Call it what it is: a full-blown rejection.
The Newport City Council on Wednesday night dismantled City Manager Colin Kennedy’s deeply flawed residential parking proposal — including his tone-deaf push for fees as high as $100 — and replaced it with a common-sense plan that actually works for residents.
And make no mistake: this didn’t happen in a vacuum. This was the direct result of Newport residents — and Newport Buzz readers — speaking up, pushing back, and refusing to let a bad policy slide through.
Take a bow. You earned it.
The moment of the night came from Councilor Xay Khamsyvoravong, who cut through the bureaucratic fog with a simple, devastating question to Kennedy:
“Why? Why are we doing this?”
It’s a question the City Manager couldn’t answer.
Kennedy, once again, defaulted to vague bureaucratic talking points — the kind that sound official but say nothing. The council wasn’t buying it. Neither was the public.
Khamsyvoravong then stepped in with a key amendment, raising the cap to three passes for non-resident property owners — a move that brought the proposal back into the realm of reality.
What Passed — And Why It Matters
- Instead of Kennedy’s overengineered mess, the council approved a streamlined plan designed to actually serve residents:
- Automatic renewals: If you got a permit last year, you’ll get one again. No hoops, no nonsense.
- Online applications: First-time applicants can apply digitally starting in April.
- Three FREE permits: Residents — including those with properties in trusts or LLCs — can receive up to three permits annually.
- Flexibility for real life: Leased and company vehicles are now explicitly allowed.
- Longer validity: Permits now run for two seasons (May 2026–Dec 2027).
- No fees. Period.
That last point is the knockout punch.
The $100 fee scheme? Dead.
A Rebuke, Plain and Simple
Let’s not sugarcoat it — this was a stinging rebuke of Colin Kennedy.
Again.
From the rushed rollout… to the lack of data… to a proposal that created more problems than it solved… this was a textbook case of bad governance. And once again, it fell apart the moment it was exposed to public scrutiny.
What residents got instead is something far more valuable: a system that keeps things simple, fair, and accessible — without nickel-and-diming the people who actually live here.
Credit Where It’s Due
To the council members who listened: well done.
To the residents who emailed, called, and spoke out: this is your win.
And to Newport Buzz readers — who saw through this from the start and made sure their voices were heard loud and clear:
We won this one.
Take a bow.
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