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Record of Proceedings

Newport City Council Regular Meeting - September 30, 2026

Meeting Portal — Wednesday, September 30, 2026
BodyNewport, Rhode Island
SessionMeeting Portal
DateWednesday, September 30, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 27:16

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:00

Charlie Holder.

0:00

Here Side Camps of Ourova.

Speaker 2

0:02

Here.

Speaker 1

0:03

Dean Marie Napolitano.

0:04

Here.

0:04

Ellen Pinnock.

0:06

Stephanie Smythe.

0:07

Here.

0:08

There is a quorum present, Mr.

0:09

Chair.

Speaker 2

0:10

Please stand for Pledge of Allegiance.

Speaker 1

0:13

If

Speaker 3

0:14

allegiance of the United States of America

Speaker 4

0:17

and which it stands.

Unassigned speaker

0:21

I'm

Speaker 4

0:22

not

Speaker 3

0:23

invisible

Speaker 4

0:24

with

Speaker 3

0:24

liberty and justice are all

Speaker 2

0:31

right.

Speaker 1

0:34

Yes.

0:35

Pete Rice.

Speaker 5

0:39

Pete Rice, uh third ward, one Harrison Lane.

0:45

I I rise to uh her

Speaker 6

0:48

uh

Speaker 5

0:48

remind uh the council that we

Unassigned speaker

0:51

have

Speaker 5

0:52

50,000 cubic yards of dirt uh behind Rogers, and uh doesn't seem to have an owner.

1:00

Uh the uh as I understand

Unassigned speaker

1:05

it,

Speaker 5

1:05

the uh school building committee still owns

Unassigned speaker

1:09

it, or

Speaker 5

1:10

the city, or does the city own I'm seeking status the uh on the uh disposition of the thing and like to know if there is a plan or is there a plan to have a plan, or is the plan to have no plan to just put it in the too hard box and forget

Unassigned speaker

1:34

it?

Speaker 5

1:34

So that looks like what you're doing

Unassigned speaker

1:36

now.

Speaker 2

1:45

Do we want to address that on from administration side

Speaker 4

1:52

I we are developing a plan?

1:57

We are excuse

Speaker 3

1:58

me.

Speaker 4

1:58

Yes.

Speaker 3

1:59

Is this on the agenda?

Speaker 4

2:00

No, it's not.

Speaker 3

2:01

Okay.

2:01

I I'd like to have this addressed.

2:04

The topic is extraordinarily sensitive to me and my constituents.

2:08

I'd like to have this addressed in the proper way.

2:10

Thank you.

2:10

And it's not this way.

Speaker 2

2:13

Well, I think it's okay to have an administration say, yeah, we are working on we don't have to get into details of it, but just to say yes, Mr.

2:20

Mr.

2:20

Rice had asked asked the question, and yeah, we are we are working on something simple enough.

Unassigned speaker

2:30

The

Speaker 4

2:30

matter's being addressed.

2:31

Yes,

Speaker 2

2:31

thank

Unassigned speaker

2:32

you.

Unassigned speaker

2:35

The

Speaker 5

2:36

answer was in the two hard box.

2:39

We'll stay there.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████21%
Transportation Safety████████████████16%
Liquor Licensing███████████████15%
Public Engagement███████████11%
Education████████8%
Healthcare Services████████8%
Public Safety████████8%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████6%
Technology and Innovation████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Newport City Council Regular Meeting - September 30, 2026

The Newport City Council met on September 30, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, 43 Broadway, Newport, RI. The meeting included a consent calendar, public comment, several license approvals, appointments, and ordinances. The council also convened as the Board of License Commissioners to approve liquor license transfers.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved consent calendar in entirety with exceptions of items A2 (Newport Public Education Foundation event) and J (School Committee resolution), which were considered separately.
  • Item A2 (Newport Public Education Foundation event) approved after Councillor Thompson Boravong recused himself.
  • Item J (Communication from Patricia Reynolds regarding School Committee resolution) was pulled by Councillor Carlin for discussion and subsequently approved by voice vote.
  • After initial approval, the council reconsidered and approved item A3 (Armstead-Barnhill Foundation sickle cell awareness event); a representative spoke about the event.
  • All other consent items (special events, bingo license, bicycle rental renewal, resignations from Charter Review Commission, historic cemetery alliance request, Castle Hill Neighborhood Association stormwater opposition, Perrotti Park harbormaster building request, Hazard Mitigation Report, OCD Awareness Week lighting) were approved or received as listed.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Pete Rice (Third Ward) expressed concern about 50,000 cubic yards of dirt behind Rogers School, stating it appeared to have no owner and asking for a plan. The City Manager responded that a plan is being developed.
  • Barry Freeman (Bike Newport) spoke during the bicycle ordinance discussion, reporting that 11th Hour replenished Bike Newport's inventory of lights, that a statewide micromobility work group has formed to address e-bike legislation (recognizing Newport's process as a model), and praised the council's comprehensive bicycle ordinance work.

