our duty as elected representatives to ensure that the City budget reflects our community’s values and prioritizes our year-round community. The Council needs to have a full understanding of all parts of the budget in order to have an in-depth discussion and debate on how we decide to allocate the City’s resources. I encourage you to join us!
Wednesday, April 7: FY 2022-FY2023 Biennial Budget Overview, Fire, Police, Parking
Thursday, April 15: Zoning/Inspections, Planning/Economic Development, Public Services/Beach
Thursday, April 22: City Council, City Manager, City Solicitor, Canvassing, City Clerk, Finance, Harbor
Councilor Bova's Update for March 28
On Tuesday, the Council is holding a budget workshop focusing on the Utilities Department budget proposal for FY22. We are holding workshops with all the City departments earlier this year so that they have time to incorporate Council feedback before the budget is finalized. As I have said many times, the City budget must reflect our community’s values and prioritize our year-round community. The Council needs to have a full understanding of all parts of the budget in order to have an in-depth discussion and debate on how we decide to allocate the City’s resources.
This Wednesday at 5pm, the City Council will be meeting for a workshop for discussion on our food truck regulations. Two years ago, we spent many hours and multiple meetings to develop a set of consistent regulations to allow food trucks and food carts in Newport for the first time. We knew at that time that we would need to revisit the topic as we learned what does or does not work for Newport. With Wednesday’s workshop, the Council can work with City staff, food truck operators, restaurant owners, and the community at large to do a review of our ordinances and discuss concerns that have been raised after two seasons of allowing mobile food establishments on our streets. This is a great opportunity to take a view of the big picture and apply lessons learned across the city.
As you probably have heard, Rhode Island cities and towns will be getting millions of dollars in federal aid to help municipalities deal with the impacts of the past year. Newport is estimated to receive at least $2.3 M of this COVID-19 relief funding. We need to start planning now on how to properly allocate this funding and make sure that it is spent where it is needed most. There are gaps in our budget left by the impacts of COVID-19 and the downturn in the economy. Let’s start there.
Councilor Bova's Update - Equity in Planning in Newport
In 2017, the City Council adopted a new Comprehensive Land Use Plan for Newport. The Comp Plan serves as Newport’s guiding policy document – this means that our ordinances and policies must be consistent with the goals established by our Comp Plan. The Planning Board uses the Comp Plan as a benchmark when considering new ordinances. When the pace of development in the North End of the City increased, it became apparent that the Comp Plan had gaps and did not meet the complex needs to develop that portion of the City successfully. To address those gaps and give the City the legal and policy tools to guide the next wave of development, the City crafted the North End Urban Plan, which has since been adopted as an additional chapter of the overall Comp Plan.
One of the notable gaps in the Comp Plan that the NEUP addresses is the lack of focus on equity in development. In the NEUP, equity is explicitly included as a theme and guiding principle. This explicit focus emerged at the very beginning of the project and allowed the plan to develop actionable strategies and policies to promote equitable development in the North End. The Planning Board recommended that the City take action to include this level of specificity and meaningful policy for equity in the Comp Plan so that every neighborhood is treated equitably in planning and development.
At the last City Council meeting, a resolution to develop new language addressing equity in the Comp Plan was voted down. The discussion in the meeting made clear that a majority of the council was not prepared to talk in specifics about how to move forward. The upcoming Council docket includes a different resolution with a similar goal, but I am concerned that its result will not reach the standard that our planning documents need and our residents deserve.
The American Planning Association clearly defines equity as:
“just and fair inclusion into a society in which all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. Unlocking the promise of the nation by unleashing the promise in us all.”
This week’s resolution uses inconsistent language, interchanging the specific term equity with the vague and colloquial term fairness. As the APA describes, equity is about more than fairness, and it needs to be woven into all City planning and policy in a clear, consistent, and enforceable way.
In their review of the Comp Plan, the Planning Board explicitly recommended that the City hire a consultant with expertise in developing equitable policy. Our Boards exist to advise the Council and we should not be dismissive of their recommendations. We owe it to the residents of Newport to engage with experts when developing amendments to the Comp Plan. The North End Urban Plan was successful in explicitly addressing equity because the consultants had experts on their team who understood the intersection of equity and public policy. We need to actively consider engaging similar experts to benefit the entire City in the Comp Plan.
