Thank you for being here tonight for our introduction to the uh 2627 CIP uh program.

So without further ado, I'll turn it over to our city manager Colin Kennedy.

Good evening.

Thank you.

Uh uh thank you, Mr.

Chair, and thank you, counselors, and thank you, members of the public who have come tonight.

Uh we're excited to do something in January this year that we did not do until late January.

Maybe it was early February.

No, it was February last year.

Um, and that's introduced the the capital improvement program uh for the next fiscal year.

Uh the part of the reason we're going early is because of a concerted effort by the city staff to identify issues well in advance of the budget season to allow counselors and policymakers and other community stakeholders to make more informed decisions about the magnitude of of what goes into an annual operating budget.

Um the CIP is the first and most important, or I shouldn't say the most important part, but the first significant part of that effort uh and talks about the infrastructure and and policy related needs of the community uh that uh for uh for items that are not annual expenses but are incurred over lengthy periods of time.

So things like infrastructure and bridges and roads, transportation improvements, public services, parks, all of those things that you buy that you retrieve and obtain value from for a prolonged period of time.

Uh we're excited to produce tonight uh what we think is a very, very comprehensive list of items.

Um ultimately the the price on the numbers of some of these items may seem very, very large.

That is by design.

We took the guidance from the city council last year to be as truthful in our reporting as we possibly can be, um, both to articulate what those needs are but also to articulate what those potential expenses are.

Some of the biggest cost deltas in terms of unknowns lie in uh uh in some of our enterprise funds, but we also have about 13 plus million dollars in needs that we've identified in our jet from our general fund.

Um we likely won't be able to fund all of those, but what it does is it it sets an accurate barometer in terms of what the city administration truly feels is needed to meet both the council's policy goals, uh its plans and policies, as well as emerging and current infrastructure needs.

Um so thank you for the opportunity to present this to you today to give us plenty of time to chew on it over the coming weeks.

And without further ado, I'd like to uh pass the microphone over to uh uh uh Mr.

Jim Nolan, our director of finance, we'll get the presentation started, which will then be followed by a series of senior department heads who will be introducing their various areas.

Uh one before we get going, quick question.

So when we're putting something like this together from from your point of view, city manager, are we looking at are you putting this together as far as importance down to the least important amount, or are you just putting in by by department?

Yes, but that could so the first part of your question, yes, but that comes later.

So this is just a planning document.

Think of this as a wish list.

Uh uh later on, once more fidelity uh comes into view about what types of revenues uh we'll have available balanced again, what's balanced against what uh what expenditures we will need to make, we will have to make those more difficult decisions.

But that is not for today.

Uh treat today as as strictly a a uh a wish list of needs to meet policy goals and to meet uh infrastructure needs.

Thank you.

A five-year for five years, correct.

We put the most focus on the first two years, especially the first year, because that's what will impact the imminent budget, but we forecast out um five years, correct.

Good evening, counselors.

Uh thank you, Colin.

Um I'm gonna just really kick this off and really just kind of set the stage as to uh why we're here, what we're trying to accomplish.

Um, and just want to uh give a big thank you to our department directors for all their support and getting through this uh document as well as Elizabeth Skeppa, who's who spent a many, many hours putting it together.

Um so the CIP document, the objective.

Uh the CIP document is a standalone planning document.

Um, as a planning document, the CIP reflects information at the time it is prepared.

So this is this is at the time.

So really when we put this together, there may be some things that happen subsequent to us putting this document together that we can discuss, and that will be talked about during the budget process.

The projects listed within are presented because department directors believe they are needed to protect public health and safety or maintain current facilities and infrastructure.

The CIP is not a financial or funding recommendation.

The CIP is not intended to become a budget document.

However, we may be we may use it to assist us in determining what our annual budget will be.

All projects contemplated by the city, regardless of whether they are listed in the CIP, must be formally authorized and funded before they can proceed.

So the why are we here?

The purpose of the workshop.

Uh, we're here to present a comprehensive list of identified needs and projects from department directors, have a discussion with council in workshop format to get council thoughts and ideas.

And really what we're doing, um, we're gonna we're gonna discuss the enterprise funds at the end of this presentation, but the beginning of this presentation is we're gonna really focus on the general funding uh request, which is uh supported by taxpayers.

So unlike last year, we're moving into the CIP with in a in a strong financial position, and that's really due to the recently approved fund balance policy.

So we just recently um our audited financial statements were we're we finished those up on December 30th, and we ended up with 4.2 million that is going to that committed fund balance.

All right, so that's we're in a better place from where we started last year.

So we're well positioned.

Um, and really what that does is it preserves long long-term fiscal stability while addressing the immediate needs.

All right, uh general fund information.

So this is really just a comparative slide as to where we've been, how we've developed our CIP planning document.

If you go back to fiscal year 2022, that bottom left number, that 3.58 million, that's what was in our CIP planning document.

That number would where we at we were where we are right now in fiscal year 27.

We're at 13.67 million as far as what we have included in the general fund uh for CIP uh planning purposes.

That next column, that's going to be basically what we were able to budget, really what was included in the budget as our paygo for CIP.

So if you go back to fiscal year 2022, we funded through our budget about 3.3 million, and in fiscal year 27, we funded 3.1 million, and then an additional 3 million was included in our infrastructure bond.

So in total, we'd add about 6.1 million.

All right.

So really what's going to be presented tonight, uh, the which the directors are going to present.

Um, this is just a summary of it.

So what we have for uh fiscal year 2020 27 information communication systems, we have about a 905,000 in CIP needs, facilities improvements 4.5 million of needs, transportation improvements, 3.6 million of needs, seawalls, 2.5 million, parks, grounds, and playgrounds, 670,000, and other major projects uh needs of 3.2 million, which is a total of 15.4 million.

And the breakdown of that 15.4 million.

Uh we have donations of 25,000, grants and Senate appropriations of 1.7 million, which would mean if we were to fund 100% of it, that would be a transfer from general fund of 13.6 million.

And what I'd like to highlight, as we talked about, this is a really a point a standalone document at a point in time.

What is not included in the document is a recent SS4A uh US DOT award of four point uh four million dollars.

So that is not included in the in the document that you have.

Uh other funding sources, fiscal year 2027.

Uh we have equipment replacement, which is that is outside of the needs that we're gonna be discussing today.

That's just our vehicle replace replacement fund.

Um we also were we're the infrastructure bond, the 98.5, which uh we're gonna start using very soon within the next month or so, and the committed fund balance that we discussed.

So before I turn it over to the directors, if there's any questions, I'm happy to answer them.

Anybody ours is straightforward, doesn't change much.

Um we did, you know, at your request, kind of put everything in here, but there's certainly some some you know mission critical projects that obviously identify three assessments.

Uh total projects is 13.

That's uh allocation update to three existing projects and then and then 10 new projects.

Thanks, Doc.

Uh cameras and cameras into our access controllers.

You know, it's it's part of a public safety piece, but we have um been expanding the camera usage and door controllers for lots of the different facilities.

We're actually doing one for uh Halsey Street now, and then um got another quote coming in from uh Lawton Valley and some other facilities too.

Uh copiers, that's just an increase in uh the funding for that.

I think we um you know are going to uh go to uh put it out for quote this year, put it out to bid and get three different services.

Release those or we own them.

Uh the core switching, those are the primary network switches that exist within uh the police data center and the city hall data center, and they're just expensive, and so that was updated to reflect the the cost over a five-year timeline, which is about when we're running cycle.

Uh data center cooling.

This has kind of been an issue.

We've never really addressed, it's gone back and forth.

We really need to put another split unit in the police department.

We have so much equipment in that data center that it's it gets very overheated.

We risk damage to our uh departmental software.

We noticed last year that we got a lot of requests for smaller particular software solutions for other departments.

Um obviously that 100k, these are all spread out across the the five years of this plan.

Um, so that's just a little bit of a supplement to to anticipate some of those potential needs.

Uh firewalls again, just like the just like the switching.

Um, they you know have a life cycle of you know seven to eight years, and that they're they're also very expensive.

We have two high availability pairs.

There's a pair uh that serves our external network, and there's a pair that serves the internal network.

Uh the harbor Wi-Fi.

So this was a project that was started or conceptualized a few years ago, and we did some of the groundwork because it it um it also supported our other facilities, like uh we finished the green mile of fiber all the way down America's Cup.

So we now run from fire headquarters all the way to um the maritime center.

So we also still have money from a previous CIP allocation and and a committed PO that to pull laterals to uh Harbor Master and the Harbor Master Shack and the Mary Street lot.

Um, but what this is is something we talked about a while ago, um, which would be to give Wi-Fi access to the entire harbor area so that it and it may end up turning into you know a free service, uh uh paid service for people coming in off of cruise ships who may not otherwise have uh service and basically light up the whole harbor, the towership.

So uh the phone system is just really outdated, and we need to um you know plan on getting that replaced in the next three or four years.

So that's why that's in there.

Uh the smart parking management app, I think um I think PD has some money in there in their ask this year for uh the Mary Street lot, but this would be to expand to the other lots and it would give us the ability to uh add sensors and controls so that we know how many vehicles are actually in a lot and how close they are to capacity, um, along with being able to display that signage somewhere, like for example, when you get off the bridge or on an app or or that kind of thing.

Uh the server infrastructure is again just planning over the next five years based on the life cycle of our actual physical server equipment and storage equipment.

Uh and the same goes with the site networking.

That's actually broken down by our 17 individual sites throughout the city.

Um the general technology upgrades cover some of that too.

Um that's really very general.

That's probably something that we'd pair out of here or add to some of the other projects that I've already spoken about.

Uh and then the wireless LAN is the actual Wi-Fi controllers that are that are that we use around the city.

Those are running into end of life too.

And again, it's a five-year five-year plan on their placement cycle.

So this just breaks it down by year as it is now.

Of course, you know, as uh I think Jim or Colin said we're always kind of heavy on the first two years, but like I said, I took some of those big projects and did try to make it so that we're meeting our life cycle goals with our equipment.

That's pretty much it.

I have a question about the parking app.

Um I've noticed this summer in going into some of the city lots.

It doesn't tell you that it's built.

You know, you gotta search and people are parked all over the place.

Exactly.

And a lot of traffic ends up driving downtown, even when there's very limited parking available because they don't have that information before they can head downtown.

Right.

Where would it would we be able to, if we had that ability, would we be able to pick it up on our computers?

Yes.

Ahead of time, our phone.

Yep, absolutely.

There'd probably be um an app as an accompaniment, a uh maybe signage wherever you guys want it, I would think at the end of the bridge, obviously would be would be you know a good spot.

Um, and certainly there's other options too.

We can even, you know, just embedded on a page in the website and direct people there too.

And that is that is contributory to another capital improvement item from last year's budget about dynamic parking signage.

It all goes back to the transportation master plan and how that was called for in that document.

So this is part and parcel of that broader effort to improve the ability of awareness about parking in the city before people go into the city.

I have a couple of questions.

Sure.

Um, so the the copiers, i is there an opportunity at some point to go more electronic, more paperless.

I've been trying to do that since I got here, but um we have actually reduced to some extent, but it is it's very difficult.

It's difficult in the municipality.

I mean, there's there's so much printed material because we we honestly have to um you know have certain availability for every kind of member of the community.

So, you know, uh there's a lot of resistance to going fully electronic, but that is one of my goals, and I I do actively work.

Okay.

Um and can you talk a little bit more about the harbor Wi-Fi?

Yeah.

Um, I guess I'm wondering, you know, it why is there a need for that on the harbor?

You know, uh most people have their own Wi-Fi or or hot spots or whatever.

I think that's the need.

Being on the in the harbor itself, you actually have very limited cellular service.

Um being in the harbor itself with all the uh cruise ship passengers too, many of them are uh come internationally.

They do not have a domestic cell phone plan.

They they rely on the on the spotty Wi-Fi on these ships.

So we saw it a few years ago as an opportunity to create a strong network across the harbor that can also serve either you know, either as a pay as you go, pay by day, so that there's some revenue coming in from it, or even advertisements on the sp splash page when you when you you know agree to connect to this Wi-Fi network type of thing.

So we saw it as kind of dual option.

Okay, yeah.

And um, and can you tell me what the upgrade is to the citywide telephone system?

Yeah, so we have a very complicated um Cisco system that um ties into all of our Microsoft products to exchange.

You know, if you delete a voicemail, for example, out of your email, it gets removed from that system.

Um every single one of our 17 sites uh, you know, has a uh voice gateway that's also attached to that system.

Uh we have two B6K controllers, which uh host the virtual machines that actually handle the call routing.

Uh, you know, those are both getting close to end of life.

The actual desk phone hardware is getting close to end of life, end of end of support.

So that's just a big upgrade, another big upgrade that you said.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, everybody.

Um Chief Duffy.

Police department.

Um talk a little bit about uh the our CIP projects.

Uh, first from a standpoint of the entire division, the public safety division uh project that uh we've been chasing for a couple years now.

Um is for a municipal support unmanned aerial vehicle, uh, which essentially is uh is a drone program that that um has been successful across the country for um for aiding uh public safety operations uh as well as uh uh assisting in municipal function.

Uh for example, um the drone first responder program is essentially um when police or fire use the the drone for certain types of critical incidents in the cases of police if there's a uh it can the drone can get on scene prior to police and be able to get back uh important information.

successful across the country for um for aiding uh public safety operations uh as well as uh a uh assisting in municipal function uh for example um the drone first responder program is essentially um when police or fire use the the drone for certain types of critical incidents in the cases of police if there's a uh it can the drone can get on scene prior to police and be able to get back uh important information um also the city has kind of established a history now of recovering funds from uh disaster uh with appropriate documentation and we're seeing now or we're looking at uh up to 75% recovery uh from the Elm Street pier so being able to have a uh have our infrastructure documented uh timely you know let's say quarterly um the municipal drone can go out and and have pre-programmed uh routes to take to uh take pictures of our infrastructure so when we are faced with storm damage and so forth we are uh better able to recover uh recover money and funding for for that type of damage um also it assists with mapping and 3D modeling uh and helps the helps the city with uh data driven decision making uh next uh we wanted to put it um something we've been talking about for a while is our public safety complex uh the purposes of are for replacing our aging police and fire facilities also getting fire headquarters out of a uh out of a flood zone uh there are a number of services or functions within both departments police and the fire department which are redundant and uh we have the ability to uh streamline that into uh having the that those functions um operate for both police and fire uh and you know with uh with upgrades to uh the way uh fire um um uh handles their business and with their equipment um and the way police uh uh have evolving needs for storage and evidence having a uh having a facility that's up to date to meet those needs is important next uh from the police department um versus our uh body worn camera program um this is the final year uh is previously uh approved it's been um it's been something that's been going since uh 2023 we're continuing to expand the number of body worn cameras so that uh all officers that are in the street have have a body camera assigned to them uh so that the with the uh this will be the completion of that of that funding uh this year next uh we have an elevator at the police department which uh continually have continuing has issues and uh been advised that we need to put it on the uh you know put it on the radar that it's going to need to be replaced in a few years so this this starts uh compiling that funding for for its replacement and uh in 3031 next this is also a um continuing um c ip project it has to do with uh our ability to extract data from mobile devices and as well as our our license plate reader technology um this has been uh the implementation of both programs uh have been successful thus far and this uh continues the the program going uh evidence equipment and impound lot um we have over the years been storing um uh large pieces of evidence and vehicles um uh in a small piece of property at the north end of the of city yard and uh we had uh there have been updated standards to how you have to store and protect uh protect uh vehicles that have been seized and things of that nature and um and so we're looking to um conform to those standards uh which includes um putting power in the area uh camera and uh having a secure gate um and uh also paving that area uh and it helps with uh keeping the critters out and next our dispatch console we have a a very old dispatch console and um it it needs replacement and uh if it were it's one of those things that it's old enough that they don't make the replacement parts anymore they need to uh we'd have to have to uh find them uh not from a manufacturer uh so we need to um we need to replace it and start this funding now to to get this thing replaced it's uh you know it's a it's a mission critical uh item that uh uh that we need to uh that we need to replace um next the vehicle threats barricades these are um this is something we're looking at uh that we we'd like to we like to do we have a lot of outdoor events um inclusive of like the uh the broad race street broadway street fair and the and the uh parades that we have and so forth uh and these these barricades are there to um to prevent vehicles from being used as weapons at you know at uh where it blocks the street right now we use uh use a cruiser or we use a um use cones um and it ties up those as far for us cruisers it ties up those particular resources so these these barricades are something that um that we're looking into so that uh it can protect the community and lastly uh traffic data software so we're looking at

Uh and these these barricades are there to um to prevent vehicles from being used as weapons at you know at uh where it blocks a street.

