Lynn Underwoods Hegley.

Here.

Charlie Holder.

Here.

Sai Kim Saborova.

Jean Marie Napolitano.

Here.

Ellen Pinock.

Yeah.

Stephanie Smythe.

Here.

There's a quorum present, Mr.

Chair.

All right.

Please rise for the legends of the United States within America.

And you want to be able to do one nation.

Uh before we get started, um, I just want to make one special announcement.

We have uh a special guest in the audience today, the mother of Councillor Smythe, who is gonna be celebrating her birthday coming up in July.

So we just want to say happy birthday, Diane.

Happy birthday.

To you, happy birthday, miss a smile.

Happy birthday to you.

I had to do it.

Uh Madam Clark, anyone sign up for the citizens form?

Yes, Mr.

Chair.

Um, we have quite a few people tonight.

Uh, start with Peterson, and state your name and address, please.

Uh B, middle initial E and then Peterson, C E T E R-S-O-N.

Two-2, Sergeant, which is S G T, and then Wiedemann.

W E.

Um, W.

That's all right.

We okay, Sergeant Wiedemann Street.

I apologize.

I have Parkinson's some trying to take your time.

All right.

My name is Keene Peterson, and I have owned the house at 2-2 Sergeant Wiedemann Street for about 12 years.

I've been through a lot as far as uh parking issues.

There's five signs on the street that say no parking, and I've I have to call the police to get other owners, and there's two owners that keep uh parking in the no parking zones, and they let their guests park there when everybody has a driveway that can hold up to three cars.

So what had happens is I have to call the police.

I've got to wait for the police to get there.

Um, you know, I've I'm a very peaceful person and I've tried to work things out.

Um, ended up being screamed at obscenities and different things.

Um I have this document that the uh Newport Housing Authority sent me, and so it was written May 8, 2024 and sent to me with summer quickly approaching, we all will be spending more time outdoors.

The Housing Authority of the City of Newport would like to ask everyone to refer to their ground lease, Article 4.2, responsible use and compliance with the law, and that includes parking um for the continued safe and harmonious operation of your community as a reminder.

Article 42 of the contract states homeowners are required to maintain lease premises in a manner so as not to cause actual harm to others or create any nuisances, public or private, including but not limited to noise violations, keeping the unregistered vehicles overgrown grass lots, and shell dispose of any and all waste in a safe and sanitary uh manner that includes waste generated by pets.

We had an issue with that.

Um, so please pick up after them.

Newport housing authority owns the land your home sits on, and to whom you pay your land lease.

However, when you purchased your home, you accepted responsibility for complying with these rules.

Thank you for your continued support.

Um, Rhode Island Housing the Housing Authority of the City of Newport.

Um, so thank you for listening.

I'd like to hand each one of you these.

Um, it's been 12 years and we're still having an issue.

And I had to miss an appointment.

I have doctors' appointments and stuff, and I gotta wait for the police to come to get out of my driveway, and there's other folks also on the street when they park there, they can't get out of their driveways.

And God forbid, if we have an emergency vehicle, they're gonna have to try to contact whose ever cars are there, and somebody could actually die, so or their house burn up because they can't get through people are parking there.

And I think the original design was not to have cars parked there.

We have my Zenomi Park, as just tonight.

There's about 30 parking spaces.

People could park.

And I have a picture of one of the homeowners on Sergeant Weamen parked right under the no parking sign.

Do you want to bring those up?

Yeah, I have this for you.

Motion to receive.

Motion second, all affairs are aye.

Okay.

Yeah, you can skip them right to the uh scam right to the clerk right there.

Right there.

Okay, I'm sorry.

You have a possible package, all the second.

Oh, I can care about that.

Thank you, Mike.

Thank you, Ms.

Pearson.

Thank you for listening, and hopefully getting something done about it.

Um, who's next?

Joan McCarthy.

Good evening.

Thank you for hearing our concerns.

Um, my name is Joan McCarthy for the record.

I reside at 4-2, Sergeant Wheedeman Street.

I resided there since May of 2020.

So, yes, we have continuing uh issues with all parking on the street.

We have signs, and I can show people all the signs.

There's five that are posted that says no parking anytime on the street.

The street is owned by Newport Housing Authority, so um the city of Newport does not own it, which poses a problem.

Like Jean had mentioned, there's problems with people getting out of their driveways.

Um I have a neighbor who resides next to me who is very revengeful, and she will have her brother park his car or truck right in front of my house.

Doesn't bother me, but the person who lives across the street can't get out, and that's a problem, and she has medical issues.

So we have, and I am going to bring this up, and I'm gonna read it first.

We, Jean and I had gone to the Newport Housing Authority to their monthly meetings, and we have brought this up on several occasions.

They started sending out a newsletter with the monthly bills to the private homeowners who live on the street, and it states the housing authority of the city of Newport would like to remind residents and their guests to please abide by the no parking signs posted on your streets.

Parking violators run the risk of receiving a parking ticket or having your car towed.

We appreciate everyone's cooperation.

Shall I bring it up to you?

To receive to receive.

Motion of second, all those in favor say aye.

Okay.

So even though these monthly letters are sent out, there's nothing that's being done about it.

So I I don't know what what the bottom line is.

There's been no towing company, um, there's there's nothing.

I have been recording illegal, illegally parked cars on my ring camera for the last couple of years, so I have a whole bunch on here.

Okay, of the individuals that are illegally parking.

I called the police department one time and mentioned that there had been a car parked there for an hour or two, and the person who was dispatched or who listened to my call said, we don't take care of that.

That's Newport Housing, and they hung up on me.

So I felt, you know, like I was not getting any support on this.

Okay.

Um, my thing here is that I personally feel that the community officer who is assigned to Newport Housing, who deals directly with Rhonda Mitchell.

Okay, okay.

They need to speak to these individuals because this problem is going to continue unless they're spoken to and there's some kind of uh I don't want to say penalty associated, but the behavior is going to continue if there's nothing done.

Okay.

Um so I ask that um Rhonda and the community officer work something out where these individuals are the police officer comes and talks to these individuals, and um a written report is made, and even though I have a ring camera on my uh door, I can see when police officers come down the street and go to these individuals' houses.

So they can't say, oh yes, we talked to them, because no, I don't see a police officer.

Recently I had a police officer who came by, and I don't know his name, but he was excellent, and he came by twice that that evening.

I don't know if the police can come by and round in the evening hours to see if there's any illegally parked cars and ask them to move.

I don't know if that's something possible, but this seems to happen between four and nine o'clock.

I thank you very much for your for listening to me, and I rescend.

Thank you, Mr.

Carlton.

Bonnie Watson.

Good evening.

My name is Bonnie Watson, and I live with my husband on Catherine Street.

We are full-time residents.

First, I want to thank each of you for your service to this community.

Showing up for Newport meeting after meeting is no small feat.

I'm here tonight because I believe in what we all are doing in this chamber, exercising our civic rights and responsibilities.

The word for that for what we are doing right now comes from ancient Greece, polis, the community of citizens who govern themselves together.

The Greek democracy was practiced, debated, argued, right in the open.

That is what a self-governing society looks like.

Disregarding the origin of the world political, it was used by one counselor at last council meeting to dismiss a resolution presented by another counselor as though raising the concerns about our community is somehow partisan or self-interested.

Every vote casts in this chamber is by definition a political act.

The question is not whether a resolution is political, but whether it is justified.

When a counselor calls a civic concern political as an accusation, she distorts the word rather than addressing the concern.

Calling any counselor's resolution political does not rebut it, it dismisses it.

And the concerns of the residents of Newport deserve better than a dismissal.

Regarding the substance of the resolution, which was to limit hotel development.

Newport's infrastructure is not an abstraction.

Our water system, our wastewater capacity, our emergency services all operate under real constraints that do not expand simply because a developer files a permit.

Hotel development places concentrated seasonal demand on systems that are already stressed.

Ignoring that is not pragmatism, it is negligence.

And then there is the traffic.

Last Friday, my husband and I set off for Fort Adams to watch the start of the Newport to Bermuda sale race.

We never made it off Bellevue Avenue.

Sorry, we never made it off Rhode Island Avenue.

Um, anyone who's tried to cross Saints Street or exit Bellevue Avenue on a summer weekend knows this is not a hypothetical concern.

It is a daily reality for the people who live here year-round.

Adding commercial development without constraints and without addressing infrastructure and traffic does not grow Newports.

It degrades quality of light, strains emergency response times, and accelerates where on infrastructure that taxpayers, not the developers, will ultimately pay the repair.

I'll stop the work.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Watson.

Rocco Grasso.

Good evening.

I have a chart that I put together.

If you don't mind, can I distribute it to the council?

Motion and second.

All those in favor, say aye.

Rocco Grasso 218 Hoxia.

Thank you.

You can start because we you only have a couple minutes.

Okay.

Thank you.

So I previously attended the meeting on May 27th, which was the long and intense five-hour budget meeting.

Um I was looking to make a comment, but unfortunately, time constraints was unable to.

But tonight I'm here to comment on the Newport Community Choice Aggregation Program.

In particular, I'd like to address its failure to deliver savings to participating taxpayers, as well as offer an immediate solution, which MyBusinessKilwatt.com can provide.

I would like to start off by refreshing your recollection to March of 2023 when Mr.

Rhodes from Good Energy was here explaining how the CCA program works.

He promised you and the tax base three main things: choice, a 10% discount of the utility rate, and that if the program wasn't opt-out, there wouldn't be lower rates available.

I also heard at the time that Chairman Zay's concern that the program would be is that the program would be another bait and switch trap.

Now here we are in June of 2026, and he was correct.

Community choice ironically is everything but choice.

The taxpayer is enrolled automatically and is offered one supplier, next air energy, and one price term, which is six months.

Taxpayers are giving away their small percentage of savings that they have collected for the past three years and are now paying a 22% premium compared to the Rhode Island Energy Last Resort Service now and for the next six months.

And ironically, there were better prices available for consumers at the time that Mr.

Rhodes was telling you that there wasn't, as you can see on the chart that I handed out.

Additionally, the one choice offered to the taxpayer yields additional shortcomings, such as it's not safe, it's not simple, and it's not effective.

It's not safe because it doesn't protect the taxpayer from above market rates, which is what we're seeing right now.

It's not simple because the taxpayer must monitor pricing and opt out to prevent loss savings.

It's not effective because it doesn't provide the taxpayer with market-based rates or the full amount of savings available.

So that's the bad news.

The good news is that there is a solution that already exists, which can be offered to the Newport tax base, and is the perfect opt-out resource for taxpayers who want to opt out of the program.

Kilowan AI.

Kilowant is an AI agent that automates the shopping of energy supply for the consumer.

It's not a CCA alternative, it's already publicly available for the for consumers at no costs and serves as a perfect supplement to the CCA program.

Our non-stop shop AI is superior to the CCA program in a number of ways, including it's safer, more simple, and more effective.

Safer because it offers savings-only price plans, so it's impossible for the consumer to pay more than Rhode Island Energy.

It's simple because our non-stop shop AI autonomously shops for over a thousand price plans daily for the consumer.

And it's more effective because it triggers price plans at market low opportunities and provides each consumer with a custom savings analysis based on their past 12 months of usage.

Which you can see at the bottom left of your island electric bill you receive in the mail every month.

What uh what we'll do is just turn this to the manager's office and they can take a look at it.

Um, I'm not sure what we are contractually where we are, but um I just don't want this to turn into a business proposition right now.

I understand.

I'm not really here to to make a sales pitch then, here to attempt to address a problem that's costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

You don't have to look at uh no because we already have you've already gone over the a lot of time.

So we have other people that want to talk to, so I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you for your time.

Pete Rice.

Okay, it's interesting.

Uh Pete Royce uh won Harrison Lane.

I'm in the third ward, used to be in the fifth ward, but I'm still next to Rogers in the pile.

Uh coincidentally, I'm here talking about electricity also.

Um for some time now, we had we had a lot of discussion about electric bills and how much they've paid and where they went and who paid them, uh, and then there was a segue into discussion about solar, which seems to have died somewhere.

I haven't heard any more solar for a month or so now.

Anyway, my I have a simple solution.

Um I drive by, I drive on Ruggles a lot, probably two, three times a day.

It is rare, very rare.

I go down Ruggles and the lights in the gym are not on.

Although I've been assured by the superintendent that she is actually seen, not on, off at one point, I have never.

I've suggested the school board, uh the school committee, and to the superintendent, and maybe a way could be found to turn the lights off.

And it's three o'clock in the morning and there's nobody around.

Uh, but I've had no luck.

So I thought I'd come here and express my concern uh to the city council, whom I think should be in charge of facilities.

I think we ought to get the schools out of facilities game, let them concentrate on education, and let the city worry about facility mowing grass, doing that kind of stuff, snow forever.

I don't think they're doing they aren't interested, they don't care.

Uh they just come to you for more money when they run out.

Uh and that's it.

I'll quit before the both.

Thank you, Ms.

Royce.

Elizabeth Confil canfil.

Apologies.

Okay.

Good evening.

My name is Elizabeth Canville.

I'm the way at the U.S.

Small Business Administration.

Um, unfortunately, I cannot move here.

It's beautiful.

Um, I am from the field office in Atlanta.

And just wanted to talk briefly about small business loans that are available to folks as a result of the snowstorm in February.

Um, so you guys have just been approved to be um eligible for these low-interest loans since it's members.

Um essentially, these uh loans are low-interest loans that are available to businesses and non-profits.

Uh they focus solely on economic impacts versus property losses.

Uh so for the duration of that storm and for the businesses who were shut down or who lost revenue based upon their normal patrons not visiting.

So these low interest loans um offer the opportunity for businesses and nonprofits to apply and try to recruit some of those losses.

Um the loan limit is up to two million dollars.

That's for every single disaster.

Um, I hope within those two days, nobody suffered a two million dollar loss.

Um, would obviously not be ideal.

Um, we are here in Rhode Islands for another week with an office that is available for the public to come in and speak to some of our loan representatives that's located at the police station in Smithfield.

Uh, however, individuals can apply online.

