HELLO NEWPORT! Hallowe’en in Newport was fun, safe and filled with loads of treats and costumes. Thank you to our Police Chief and his team for patrolling and keeping watch as the little ghouls, goblins, princesses, ghostbusters, cows and more took to Newport streets.
Your City Council is working diligently to look at past practices and moving new policies and procedures that make sense into place. The Mayor, as charged to make sure that all officers of the City do their jobs, has been having regular Department Head meetings and working with these supervisors and officers of the City. The team has been discussing projects and issues that arise and is working with the Mayor on updating policies and procedures so that the Mayor can bring them to the Council for vote.
The President of the Council, Chris Vachon, and the Mayor are looking at transactions that have taken place and correcting any that need adjustments. Chapter 7 is explicit that “The compensation of all officers, servants, and employees of the City shall be fixed by he City Council….”
The Mayor and the Treasurer’s office have worked together on this to find any unauthorized increases or adjustments to salary and have and will continue to correct these transactions.
A shout out to our Recreation Director, Mike Brown, for putting together our upcoming Fall and Holiday festivities. Check the Recreation Department websites and listen to my “from the Desk of the Mayor” show for upcoming events. Thanksgiving is coming and I am grateful for Newport. Let’s move forward into this holiday/festive season united.
I, along with the President of the Council, look forward to reviewing the updated City’s revitalization plan that will be placed on the Council Agenda, hopefully this November. It is the hopes that the plan will serve as a guideline of solid recommendations for what we would all like to see happen in our beautiful City, to encourage economic development, tourism, work force development and more.
I continue to be thankful for all of those residents and business owners who come to the Mayor’s hours. This is your opportunity to speak to the Mayor and identify issues and things you are aware of that the City can assist you with as well as voice your thoughts on development projects and ideas. I continue to keep our North Country Hospital matter as a top priority and am continuing to have discussions
with those in the appropriate leadership positions. I am continuing to stay on top of litigation that the City is involved in and am paying close attention when the City gets inundated with PRA requests and emails that contain rants that have no benefit to the City, yet cost the City personnel time, attorney time and council time.
As I have said before, the City has qualified licensed City Attorneys well versed in municipal law that have been appointed following the Charter to give the City legal advice. That is the legal advice that the Council should be relying upon.
I am continuing to meet with the designated agencies servicing our district to see what services are available and how they are provided to our residents in Newport. The cold weather is coming and we want to be sure that everyone has shelter. Thank you to Police Chief Travis Bingham for staying on top of this priority situation with the Mayor.
The Mayor will be focusing with the Department Heads on the upcoming budget over the weeks following. We also have Election Day this week. Thank you to our Treasurer and his team for getting us ready for this. The Council will be there as well as charged to oversee and watch the vote counting.
So get out and vote. Your vote is your voice. I will be working with NEKTV to set up the third episode of “Walk with the Mayor.” Looking forward to seeing you in Newport! I extend my thank you to the Governor again, for the appointments he gave me as a Women’s Commissioner on the Commission on Women, Commissioner on the VT Housing Authority, and putting me on the VT Aviation Advisory Council. Giving Newport a voice at this level shows joint commitment to the Northeast Kingdom our amazing gem of a City— NEWPORT — to stay at the table on the important discussions. I thank the Governor for his confidence.
You are important Newport! I’m listening. Thank you for your confidence, Your Mayor, Linda Joy Sullivan
