The next Newport City Council meeting will be this Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at 6:30 pm in the Council Chambers on the 2^nd floor of City Hall. 

*Please note that prior to the Council meeting there will be a City Council Workshop at 5:00 pm in the Council Chambers to discuss the Good Energy, LP Presentation – Energy Aggregation.

Members from Involve Newport’s GUTS initiative will be present and available at the workshop and Council meeting to help attendees navigate, stay informed, and engage with City Council happenings before, during, and after each meeting. Please feel free to contact Stephanie Smyth to connect with a GUTS member prior to the meeting at stephsmyth@involvenewport.org.

Any individual wanting to address the Council on a subject that is not on the agenda can sign in to speak for 3 minutes in the Citizens Forum with the City Clerk prior to the start of the meeting.

A flag policy at City Hall, a proposal to expand the season of meter and Easton’s beach parking fees, and a proposal from New York Yacht Club have all caught our attention.

Here’s a list of all the items we felt worthy of highlighting:

• Follow Up Recommendations for the Easton’s Beach Plan pertaining to the start of the demolition phase.

• Receive and refer to City Administration a proposal by New York Yacht Club to fund part of King Park dinghy dock expansion to offset concerns by CRMC.

Resolutions – To Be Voted Upon by Council:

• Establishing a policy on flags hanging at City Hall 🏳️‍🌈

Ordinances – To Be Voted Upon by Council:

• Sidewalk Cafes – Amending Chapter 5.98-TBD to include a new section on Street Cafes that would detail street cafés will only be permitted from the intersections of Gould to Farewell Street on Broadway to follow the standards set forth in this chapter and would require a permit.  This is the 2nd reading for this amendment.

Communications from the City Manager – For Receipt / Discussion

• Recommendation that the City retain the services of Mission, Broadband, Inc. for Broadband Network Consulting to research broadband providers.

• Recommendation, with accompanying resolution, to award the contract associated with the Road Improvement Program 2023 to L.A.L. Construction Company, Inc. 

• Recommendations to the Codified City Ordinances, Chapter 10.20.210 Meter Charges – Parking Season to establish the time period on parking meters as March 1^st through November 30^th vs May 1^st through October 31^st; to include that meters will not be in effect from 12AM-9AM on Washington Square, Touro St. and Ct., Market Square, Thames St. and Memorial Blvd; and an increase in parking fees. 💸

• Recommendations to the Codified City Ordinances, Chapter 10.20.080 Easton’s Beach Parking Lot to establish the time period for payment of beach parking to March 1^st through November 30^th vs. May 1^st through October 31^st. ⛱️

• Show Cause Hearing – Knot Norms for failure in meeting the conditions of the Victualing License