The Newport City Council met Thursday, Sept. 3 in city hall, considering a repaving project at the city’s Public Works facility and a joint road-maintenance agreement with neighboring Maplewood for the Bailey Business Park development.
An item for Daley Electric office expansion was removed from the agenda due to not being ready.
““Unfortunately that item’s not ready for tonight, so I would ask that be removed from the agenda,” Newport City Administrator Joe Hatch said in requesting its removal for the present. Daley Electric had proposed an approximately 8,600-square-foot addition to the east side of the company’s existing contracting office, located at 222 21st Street.
The Newport Planning Commission reviewed the project July 7
Following approval of the amended council agenda a motion was made by Council Member Tom Ingemann, seconded by Josh Schmidt to approve the night’s consent agenda.
Included in the consent agenda for the evening were otherwise routine items, including meeting minutes from the regular council and council workshop on Aug. 20, as well as bills in the amount of $1,026,560.66 and a resolution for a legal gambling premises permit for Ducks Unlimited at Opinion Brewing.
From there it was into department reports.
No law enforcement report was made, as Sergeant Joel Legut was not present. Newport Fire Chief Derek Marson however had several updates.
“Good evening mayor and council,” Marson said, then giving his report. There were 29 calls in August, including two mutual aid fires. One mutual aid fire was in St. Paul Park, and the other in Cottage Grove. The department had logged 91 training hours, 302 activities hours, and 218 incident hours. Mason reported that Booya is Sept. 20 this year from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., but will have no parade due to navigating through construction. The new EMS provider will be at the Booya as well to answer questions and introduce themselves to the community. Fire prevention week is Oct. 4 to 10.
There was no engineer’s report as city engineer Jon Herdegen was not present.
As such, the night moved to the Public Work’s report with Public Works Superintendent Matt Yokiel giving the council an update.
“Good evening mayor and council,” Yokiel said. “I have one formal item on the agenda. We are asking to repave the public works lower parking lot and salt shed area.”
Located at the public works building at 1100 Bailey Road and installed in 2000, the pavement had started to break down “pretty severely.”
The 2026 Capital Improvement Plan included $110,000 for repaving the lower Public Works parking lot and salt shed driveway. The city had received three competitive bids, with Bituminous Roadways submitting the lowest bid for the work selected by the city at $94,446, excluding possible soil corrections. Staff recommended awarding the contract to the company.
The paving proposal covers the salt shed area and the rear lot, including removal of existing pavement, preparation of the aggregate base and installation of new bituminous pavement. “Just to be clear we will not be paving the upper parking lot,” Yokiel said. “That’s in pretty great shape.”
Approved with Resolution 2026-69, the project was awarded to low bidder Bituminous Roadways for $94,446.
Other updates from Yokiel included the paving of 11th Avenue and news that tree removal applications had closed. Those wishing to plant a free tree can still do so but will need to fill out an application.
The tree removal program had seen approximately 70 applicants.
Also Sept. 3, council members considered a joint powers agreement between Newport and Maplewood connected to the Bailey Business development, presented by Hatch.
The development includes construction of a new street with its centerline forming part of the boundary between Newport and Maplewood. Staff members from the two cities worked together to establish how the communities will maintain the shared roadway and divide certain costs. Newport staff and the city attorney reviewed the agreement and recommended approval.
Newport will handle routine work under the agreement, including snow plowing, tree trimming, pothole patching and other minor maintenance. Maplewood in turn will pay Newport $1,000 annually for said work.
The cities will split the costs of crack filling and chip sealing equally, sharing costs for major work such as widening, rebuilding, rehabilitation, mill-and-overlay projects or road replacement, provided the cities agree beforehand on the work and cost sharing. Major projects generally require at least 12 months’ notice when one city expects the other to participate financially.
The council used Resolution 2026-72 to approve the joint powers agreement.
From there it was into council comments, with Mayor Laurie Elliott taking time to comment on Dolly Parton’s passing.
“Sad news with the passing of Dolly Parton,” Elliott said. Newport residents can access Inspiration library through the city website, with free books for children under five shipped to one’s home monthly. The books are free and a sponsor has offered to pay for shipping. Those without computers can find help at the Newport Library. The first book kids will get is “The Little Engine That Could” and the last is “Kindergarten Here I Come.”
Families with multiple children can sign up children separately and they will get separate books.
Elliott then shared information on free naxolone training Sept. 22 through Christ Episcopal Church in Woodbury. More information will be posted to Facebook and the city website. Elliott also shared on the Bailey Development groundbreaking and a Skoolie event welcoming children back to school.
Tom Ingemann put a word in for the Food Scraps program.
“We need more people to sign up,” he said. Residents can find out more at https://foodscrapspickup.com.
Council Member Bill Sumner shared on library programs, with a party Sept. 9 welcoming students back to school. Sumner also attended the Bailey Development groundbreaking as well as a recycling and energy meeting.
“It was just so wonderful to see so many people from different agencies working together,” he said of the Bailey Development groundbreaking.
Last but not least, a city wide cleanup is planned for Oct. 10, with more details to come.

Newport City council meetings are held at 5:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of each month in city hall. The public is welcome to attend.