Right now we use uh use a cruiser or we use a um use cones um and it ties up those as far for us cruisers, it ties up those particular resources.

So these these barricades are something that um that we're looking into so that uh can protect the community.

And lastly, uh traffic data software.

So we're looking at uh um software that is able to um get us real time and historical data from every street in the in the city.

Um it's it tracks um uh it collects the data that's that's uh given off by all modern vehicles today and gives an idea as to what the average speeds are, uh what routes are being are being used the most, um, and it will assist us with being able to I uh you know in real time identify these uh these problem areas and to be able to uh it will help with um engineering in terms of identifying the highly used roads and identifying uh how traffic patterns are are being done.

So that's that's the last of the uh CIP project.

Questions?

Um yes, hi uh Ryan.

Um I keep getting asked if um certain neighborhoods can have those flashing speed monitor signals.

Um do we have a plan to purchase more of those?

We don't have a plan.

Our plan initially was to take the ones that we have that we have, and after a period of time, over a year in one particular place at to identify the areas that that could use them and and uh move them uh so that we can use them in other areas.

We we could look into the purchase of a how much are they?

Um they're about uh 15 grand.

I think it would be worthwhile looking into that.

I I um I I keep people keep telling me that they're very effective.

And when people hear that, then they want to have it in their you know, the main routes of their neighborhoods.

So uh it's just a thought.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

I I will note that um uh to Director Nolan's point about the safe streets for all grant, I don't have it in front of me, but I recall when I looked through the spreadsheet about what the allocations for that that sum of money uh uh equal up to.

Uh several several of them were for speed side.

So uh I think some of that we won't have to pay for because it's going to be granted to us, which is wonderful.

Anyone else?

I have a question about uh cars that are abandoned.

Certainly.

Where do you take them now?

Well, cars that are abandoned are it depends on the type of vehicle.

A standard car is taken by a tow company, and the tow company keeps it, and then after a certain amount of time, if nobody, if if nobody takes it after proper notification, it goes out for auction.

If it's a um if it's a an RV, nobody takes it.

Uh and then the city has to has to pay for disposal.

Because the first ward, and particularly uh certain neighborhoods, you know, and it's a shame.

They sit there for months and months.

Um really uh attractive nuisance for some.

Certainly.

This you know, it takes a while for us to try to try to exhaust all of the avenues of identifying an owner.

Uh, and then uh and then it's just a matter of putting into process of having it.

Thank you.

Hello, uh Harp Donnelly, fire chief, director of uh emergency management agency.

Uh happy new year to you all.

Uh some of the things I'm gonna say I'm is a little bit supportive of what uh what Ryan said already before I jump in too far.

I'll make comment on this the drone request while you look at the picture and it may look pretty flashy and kind of fun.

Uh there's a lot of practical applications for it.

Ryan mentioned a few of them, uh, but others as it applies to the fire department in our response.

Uh, if we were to have a bridge incident where somebody uh would unfortunately have an event where they uh either uh take their own life, jump off the bridge, and we have to identify the location of the victim.

Uh it may take us four minutes to get there in the boat, but it would take us a minute to get there with the drone.

So uh we'd be able to put eyes eyes on right away.

Also, it comes in quite handy if we had an actual fire event.

Uh there's a thermal imaging capability that the drone has that you can look at a uh structure that's on fire and actually see where the hottest area or the building is, and that's precisely where you want to open a roof up where the heat is.

So uh it's a very worthwhile tool.

Um the yeah, so Ryan did a great job with uh with everything else, but I thought there was a couple of opportunities to help support that.

And while it may look quite flashy and like, oh, this is a lot of fun and it's kind of neat.

Um, it's really is a practical tool.

Uh and we've seen the rewards of good record keeping as far as theme of disaster recovery, and this would only help support that.

So, having said that, my pitch for Ryan.

You'll there'll be a couple of common common uh of remarks.

The way I put my presentation together is kind of a look into a crystal ball, what we need today.

And I kind of marched out the five years so we can see how the needs play out.

Um we start out.

I'm gonna start with our facilities, and I'll give a shout out to the city's facilities department and their team.

We're dependent upon them more and more often to actually get the day-to-day work done around the stations and repairs.

They're doing a great job.

Uh our headquarters, it kind of goes hand in hand a little bit with Ryan was saying.

Hopefully, in the next few years, we're gonna be able to come to the council with a clear path uh to potentially fund and uh and show the need for a public safety complex, so our which would replace our headquarters, which is a flood zone.

So some of the options that I have in front of us now, we're kind of tempering the work in hopes that uh we'll be out of this building within the next five years.

So you'll see some higher end items that we just can't put any off any further.

So for next year, we're asking for a relatively small amount uh to do replacement window repair.

The windows were put in about 20 years ago.

Uh, as you can imagine, uh, they went to the the lowest bidder at the time, and they're kind of showing their rage now.

So this $20,000 help us helps us to replace the worst case windows, and we have some money in reserve from a previous capital improvement uh where we can hopefully get all of the windows replaced.

But this at least gets us to replace the most.

Harp, how many windows is the headquarters?

Uh but I mean included in the 21,000.

I know that station five was done recently, is that right?

Yeah, station five.

Now, this is just headquarters we're talking about now, just station one.

Uh, what's the number?

Some reason 21 comes off the top of my head, but I might, I'm not sure if that's accurate or not.

So I'd have to go back and count them.

Uh but what I did to get come up with my numbers.

I had one of my uh one of my captains who, if I were to pick a facilities captain on the job, would be George.

Uh and he went and checked the windows out and gave me a number and went out and got prices on it.

So these aren't nearly as expensive as the windows we just did for the other.

At station five.

No, what we did at station five was an investment in the future for that building.

We actually did a restoration of the build of the windows in the tower and also the third floor.

So uh yeah, so those windows had uh hadn't been touching forever, but now they're uh they're like new.

So it's a it's a good investment in that building.

Yes.

This is in that these are just vinyl replacement windows.

And again, our hopes is to not be in this building in five years.

Our hopes is to be in another facility, but we'll have to convince the council and the public that that that's in the city's best interest, and we have a path to be able to pay for it.

Uh yeah.

And as we look again at not to go too far ahead, but in um we're last year you approved money to do repairs in the fire prevention offices.

I'd like to uh get an HVAC system in there.

They're just running off of air conditioners.

You're gonna see that as a common item through some through the other facilities too.

We're asking to uh put HVAC uh systems in place.

Uh through a couple of years down the line, we're gonna have to start looking at replacing the roof, and that's where the big ticket items come in.

And we're trying to push those off as far as we can.

Uh we have again another year down the line.

We have damage to the apparatus floor where uh the building was built in 1930.

Uh over the years, uh water runs underneath it.

I jokingly say that uh Lillian Dick found the spring on spring in Toro, but we've had a spring running through the building since it was built.

Uh so uh it's it's showing its age, and that's one of the reasons why we're gonna push for a new building.

Um then uh eventually we're gonna need emergency backup generator.

Again, hopefully all these needs go away if uh if we can eventually convince uh that there's a reason to build a new public safety complex that we can share some of these expenses with the police or to go to station two.

And again, I took the uh facilities first.

Station two was built in the 80s.

Uh it's the same roof that was on the building when it was originally constructed, and it also is showing its age.

So this what this line item is for next year is to replace the roof systems.

Uh it's it's an investment.

It's like any house.

You have to keep the have to keep the weather out and you have to keep the property up.

Uh the the following year, it's a very simple ask for uh there's a couple of hills that are extremely steep and dangerous for the firefighters to mow.

We actually mow the hills ourselves.

So we'd like to landscape them to eliminate that need.

We've had firefighters that have gotten injured uh while mowing the hills.

Why why mow it when we could plant something that actually um could enhance the view the the beauty of the hill and prevent uh people from getting injured?

Um also as we go over to the future.

Uh we would like to that building is totally cooled by air conditioners sprinkled throughout the building.

So having an alternative heating system with an HVA system would allow us for cooling and a heating option in the winter time besides the the current system that we have.

Uh in three years down the line, we'd be looking to replace the doors, original doors on the building.

Uh and then finally, uh this is more of a wish, but we were asked to put our wishes in place.

Uh, this would be something we would aggressively go for a grant to to try to fund for, but it would be a permanent structure uh made of shipping containers placed behind the station for presently.

We have a wooden structure that we use for training purposes.

Uh, this would be a secured area, we'd put fence around it.

But I thought by putting it here as a placekeeper, we can identify this as a need for the future, but we'll actively be looking for grants to pay for this.

Um if we can go to the next slide to our station five.

Station five just celebrated its 130th birthday on December 7th of last month.

And we've done a nice job investing in it.

We put a place as as uh Councilman Comcy Vorebog pointed out.

We've uh we replaced the windows last year.

You approved money to replace the soffits in the roof for this year, that this present year that we're in.

What I'd like to do now is continue uh the investment in the building and try to utilize the attic space.

We have a uh you there's a cluttered picture that you have here.

It's much it's all cleaned out now.

Uh it's but it when it's cleaned, you can see uh storage is a big problem at that station space, is a big problem, is a solution on the third floor.

So I'm looking for uh in this budget, we're looking for money to uh put a new subfloor.

The subfloor is uh not on the whole attic.

We'd like to put a brand new subfloor, insulate it, which would help with it, electric uh with the with um utilities bills, and then um put a new stereo way to access it.

You'll see with the picture on the lower left-hand side is the only way to get up to the the third floor presently.

Uh so we'd like to put it a proper set of stairs that's to code to be able to access the the third floor to be able to utilize it and take advantage of that space that's up there and work to the future.

Uh on this forecast going forward, so that would be next year's ask.

And after that, a lot of the big work is done because we would invest it in the roof, we'd rest in the windows.

Uh, and then it's just more maintenance.

It's painting the building uh and the exterior, again, introducing in three years an HVAC system where presently they're running off of air conditioners uh that they just put in the windows and take them out in the winter time.

Uh the tower stair repair, uh we have the the as you can see in the picture on the upper left-hand side, we used to have a tower on the building.

In the 50s, it came down.

Uh probably came down through uh uh it might have been a storm, might have been lack of upkeep.

Uh it had been there for years and years since it was built.

Uh so there's a there's a stairway that leads up to that space uh that has crumbling plaster that we'd like to just restore that.

Eventually I'd like to do a public uh fundraising to replace the tower itself where we wouldn't come to the council at all.

We'd either go for grants or to try to come up with a fundraising um uh opportunity for that.

That that could be something you'll be hearing about later this year.

Uh but to get the to take care of this old building that it served us for 130 years, we'd like to, it's going to be a even if we get a public safety complex, and even presently it's a critical, it's it's like a shortstop.

It's right in the middle of the two stations.

It's the one that can go in either direction to support either either either of the larger stations, but also takes the lead in anything in its own district.

Um then finally uh for that particular project is uh pointing, repointing the basement masonry.

If we go to the next slide, sorry if I'm gone a little quickly.

Uh uh, we get into more of the equipment needs.

Uh fire alarms and radio systems.

Uh last year we talked about replacing some of the street box.

We're asking for the same street box are the devices you see on the poles.

That if there's a if if you don't have access to cell service or a telephone, the street box will send a signal right into the station and tell us the neighborhood, the actual address where the box has been pulled.

We've had since I've been on the job, a couple of fires where that's how we've been notified through uh somebody pulling this, activating the street box.

The reason it's important is it's a redundant system of learning the fire service.

Sometimes the cellular service can go down, as which we saw last year during the wildfires in California.

It was whole blocks of the of the state that where the cell service went down.

Uh the following year, we're going to ask for money to help support the dispatching capabilities of the department.

We have a uh there's some port mobile radios that we use to talk in between the stations that we have to schedule to replace those.

There's some additional radio replacement parts for uh our portable radios that we've that we've ordered through a grant uh that we received about five years ago.

And uh that's what that number reflects here.

Uh the third year, the 2829, now that is for the very same piece of equipment that Chief Duffy just asked for.

That's for the dispatching uh equipment that I think he has $660,000 and his for.

I have a little higher number because we're gonna have to build a separate room to cool that piece of equipment.

But that's a piece of equipment that if we worked in the same building, we wouldn't have to, we wouldn't have to have two.

We could work with just one.

When Ryan buys his, we will take his to the new building and share that.

But in the in so uh uh but if we don't go to the same building, uh well, I'll gonna need one soon because we're we suffer for the same thing.

There's no they're not supporting it.

Uh they no longer make parts for it.

Uh and we were having Ryan and Chief Duffy and myself are having discussions, what would we do if one of them failed today?

How would we respond to that?

So we have plans in place, but eventually, if we don't join forces, we're gonna have to get our own.

Uh and then the next year is uh being on a cycle to replace some of the portable radios, which will then be seven to eight years old uh and to try to build up our reserves on our portable radio.

And then I in the the last year is additional councils for our dispatch.

Uh the next slide is our EMS and SCBA equipment.

Good news.

Last year when I was up here, I said we have a four-year plan to replace our SCBAs, and uh we were looking for grants to do that.

But we were able to pull some reserve money after last year's last year's budget at the end of the year and make a big leap towards replacing our SCBAs.

And what you're seeing here is a little bit of cleanup.

So we're gonna be able to not have to spread that over four years.

Uh and with the investment over the next two years, we'll be able to wrap up all of our needs.

Along with next year's ask, uh for the first time we're asking for uh EMS equipment, and this is life-saving equipment.

We'll talk later when we do our the other budget, but over 30 over 63% of our calls or EMS calls, those are the calls where you show up and you actually put your hands on somebody and you have uh uh intervene and take life saving measures.

