The Newport City Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 25, has been moved from City Hall to Pell Elementary School due to an out-of-service elevator.
City Clerk Laura C. Swistak announced the change in an email sent Monday, Sept. 23, citing the elevator issue as the reason for the relocation.
“Due to the City Hall elevator being out of service, the meeting has been moved to Pell Elementary School, 35 Dexter St.,” Swistak wrote in the email.
The meeting, set to begin at 6:30 p.m., will now take place in the cafeteria of Pell Elementary School.
Note: Newport City Council’s Special Meeting on Sewer Service Charges, scheduled for 5 pm on Monday, September 23, has been moved to the ground-floor conference room at City Hall due to the elevator malfunction.
The agenda for the meeting includes a variety of items, ranging from liquor license approvals to ordinance revisions and appointments to city boards and commissions.
Among the notable items on the docket is a discussion on seasonal rentals, with a memorandum from the City Manager listed as a communication item.
The council will also consider several action items, including the adoption of Memoranda of Understanding for Cliff Walk Rights of Way and the award of a bid for two 2024 Harley Davidson law enforcement motorcycles.
A resolution regarding a carousel, sponsored by council members X. Khamsyvoravong and M. Aramli, is also on the agenda.
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The meeting will begin with a Citizens’ Forum, allowing residents to address the council on city-related matters for up to three minutes each. The forum is limited to 15 minutes total and excludes topics related to personnel or job performance.
Several special event licenses are up for approval, including the Trinity Church Pumpkin Patch in Queen Ann Square, scheduled to run from Oct. 10-31, and The Landing Seafood Fest at Bowen’s Wharf on Oct. 19-20.
The council will hold a second public hearing on a new entertainment license for Thames Street Kitchen and Chanterelle Restaurant, which seeks to offer indoor entertainment from 5 pm to 11 pm daily. Applicants said in the first public hearing that this would be just music inside the restaurant played through speakers, and not live music.
In addition, the council will review several ordinance amendments, including changes to weight-restricted streets, general requirements for zoning, and permitted uses in various business districts.
The meeting agenda also includes the appointment of Penny Fitch to the Historic Cemetery Advisory Commission for a three-year term, following the resignation of Jean Quinn from the same commission.
Council members will discuss an amendment to the city’s sewer service charges, which is scheduled for a second reading.
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The City Council meeting is open to the public, and residents are encouraged to attend to stay informed about local issues and decisions affecting the Newport community.
Residents seeking more information about the meeting or its agenda items can click here.
