Newport meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Newport agendas: stormwater fee options, Plat 9 rezoning and school finances — but no votes recorded yet

Newport's three most recent government meetings — a City Council regular session on Oct. 14, a council workshop on Oct. 20 and a joint quarterly meeting with the School Committee on Oct. 21 — have no published minutes, according to the records available for this roundup. No votes, approvals or final decisions from those sessions are recorded in the supplied documents. What follows is drawn from the agendas for those meetings and from the agenda for the council's next regular session.

Zoning, grants and licenses on the Oct. 14 agenda

The City Council's Oct. 14 regular session listed public hearings on amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and on a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application. The zoning item concerned a proposed rezoning of Plat 9, Lot 219 from Innovation Hub – Urban Village to Waterfront Campus.

Also listed were a contract award for Police Vehicle Replacements, a Hybrid Parking Plan for the Newport Public Library Lot at 300 Spring Street, and entertainment license requests for The Pyramid Club and El Tapatio Newport. The agenda lists these as items for consideration; the record available does not show what action, if any, the council took on each.

Two options weighed for stormwater funding

The Oct. 20 workshop was scheduled to review two options for funding stormwater utility and sewer obligations for FY 2028. Option 1 would implement a stormwater utility fee based on impervious surface area. Option 2 would continue funding stormwater through the existing sewer rate structure.

The agenda states the session would cover fee calculations, public feedback and the Council actions each option would require. No option was selected in the record available.

Joint session with the School Committee

The Oct. 21 joint quarterly meeting with the School Committee listed FY2026 Year-End Financial Results and Deficit Reconciliation for the School Department, and FY2027 First-Quarter Budget Performance for the City of Newport. Also on the agenda: the status of major City and School capital projects and facility maintenance needs, the Newport 2037 Comprehensive Plan Update, and a discussion on consolidating facilities maintenance, HR and IT shared services.

The agenda describes the shared-services item as a discussion of opportunities to reduce costs. No figures or recommendations from that discussion are included in the available record.

Coming up

The City Council's next regular session is scheduled for Oct. 28. The agenda lists:

• First reading of ordinances for Stormwater Development Standards and Stormwater Utility
• Second reading to rezone Plat 9, Lot 219 from Urban Village to Waterfront Campus subdistrict
• A proposed $60,000 annual allocation to the Sister City Commission
• Collective bargaining agreements for Rhode Island Council 94, AFSCME, AFL-CIO
• A Letter of Intent with Solect Energy for school rooftop solar projects

The Oct. 28 stormwater ordinances follow the Oct. 20 workshop at which the two funding options were presented. The Plat 9, Lot 219 rezoning appears on both the Oct. 14 and Oct. 28 agendas, first as a public hearing item and then as a second reading.

Residents can attend the Oct. 28 session; the agenda does not state a location or time in the material provided. Minutes for the Oct. 14, Oct. 20 and Oct. 21 meetings had not been published as of this roundup, so outcomes for those sessions remain unconfirmed in the public record.

Newport council to weigh sewer fees, Easton's Beach contract; recent sessions closed

The Newport City Council has a full week ahead, with a regular meeting on Aug. 26 that includes proposed sewer fee changes, a contract for Easton's Beach, and new entertainment licenses. In the past two weeks, the council met in executive session to discuss the former Navy Hospital property and the city manager's employment, but no minutes have been published for any of those sessions, so no decisions are confirmed.

Recent sessions

Aug. 12 – Executive Session: The council met in closed session to discuss the acquisition or disposition of the former Navy Hospital property. The session was authorized under state law (RI General Laws 42-46-5(a)(5)) for real property negotiations. The council first convened in open session to vote on closing the meeting. No minutes have been published.

Aug. 12 – Regular Session: The council's agenda included a consent calendar with special event permits, a tree warden appointment, and banner licenses. It also included:

• Award of Bid #2026-PS-019 for Historic Gravestone Restoration and Re-Setting
• Award of a contract for carousel storage
• Acceptance of two DOJ Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants: $8,825 and $16,107
• First hearings for new entertainment licenses at Gardiner House (24 Lee's Wharf) and Midtown Race Club (255 Thames St.)
• A resolution requesting traffic calming and Complete Streets improvements for Memorial Blvd.