Uh these video laryngeoscopes are gonna help us do just that.

Uh City Newport's fire department just was recognized by the state for having the highest percentage of saves for unresponsive patients, well above the national and state average that we've taken we've taken leaps in the last few years to uh improve our skills, and it's it's showing with the results of our successes.

So uh this will only help us uh reap more success.

Uh again, the following that the next year is wrapping up our SCBA needs, uh additional EMS equipment.

We run a variety of medications, and they often will some of them will use medication pump.

And this will be to uh buy additional medication pumps to help uh provide the necessary medications uh during emergency medical calls.

And the last year's we have um I kept almost as a placeholder replacements for hose.

But the good news is before just after I submitted our capital improvement uh requests uh to finance, we received a grant for 170,000 to replace fire hose.

Uh and that along with the money that you ought that you allowed last year, I think it was 22,000.

That's going to be able to satisfy the matching component of the grant.

So we're going to be able to replace a vast majority of our hose right now.

So it's going to be take a big leap and uh and be in very good shape for the next 15 years with our hose.

So uh that's that slide.

And if and this is just this one, they probably doesn't have to be here because Ryan talked about it, but it's just again to underscore the need that uh we should be looking towards the future.

The building that we're in now is in a flood zone.

Uh the the north end is uh is an area that's expanding, it's developing, it's where it's it's the most dense.

So if we can relocate our our headquarters to an area in the north when away from a flood zone on higher ground, I think we can better serve the needs of the community and working together, we can reap some rewards as far as conservation of uh uh equipment purchasing.

Any questions from you all.

Terrific, thank you.

I I will point out thank thank you, Chief.

Uh no, you you can uh when he made a lot of mention in both station one and in the case of station five, the dispatch console, it sort of underscores the notion that there is a certain cost of doing nothing when it comes to new infrastructure.

Uh certainly we have some debt space that we need to clear uh for a potential future bond for a public safety facility.

We will we will aggressively pursue public safety grants.

There are many within the United States.

Um we we hope soon to have uh acquired the real estate uh and also uh uh complete a design process with existing bond funding to allow us to be shovel ready because one one is one when one is shovel ready, uh the opportunity for certain grants become more and more available uh and easier to obtain.

So we'll we'll fight aggressively for the grants and and to retire as much debt as we can.

Uh but uh the longer it takes us to build this public safety facility in the future, the more costs we will have to incur in the meantime in in band aiding station one and having potentially redundant systems in some of our other stations.

So I just put that out there as as as uh as kind of the way that the administration is thinking of the of this as we forecast out for the next 10 years.

Oops, I need some adjustments here.

Um good evening, everybody.

My name is Trish Reynolds.

I'm the director of the planning and development department.

And I'm here as a department, we're proposing three uh items for the CIP.

Two are related to transportation and are intended to build on the current um momentum and successes.

Uh the first is under the category of transportation improvements, and it's for the design and installation of transportation pilot programs.

These will be small-scale temporary measures that evaluate the viability and impact of new projects.

The proposals will be supported by keep newport moving and our recently approved safety action plan.

The safety action plan calls for the city to identify and build one temporary test project per year.

These projects will be evaluated and monitored and they'll be used to inform future investments.

Some early examples of ideas, and go to the next slide.

Just in case you're wondering what is a pilot program and what might that look like.

They could be things like investments in free transportation from the interceptor lot, which is what we call the lot that's underneath the Pell Bridge.

Or we could do things like paint crosswalks and uh you know, in um reflective paints so that we can see them better at night.

Or we could look at doing things to uh light pathways that are commonly used throughout the city that may that make people feel safer in walking.

So there's all different kinds of ideas that we can do.

Uh we have a whole palette of things to choose from, and we'd like to start implementing one of those per year so that we can test these programs and see what the success rates are.

The second is a project for an action item taken directly from uh the keeping keep Newport Moving Transportation Plan.

Um in the plan, it actually documented that in our downtown area, we have more than 11 different styles of signage.

Um, all of these different signs, different colors, different fonts, different looks are causing confusion for people.

So this project is uh a proposal to conduct a sign audit to propose a new sign, a conform sign a conforming sign plan so that it makes easier for people to go um and find what they're looking for.

And then also we'd like to develop a process so that we can uh produce these signs ourselves.

What's happening now?

Sometimes we have there's some beautiful signs out there, but once something happens to them, we have no ability to repair or replace that.

So we want to um think about what's best up for now to sort of correct what out what's out there and how we best move forward to keep this for the future.

And then uh my last one is uh for um design and uh wrong the wrong page, sorry, I'm one behind.

So this project supports economic development, and uh we're proposing for future testing and evaluation of the Navy hospital site.

So as the city continues our discussions um around uh future development and potential of those lots, we need information regarding the condition of the five buildings that are there, which are considered to be historic, and we need to know the condition of the structure as well as the any potential contamination of the buildings themselves.

And we also need to evaluate the soils.

Um we've already done as a city in uh 2021 a phase one environmental assessment, and we're proposing to conduct uh a phase two so that we have enough information to inform any future um decisions about that parcel.

That's all I have.

If anybody has any questions, I'd be happy to answer.

I have a question about the Navy hospital.

Has the Navy done any testing on those buildings and the land?

Um they are they are on the cusp of doing some testing.

It is uh ultimately their responsibility, but we would like to have the ability to do our own testing if we feel we need to.

Um they have done nothing on the buildings at all.

Okay.

Would would that be would there be any duplication of testing between the two?

If necessary, we might want we might want to conduct testing of our own for our own information.

Um, or we may rely on what that is depending what the on the what the results are.

Okay, thank you.

This may be in another section, but um the Navy hospital is obviously a maybe, it's been a maybe that's been out there for years.

The bridge realignment parcels are definite.

We know those are coming up for sale.

Um are there planning resources set aside or included in the CIP to give us capacity to manage those properties should the city decide to pursue uh purchase of them?

In terms of um testing and contamination or just overall overall site planning.

Not that I proposed.

But we we do have that kind of laid out.

So uh the uh infrastructure bond allocation that was originally aimed at the public safety facility had $13 million allocated for uh real estate acquisition and design.

Uh at current, that looks like that'll come in substantially less than that, uh potentially uh over five million dollars less than that.

So that will give us some space in terms of real estate acquisition money.

Um and also uh we have a property fund.

I think uh Jim, what's the what's the number in that right now?

2.9 million.

So between the between the parcels and the Navy hospital property, plus any offsets that we received from the Navy because of their responsibility for the environmental cleanup, we feel comfortable that we'll be in a position to purchase both of those, uh both of those pieces of real estate.

Which is helpful in terms of the sources.

I appreciate that answer.

Where within the CIP do we lay out our intention to allocate funds towards those purposes?

The hospital is not there yet.

The I don't believe the uh the infrastructure bond because we use the generic title.

Um, that that is still there.

I'm looking it up right now.

Uh bear with me.

Uh because this isn't another section.

I don't want to hold you up there, Trish, but if it's another spot, you know, this is arguably one of the potential largest opportunities between the hospital, um, that bridge and linear parcels and everything in between.

Um it seems like if we're in the business of looking out the next five years, I think that's something we probably would be uh want to include and think about if you could consider that.

Absolutely.

That's that's the beauty of a workshop.

That's a great that's a great observation.

If we don't have it already, uh we will pivot and make sure that's that that's included prior to the public hearing.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

Thank you, Trish.

Thank you.

Good evening, everybody.

Teresa Creen, Director of Resilience and Sustainability.

Um adding on to two projects at the planning department um led before I came on staff um over a year ago.

Uh the um electric vehicle charging station uh funds that were approved through the um EECBG, the energy efficiency conservation block grant program with the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources provided funds for energy um sorry, environment the um electric vehicle charging stations in the city.

That project was briefly put on hold in uh 2025, and then a first round was released in July of 2025.

We at that time did not apply for those funds, but they are going to put out another round for grant funding in 2026.

They had 15 million dollars.

I believe they put out 8 million last year and they'll put out the balance for this year.

So this request is for our match dollars.

Initially, the Office for Energy Resources approved 700,000 for the city of Newport, um, but required a 20% match.

So our match would be 175,000.

So this line item is in anticipation of that grant application and hopefully grant award to show that the city has skin in the game and that it's strengthened would strengthen our grant application going forward.

So we put in for $75,000 for this coming fiscal year, and then we place held $100,000 for the following fiscal year.

If it's funded, then we would include that in the um capital improvement program for implementation.

Counselor.

Is the EV driver out want to dive in on this one?

What any thought of putting these chargers at the park and ride instead uh in part to help incentivize people to not even come into the city with their car but to leave them out there?

I have good news that the Rhode Island DOT is approved to put level three chargers at the park and ride.

So that is not put against the city's allocation of this money.

It is going forward as I'm told by the Office for Energy Resources.

That's wonderful.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Okay, thank you.

Uh the next one I have is um for the tree canopy restoration fund.

Um currently in the C in the past CIP um budget years, we have not had uh a dedicated allocation for tree purchase and planting.

And so this is recommending a line item to establish an annual budget line item for tree purchase and planting.

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management funded a canopy study for the city of Newport that concluded this this year in well, sorry, 2025 that found that it's a proposal for 14,000 trees to be planted by 2035.

Newport's current canopy cover is at 19%.

Farrington's at 51%.

So we have some tree canopy to um catch up on uh across the city.

So this matches the um funds that are currently leveraged by the Newport Tree Conservancy, and would result in a uh one year budget of $30,000 fifteen from the city, 15 from the Newport Tree Conservancy, and it would be 95,000 over five years if approved.

Any questions.

Have you spoken to Natasha about this?

So yes.

And how?

Natasha, they've been in all of these meetings.

So yes, the Newport Street Conservancy has participated throughout the Newport Tree can't the tree canopy study with Rhode Island DEM.

Thank you.

Yes, thank you.

With that, I will turn it over to Director Riccio to talk about the public services um uh capital improvement program.

Thank you.

As Teresa said, I'm Bill Riccio.

Um so some of this overlaps with some of my uh sister departments have already told you.

Um building improvements, City Hall um 60,000.

That 135 is made up of 60,000 for City Hall to do a HVAC design um and 75,000 for DPW energy efficiency repairs facilities down there.

Uh the brick market, uh that's self-explanatory.

That's the fund the operations that are going down right now for the geothermal program.

Uh Edward King House, as you know, we've been investing heavily in that facility over the last um several years, most of which has been from non-city funds.

Um this 125 would um is proposed right now.

We're looking at a $1 million congressional appropriation, which is still live, my understanding.

250 would be our match for that.

Right now we're doing a CTBG program.

I mean a CDBG project to upgrade all the electric to be able to support these projects.

So that uh what that's about um new boiler at the library.

Touched on the the three uh history buildings, wreck improvements uh broken down.

The hundred is broken down to 50 for a new uh public address system at the hut, as well as new doors and windows at the hut.

Now the HUD is another one of those facilities as you all know that we need to uh um put some money into and also we're faced with another year of storing the carousel figures, et cetera, as we plan for the future.

Our next page goes on to transportation improvements.

Um the annual appropriation for Bellevue Avenue Concrete, as you know, we've been swinging effortlessly after several multi-million dollar uh federal grants to support a complete rehaul, but that has not come to fruition.

Um, get back into doing some um joint repairs, and we've also been successful in getting the project onto the state tip.

So we'll it's a few years out.

Um, but hopefully, majority of that road will get funded by state and federal dollars through the transportation improvement program.

Decorative lighting, that's for electric and gas lights.

This has been a pretty much annual appropriation of 30,000 for at least the last uh 10 years, which has been covering us pretty well in maintaining all of those lighting systems and road and sidewalk improvements.

This three million is the second branch of money as we look at it for from the bigger bond road improvement line item.

Moving on to uh parks, grounds, playgrounds, et cetera.

So we have um resurfacing and new fencing for the Rogers tenant tennis courts um, followed by you know, we we've historically, with the exception of a couple of years ago when we um used some ARPA funds and were able to do three different playgrounds at one shot.

Um we have always focused on doing a minimum of one, except some of the smaller ones we were able to double up on an annual basis.

So the next one in our needs analysis is um the Aquidneck playground, it's a little expensive, but it's next on the list.

Um work at the uh historic wall at Cardeans Field.

Um cemetery restoration over the last five or six years, that's become an annual um allotment.

Uh we do plan to continue that to maintain the stones, etc.

And uh the carteens field uh backstop fencing and netting, this is like a 50-50 cost share with the uh with the league that's uh using the the facilities.

And last but not least is what we just uh deem others.

Um improvements, as you know, that's a never-ending list.

Um next up is uh the the larger scale King Park project that we've been assembling monies to be able to um do it all.

Next 85,000 to fund a fueling system upgrade that as you know services all of the uh city's fleet.

Um small project, but it's to repair the uh the fence along the new road.

Um I hate to say it like this, but DOT said they were gonna put back exactly what they um took down, and they never did.

And I've been aggressively fighting, but I can't get any kind of um response from them.

So it's time to take action and take care of our facility, put it back to what it was.

Um we're in need of a street sweeper.

Um as you know, we have a very aggressive program that basically conforms to all environmental um concerns um by DEM for stormwater infrastructure and and the like.

Um we recently got a decent desist from DEM, which leads me to the next item.

Um this is something when I first started 18 years ago, we made a proposal to the to the council to add a wash bay facility to the end, the north side of our building to better take care of our fleet.

Um we looked at it, I think it was in 16 again, but we really didn't put it forward.

But with a cease and desist in our hand, I think we need to take an aggressive approach now and really look at funding that.

You know, a number of years ago, about 10 years ago, I think it's I think we're close to 26.

I think we did the feasibility assessment of City Yard um 10 years ago.

Uh it doesn't look like you know, we're gonna be able to move it forward.

That's another large-scale facility uh proposal that we could never fund both that and uh police and fire at the same time.

So we really need to start taking care of or better taking care of our fleet.

Um and then the last item is is is really under the other category, right?

So um there was a few months back, a um we found a large vault underneath Potter Street, and in working with the interlocal um trust, uh they suggest that we do a structural analysis of it.

And unfortunately, that's gonna cost close to 200,000.

But it fit several houses in it from the pictures of it, but I'm not going down there.

So you know, it's you know about it, you know.

So you find something, you gotta take it's it's risk management now, and we gotta deal with it.

Um because God forbid something happens to somebody.

We're on notice.

Why would they put a vault down there?

Well, that's a really good question.

We don't um it it could have been a cis a water cistern from years ago.

It could have been there's a multitude of things.

Um Rob took a look.

You can see some old pipes, so you know, we don't know if it's was an old drainage feature.

We don't know.

Um, I mean, there's some other historic ideas that um they'd be gold or something.

Well, yeah, well, we haven't found that yet, but it's all brick.

It's actually a fascinating um, it's actually a fascinating structure.

I didn't like I've seen pictures, I haven't gone down, but in some of the consultants I've talked to to come up with this proposal number.

Um it's it's want to say it's not unlike other things, but um former national grid in other, I I think it's more so in Massachusetts today, they are kind of familiar with these.

And so this consultant that has done some analysis of these in the past, has um kind of familiar.

