We ended the year with 198 calls. That was the second most high number of calls we’ve had on record, just shy of the 212 we had in 2021.”

Fire Chief Steve Wiley

The Newport City Council has a new council member. Sworn in to replace Kevin ChapdeLaine on the council was new member Josh Schmidt, elected this past November along with returning members Mayor Laurie Elliott and council member Marvin Taylor. Mayor Elliot, Taylor, and Schmidt all took the oath of office Jan. 2, administered in turn by Newport City Administrator Joe Hatch.
Mayor Elliott took the oath of office first, followed by Taylor and Schmidt.
From oaths of office it was into agenda approval and meeting business, consisting chiefly of two resolutions, one honoring outgoing member Kevin ChapdeLaine and a second honoring Washington County Sheriff’s Department Sergeant Bill Harrell; the city contracts with Washington County for law enforcement services.
Chapdelaine was honored before the meeting start, with Resolution 2025-01 honoring ChapdeLaine later read into the record by Mayor Elliott.
“Whereas Kevin ChapdeLaine began his service to the Planning Commission and the City of Newport in 1993, and
Whereas Kevin served on the Planning Commission, the City Council, and as Mayor, and
Whereas Kevin also served and continues to serve in the South Washington Watershed District and with Friends of Pool 2, and
Whereas Kevin helped to guide the City of Newport with a 3M PFAs Water Settlement to secure clean and safe drinking water for the community, and
Whereas Kevin helped lead the city building a new city hall, and
Whereas Kevin’s leadership during the 2001 Newport flood, the third highest on record, the post 2001 Cedar Lane Home Removal and Park Plan, and the reclaimed and improved access to the Mississippi River at four locations along the river, and
Whereas Kevin always focused on the common good and the interests of the community, with a team first approach towards leadership, and the City of Newport is better for it.
Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the Newport City Council hereby recognizes the over 30 years of leadership and service as mayor, council member, and commissioner Kevin ChapdeLaine.”
Following Elliott’s reading, Resolution 2025-01 was approved with motion by council member Tom Ingemann, seconded by Taylor.
Also recognized Jan. 2 at Newport was Sergeant Bill Harrell of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.
Council Resolution 2025-02 honoring Harrell was presented to Harrell by Mayor Elliott.
“I just want to thank you for all of your years of service, and thank you for advocating to stay a little longer as we built this new city hall building and transitioned to a new administrator, and some other staff positions turned over, so that we could have some continuity of service and keep things running smoothly on as many fronts as possible as we saw some changes going on,” Elliott said, then reading from the resolution.
“Whereas Sergeant Harrell has served as sergeant for the City of Newport for seven years, and
Whereas Sergeant Harrell helped lead the transition from the Newport Police Department to the Washington County Sheriff, and
Whereas, Sergeant Harrell provided leadership, compassion, thoughtfulness, thoroughness, and care for the Newport community, and expected the same from all Washington County deputies during his time as the Newport sergeant, and
Whereas, Sergeant Harrell is a critical leader for the City of Newport, and helped forge the strong partnership the City of Newport and Washington County Sheriff’s Department have,
Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the Newport City Council hereby recognizes the service of Washington County Sheriff’s Department Sergeant Bill Harrell.”
Motion to approve the resolution was made by council member Ingemann, seconded by Taylor. Washington County Sheriff Dan Starry shared praise of Harrell, with several deputies present as well.
“Everyone knows him as Sergeant Bill down here,” Starry said. “I think one of the things when he became sergeant in 2017 and then when we added him down to Newport, one of the quick things for him, and you mentioned it, is his compassion. His compassion and his passion to serve,” Starry said. “We’ve known that for a long time. Whether it was a deputy out on the street, whether it was up in investigations or a sergeant in Newport. We knew what he was going to bring and we knew what he was going to bring to the city of Newport and also the citizens. He has brought that and instilled that in the deputies that are down here as well. As everything in the Sheriff’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office has been around since 1849, and even before that actually in 1840. We are going to continue to grow. Our point for this is to grow on what Bill has already done.”
Harrell will return to the general patrol area and be replaced at Newport by Sergeant Joel Legut. “With that Bill from me to you, thank you for everything you have done down here but what you’re going to continue to do as well,” Starry said.
Following recognition an opportunity was given for public comment on items not on the agenda. No one spoke in public comment, the night’s consent agenda approved with a motion by Ingemann seconded by Schmidt, after which newly appointed Newport Sergeant Legut gave the Sheriff’s Office update.
Acknowledging Harrell’s service, Legut introduced the deputies assisting at Newport: Chris Byrgiotis, Frank Hintz, Danielle DuRand, Chris Meziarka, and Dylan Xiong. With everything from traffic enforcement to stopping a burglary at a business, Sheriff’s Office deputies were on duty at Newport.
Closing the council meeting was the Jan. 2 Fire Chief’s Report, given by Chief Steve Wiley.
Wiley took time to praise Sergeant Harrell as well.
“Very professional,” he said of Harrell and the department’s service to the community, before transitioning to the Fire Chief’s Report.
“We ended the year with 198 calls,” he said. “That was the second most high number of calls we’ve had on record, just shy of the 212 we had in 2021.”
The most prominent call type was for car accidents, with about half including injuries. The second most prominent was EMS assist or other medical,
The third most prominent call was for structure fires, 14 actual structure fires joined by calls for dryer and oven fires, bringing the total number of fire calls to 22.
“We received mutual aid seven times into our city,” Wiley said. “We provided mutual aid outbound 28 times. Cities responded to included Cottage Grove with 15 mutual aid calls, St. Paul Park with seven, Woodbury with five, and Maplewood with one. Some Cottage Grove calls included the August storm, Wiley said, the department having a crew that helped with downed trees on houses and power lines.
City Engineer Jon Herdegen gave the Engineer’s Report.
“Nothing formal to report tonight except congratulations to you and council member Taylor, welcome to council member Schmidt and Sergeant Legut, and express a ton of appreciation for Sergeant Harrell and for former council member ChapdeLaine,” Herdegen told Mayor Elliott. “Otherwise I’m happy to stand for questions.”
There were no questions. Next came the Superintendent of Public Works Report.
“With the lack of snow our crew has been out trimming trees,” Superintendent of Public Works Matt Yokiel reported. “If you see them out and about give them plenty of room, limbs dropping and what not and just safety on the road.” Yokiel went on to thank Sergeant Harrell and ChapdeLaine for being available, also reporting that the warming house and sledding hill are open for residents.
Closing department reports was City Administrator Joe Hatch, who thanked Harrell and bid farewell to former council member ChapdeLaine, welcoming council member Schmidt.
Mayor Elliott gave the Mayor’s report.
“We had a nicely attended reception for council member ChapdeLaine,” she said. “As well as to welcome council member Schmidt to the dais. Welcome to the group.”
Elliott went on to say that the city is still taking donations of ice skates for the warming house for families to borrow and that these could be dropped off at the city hall.
“We don’t care what shape they’re in, what gender they are,” she said of the skate donations. “We have someone that will take care of that for us.”
With nothing more to report, the council adjourned.