I’m glad to see the conversation to formally incorporate equity into our planning is continuing from what started with the North End Urban Plan. It is important that the Council recognizes the need to continuously be working toward equity in our community. Equity is not something that can be accomplished with a single vote. I am committed to championing the needs of our community and working to ensure that the Council incorporates equity into everything we do.
Councilor Bova's Update for March 14
This Thursday, March 18 at 5 pm, the City Council is holding a workshop to discuss the options of implementing a homestead exemption in Newport. The goal of a homestead exemption is to prevent Newporters from being priced out of our community and make more year-round housing available. It is a tool that helps to build a strong year-round community and would give our City the flexibility it needs to alleviate the tax burden on residents while still providing necessary services.
I hear consistently from residents that are concerned Newport is becoming a city of second homes and short-term rentals. More and more homes in our neighborhoods sit empty for months out of the year – this shrinks our community and local economy and removes housing from the year-round market. Newport is valued as a tourist destination, but we cannot subsidize seasonal residences at the expense of our year-round residents.
During the workshop on Thursday, the Council has to discuss how we want to a homestead exemption to work specifically in Newport. There are many variables to how it can be implemented. Eligibility requirements are one important factor; our year-round residents are both homeowners and renters. We need to develop a homestead exemption that does not make it harder to rent in Newport. The application process is another aspect; there are staffing, timeline, and access questions that will need to be answered. The Council needs to consider these and other factors to create a policy that will benefit all Newporters.
The process of implementing a homestead exemption will not take place overnight. There are logistics that need to be worked out, from a housing demographic survey to the application process to City staffing to maintain the exemption. This is complex policy, and the Council needs to actively work to get our questions answered and make progress. I will push for continued movement on this goal and keep you updated throughout.
Councilor Bova's Update for March 7
Last week the City Council held a public workshop with a presentation from the Finance Department to discuss the proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP). This week’s Council meeting will start with a public hearing on the CIP, followed by a Council vote on the adoption. I've spoken about the CIP and its importance in previous newsletters.
On Wednesday’s docket is a resolution that I submitted in response to the Planning Board’s report on equity and inclusion in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. The Planning Board found that although the Comp Plan did not contain explicitly racist language or policy, the absence of a focus on equity and inclusion could still lead to potentially racist outcomes. The Comp Plan is the guiding policy document for Newport and if we are to move forward as a community in an equitable way, it must include equity as a priority. The Comp Plan was always intended to be a living document that we improve and amend over time; it has to be strengthened so that it will benefit our entire community.
The passage of this resolution would allow us to begin the process of amending our Comprehensive Land Use Plan to address equity, diversity, and inclusion. There are multiple steps in this process; the Planning Board has laid out short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations to improve and strengthen the Comp Plan. There has been a lot of discussion on how to improve equity in Newport and strengthening the Comprehensive Land Use Plan is a concrete way to make improvement.
Save the date - The Council will be holding a workshop on implementing a homestead exemption in Newport on March 18 at 5 pm. Please mark your calendar and attend. If you have any questions or comments regarding a homestead exemption, please let me know.
Councilor Bova's Update for February 28
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.
Councilor Bova's Update for February 21
Before I dive into an in depth discussion, here are some quick highlights for the coming week:
The School Building Committee (SBC) is meeting tomorrow at 5 pm to receive the Design-Build contract recommendation from the SBC Working Group for Pell School
The City Council is meeting this Wednesday at 6:30 for our regular meeting.
The Council is considering a resolution to allow the City to begin the bond process for the Pell School addition and the new Rogers High School projects.
The question of whether food trucks should remain on Bellevue was continued from the last Council meeting and we will be taking it up this Wednesday. I covered this in-depth in my last newsletter.
I want to take some time in this newsletter to talk about equity and City Planning. This has been an ongoing conversation on the City Council with our Community, primarily focusing on how we can do better. The Council approved the North End Urban Plan (NEUP) recently and while that is an excellent step, there is still a lot of work to be done.
This Tuesday, we are holding a workshop with the Planning Board and Smart Growth America to discuss equitable development in Newport, and specifically the North End. Newport residents and community stakeholders sought out Smart Growth America (SGA) to consult with them as our Community stays engaged with the implementation of the NEUP policies. When SGA meets with the Council and the Planning Board on Tuesday, the conversation will help us to better understand what equitable and inclusive development means to our residents and what we as the City Government can be doing to accomplish it.