And they thought, oh yeah, we've done we've dealt with those.

Oh, really?

So but the um the Bellevue Avenue hungry, is that in addition to the money from the maritime enterprise fund, or is that the money from the maritime fund?

I think it includes it.

That is, yeah, that's just the that's the lump that's made up of the allocation from some maritime and some parking.

Okay.

All right.

Also, um people have said to me that they are some of our parks are not ADA, that our parks are not ADA compliant.

I mean, whenever we put in a new park, we may it have they have to be ADA compliant.

Yeah, so as you know, and a number of years ago, we were, I don't know, I I believe um community 47 or something in the country that went through a Department of Justice accessibility audit, where literally they went through everything we owned, every property, every um land area, et cetera, et cetera.

Um we we'd gotten a document that was probably three or four inches thick with items that we needed to do, and we very strategically started um, you know, chipping away at them, you know, back to when we put up um did the new elevator at City Hall.

I mean, before that, you know, we had that chair lift, we had the really tiny elevator, both were deemed, you know, not to be compliant.

And so um, and this goes, you know, this this goes to you know, everything.

I mean, in the cottage, we had to put a small piece of wood at the entryway to the door because the lip was I don't know, three quarters of an inch too high.

So um, but DOJ was satisfied with our progress, and after a uh an I don't know, it's two or three years, they signed off, but we have continued doing everything we do.

So use it the use of wood chips is an ADA compliant um material.

The use of wood chips.

Well, the wood the the accessibility is usually relating to access to the playgrounds, etc.

Okay.

Um hard surfaces, I I I'd have to, you know, check on that.

But um, you know, we do have accessible playground equipment, et cetera.

Um, but the ground space that's usually the access to very similar to a ramp on a um, you know, corner and a sidewalk, et cetera, et cetera.

It's all about pitch and grade and um so it's not it it doesn't apply the ADA compliance, he does not um involve the surface of the playground itself.

It probably does at some point, but I don't have that level of detail in my butt I'll look into that for you and see what um constitutes X and Y.

Okay.

And um, what was the cease and desist for dirty vehicles?

Washing washing our vehicles down at City Yard was uh illicit discharge to be to be specific.

So it was part of our uh I forget the name of the inspection, but it was a main uh a major inspection that the Department of Utilities went through and and uh uh it went modestly, it went very well, but we had like any inspection, you're gonna have a few deficiencies, and that was one of them.

Um and so I I agree with Director Riccio and he's spot on it.

It's it's it's time to make sure that we we comply with environmental regulations and wash our vehicles properly.

Thank you.

I'm fascinated by this vault, not gonna go too far down.

It's not being used.

So it's not being used as a wedding venue yet, that shocks me.

Short-term rental.

Right.

Um maybe short-term, no, right?

Uh couple big picture questions.

First of all, I just want to thank the administration for doing this so early this year.

This is really helpful to this conversation.

Um, and I'm trying to follow each of the presentations.

A couple big things that I would have thought might have been on this list that aren't, um, but I know they're on your radar.

Uh the Van Zant Bridge.

Um, so that's um, yeah, so those are all on the radar.

So some things that were in the um capital, I mean, sorry, into in the bond program.

They they're not in because there's we've we've also in September of 25, the new STIP came out, the state state transportation improvement program.

Banz is now listed as a state project.

So and it's it's outside of the five-year window.

So it's one of the reasons I didn't include it here because the window's always been five years.

So I don't want to put something that might be out in 32 in in this.

But yes, these are all of these items always remain in the back of our heads if they are outside the buy.

That's helpful.

What about the the cliff walk uh repairs?

The cliffwalk repairs specifically.

I mean, is that I might have missed it uh going through this, sorry.

No, because that's all that's all program.

So it's not I mean we're marching forward with we just um for those of you who don't know, we just submitted all of our environmental applications on December 23rd.

Um all three Army Corps, CRMC and DEM, they've all been aside application numbers.

So I now know, and I'm I got the last one, I think it was yesterday, because I didn't believe until I get an application number that they've accepted it.

So um they've accepted it.

Uh National Environmental Policy Act, which is a part of the whole process is the NEPA program.

Um that's all submitted.

Um we should um there's a 30-day um notification period, then a 30-day review period.

So we anticipate getting that box to be checked by March 15th at the latest, and then we continue moving forward.

It's not in here because the money's already in you know, set aside, and we're just um continuing forward with the development of everything we need to do um in advance of some of these check boxes can't get checked, which then which I need to get checked in order to continue um the development of the group the agreement with uh federal highway.

That's helpful.

Uh, just for the the manager, maybe when I typically think of a CIP, I think of this as our big picture, right?

This is everything that's our on our radar, whether it's being paid for with general fund revenues on annual basis, whether it's with bond revenues, whether it's with potential grants we hope to secure or that we have secured already.

Um when I think about an overview presentation like the ones we're going through, um, I appreciate some of the detail we're getting into.

These things are fascinating.

The work you all do is incredible.

But I really think like let's focus on the big pieces that are moving the equation.

And so my question is is my interpretation that of how I look at how we approach the CIP miscalibrated or because it doesn't seem like there's also continuity between some of the presentations.

For example, public safety includes um projects that we have some brown proceeds set aside for for public safety complex or otherwise.

Um, but then in other parts of this, they're not being included because they're covered by bond proceeds.

Um how are we looking at this?

And is there some consistency here that we can draw out?

Yeah, I would say uh that's a good that's a good observation.

Uh the public safety complex complex is a bit of an outlier because even though it's beyond the five-year horizon, it's so vital to the city's future public safety needs that uh we included both some uh some bond funds, which you'll see in table one of the overall uh uh CIP document, as well as the projection for the cost of the facility construction itself in the out years.

Uh other than that, uh we for the for the bonded related items uh from the infrastructure bond, they are all still listed.

Um they they we as director Riccio said we to some extent we treat that as though it was a previous allocation from a previous uh fiscal year.

So for example, the 11 million dollars for the protect grant, these are the capital stacks for the cliffwalk.

Uh Protect Grant 11 million, five million from uh congressional appropriation, three million from the green bond, and then our city match.

Uh those were all on the CIP last year, but but uh those have essentially eclipsed into the background now, even though we're still going to be doing these projects once all those capital stacks are aligned.

It's it's it's already seen almost as if it's in the pay-go bucket.

Uh uh, you know, the life to date bucket of capital projects.

So this is all future and forward looking.

We did keep the bond items on uh on the on table one, I think it's on page three of table one, because we we want to remind people that those items are still allocated for um, but uh in terms of the presentation, they're not necessarily on you know, page by page by page.

So that's how we're looking at it.

It's it's there's like six hundred thousand dollars for the restroom facility at 40 steps, for example.

You don't see that in here, but if that's because it was in last year's document, and and we're still in the process in terms of life-to-date use of those funds of getting to that project.

Let me see if I can just back into interpreting that correctly.

What you're saying is that if it's an item that we already agreed on last year in the CIP, we're not covering it again in the conversation this year because sort of it's an agreed to thing, and we're focused on the new things that are on the agenda on the radar.

That's correct.

Okay, thank you.

I think that's good information to know at the beginning.

I just if I'm if I'm a resident watching, I'm thinking these are the big projects our city's taking on.

Um suppose we get we get this, right?

And all that information we have in here, but then it's not getting covered on the department um workshop right now.

So I can get it confused pretty easily.

Thank you.

We'll even that yeah.

My my asks are for what's in for that year one.

Yeah, and you by the way, you did a great job covering a bill too.

But you know, some of the presentations, it's like you're asked for this next year that we're looking out.

Um other presentations we're looking at like five years of likely asked.

So there's just there's a little inconsistency, which is okay, but I think following it can be a little tricky for us up here.

So thank you.

No, that's all that's all noted.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

Uh next year, I'm making a note for uh that we'll have a we'll have a kind of section on a recap of previously approved items that may not be on the document but are still in the public in the public eye.

And then uh um for the the in terms of slide consistency, you know, uh current year versus out years.

We can we can do a better job delineating those in in the presentation.

Or even just like continuity in the um the presentation formatting and presentation would be helpful for us to follow.

I'm glad I see Steve's coming up next to you as pictures, which we enjoy.

Thank you, Bill.

Uh good evening, Steve Land, Newport Harbor Master.

Um, so I'm gonna probably do a combination of a big picture and some very specific uh items that uh we're gonna talk about.

Um the obviously the biggest picture, uh biggest project that we're gonna be doing is the Pratty Park Bulkhead project, which is uh already underway.

Um the project consists of the three southern docks, the ramps, the two gazebos, the bulkhead, the park, the dead band, and the building.

Um it is it is a large project that's take multiple years to complete during this um the development of this project.

We have partnered with our neighbors, and we are going to move the building back uh 10 feet and create a harbor walk that goes all the way down to banisters.

And you know, I'm gonna do a beautiful job recreating all of this stuff, and no one's gonna look at it because they're so excited about the harbor walk, and that's okay.

I'm I'm okay with that.

Um this this really turned into quite an interesting project for the city.

Um, so the the budget we we put you know that we've originally started with was about uh 20 million dollars.

We we calculated, we got estimates from engineers.

Um we got a really good price on the doing the actual bulkhead itself.

So we are constantly figuring out how much this is gonna cost.

Um, whatever I borrow, I'm gonna have to pay back the the harbor's fund will have to pay back in the next 20 years.

So we are trying to keep this at a reasonable amount.

It is the one time we're doing this, so we want to get it right.

Um so far we have uh hired a um a maritime company to do the docks, pilings, and bulkhead.

Right now we have an RFQ out for the architect for the building.

Uh once that is completed, we'll start the design of the building.

Um, and we'll have some real public discussion on what whatever we'd like to see.

That's the real part of it that the community can weigh in on.

Um during that process, we'll hire a contractor to build the building.

Um we expect it to be done by the summer of 28.

Um completed.

I hope maybe done sooner.

Um, the primary use again is bathrooms.

My office is a secondary part.

Oh, I forgot to plug something with the same line of as as Ryan and Harp.

The um the application of a drone for the harvest department is unlimited.

Uh, it takes us a while.

Harp said four minutes.

I'm always underway, and it takes us longer than four minutes to get from get parts of the uh our jurisdiction that drone can get to in very very quickly.

At least we have eyes on it.

So I also want to add support to that drone project.

Um so the Prodi project back to this.

Um, we expect we're getting a little closer on on what it's hopefully gonna cost, and we're thinking around the 14 million dollar, as long as we don't have too many um too many things that we haven't seen yet.

We're starting to dig into a you know a park that's been developed by Phil.

There's gonna be some exciting stuff.

Hopefully, not another um uh what do you call it?

A uh uh vault.

I don't think we'll find one, but we might Steve.

Can you just explain what work is going on right now exactly?

Sure.

Um probably everyone saw the Regan barge in there.

We weren't starting, we were doing probing.

And what that entails is the sheet pile actually goes down and rests on the bedrock.

There's it, and so we had to figure out how much mud there is to design the whale system that holds the sheet up.

If there's enough mud, we just do a whale, it's a giant rod that goes to the earth and gets attached to another piece of metal called the dead man.

You make a giant H with land in between.

If there's not enough mud, they'll have to actually do a toe, which is another piece of metal driven into the bedrock that hold holds it in.

We found that we there should be enough actually uh mud there that we don't have to do tow, so it's it's gonna be saving money on that.

Um they do this testing by driving a huge metal beam down until they actually hit bedrock and they actually measure it.

They have markings on the metal beam.

They did one very close to our building, and we thought it was gonna fall down.

The whole thing was shaking so violently.

On top of that, we've already done a preliminary design for the fire hydrants that are around the area.

We're starting to do a very serious electrical plan because there is some confusing electrical in that park, and the state regulations of electrical is a real tough thing for us to do.

Most electrical has to be 14 feet in the air.

Right now we have a cabinet in a park, and we're trying to design around that.

They've done probing in the park, try to see what actual the soil concentration they are.

They have to remove all of the soil from the bulkhead now to that dead man.

So we'll be able to see what's down there and exposing all of those whales.

With marinas, you need to have at least one slip that's ADA compliant.

We're going to make all of the ferry docks ADA compliant.

There's not enough dockage to make the North Dock ADA, the ramp would be off the off the ramp, so we can't do it.

Right now, they're currently not up to 88 standards, but that's okay.

Once I replace them, we have to do ADA.

We're going up nine inches on the whole park.

And that was kind of worked on with the idea of the park really is a sacrificial piece of land if we have flooding.

We shouldn't be shedding water into buildings and houses around us or the road.

We already are the highest point in that area.

So we did not have to go up uh much higher to really really figure out what we needed.

Um stuff that we're really working on is with this new harbor walk.

We want to have one look that goes all the way down using the same railing.

Right now we've got these ornamental bollards that all need to be completely redone.

That's a huge ticket uh item to pull out uh sandblast, paint, and put back in.

We want to do something like uh epay post with uh metal cable that matches next door.

That's the kind of creativity stuff we're starting to get into.

And once the architects are hired, we're gonna make that really public.

We'll have some workshops on that.

And it's the it's the fun stuff, to be honest with you.

Um, the rest of the park's gonna be identical.

We are not changing anything.

The pathways work well.

Uh, we are gonna do a little bit of design with the building to get as many bathrooms in there as possible.

That's the real goal.

And if we have to grow a foot, then we grow a foot.

So it's we all that's what we're really working on.

Um as we start to really developing and get an architect, that's when we'll start the public discussion on this stuff, and I'll bring it to you.

Steve, I could quickly I do just want to know because we're now transitioning in the review process into harbors, parking, um, water, wastewater.

Well, maritime isn't a legally established set-aside enterprise fund.

It functions in the same way in that these projects you're talking about and the assets you're looking at investing in, the debt that's being taken out to pay for them, all these are being repaid with dollars that are generated by harbor activity.

That is correct.

Um, this is not come out of the general fund or the taxpayers in in any way.

It all is harbor revenue.

Um, so what I put forth today is a traditional CIP, a wish list.

Normally, when I come, my budget's already done, so I know exactly how much money I plan on making.

So I actually design the budget to that.

Not all of the projects I put forward are gonna get funded.

When we actually create the budget in a month or two, we'll decide which is not gonna get funded on this.

I kind of threw everything to the to the wall on this because we have the implement implementation of the cruise ship increase and the uncertainty of when the bills will start being paid.

We might have a little bit of free money this year, we might not.

We'll we'll see that as in the next four months.

We'll get a much clearer picture on that.

Um the implement of the cruise ships is obviously makes this whole project even possible.

Um, so that is an exciting project.

We got another one about four days ago.

Um followed and said we come in on September 22nd, another 80,000 dollars in one phone call.

So uh it, you know, it is a moving target.

Uh, even though these do make that they do book out years in advance.

Sometimes things happens in the cruise line and they say we have a day that we have to come in.

So that was a good phone call.

Um other questions on the Praddy Park?

You know, just on the the um maritime fund and the cruise ships.

Could you uh just uh explain for the audience the the difference between the two um revenues that we use that we did get and what we're going in the future going to get?

Sure.

And and how much that possibly means for the maritime fund.