Um, I know even though it's the summer and this was back in February, a lot of folks are wondering how they can kind of qualify the loss that they may suffer uh or may have suffered, and a lot of times it's there in that point in February to the books from last year.

There's a lot of different solutions uh for individuals to get these loans.

So the meat of it is interest rates are 4% for businesses, and 3.6% for nonprofits.

Uh, this money comes out of the treasury, so there's nothing in terms of that won't change.

So it comes directly from the treasury and it's up to 30-year loan um paying options.

Um what else?

There's no collateral required for this loan if uh your losses are less than $50,000.

So a lot of individuals, business owners may not have that collateral to put up.

Um another great thing: no payments are required for the first year and zero interest approves during that time.

So ultimately, the goal is to keep those small businesses because nonprofits up and running despite the losses that they may have suffered.

Um, that's about it.

Our center in Smithfield is open until Friday, which is a short amount of time.

Individuals are able to apply online at SCA.gov.

And uh that application is open until March 27.

So if you visuals realized down the road and did approve some losses, they have until March the next year to apply.

I'm gonna leave some flyers and fact sheets.

Um, and thank you for having me.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

That's it.

Okay.

Okay.

Oh, we have a uh Council Segley's gonna make a uh presentation on our two uh 2026 sister city trip to Shimoda, Japan.

Is it Ray, is it okay if I do the presentation from here?

Okay, okay, okay.

So I'll just so um back in uh May, May 17th through the 21st, uh we went on a sister city adventure.

Charlie um and I on the council went um for the black ships festival in our sister city Shimoda Japan.

And I'm just gonna read a little bit off the slides, but mostly I I'm going to explain the photographs.

Um the sister city relationship was established in 1958.

Uh the Newport Shimoda sister cities are connected through the legacy of Newport's own Commodore Matthew C.

Perry, who landed in Shimoda in 1854 to negotiate the Convention of Kanegawa, ending Japan's era of isolation.

And you can see some beautiful photographs of the landscape and the harbor at Shimoda on the picture at the bottom is of uh a road called Perry Road, which of course is named in honor of Commodore Perry.

Am I doing this right?

Oh, do I go here?

Side loans.

Oh, sideways.

This is the scariest part.

Which way do I go?

There it is.

Did I do that?

Okay.

So the delegation who went uh this year is, of course, Charlie Holder, myself, uh Charlotte Rochelle, who's a Rogers High School student, Grant Herkenrather, Rogers High School student, Brian Rochelle, a parent, and acted as chaperone, Colleen McGrath, uh former Newport City Councillor, she traveled throughout Japan for a couple of weeks before that and met us there.

Then there is Dr.

Yuki Yoshida from the Tourism Ambassador from the Hakidate City and the Hakidate Japan America Society, Scott Wampler, her husband, and Haroko Yamaguchi, who is a longtime interpreter.

This is to say thank you to the Preservation Society for generously sponsoring the Rogers students for to be able to go to Japan for the Black Ships Festival.

And that is Grant on the left and Charlotte on the right.

And they are standing with the superintendent of schools in Shimoda.

Now what are Sister Cities?

In 1956, President Eisenhower convened the White House Conference on Citizen Diplomacy and encouraged American communities to form direct relationships with cities abroad.

This led to the creation of Sister Cities International.

And why are sister cities important?

Cultural exchange, economic opportunities, economic development, sharing best practices, people to people diplomacy, and community enrichment.

And you can see the little sign in the middle that shows the Newport Shimoda Forever symbol.

Who was Commodore Matthew C.

Perry?

As you can see that there are several statues.

There's one on the left is from Toro in Toro Park.

And the one on the right is in Shimoda at the Perry Landing.

And the one in the bottom in the middle is his burial site at the island cemetery.

The two portraits, one of them is a Japanese cultural version of Commodore Perry, and then an actual photograph.

So Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry was born in Newport in 1794.

He died in New York City in 1858.

And as I said, he was buried in the island cemetery in Newport.

He was a naval innovator and reformer.

He was known as the father of the Steam Navy for promoting steam-powered warships.

He was one of the most influential American naval officers of the 20th century.

And when he landed in Shimoda and he arrived there in 1854, his actions have had long lasting effects on American diplomacy and Japanese history.

Now I do want to go over the itinerary a little bit because it is jam-packed.

And this is a work trip.

That's all I can say.

It's a work trip.

So we started off on May 17th, traveled from Boston to Narita Airport, took 16 hours with a one-night stay in Tokyo.

The following day we left at noon to go by train to Shimoda, which is about three hours.

Then we went to Shimoda City Hall, then we visited the students at the high school who visited Newport in March, and then we had a gift exchange in the evening.

And here we are at the Shimoda City Hall, which is actually a new building that was just converted from an old school.

And you can see some of the delegation there, and they gave us some beautiful tea and some sweets as a welcome.

And you can see the two students, Grant and Charlotte on the bottom left, and Charlie greeting the mayor of Shimoda.

This was our welcome gift.

This was an original piece of art.

It was a felt painting created by Sybil Graco.

She was a Pell elementary school teacher, and this was presented to Mayor Matsui at Shimoda City Hall.

So you can see it's a it's made of Felt, it's very interesting.

It's a very artistic piece.

This is um Shimoda City Hall.

What you see on the left, the building on the left is uh a replica of the new building.

Uh what's written in Japanese on the top means the mayor's office.

Um the top right photograph is where people pay their taxes, and uh the bottom photograph is their tourism office, and they were very busy getting ready for the festival.

This was in the mayor's office.

The portraits that you see are of the mayors who have supported the sister city relationship throughout the years, and you can see some of the gifts and memorabilia that has been given from Newport to Shimoda over several years.

This was an interesting conversation we had because this was a prominent um, a prominent display in the mayor's office, and it discussed Japan's rapid population decline, and I asked why, and they said well that people are having fewer children, uh, there's less immigration, economic demands, children are expensive, and they are also having an older population just like we are here, and this is resulting in school closures, vacant homes, and labor shortages.

But you can see the big drop happening, and uh it's it's very concerning.

Then we went to Shimoda High School.

Uh, the students who you see in that photograph all came to Newport in March and they also visited New York City.

There are about 600 students in this regional high school.

And uh the students were so sweet, they gave us a presentation, they thanked us for being there.

The hard hats that you see in the middle on the top, those hard hats are worn during um earthquake drills and actual earthquakes.

I'm so you can see how prominent or prevalent they can be.

On the right is a gift that was given to the principal of Shimoda High School, and down below is the landscape, which is absolutely beautiful outside of the school.

This is some of the artwork that I was so impressed with at the high school.

Uh it was just really amazing looking at some of this um this artwork.

And here we are meeting the kids.

There's Charlie wanting to steal all of the candy, and he did, and he did, and they were surprised.

They were very surprised.

Um, but uh we had um welcome, uh greetings from two sets of students, uh all of which had come here in March, and then you can see Grant and Charlotte talking to the students as well.

There is a Shimoda Newport Club, and they always have a welcome reception for us, and uh this is a the Shimoda Newport Club is a group of people who are actually getting quite a bit older now, but they're very dedicated to this relationship and uh and really value it.

There's uh Charlie giving a gift of clock to the president of the Shimoda Newport Club and uh Mr.

Samurai has been here many times, and then on the right is our wonderful Mr.

Sinji, who was in the tourism industry in Shimoda for years and has been a longstanding uh supporter of the sister city relationship.

These are the host families.

Uh actually uh Grant and Charlotte had hosted some of the students uh here in Newport.

So they stayed with the same families that were stayed here in Newport, so they actually knew each other when they got there, which is a little bit unusual that sometimes that doesn't happen.

But we do try to take students with us.

We have taken students with us for years, and we'd like to take more.

So this is our itinerary for May 19th.

As you can see, we go from 9 a.m.

to 9 p.m.

Uh with uh visits to Mr.

Sinji, the elementary school, we had a wreath laying.

Uh the me again met the Newport Shimoda Club, the reception and fireworks, and I'll go through some of those pictures.

Now, these are the students at Mr.

and Mrs.

Sinji's house, and they learn how to do Japanese calligraphy, which is called Shodo, or also known as the way of writing, and they learn how to write their names in Shodo.

Mrs.

Sinji demonstrated the making of matcha tea for tea ceremony, and you'll just see a little video of her of her making the tea.

And there is a little music in the background, but Mr.

Sinji loves jazz and he loves Elvis.

He actually has a life size life size, like cutout of Elvis in that room.

It's pretty funny.

Then they had the traditional Japanese tea ceremonial called Shodo.

Guests bow to show uh gratitude.

They pick up the bowl of matcha tea and rotate it to show respect to the host in the vessel.

And matcha is quite bitter, so you can enjoy it with a sweet treat.

And Mr.

Sinji had brought those back from Hiroshima.

Next, we went to the Shirohima Elementary School, and this is one of the greatest things that we do when we go.

The grades are one through six.

There are 46 students in the school, and there are seven neighborhood elementary schools.

We play games with them, we have lunch with them.

The kids are a lot of fun.

Some of them speak English and some of them don't.

We all have interpreters in the rooms with us.

This I loved.

So I took a picture of it, but it says, Welcome to Shirahama Elementary School.

From the town that opened Japan's doors to the world.

We are raising children to open doors to the future.

And underneath it says, Our goals and beliefs, educational goal, children who fully realize their potential and create the future together.

And their core motto is I am precious, you are precious.

A foundation built in mutual respect and intrinsic self-worth.

And smiles breed smiles.

We strive to create a school where children want to learn, parents want to send them, and the community is proud to support them.

And here we are playing games with the kids.

We were doing rock, paper, scissors.

We were doing all kinds of games.

It was pretty fun.

That was a rock, paper, scissor.

And then, but there were others too.

It was great.

And it's great interacting with the students.

They just love it.

Here is here we are in the classroom.

They serve us lunch, and you can see that they're wearing their um little chef hats because they don't want to get hair in the food.

And so they serve us lunch.

We had chicken curry that day, and um you can see Charlie up there with the kids, they love Charlie's height.

I'm one of the tides.

And down below is uh Charlotte with her classroom, and then I'm in the classroom on the right, and I was asking the kids which um which were their their favorite um studies, and I said math, and they all went now.

So they like art and music, and so just just like every other kid.

And there's Charlie again.

I love this picture, um, and this was after we played the games.

And I hope the video I hope the audio, well, no, the audio might not.

Okay, this is them saying goodbye to us as we were leaving, and um, they really are just so precious, and uh they're just sweet.

Uh okay, next we're off to Perry.

Now, this is all the same day.

Next, we're off to Perry Landing Memorial Park for the official wreath laying.

Uh they bring in the little preschoolers, and the preschoolers give each of us uh carnations to lay at the um the statue of Commodore Perry, and you can see the the statue of Commodore Perry right there at Perry Landing.

That is where he actually landed when he came off of the ships.

They were called black ships because there was a lot of smoke with the steam, and the Japanese were afraid because they looked very imposing.

Um so uh that's why they're called the Black Ships Festival, also known as Korofume.

Now there's a Shimoda Way in uh Shimoda, of course, and of course we have our own Shimoda Way uh in the North End.

And I had a student one time in a classroom said, I didn't know that's why it's called that.

Like she was just so proud that she lived in Shimoda Way, which is also in Japan.

Um, the tree in the center, I have to say I'm very proud of because I planted that tree in 2017, so uh with a couple of kids, and then the the one on the the picture on the right is an eternal flame which represents the relationship between uh Newport and Shimoda, and here we are the the delegation with the preschoolers with the um with the statue of Commodore Perry.

There are many statues of Commodore Perry in Japan.

He really is a hailed figure there.

Next uh we go to Newport House, which is sort of a makeshift um area where we can kind of hang out a little bit during the per after the parade, and uh they have merchandise from Discover Newport and pictures of Newport there so that people who visit will understand the relationship between Newport and Shimoda, and also to be able to um discuss tourism and people are interested in Newport.

And this was at the parade where they were waving to us of the club.

Now we're off to the black ships official reception.

Um the U.S.

Navy and military personnel were in attendance.

Government and diplomatic officials, including the U.S.

ambassador to Japan, uh was there, and there was also the USS Howard, a guided missile destroyer that was anchored out in the Pacific, and you can see the ship on that far left one picture, and the one in the middle is all of the dignitaries, including Charlie, who had a special um robe, which you might want to go get.

And then to the right is uh George Glass, the uh U.S.

ambassador to Japan, and then we have the mayor, beauty queens, and sushi.

So uh there were beauty queens at this uh event, and they flocked to Charlie like you wouldn't believe.

So there you have it there.

I know, I know, but with there's also this beautiful sushi and these beautiful displays at the at the hotel, and we're not done yet for the day.

Next we have fireworks, and there's a cultural celebrations, and um, yeah, and then we fall asleep and go to we just like pass out.

All right, May 20th from 10 a.m.

to 5 p.m.

Uh, the official ceremony at Shimoda Park.

Now, this is the actual festival day, and uh there is a ceremony at Shimoda Park, which is full of hydrangeas, and unfortunately it's a little bit early to see all of the hydrangeas, but it must be beautiful uh just a couple of weeks later.

Then we ride in the official parade, there's a reception, and then a farewell barbecue.

This is the formal ceremony at Shimoda Park.

Uh, you can see the U.S.

military playing the national anthem.

They have the Japanese Navy playing their national anthem, and then the American playing on their own, and there's Charlie in the middle, and then the students on the right at the official ceremony.

And there is the mayor giving the official um the official greetings and uh talking about the significance and the importance of this relationship.

Above, let me just go back.

If you look at behind the shrubs at the top of the picture, there are some beautiful pieces of art.

And this one on the left is one of them.

And again, it depicts uh Commodore Matthew Perry and his trip to Shimoda.

And then from that uh tall area is the view from of the harbor.

There's Charlotte and Grant meeting the US ambassador to Japan, George Glass.

And then we have the Black Ships Parade.

And you can see Grant in the traditional uh Japanese garb with um some of his friends.

Charlotte on the bottom right, she's uh greeting people in the parade.

The people in the parade are amazing, and they're so happy to see us.

They've got Japanese and American flags.