Since the summer, the Planning Board has been studying whether they had unintentionally permitted unfair racial outcomes in their decision making. As part of the effort, the Board has been reviewing how our Comprehensive Land Use Plan addresses equity and how it can be improved, and the Council will be receiving a report of their review at this week’s meeting. Newport’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan is the guiding policy document for the City, and the Planning Board found that it does not adequately address diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Board recommends beginning the process of amending the Comprehensive Land Use Plan to correct these omissions. In order for that occur, the Council must introduce and then pass a resolution directing the Board to begin this work and following through on the recommendations they made in their report. I will make sure that we follow through and keep moving forward.
Access to information is necessary for all Newport residents. We have a large Spanish-speaking community, and they are not always able to adequately interact with City government because information is not always available in Spanish. On this week’s docket, we have a resolution that would direct the City Manager to establish a Language Access Plan that would allow the City to translate documents into Spanish and other languages so that we can meet the needs of all our residents.
The work of weaving equity and inclusivity into our City's policies and practices is ongoing. I am committed to this work, and to ensuring that each voice in our Community is heard.
Councilor Bova's Newsletter for February 7
Yesterday the Council met with our State Legislative Delegation – Senator Lou DiPalma, Senator Dawn Euer, Representative Marvin Abney, and Representative Lauren Carson. It was a productive discussion and exchange of ideas – I especially found the discussion around short term rental regulation helpful and will be moving forward on some of the ideas that were brought up, such as the potential to tax some short-term rentals as commercial property. I encourage you to watch the meeting if you weren’t in attendance.
This week’s Council meeting will begin with a Public Hearing on the proposed FY22 – FY26 Capital Improvement Plan. The CIP is a planning document that is used by City staff and departments to develop budget and project proposals. At the last Council meeting, there was a lot of discussion among the Council on how to be use the CIP for future planning. I made the recommendation that we schedule a workshop to further talk through the CIP and how to align it with the City’s goals presented in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. That workshop is now being scheduled and I will make sure to help publicize the date once it has been.
Our docket this week also includes a resolution that could recoup $1 million for the City through refinancing the original Pell School bond. The Finance Director has brought this resolution to the Council, which would allow the City to refund (essentially refinance) the remaining balance of the original Pell School bond, leading to a savings to the City. We would see savings of approximately $1M in fiscal year 2022 through the reduction of budgeted debt service costs. The budget workshops that I have pushed for will aid the Council in studying the budget closely so that this reduction is used to relieve some of the pressure on Newport’s budget in the coming year.
We are once again revisiting the question of whether food trucks should continue to be allowed on parts of Bellevue Avenue. When this was originally brought before the Council in July 2020, I was not in favor of removing Bellevue and my position has not changed. The current regulations are both clear and fair to business; food trucks may operate in all zoning districts where restaurants are allowed by right, so long as they are not closer than 250 feet to a restaurant. The part of Bellevue Ave that we are debating is zoned General Business, which allows for pharmacies, restaurants, law offices, food trucks, and more. If we want to prohibit a certain type of business in a specific zoning district of the city, it should be addressed through our zoning ordinances. This is why planning documents like the North End Urban Plan and the Comprehensive Land Use Plan are so important – they codify the community's vision of the City and help the residents, businesses, and Council work together to realize that vision.
Councilor Bova's Update for January 31
There is an important update about COVID-19 vaccination. The City of Newport and Town of Middletown are opening COVID-19 vaccination center in mid-February, serving Newport and Middletown residents who are 75 years and older first. Residents are asked to pre-register for the vaccine on the City website.
Black History Month begins tomorrow and once again, we will be flying the red, black, and green flag at City Hall. Sankofa Community Connection will be holding an event to celebrate Black History Month and the flying of the flag on Thursday at 1 pm.
The City Council approved the North End Urban Plan during our meeting last week. The Plan’s approval lays the foundation for redevelopment of the North End to be done in a way that benefits both residents and businesses. I am most proud of the inclusion of a framework to develop Community Benefits Agreements that will give our community a seat at the table in negotiations with developers. A CBA opens up opportunities and can help ensure that our residents are not displaced, that job training is provided, and more.
Now that the Plan has been approved, we can begin taking the next steps, starting with the accompanying zoning amendments that will help make the Plan’s vision a reality. The Planning Board is working with staff on zoning and will soon being hearing input from the public. The zoning will provide the guidance and structure for development to be done thoughtfully and in a way that benefits everyone who lives, visits, and does business in Newport. The Council will be meeting with GrowSmartRI in the next few weeks to hear how they have been working with our North End community on how to encourage economic growth while ensuring accessibility and social equity. This workshop is still being scheduled but I will make sure to let you know.
