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NEWPORT — The Newport City Council passed a few pieces of legislation at their meeting Monday, Feb. 2, after hearing reports for quarter four of 2025.
Unanimously passed was a resolution documenting the city’s annual allocation of funds to the Pend Oreille County Historical Society, as well as the Pend Oreille County Historical Society’s use of hotel/motel tax revenue to promote tourism.
The city has reimbursed the Pend Oreille County Historical Society $1,500 annually for operating and maintenance costs at the Pend Oreille County Museum since 2021, but without documentation, causing concern within the council about audits. Due to inflation, the city may now reimburse the Pend Oreille County Historical Society up to $2,000 annually.
“Because it was a budgeted item, was probably why it didn’t get called out,” city administrator Abby Gribi said. “But absolutely, best practice.”
Also unanimously passed were two ordinances updating and adding to legislation surrounding special event vendors in the city.
Special events are temporary and location-specific activities such as fairs, parades and conferences, while special event vendors are individuals or businesses providing goods or services at special events. Previously, special event vendors were required to pay for a Washington state business license endorsed by the city to operate. Now, they may instead purchase a special event vendor license from the city, provided the special event is no longer than four days and they display their licenses throughout.
While the city has yet to set the fee, Gribi said that it will be around $10 a day.
“If you equate to what might possibly be gotten in tax revenue, this will,” Gribi said. “But saves them several steps.”
Earlier in the meeting, Newport Police Department Chief Wade Nelson said calls decreased from 109 to 100 from October to December 2025. However, his department has seen an increase in vehicle-related calls in December and January, including almost double the number of accidents compared to last year, as well as an increase in protests. Public Works is soon to install speed signs in the city to address an increase in speeding complaints.
Regarding other cases, Nelson said his department recently discovered that Newport Hospital and Health Services does not provide sexual assault kits, so they are working with community partners to provide them internally. They are also working with churches to form a response group for homeless residents.
“We can make some difference in our community,” Nelson said. “So that’s what I’m working on pretty hard that, hopefully over the next couple months, comes into fruition.”
Both Nelson and South Pend Oreille Fire and Rescue chief Shane Stocking advocated for access to AT&T’s push-to-talk radio service, which has nationwide communication capabilities even through cell phones. For all of Pend Oreille County, the service is $9,000 up front, which county agencies will divide between themselves.
“Your radios and your phones will all interchange seamlessly, so you can talk either way, communicate either way,” Nelson said. “It’s a big deal — it’s going to be a big game-changer.”
Following Nelson, Stocking said there were fewer calls from Newport in quarter four than in the previous year, and few major incidents besides a hazmat spill. In an incident a couple weeks ago, SPOFR received mutual aid from Fire District 4 for the first time in eight months; last year, SPOFR visited Fire District 4 around 67 times.
“We’re OK with that. We are here to help our neighbors,” Stocking said. “There comes a point where that’s taxing, though, on your district, and that’s not cost-effective.”
Public Works director Dave North said his department is ready for winter weather and is now preparing for summer. They are also putting together water maps of all city water mains, meters and valves for input into the Pend Oreille County Geographic Information System.
Wastewater treatment plant superintendent Josh Howard reported that there were some issues in quarter four at a couple lift stations and the wastewater plant, all of which his department resolved except for an issue at a lift station on Eighth Street likely caused by “something that came down the line,” Howard said. That lift station is slated to be fixed in an upcoming upgrade. He and another wastewater treatment plant employee also put the city wastewater collection system data into the county GIS.
Pend Oreille County Commissioner Brian Smiley discussed the proposal for a county transportation benefit district introduced to the council in September. He updated the council on some changes that would require the formation of a board with representatives from each legislative body in the county. That board would then decide how to disburse funds collected by the district. (Smiley has suggested disbursement by population.)
“My view, if I was in your shoes, this gives you more representation. It gives you more say and control in it,” Smiley said. “So to me, it’s a win-win.”
In other business, city clerk Nicole North said city cash and investments have increased by $743,453 to 4,839,531 since 2024. Sales tax increased by $3,791 to $187,145 since quarter four in 2024, while property tax decreased by $6,313 to $222,813.