It's just it's just so heartwarming, it's unbelievable.

And then the farewell barbecue, uh, where we each had our own four or five of us had our own grill, and then they provide uh all of this wonderful food for us.

And then uh the next day we return to Tokyo via motor coach to Norita Airport with a glimpse of Mount Fuji.

Uh we shall return to Boston for the 16-hour flight.

And this was a farewell message from Mayor Matsui, which I'm going to read.

It says, Everyone, thank you for visiting Shimoda.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

For this Black Ships Festival, U.S.

Navy people participate in connection with Commodore Perry, and the U.S.

ambassador participates in connection with Consul Harris.

And the representative of American people, all of you from Newport City came to participate.

Such simple human-to-human connections is truly important for us humans.

I believe in this autumn, Shemuta City Assembly Chair Nakamura will lead the delegation to visit Newport.

I hope to visit Newport in the next year.

Dear Mayor Holder and everyone, especially high school students, Artigato.

Thank you, and see you again.

And here are the students once again saying goodbye.

Thank you, Council.

Okay, motion to approve the consent calendar in its entirety with the exception of um B one and six, second and 10.

Mr.

Chairman, Council Carlin.

Please pull B five as well.

And B five.

Any discussion?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Under special events uh motion to approve Corin Crowley doing business as um a cliffwalk rook uh march cliffwalk uh June 27th, 2026 from 7.30 a.m.

to 1130 a.m.

Uh the starting point.

I pulled this because the starting point is not at the cliffwalk area.

It is now at the Oaker Point Avenue parking lot.

So I'd like to amend that second.

We have a motion and second, any discussion.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Motion to approve Audrain Motorsport doing business as Audrain Young Timers, Macaulay Hall, Salve Regina University, July 11th, 2026 from 11 a.m.

to 4 p.m.

Do I have a second?

Motion and second, any discussion?

Chairman Council Carlin.

Will there be any cars at this event using Newport Streets?

Oh, is there anyone here for more drain?

Representing Audrain?

I can answer that.

I don't I don't understand the question.

I'm sorry.

Using Newport Streets.

The question is with respect to what we uh as city with our residents experienced uh last weekend um and the weekend before, from what I understand.

I work very hard with our drain to ensure that the noise of cars participating at coffee and cars and other such events would not disturb the quality of life of our residents, and unfortunately, I was just like perhaps some of my colleagues.

Uh I was uh inundated with complaints.

Uh so I'm wondering, will there be cars on the streets of Newport for this event?

They will have to get to Macaulay Hall, yes.

I think you know what.

Yeah, I I think you know the nature of the question that I'm asking.

Correct, and I and I was here um recently and let everybody know what we are doing.

We work with the police department, we work with your office, we work with everyone to try to ensure the safety of the citizens.

Uh we also encourage everyone to use the utmost respect.

We had, I mean, I was at the cars and coffee on Sunday myself.

I think the police had two or three cruisers out there, if I'm not mistaken.

Uh we had three details about two details uh at different intersections.

You know, we we do the very best we can to support the uh safety and the well-being of the community.

So the event that took place last Sunday and the prior event, uh, the cars were organized uh by you all uh and they were organized to use Newport Streets in a fashion that showed off the cars.

Uh is that the same here, or are you are the cars going to be stationary at Oprah Court?

No, no, all cars and copies, the the cars are stationary.

They the the issues that I'm assuming that you are getting citizens that they're traveling to cars and coffee to the event themselves.

But the the event is not any sort of a there's not a staging of cars going to the event or anything like that.

It's it's open from eight to ten.

This particular one is from twelve to four, I believe, um, at Macaulay Hall, but there's no staging or traveling together or anything like anything like that.

What's what's the significant difference between this special use permit and the special use permit that is uh on the agenda for later uh at this meeting?

This this special use permit has uh a title of or drain young timers.

Yes.

Uh there's are they essentially the same type of event?

Are you you're referring to licensing permits number four for the parade?

Yes.

Yeah, not in one and the same.

They're not the same.

So we're on number five.

I'm sorry?

No, he didn't he know that.

So just excuse me, Carl's Carl.

Can you just explain what this event is that young timers?

It's a cars and coffee that's gonna last a little longer.

It's a different genre of cars.

Um, they come in normally from 1970 through the early 2000s.

It's just it's a cars and coffee that's a different genre of cars specifically.

I just can't, I can't support it.

I can't support the other event that you're asking for.

I did my very best to work with the neighbors uh and with the police department, the administration, and certainly with the organization.

It didn't work out well the last couple weekends.

Maybe we can try again, but I'm not supporting these.

We will continue to do everything that we can, uh, counselor, and I I do apologize um for that, but we we do do everything we can, and we will continue to do so.

And if we need to provide more details, we are happy to do that and pay for that as we have discussed right previously.

Mr.

Chair.

Councilor, Council Cyclone.

How many cars do you suspect will be do you expect in this?

Probably all probably 125 to 150.

It's a smaller cars and copy because people have to register for this one in their car has to be accepted for that specific genre of cars we're talking about.

So when you're saying young timers, this isn't this isn't this is a meaning younger cars.

But like it's it's not as vintage.

So they may have things something in the 80s or 90s or even early 2000s, you know, something that's vintage where other collectors would be 40, 50, 60, so it's a it's a different genre of people for a different type of car.

Um Mr.

Chair.

From the police department standpoint, did we um cite quite a few people at the last cars and coffee that we got so many complaints about?

There were three.

Yes, this uh last cars and coffee.

We had a number of details out there, and uh we did uh we did cite uh uh some vehicles and we did report uh the plates to um uh to the ministry's cars and coffee who agreed to uh prevent them from coming to further further events.

There were a lot of vehicles, majority of them were uh were well behaved and uh and uh and traveled within the rules of the road.

Uh but we uh we did uh have the occasion to have a couple that didn't, and we uh we had forced the law.

And she could just explain what you know the the few that did uh receive citations.

What were they for and how were they caught?

Uh there were part of the details that were hired uh and the uh the additional enforcement that we that our traffic unit did, uh they were able to identify them for taking taking off too fast.

Uh no, uh it's a law starting from stop and uh it was unreasonable.

Um then there was one that was uh that was uh noise violation as well.

Sorry, Mr.

Chair.

Um Chief Duffy, did you say those those individuals were banned from the event?

Yeah, we we uh in cooperation in our starting administration of cars and coffee.

Uh we came to an agreement that if there were vehicles that were uh not abiding by the rules of the road, uh that we would inform them of the plates, and then they would take action not to have them come back to uh to their events.

Thank you.

We take that thing and actually pair it up with the registration of the system that had that previous registration, and that was the right the work of the Mr.

Chair.

Was the were the complaints having to do with the traffic that it caused or the noise that it caused?

Well, the claim the complaints that came in were specifically for noise, not the not the traffic.

Um but the but the majority of the noise, what's that we observed what officers out there sitting out there with the noise meters as they went by, and uh they were all within by all within um within the order.

Mr.

Chairman, Council Carl.

Uh what we have here with respect to uh councillor Segley's great question uh is uh the fact that that the city residents are becoming very fast in the last three years, personified uh by the long weekend starting Juneteenth and ending Sunday night.

What we are seeing is residents fed up uh with the interruption of their quality of life.

And I'm not pointing the blame simply at uh the cars and coffee event.

I'm pointing them to blame, frankly.

Uh at an over-saturation of the city with respect to traffic.

We have, and I forwarded no less than 11 emails, texts, and whatever to my colleagues regarding complaints about individuals not being able to even get out of their own driveways this last weekend.

Uh we have to have in the city of Newport some type of plan.

And for me, I'm sorry to say uh to the good folks at Audrain that my plan begins with a no vote tonight uh for an additional event like this, two events for that matter, and I would ask my colleagues to support that.

Any other discussion?

Council Palitano?

Yeah, um I need to understand.

Do all the cars go at one time to the so they go over the course of 11 to 4 p.m.

Yeah, yeah.

Um they will probably arrive anywhere from 12 to 12 30, one o'clock.

Okay.

I this this particular one is a judged event.

Um, you know, in on the on the lawn, but that judging would occur later.

So they'll they'll come, it's just like the cars and coffee, they're open from eight to ten, and they'll come from the nine, nine thirty minutes.

I think please can answer.

I don't believe we have a traffic problem with with cars and coffee.

I think the main concerns with that is as was stated with no aids, um, also stated they're not in any kind of noise violation there, but I we don't really have a traffic problem with any cards and coffee that I've been aware of.

But all of them, I know previously they were described as parade, so that that kind of made me wonder do they go together?

No, ma'am.

They don't.

I mean, if if so they may be coming from different directions in the city, yes, absolutely.

We have we have cars come from Massachusetts, Connecticut.

Yeah, I know.

Um to the community on Sunday morning for cars and coffees.

This particular one will bring a lot of people from all over the area.

But sports businesses and sports, the city itself.

I mean, we're trying to do everything that we possibly can to alleviate any problems that the city has with what we've got going on or the residents.

Um, thank you.

Uh, how many events do you have scheduled for the summer?

Is there four?

Thank you.

All right.

Okay.

Any further discussion?

Yes, Mr.

Typically, the cars and coffee those earlier than 11 to 4, right?

That is correct, yes, ma'am.

There, those are typically 8 to 10.

Right.

I think what bothers me about this one is that the lateness of the hour, I think that you know, this is when people are are probably the most troubled by uh the traffic.

I can also say as I mentioned earlier, this is a considerably smaller event.

We've had this event three or four years uh with Macaulay all it's uh also a smaller venue than Fort Adams, and uh this is in the district event.

If you're not registered, you can't commend it.

All right, all right.

Uh all in favor, please raise your right hand.

Any opposed four to two motion uh to approve uh Kathleen Carr doing business as Newport Films Summer Benefit 2026 at Iris 449 Thame Street, July 18th, 2026 from 6 p.m.

to 9 p.m.

Second, we got a motion and second.

Any discussion.

Uh, did you want to do anyone from Newport Film here?

No.

Okay.

All right.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Motion to approve the preservation society of Newport County doing business as uh PSNC summer dinner dance at Rose Cliff August 6th from 7 p.m.

to 12 a.m.

Second.

Alright, motion and second.

Um this was pulled because the date is actually August 8th, not August 6th.

So we're gonna make that change.

Okay, motion to amend to August the eighth, second.

Motion and second, all is in favor say aye.

Aye.

Motion to approve as amended.

Second.

Motion and second.

Any discussion.

All is in favor say aye.

Aye.

Under licenses and permits.

A motion to approve a sound variance.

Iris School of Technology and Trades 449 Fame Street for a variance to the noise ordinance for the summer gala being held on July 11th, 2026 from 6 p.m.

to 11 p.m.

This is a hearing, Mr.

Chair.

So the public hearing is anyone from the public that wishes to make comment on this sound variance request.

No, make a motion to close public hearing.

Motion to close a public hearing and approve.

Second.

Motion and second, any discussion.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Motion to approve a special event license.

Fireworks display Drew Friedis for a display at the New York Yacht Club September 5th, 2026, one minute beginning at 5 45 p.m.

Second.

All right, we have a motion and second.

Is there any discussion?

Mr.

Chairman.

Council Carlin.

I spoke with the owner of the farm, uh, who given the circumstances that this is not actually a pyrotechnic display.

Uh it's similar in definition.

And although it's not one minute, it is significantly less than a full display that we might see over the harbor.

Certainly that we will see from Newport on July 4th.

So despite uh the letter from the farm, uh the farm owner is fine so long as it fits those parameters.

So as such, I would uh ask my colleagues to support.

Okay, any further discussion?

All right, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Motion to approve a special event license.

Audrain automotive uh museum doing business as 250 years of independence.

The Newport Parade and Declaration 222 Bellevue Avenue, viewing presented by Audrain Automobile Museum July 19th from 10 a.m.

to 1 p.m.

And uh we're gonna take the the parade and road closure request separately.

Second, all right.

So we have a motion and a second on the special event license itself.

Uh any discussion, chairman.

Council Carlin.

Opposed for the same reasons.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

I I think this is a uh a great you know the a chance to see the declaration of independence in Newport and celebrating about the 250 years of the the birth of the country, I think is a um it's a great opportunity here.

So I'm gonna vote in favor of the event um as it stands.

So all is in favor of the special event license.

Um at the Audreen Auto Automobile Museum.

Uh please say aye.

I any opposed.

Opposed.

Ayes have it.

Motion to approve a parade request, road closure request from Macaulay Hall to Leroy Avenue and Bellevue Avenue, Bellevue Avenue from Leroy Avenue to Narragansett Avenue and Bellevue Avenue from Narragansett Avenue, northbound lane only.

This also pertains to the our Drain Automotive event.

250 years of independence.

Do I have a second?

Second, second.

So we have motion and second, any discussion.

Council Carlin.

Uh opposed to the same reason and uh what we are doing is we are putting a commercial entity, private entity, albeit a good entity, in front of uh what is clearly uh as I mentioned earlier, resident concerns and uh when I receive these concerns by text, email, phone call, or what have you, as the roads are being closed that day.

I'll be happy to forward them to you all.

Thank you.

Mr.

Council Smith.

Um I also have some concerns, uh, especially since I think it was the last meeting that we um opposed a horse and carriage ride in the same vicinity.

Um I think that we need to be just very cognizant of the traffic situation, especially during the summer.

So because of that, I will not be able to support this request.

Thank you.

Any uh further discussion?

Sorry.

Um, yeah, uh I I'd say I have to weigh in, you know.

I appreciate everything that Audrain does for the city, and they do uh a lot of events, and you know, we we try to we end up approving the majority of them.

Um, you have to look at the circumstances that the city faced, especially last weekend, albeit that it was one of those perfect storm situations with so many different things going on.

But um, to ask for uh request of a road closer of Bellevue Avenue, especially for the folks in the south end of the city.

Granted, from uh it says from Narragansa to uh to the museums just the one lane, but I I just think we're we're asking too much for our residents to put up with.

So um, I'm not gonna be able to support this request with a road closure.

I do like the the idea of the uh having people be able to see the declaration of independence at at the museum.

