Newport general plan process continues

June Casagrande

The general plan update process will officially enter its next

phase Monday when a city subcommittee meets to examine residents’

input on the city’s future and to decide how far reaching the update

process should be.

The committee members’ main goal Monday will be to consider what

to include in the revised general plan and what matters should not

factor into the general plan update. For example, said Assistant City

Manager Sharon Wood, the city’s public safety element is currently

out of date with state law. Committee members will decide whether to

update the public safety element at this time or whether to focus on

issues more prevalent in residents’ minds.

“Should we be bringing this thing into conformance with state law

as we’re updating? Those are the kinds of things they will look at,”

Wood said.

The city will also draft a letter to send out to residents who

served on the General Plan Advisory Committee to determine how many

of the members of the disbanded committee are still available to

serve the city. Those willing will be asked to take part in reviewing

drafts of the updated general plan and to provide further guidance

and input for the city.

The next phase of the general plan update process will be drafting

the revised document. Woodie Tescher of planning and environmental

consulting firm EIP Associates is the contractor who will head up

this phase of the process.