I'd be happy to.

Um, so in years past, um, I'm gonna give it in totals.

It's it's broken down in embarkation, debarkation, but it's easier to see is totals.

It was six dollars a person.

And that's when they drop the anchor, that's who's on board.

They pay six dollars a person of guests.

They don't have to come ashore.

Um, whatever their manifest says, that's what we make the bill out, and we send it to the cruise ship.

And we were able to work with the state and we increased it to $20 a person, uh, which is a fairly significant increase.

Um, and that is really going from you know six hundred thousand dollars a year on cruise ships to you know a million and a half.

And that's that's really the only way we were able to develop this project and pay for that is having that influx of monies.

Um, we still have to do all of other revenue sources, and I'm gonna be really, really pushing other revenue sources because cruise ship industry, like every other industry has this good years and it's bad years.

Right now, we're starting to go in a little dip.

We can't control it.

Um it it's uh it goes through all of New England.

So if all the ports are having a dip, we all have a dip.

So we have a wide variety of it, you know, revenue sources.

We have the permits, um, which is a big one.

We have mooring rentals, and most exciting, which we haven't really started talking about, but you're going to is the development of the Anstreep here.

Um should be a significant revenue increase on that.

I know it doesn't seem you know, 420 feet of dock doesn't seem like a big dock.

Oh no, it's gonna be busy.

I can tell you that right now.

And we're on the final stages of developing the uh the final plans to get that out, that RFP out.

We're gonna really try to get that done next winter.

That's a lot of work for the harvest department to be doing a massive one of the biggest builds the city's done, and another small dock on top of it.

We're gonna we are gonna attempt it.

Um that one's very, very straightforward, so we should be able to do it.

Thank you.

Uh next slide.

So uh this is uh key piece of safety equipment that we talked about last year.

It's actually a 28-foot boat, but um the it's already being built, and this is our last payment is for $160,000 uh to have this done, and it will be delivered next winter.

And uh it's the only way we can keep growing as a harbor and keep everybody safe.

So that's a mandatory to pay for that.

And obviously, paid for through the enterprise fund.

Everything that we talk about tonight is paid through through the enterprise fund.

Um so I actually I'm kind of a scared of Elizabeth.

She said four slides, so only made four slides.

So I kind of crammed the other two stuff together, but we can go through it.

There's no more pictures, unfortunately, but I'll do some more next time.

Um tall ship moorings.

This is dropped my lap when I started.

People were saying this is something that the city would really benefit from.

If we put them out north of Goat Island, um, it would support the local businesses that that repair these these boats.

They come here mostly for maintenance.

We have one of the biggest yards in New England that we partner with all the time, the Safe Harbor Shipyards.

Having tall ship moorings out there would really beautify and make it a much it'd be really iconic.

Uh they are not cheap.

They're $50,000 a pop.

Um, so we are we have hopefully getting an opportunity with fish and wildlife that we might be able to get 75% payment.

They offered us one last year.

We couldn't pull it off.

We were writing the grant for Ann Street.

We just didn't have the manpower to do both.

But we're hoping that will come through next year.

See how much does one of these rent for?

So right now it's uh $1.25 a foot.

Um, so you know, normally a hundred foot boat is you know, it's only 12 grand, so they are coveted.

It's not a huge number.

But what happens is these boats don't stay the whole time.

They might stay for half the summer.

We also rent them nightly.

So we can almost guarantee to double dip on all these.

So we're probably making between around, I would say between 20 and 30 per mooring.

Uh it's active.

We it it's work to do this.

You have to have staff to go and rent these.

And to put a giant boat on a mooring, it takes my staff there to do it.

They can't do it on their own.

Uh there's a lot of handing lines and and talking about it and discussing over that, you know, they come up, we actually feed the lines to these boats to do it.

Um, and then when they break, we have to tow them off and move them to another mooring.

Happens all the time.

So these are super yachts, these are big boats.

Big boats.

Question for you.

FIFA's coming into town, right?

It's kind of a big event happening this upcoming summer.

You've got uh a pretty big Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Do we think there might be an uptick in super yacht activity?

And if so, do we think it might be worth accelerating dropping a couple of these you know moorings more in the harbor?

I I absolutely um I didn't even really think about that.

I'm not a I'm not a soccer guy, but that's an absolute great idea.

Right now they anchor um north of that, and every one of these would like to be on a mooring.

None of these boats like to anchor, they're not designed to anchor, that's not the way they want to do.

They want a mooring.

They are still underway if they're dropping their own anchor and they have to have watches.

Once they're on a mooring, they're actually not underway anymore.

So it's it is a huge deal for them.

Do you uh expect an increase in staffing?

When we have the Anstreep here, absolutely.

Right now we've got one person who runs that whole facility.

And uh it's fantastic and it's great.

But once we have a much bigger dock, we're absolutely going to need two able-body people to manage that.

Uh, that's gonna be a high turnover day.

What we're really expecting, what's really our bread and butter and we're good at for dockage is day boats.

Uh, we fill all of our Pratty Park with day boats.

Um, we expect the same with Ant Street.

Um, they come, they pay, they put a lot of money in the economy.

They they're going out and having dinner and drinks and doing what they do, and then they leave.

So rather than overnights, which are trash and power and showers and parking, day boats are really, really easy to deal with.

It's one or two interactions, and you're done.

Um, and they really appreciate there's also no other marinas that do small day boat docking in Newport.

And that is a huge, huge draw for everyone in Rhode Island to come here because they know they're gonna have a good time.

Um, you know, it's we fill up by 9.30, we're full right now in our facility.

So um when I did all the budgeting, I only budgeted for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday when doing this dock.

I didn't even do Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.

And we were still making tons of money.

Uh just wasn't necessary.

So I think we're gonna I think we're gonna do well.

The key is having the manpower to get this done, uh, which is you know which is why I asked about the staff.

Yeah, well, the getting it actually built first is the manpower.

Um I I spend most of my time doing the Pratty Park build right now.

We did hire another deputy harbor master, and he's he's filling my shoes on that, but it's this these are some very big projects take a lot of time.

Um with the addition of um street, I think that's gonna be such a coveted job.

I'm not gonna have a hard time finding staff for that at all.

That it's gonna be a really good job.

Um Bell V Avenue Concrete.

Uh you asked about that.

We give 100,000 a year.

We've already budgeted for it.

Um not a lot discussed there.

Um the stir park dinghy dock.

Here's a really exciting project.

I've been working with the point association with the point residents for uh a while.

I spoke two years ago at the point association meeting, and they the general feeling is that dinghy dock would really add a lot to the access of to the point field.

And everyone was very excited about it.

They saw the success of the King's Park uh Stone Pier dinghy dock, how pretty it is, and how it just came out really, really well.

I said I can build you the same one on the north side of the Stir Park Basin.

And everyone's thrilled.

Again, it just comes down to money.

Uh, we we are gonna look for grants.

We might have some other funding revenue sources that we're working on, but we need to uh if we're gonna do grants, we at least have to have a match.

So we're gonna start on the the savings of that.

So that one I would definitely like to fund.

Uh that's an important one to me.

Um, it'll really open up that field.

Uh right now the launch uh doesn't really service that field or does it on a very limited schedule?

And the driftways, which are an amazing facility, you're getting wet every time you go out to your boat and you're using a kayak.

It's just not we can do better.

We're the sailing capital of the world.

We should have a dinghy dock over there.

Um I know in years past they tried to do different different facilities and it didn't go well.

I think we start with a dinghy dock, start small, and we're gonna really succeed.

Um next slide.

Uh safe boat engines.

Um the boats that we're running, we have two safe boats right now, 23 feet.

Um they're 200 horsepowered Yamahas.

These are not magic industrial engines.

We blew up one this year doing a rescue.

When I say blew up, the the actual head blew apart, cracked.

Oil gas everywhere, stopped running.

That it had to be rescued itself.

So we need to have money in the bank so I can go and buy these off the shelf tomorrow.

And luckily, that one was still under warranty.

That's how new it was.

And uh brought it back to where we get our work done, and they had a new one uh powerhead put in in like a week.

So we only lost that engine for a week.

It was right after the 4th of July.

Not the time to lose one of your key safety boats.

So uh that is something that I'd like to find just to start to have a set of these engines are 40,000 a piece.

Um the the new boat is a diesel.

It they can run for 24 hours a day, not know.

It's um complete different engine than a gas-powered outboard, which is not made for 24-hour day running.

It's a different beast.

So, you know, it will reduce the amount of maintenance.

We have to haul these out every 10 days, do upper and lower unit oil changes on this.

It's a huge time and uh energy uh spent on keeping these maintained.

Um next, the Wessex Street, what West Ascension dinghy dock.

I don't know if there's anyone has seen gone down there.

It's in between Casey's and Tommy Bruzi's place.

It doesn't really work.

It's it's filled in with sand.

It was built right in the center, so dingies can't get on either side of it.

It's just it wasn't done correctly back in the day, or maybe the smaller dinghies were using it and it wasn't full of of sand.

Um the Tommy Brucey's place.

I um, you know, we had some great public access um trading to give them what they wanted.

Who knows when that's gonna happen, or if it's gonna happen if the place is gonna sell and all that jazz.

I don't have an answer on what exactly we're gonna do to West Extension Steep, but I want to be ready so when they do start building, they're gonna do their part.

We're gonna have monies to fix what we're gonna do.

Remember, if I touch that ramp, it has to be ADA compliant, which is a minimum of 80 feet.

Which seems ridiculous, but that's why you guys have seen the other ramps I've done.

They're big.

Um so that's that's what I have for West Extension Street.

Um Maritime Center, uh Maritime Center Facility Improvements.

So the Maritime Center, again, absolutely amazing facility.

I think it's the best in the country.

I've sailed a lot of places in this world, and they we there's none of these exist.

Um the one in St.

Bart's is very similar.

That's but I don't get to go down there as much as here.

Um so things that we need to start working on, the dryers are at their they're getting used, even though they only get used five months a year, they get used hard.

Um we are at a part where just doing maintenance on them constantly, but also coin operated, which when they were installed, that's how they did it.

They don't do that anymore.

You buy a card and use a card.

I I can't tell you how many buckets of quarters in our in my office that I trip over right now.

Um literally, they're all over the place.

Uh I think they've been in that closet.

You've seen them, yeah.

It's it's you gotta go to stuff and shop.

Yeah, it's just and people laugh when they see it.

They're like, well, why do you have all these quarters?

It's the wash and washing machines.

Um also the showers.

Um the we're having the gonna give a shout out to the uh the buildings department with Dave Janet and his crew.

He's doing they're doing a paint of the interior right now, not the bathrooms, but it needed painted it flooded uh about eight years ago, and the salt permeated the concrete, so they're actually smoothing it out and putting paint on it.

It's gonna look really good.

We're excited about that.

Um, so the 75,000 is to start rehabbing all of the great features that are in the maritime center.

Um, and uh with the increase of dock, it's only gonna get busier, uh, which is good.

That's we want that place to be to be really busy.

Questions.

Thanks so much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Real quick before we oh go ahead, Steve.

Uh but real quick before we proceed.

I want to one of the questions that all of you asked was about staffing.

And and and certainly there may be some future staffing needs in the harbors department.

Um, but just like passing notes in third grade, uh uh Teresa reminded us from the back uh that there's a lot of construction management that all of this is going to entail, not just from Parate Park and King Park and Pine Street, but also the Cliff Walk, uh, traffic safety engineering projects, uh Florence Gray Center.

Many of these projects are are are increasing in scope and size because of the nature of the infrastructure improvements that we're trying to make in the city.

I say this because there may be some future staffing needs within the public services engineering division um to help with some of the permitting and all of the all of the management and awareness that goes along with these things.

Probably not looking at any new positions this year.

We may be we may be asking you in the coming months to take a look at some classifications and to and to perhaps re juggle some of the position descriptions, but in the out years, uh to your point about some new positions for all of this work.

I I could see I could very well see that happening within the engineering.

Or Mr.

Sergeus.

Evening, Chief Duffy.

Um, gonna be talking about the parking fund.

Hard to follow Steve with all his enthusiasm.

Uh so first, just a uh just to kind of lay out a couple projects that are that uh they're embarking on the CIP.

Uh for one is replacing the parking lot equipment uh in the gate in the gateway center.

The uh equipment's over 10 years old.

Uh it's limited in some capacity to be able to handle uh the different types of uh transactions that are that are happening down there.

And um right now we pay for uh pretty good amount of uh maintenance costs.

Uh so um what we're looking to do is replace this aging equipment with uh equipment that can handle the the the different types of permits, the special events and the validations that are happening there.

Uh so that's the that's the first project.

Uh also um next back one.

No, I'll do that one.

I'm sorry.

Um I maybe I'm I've got missed slides here.

Uh Mary Street signage to um Councilor Napolitano's point.

pretty good amount of uh maintenance costs uh so um what we're looking to do is replace this aging equipment with uh equipment that can handle the the the different types of permits the special events and the validations that are happening there uh so that's the that's the first project uh also um next back one no i'll do that one i'm sorry um i maybe i'm I've got missed slides here uh merry street signage to um councillor napolitano's point um this will be able to provide uh real time information at the Mary Street lot uh so that um so that people understand what what's available in the lot includes installing sensors at the entrances and the exit uh and um uh connecting that information with a with an app uh so that's uh that's the uh Mary Street signage project next uh gateway parking lot equipment oops sorry maybe I was maybe I uh I spoke about this one already may um could you go back two slides to the that's the one all right sorry this is the gateway parking garage maintenance um uh this is basically this project addresses the repairs and the uh preventable maintenance that that uh that the uh parking garage needs includes uh uh dealing with uh steel corrosion and the uh crack repairs and war waterproofing the services uh and that is uh an RFP is underway for that for that development thank you go forward one more there you go and some other projects that are that are occurring within the uh parking fund include uh the gateway roof replacement um some up upgrades and sidewalk repairs to uh the fame street stretch um uh Bellevue Avenue concrete um and the the HVAC unit on the rooftop of the gateway as well any questions I've got a couple of questions um so the real time info would it only be for the Mary Street lot would we do it we're looking at that's one particular project that was underway here for the for their parking fund but we are looking at from a from a multimodal standpoint looking at uh at a at a bigger picture for uh for all the different lots with throughout downtown okay so the gateway the new one the new one uh off of the bridge yes um do we have any ideas for improved um capacity at the gateway certainly we're we we've been talking about uh actually most recently in our um um multimodal meetings uh looking at uh with the with an attendant the possible the looking at what are the possibilities of of rearranging the the vehicles having attendant vehicles that that um that put the put the vehicles in a uh in a in a way that allows us to have more capacity and we're we're discussing that and looking at our possibilities but also um giving people a feeling that they're they are downtown and that they're in walking distance to various places I'm you know to the the tourists area uh we need to have something that tells people that this is a good place to park you know for to be down and that they're downtown.

Certainly I I think part of the part of the discussions include that that app like taking the information putting on an app and also within that uh with it in that app we'll have the information it says this you know this this it's only a few this many minutes walk to this area of town you're in but can't we just have a sign that says that I mean you know to something so that people just can see it says oh it's a five minute you know five minute walk to the big I I I just I feel as though we're we're missing on that and um the the signage there is very confusing.