No minutes have been published, so the outcomes of these items are not yet known.

Aug. 15 – Special Session: The council held a special meeting to enter executive session to discuss the city manager's job performance and employment terms, including collective bargaining or litigation matters. After the closed session, the council could have reconvened publicly to disclose any votes and vote to seal minutes. No minutes have been published.

Upcoming meetings

Aug. 25 – Joint Workshop: The City Council and the Energy and Environment Commission will hold a joint workshop at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. The sole agenda item is a discussion of Hazard Road. No decisions or dollar amounts are listed.

Aug. 26 – Regular Session: The council will meet at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers. The agenda includes:

• Second reading of ordinances amending sewer service, industrial pretreatment, and sewer service charges (Sections 13.08, 13.10, 13.12)
• Award of a contract for Easton's Beach Resilience Plan, Phase 3 Schematic Design (RIMPA#494A and MPA#494B)
• Authorization to pursue grants for restoration of the historic Fire Watch Tower at Fire Station No. 5
• Authorization to accept additional FY-2025 FHWA Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant funds
• New entertainment licenses for Gardiner House (24 Lee's Wharf) and Midtown Race Club (255 Thames St.)

After the regular session, the council will convene as the Board of License Commissioners to consider daily liquor licenses for special events.

Coming up

• **Aug. 25, 6:30 p.m.** – Joint workshop on Hazard Road, City Council Chambers.
• **Aug. 26, 6:30 p.m.** – Regular council meeting, City Hall Council Chambers, followed by Board of License Commissioners meeting.

Newport council set to weigh $1.434M pier grant, flood-audit funds, and manager review

Newport's City Council has a packed late-July schedule, with the most consequential item being a proposed $1.434 million state grant for the Ann Street Pier Expansion. Because minutes have not yet been published for any of the meetings below, the items are described as they appeared on the agendas; outcomes are not yet confirmed in the public record.

July 20 — Joint workshop on comprehensive plan

The City Council and Planning Board scheduled a joint workshop for July 20, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 43 Broadway. The agenda listed a single item: discussion of the Comprehensive Plan Update. No specific proposals or votes were listed beyond that discussion.

July 22 — Regular session: grants, licenses, and contracts

The council's regular session agenda included several action items with dollar figures attached.

• **Ann Street Pier Expansion grant:** The council was to consider accepting a $1.434 million RIDEM Boating Infrastructure Grant for the Ann Street Pier Expansion (Action Item #6658/26).
• **Flood-audit pilot:** The agenda included authorizing a $300,000 FEMA FMA Grant for a flood-audit pilot in the Point Neighborhood (Action Item #6656/26).
• **Traffic signal improvements:** The council was to act on awarding a contract for the Traffic Signal Improvement Project – Professional Services (RFP 2026-PS-013, Action Item #6655/26).
• **One-way signage ordinance:** Ordinance #18, amending Section 10.56.010 on one-way street signage, was listed for second reading.
• **Sidewalk café license:** The agenda included renewal of the sidewalk café license for The Nitro Bar, 2 Pond Avenue (License #2).
• **Other items:** The summary also referenced contract awards for a Navy hospital feasibility study, tennis-court restoration, and other capital projects, though no specific dollar amounts or contract numbers were listed in the agenda data.

The consent calendar was to include approval of recent meeting minutes and several special-event permits, plus appointments to various boards and commissions.

July 28 — Executive session on City Manager

The council scheduled an executive session for July 28 to discuss the City Manager's job performance and continued employment. The agenda noted the session would be preceded by a vote in open session to convene the closed meeting. No other items were listed.

What this means for residents

The Ann Street Pier grant, if accepted, would fund a waterfront infrastructure project. The Point Neighborhood flood-audit pilot would direct federal grant money toward assessing flood risk in that area. The one-way signage ordinance, on second reading, is the step before potential final adoption. The City Manager discussion is personnel-related and was scheduled to occur outside public view, with only the vote to enter executive session conducted in open session.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed in the next 14 days, according to the data provided. Residents should check the city's official calendar for any newly posted sessions.