Um, but I think this is just um uh not a necessary uh event to take place uh beforehand.

So that being said, we'll call to vote so uh, you want to come sure.

I don't know.

Yeah, so you're just too tall.

Five thirteen Broadway um on behalf of the audience.

Um just a few clarifying points, uh to for your consideration.

Um, the the road closure, this would be under an hour procession.

It's pretty much a walking uh parade that would take the amount of time it would take to walk from uh McAuley to the museum.

Um so you know however long that takes, it's well under an hour.

Um we excited to have a fighting drum core.

Uh, it would be 10 to 20 cars.

So dignitaries, hopefully, if if approved, um, you'd all be able to attend as well as state dignitaries, um, as well as several other nonprofit friends, directors um to promote you know everything that the city stands for and believes in.

Um, but it's not a lot of pomp and circumstance, no cannons, nothing like that, no reving engines.

It's uh a marching parade that would take 30 minutes.

If you sat in traffic on Bellevue for 30 minutes, I hear you it seems like four hours.

And that that's exactly what is this is gonna be like, and then it's gonna force more more cars onto the side streets that are already being filled up due to you know different situations, and I don't know if we have any work going on like we had with the telephone polls on on last Friday.

So I get what you're saying.

I I do I do understand if the you know if this was done in the spring or fall, we had different story, or but on a on a weekday in July, it's it's a it's a tough take.

Any other discussion from the council?

Any questions for the Mr.

Lee?

No.

Thank you.

All right, uh all is in favor uh of the parade say aye.

All is opposed, say nay.

Nay, so haven't we?

Motion to approve a sport fishing championship doing business as Rhode Island offshore invitational fanfest, Bowens Wharf, uh July 24, 25, 26, from 9 a.m.

to 7 p.m.

Do we have a second?

Second.

All right, we have motion and second, any discussion.

Um just for a little clarification.

Uh we know this is folk best weekend, and um, no, so I just want to um manager Kennedy.

Can you are you able to just kind of give a quick little synopsis of this is not an actual fishing tournament with a ton of boats and things like that?

Correct.

It's uh we were we had those same concerns we looked at them uh that the city manager and like that was uh speak to bow and for it's only seven uh seven minutes in the entrance themselves will leave the harbor on Friday morning and not return to Sunday.

There will be some ancillary events at four and forth, uh, but they are not anticipated to draw anything uh of significance in terms of crowds.

We recognize the sensitivity over the daily event.

So that would be surprised.

Um, this will not be that uh we had that conversation to look forward.

We're confident that this will be able to look at that.

Thank you.

All right, um, if there's no further discussion, all those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Uh next we have a form uh appointments to boards and commissions.

Um we have uh to the bicycle and pedestrian advisory commission, Charles Thompson, fulfilling an unexpired five year term uh which expires June 11th, 2030.

Second.

Motion and second, any discussion?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Uh the historic cemetery advisory commission, Nina Barbaresi.

Fulfilling unexpired three-year term.

Uh that term expires October 26, 2028.

Second.

Motion and second and discussion.

Those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Public sculpture sculpture commission, John Grossmanor.

Fulfilling unexpired three-year term, expiring uh October 11th, 2026.

Second.

Motion and second and discussion.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Uh tree and open space commission Susan Dixon, three-year term expiring June 24th, 2029.

Second.

Motion and second, any discussion.

All in favor, say aye.

I next communications from the city manager, a memo from the city manager, transmittal of a memorandum from the utilities director.

In regard to the water division 2025 consumer confidence report.

This is just a motion to receive.

Second.

We have a motion second, any discussion.

All is in favor say aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Action item uh 6625.

The finance department recommends the council approve award of clear gov service contract for the implementation and subscription for the ClearGov Civic Edition budgeting reporting and strategic planning platform for a five-year term beginning July 1st, 2026.

This is currently budgeted.

I move approval.

Alright, we have motion and second.

Any discussion?

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Action item six six two six.

Um the an amended this is an amended restated ordinance authorizing wastewater system revenue bonds and notes in the amount not to exceed twenty million dollars for the wastewater treatment improvement second.

We have motion and second.

Uh Council Comms of Orbong is recusing.

Uh any discussion?

Mr.

Chairman.

Council uh Carlin.

20 million dollar item.

Uh can we get a little bit of discussion on this from the city manager?

Well, could I just I just want to finish reading a little bit?

Um financial impact authorization to issue wastewater system revenue bonds and our notes and not to exceed 20 million dollars.

Jet service will be paid solely from the wastewater system revenues.

The ordinance also authorizes bond council fees not to exceed $35,000 for a direct uh Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank placement or $45,000 for a conduit financing plus a reasonable expenses payable from bond proceeds.

So thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Uh so the administration is asking us to approve uh placing a bond, presumably on the ballot, or do you want to simply put it to market?

These are these are revenue bonds, so not required to go to bond.

And this is uh pertains to uh an ordinance of already passed uh this adjusted so that we're able to either use conduit on the for revenue bond that necessary to wait for it.

If you have additional questions, right, so I would be happy to answer them.

So the wastewater clarifier project uh we originally uh by a five to two vote or a four to three vote, I can't remember, denied the request to use bonds which were approved for uh a couple of other items in order to satisfy that need.

Uh we came up with a plan alternatively, two meetings later, two council meetings later, uh, which was to approach the state infrastructure.

Uh well that in effect the lending authority for for the uh needs like this, particularly wastewater needs.

Um, are we doing those simultaneously?

Have we decided to give up on requesting uh the infrastructure?

Requesting state.

Cross a public state agency to essentially give the money to us or loan the money to us or grant the money to us, or are we doing both of these?

Uh, they never give the money to us.

I wish they would.

I've asked repeatedly on numerous projects.

Uh, this is the continuation.

What it's doing is uh, and we've had to do it in the past, uh, with the nature of the clarifiers we might be outside of the SRF program uh and have to go under a conduit and so uh the council previously approved everything for the SRF program uh you actually approved a modification for conduit language now uh we're getting deeper into that process and bond council has come back and said that we need additional modifications to uh the ordinance to make sure that we're checking all the boxes so that's all this is I would expect that we'll know pretty soon uh whether we're gonna be able to use the SRF or whether it makes more sense for a conduit uh my professional estimation right now in talking with finance and in the uh state is that most likely it'll be a conduit um but that really depends on bond council and RIB coming back but that that's where I think we're gonna wind up did you ever get a flat note from the infrastructure bank for our loan request?

No that's ongoing through the the process uh what winds up complicating it or or making um it more impactful is we're already about 13% into the project uh and continuing to pay we're doing that out of funds we have now uh if we enter into an anticipation note or other elements it's not necessarily cost savings uh SRF program has said that some of what we have done will not qualify so the best we could do now is have a partial funding through the SRF at a subsidized rate but that rate would have uh criteria attached to it which would most likely erode whatever savings that would be compared to the conduit reason I asked that question Rob is because the infrastructure bank would give us a loan if they did decide to give us a loan at a significantly lower uh interest rate than what we would pay via a revenue bond tell us uh who pays for the revenue bonds ultimately just a point of clarification uh all of this is through the infrastructure bank so uh we are not going out to an open market or through a different vendor we're working with RIB uh it's whether or not we're able to use the SRF program or RIBs working with us still potentially in a less subsidized manner to do the revenue bond all of those are paid back by by the rate.

So it's not a situation either to go to market as as the manager said earlier or in in a sense boiling it all down the ratepayers are are going to pay for this what do you what do you think I mean we had a situation a couple years ago where there was shell shock for ratepayers uh when they received their sewer increases what do you expect should this be passed and should we receive the money and pay back the principal in interest what do you expect that the average ratepayer will see for an increase in their bills there's no way to predict that at this time so we're several different financing uh options down the road uh rates across the board and and Jim may be better to speak to this they they fluctuated two to three percent even in the last few months depending on what it is uh we're committed to the contract the work's ongoing uh we're doing everything we can and shifting things around to keep that as low as possible the bigger impact to the ratepayers and it's off topic but it's gonna be whether or not we have a a stormwater utility next year uh or we are staying with a water pollution control rate.

And so that that's gonna be the bigger impact to a typical customer.

I I appreciate the answer.

And this is the last question statement, then question.

Even though they're both classified as revenue bonds, for example, the building of bridges, you take out a bond, and the premium in interest is paid back via the revenue for tolls over the bridge.

So if if you don't want to be a part of paying that back, you don't over the bridge.

But everyone uh who I mentioned earlier with respect to the sewer rates with respect to utilities in general in Newport, uh, will have to pay this back.

This when you say it's a revenue bond, you're not selling anything, you're simply relying on our customers to pay us back.

So it's a misnomer that there is no revenue.

It's we're asking for money from the rate payers.

I mean, is this is there something you're selling in to uh make it legitimately a revenue bond?

Or is it just a bond that we're saying?

You ratepayers will pay it back.

It's classified as a revenue bond, but it's because of the because it is uh so are we selling services?

Yes, we absolutely are.

Uh are the services that the city providing uh a monopoly?

Yes, we're we're we're a sole source for that.

Any other discussion?

Yeah, I you know, w what are our options with the state, the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank?

The infrastructure bank's actually been very, very helpful in working with us.

Um, the majority of these, especially when you're doing it, where you we're we're always juggling needs.

Um, you know, we forecasted this to be probably three to five years down the road.

Uh it happened faster.

We we responded, so it really depends how you how you look at it.

Um they've um presented numerous options and worked with us uh and their council to make sure that those avenues are available so we wouldn't be in an area where we ran out of money.

Um they set up for uh the bank itself to be able to get a line of credit with the lender uh so they would have money available for us.

They've worked with coordination with DEM to see what avenues would be at the uh you know SRF program, and they also have worked with us on the on the conduit loan.

So they've been very helpful in in working with us.

Um it's it's a problem that is not unique to the Newport.

There's a lot of infrastructure that is expensive, and those needs have to get balanced.

Why haven't they why can't we be put in a classification like the other five four or five cities?

You know, considering that we service the town and middle town, the navy base, and Newport, that we have shallow ponds, that the cost for materials for us to provide clean water, it's really really expensive.

What don't what don't they see?

It don't disagree when we've made those arguments to them.

Um the demand for all cities and towns and all utilities, whether it's some of the larger ones that are unique entities like uh Narragansett Bay or Providence Water, or whether it's even some of the smaller ones, um, if you were to total up the list of all the different projects, uh it exceeds what they can they can lend.

Uh there's a ton of red tape associated with all of it, and they they have metrics that are working.

Um, unfortunately, and I think I've said this numerous times, uh, we're a little unique here.

And so if you want to look at the affordability uh income disdistribution or whatnot, I believe that we should be entitled to more.

Um, but someone would counter that Newport is trying to jump the line at the state level.

Um I think we're on the fourth year of having the exact uh conversation you're talking about with with RIB uh with D EM and DOH, and we'll continue to do so.

Uh, but that's more of a policy and political question than it is from an engineering and operations standpoint.

Where are we?

Classification four?

Three.

Three.

Yeah.

Okay.

Any other discussion?

Questions?

All right.

All is in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Aye, so have it.

Action item 6627.

The finance department recommends the council approval award of a change order under the city's existing Tyler Technologies Munis agreement for the acquisition and implementation of debt books treasury management system, including the debt management investment management and cash management modules at an annual subscription cost of $75,000 for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2026, plus CPI adjustment.

This is currently budgeted.

I move approval.

Second.

Motion second, any discussion.

All is in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Okay.

The next three are uh exercising options on so in the pre-meeting we decided to hold on.

What's not this one?

No, we do we have 11 first.

Um about parking prohibit uh prohibition the uh council slightly accused.

Yes.

Oh, I'm sorry, I skipped I it it it went into the other one.

Okay, action item 6628.

Uh the ITC recommends adding to chapter 10.24 of the cities of co city of Newport's codified ordinance follows parking prohibited at all times.

Uh no person shall park a vehicle at any time upon the following streets.

Add Russell Avenue, South Side and from Malbone Road, proceeding eastward a distance of 50 feet.

I'm a move approval.

Second.

I motion and second, any discussion.

All is in favor say aye.

I okay.

Next uh we're going to combine 11, 12, and 13, which are all exercise options.

12, 13, 14, uh, where we're going to um exercise uh just option years, and one is for uh uh 6629 is for plumbing contract services.

6630 is for mechanical contract services, and 6631 is for citywide electric contract.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Motion and second, any discussion, chairman, Council Carl.

Just for anybody who's interested, what's the total cost for the three items, please?

I have to go back and vote.

Once for one is for 50,000, one is for 75,000, and another one is for 75,000.

1000.

Any other questions?

All right, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Okay, action item six six three two.

The department of public services recommends awarding the contract associated with citywide elevator maintenance to Otis Elevator Company of Smithfield, Rhode Island, based on the submitted bid proposal for the associated work not to exceed the cost of 24,616.

Uh, move approval.

This is currently budgeted.

Second, motion and second, any discussion.

Yes, Mr.

Chairman.

Carl, uh Manager Kennedy, does Otis currently have the contract?

No.

I don't I don't know that.

But why does the elevator keep breaking down?

It's broken down six times in the last two and a half years.

I'm I'm just disappointed in that elevator to do our council.

We had it to do over again a year ago.

We moved on to the different model.

Okay, do we the best we can with it?

And it isn't what it is.

I take a piece of the quickly.

All right, any other discussion?

All is in favor say aye.

Aye.

Action item six six three three, the department of Public Services recommends awarding the contract associated with the sidewalk improvement program 2026 to the lowest most responsive bidder construction concepts and solutions, LLC of Johnston, Rhode Island.

Based on the submitted bid proposal for the associated work, the cost of the work will not exceed a total amount of $577,640.

This total price includes $500,000 for anticipated contract construction work, $27,640 for police traffic control that will be paid for by the city and $50,000 in project contingency to be held in reserve by the city.

This is currently budgeted.

I move approval.

Second.

Motion is second any discussion.

Are we started any of these projects?

Well, partly, they're committed.

Any other discussion?

All is in favor say aye.

Aye.

Action item 6634, the Department of Public Services recommends awarding the contract associated with Bellevue Avenue Concrete Joint Repair Project to the lowest most responsive bidder.