Um yeah um that's all right yeah I wanted to just expand on that idea um there's a lot of cars that go down there there's only you know the lot and then one section that goes up to a second floor um have they thought about you know any type of I know in other areas I've seen it Charleston and Washington.

Where they would have the brick outside and they'd be really um very attractive however they had several floors you know to increase the amount of parking that would be available.

This is why I understand your use uh the suggestion is to in increase another another level of the of the parking garage.

Either that or even there's so much of that space that they don't even have you know there's only that one area that has the multi-level yes and all the rest of it is like ground level.

Certainly yeah I um no and talking with Pat over the over the past several months and getting a better idea you know knowing that he's he's gonna be leaving and getting a better idea as to as to uh the capacities he's mentioned that it's only that there are only a handful of times that that that lot does fill up throughout the throughout the season um so it's just a matter of looking at the cost analysis between by by adding additional multi level um garage space uh versus the amount of times that we that we see it being used so we you know that expands into the discussion of of the other lots and doing a better job of routing people that are coming into town to to get to those lots to find the lots that have the have the additional space.

So we you know that expands into the discussion of of the other lots and doing a better job of routing people that are coming into town to get to those lots to find the lots that have uh have the additional space.

Yeah, I think I think it's not being used because people don't know to use it.

So I think it would be confused.

It would it is, and um it would be much more popular if people understood that that is the city's municipal lot and that there is transportation through um Ripta, there's transportation there, free transportation, and um you know, so uh we need we need way better signage um that will tell tell people I think people go there and say, well, let's see what it's uh further ahead.

Sure, yeah, rather than um just stopping there.

Okay, thank you.

And the uh free bus has been very successful leaving from there, and a lot of people don't know it, and they get a reduction on their parking and um it's just amazing.

I don't think they've given it the consideration that it needs to be understood.

Thank you.

Not to pile on, but I actually think please.

Um I I agree obviously with with everything that's been said, but I think we want to stop people before they even get into the city itself.

The pilot concept that Trish touched on, um, I think would be a great one to get started with.

Where and we we talked about it through resolution otherwise fire.

The second people start coming off the bridge with the light boards that are there, and then they come off with the technology.

If you actually end up implementing it, you say, like, look, lots downtown full, lots downtown, it's gonna cost you $25.

This is free, park here, free shuttle downtown.

Uh I think would would probably be incredibly effective.

So signage signage signage.

Um, if there's something that comes out of this that I think is consistent, it's you know, we're all in agreement on something.

That's a good sign.

And I think even signage on the bridge would be effective.

Coming over the bridge would be effective.

So that was you know, our thought.

I'm taking your point.

I understand what you're saying in terms of the the signage downtown, but part of it was a discussion of when you're coming into sign into town on the bridge, having having the information available as to you're coming into into Newport now.

This is how you navigate finding a parking spot, you know.

And uh, you know, this is where you go to on an app or something along those lines.

And then when you get downtown, you have have those those means of identifying where the parking you know, I've noticed the parking lot to open in in um this section that that DOT worked in.

Very few cars in there.

Is there uh some sort of there's no signage?

There's no signage.

Signage and and where is that at?

Because people could literally park in there for free.

Today we know how difficult it could be to get anything done through uh right.

We met with DOT.

All right, thank you very much.

Thank you.

We should we should we should call Sean and see how he feels about signage.

Okay, hello again, Teresa Crean, director of resilience and sustainability.

Um I am serving as an understudy for Director Schultz this evening, who is uh traveling and was not available to be here tonight.

And um this is a complicated topic.

I will walk you all through the slides that Rob has provided for this informational workshop session.

Rob also did provide me with a script, so I will read off of that.

And the idea here is I am not an ex the subject matter expert that Rob is in all areas of the utilities department.

Um so I'd like to ask if we take by be able to take questions from you.

Um Director Schultz is more than willing to provide detailed answers in it in advance of the January 28th council workshop to receive the CIP.

Um so with that, I will start off by um noting that the slides that you're about to see are the city's long-term plan for maintaining the water, wastewater, and stormwater systems that protect public health, support daily life, and safeguard the environment.

The goal of the CIP um proposal is to ensure that these systems remain safe, reliable, and affordable while meeting legal and regulatory requirements and controlling long-term costs through planned investment.

So the concept here is to focus and on an approach that prevents failures rather than reacting after something breaks.

You've heard Director Schultz say that many times.

So most utility infrastructure is underground and out of sight when it is working.

Pump stations and storm drains at treatment facilities do their job quietly every day.

When they fail, the impacts are immediate and visible.

Backups cause service interruptions, water quality concerns, and damage to streets, homes, and businesses.

The CIP exists to reduce the likelihood of those failures.

It enables the city to manage its assets responsibly, plan work effectively, and avoid emergency driven decisions that are more disruptive and expensive.

Water, wastewater, and stormwater systems operate continuously 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

They cannot be shut down while repairs are planned.

That constraint is why long-term planning is not optional.

That reality makes long-term capital planning essential.

Work must be sequenced carefully so service remains safe and reliable.

All right, here's the fun slide.

Get your readers out.

All right.

So this is all laid out in the document in front of you and the table.

Uh numbers are outlined in red, which represents an infrastructure gap.

So that first column of numbers about the midpoint through in on this slide.

The first, the top third of the slide references represents sanitary sewer, then it goes down to stormwater.

And then the bottom represents the resilience and sustainability projects.

Elizabeth Brook Daylighting, flood mitigation, Easton's Pond, and Miscellaneous Resilience.

The proposed FY27 numbers for sanitary sewer shows a infrastructure gap of about 13.25 million, 275 million dollars.

I want to note that there a lot of that is attributed to the clarifiers, and we've been talking about that in in council meetings.

So Director Schultz has been in touch with the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank for the state revolving loan fund.

There is an agenda.

The docket has been included.

Sorry, the January 20th docket of the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank includes discussion about our clarifiers.

So stay tuned on that.

It is on the docket for Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank January 20th.

So right now, Rob is showing an infrastructure gap of 13.275 million for FY27 on the sanitary sewer, and 12.5 million of that is clarifiers.

So we will have more information on that as the project progresses.

The stormwater section of this shows an FY27 projects totaling about $2.75 million with a current sanitary sewer funding of $2 million, leaving us with an infrastructure gap of $750,000.

And it's important to note that that is equal to the line item that's called stormwater utility.

We're currently waiting on the rate study from Rathellis.

So again, more to come on that item as well.

And then at the very bottom, resilience and sustainability, those projects total $7.75 million.

A lot of this represents grants we were hoping to get that some have been on put on hold with the current federal administration.

With the addition of Peter Bramante to our staff as our grants officer, we are leaving no stone unturned in seeking different grant sources for these projects.

We are waiting to hear on that this month.

So fingers crossed on that.

It is still alive.

We had a meeting with EDA last month, and we are hoping to hear from that.

And if we don't get that, we can resubmit for that funding in March of this year.

So we are continuing to add grant grant seeking to offset these numbers to meet that infrastructure cap.

All right.

Next slide.

The water fund.

Changes to the water rates require a formal rate case to be filed with the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission.

That process adds review time and limits the speed at which revenue adjustments can occur.

At the same time, fully defining water system needs often requires upfront investment in monitoring condition assessment and preliminary design before construction funding becomes available.

The water supply system management plan, together with the Rhode Island Department of Health required infrastructure replacement plan and the capital improvement program helps bridge that gap by documenting known risks, identifying priorities transparently and allowing the city to plan ahead while maintaining affordability regulatory compliance and reliable service.

So again, the total water fund total funded water projects for proposed fiscal year 27 is $5.7 million in that column right in the middle of the slide.

And then the red items at the bottom of this slide represent the infrastructure gap of 70, about 17.9 million dollars, almost 18 million dollars.

Okay, next slide.

So the infrastructure gap.

So these slides show a reality we need to be clear about.

Infrastructure needs exceed our available funding.

This is a national and local challenge driven by aging systems, rising construction costs, and limited revenue tools.

Newport is not unique in facing this problem.

Not all projects carry the same risks, and not all can be done at the same time.

Delaying work increases the risk of failures and typically leads to higher future costs.

Each year, the city must choose which risks to reduce first.

That gap between need and funding is why prioritization is essential.

All right.

I did have another note on this one.

Oh, that's two slides ahead.

Sorry, next slide.

How projects are prioritized.

Because we cannot do everything at once, utilities uses a clear risk-based prioritization framework.

Every project is evaluated using the same criteria, public health and safety risk, regulatory risk, including permits and enforcement, fiscal risk, including the cost of emergency repairs and long-term rate pressure, public trust risk, including repeated failures or visible service problems.

Projects that reduce the highest combined risk are prioritized first.

This approach ensures decisions are consistent, transparent, and defensible.

Okay, key capital projects.

This slide showcases examples of projects that excel under that framework.

Wastewater treatment facility improvements, including primary clarifiers, are critical to ensuring continuous safe treatment and regulatory compliance.

Many components are at or beyond their useful life.

Water main rehabilitation and replacement address the increasing frequency of breaks and the risk to water quality.

Sanitary sewer repair and rehabilitation reduce the potential for overflow and system failures.

Water infrastructure resilience projects remove single points of failure.

Stormwater quality treatment and flood projects address the repeated impacts of flooding and rising storm intensity.

And these projects are prioritized not because they're desirable, but because the consequences of failure are significant.

And the red numbers on here represent the unfunded amounts for each of these projects.

Okay, funding and what comes next.

Capital projects are funded through a combination of utility rates, bonds, and state and federal assistance.

Grant funding is pursued whenever available, but it doesn't eliminate the need for local investment.

Stable local funding is required to qualify for most grants and low-interest loan programs.

Work is phased to manage affordability and reduce disruption.

Planned investment is more affordable than emergency repairs.

We cannot eliminate all the risk.

What we can do is deliberately and transparently reduce the most serious risks first.

The CIP is reviewed annually and adjusted as funding and regulatory requirements as well as our system conditions change.

And Rob did provide some notes about what rate increases can and cannot do.

I can go through those if you would like to hear them.

We can also see if those response to any of questions that you have.

Um, asking for input on water infrastructure needs in the state and in the different regions of water utilities in the state.

Um, because the original infrastructure investment and jobs act, the IIJA that was passed during the Biden administration allocated 50 billion over five years for the country for federal investment in water infrastructure.

And so we'll you know get the comments back to the uh Senator White House for that work to see you know if there's any opportunity for the city to leverage any or um acquire any additional state revolving funds for programs for emerging contaminants, um lead service line replacement.

And it's notable that the congressional delegation did put forward um $13 million ask in an earmark, a congressionally directed spending request for our lead service line work.

So we're still waiting to hear uh on the lead service line funds from the congressionals.

And that is what Rob has provided us with for this presentation, and I'm happy to take down any questions that you have to share with Director Schultz for follow-up.

Teresa, I know that um there is five cities in Rhode Island, four of them qualify for certain um favorability for loans and things.

Newport does not.

I don't understand why.

When in fact we service Newport, Middletown, and Ports.

I just don't understand it could save us millions when we have to uh go for grant money, and yet we don't fall into that tier.

So I I really like to understand it better.

Okay.

But I've spoken to him several times, and he has you know told me this.

And I just think it's so unfair considering the amount of um uh activity economically that we do for the state for the people that live here.

Um, you know, it's important.

It's important.

And they're paying the freight, and I I just don't understand why they don't treat us like the other four cities.

Um I think that's certainly a question for our state delegation also, legislative delegation.

Yeah, I think a lot of it has to do with our um median income uh level.

Um, but I think it's something that we need to talk to them about and perhaps get our lobbyists on board uh, you know, with um changing the um those to make us to allow us to qualify for putting you know loans through them.

We have all these unfunded mandates and yet we the state imposes and then they don't help us with any money.

Sorry.

This should be the scariest slide and series in the entire series of the CIP.

Um and Teresa, these aren't questions for you, but I want to be really clear about what we're facing here.

We're funding less than 20% of our critical infrastructure needs when it comes to our drinking water, to our sewer, and to our stormwater.

I want you to think about how we'd be reacting if Chief Donley told you that he only had 20% of the resources he needed to ensure that an emergency rescue got to your house.

Or if we heard the same thing from Chief Duffy or from the Harbormaster or from any other department in town, that they only have 20% of what they need to do their jobs.

I'm hard on Director Schultz, and I know that.

But what he's doing right now is triaging.

And we're very, very lucky that we haven't hit by some sort of emergency event, like a major storm that wipes out Easton's Pond or a major public health crisis tied to the fact that we haven't addressed lead service lines.

But this is a bright red flashing light with a quarter billion dollar liability.

What we're spending is a literal drop in the bucket.

And the challenge that we have is that the mechanism we've been pursuing, the old way of doing things, which is through rates, isn't working.

I didn't count the times on one hand that my wife has yelled at me in the past year when she opened the water and sewer bill, that was one of them this year.

And it is rapidly becoming something that is threatening the viability and affordability of this community for our middle and working class, and we need to be very aggressive about dealing with it.

The stormwater utility, which I know we're putting a lot of work into, is a very important avenue for that.

But we need to be moving with a high level of urgency on this.

We're able to move quickly and get uh cruise ship fees more than tripled, right?

That was this whole council working together uh on that to get that done.

The stormwater utility very well could be the type of thing that gives us that avenue.

But if we are holding out hope that help is gonna come riding in from Washington, I I think what we're seeing right now is that any level of hope we have there is rapidly doing dimming.

And while we may have the occasional good win, like the State Streets for All grant that was a holdover from before.

The system in the world is inherently unfair.

Jean Marie absolutely nailed that, and we are not well situated.

It is not fair, but life isn't fair.

And that's just a reality that we have to square with.

And so I think that when you think about what the next several councils are going to be focused on, uh, this certainly will be a huge part of it.

And I'm hoping we can take a big bite out of it next year that we have ahead.

Any further questions?

Yeah, so we'll make sure uh we have any questions from the public or any comments from the public.

Just a couple.

I uh read through this.

Um small potatoes items are I see an item, a new item in here.

Five million dollars for Harrison uh Harrison Avenue site.

I don't know what that is.

Harrison Avenue site is the general term that's being used for the the dump site remediation.

Uh we are waiting on the site investigation report.

Uh expected to have it two months ago, and I I've been kind of pinging the DEM office frequently trying to get that report because they owe us a public comment period.

Uh, but that's that's an anticipated cost for uh ultimately whatever the remedial alternative is that that DEM prescribes to us to accomplish.

Last year the remedial cost was 10 million.

Correct.

And that and and we still have that element.

Yep, that allocation is still there.

Uh but in terms of it's from the bonds.

Um, and the remainder of that uh is uh still allocated by resolution.

So if it costs more than five, we are still covered for that.

Yeah, would you I listen to them running bulldozers and making that pile higher every day?

It doesn't get any lower, and it'd sure be nice to know where they're going or when it's gonna start going down if it goes down.

Maybe they're just gonna make it on trash more, however, they want to do it.

They don't seem to know what they're doing, at least they can't tell me what they're doing or anybody else.

