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Newport mayor lays out communication, civility and staffing priorities
Summary
Mayor Rick Ufford Chase used the special meeting to introduce himself, outline communications plans (drop‑in hours, regular updates), emphasize civility, and list early administrative priorities including weekly department head meetings and recruiting a city manager.
In remarks included near the end of the special meeting, Mayor Rick Ufford Chase framed an early agenda focused on restoring routine communications and building internal capacity. Chase said he plans weekly department head meetings, regular "From the Desk of the Mayor" communications through local outlets, weekly drop‑in hours on Mondays from 4:00–5:30 p.m., and participation in VLCT training for new officials.
Chase emphasized a leadership style built on listening, respect and humility and said he expects the council to act as the final decision‑making body while task forces and staff provide recommendations. He asked residents to address comments through the mayor at council meetings, pledged to revisit the mayoral grant‑signing authorization when a city manager is hired, and said he would soon prioritize hiring a financial and office administrator by May 1 if possible.
His closing note was a civic appeal: "We can do hard things," he said, urging the community to work in good faith and civility to address municipal challenges.