Hartford Paving Corporation of Johnston, Rhode Island, based on the submitted unit unit bid price proposal for the associated work for not to exceed total of 1,224,875.

This total price includes $983,950 for anticipated contract construction work, $120,924, $5 for police traffic control that will be paid for by the city, and $120,000 in project contingency to be held in reserve by the city.

This is uh currently budgeted.

I move approval.

Second.

Motion and second, any discussion.

Ms.

Rice Ross.

Uh million bucks is a lot of money.

Uh we're gonna spend here.

We could probably spend a lot more on that street.

Uh, haven't we haven't done much in the years past?

Uh my uh major concern is that there's a uh city ordinance that specifies how you repair those repair bell view and they have the concrete has to be replaced in whole panels.

We don't do that.

We're uh I don't know why not.

Uh I'd like to know why not.

And that's part of the it ends up being part of the problem.

We do little patches, and uh we don't do them very well, they fail.

Uh I think yeah, it'll re-re look at what we're doing with it to see if we can do a more permanent uh repair.

Mr.

Chairman, you know, I'm not sure you're correct because every single year we pay for money for Bellevue Avenue.

Yeah, and I my understanding was they do the whole panel.

Okay, do it.

They do the entire panel.

Is there somebody that could clarify it, please?

Thank you.

I'm just good evening.

Uh Bill Boardman, City Engineer.

Uh good evening, everybody.

Good evening, Bill.

So, uh we typically do just joint repairs.

Right.

Just those areas, however, when a panel is beyond uh repair.

Uh we will look at replacing the entire panel.

So we might be familiar near K Street like you did several panels there and some other spots where it's just you know too far gone, and so we will return uh repair the entire panel.

Bill, don't we put in money for Bellevue every single year?

Uh yes, that's that's okay.

We allocate money towards this project every year.

From the maritime from the maritime fund, Mr.

Chairman, Charles Carlin.

Uh Mr.

Boardman, that there's a significant difference though uh in what's budgeted for fiscal twenty-six for Bellview repair.

It's three hundred and twelve thousand in fiscal twenty-six, and it's a million three for our fiscal twenty-seven.

So I appreciate what you said about uh K and Bellevue.

Tell me, uh, and this is a great project, Mr.

Rice.

I'm sorry, I disagree with you.

I think this is wonderful.

I appreciate my colleagues uh who might support this.

Tell me how close to Ravenski between Ravensky and West Ravenski and Narragansett.

Tell me what you have planned for that.

Uh sure.

We uh you know, of course, we look at the uh entire length and uh Brian prioritize those areas, and uh so we do we have done quite a bit of work in that area and we will continue to you know push ahead.

You know, the one bright spot uh this year has been the unit cost, and I think there's been uh a lot more interest in this project.

Thankfully, and as a result, we have uh gotten very favorable uh unit big costs, and so I think we're gonna see uh a lot more work out there in the coming months.

So I I really look forward to Hartford's problem.

I appreciate everything that you've done with respect to the Bellevue repair, Mr.

Boardman.

Thank you.

And the administration naturally be commended.

Thank you so Mr.

Chair.

I just have a question.

Is is the is there an ordinance that requires Bellevue to be concrete as opposed to other streets that are that are Macadam?

There's well, I'm not familiar with that, but it's uh we can look into that for you and get back to you.

I'm gonna say I I have a good brain, but it's not an encyclopedia.

I believe so.

Uh counselor and politics and I think it's I think I've heard that before.

Is that no, there is yeah.

All right, thank you.

Okay.

And then build we don't have any current sections that you're gonna look at.

So if this gets approved, do we know exactly where you're gonna go first and start working, or do you have to do a whole nother?

Yeah, we will work with the contractor.

Uh one of the um challenges we have is the traffic, right?

And as we get into the hot summer season, uh traffic increases greatly.

So we try and stay away from the downtown area.

Um, fame, you know, and such.

We try and work more towards the south and work our way, so it really is uh weather in that sense.

Okay.

Okay.

I guess the reason I was upset because you said there wasn't work done, and there has been every single year.

Not enough, I understand.

But yeah, we we try and do some repairs with our uh in-house services when it's needed.

Uh certainly this is a nice big amount of money that we've been able to uh accumulate, and so we're gonna hit it hard this year.

Thank you, Peter.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

Yeah, I'm good.

I misquoted here.

I'm uh I'm all for fixing.

I'm all for the money.

What I'm saying is that what what you've been doing is fixing the repairs.

You haven't been doing whole panel.

You've got you can uh uh you could spend a million bucks probably just fixing the uh the former fixes that you put in.

You can you can hear them when you drive down the street, uh in front of the flower cottage, and a couple other folks.

We blind man could find out where the problems that you it's not the it's not the concrete, uh or the the street, it's the fixes that were put in uh poorly, and that have had to be continuously uh fixed, repair.

That's where the the problem lies.

Thank you.

And if you do the whole panel report, we wouldn't have the uh continuous problem.

All right, all right.

Uh, we'll take a vote.

So uh all is in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Aye.

So action item six six three five, the grants office within the department of resilience and sustainability in collaboration with the Department of Utilities, Water Division recommends that the City Council authorize submission of an application to the federal emergency management agency's fiscal year 26 building resilient infrastructure and communities brick grant program requesting 1.425 million for the Elizabeth Brook Daylighting and Flood Resiliency Phase 3 project scoping.

The project requires 25% non-federal cost share estimated at 475,000 dollars, which has been appropriated through the water fund, water product water pollution control fund and previously authorized general obligation bond funding.

Uh this is currently a uh budgeted.

There's a 25% match.

Second motion and second, any discussion?

Just a quick question, Council Carl.

How can it be currently budgeted when we're seeking a grant?

We're not putting any money forward.

The budget is up to match it.

So we've already budgeted for the match.

Is the budget uh for the match coming from uh the 24 bond revenue portion of it and same?

I know we're not on this action item, but the same for 19 with respect to the grant in the match bond funding or match, uh yeah, thank you.

Any other discussion?

All in favor say aye.

Action item six six three six, the grants office within the department of resilience sustainability in collaboration with the department of utilities recommends the city council authorized submission of an application to the federal emergency management agency's fiscal year building resilient infrastructure communities program requesting 20 million dollars for the South East and Pond Dam Flood Resiliency Project.

The project requires a 25% non-federal cost share estimated at $7.144 million, which has been appropriated through the water fund, water pollution control fund, and previously authorized general obligation funding.

Uh this has been currently budgeted.

I move approval.

Motion is second, any discussion.

All is in favor say aye.

Aye.

Action item six six three seven.

Uh the chief of police uh makes recommendation to approve the purchase of the city uh Ford Police Utility PPV to be utilized for DOT enforcement grants, DUI, clicket or ticket, speed enforcement, distracted driving, pedestrian safety, and detail use, as well as when needed to supplement the uniform patrol division.

And this uh price is not to exceed 82,641 dollars and fifty cents.

This is currently budgeted.

I move approval second.

Motion is second, any discussion.

All is in favor say aye.

Aye.

Action item six six three eight.

The department of resilience and sustainability recommends approval of a contract for $29,630 with Blue Strike Environmental of Reading, Massachusetts, reading Massachusetts, Monterey, California to provide energy manager services consulting support to the city of Newport.

Funding for the project is fully supported by the Resilience Sustainability Department's contract services, but budget line item for 2026.

I move approval.

Motion and second, any discussion.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Action item 6639, uh, the Department of Utilities recommends the award of contract 2026 UTL-03 design build potable water tanks maintenance program and to execute four water tank maintenance contracts with utility service, LLC, USG water solutions, Perry, Georgia for the Lawton Valley uh one for Lawton Valley One, Lawton Valley 2, Goulart Lane, and Reservoir Road Tanks.

The contracts establish a long-term inspection maintenance rehabilitation and asset preservation for four critical water storage facilities serving Newport.

And the combined uh annual.

Can you tell me what what is the combined annual?

Um, first we hears it about the million capital?

Order of uh following that.

Okay, yeah.

I I'm sorry, you know what?

I I should have I should have seen it here.

Year one, 1.929, 1,929,502, year two, one million nine hundred twenty-nine thousand five hundred two year three uh two hundred and eleven thousand seven hundred five years four through twenty variable per contract escalation provisions.

Thank you.

Do I have a second?

Second.

We have motion and second, any discussion.

All right, so just uh just a quick so Rob, so year one and year two are each 1.9 million, not combined like it says on the front page, right?

Okay, well, just want to make sure that was right, resolution.

I can thank you.

Yeah, right.

Yeah, well, that's why I I saw that in the resolution.

I just want to make sure.

Mr.

Mayor Council Napolitano.

Uh yeah.

Do you do the other communities contribute at all?

They do.

It it would uh it's not a clean answer.

I'd have to go back and verify the map.

Okay, the water is um actual usage rates depending on demand, and so the storage is broken up a little bit with the Navy ports that uh middle town would be the exact same decision.

Okay, retail customers from uh Newport or Middletown, and actually a little trunk of ports number of polls.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Action item 6640.

Um the director of finance, uh jobs to ask the council to adopt a resolution repealing and replacing resolution number 2026-83 to adjust the non-owner occupied residential tax rate for fiscal year 2026-27 based on the actual tax bill run completed on June 12th, 2026.

The uh summary of proposed change.

The proposed resolution adjusts only the non-owner occupied residential tax rate.

The current rate uh is nine dollars nine dollars and six oh nine point six oh two per 1,000 of assessed valuation.

The proposed revised rate is nine point four nine four per 1,000 of assessed valuations, so it has gone down.

No changes are proposed uh to the following tax rates.

Owner-occupied residential real estate is uh 7.177 per 1000, commercial rate is 10.6.766 per 1000, and tangible personal property is 14.880 per 1,000.

Um this has no fiscal impact.

I move approval.

Second.

Motion and second, any discussion?

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Okay, next on to resolutions establishing the Newport Tourism Commission.

Councillor Smythe.

Thank you.

In the interest of time, I'm just gonna give a quick summary that this resolution basically establishes the Newport Tourism Commission that will be tasked with creating a tourism impact master plan.

Do I have a second?

Second, all right, motion and second, any discussion.

Um yes, I just curious.

Are they going to be work?

Would they be working with Discover Newport on these so um Discover Newport and the Greater Chamber?

Um, well, yes, we'll be working with the commission.

Okay.

And I have spoken to both.

Mr.

Chairman, Council Carlin.

Uh Council Smythe, what work are we doing here by establishing this commission that uh neither uh Commerce Rhode Island, discover Newport, or as Council Satanly mentioned, uh the Newport County Chamber of Commerce does not do at this point, or the city itself for that matter.

Are we being redundant here?

It provides a voice for the residents.

Uh, we currently do not have based upon feedback from the residents, an adequate balance between our tourism industry and our quality of life for our residents.

Uh, the goal of this commission would be to work with the residents and the tourism industry to help to try to find a better balance than what we currently have.

It will also create a master plan that going forward will enable the city to be able to determine the impact the tourism will have on our city and how we can mitigate that.

Stoke a nerve your time I don't I don't understand this thing.

And it's uh it's an administrative trap it seems to me.

You don't get anything out of uh for three years that's that's what when you're requiring them this body to produce this uh tourism master plan is that correct three years that is correct it will take some time for the research to be able to be done for studies that have already been produced to be analyzed and for community feedback yes.

How much money do you think this is going to cost you going to be able to do it without a uh without a contractor uh who's gonna do the work the commission that is going to work with Discover Newport and the greater chamber um we haven't we haven't produced any other major plans without a contractor why why this one so equal uh volume or uh activity with the comp plan it seems to me it's gonna take three years to produce you're gonna need help if you don't uh if you don't get it outside by paying for it we're gonna task the people the the planning department and the people in sock here there are various it all gratis people are going to volunteer to do this for three years.

There's going to be staggered terms for the people serving on this commission.

They will be able to work with various universities and colleges that can potentially help them with economic impact studies so that will hopefully help to save any funding that could potentially be needed but that will be up to the commission to be able to determine that.

Does it does anybody you know of any other cities that have this there are a few other cities in Apollo somebody who has done this I can get those uh names to you I don't have them with me here um but I'll go back through my notes because I did look up to see if there are other cities and towns like Newport that have done this.

That would be uh and I'm happy to get that information to you I just don't I just think this is a big activity voice of time and it's uh it's extra chairs um I appreciate the work that went into it however I think it is kind of redundant considering you know we have a tourism board or a tourism uh convention visitors board that we work closely with um you know it just it just appears you know and I understand the importance of engaging residents but there are residents on the board.

I'm sure there are.

So I I just kind of um I just think the res redundancy in government uh is a problem right now not only you know locally but nationally and it just seems that there is somebody now that is very active and periodically within every almost five years they have produced reports for us, um, which I think are valuable because they work at it full time, so you know I'm I am reluctant to support something like this only because I think the area is already covered uh with people in Newport that do a good job, Mr.

Chair, Council Segley.

Um I this is similar to um the hotel um resolution for me uh from the last meeting only because um we're gonna be discussing tourism and people are going to have the opportunity to discuss tourism because I have actually I have made tourism a chapter of tourism uh uh very important in the or have asked it to be very important in the comprehensive plan.

So we will have um community engagement on tourism and the effects of it, and uh so I think that while I do appreciate the work that has gone into this, and I understand the need um, but I think that we are already doing this, and we have so many commissions now that we can't we can't even fill them.

So I'm I'm thinking that I I'm just not going to support this right now.

Mr.

Chair?

Thank you.

Um actually I am going to support it because while I I do know that we have some of this work that is done and is being done, we did.

If we're gonna go back to the hotel resolution, we did see a large amount of residents show up um to be heard who didn't really feel like they had been heard prior.

And I just think this might give them another opportunity um to get their thoughts, feelings, and ideas across.

So I like it.

Thank you, Steph.

Thank you.

I would not equate this resolution to the hotel resolution.

I think the two completely separate entities.

Um I understand where this is coming from and and the direction.

Um like has been said, I think there's we have enough um people that that look into this, there's enough organizations that look into this.