And I assume the SBC is still in charge of this operation, or is the city?

The SBC is in charge of the school of construction site, and so some of the material from the school construction site is making its way to the pile.

Ultimately, though, the school building committee will not have the uh jurisdiction over uh the pile itself.

The how that's remediated will be a city function because it is city land.

Um, and that I would anticipate within the next year, we'll start to get some very serious discussion once the cons once the demolition is completed, Rogers.

Uh from the from first the tree and open space commission, ultimately the city council, uh, once coupled with once we have the information we need from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management on how to properly remediate the site.

Thank you.

Follow-up question.

Do we have any reason to believe that this will be five million instead of ten million?

We we do in the sense that uh, and these are very rough numbers, I won't lie about that, but but we the the indications we're getting from DEM is that we will not need to remove all of that soil.

That's been kind of the uh I'll call it a myth for quite a while that we have to truck it all off the island.

It's not likely to be the case.

Uh the the most likely alternative that will be approved will be to regrade and cap that soil.

So if we if we move it around and and are able to landscape it and then cover it with clean fill, it should come in at a lot less of a cost than the 10 million that was initially allocated in the bond.

And that was always the plan.

That was the plan from the beginning.

There's been a plan.

I just until we see a quote or something firmer that tells us that this is an accurate estimate.

Last discussions we had on this, I believe we're at 10 million in the allocation.

I'm looking at the CIP at Replex 5 million.

And I think the the concern, and this is not my top issue to focus on.

I'll be clear on that, but I know that we have a colleague who's out sick.

Um, and he would probably speak at this at much greater length than I am.

He fought hard to make sure that 10 million was squarely set aside for this project.

Uh, and I would respectfully ask the administration consider keeping that allocation until we receive verifiable reasons to reduce it.

It it shall be done.

Thank you.

And just just as no one, correct me, uh, manager Kenny if I'm wrong.

So the bond number that we're looking at right now is 59 million.

Obviously, the bond that was voted on is 98.5 million.

Correct.

That's because that's what we that's what we know now that we are going to be able to sell and issue those bonds for.

Um so just because that other five million for that for the site is not there on the paper right now, doesn't mean we're not we don't have it tagged for correct.

Correct.

And when when in doubt, we always refer to the parked.

Yeah, six months.

So when in doubt, we always refer back to the council resolution that established the allocations for the for the for the infrastructure bond funds.

Right.

Thank you.

Any other questions, comments?

I just want to I think I speak for all of us up here.

I know the staff worked really hard on this, and we appreciate all the time you've put into getting this done so early this year.

Yeah.

Uh yeah, earlier and with more information too.

So uh thank you all for your for your help in this and look forward to uh continued talks and workshops.

Well, next thing's what the next meetings of 2024.

The first public hearing will be January 28th, uh in conjunction with the council meeting that evening.

All right.

Thank you, folks.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, for the feedback.

I would recommend at this time that we take a five-minute recess in preparation uh for the next uh uh traffic uh I'm sorry, the um uh one of the reasons we are uh having this workshop, just to give you a little historical context is uh you may recall the the the great annoying summer of 2024 when we had the elephants and we had uh uh several other events in town, the uh the USGA senior uh senior open uh and and we kind of reached a peak very early in the season, and that extended not only to traffic safety but also to parking as well.

That resulted in an initial workshop uh uh in October of 2024.

In fact, it was in this very same room uh where we ruminated over some of the options we might be taking and we might be able to take in the future to to um to provide some relief to our full-time residents who are struggling to find parking in some of our residential parking streets.

Um we anticipate to to councillor Sai's point earlier about the World Cup going to be nearby next year and the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and it's going to be the 250th anniversary of the United States, and so the the time period surrounding July 4th is likely to be very busy in Newport because of that as well.

In other words, we're anticipating another high volume summer, especially if the weather cooperates.

So we felt it very important with the application that the annual application period for the residential parking season, which takes place in April in March and April every year, uh, to make any changes that we feel uh that you would you would give us to make uh prior to that time, uh, so that we can change any ordinances that need to be changed and ultimately make make for a better system.

Uh I'd so we we we've been probably for the better part of the last three months have been taking another hard look at this uh this problem uh because we don't we don't want to be reactive, we'd like to be proactive.

Um and on a committee uh basis, uh we've got subject matter experts together from not only the city manager's office but also the department of finance, the the department of public safety, and IT.

Um coming up with some ideas to simplify a process that frankly over the years has become very bloated with uh uh with exceptions.

Uh so in order to streamline that and and and provide some uh give some of that quality of life back to our full-time residents, uh not only them, but also other residents who have a valid need to have residential parking, but may not be full-time residents.

We felt like we created what was a recommendation for a balanced approach um to the residential parking permit program going forward.

Uh so with that uh framework, uh I'd like to you'll you'll see my team in front of me.

Um, and uh we are ready to present uh and we don't anticipate this taking any longer than an hour.

It's gonna be a little bit of uh a slide deck uh demonstration, uh sorry, uh presentation, but also a demonstration of uh of an artificial intelligence product that has been created by the IT department to help our collections office uh make very speedy uh determinations about what documentation is needed for any of the given parking scenarios that we're that we're presenting.

We're also we've also he's uh uh director um uh uh Craig has also come up with an approach where these parking applications can be made online.

So gone will be the days of being required to come to the collections office and file all the paperwork.

Um you should be able to provide all your documentation and pay for them going forward uh from the comfort of your pajamas on your living room couch.

That said, we will still allow for folks who would like to come to City Hall and make their application to do so.

So without further ado, I'll pass it over to Director Nolan.

Thanks.

Good evening again.

Uh I'd like to go through just to piggyback on uh uh manager was saying uh really proposals to change uh what we're currently doing with our residential parking program.

Um what we're going to do tonight is really just give an overview of the issues and our proposed updates.

And um here's our team that we've been working together for a good amount of time.

Uh very well balanced team, and I think we came up with some uh nice proposals to bring to council.

Uh why changes needed to the resident sticker program.

Um currently overissuance of resident parking stickers versus limited spaces.

Loss of the department of motor vehicle linked residency verification, uh resident concerns about fairness and availability.

Uh current program challenges, we have a broad resident definition.

Um we will issue unlimited uh parking permits.

Uh we have an outdated database and a extremely manual and outdated enforcement system, enforcement system.

To put it in context, um the current program has not been changed in over 20 years.

So our parking demand reality, uh residential parking capacity versus resident parking stickers issued.

Uh we currently have 3,816 residential on on street spaces citywide.

Last year we issued 16,647 residential parking permits.

And um really that just results in uh reduced availability for full-time residents.

I like to call this the money slide.

Um this this when I saw those numbers for the first time, it really opened my eyes.

Uh, these are these are spaces on designated residential parking streets that have some sort of existing time limit, whether that's 12 hours or 24 hours.

3,800 spaces available in that in those zones.

And yeah, we're issuing 16,000 plus uh permits.

Now we know that some of those are going to members who are just applying for them, uh, who may not live on a residential parking street, but are using them to uh have access to beach parking and have access to the Mary Street lot for their three hours or their um or their or their meter spaces for three hours.

And we certainly will continue to honor that and welcome that.

Um, but it's it's unlikely that four and a half times the number of parking spaces available are actually uh applying for permits for that reason.

So that those numbers alone are daunting uh and and indicative of why we need reform.

Next slide, Elizabeth, please.

Elizabeth, next slide, please.

Oh, I can do it.

Oh, Zach.

Oh, Zach's got it.

I'm sorry, Elizabeth.

My bad.

So okay, uh proposed residential parking program goals.

Um our goals really to prioritize full-time Newport residents, uh, protect neighborhood parking availability, reduce misuse and overissuance, simplify the rules uh and documentation, and a modern visible enforcement.

What's being proposed is really gonna be two categories.

So there's going to be for the residential parking sticker program, there'll be an R1, which is equates to a primary year-round resident, and an R2, which equates to a short-term tenant uh and a non-resident owner.

And each of those categories will have uh clear documentation and and limits on the number of stickers that can be issued.

Uh caps and pricing, uh R1, which is our primary year-round residence, will be eligible for one free permit and then one additional permit at 100.

The R2 category, which is our short-term tenants and non-resident owners, will be eligible for one sticker at 100.

Uh Salve Regina students will be eligible for one sticker at 100.

Military will be um eligible for one sticker per military ID for now to be for free.

That'd be zero dollars.

And we are not proposing any changes right now to the fleet pass program, but we're looking to increase that to the the price of that to be consistent at 100.

Jim, is this per person or perhaps?

That's per vehicle.

That's gonna be per registrant.

So yeah.

Per registrant.

So if I have two cars, it's gonna cost me 100.

If you're an actual if you're an R1, so if you're if you're an R1 and you have a we can go through the documentation and things like that, you'd be eligible for one free.

And then if you had a second car, it'd be 100.

Thank you.

Uh enforcement enhancements.

Uh, we currently have the technology for uh a license plate reader.

Um, we'll have a branded enforcement vehicle, and um that which will really create a greater visibility and compliance within the program.

Benefits to the residents will be improved parking availability, fair and more transparent system and reduced abuse and misuse.

All right this slide is really it's just going to be a a real quick summary of really what our current program is to um what what we're currently proposing tonight.

So the current program we have a broad resident definition uh with which seems like many exceptions on the proposed program we'll have two clear categories as we talked about which will be our R1 and R2.

Our current system really allows for unlimited stickers uh issued and what we're proposing is putting a cap on on those uh number of uh permits that we issue uh per vehicle registrant uh in our current program our fees have not changed in over 20 years uh we currently either have a free mailing uh which encompasses probably 14000 and within our mass mailing which is at zero dollars and then if somebody comes into the office it there's a cost of two for that first year two dollars and what we're looking to do is really have a pricing very very um simplified which is either a free sticker if you're an R1 or you pay $100 for the for the the stick for the permit uh currently we have manual enforcement a proposed program we'll have our LPR which is our license plate reader um which will be a vehicle drive around the city that will ding whenever there might be uh somebody that's not included in an in their current database and um right now as far as our mass mailing we we don't have an annual reapplication period and which we're currently proposing in our new system when there'll be an annual application period or reapplication period um manager he touched on uh the the parking advisor which is uh a really nice tool that Nick Craig put together which is uh an AI tool trained only on on the proposed 2026 proposed rule excuse me rules uh it applies the rules consistently with that interpretation it then it identifies eligibility categories which are our R1 R2 our students and military and it lists exact documentation required and it supports fairness and transparency so we're here tonight on January 7th uh in our workshop really what we're looking at hopefully getting some feedback and um really applying uh to the to the extent as as far as council approves uh really beginning in may one as far as our our parking season uh so what we're um proposing to do is we're discuss tonight in our workshop uh have council consideration and adoption in january and february and then open our application period uh through the portal in uh in march of 2026 this year with the uh parking season beginning may one and that that's just high level so we can we can open up for discussion soon we're just gonna end it with the slide here as far as really just what uh what our reality is right now we will open it up for questions so should should this go through as um as this is proposed to us or would new stickers be mailed out or they or we have to get are they getting picked up so we we are planning on doing stickers this year uh but unlike last year uh because the true unique identifier of the vehicle is the license plate not the sticker uh we were just going to mail the stickers with the year only uh uh if that first year goes well with the automated enforcement we'll probably always call it the sticker program because it has a nice moniker to it and we like that but the stickers themselves would go away starting next year if we're six uh uh uh just to break the silence I'll also point out that uh the key word in one of those decks was per registrant I just want to go into a little more detail about that what that means um uh the an R1 applicant gets their one free and their one cost however they may have another vehicle registrant in the household it might be a spouse that spouse if they have the vehicle registered in their name they also qualify as an individual so it's not as though the two vehicles that the family owns necessarily have to be uh one free and one for a hundred dollars depending on the registration of those vehicles it could very well be that they're both free because it's based on the registrant not the household so that's that's a bit of a change in terms of the paradigm from the past we're going by individualslash registrants and not necessarily households and and dwelling and so what about commercial yeah commercial that so that the the fleet pass program the commercial fleet pass program that was mentioned that will still be available uh and that those will be available for for permit purchase at 100 a piece uh in accordance with the proposal

So that's that's a bit of a change in terms of the paradigm from the past.

We're going by individuals slash registrants and not necessarily households and and dwelling.

So what about commercial?

Yeah.

Commercial that so that the fleet pass program, the commercial fleet pass program that was mentioned, that will still be available.

Uh and those will be available for for permit purchase at $100 apiece, uh in accordance with the proposal.

How did we arrive at the hundred dollar mark?

Uh we looked at uh I remember when we were looking at comparative analysis with communities last year.

Uh we looked at many other coastal communities.

I know Annapolis, Charleston uh came to mind.

I believe we looked at Miami as well to see what uh Providence was one of them as well, to see what the costs of residential parking permits were in those communities.

Uh we found them to be widely variable and frankly, usually more than $100.

So for a first year of the program, uh we felt that $100 was a fair starting point.

Uh I had initially considered $200, but then uh uh every time I talk to the city solicitor, he appropriately reminds me that you're only supposed to collect a fee that's necessary to uh uh you know serve the cost of the program.

So we came down to $100.

We felt like that was a fair starting point.

If I can just clarify one thing.

So as far as the the commercial vehicles, we don't have a commercial fleet program, we have a fleet pass, which it could be an example of that would be um somebody owns a dealership and they drive a different car every week or whatever it might be, they they would be issued uh that that fleet pass.

Uh next one more question I have.

We'll get down.

Um what about or have we thought about because there has been an uptick and I know it's been relatively slow, but it'll become more two golf carts that are being used, and as well as as mopeds.

Laurie's laughing because that subject just came up the other day when we were getting ready for the final reviews.

Um, yes, those low-speed vehicles, uh uh they'll qualify if they are registered with the state in accordance with the current state law um and have a license plate.

So if that's your vehicle, uh that will qualify.

Um if it if it's not registered properly, it will not.

What about mopeds?

I think we said, yeah, weep, same thing with mopeds, and one of the discussion items we had when we were rehearsing for this is that most mopeds are not left on the street.

Um some of them are most of the you have it downtown there.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, I know there's one on there, yeah.

There's one on uh on the street right behind City Hall right now that's been there for three weeks, Ryan.

But uh but uh but uh but they will qualify as well.

Yeah.

So but it's not just it's not just the meter spaces, it's also the residential sticker spaces.

Um, I I think about Thame Street, Spring Street, uh specifically come to mind where we have unmarked uh parking spaces.

We basically just have a box along, you know, how long that block is.

So sometimes you can fit 10 cars, and depending on how people park, you can only fit seven or eight cars.

A lot of times you find out it's because there's been you know uh a moped or scooter or something smaller that's in a in a spot, so car can't pull up.

So it's not just the meter spaces.

Well, I mean, I I do want to be careful.

So when you say metered spaces, you're talking about like downtown where there's an actual parking meter on a post.

Because yeah, well, I'm talking more like thicker parking.

Right.

So that number we derived, the 3,816, that's based on GIS data and average vehicle size.

So you're right, if we had a city full of mopeds, we could fit more than that.

