Newport City Council Regular Meeting – June 25, 2025
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Newport City Council Regular Meeting – June 25, 2025
This regular meeting of the Newport City Council convened at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, 43 Broadway. The council addressed numerous agenda items including proclamations, licenses, permits, a public hearing on the FY2026–FY2027 biennial budget, and final votes on budget amendments, positions, and tax levies. The meeting included extensive debate on school funding, staffing, and revenue sources.
Proclamations
- A citation was presented to the Friends of Newport Public Library for raising over $1 million in proceeds for the library.
- A proclamation declared June 25, 2025, as Jan Slee and John Bagwell Day for their research into the true history of the Old Stone Mill (Newport Tower).
Consent Calendar
- Approved unanimously: minutes of the May 28, 2025 regular council meeting; seven special event applications; a date change for the Newport Skatepark grand opening; a banner license for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County; renewal of a private detective license; two holiday selling license renewals; and a waiver of Section 5.57.040 to allow a food truck at Toppa Field during youth flag football league dates.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Pete Rice urged the council to pursue tolls on city roads, suggesting the council could charge for driving on city pavement as it does for parking.
- Several speakers addressed the budget hearing:
- Ellen Oakley asked the council to fully fund the school department (4% increase) and opposed the $250,000 regionalization study, suggesting the money be used for a school counselor at Pell.
- Beth (School Committee member) argued that state aid cuts and declining enrollment require partnering with the council, and she opposed the study, asking for the 4% and to save the Pell counselor.
- Becky Boland supported the 4% increase and opposed the study, noting many previous studies on.
- Superintendent Dr. Colleen Burns Jermaine stated that the school system faces a budget gap of approximately $900,000 even after proposed cuts; a reduction to 2% would increase the shortfall to nearly $2 million, requiring additional cuts.
- Barry Freeman (Bike Newport) urged funding for implementation of the Transportation Master Plan, adherence to the Green and Complete Streets ordinance, and noted that Wellington Avenue was repaved without any bicycle accommodations.
- James Dring (School Committee Chair) stated that the 2% increase is insufficient and that enrollment is projected to drop by 500 students over five to ten years, costing $5 million. He opposed the $250,000 study and supported the 4% increase.
- Alex Fowler (100 Annandale) spoke in support of the sound variance application for 180 Narragansett Avenue, stating he was a neighbor and that the event hours were reasonable.
Discussion Items
- Sound Variance – 180 Narragansett Avenue (Belmont Carriage House): The applicant explained that the three private parties would be small, acoustic events for fewer than 20 people. Councilor Carlin opposed, citing the property’s history of events and questioning the process. After discussion, the council voted to approve the variance.
- Entertainment License Expansion – Pour Judgement Bar & Grill: Approved without discussion.
- Entertainment License Renewals for 2025: Approved.
- Ad Hoc Bridge Realignment Property Advisory Commission Final Report: Received. Councilors thanked the commission for their work and agreed to schedule a workshop to discuss next steps, including liaison with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (DOT) and state agencies.
- Raftelis Facilitated Evaluation Services: Approved the proposal for city services evaluation.
- Florence Gray Center Renovations – Contract Amendments: Approved amendments totaling $46,660 for additional design services, covered by state pandemic recovery grant.
- Digital Parking Permit & License Plate Reader Technology: Awarded contract to Passport Labs Inc. for implementation ($63,344) and annual recurring costs ($20,869), supported by parking funds.
- Parking Prohibitions – Spring Street and Poplar Street: Approved both ordinance amendments after a correction on Spring Street (changed “north” to “south”).
- Designated Residential Parking Streets – Kilburn Court: Approved change to 24-hour sticker parking.
- Easton’s Beach Revenue Resolution: Approved as amended. The initial version directing $5 per transaction to a reserve was replaced by a motion to direct each dollar above the annual budgeted parking line item into a restricted reserve for beach facilities and maintenance. Passed 4–3.
