[{"_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",6582129,"mediaKeyId","3153553-8e73cfc62c8d1abe6be416b25bca9a6a","parentId",3153553,"title","Newport staff propose tighter rules, peer review for civic support grants as $120,000 shortfall looms","audioSeconds",2820,"startMs",211000,"endMs",3031000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3153553-8e73cfc62c8d1abe6be416b25bca9a6a&start=211&end=3031","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3153553-8e73cfc62c8d1abe6be416b25bca9a6a/thumbnail_211000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6582129/Rhode-Island/Newport-staff-propose-tighter-rules-peer-review-for-civic-support-grants-as-120000-shortfall-looms","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6582129-6735c68a1eb2e25ffb35a223c9d8733e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146517&Signature=c~jaUCjOj~ugRJ5mWZrNkPKi2nZHonPddShadf50D2fMweWPEIT1SpiE4GM1sobXAN3pduTRBxE5~9O04UMkoIGNNvzS-zrWthjUIaiI17QNDlyMloz9EEZlzdD4a1CkxQFDH3fdaDdVe2DVcXZWy8CYb3hUsD7sKjhYD4we-3QT-m7u7KHfIG1PKcGfPyNKzJg82LULnRHZcEIlo0NbBm39ww5IUllPzge~6S~rdFoJGsB3GRrzGtbE~-gO3zW96~nNKAuJE245kPHNu2h-GRz4YMkP00Jieli18bKQ8vPfFeDHilrStDgYfEepWLE81OwM7KUnxlkjrbNW6RfSvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Newport","date","2025-04-29T17:30:00Z","article","City staff recommended a tightened, more objective process for awarding Newport’s civic support grants, including universal eligibility requirements, a tiered application structure and a peer-review scoring rubric to vet roughly 37 applications before council consideration on May 28.

The recommendation came during a City Council workshop where staff said applications now arrive as one- or two-page narratives and simple budgets, limiting the city’s ability to evaluate impact. Peter Bermonte, the city’s grants officer, told councilors that staff will request standardized documentation — for example, a 501(c)(3) determination letter, a Secretary of State certificate of good standing, a current board roster and, for organizations with budgets of $500,000 or more, audited financial statements — as an initial eligibility screen.

“We want to make sure that everything is being evaluated objectively, fairly, with a sense of alignment with the city's comprehensive plan objectives and those of the council,” Bermonte said.

Why it matters: Applicants requested about $388,000 in total; the proposed civic support line in the draft budget is $268,000. At the workshop Jim (city finance staff) said the city has $163,000 available in the public improvement fund and $104,000 is proposed from the general fund for a $268,000 civic support total, leaving an approximate gap of $120,000 if the council confirms the proposed budget line. Jim explained the public improvement fund amount includes roughly $60,000–$65,000 of interest (calculated at 4%) plus a transfer from the Sears trust to reach the $163,000 figure.

Staff recommended a two-step approach in the short term: (1) an initial eligibility screen using the universal requirements, and (2) objective scoring of in-hand applications with a peer-review panel using industry-standard criteria. Bermonte said the interim screening will not require applicants to submit new narratives for the current round; it will confirm eligibility and then score existing submissions. If the initial screening removes ineligible applicants, the funding gap could narrow without changing the budget.

Councilors and nonprofit representatives pressed staff on operational details. Miss Pinnock asked whether site visits would be part of the evaluation; Bermonte said, “They are not at this point in time,” but added site visits could be added for the largest-tier awards if council wanted them. Councilors discussed whether organizations with an existing relationship with the city should be prioritized; staff said priority could be reflected in the scoring rubric if council directs it.

Nonprofit leaders at the meeting welcomed clearer criteria but asked for clarity about the immediate application round. Carmela Gear, executive director of Wiccan Hill Senior Center, said, “My head’s spinning a little bit because I don't know where we currently are for this application period,” and urged the city to clarify expectations so organizations can plan amid an active budget season. Susan Pietente, vice president of philanthropy at Newport Mental Health, described the agency’s reliance on civic appropriations and said the group serves about 2,400 clients with roughly 40% living in Newport.

Legal and policy constraints were a recurring subject. Councilors and staff noted the original Sears trust and other dedicated trusts have language governing allowable uses; those restrictions could limit how much the city can repurpose trust income for civic support. Multiple councilors asked the solicitor to clarify legal limits and whether the trust language constrains the council’s policy choices.

What staff will do next: Staff said they can vet eligibility documents and run applications through the proposed rubric, present scored recommendations to council for the May 28 meeting and prepare a memo summarizing available trust funds, recurring trust distributions and restrictions. That information would inform whether some organizations should instead be funded through contracts rather than discretionary civic support grants.

Community context and constraints: Staff proposed a tiered application burden so very small awards (for example, $500–$5,000) would not require the same documentation or reporting as requests up to $50,000. Bermonte also proposed stronger post-award reporting — grantees would submit a post-grant report within 30 days of the close of the grant period — and staff said peer reviewers would include local subject-matter experts.