But uh on the whole, on average, we feel like that's a that's a that's an accurate estimate of the total number of spaces on those residential parking streets.

Right, correct.

Yeah, because meter spaces are inherently not on residential parking.

Okay.

What happens to guest houses and Airbnbs that rent to a number of families and stuff if they know or on the city street.

Yes.

So great question.

Guess the this is only the residential parking permit program, which if you look in the ordinance, I forget the number, but it ends with 070.

There's 10 1043 10.32.070.

It's A, B, C, D, E.

There's a whole bunch of different programs.

We're talking about A, uh, which is the the bulk of it.

But uh pursuant to the changes that were made last year in the new policy about guest passes that went into effect, that is not changing as as part of this discussion.

So if I am a uh the owner of a dwelling unit, I still am eligible to receive my guest pass and and I can use that however I wish, but I'm eligible to receive that.

So that part's not changing.

Um I don't want to conflate what we did last year with what we're trying to do this year.

I I guess um, you know, without naming name a guest house with 18 rooms, and they have this little tiny parking lot with about six spaces, and all those other cars are on the street.

What are you gonna do?

Right.

You have an answer.

Is that as a is but is a street residential parking or meter parking?

It's it's resident.

Uh no, it's not really.

Oh, yes, it is resident.

Yes, it is.

Yeah, it is.

So the so if there is a guest pass, yeah.

And uh correct me if I'm wrong, one pass per resident for per residential dwelling unit.

Yep.

So those those who have that hang tag will are are allowed to park in a residential area.

But if it does not, and it's not, and if it's not in our in our system as being a residential um permit holder, then they're going to uh be in violation.

Does that answer answer your question?

Well, it you know, the neighborhood is residential and a guest house.

And the guests that come in take street parking.

Sure, but they would have to have that guest pass, which that program is not changing.

It would be the same, it would be the same as it uh we're not with this proposal, there's no change to those particular.

Yeah.

Yeah, I am I hear the same thing every yeah.

I know you do.

Right.

Yeah.

Is there only is there only one okay?

Right.

Right.

We're assuming it's a he, because we don't know what property we're talking about.

We know.

We know that's that legal.

Well, let's say it did the same thing with a beach pass, right?

Could I be selling a beach pass on Stub Hub?

Like, is that legal?

You're scalping.

Well, I mean, I guess it depends on the circumstances if it if it you know they they make a deal and it's clear to the to the people who were uh renting the room that if they lose that and do not return it, they're gonna have to pay 200.

That person's gonna argue that they're doing that as a deterrent.

And in practicality, practicality, yes, there's probably you know, they're doing it as a deterrent, but they don't really care whether they do it or not.

But I I couldn't, I wouldn't say off the top of my head right now is illegal.

I I would be surprised that they get many people paying that.

I think they pay it up front when they book the room.

Yeah, but they get because that happens a lot with hotels they'll they'll argue and then next thing you know, you call that credit card company and then you have to re-in reimbursement.

My my other question is areas that are their small homes that they rent out, and all of a sudden there's five or six cars, you know, again, it's normal this ward or third the street where the property's one.

Yeah.

Does the tag have that?

Getting awful lot of folk.

If if I could just chime in quickly on the um on the guest house issue.

So this committee we've entertained uh ordinance changes um in the fact that you have a 15-room guest house and you're entitled to 15 guest passes or 15 dwelling units essentially in that guest house, so you're entitled to those guest passes minus the number of parking spaces available on site.

Uh again, we've entertained caps on a number of things in this proposal.

Um we have not um recommended in this proposal a cap on a guest pass per dwelling unit um in a guest house.

Um but again that is uh something that we could uh we will continue to talk about, continue to entertain um because there are caps in this proposal on issuing stickers.

Um and the purpose of this is to avail more available parking to our permanent residents, and um if that is a recommendation that the council would like to see this committee pursue um and putting cat in putting caps on guest houses either by percentages or um another formula, uh then this committee is certainly willing to entertain that.

Okay, um do we are we gonna go through this memorandum?

No, that would know we're talking uh because this is supposed to be about resident guest passes.

I know I don't want to get too far down the road about the guest No, but if uh we we uh we we don't have to go through the memo, but the memo guides the guides the AI tool.

And so if any of you do have some scenario specific questions, if you have one in your mind from personal experience or uh or would just like to make one up, uh we can demo that right now and how and how easy that is for I just want one clarification.

If your car is registered in Newport and you are a resident, you automatically get your pass.

Correct.

Well, with a newport driver's license, you have a new portal with yeah, newport driver's license, Newport registration.

And if there are other members in your family that live in your home registered in Newport with a Rhode Island license.

Correct.

Oh, so I'll give you an extreme example extreme example to uh uh uh allay any fears there might be.

Let's say you have a mom and dad and two teenage drivers all live in the same house.

Provided they all have their vehicles registered in their own name.

Um that's four free passes plus up to four more.

They could have eight.

Uh if they have eight cars, I'm jealous, but but um so yeah, we we we by going to the registrant instead of the household, we feel like that opens up an aperture where we can we can provide some benefit to our residents who may have multiple vehicles without unduly imposing on on other parts of the program.

What if they have um all those vehicles registered under dad's name?

Then I would say that unless it's unlikely that dad is the primary operator of that vehicle, and so uh it it's not only in our interest, but also in the state's interest to make sure that that's registered appropriately.

So with uh with a by changing that registration with the DMV one time, you can open up a lot more eligibility.

Otherwise, dad gets two stickers for those eight vehicles.

Oh, thank you.

Yes, good point.

Yep.

Right.

But I I don't know if I like that.

I'm, you know, there are but what if your driver's license says you're a newport resident?

And that's not good enough.

I mean you you it is.

Okay, so so the car is registered in dad's name, but you have a license showing you to be a Newport resident.

Then what?

It's a hundred bucks.

Right.

Did you do any um projections on you know it just seemed like an awful lot from two dollars to a hundred, but um any projections as to the benefit to the city?

No, I know that you're not right.

True, true.

Seventy-five dollars.

I know I know the time, the time.

No, I know.

No, but if you want it to self-sustain.

I mean, there's there's no textbook for this.

If there is, I haven't found it yet.

So uh do you anticipate enforcement being a property?

Okay, and more visible uh from a constituent services standpoint.

I think sometimes there's a perception that we're not enforcing because we're not seen.

But now with the with the branded vehicles and with the flashing lights that pass by your your 6 p.m.

to six a.m.

house at 3 a.m.

You're gonna be like, well, I'm sorry it woke me up, but I'm glad they're not there enforcing.

So yeah, I just we hope it doesn't wake you up.

Please pull your curtains and the advantage to this to this program, we're we're really trying to start fresh air.

Uh we're trying to purge this entire thing, create an entirely new database with all of this information that is self-input in most cases by the resident by the applicant in the portal, goes into the system.

It is a brand new database, it is current, it is accurate, and it is supported by legal documentation.

There have just been the cases of abuse that we have discussed over the last several months.

Um cases of misrepresentation of playing the system, so to speak, is what has resulted in nearly 17,000 residential parking stickers being issued in this city.

We estimate we're probably somewhere legitimate, uh legitimately probably somewhere in the range of eight or nine thousand.

Right.

So we're looking at about seven or eight thousand stickers out there that are being unnecessarily issued or you know, that certainly this past year.

It's a very cool application of technology.

I'm super excited for it, but can you promise us that from a technology and implementation perspective, this is gonna go more smoothly than the utility bills?

I mean, I'm not joking, but serious, right?

I mean that it is would there be multiple locations?

I mean, I know people can apply online, but um would there be could there be multiple places that people could apply?

Um or is it would you just be at City Hall?

I I think yeah.

Okay, that would be good.

And and we also anticipate uh we anticipate one-offs.

There will always be that scenario that no human being could have possibly thought of.

And and we will write those down.

Um and if you know if you see one, okay, that's a that's a one.

If you see 10, you have a trend.

Uh so we're we're prepared to flex uh with with city council's participation over time as we uncover some of these weird scenarios that we just didn't envision.

But we've we've been at this now.

If you if you go back to last October and even the months preceding that, we've been at this for the better part of 18 months and really, really hard now for the last four or five.

And uh, you know, the the hours of conversation that we put into this, I think we've probably covered about 98% of the scenarios.

Um, and then the the tool helps us very quickly in the collection office um based uh you know, based on the information that the applicant gives you, uh, tell you exactly what documentation you need and exactly what the price will be, and and then enables you an off-ramp to pay for that service if you if you owe a fee.

And we and we're um planning for January 28th, and then the second meeting, uh first meeting in February for the second reading.

It's what we're hoping for.

Now I do have to uh uh warn the solicitor that we're gonna dump an ordinance change on his desk and we're gonna have to ask him to review it.

If he's he's he's got a lot of things on his plate.

So uh uh ideally the 28th and the 11th, but if necessary, we can the 11th and the second meeting in February.

Yeah, I think the only um one of the only issues also is the we had that other group working on some of the residential parking.

Um there may be we're gonna have to look at the entire chapter to make sure there isn't any inconsistencies because I think that group also did a definition of resident that isn't gonna be the same as what was done here, which is I think a probably a better one from what I saw.

Um so uh that um that's based on my recollection, but we'll see.

We'll just have to make it all consistent, which will be it shouldn't be that difficult.

Right.

You wanna I know you've been waiting?

And you're prepared, so I don't want you to come up.

Thank you.

Well, thank you for your hard work.

Um my proposal did uh cover guest passes because it's part of that 10.3 DE and F.

And um, but I do in my proposal see a lot of overlap, which I really really appreciate.

Sounds like progress to me.

Um of the things that I thought was important in this proposal is that residents are uh determined by whether or not they uh receive the residential tax exemption, because those are the real residents.

So I know right now the um definition of resident is quite broad.

It's like just being paying real estate taxes or something.

It's like just being paying real estate taxes or something, it's really broad, but to um really take care of the full-time residents here, that could be a document uh that could be queried and the uh guest not the guest passes, but the stickers, the resident stickers could give be given to those people.

Um and the second thing is that um that sec that chapter 10.32 does cover guest passes, and I understand the reasoning why you want to do this in parts, but um these would be suggestions for when you do get those guest passes, and my thought is that uh many of these properties have been turned into commercial enterprises and they are no longer residential.

Um most of them have been given variances because they don't have parking, so they've already been given that concession that okay, this is something you want to do with your property.

We all agree you don't have sufficient parking, but we're gonna give you the variance and let you try.

However, that doesn't entitle them to parking passes.

That doesn't entitle them to guest passes.

That's their problem.

They're gonna have to figure out if they have insufficient parking some way to deal with that, but it shouldn't be at the expense of the residents.

So they might be able to purchase um, and one of the scenarios that I worked up, um, you know, if you've put your property in into like a commercial setting and you're you're renting to a salva student, maybe that salva student, if she's got a lease, um, could get some kind of temporary pass for the month of September and the month of uh May, but they wouldn't need um, you know, they could get and the same thing with people with military postings, um, some kind of temporary monthly pass that they could pay for or not pay for, I would think military, they would just get the passes.

Um so that people who decide to um take their properties and become commercial enterprises know that they are going to have to start considering parking.

I I often see people who are running short-term rentals or guest houses, I guess they were called now, and they've been they have maybe three parking spots, and they need six, and they get guest passes, and they end up parking on the street using those guest passes.

And so I just think as a rule of thumb, and that's one of the um examples I go through.

If you have a guest house, which you can check, I mean, that's something that's on record, and you have a variance, a parking variance, which is also something you can query, then you're not getting a guest pass.

We've already given you a concession by allowing you to try this this commercial enterprise.

You know, if it doesn't work, if you can't manage that, then maybe you want to have long-term leases on your property or live there full-time.

I don't know, but I don't know that um just because you get the variance for parking, and I think it's a misconception that they think they automatically get guest passes.

So for my principles in coming up with these scenarios, you have to have the uh exemption to get the residence sticker, and any property that's been turned into a commercial enterprise, you know, assuming they've also had to have variances to run that enterprise, are not going to get guest passes at all.

Um so I try to um that table one came up with these cases are there extra anyway.

I I think it could be coded up like really fast.

Um the questions I think, especially as far as guest houses go, um, is to see whether what people are eligible for.

So if the person qualifies for uh a tax, like a homestead exemption, um, but the address has a variance, then that's probably like a guest house.

Um but up till now they um they've been getting guest passes.

I mean, that could be the like a guest house manager who lives on the property and um gets a guest pass, hands it off to their client, their patron.

But uh in my rubric here, they would only get the um resident resident sticker.

Only people who have the resident tax exemption um without any parking variances would get both.

Um and then the other two cases would be um for people who are not getting the tax exemption, and if there's a variance or not would determine what kind of passes they would get.

But the two big things that are different in my proposal is this creation of a um temporary, a monthly temporary kind of pass that would give you some flexibility for like students and uh military, you know, and that gives you like uh you know a little bit of flexibility, um, and change the price, uh give it for free to certain circumstances, and then um the case that kind of confounded me was what happens if they are not getting the um tax exemption, like people who go to Florida and come back for three months.

So they're not gonna get the tax exemption, they're like you know, snowbirds, I guess we call them.

And the property has a variance, so they're absentee landlords, they're not full-time residents.

Their property is being used for a commercial process.

Um, I don't know.

They I don't know what you want to do with those.

Maybe they can buy the passes.

What would the what would this city's proposal do under that?

But you'd have to pay for the hundred dollars.

Right, right.

This that's what I'm saying.

And limit one.

That's also very important.

Yeah.

Yeah, I I understand the reasoning to not discuss the guest houses, but this is something, you know, as you're moving forward, uh maybe consider I would hope you would consider it.

Um, because I I would like to know how many guest passes there are out there compared compared to how many actual properties are out there.

Um, you know, I gotta tell you, every every time I um see a car parked on the street with a guest pass, and I know that get that address is a guest house, you know, they don't have enough parking, and there they that was I I was gonna take that space.

Um it's gone.

It's gone for days because they sit there for day after day for their entire stay, um, and they just leave their car there.

So you know that's that's not really working for me.

Yeah, but they do.

Yeah, no, I know it's a 24.

Is that gonna be checked?

Oh boy.

Um, yeah, I know it's a 24-hour limit, but right now, you know, it's not big enforced, and it won't be enforced for at least another year, I guess, another go-around.

Um really.

Oh, really?

Okay, well, thank you.

That's good to know.

All right.

Um, but it's a slightly different um, this is just a slightly different take on what constitutes a full-time resident and who is entitled to guest house passes.

Thank you very much.

This is I think it's a really nice paper, by the way.

Thank you.

This is nice paper.

Um well, this is uh a great proposal, and I know we have uh a lot of work to do uh before we get to the next uh council meeting to start looking at this as an ordinance change.

So um, but I think it's a step in the right direction, and I appreciate all the work that you guys have done.

This is the whole group right here.

This is the theme.

This is the team.

All right, I just want to know who I address the phone calls to when it comes up.

Yeah, send it back because you're retired.

Um all right.

Uh Manager Kennedy, any anything else?

So we will wrap this up.

I I believe we can adjourn.

Alrighty.

Well, thank you all very much.