This is gonna be this is gonna have a fiscal impact.

This is not something that's gonna be done done for free.

And the question is Mr.

Rice brought up is who is gonna be in charge with financing um these studies.

Um is you know it's a lot, you know, in three years, the the tourism industry changes in three years, and it's gonna be a con.

So we're basically just be kind of chasing our tail year after year after year after year um by by doing something like this.

Mr.

Chair, can I just clarify when I meant that it's similar for me to the hotel is that the housing and hotels are going to be discussed within the comprehensive land use plan.

So that's what that's how I mean.

I don't mean that it's the same in its entirety.

I just meant that it's already going to be covered in a plan.

Mr.

Chair.

Council Smite.

Um I can appreciate uh all of council's thoughts and feelings on this.

Um is a big part of of our community, not only from an economic standpoint, but it impacts every aspect of the quality of life of our residents.

I can appreciate that that we we receive feedback from other uh entities like Discover Newport and the Chamber and elsewhere, um, I can appreciate that that it's a section of the comp plan, and Councillor Segley, I sat in on the interview with you, so we both uh voiced our opinion that that tourism is very important and should be covered.

However, I think it deserves more of a center stage to give our residents a voice in how greatly this is impacting them, and to find out ways that the two can coexist in a better manner than it has because further down the road, as Newport becomes an even greater tourist destination, it's going to be even more impactful to our residents.

Um, and I just feel as though that something needs to be put in place that is going to safeguard the quality of life for the people who live here.

This is one manner in which, um, based upon the feedback that I received from residents that we receive from residents and research that I've done that could help to achieve that.

And if this doesn't get approved by council, I'd like to know from council how are we going to achieve that going forward outside of just the details of our complan.

How are the future councils going to be able to protect the quality of life of our residents so that they are not drastically impacted by having a thriving tourism commission?

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Council Paul Tong.

Um, I can't think about the council.

When I came on the council, and that was many years ago after the Navy left, and you could get any place here for a low amount of money.

Through the years, we've been able to work it out with the majority of businesses that have come in.

We uh they also establish a tourism bureau.

Um the city has worked with them on different projects, including uh certain advertising um different things that were happening in Newport, and in some way it turned out to be a godsend, because people were leaving here left and right, there weren't jobs, there weren't um, you know, the everything kind of dried up, and then the Navy came back with the um different commands uh and the officers and people started to purchase homes, fix them up.

We recently, and I say recently, probably within the last four or five years, been hit with the Airbnb.

That's a problem, and they are in the neighborhoods, um, and the city is trying to do the right thing.

They've given the benefit to the homeowner residents year-round residents, uh to be involved in tourism at this point, I think is really redundant.

I think there are people that are much more expert than we are on the council.

I think we're spread very, very thin.

And uh I guess that you know I can appreciate where you're coming from.

I understand it because I've been through it in Newport, you know, and but uh it just doesn't feel right.

Doesn't feel right.

Council Comptsable, Chairman.

I'm inclined to support this right now, and I want to explain why to my colleagues who I have the deepest level of respect for.

Last week's resolution or last meeting's resolution on hotels, I opposed because I think it brought about a fair amount of regulatory uncertainty, even if at that point it's just a resolution, our words matter and and the industry pays attention.

And similarly, we need to make objective decisions here as a body, because that's what helps us not only have regulatory certainty that's good for business, but also rules that actually stand up in the court of law.

But all these fights, not fights, but these discussions, whether it's about permits for an event or infrastructure investments that we make or what we do on housing decisions on things like short-term mental.

These are all proxies for the same conversation this community is having, which is what is the right balance?

Where should our focus be?

And I'm inclined to think that there is value in having that conversation openly as a community about what that balance should be.

And I I have deep appreciation for the great work that's done by Discover Newport, the work that's ongoing in the comprehensive land use plan, which is addressed as chapter of that.

But I think there is value to this conversation.

I and I agree with some of my colleagues.

I think with way too many study commissions on things.

This is one that I actually think cuts the heart of the issue that is on most people's minds as residents in this community, as business owners in this community, and that this community is going to be wrestling with for the next uh several terms of this council.

So that's why I'll be supporting it.

I appreciate the colleagues' consideration.

I completely agree with you.

But I don't know if that should come in the form of a resolution and creating a another commission.

I believe what we need to do through the comp plan is to have a series of events that will allow the public to express their feelings about quality of life issues, but also for people to understand that much of our revenue and our taxes being able to stay where they are is because of tourism, and that people who are in tourism have real jobs, and that this is something that that I think that I'm not sure that a commission is the way to go.

I think we need to have public forums instead.

So I have been pushing that through the the comp.

And I'm I, you know, I'm hoping that we can have a series of of conversations about hotels and parking and water and infrastructure and all of those things, and and you know, so that people really understand what it is that that the city gains and what we have to find a balance for.

So I'm just not sure it should be in the form of a commission that could possibly have many like-minded people on it.

I would rather see forums that people can understand in more of an educational type of of um of forms.

So that's where I am.

Yeah, and that's you know, let's be real.

The when I say like tourism is a constantly moving, evolving thing.

And I understand there's there are residents that don't like tourism, that don't like development, that don't want us, they don't like the traffic.

I get that.

Trust me, I I completely understand that.

Um just because I'm in the tourism business, I'm also a New Porter, and I know what it's like to get around.

It is going so fast that we are gonna, and we have been constantly trying to catch up to it.

You know, it started with party houses, it's gonna Airbnbs, it's it's you know, development.

Why are we developing so much?

Is because people want to come to Newport.

The social media influencers right now run the game.

So we can have all these commissions we want.

We can have anyone put in their their two cents.

But as we're sitting here talking, the the tourism business is already past us.

I mean, it just look at what happened two weekends ago down at Bowen's wharf with the skincare product.

It was thousands of people in line.

You know, we didn't when we voted for that up here, not one of us knew what what to expect.

Not one of us.

And that thing was just gone, was it was past us, and by the time we realized what happened four days later, we're like, okay, well, and just as fast as they came in, they were gone.

And it's the next thing, it's the next, it's the next what's the new coffee shop or those cinnamon rolls down the street.

It's like it's always something, it's always something.

So we can have all these commissions we want, but by the time they get together and figure something out, if the game's already changed.

You know, so what we're doing as as a city and as a council, we we have we have the means to to try to to try to change things, but it's gonna be a constant evolution.

And Mr.

Chair, I I just don't want to see a commission that's just going to be a complaint session about something without there being um valuable information for people to understand what the benefits are to us and our tax rate and and how it does benefits.

I mean, people come people want to live here for a reason because it is vibrant, because we have museums, because we have events.

You know yes sometimes yes sometimes there's traffic sometimes there's aggravation but really I mean people would not be living here if they did not enjoy living here.

So nobody's forcing anybody to live here.

They want to live here.

So I I mean I I don't know I I'm I'm I think that we need to have more informational sessions rather than people who might be like minded and um I I'm Mr.

Chair council council.

Uh all fair points I would I would also add though it does feel that the city council has become a complaint session for folks who might have challenges with any matter of issues whether it's pro or contourism I think having an outlet for them still carries some value.

So I also think what we're tackling here is a broader governance question that we see a bunch and I'm not weighing in one way or the other but a general belief of whether we are better served as a city with this council serving as the arena for those conversations or whether having those conversations in a thoughtful matter can be better served through other commissions within the city or through staff-led conversations.

And I don't think there's a right or a wrong answer there.

I think it's just a matter of positioning of how this council views its purpose and how we use our community and staff to address these issues.

So I think it's been a thoughtful conversation I appreciate being away in thank you chair.

Well any further discussion uh all is in favor of the resolution uh establishing a newport tourism commission please raise your right hand all is opposed three opposed all right next uh resolution supporting oops I'm sorry I've skipped resolution establishing professionalism and parliamentary procedure instruction sessions councilor smite uh again I'll just kind of summarize what what this entails is is that basically when council meetings deteriorate to a level that prevents orderly conduct that the chair will be able to um implement a recess uh three minute speaking limit of counselors or a two speak maximum on uh certain items do I have a second second motion and second any discussion Mr.

Chairman Council Carlin thank you uh speaking of redundancy as counselor Napolitano mentioned earlier uh there is plenty in this resolution which is redundant we have an ethics commission we have state law we have a charter we have ordinances we have the Roberts rules of order uh I think what we are seeing with this resolution is um essentially uh an attempt uh to treat us as professional colleagues like third graders and uh I would agree again with what Councillor Napolitano said regarding the last resolution and the redundancy plenty of it here no need for it vote against it.

Mr.

Chair Council Smite uh what I can say is if council's going to act like third graders they should be treated like third graders we are here to put our best professional foot forward and yet time and time again this council has not been able to do that after just about every single council meeting I and other counselors will hear from the public as to why did all of that happen why does council act the way that they do they're not acting in the best interest of the public and yet the meetings are consistently contentious and hostile.

This will enable the chair and and depending on who is sitting in the chair position going forward um the chair, with all due respect to counselor to chair Holder, you are an immensely patient and tolerant person, and I give you a ton of credit for that.

Thank you.

But I think this just enables uh just gaining a little bit more control of the meetings when they do go sideways, because our residents, the public, should not have to witness the circus side show that our meetings typically are.

Thank you.

I wouldn't amend that get a longer gavel, I think would be helpful.

I do have a quick question for uh for the solicitor.

Um and or actually first let me ask uh council might what how I read this resolution is really that the Roberts Rules of Order are kind of what we're basing a lot of this on.

My question to the sister is we use that as a guideline, and I believe it states that in the charter.

So we're not actually going by Robert's rules per se, but we use that as a guideline for keeping order.

I haven't checked the actual language of the resolution against all of the rules and Robert's rules, however, what I got out of it is it took uh provisions from Robert's rules, it took some of the spirit from Robert's rules and some others to basically provide another council rule, and it was creating a new procedure for the council, not unlike the the council rules that were adopted just recently, um so yes, Robert's rules is it's a um the former rules of the council had certain rules, uh what adopted Robert's rules um except for as provided for in our rules of council, which a lot of organizations do.

They'll use Robert's rules as a base as a guide, and they'll have some of their own rules that differ from it.

So I just take this as that.

So is it completely on point with Robert's rules?

No, but at the same time, bodies could do that.

Thank you.

Mr.

Chair, we're just a little confused about the title of this resolution establishing professionalism and procedure instruct instruction sessions.

Does that mean that we are have to go to school?

Go to etiquette school.

If we need to, um, and maybe that's something that the um, you know, the title of the of the resolution could potentially be changed.

Um I know that there were the the city solicitor and I had had gone back and forth um with the item on page two as far as as a recess and and whether or not that that is something that can be done go into some type of executive session to uh discuss um an info session and and how council should be moving forward with their civility.

Um I mean that's something that if we need to discuss that we can um it's not something that just taking a recess recess in general just for sort of the dust to settle and for people to kind of come back to to baseline when the topic does get heated might be enough that that having a specific uh instruction session may not be needed.

Um but that's where kind of the the title came from, is is the spirit of the resolution.

Uh yeah, one second council.

So now was another question I had when it asked to make and be an executive session.

We wouldn't be able to do that technically without don't wouldn't we have to have a notice to the secretary of state for an executive session?

Uh, or would we have to word that differently or something?

Right.

But you what so what you would have, what what is going on here is that you have a meeting, and then it's gonna be a standing notice of the possibility of an executive session under which the language will have to be from the resolution will have to be uh changed and we can do that.

I can do that.

If this passes, I can do that to make sure the proper language is in there.

It is a there is somewhat of a novel um idea here is that um for each and each council docket there will be um language that states that the council may go into executive session under it it quotes the subsection the proper subsection, it it will provide the the topic that will be discussed, which will be, you know, uh what happened uh some council decorum uh uh issues, um and then um so that will be in each one and then the key will be that under that the the item um uh a one uh it talks about the conduct of the uh basically personal um uh personal conduct, the the mental health and all of that, that type of thing, the job performance.

Um so the key will be that the person who could be discussed will have to have written notice beforehand and have the opportunity to have the meeting in public, the discussion in public.

So all of that would be in the in the language and the person would be on notice that this could happen.

It is um I don't think I've seen this this before, but I've looked into it.

I'm not I can't say that you can't do it, but it's it is it will be novel and uh I think it I think it may pass most of Mr.

Chair.

So you're gonna put seven people in a room together, like I don't know.

If that I think it I don't I'm not sure that creates a cooling off period, but it's whatever.

Well that that's up to you guys.

Council of Paul Tonal.

No, I I just as I read through it again, it just strikes me as being taken to the woodshed.

Okay.

I guess um it it um you know we do have the regulations to conduct things in a in a um amiable way.

Um not everybody practices it, believe me.

I've been on councils where people actually got up and walked out.

Um so I'm not sure that this would do any more uh good than the rules we already have and the charter and and you know things like that.

So I I really think again it is um kind of redundant, but but maybe it's notification that we shouldn't take notes.

Mr.

Chair?

Um sorry, I didn't know something I didn't understand what you meant about the woodshed, but it was funny.

Um I'm the south.

Oh right.

Um so like you know, everyone knows that I I work with young people, and one of the things that we commit to when working with young people is that um we do not ask them to do anything that we don't do ourselves.

So anyway that we're expecting them to conduct themselves, we need to model that first.

And um, I do know that we have rules of the council and Robert's rules and all those things too.

Um, but you know, sometimes we are not up here acting like our best selves regardless of those things, and I don't see any problem with another added layer.

Um if it works great.

If it doesn't, then you know, I guess we have to figure something else out.

But I do think um that as elected officials as representatives of our community, as community leaders, as people who go out into community every single day in some capacity and work with our residents and our young people, that we sometimes act out of pocket.

And for all of you who don't know what that means.

Um it means like you're not acting your best self, you're not putting your best self forward.

And I understand that tensions rise and people don't agree with things, but I do think sometimes that we can disagree on things better than we do up here.

And you know, I think that there was a lot of thought that went into this, both from staff, but also from the multiple phone calls and text messages and stops on the catch-up aisle in Shaw's um that I receive, and I know multiple of the counselors receive about things that have occurred here.