This coming Saturday morning, the Council will be meeting with our State legislators to talk about legislative priorities for Newport. When the State and the City representatives work together, we are better able to accomplish shared goals and get things done that benefit Newport. I encourage you to join the meeting on Zoom; let me know if you have items you want to make sure we discuss.
Councilor Bova's Update for January 24
This week’s City Council meeting will start with the first of two public hearings on the adoption of the North End Urban Plan into the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. The development of the NEUP was spurred by the efforts to build an Innovation Hub in our North End and to do so in such a way that does not displace our City’s current residents in the process. The Plan uses five themes to guide the future redevelopment in the North End: Opportunity, Connectivity, Resiliency, Equity, and Quality. The development process took place across more than six months and the Planning Board spent four meetings amending the Plan to include resident feedback. We are now at the final step in the adoption of the Plan.
The adoption of the North End Urban Plan is just one step of many that are needed for the City to support economic development and invest in our Community’s future. We are creating and implementing guidelines for development so that it is done thoughtfully and in a way that benefits everyone who lives, visits, and does business in Newport. We need to complete and adopt the accompanying North End Zoning, invest in our infrastructure, and build the framework for Community Benefits Agreements.
This week’s docket includes the Homestead Exemption Report from the City Manager. Combined with the discussion during last week’s Midyear Budget Review and the Capital Improvement Plan we are receiving on Wednesday, the Council has more information to move forward with on making our City budget work better for all Newporters. Before any additional action can be taken toward implementing a Homestead Exemption, a brief demographic study must be done so that we can have a clearer picture of who actually lives in their homes in Newport. The goal of a Homestead Exemption is to make it more affordable to live in Newport for year-round homeowners and renters. For this to be done effectively, we need to do the math and implement an exemption the right way. I am committed to this and will continue to work on getting a Homestead Exemption in place for Newport.
Finally, mark your calendar for February 6 – the City Council will be meeting with out State legislators for our annual workshop about Newport’s legislative priorities in the State House. Email me any items that you want to make sure are brought up for discussion.
Councilor Bova's Update for January 18
I’ve often talked about the need for our City budget to reflect our community’s values and prioritize our year-round community. For that to happen, the Council must make time to discuss the budget regularly and include the public in the conversation. I have been working on tasks related to the budget throughout my time on the Council because how we allocate the City's funding reflects our goals and values.
This Wednesday, January 20, at 5 pm, we are holding a Mid-Year Budget Review. The workshop will include a presentation from the City Manager and our Finance Department, as well as discussion on homestead exemption. There is a lot to discuss; our budget in FY21 and FY20 has been strongly affected by the pandemic and the budget uncertainty at the State and Federal levels. There will be lingering effects on our City.
The City’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30, so departments are beginning to prepare their budget proposals for next year. The Council will likely begin holding workshops with the departments to discuss the upcoming budget in March, and I am pushing for those workshops to be expansive and have ample opportunity for Council and public input. In the past, these workshops have occurred once the budget is nearly complete and have not allowed for substantive Council input. The effects of COVID-19 and the Council discussions that occurred last year when passing our current budget led me to reevaluate our process. I want us to build a new process that allows for time for the Council to make changes. It is our responsibility as elected officials to ensure that the community’s money is used on the community’s priorities.
Councilor Bova's Update for January 10
On the docket for this Wednesday’s Council meeting is the resolution I submitted directing the City Manager to provide the City Council with the homestead exemption report as the Council directed in June, and for him to schedule a Council workshop to discuss the options in public. The City needs a more flexible tax system that prioritizes our year-round community; a homestead exemption is one tool to accomplish this. For our city to continue to thrive as a community, we have to put our residents first.
Newport operates under a City Council-City Manager form of government; the Council sets the policy, and the City Manager carries it out. He is the in charge of the running of the City government and all City employees report to him. The Council appoints the City Manager and thus he is subject to evaluation by us. Just as the City Council is held accountable by Newporters in each election, it is the Council’s job to hold the City Manager accountable, and to give him direction and guidance. I have submitted a resolution calling on the Council to perform this evaluation, making sure that the Council and City Manager are able to work together effectively for our City.
