The Newport City Council voted March 11 to advance a sweeping overhaul of the city’s long-strained residential parking permit program while sending a years-in-the-making package of short-term rental restrictions back to a workshop — two decisions that exposed the competing pressures shaping daily life in one of Rhode Island’s most visited cities.
A Parking System Running on Empty
The numbers tell the story. Newport has issued roughly 16,000 residential parking permits for fewer than 4,000 available on-street spaces — a mismatch that has left many residents circling their own neighborhoods in search of a spot.
On first reading, the council advanced three ordinance amendments intended to fix the problem: capping permits at three per primary resident, one per non-resident property owner or tenant, and two per LLC or trust; tightening documentation requirements; and transitioning the entire system to a digital license-plate-reader enforcement model. An online application portal would replace the current requirement to appear in person at City Hall.
City Manager Colin Kennedy illustrated how abuse of the old system had gone unchecked, describing a former Newport teenager who moved to Tiverton after high school — yet continued receiving a parking sticker forwarded by his parents. “Now you have a non-resident using a sticker. We’re seeing a lot of that and those are more difficult to clean up,” Kennedy said.
But not everyone agreed the remedy fit the problem. Councilor Xay Khamsyvoravong challenged the administration to use technology more surgically — targeting bad actors rather than burdening the majority. “We can’t keep building more of a burden for residents, more of a burden for the administration. If we’re trying to get at the problem, let’s just go directly at the problem,” Khamsyvoravong said.
The meeting’s most candid voice came from an unexpected corner: city Tax Collector Laurie Kenney, a 20-year veteran of the program, who defended the integrity of the existing database while acknowledging its limits — and warning that requiring all permit holders to reapply ahead of the May 1 season launch would strain her four-person office to its breaking point. “Do you want more current and accurate information? Of course we do. Do we want 14,000 people to have to reapply? Maybe not a dream scenario for them,” Kenney said. She did, however, strongly support a cap, pointing to one Prospect Hill property owner holding 16 active permits. “I’d sure like to see that chopped down to like maybe three,” Kenney said.
Councilor David Carlin III called for sharper enforcement language, arguing the ordinance needed “teeth” — explicit criminal penalties for fraudulent permit claims. Mayor Charles Holder urged restraint, cautioning against treating multi-permit households as bad actors. “The system that we’re trying to fix is one that has been outdated,” Holder said.
The three first readings passed, with Councilor Carlin noting vote tallies of 5-2, 2-2, and 4-3. A second and final reading is expected in approximately two weeks — with unresolved questions about fees for permits beyond the cap, enforcement language, and the implementation timeline still on the table.
Short-Term Rentals: More Waiting
If the parking debate was complicated, the short-term rental discussion was charged. A package of six ordinance amendments that would significantly restrict short-term rentals in residential zones arrived for its second and final reading — and went no further.
Councilor Lynn Underwood Ceglie moved to send the items to a workshop, arguing the changes amounted to an effective ban. “No matter how we dress it up, basically what we’re asking for is a ban on short term rentals. Just making the hurdles very difficult,” Ceglie said.
Councilor Carlin pushed back with force, noting the issue had generated 17 open public meetings between the council and the Planning Board since 2023. “We have given all of those folks, including us, the opportunity through those public meetings and hearings to discuss this issue,” Carlin said, urging colleagues to reject the delay.
Councilor Stephanie Smyth offered a more measured view, acknowledging she was “inclined to agree” with those who argued short-term rentals are not the primary driver of Newport’s housing challenges. “I feel as though our housing issues are very vast and that that’s just a short piece of the puzzle,” Smyth said.
The motion to continue passed. No workshop date was set.
Climate, Bonds, and Bikes
In other business, the council authorized an Ad Hoc Resilience and Sustainability Fund Steering Committee to study potential climate resilience funding mechanisms, including a possible real estate conveyance fee. Councilor Ellen Pinnock framed Newport’s stakes plainly: “I think we’re on the front lines for climate risk. And I think that we have a responsibility to start planning proactively instead of always responding with emergency solutions.” Mayor Holder emphasized the committee’s work does not authorize any new fee — that would require a separate act of the General Assembly, and Newport residents purchasing property would be exempt. Councilor Carlin voted against, citing concerns about a potential new tax burden.
The council also authorized a general obligation bond resolution for the city’s first tranche of borrowing, expected to close in late March or early April.
On bicycle safety, the council approved a Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission communication recommending e-bike ordinance updates — including a minimum riding age of 16 mirroring state law and the elimination of a never-enforced bicycle registration requirement. Councilor Carlin used the moment to criticize the state legislature for routing e-bike authority through the Department of Environmental Management rather than empowering municipalities. “It was done backwards,” Carlin said.
In a moment of neighborhood advocacy, resident Lola Herrera — who gathered 30 signatures and worked through the city’s traffic commission — won approval for a new multi-way stop at Bedlow and Hillside Avenues, citing chronic speeding and flood-season hazards. “I hope that gives us more tranquility in the neighborhood, and we can live better,” Herrera said.
The council also approved new and renewal food and dining licenses, including Newport Sushi and Root on Broadway, and heard a request from resident Giovanna Grazad for fireworks at her April 25 wedding at Rosecliff Mansion — a venue she said she first dreamed of marrying at after visiting on a childhood school field trip.
The Newport City Council’s next regular meeting is Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Second Floor, Newport City Hall, 43 Broadway, Newport. The parking permit ordinance amendments are expected to return for a second and final reading. The meeting is open to the public and can also be viewed online.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.