Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 74F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 74F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

NEWPORT — The Newport Board of Commissioners gathered Thursday during their regularly scheduled town board meeting to discuss several items of interest.

Unanimous ayes were given for topics, including appointing Chris Margoupis to NRAC for a three-year term and a road closure for the 47th annual Newport Christmas Parade.

A full roof replacement at 203 Howard Blvd. was also approved with one dissenting "no" vote from Commissioner Danny Fornes, who was uncomfortable with the open-ended language in the contract concerning the cost of required materials.

Another unanimously adopted proposal was to commit $5,000 from town fund balance to begin the project of building a new dog park at 3301 Railroad Blvd.

Initially, it was suggested the town contribute $2,500 and have the public contribute the rest of the money, but the council ultimately came together to approve the full $5,000 amount.

"I'd like to see it get off the ground and get going," said Commissioner Jeanne Benedict.

Commissioners agreed this amount, combined with $7,500 already earmarked by the town for the park, would be enough to begin the first construction phase of the project and have it open to the public.

During a board meeting last month, plans for a fully equipped dog park, complete with a fenced-in area, benches, a leash post, waste system for dogs and a new parking lot, was projected to cost $25,000.

To cover the remaining balance, the town committed to pursue grant opportunities, as well as seek donations from the public.

Resident Linda Smith first brought the idea of a dog park to the council in October 2021 where it was supported by the Newport Recreational Advisory Commission.

In other news, several agenda items were either denied or tabled for further discussion at Thursday's meeting.

A zoning request concerning residential property on Mann Street near Church Street, which would allow construction of three duplexes, was continued until the council's October session.

During a public hearing process, neighbors who live and own property near the proposed duplexes spoke against their construction, citing already existing issues with flooding, increased levels of noise and traffic, parking issues, lack of necessary infrastructure and the change it would make to the neighborhood's character.

Concerning the topic of the town's position on LED digital signage, a legislative hearing was held to potentially amend what type of signs are considered acceptable within town limits.

Newport currently permits signs to up to 48 square feet with a rate of change frequency once every 15 minutes. The proposed amendment would change the ordinance to allow signs up to 378 square feet with a rate of change every 15 seconds.

While commissioners eventually decided to deny the changes, Commissioner Mark Eadie did agree that there was room for further consideration in the future and that progress on the matter was “overdue.”

“The way things are now, the status quo, I think Newport can do better than that,” Eadie said. “I think there are opportunities on Highway 70 in particular that we're not taking advantage of, and they may require another amendment or alteration of our land use plan or ordinance. I don't want this to go away. I think there's a chance for the town to leverage an opportunity here.”

At the end of the meeting, the council unanimously went into closed session to discuss personnel matters.

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