Also on the docket are the changes to our zoning ordinances that will prohibit the sale of marijuana in Newport for 6 months. This will allow our City staff and the Planning Board time to study if it realistic to allow for marijuana sales in Newport in the event that the State pursues legalization. There are many questions on how or if such a facility could fit into our City; we have to do our due diligence. It is important for us to be prepared and have ordinances on the books before any laws are passed at the State level.
Finally, I want to note that although a Coronavirus vaccine has been produced and is being distributed, it is of utmost importance that we remain vigilant in our health and safety practices. Wear a mask, social distance, and wash your hands often.
Councilor Bova's Update for January 3
Happy New Year! I hope that you were able to enjoy a safe and healthy holiday season. There is a lot coming up this year for the City Council to work on with participation and input from all the residents of Newport. We will be considering the North End Urban Plan this month and will likely hold the vote on approval on the Plan by February. The zoning ordinances to accompany the Plan are also in development and should be before the Council in the beginning of the year. A Midyear Budget Review Workshop is coming up this month, so that both the Council and the public can discuss the status of our City budget. This workshop should also serve as a jumping off point for shaping the coming year’s budget to ensure that it reflects our community’s values and priorities.
I have been adamant in my belief that the City Council needs to examine our tax structure to allow for more tools and increased flexibility to aid us in working to maintain a strong year-round community. This can be done in the form of a Homestead Exemption, a Tiered Tax structure, or something else, but we cannot let this task linger. In June the Council passed a resolution directing the City Manager to work with staff to prepare multiple options for how a Homestead Exemption could be implemented and report back to the Council in December. It is now January and the Council has still not received a report.
I will be submitting a resolution for our first Council meeting in January, the 12th, insisting that the Council be given the report and that a workshop be scheduled ASAP for both Council and public participation. I hope that the full Council will support this action so the point is clearly made that this is a priority and that the City Manager will make sure to get us the report quickly. Making a change to our tax structure would affect all of our residents, so any conversations and discussion that take place need to be held publicly. The Council is meant to act in the public’s best interest, so it is paramount that we take the time to elicit public input and feedback throughout this process.
As we begin the new year, I will continue to ensure that all residents of Newport know what is happening in our City and how you can participate and make your voice be heard. I hope that you continue to find this newsletter a useful resource, and as always, please feel free to contact me.
Councilor Bova's Update for December 13
On Wednesday evening the City Council will be conducting interviews with the six applicants to the Planning Board. There are two vacancies, and it is a priority to fill them so that the Board is able to function effectively. These interviews are open to the public, and I invite you to listen in to the questions and discussion from the Council.
The Planning Board is an appointed body of Newport residents responsible for overseeing land use in the City and is a resource to conduct policy-related research and provide recommendations for the City Council. The Board reviews zoning amendments to ensure they follow the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and provides recommendations to the City Council. They also participate in the Development Plan Review process to provide recommendations to the Zoning Board on development applications that are not allowed by right.
The Planning Board is not the only body with vacancies - more than half of Newport’s fifteen Boards and Commissions have open spots. These range from the Planning Board to Historic Cemetery Advisory Commission to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission. The Boards and Commissions do research, work with the community, and provide policy recommendations to the Council. If you are looking for ways to be more involved in City government and policy, I urge you to consider applying to one of these bodies; they are a crucial element of an effective local government.
Councilor Bova's Update for December 6, 2020
The new City Council meets for the first time this Wednesday for our only meeting in December. We are diving into some important issues that I have been working on for some time: inclusive planning and development processes and budget transparency. These are both vitally important for ensuring the City Government is working to meet the community’s values.
I am disappointed that this docket does not include the City Administration’s response to a resolution passed in June directing them to prepare multiple options on how to implement a Homestead Exemption and to bring the options back to the Council in December. I have raised this issue with the Council Chair and have pushed the City Manager to provide the Council a proper response, and to schedule workshops as soon as possible to give the Council and the public sufficient time to discuss the options. Whether in the form of a Homestead Exemption, a Tiered Tax structure, or something else, the City needs more tools and flexibility in our tax structure to maintain a strong year-round community. We cannot let this linger; this must be a transparent and participatory process so that we can implement the changes in the next budget year.
I submitted a resolution for this docket directing a workshop to be held in January that will serve as a midyear review of the City budget. The City’s budget is how the priorities and policies of the City Council are executed. It is of the utmost importance that both the Council and the public have proper insight into the budget. The need for this workshop is twofold: it will give the full Council a forum to discuss and get updates on the budget as a body and it will serve as an introduction to the budget for the new Councilors. This workshop is a first step; we need the City Administration to present their conceptual budgets to the Council for feedback before they begin to develop their detailed budgets for the coming year. This will allow the public and us as elected officials to guide the development of the budget according to the priorities of the community.
