The Newport City Council met on May 27, 2026, to address a full agenda including the FY27 budget, a projected school deficit of nearly $6 million, a resolution supporting an aquaculture farm at Castle Hill, and various special event licenses. The meeting featured public comments on tree removal, school funding, and the budget. Key outcomes included approval of the FY27 budget with a 3.95% tax levy increase, a decision to hold a special meeting on June 3 to discuss a loan for the school district, and the denial of a special event license for a candlelight concert at Belcourt Castle.
All right, Madam Clerk, take a roll call, please. David Carlin. Here. Lynn Underwood Segway. Here. Charlie Holder. Here. So I can't see for one. Here. Jean Marie Napolitano. Here. Ellen Pannock. Here. Stephanie Smith. Here. There is a quorum present, Mr. Chair. Please stand for Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance. The United States of America. And we will republican one nation under our individual justice for all. Yes, Lola Herrera. Just as a reminder, Lola, state your name and address. Good evening, counselors. My name is Lola Herrera, and I live in 59 Bedrough Avenue. I'm a commissioner. I'm serving as a commissioner, but I'm not going to talk on behalf of any commission. I'm speaking as a private citizen. I want to bring the attention to something that is becoming very frustrating for me and I think other residents in Newport. This is something funny. Do you remember the movie The Lorax? You know, the Lorax. So many of you probably watch it with your children or your grandchildren. It's a story about protecting trees and the environment from unchecked development and profit-driven decisions. Sometimes I feel we are living in a version of the Lorax in Newport. A few months ago, as a resident near the Broadway area, I learned that centenary trees were cut down by a private developer to make way for apartment construction. Yesterday I learned that more trees near the Hall of Fame are expected to be removed to accommodate another hotel. Additionally, and equally concerning, seven public trees on Jones Street are scheduled to be cut in the coming days to accommodate the same development project bordering Jones Street. Once again, residents learn about these decisions after the fact when little can be done. This feels very contradictory and frustrating for many points of view. On one hand, the city invests time and money into plans to improve parks, expand green spaces, and increase Newport tree canopy, which we know is among the lowest in Rhode Island after Central Falls. On the other hand, we continue allowing the removal of mature and centennial trees for large scale developments. Newport has already experienced significant hotel and tourist development over many years. The concern many residents have is that growth will continue without the same level of protection for neighborhoods. Public green space and the tree canopy that residents are repeatedly told are important priorities in the plans that we always pay as a taxpayer. So economic growth should not come at the permanent expense of our city environmental health and liability. We ask residents to participate in workshops, community meetings, and planning processes. But what message we are sending if those goals are not reflected in actual decisions? These are not decorations. So I ask you, how can we seriously talk about sustainability and resilience?