[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6081549,"mediaKeyId","2941984-6240ed2eb53899643cec5bed69350025","parentId",2941984,"title","Votes at a glance: Newport City Council approves P&S for school, adopts strategic plan and multiple contracts, updates parking penalties","audioSeconds",335,"startMs",343000,"endMs",7578,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2941984-6240ed2eb53899643cec5bed69350025&start=343&end=7","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2941984-6240ed2eb53899643cec5bed69350025/thumbnail_343000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6081549/Rhode-Island/Votes-at-a-glance-Newport-City-Council-approves-PS-for-school-adopts-strategic-plan-and-multiple-contracts-updates-parking-penalties","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081549-a27b79943fc3778540c186061e8c973d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770580878&Signature=oe3Kv-liQR5z7Rdor5M63h3ZWfXcvfMCIBFg-vaQnf7E3QQpUmkRrkiyf~axKLXFsj890RCuXaVAmceB7j~gZCssj7Kj41Dm5fh1S4AmUCMQsOlhav2B5C-7swGw9O6l0eLLiXLcRDg5KgnBJ5NOh5A4VEgGYJykeBM9SoYZG5UzGFBW9z7tGiBw3w7d0VW4fhixTb9AWHJjYBo4Sfh8tJ9T3D4TbYaHZqEPeaaIAD0hpPh1mcY6jmtCNw0gn0KaxCms7ffRTgTlVuuGzMCpKUVddVGPuGOBVfEc9kEfarcWxNQbTSvrMbKoV~yvF0NN0GWQK01M~SA9wYOykD1Qeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Newport City, RI","date","2025-04-09T00:00:00Z","article","The Newport City Council took a series of votes on licenses, contracts and city policy at its June meeting. Key outcomes included approval of the Purchase and Sale for the former Coggeshall School (see separate coverage), adoption of the city’s updated 2025 strategic plan, authority to amend a water‑distribution contract with a $730,700 change order, and multiple ordinance and contract approvals detailed below.

Why it matters: the council’s actions affect day‑to‑day city operations (permits, vendor contracts), neighborhood parking rules and penalties, and the city’s policy positions before the state legislature. Several routine procurement awards and licenses were approved by voice vote; the most substantive contested decision was the Coggeshall P&S (4–2).

Votes and notable outcomes
- Coggeshall School Purchase and Sale (action item 6,399): Approved 4–2 after amendments (see separate article).
- Strategic Plan 2025 progress update (action item 6,400): Council received and adopted the updated five‑year strategic plan document. Council also amended the plan’s lead‑abatement language to refer to citywide lead abatement rather than a single neighborhood.
- Water distribution system change order (action item 6,401): The Department of Utilities’ recommended change order 1 increases the CB Utility Company contract by $730,700 to a new contract value of $2,187,500; council approved the amendment and noted it was budgeted.
- Procurement and vendor awards (consent/action items): Council approved multiple vendor contracts and procurement actions that were described as budgeted, including janitorial services (not to exceed $125,000 annually), on‑call electrical and mechanical services (annual not‑to‑exceed amounts of $75,000 in one case), and quarterly fire alarm testing (not to exceed $25,000 annually). A list of awarded vendors appears in the meeting packet.
- Police and equipment purchases: The council approved a waiver to purchase undercover vehicles for the Police Department’s vice unit without public bidding for safety/confidentiality reasons (waiver approved); the purchase of enclosed office cubicles and furniture for the Police Department (not to exceed $41,626.34) was approved.
- Permits, licenses and hearings: The council approved sound variances, entertainment licenses (Pivotal Brewing, Chomp Kitchen and Drinks), sidewalk and street‑cafe renewals, and various events and banner applications. Many were approved by unanimous voice vote after brief hearings.
- Parking penalties and ordinance changes: The council moved to increase many minimum parking penalties from $40 to $60, with enhanced penalties ($100) remaining for fire lanes, hydrants, handicap and snow‑removal violations; resident‑sticker parking penalty minimums were proposed to increase from $60 to $75. Council approved these changes as part of ordinance updates.
- Residential sticker parking process refinements (action item 6,405): Council approved ordinance amendments to standardize the petition process for resident‑sticker parking, clarifying the unit count used for signature thresholds, expanding acceptable residency verification (DMV records, voter rolls, military orders) and removing an unused advertisement step; staff will publish online forms and an interactive map of existing sticker districts.
- Temporary use permits and special‑event procedure (ordinance second reading and amendment): The council adopted a new temporary use permit chapter and amended procedures so the council may review long special‑event applications even if the zoning board denied them.
- Bicycle planning and Bicycle Friendly Community application: Council endorsed the Aquidneck/Bridles Island Bike Plan (2023) as an advisory resource and supported staff and Bike Newport in preparing a Bicycle Friendly Community application to the League of American Bicyclists (application due 06/25/2025).
- Resolution opposing proposed state conveyance tax bills: Council adopted a resolution opposing House Bill 5756 (as amended in the meeting) and Senate Bill 37, which would add a conveyance tax on sales above $900,000; council members said the measures would disproportionately affect Newport and that the city already provides a high share of subsidized housing in the state.