Um so I do agree with that.

I do think that um we could do better.

I think when you know better, you do better, and this is an opportunity for us to know better.

Um, Mr.

Chair, I i it seems to me that most of these things we can enforce through Robert's rules of order, the maximum of speaking two times on the exact same debatable motion.

There are uh implement a three-minute speaking limit for council members.

Uh so we can do these things if we we just have to do them.

I but you know, someone uh people's behaviors uh we can't when I when I kind of legislate it on a piece of paper, it has to people are going to have to just abide by the rules of just basic civil behavior.

So, you know, I I I can't I'm not gonna I want to support this in a sense because of obviously I want professionalism and I want the parliamentary procedure to to take place because it's conducive to the government operation, but at the same time, uh, I I think that it it's a good warning for us, but it's only as good as the paper it's written on, and and and people have to just behave themselves.

Mr.

Chairman, Council Carlin.

Thank you.

Um there are uh it was first full.

I agree with you entirely, uh, Vice Chair Segley and Counselor Napolitano, excellent points.

Um we can suffer consequences, uh, should the residents of the city of Newport feel that uh we are not acting appropriately.

One of those consequences is you will lose your election, or you will have somebody uh oppose you in an effort to get you defeated in an election.

That's the ultimate uh judgment on the issue at hand.

Uh but more specifically, other than human nature, I have a concern.

Uh we're skating on extremely thin ice, and I think it is a great stretch with respect to adding uh at the end of page two the language regarding pursuant to the Rhode Island Open Meetings Act, and then it goes on to describe how council should this resolution be adopted, may excuse itself into executive session.

Uh again, major stretch thin ice, state law dictates our public body can go into executive session, and they don't say that you can go into executive session uh forgive me because somebody's feelings were hard on the dais.

Again, I recommend voting against this.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

Council Morwan.

Not so certain about our ability to bind future councils.

I realize the intent is to move it into the rules.

Um, I mean, look, this resolution is is pretty straightforward.

It's don't be a jerk, right?

And I thought it was partial than that.

Right.

And to that extent, you we we elect the government that we deserve.

So voters have a problem with somebody, it's that severe.

Run against them.

Replace them.

I guess and I and I do believe there's adequate power in the rules.

I don't think this is a bad resolution.

I don't think it's malintentioned.

I just think we're at the point where the rules are getting so heavy and so thick that the cumbersomeness of serving as chair having to navigate all these inherently sets up the next chair for failure to be able to enforce what should be a pretty straightforward thing, which is don't be a jerk.

And if somebody's being a jerk, step in and cut them off.

And so, you know, I I want to support this because I think it's well intentioned.

Um, I know both the sponsors uh and all of us have received a lot of uh feedback about civility.

Every single one of those people that wrote about that, I would ask them, why aren't you running?

Why aren't you supporting somebody that's running if that's the case?

So I'm gonna vote against it.

Okay, I uh go to vote.

So uh all in favor um of the resolution, please raise your right hand.

All is against four or three against.

Next uh resolution supporting improvements to the dog recreation facilities, evaluation of a south end dog park and development of a pilot off leash opportunities.

Councilor Smythe.

Uh basically this is uh resolved that the Newport City Council hereby acknowledges and accepts the recommendations of the tree and open space commission regarding dog recreation facilities and opportunities within the city that the city managers hereby directed to engage with RIDOT and provide the city council with a status update regarding the proposed memorandum of understanding governing the city's use of the Pell Bridge Alignment Dog Park and the city administration shall evaluate potential locations for the establishment of a second public dog park.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Alright, motion and second any discussion.

Yes, Council Segley.

Mr.

Chair, I love this resolution.

I think this is exactly what we need.

And uh I think that the improvements at the dog park in the north end uh sorely needed.

Um I think that uh we I've gotten a lot of complaints about it.

I got complaints about the first one, um, also that was uh moved, and I think the state did um just a rudimentary job, and then they did not put much effort into it.

So uh, which was unfortunate.

And uh because I had people going to uh RIDOT to say what they wanted for a dog park and everything was um dismissed.

So I think that we need to look at this.

I think this is a great idea, and I'm gonna support it.

Council Carlin.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

As the counselor for the third board, I must not be doing my job the right way.

I must be missing something uh that perhaps Councillor Smythe has seen or heard of, because uh I absolutely have not heard about the support for a South End dog park, and I very much look forward to uh communicating should this pass, communicating with the residents uh of the South End.

Two streets were mentioned, old Fort Road and Wellington, about the additional problems that will be brought on, no doubt with regard to traffic and other issues.

Should you want to dump a dog park in the middle of the fifth board?

I I very much look forward to having that conversation in the next few weeks.

And uh I would suggest that um with great respect to my colleagues.

Uh I am probably the one who hears from South End residents the most, and I haven't heard one request for a dog park uh in the South End, in particular in those two very heavily trafficked neighborhoods, that is to say neighborhoods, which is not where the current North End dog park is located.

Please, please vote against this, Mr.

Chair, Smythe.

Um the tree and open space commission conducted uh a workshop and had multiple meetings in which residents from all over the city attended and voiced their opinion of where other dog parks should be, including residents from the third ward.

And I believe that Maureen Cronin is here tonight that she may want to speak on behalf of this.

Mr.

Chairman, question for council curling.

Yeah.

How many residents of the third ward asked for a dog park uh in the vicinity of Wellington or Old Fort Road?

And further, how many residents of the third board asked for a dog park in the south End?

You tell me how many of those residents showed up at these meetings.

I know that there were meetings held, uh, but I am not aware that uh there were any full-time residents of the third ward of the south End who asked for a dog park.

Uh, maybe we can get provided with those names, but for the time being, again, I asked how many were there.

Whoever wants to answer, Councilor Smythe or Maureen.

More counselor Carlin, it might it might be better necessarily to look at it from a holistic point of view.

Um, we were approached, and this all took place.

Um, it has uh the most recent meeting was probably now about um a year and a half ago, and we haven't had one with the public since we haven't been able to move the North End dog park with a memorandum of understanding to allow the city to take it back, and that's become our primary focus.

But I'd like to just clarify a few things.

And if you'd like me to try to get numbers, I'm more than happy to.

They're in our mimic minutes that are at the secretary of state and the workshop minutes, and the people that came to the meetings.

I can do that.

Just in general, uh, you don't have to give me uh a number that will hold you to in general.

Okay, uh, how many residents of the south end of the city, in particular those neighborhoods that are specifically mentioned in the resolution came to the meetings and asked for a dog park?

Just ballpark.

Well, again, I want to give it to you the whole the whole aspect of what we heard.

People in the city from the south to the north have come and approached as groups, and they're usually groups of parents of pets that use things like Morton Park and try to run them off leash.

They're stirred park, they can't get to the dog park, and they all have come and they have said that we as a city are not providing them an opportunity from south to north with an opportunity to run their pets and to form communities like they want to have, and that they're helping and willing to do some of the work.

They haven't come with a location, they haven't necessarily come with a big ask.

They know that they have a problem.

There's a group of there's a group of uh dog families.

We know up on Morton Morton Park, they're during about I think it's four o'clock in the afternoon, they try to run their their pets off leash.

It's because it's good for the pet, but we've also heard a lot of people come in and live in other cities that have given us feedback about how if we could and in the summertime you can't get from there to a dog park this in the north end.

We all know that.

So the subsequently what we're hearing is we're hearing from the community in large that we are not listening to the families of pets, and we are not giving them good located places from which they can bring their pets and form a community.

So it it's all east west.

I just asked the question again.

Um, ballpark.

How many of those folks you say they all came?

How many of them?

Point of order, Mr.

Chair.

The question has been asked and Maureen Cronin answered.

All right, Council Smythe.

Maureen answered as best as she could.

She said that she could get those numbers to you, so why do you keep asking the same question?

Mr.

Chairman, who has the floor?

Council Smythe, uh, well, Maureen technically has a floor, but you keep interrupting her.

So, Maureen, please continue.

Um, when we closed, this might clarify it a little bit.

When we had to do the realignment on the bridge, we had to close the north, we had to close the dog park.

So we were left with no dog park.

So subsequently, the amount of people that we get are all talking about their section of the city.

So I would have to go through and I would have to say, well, this one talked about south, this one talks about north, this one talked about walking, this one talked about this, because they've all come together and said, please fix this problem.

It isn't just going to be the South.

Mr.

Chairman, you wouldn't have a projection then, uh, Maureen or Council Smythe to continuing this resolution until the next meeting when you can get me the exact numbers of how many South End residents came and asked for a dog park in these neighborhoods.

Would you?

I will pull I will pull our I will pull our minutes, and if there's a count of people, I will have that for you.

But I would ask that we take an action tonight that is really important that's in there that is an item that is actionable right now.

We have a piece of property in the north end that is owned by the state, that all we need to do is give and get with them and do a memorandum of understanding at that point in time when that document, which is a normal document, there's nothing unusual about doing one of those.

Once that document is in place, we then as the city have the ability to enhance that piece of property so that at least that one dog park is up and running, and we've actually maybe been able to, we've been talking about people about donations and fundraisers and things like that to get more facilities there than we have.

But we are we are hamstring, our hands are tied.

We have an ordinance on the books right now that there's no leash off in parks.

So everybody that lives here that has a dog is not allowed to take their dog off of the leash.

We have no dog park to tell them to go to, and when they do go off leash, we have neighbors now that are going into parks and they're getting into conflicts with people that have put their dogs off leash.

It's a problem that we don't need to have, it's a problem we can start fixing one piece at a time.

And I would say, since we have a piece of property in the North End, let's at least get control of that piece of property and turn that dog park into something that's really good, and then look at the bigger picture.

Mr.

Chairman, I would have no problem uh supporting an oral amendment doing such.

Uh, I simply cannot support the language of the resolution because of what I noted several times earlier.

If the counselor would like to make an oral amendment, I'd be happy to second it, provided it includes what I just mentioned.

Um, I I just have a question.

Um has there been a lot of talk about not wanting a dog park in the South End.

I can say I've heard from when I saw the old Fort Road.

I I have neighbors call me, come up to me dead against having a dog park in that neighborhood.

Okay.

Council Carlin, you probably obviously thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Um, well said, Mr.

Chair.

Well, but but could it could I just, I'm sorry, could I just finish?

I just want to I mean I do believe that we need another dog park.

Okay.

I think we need we do need two.

But we don't even have one right now.

Well, no, I know.

Well, I there are people who use it, it's not because yeah, okay, I but you know, but um it doesn't have to be in the south end, it can be in the middle in the middle of the city, right?

I mean, we can look at other locations that might be more um centrally located for the whole city.

I mean, we are one city, we're not just one ward, two or three ward.

Yeah, it is impossible.

We have heard, and that's why I'm asking to have this looked at holistically.

It is the information we've heard, no matter if you're east, west, north, or south, is it is incredibly difficult to get from one end of the city, especially in the summertime, then another.

I don't think I need to convince anybody of that.

We know that to be a fact.

So that's a fact.

Number two, we're we've heard from owners of pets, particularly dogs, that the city has ordinances against them having them off of a leash or not being kept, which is again that is a fact.

That is true.

We don't have a dog park that we have control over in the north end because we do not have a memorandum of understanding with the state that we can take control of that and we can embellish and make that as good as we want.

So subsequently, we have a piece of property owned by the state of Rhode Island that they put a marginal amount of work into that is not something that when you I don't have a I don't have a pet, but I know that the love between pet owners and their pets is great, and that's like putting your kid in a playground that is pretty pretty crappy, and excuse me, but let's let's admit it, that's what it's like, and then they try to go in groups for safety.

Morton Park is a great example of where they go at four o'clock.

They may have stopped going by now because the off the animal welfare officer kept going, and they try to get there and they try to be there, put all their dogs off leash, and they're all gonna be protective, but then you still have people, children, elderly vulnerable that are nervous about it.

And that's generally, you know, that's a truism.

This is we we've spent a lot of time tonight talking about the quality of life in town, and um this doesn't involve expensive equipment or road closures or or whether or not different things are happening.

These are normal people living here year-round, trying to take care of their pets and asking us to come up with a solution.

And so my first idea is let's take care of getting the north end dog park at least in our custody, and then plan out from there how we can best help all of these families so that they feel that their quality of life is being recognized by the city.

Oh, Council Smith first.

Yeah, Mr.

Chair, I just wanted to clarify that the um the reference to Old Fort Road and Wellington Ave was contained in the whereas items, which just provides a backstory to this particular topic.

The resolves do not call out Old Fort Road or Wellington Ave.

Right, Mr.

Chairman, Council Carroll.

There's no question about the fact that should this resolution pass, there will be a general perception uh by folks in that neighborhood, in both neighborhoods, and probably in the south end as well as a whole, uh, that there will be an attempt to put a dog park on Old Fort Road or Wellington Avenue.

The language is in, not the resolve, but it's in the whereas, whereas workshop participants identified several potential locations for further evaluation, including properties near Old Fort Road and Wellington Avenue.

I can't be much more clear of how that will resonate with the voters or with the residents, Mr.

Chair.

Well, I and I I agree with you, counselor Carlin.

So why don't we just take that whereas out and then it won't be a part of it, but we can look for other locations that might be more centrally located for everyone in the city.

Or a citywide system that which just allows for convenience for people to be able to walk from their homes, without having to get in a car and drive for 45 minutes or an hour.

No, it's just if we just remove that whereas, I I mean, I think that would be fine.

I kind of think sorry, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

I feel like evaluation kind of is self-explanatory.

Maybe it just means that they're gonna look at it and decide if that's a my misunderstanding.

No, that that is correct.

Yeah, of course.

Okay, so I just wanted to make sure that I was understanding that it's an evaluation and not a concrete plan that's a place where it's been we have we have stand to deal with right now, and we're trying to get something solid.

Thank you, Maureen.

Any other discussion?

Council Carl or one.

It's obviously, been an interesting day with the announcements, right?

I think there are two things that should be crystal clear about this body who ultimately will approve whatever dog park gets built.

But there are two counselors sitting on this diet, so we know we're coming back, one of which is in this ward, right?