At this meeting there will be a Public Hearing on zoning ordinance amendments proposed by the Planning Department that would prohibit marijuana retail facilities in Newport, based on the temporary moratorium implemented by the City Council. The Planning Department has stated that they need more time to develop suitable regulations for marijuana retail facilities and recommend changing the ordinances to ban marijuana sales while that happens. I am in favor of extending the moratorium, rather than changing ordinances before the issue has been completely studied. This would ensure that the issue is revisited by the council and discussion can continue to bring it to a final resolution in public.
The Council is also receiving a communication from the Newport Tree and Open Space Commission advocating for a stronger role within the City’s development approval process. They request that this change be made by requiring the Commission to review and give an opinion on potential development and to provide a forum for the community. As our city develops and evolves, it is of the utmost importance that community stakeholders like the Tree and Open Space Commission are involved in decisions that can impact Newport for decades.
The Council will be considering two items that impact long term energy sustainability in Newport. In November, the City Council participated in two workshops with National Grid to learn about their proposed solutions for Natural Gas Storage on Aquidneck Island. Out of these workshops, the Council is considering a resolution prepared by the City Staff that endorses the Non-Infrastructure Solution relying exclusively on electrification, demand response, and efficiency. This solution is a long-term approach and is the most environmentally responsible action. Related on the docket is the follow-up on the Community Choice Aggregation work that the Council started in July. Community Choice Aggregation will allow the City to source cheaper electricity supply rates along with a higher percentage of renewable energy for both residents and businesses while maintaining transmission and distribution services from existing providers.
Finally, as we continue with remote meetings for the time being, it is important that the public continues to participate. To alert the Council that you wish to speak in a Zoom meeting, either click the "Raise Hand" button in the Zoom app or press *9 on your phone if you have called in.
Mayor's Update for November 15
COVID-19 cases are on the rise across the nation and we are no exception in Rhode Island or Newport. It is extremely important to follow the RIDOH guidelines to prevent spread. Wear a mask, wash your hands, and keep your contact bubble small. I know this is especially difficult as we head into the holiday season, but it is important to prevent a full-scale lockdown like we had in the spring. A lockdown of that scale will have a strong negative impact on our economy and jobs in our community; many small local businesses are teetering on the edge and cannot handle another lockdown. Pandemic fatigue is real, but we must remain focused on keeping ourselves, our loved ones, and our community healthy. I encourage you to attend the City’s weekly COVID-19 status update this Wednesday at 4:30. These meetings provide the latest information on the City’s response and how all of us in Newport can work together to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
On Monday, the School Building Committee is meeting at 5 pm – this committee has been in place for nearly 3 years and has guided the development of the School Bond and now will guide the construction of the new high school and the addition to Pell Elementary School. There are many opportunities for the public to be involved in the process to build a new school – if you are interested, I encourage you to attend Monday’s meeting.
At 5:00 pm on Wednesday, the Council is resuming our workshop with National Grid that was cut short by technical issues last week. National Grid is presenting their proposed plans for natural gas storage on Aquidneck Island for review and discussion by the Council and the public. It is an opportunity for you to learn more about National Grid’s local infrastructure concepts and to ask questions and give your feedback.
Immediately following the National Grid workshop, the Planning Board will again discuss the North End Urban Plan Wednesday at 6:00 pm. There have been several Planning Board meetings throughout the progression of the plan, and at this meeting the Board will be focused on the amendments they have developed and proposed to address concerns raised by the public and the city government. The North End Urban Plan, along with the associated zoning to implement its vision, will shape the North End of Newport and impact our entire City. For example, it will determine the type of development that is allowed in the area and can prevent it from being solely focused on a single industry. It is critical that we take our time to get this right and ensure that our community’s needs are accurately represented.
Finally, I want to thank Councilor Justin McLaughlin and Vice Chair Susan Taylor for their service on the City Council. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve with both of them and Newport has benefited from their knowledge and talent. I am looking forward to beginning the next term and working with our new Council to continue the efforts that we’ve begun in the last two years.
Mayor's Update for November 8
This Wednesday is Veterans Day. While the pandemic is limiting traditional celebrations this year, it is important that each of us do what we can to thank those who have made the selfless commitment to defend our people and protect our country. To all who have served, thank you.