What the votes do not settle: Several approvals (notably the Coggeshall sale) contain additional steps or conditions that staff must implement before transactions close, and several ordinance changes require administrative follow‑up (signage repainting, online form publication and public information). The council also continued two parking‑related action items earlier in the meeting and left the final allocation of sale proceeds for later council consideration.

For reference: most routine licenses and permit renewals were approved on the consent calendar or following brief hearings; where the meeting recorded a roll call or show‑of‑hands, the clerk’s tally is recorded in the official minutes. Several items were described as currently budgeted by department staff.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Newport City Council Regular Meeting - April 9, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Newport City Council took a series of votes on licenses, contracts and policy changes, including approval of the Coggeshall Purchase and Sale (4–2), adoption of the Strategic Plan 2025 update, a $730,700 water contract change order and parking‑penalty increases.","taxTitle","Newport, Providence County, Rhode Island","taxId",79596,"location","Rhode Island","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6081554,"Council approves sale of former Coggeshall School with 10‑year rent cap on part of units after amendments",3295,1014000,4309000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2941984-6240ed2eb53899643cec5bed69350025&start=1014&end=4309","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2941984-6240ed2eb53899643cec5bed69350025/thumbnail_1014000.jpg","/articles/6081554/Rhode-Island/Council-approves-sale-of-former-Coggeshall-School-with-10year-rent-cap-on-part-of-units-after-amendments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081554-b72e7c4599de414903fcdd41d205b8c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770580878&Signature=BtltuIYINuHugOEqmszEb3NReyEk5oJnPcydvNvMB0FBBCsSY8dilQAR8I6Xr6udI1254~f8fHzotDwIoWTV6Lfr0WxVRRumYHVY1eK8xlFcbHtamp65i~cAXATEDY2PlsO-nTfxNP2-31w0BzQLpRjjTvo7iZweizscU~bwJRiQw-wrlQyXVvby7Dq-H3~TAPJWkprB9fdv-gVdh1RIvCFK7rURDnNUcJAmuxNUa-oZX2KIzcUNXHGPfnZagoVHp9RfWBF6f9roT2NMUXJAhZLudWjVDJHzUR1HNT52zam1MVWV9QT8HKPOyruSpirrSao07pCyTAOUQXosPHmvCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Newport City Council voted 4–2 on a Purchase and Sale agreement to sell the former Coggeshall School to BCM Realty Partners, approving amendments that set a 10‑year cap on rents for a portion of units and added several developer accountability conditions.

The decision follows public comment from neighborhood residents who said the final proposal differs from what the city solicited, and a sequence of council amendments that tightened monitoring and closing requirements for the buyer.