Discussion Items

  • Annual Entertainment License: Broadway Tavern (Tavern on Broadway) approved for a Class A indoor entertainment license (noon to 1 a.m., Sundays through Saturdays) – second hearing.
  • New Victualing License: MXR-RD-RI-1 LLC (El Tapatio Newport) approved for 140-142 Broadway (first and second floors and rear patio) in conjunction with liquor license transfer. Attorney Michael Mano and principals Pedro Baracas and Jack Watson answered questions, noting El Tapatio is a Mexican restaurant chain expanding to Newport and that the Class C liquor license is being transferred from Pivotal Brewing (the brewing license will not be retained).
  • Appointments: Michael Rego appointed to the Sister City Commission (three-year term expiring 9/30/29). Elliott Caldwell reappointed to the Historic Cemetery Advisory Commission for a third term (expires 10/14/2029). Both approved.
  • Action Item #6679: Authorized Newport Fire Department to pursue grants and philanthropic funding for replacement of the fire training structure behind Fire Station #2 at 100 Old Fort Road. Approved.
  • Ordinances: Items 6–10 (amendments to sections 5.97.020, 10.08.010, 10.16.020, 10.16.030, 10.20.120) approved en bloc as second readings.
  • Bicycle Ordinance (Chapter 10.72): Two amendments approved: (1) adding Spring Street to the list of prohibited parking areas in subsection H; (2) amending subsection L (lights) per the Chief of Police's memorandum. Councilor Rice changed his prior position, now supporting removal of mandated lights from ordinance due to enforcement limitations; the Chief recommended a voluntary equipment list. The amendment as proposed by the Chief was approved by voice vote.
  • Board of License Commissioners: Convened after council adjourned. Consent calendar approved except item 1; Class F daily liquor licenses approved for Newport Public Education Foundation and St. Augustin Church. The transfer of the Class C alcoholic beverage license from Pivotal Brewing Company to El Tapatio Newport was approved after a hearing.

Key Outcomes

  • All consent calendar items approved or received as listed.
  • Tavern on Broadway entertainment license approved.
  • El Tapatio Newport victualing license and Class C liquor license transfer approved.
  • Michael Rego appointed, Elliott Caldwell reappointed.
  • Fire department authorized to seek grant/philanthropic funding for training structure.
  • Six ordinance amendments approved (items 6–10 and bicycle chapter amendments).
  • All Board of License Commissioners items approved.
  • Meeting adjourned at approximately 7:23 p.m. after a 23-minute session.

Meeting Transcript

Charlie Holder. Here Side Camps of Ourova. Here. Dean Marie Napolitano. Here. Ellen Pinnock. Stephanie Smythe. Here. There is a quorum present, Mr. Chair. Please stand for Pledge of Allegiance. If allegiance of the United States of America and which it stands. I'm not invisible with liberty and justice are all right. Yes. Pete Rice. Pete Rice, uh third ward, one Harrison Lane. I I rise to uh her uh remind uh the council that we have 50,000 cubic yards of dirt uh behind Rogers, and uh doesn't seem to have an owner. Uh the uh as I understand it, the uh school building committee still owns it, or the city, or does the city own I'm seeking status the uh on the uh disposition of the thing and like to know if there is a plan or is there a plan to have a plan, or is the plan to have no plan to just put it in the too hard box and forget it? So that looks like what you're doing now. Do we want to address that on from administration side I we are developing a plan? We are excuse me. Yes. Is this on the agenda? No, it's not. Okay. I I'd like to have this addressed. The topic is extraordinarily sensitive to me and my constituents. I'd like to have this addressed in the proper way. Thank you. And it's not this way. Well, I think it's okay to have an administration say, yeah, we are working on we don't have to get into details of it, but just to say yes, Mr.

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