Key Outcomes
- School Budget Increase: The council voted 6–1 to restore the school appropriation from 2% to 4% (approximately $1.135 million). Regionalization Study ($250,000):** A motion to redirect these funds to the schools failed 3–4.
- Sister City Program: $35,000 was added back to restore the budget to $40,000 (original request), passed 4–3.
- General Fund Positions Approved:
- Assistant Building Inspector (salary $102,530 including benefits) – approved 7–0.
- General Fund Positions Defeated (all 4–3): Public Services Laborer ($88,473), Code Enforcement Officer (listed as potentially offset by fines, but listed under general fund; defeated 4–3), Deputy Chief of Police (an amendment to fund from parking revenues was approved, but the position itself was defeated 4–3).
- Enterprise Fund Positions:
- Deputy Harbormaster – approved.
- Utilities GIS and Field Specialist – defeated 4–3.
- Utility Capital Project Engineering Manager ($148,485) – defeated 4–3.
- Civic Support: Approved for Fab Newport, Connexion Latina, Bridge Newport, and Newport Public Education Foundation.
- Personnel Ordinance: Approved on second reading as amended (including adding the unfunded Code Enforcement Officer position).
- Sewer Service Charges: Approved on second reading (vote 4–3).
- Omnibus Property Tax Relief Resolution: Approved 4–3, establishing a tax levy increase of 3.48%. The owner-occupied residential rate set at $7.25 per $1,000 of assessed value (after exemption), with an average increase of $248 per year. Non-owner occupied rate at $8.821, commercial at $10.00, tangible at $14.88.
- Resolution Ordering the Levy and Establishing Collection Dates: Approved.
Meeting Transcript
Mr. Carlin. Thank you very much. No need for a moment of silence, but I would like the council and our friends, the audience and the public, to recognize uh the passing recently mayor of our former vice principal at Rogers High School. Thompson too. Where's at uh Thompson as well? Where's where's Colleen? Where's Superintendent Jermaine? Mr. Jack Curran, great American, great New Porter, served under Dr. Jermaine's father, Harry Burns as Charlie, our vice principal, but in many other positions within the city of Newport. So let's remember Jack. Great American, served in our military, great New Porter, served our schools and more. You name it, he did it. Just a great person. And let's keep Grace Curran, Jack's widow in our minds, and in our prayers, which I will do. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Carl. Hell of a tennis player as well. Sure. Madam Clerk, anyone sign up for the citizens forum? Uh yes, Pete Rice is here. Ms. Rice. Aloha. And uh I'm back again to uh uh talk about tolls. I haven't I haven't noticed an excess of money in the in the budget and uh suggest there's a source out there that we could tap that uh drives bias every day. And uh I have seen no movement to tap it. And I think I chatted a bit with one of our senators. She said she's just waiting uh for an input from the city council in order to advance it at uh the legislature. So I urge you to do that. Uh I uh I don't see if you can charge people for parking on your cement, why can't you charge them for driving on your cement? What's the difference? Why can't we do that? It's a lot of money, and Lord knows the roads could use them out. Thank you. What else? All right, uh so before we get into our agenda tonight. There's a couple uh there's a citation or proclamation I'd like to give out. Uh first we have a citation congratulating the friends of Newport Public Library to acknowledge the milestone of raising one million dollars in proceeds for the benefit of the Newport Library. So I'd come down and present a certificate to you. Um Mr. Chair, can I just uh make a mention that I have been the city liaison while I was a city liaison for quite some time to the library and um the volunteers with friends of the library are probably the most dedicated people to that organization, and they're like the busy little bees in the back, that's what we would used to call them, and then giving 25,000 every year to the um the library was always a great night to have that celebration. So thank you very much for everything you do, and and you have a lot of experts that come that having to do with books, and um you know how to you know how to sell them, so good for you. Thank you. And in an effort to shorten the meeting up tonight, they agreed to donate that one million dollars to the city so we don't have to worry about the budget tonight. So that's thank you very much for all your work, Mr. Chairman, Mr.
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