2024-144 Reaffirming Section 4-11 of the City Charter, entitled, “Council not to interfere with administration”

THE CITY OF NEWPORT

RESOLUTION

OF THE
COUNCIL
No.2024-144

WHEREAS: Section 4-11 of the Newport City Charter is entitled "Council Not to Interfere with Administration" and discusses Council interaction with City Administration and staff and the processes by which such interactions may take place. In particular, this section discusses the fact that Council members should not attempt to give orders or direction to any member of City staff but should act through the City Manager; and

WHEREAS: At times, well-meaning Council members, while attempting to perform their duties, may lose sight of the spirit of the provisions of Section 4-11 and interject themselves into the day-to-day operations of City staff who may find it difficult to respond to Council requests, especially staff members who are not department directors; and

WHEREAS: Council members should be allowed from time to time to contact Department Directors for information or to confirm certain facts and circumstances; and

WHEREAS: Council members should as a general matter respect that requests for City staff to perform work should be made by and through the City Manager as the City of Newport has a Council-Manager form of government with a City Manager who executes the laws and administers the governance of the City; and

WHEREAS: Council members wish to reaffirm the appropriate course of action in dealing City Administration and staff going into the new term of the Council so that there is full recognition of the Council-Manager form of government; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED: that the City Council reaffirms the language provided in Section 4-11 of the Newport City Charter and directs that all requests for staff direction or action be made by and through the City Manager and through appropriate Council resolutions.; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED: that Council members should at all other times respect that requests for City staff to perform work should be made by and through the City Manager as the City of Newport has a City manager form of government with day-to-day operations of the City performed by the City Manager and City staff

Jeanne-Marie Napolitano
Lynn Underwood Ceglie
Ellen Pinnock
Stephanie Smyth

IN COUNCIL
READ AND PASSED
DECEMBER 11, 2024

Laura C. Swistak, CMC
CITY CLERK