The City Council is meeting on Tuesday this week because of the Veterans Day holiday. There are a few items of note in this week’s Council docket. The Council is receiving the Actuarial Valuation Reports from the previous fiscal year. These report on the status of the various pension plans for City employees.
We are also receiving a memorandum from the City Solicitor regarding the moratorium on retail marijuana facilities that was passed on June 24. The moratorium is set to expire on January 21, 2021 and the Planning and Zoning Department is still working to develop zoning to regulate the retail sale of marijuana in Newport. In his memo, the City Solicitor recommends temporarily prohibiting the sale of marijuana in Newport, while the Planning Board and the Planning Staff study where and under what conditions the sale of marijuana could be permitted. The City Solicitor has drafted proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance to enact this and the Council will refer them to the Planning Board for their analysis and directing the Planning Board to take on the study. It is this type of zoning that the City Council uses to shape the future of Newport. The Zoning Board is beholden to the zoning that is in place – it is the Council’s responsibility to ensure that our regulations match our vision for Newport.
On Thursday at 5:00 pm there is a workshop scheduled with National Grid to present their proposed plans for additional natural gas storage on Aquidneck Island. There has been a lot of interest in understanding the utility infrastructure in Newport, especially in light of the natural gas outage in January 2019 that left thousands in Newport without heat. This meeting is an opportunity for you to learn more about National Grid’s local infrastructure concepts and to ask questions and give your feedback.
Tuesday will be the final meeting of the current Council. The newly elected Council will be sworn in on December 1, as required by the City Charter. It has been an honor to serve as Chair for the past two years and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving the residents of Newport. The transparent discussion and debate that was fostered over the past two years created space that made it possible for the Council to tackle multiple complex challenges and projects, such as allowing food trucks in Newport, the development of the North End Urban Plan, and the City’s coronavirus response. I am carrying forward my commitment to transparent discussion into the new term with the first decision we make as a Council – selecting our Chair. When the Council-elect meets to decide on a Chair, we must use it as an opportunity to provide our reasoning for the choice we make and the vote we take, just as we should for every decision. Starting the term with this open communication in the public arena puts us on a path for continued cooperation, respect, and productivity.
Statement on the 2020 City Council Election
I am honored that the people of Newport have asked me back to serve on the City Council. I am proud to have made local government more accessible to everyone over the past two terms, and I will continue that work in the upcoming term. As the last remaining votes are tallied, I want to congratulate all the candidates, especially the newcomers, for campaigning in an exceptionally difficult year.
There will be a lot to tackle over the next two years on the City Council, starting with the education of Newport’s youth. The next Council needs to work with the School Committee and RIDE to get shovels in the ground on a new high school. A successful community requires strong neighborhoods with accessible housing alongside a strong school system. The next Council needs to continue to work to make Newport an attractive place for year-round living. Next month the City Administration will bring options to implement a Homestead Exemption to the Council. Properly implemented, a Homestead Exemption will make living in Newport more accessible by decreasing the tax burden on our year-round residents. We must consider these options with ample public input.
The next Council must represent the interests of the residents and their livelihoods as major planning and development projects progress in the North End and around Newport. The next Council will have a role in negotiating Community Benefits Agreements that ensure development brings value to our community. Well thought out plans and enforceable zoning are necessary to ensure that the vision of our community is realized. We need to continue the work begun last year to make the vision of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan a reality by approving enforceable zoning ordinances.
COVID-19 will remain a challenge, and the next Council must continue to guide the City’s response to the pandemic by working closely with the City Manager and providing clear policy direction to respond to the needs of the residents and our local business community. There will be ongoing work with the State to ensure that our community receives adequate State Aid to keep fighting the pandemic and begin the recovery once it has passed.
The effectiveness of a council is measured by the trust of the people. In my time as Council Chair I have worked to build that trust by fostering in-depth discussion on the dais and engaging the public in the conversation as decisions are weighed. As a councilor-elect, I will begin the upcoming term by immediately calling a caucus of my colleagues to discuss, in public, the selection of the Council Chair and Mayor for the next two years. The most impactful and important role of the Chair is as the champion of discussion and openness on the Council. I will ask my peers to discuss and consider how each of the eligible councilors will use the role of Council Chair to uphold the public trust. I am looking forward to joining my colleagues, both old and new, to work together to strengthen our Newport community.