City engineering outlines staffing gaps, permit workload and development limits

City Engineer Chris Beatty told the Newport City Council at a March work session that the engineering department is juggling private development reviews, capital improvement projects and a rising workload while operating five staff members of an eight-person complement.

The overview came as Beatty and staff described core duties — plan review, design standards, right-of-way permitting, construction oversight and grant support — and outlined limits on how quickly complex projects can be completed. "We are the engineering department," Beatty said. "We are responsible for planning, designing, constructing, and protecting the city's infrastructure." He later cautioned that statewide deadlines for plan review could risk mistakes: "The faster we review, the more likely it is we are to make a mistake."

The comment followed council questions about a proposed piece of state legislation that would set short, fixed review periods for private development plans. Beatty told the council that routine right-of-way permits — such as driveway or service connections — are processed…