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Newport council extends interlocal agreement, confirms mayor pro tem and approves payroll and bills
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Summary
At its Jan. 20 meeting, the Newport City Council extended an interlocal agreement with Pend Oreille County through Dec. 31, 2027, retained Mark Zorica as mayor pro tem and approved the listed bills and payroll runs, directing staff to formalize a recurring Historical Society payment by resolution.
NEWPORT — The Newport City Council on Jan. 20 unanimously approved a set of procedural and administrative measures, including extending an interlocal agreement with Pend Oreille County, confirming Mark Zorica as mayor pro tem for 2026–2027, and approving the council’s bills and payroll.
Councilmember Jami Sears moved to amend Agreement NP2023‑10 (NP‑2023‑10A) to extend the interlocal agreement for sharing manpower and equipment between Pend Oreille County and the City of Newport through Dec. 31, 2027, and to update equipment rental rates. Councilmember Nathan Longly seconded the motion, which carried without a recorded roll‑call tally. The amendment leaves the underlying cooperative framework in place for joint use of labor and equipment and updates rent schedules for each party, as recorded in the meeting minutes.
The council also voted to retain Mark Zorica as mayor pro tem for the 2026–2027 term after a motion from Councilmember Nathan Longly, seconded by Councilmember Nathan Weathers. The motion carried. The formal appointment secures Zorica’s role as the council’s presiding substitute when Mayor Keith Campbell is unavailable.
Councilmember Mark Zorica moved to approve the bills and payroll; Councilmember Elizabeth Spring seconded and the motion carried. The minutes list multiple payment runs and claims, including check runs 67292–67309 ($58,984.86) and 67310–67342 across sessions, various EFT and direct pay items, and payroll EFT totals of $89,837.31 (Dec. 2025 run) and $91,421.69 (Jan. 2026 run). The meeting record enumerates individual claim batches and amounts but does not include a roll‑call vote tally for the approval.
Clerk/Treasurer Nickole North reported she could not find written documentation explaining annual payments to the Pend Oreille County Historical Society. Council members heard historical documents from community member Sue Mauro that may clarify past practice and directed Clerk/Treasurer North to draft a resolution to return at the next meeting that would formalize the payment process.
The meeting convened at 6:00 PM and adjourned at 6:26 PM.