The P&S calls for a cash payment to the city (referenced in the meeting as $1 million) and for the redevelopment of the school into apartments. Under the agreement as amended, 40% of units in the primary school building will have capped rents; council discussion and the contract language round that to 11 of 26 units (about 42%). Council members clarified the cap applies to rents for a defined term of 10 years, and that the 10‑year rent limitation will begin when a certificate of occupancy is issued for the building rather than on the sale date.

Residents who spoke said the project had shifted materially from the original RFP. “It screams of a lack of fidelity in the process,” said Vince Hayne, a Newport resident, who said he supported redevelopment within the existing footprint but opposed additional buildings and the changes since the RFP award. Mark Lloyd and Penelope Hunt also urged the council to prioritize local occupancy and to require income restrictions or local preference before approving the sale.

Peter Regan, attorney for BCM Realty Partners, said the buyer’s proposal caps rents rather than reserving units by income category. “The proposal that we received … the rents would be capped at those levels,” Regan said, and added that imposing an income‑verification requirement would cost the developer additional annual expense and likely require outside vendors.

Councilor Sy proposed and the council adopted several targeted amendments intended to make the deal closer to the city’s stated objectives without reopening the procurement. Key changes adopted by the council include:
- Requiring that the 10‑year rent cap period begin on issuance of the certificate of occupancy rather than on closing;
- Requiring income verification for tenants in the deed‑restricted/capped units, performed by an independent vendor selected from the Rhode Island Housing list of approved vendors (council discussion noted a typical cost of roughly $200–$300 per unit for third‑party verification);
- Limiting the buyer’s ability to assign the contract so that assignment is permitted to a single‑purpose entity formed to develop the project and managed by the buyer’s principal (identified in the meeting as Connor Melville); and
- Requiring the buyer to provide a lender commitment/financing commitment and, effectively, necessary permits as conditions precedent to closing so the city will not convey the property absent demonstrated project financing.

City Solicitor Sarah (identified in the meeting) told councilors the P&S will include deed restrictions that run with the land and will reflect the rent limitation and timing as negotiated. Councilors also discussed the mechanics of monitoring and enforcement; the solicitor and staff said the city would have standing to enforce deed‑restriction obligations and that the P&S and deed restriction language would include reporting requirements.

Several councilors said they support moving a long‑stalled property to productive reuse; others said the 10‑year cap does not go far enough to protect long‑term affordability and local access. Councilor Bennett said she was “very concerned about the 10‑year cap” and worried rents could spike after the term. Councilor Sy, who pushed the verification and assignment amendments, said the measures are low‑cost changes that strengthen the agreement and protect the city should financing or ownership change.

After the amendments were adopted, the council voted to approve the P&S. The final vote on the sale was 4 in favor, 2 opposed. The motion carried.

The council discussed but did not finalize where the sale proceeds would be placed; the solicitor said that, absent a council direction, sale proceeds would become part of the city’s general fund but that the council may later designate funds for an affordable‑housing purpose. The P&S as amended requires monitoring, reporting and city enforcement rights; the council instructed staff to complete the final instrument consistent with the amended terms and with the deed restrictions described in the resolution.

The sale follows a multi‑year procurement process and several rounds of council and staff review. Residents who testified urged a longer affordability term, local preference and clearer income limits; the council’s adopted amendments add verification and closing protections but do not extend the 10‑year rent cap beyond the agreed term.

Next steps: city staff and the solicitor’s office will finalize contract and deed‑restriction language and return materials necessary to close once the buyer meets the newly added conditions precedent, including a financing commitment and proof required permits and the certificate‑of‑occupancy trigger for the rent‑cap term.","The Newport City Council voted 4–2 to approve a Purchase and Sale agreement for the former Coggeshall School after adopting amendments that set a 10‑year rent cap on a portion of units, require third‑party income verification for capped units, limit assignment rights and make closing contingent on financing commitments.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Newport City Council approves P&S for school, adopts strategic plan and multiple contracts, updates parking penalties

Council approves sale of former Coggeshall School with 10‑year rent cap on part of units after amendments