And that being the case, if we know that old Fort Road and Wellington are going to be a proverbial dead end, though not actual.

We just amend the resolution or move those two locations and get this thing through passage.

That's what I said.

Yeah.

It's a question for my colleague in the third ward.

This is your award.

I offer two solutions.

Uh councillor Smythe shook her head no.

So if it remains the same without being amended, I will simply do what I did a few minutes ago, and that is to urge you to vote no.

You want to make an amendment on the getting that we are as out.

It provides a backstory, so it doesn't provide teeth to the the actual resolve, is where their teeth is.

So I'm I'm fine with amending.

I will motion to amend the whereas that references Old Fort Road and Wellington Av to remove that particular whereas do I have a second?

Second.

Right, motion and second on the uh amendment.

Any discussion?

All right, all is in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

All right, amendment works.

Uh, council Carlin on the resolution, please.

Yes, sir.

We still have the issue of a resolve, uh, which in this case is in fact uh a concrete motion.

Uh we are not simply offering background information, we're offering uh a proposal, and that is to say, uh the fourth resolve, and that still contains language which refers to uh a second public door park serving the southern end of the city, uh, which brings me back to my original concerns.

So I would urge you if that resolved remains in the resolution to vote against it.

If that resolved is removed like the whereas was so that there can be no confusion for the residents of those neighborhoods in the south end in general, that we're not trying to put a dog park down there, then I'll vote for it.

If not, I urge you to vote against it, Mr.

Chair, Council Smythe.

Um I'm I'm not going to remove that resolve.

I will, however, motion to amend it to state that city administration shall evaluate potential locations for the establishment of at least a second public dog parking in the city and provide a report to the city council within six months identifying second.

Motion and second on an amendment.

Any discussion?

All in favor say aye.

All right, now we're back to the twice amended resolution.

Um let's go to vote.

Um, all is in favor of the uh amended resolution say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

I have it.

Next, um establishing council quarterly meetings with the city finance department and the school finance department.

Councilor Smythe.

Okay, I'll be brief on this one as well.

Resolve that the city council establishes the following quarterly joint meetings with the city council, Newport School Committee and School Department, City of Newport's finance department.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Motion and second, any discussion.

All those in favor say aye.

Any opposed?

I seven.

Next establishing fundraising for boards and commissions.

Councilor Smythe.

Um, and I'll summarize this as well.

Resolve that the city council authorizes city administration to uh prepare standard operating procedures to enable boards and commissions to seek authorization for the council for the approval of fundraising activities and potential grants.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Motion and second.

Any discussion, Mr.

Chair, Council Smith.

Um, I do have a few amendments that I would like to motion to the council to consider.

Yes, um, based upon conversations that I had with city administration.

For the first resolved.

I would like to have it amended to read that the city council authorizes city administration to develop and prepare standard operating procedures to enable boards and commissions to seek authorization from the council for the approval of fundraising activities and potential grants in support of their respective missions and for city administration to submit the draft of the SOP to council for review no later than 6 30 2027.

So do you do you want me to do each resolve separately or or do it in one motion I would do all in one motion.

All of them in one okay uh the second resolved that authorized fundraising activities may include but are not limited to solicitation of donations and sponsorships hosting of public events educational programs and community initiatives for the city to explore friends of groups or nonprofit partnerships where appropriate and acceptance of in-kind contributions consistent with city policies and be it further resolved that prior to initiating any fundraising activities a board of commission shall submit fundraising goals in compliance with the SOP to the city council for review and approval that shall include purpose and intended use of funds and then skip the next resolved um following that resolve that all fundraising activities shall comply with the provisions of the Rhode Island code of ethics applicable local ethics policies and the city of Newport's grant guidance and procedural manual.

Boards and commissions shall not solicit or accept contributions that create a conflict of interest or the appearance of impropriety and must provide annual reports of its activities to council in accordance with the SOP.

Do I have a second second all right we have a motion and second on the amended resolution.

Then in discussion yeah Council Paul Tunnel Ms.

Chairman um if this is for all boards and commissions I I have a bit of a concern you know um there are and we have done fundraising in the past for um our trips and uh I it's kind of a slippery slope it almost feels like you know um I don't know it it's somehow it doesn't feel right that they would be given we have enough issues getting people to serve on boards and commissions without telling them they have to fundraise too that's that's where I I don't understand it.

And I can clarify um so we aren't telling them that they have to fundraise we're giving them the opportunity to do so if something presents itself that would be beneficial that instead of asking for a line item of our budget that utilizes taxpayers' dollars to help with any any work that certain boards and commissions would like to do that this gives them an opportunity to do fundraising instead and taking the pressure off of having to utilize taxpayers dollars.

But what if there was a particular thing that a border commission wanted and a wealthy person comes up and says hey I'll I'll fund it it would have to be approved by council first.

Yeah I understand that but I it just kind of opens them up it opens boards and commission members up I I have a little bit of a problem with it.

Not with with certain commissions you know, I understand it, but um, and that's why the approval of of council and and and more importantly that that information and the details of how they would need to go about doing it would be called out in the standard operating procedures.

So it wouldn't be something that just any board or commission could could go out and solicit fundraising to do whatever they want.

It would still have to be presented to council in the form of a communication and then approved.

Let me ask this.

Um we were just talking about the dog park, okay.

Um go ahead and say you have some amendments on the floor.

I don't know if your if your objection is more towards the the resolution itself.

You may want to vote on the amendment because there were a number of them set forth by council smite.

Okay.

And if you stop debating the merits of it, you're gonna lose sight.

Okay.

Um, we had a motion of second on the amended resolution.

Um further discussion on the amendments.

All right, all is in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Opposed.

I have it.

So now we're on to the amended resolution.

Um, yeah, my I'm not saying that a concern.

I I think I think overall I like where you're where you're going with this.

It's kind of a little bit of a check and balance.

I still wouldn't want to take away some line items from the budget for some boards of commissions.

I still think it's important for some of them.

Obviously, like we just had the earlier uh some hours ago on the sister city commission where they have they have a line budget item.

So last uh meeting we had the Newport Public Sculpture Commission.

We you know granted some money for them to for uh projects of that nature.

But I can I can see those boards or commissions still go out and be able to fundraise to, you know, we want to bring more uh school kids to to these trips of the sister cities, and uh, I think we'd a good way to do it.

Um now where somebody like and I mean the planning board, I don't know, yeah, what they would that's where I'm you know, but that but that would like I think Council Smite said they would have to come in front of us first and the finance department to be like, yeah, we need to raise money for X, Y, or Z.

So, right, and and it wouldn't it's the resolution is not calling for any budgeted line items to be removed, it's giving the boards and commissions the opportunity for council approved fundraising to maybe supplement that.

So say say um tree and open space, I'll use that as an example, and the dog park, um, because the Potter League had had offered to help fund a second dog park.

Say say if we didn't have something like this, that tree and open space might come to council if they didn't have somebody that could help uh donate money and might ask for a budgeted line item if council chose to give them that.

This would give them an opportunity to say, well, you know what, we we we are gonna do some fundraising per council approval.

Um we don't need that budgeted line item, so that money can go towards something else that is needed within the city.

It's just trying to supplement another way of utilizing taxpayers' dollars for boards and commissions line items.

Couldn't any board or commission come to us now and say we'd like to have a fundraiser for this purpose?

Whatever their intention, can't they do it now?

They could, but there are some that don't that still do fundraising, but there isn't a checks and balances piece to it.

This would I don't want to call them out by name.

Um but I I know that tree and open space has done some fundraising to do some some reports.

Um but but this would provide for something to be on record.

Um checks and balances.

And all our I's crossing all our Ts.

It would just make council and especially the finance department aware of any fundraising events that are happening.

Mr.

Chair, I'll say I guess this makes me a little bit nervous because, you know, in the last budget, we had the cemetery commission's $35,000 taken out of the budget, and it was put back in because of the worthwhile work that they have done.

You know, I would hate to say, well, you know what, you didn't fundraise, so we're not going to give you any more money.

But what they do is, you know, uh re-uh install stones, they clean stones, they they're so active.

And so I think that this is like an excuse now.

This could be used as an excuse to not give um certain boards and commissions money.

So I mean, the only way that I could support this is if we say that that funding would not be taken out of the of uh the line items for, but I'm not sure that that's even a reasonable thing to say.

So, Mr.

Chair?

Yeah, this is providing an option for our boards and commissions.

It is not saying that they cannot approach council and ask for a budgeted line item.

It's not saying that if there is a budgeted line item that they can't have it, it is giving them the opportunity to do fundraising to perhaps supplement utilizing taxpayers' dollars, Mr.

Chair.

But I think that they can do that now.

I mean, the city is uh 501c3, correct?

I mean, people can donate money to the city, well, it's like its nature as a municipality.

So we're definitely not nonprofit.

Well, but but we are we are I mean, we we can take donations, correct?

So, um I I'm I'm not entirely comfortable with this.

The only thing that gives me some solace is when it says that the city council uh authorizes to prepare a standard operating procedure so we could look at those perhaps those standard operating procedures, and then decide this is not something that's going to create the framework for fundraising, but it's just a way for the administration to do more work and to get back to us, right?

That's that's true, but uh I do want to give counselors my credit.

Um, she can come in and meet with us and we talked about some of the public.

So the administration were uh were suggested and ultimately just adopted.

You feel comfortable with the SP and some guardrails around the fundraising, uh but we don't know what those guardrails are right now.

That's but that's what we're being that's what we passed for the work out.

We're already halfway there.

Our grants program already has a lot of these funds are in place, but it's not in a normal stuff that's really but we're comfortable with the different.

Council Council, sorry, we all set council.

No, I'm good.

I think my my challenge with this is that the inherent combination of politics and money is one of the most challenging ones to navigate.

We're held accountable by the voters once every two years to that account.

They don't think that they can trust us to be impartial on things.

One way they can render their opinion is through whether or not we get re-elected.

But it's inherently a hard thing to balance.

We just have to acknowledge that to vote against people that are supporting you, and that's part of the job.

Folks who sit on boards and commissions didn't sign up to have to make that determination every day.

And when you introduce money to that equation, particularly in a community where there are vast disparities in the access to wealth that people have, I find it very, very, very, very, very hard for somebody to feel regardless of the formal steps we go through that they're being heard equally.

And and that's I I worry about the propriety, the perception, the purpose of why we're putting people on these boards and commissions, because inevitably, look, if you sit on a nonprofit board, part of the consideration is are you gonna be able to fundraise or make a contribution here?

Not the only one.

There are other people on that board, and so there's an inherent imbalance that occurs when money becomes part of the equation, and I'm worried about that in this town.

And I'm worried about how people end up perceiving that.

We can think of a gazillion different scenarios where you could have two residents appearing, and even with all the appropriate steps people have to go through.

If there's one person who's just donated a quarter million dollars to the city for something, and there's another person who doesn't have that capability and may contribute in other ways.

One party or the public feeling that they got a fair shake, even if we do everything by the letter of the law is a really really tough thing to navigate.

We're held in check by campaign finance limits that are relatively modest compared to the scale of generosity this community sees.

The administration is professionally set up to deal with this.

We are civically accountable to deal with this.

I don't know that asking somebody who serves on the planning board or the zoning board or any of these other commissions necessarily is going to be equipped in the same way.

And I don't know that's fair to ask that of them.

I think it is well intentioned.

I do think we need to be thinking about how we tap the charitable opportunities we have, but I worry about putting that burden on board and commission members.

Um once again, I just want to stress that this is just providing an option, it is not forcing the boards and commissions to do fundraising.

It is just letting them know that that this could potentially be an opportunity if the event presents itself, but it enables proper checks and balances to happen.

I I can appreciate that, but um you know I think that you know when we had the fire boat issue, um, we had got a FEMA grant, and then um, in order to pay for the in the entire boat, we got a very wonderful contribution from someone to um subsidize the rest of it.

I mean, there's nothing that stops anyone from donating money for certain projects.

So I'm not sure that we really need this framework.

I think that you know, obviously the planning, zoning, historic, they're not gonna do fundraising.

I understand that this probably is more about the statues and you know, maybe the cemetery commission and all, but I don't think that that's their job.

Their job is to oversee the um just to oversee those those entities and and then come to the city for support.

We could also at that point say, Well, you know, maybe we could do some fundraising, but I I'm not sure we need something in that is uh codified.

Okay, any further discussion.

All right, uh, do a uh show of hands, all those in favor of the amended resolution, please raise your right hand.

All those opposed four or three opposed.

Mr.

Chairman, Council Carlin.

Uh after the vice chair makes the appropriate uh uh announcement to adjourn to the uh board of licensed commissioners.

Uh can we pull item three uh from the consent calendar, please?

Sure.

Do you want to go through the do you want to pull it now?

Well, let's just let's let's go.

Oh, we'll do that.

Motion to adjourn as council and convene as board of licensed commissioners.

All right, motion and second, any discussion.

All those in favor say aye.

Motion to approve the consent calendar in its entirety.

Second, motion and second.

Uh Council Carlin.

Thank you.

Um, item number three is uh the best item on the agenda on the council agenda tonight.

Uh it is an item that uh my colleagues supported last year, seven to zero uh to support a great organization like to the beach.

Uh it's held throughout a number of areas, ends uh at King Park, and um as you might remember last year uh we had uh support uh uh attorney boyle came last year before the the council and explained uh what the organization is about, what they do, and I wanna report a lot of you might have even attended in person, uh, but it was a tremendous, tremendous event.

Uh and I know if he was here he would uh he would talk about it.

Uh but um that's all I have to say, and I hope that you'll support this again.

Second.

Thank you.

Uh I don't know if it's the best item on the journal.

I think the one before is uh is more locals, but still good idea.

I don't know.

Still a good call.

We should decide which is our favorite.

So um any uh any discussion?

All right, all in favor of uh the consent calendar uh for board of liquors and commissioners say aye.

Aye, any opposed?

Ayes have it.

Motion to adjourn.

Second, motion second, any discussion.

All is in favor, say aye.

Aye.

I keep thinking this is an angle.

Every time I look at it, like why is there an uh