Next steps: Council asked staff for a memo listing the city’s trusts and recurring distributions and for a legal review of trust restrictions. Staff will proceed with the eligibility vet and scoring plan if the council confirms the proposed civic support budget line; final awards will depend on council direction and available funds.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Newport - Newport City Council Workshop Budget Overview- Resiliency and Sustainability - Apr 29, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff recommended a tightened, more objective process for awarding Newport’s civic support grants, including universal eligibility requirements, a tiered application structure and a peer-review scoring rubric to vet roughly 37 applications before council consideration on May 28.","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},6582124,"Newport resiliency director outlines department work as council and manager clash over utilities reporting",1542,3048000,4590000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3153553-8e73cfc62c8d1abe6be416b25bca9a6a&start=3048&end=4590","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3153553-8e73cfc62c8d1abe6be416b25bca9a6a/thumbnail_3048000.jpg","/articles/6582124/Rhode-Island/Newport-resiliency-director-outlines-department-work-as-council-and-manager-clash-over-utilities-reporting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6582124-ad81b3e6495b63393944c4238ad32201/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146517&Signature=OWWlJO2y9K6Mxc8go9EavXt-aTC6f0uv~zeoEPSPHeP2~98bkr9ID1rF6XLBzH3T71T5fY7NBCUAvY2lJfKlnI8txchF31JRoHT8egAw15K7zMNsgkN5c3dvdJ5x6JXWSjSPso7Zae546U8eXwkn9fCb6aeVgtDtwYLHWpYAA7iIFVa2FPeKBfpzNfVmk98wTPLy5NGSobU80vO4iqXOfCxOEnJqNFW5K3dGcqfIRGBuhcNvojqw14~nfnNO-ikSD3naRrb6PxRGy5AQhDAZZ2rVFG~PR4IE1KJnHAZ7yrUxmZITiDXo1Gyn~B-v4bbOXs7ghVwJqqagqq4N-pwPxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Teresa Kreen, director of the city's Resilience & Sustainability Department, presented the department’s FY2027 budget lineup and outlined cross-department projects ranging from EV chargers and the community electricity aggregation program to Cliff Walk stewardship and a newly centralized grants function.

Kreen said the new resilience and sustainability umbrella is intended to promote interdisciplinary collaboration across planning, public services, building and information technology. “Resilience and sustainability refer to a future where our people, ecosystems and economies are more resilient, able to prepare, respond and recover from rapid social and environmental change and sustainable where we increase efficiencies,” she told the council.

The presentation covered staff and responsibilities, grant support, and projects funded or pending through state and federal sources. Kreen highlighted a recently hired grants officer and a planned resilience assistant to help manage cross-department projects. She also noted the department’s role in supporting the city’s 2027 comprehensive plan update and work tied to the 2024 infrastructure and resilience bond.

The workshop turned contentious when the city manager outlined a proposed change in organizational reporting: making the utilities director a direct report to the city manager rather than keeping utilities under the resilience director’s line of supervision. The city manager framed the proposal as an administrative recommendation to balance supervisory loads and to create four direct reports to the manager — utilities, resilience, public safety and finance/support services. “It is my recommendation... to have 4 direct reports to the city manager, that being the Director of Utilities, the Director of Resilience and Sustainability, the Director of Public Safety, and the Director of Finance and Support Services,” he said.

Several councilors expressed strong concern that the proposed change conflicted with the council’s prior intent in creating the resilience function and they questioned whether the change complied with the city charter. One councilor asked the solicitor to review charter provisions after saying the charter gives the council the authority to determine department organization. The councilor also raised accountability and continuity concerns tied to stormwater and other utilities projects cited as critical to long-term resilience strategy.

City Manager Kennedy responded that the utilities director has been reporting to the resilience director this year and described the proposed change as a formal recommendation in the manager’s proposed budget rather than an immediate unilateral reorganization. “The proposal... is to make a change. I fully respect the council's prerogative not to do so, but it is my recommendation,” he said, adding that the administration will accept the council’s direction.

Other department directors delivered technical budget briefings during the session. Bill Riccio, director of Public Services, described staffing priorities and capital needs such as vehicle lifts, and highlighted street cleaning, litter collection and seasonal workforce management. Trish Reynolds, director of Planning and Development, summarized planning achievements including a housing fellow funded through a state technical assistance grant, completion of the zoning permitting portal, and progress on the 10-year comprehensive plan update. Brad Ward, the new building official, and Nick Craig, IT director, reported on permit and information-technology operations: Craig said the department consolidated telecom contracts and improved cybersecurity posture since a 2022 incident.

Council and staff agreed to continue the discussion with a utilities-specific budget workshop scheduled for the next day and asked the solicitor to review charter-related concerns about department organization. The council did not take a formal vote on the proposed reporting change during the workshop.

What’s next: The city will hold a utilities budget session the following day; staff will provide whatever charter or legal analysis the council requests to show whether the proposed reporting structure complies with the charter and previous council actions.","Teresa Kreen, director of Newport’s Resilience & Sustainability Department, outlined the department’s FY2027 workload and funding, including grants, EV infrastructure and planning work, then clashed with councilors and the city manager over a proposed change to utilities reporting lines.","actionData","errors"]

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Newport staff propose tighter rules, peer review for civic support grants as $120,000 shortfall looms

Newport resiliency director outlines department work as council and manager clash over utilities reporting