Questions and Answers?

Go to Question 1,2,3,4, 5,6,6a,7,8,9,10,11,12,13

Question 12

Every incumbent, at-large candidate during the last election cited Easton Beach closings as an important city issue to correct. One current councilor even suggested in 2004 a council goal of “Easton Beach will be open all next summer.” Easton Beach closings have become frequent and threaten the reputation of this summer attraction. What action steps need to be done by the city to ensure Easton Beach closings are eliminated?

	Answer:
Connolly	We can keep promises we can control. We can't keep promises when Middletown pipe breaks polluting our beach. Newport must address the moat and alternative ways of dealing with pollutants getting into the beach in conjunction with CSO plan. The City contract with Middletown must contain strict fines for overuse and pollution of Easton Beach.
Coyne	We need to continue to attack this problem from each contributing factor. The Moat, the Town of Middletown, and the DOT all play a role in the Beach closures. I can directly impact the funding that will implement the results of the testing we are now conducting on the Moat. I would also consider simpler, and possibly more cost-effective measures such as the installation of durable wire-mesh in all of our storm drains to help minimize the impact of animals living in catch basins, etc. The funding of additional daytime street sweeping at different times of the year may reduce the amount of debris that is washed into the storm water system and then potentially into the moat. I would also recommend a series of videotaped workshops intended to inform the public of ways to minimize the impact of our current lifestyle on our sewer and storm water systems. Funding for this could be obtained through grants and we could have them produced and aired on Cox Ch18.
Dias	The answer to question 6 again. Install a drain pipe at Wave Pump Station and Moat and filter that bacteria out to sea where the current will make it less harmful to our public safety/health concerns.
Napolitano	The City and Council have become very pro-active on this issue. We have had several meetings with Middletown, who shares part of this beach and part of the responsibility for the closings. Middletown has initiated smoke-testing of an adjacent neighborhood to the beach and is requiring homeowners to take the necessary corrective steps to disconnect. They have also placed a camera in pipes and have identified cross connects. Finally, they are replacing the pipe, under orders from the DEM, which sends sewerage into our system. The City of Newport recently presented a request for proposal to study the moat and identify potential causes of the pollution which closes Easton Beach. Council approved this measure and looks forward to the future recommendations as a result of this study.
Oliviera	This issue is a good example of how things that were said before the 2004 election need to be said again because many of the issues that "created" promises were then ignored.Goals and platitudes are nice. Passion, a high level of energy, a record of accomplishment, a bevy of experience and an ability to be aggressive when appropriate is better. To check out where I come in on these scales, please visit www.BobbyO.org.We must ensure that the new water treatment deal with Middletown includes a penalty surcharge if they violate their established quota.We must understand what new development means to the overall system and create a fee structure to shadow known byproducts of these developments.We must understand the relationship of the tax dollars we create through tourism to the overall state's economy. Newport City Councilors can no longer treat the State House as "that building up there where they make the decisions." We are responsible for a great deal of the tax revenue that is produced through sales. We must be ready to take up a continually supportive role with regards to our local delegation.We must understand that every day, our current system gets a day older and therefore a day closer to failing. Only by having dollars committed to refurbishing the system can we turn the "someday" into the now. We cannot allow the distractions that have caused other sections of our infrastructure to fall into disrepair to once again win the day here.
Slee	I think its time for a simple, short-term solution. It requires a temporary storage tank funded by Middletown and installed before next summer at the Wave Avenue pump station. Its purpose is to catch the overflow of pretreated and untreated sewage so we have no overflows in the water near or around the beaches. This plan will allow both towns to work to solve the problems at financially responsible pace and not lose our beaches and summer time fun. I am not in support of creating an overflow pipe to run out to sea in an attempt to try and solve the same problem. I feel this plan could damage the fragile fishing industry by sending a concentrated chlorine solution to the fishing beds off Brenton Point and near Easton's Beach that are used by recreational and professional fishermen.
Waluk	See above.
Abney	The closing at Easton's beach is concern of everyone. My family spends a lot of time enjoying our shoreline during the summer months. This is one area that I believe requires cooperation from both Newport and Middletown. First, we need to make sure that we identify the real problem before spending a lot of money to correct the wrong thing. A sound environmental study is the first step in this measure. I don't know that in the short run, anyone can promise that the beach won't be closed at some points during the summer season. However, I work to cooperate with Middletown officials to make sure that alternate plans for beach goers are discussed and in place, before the season starts.
Duncan	This question was answered in #11 - However it is necessary that this all important issue is not swept under the rug.
Cullen	see #6
McLaughlin	We need to address the primary causes. First: Outflow from the Eastons Pond moat (which provides an outflow path for storm water drains for a large area of Newport). As long there is a moat and as long as it rains, there will be beach closings associated with outflows from the moat unless we take action to militate the outflow from the moat. The sooner we do that, the sooner we will eliminate a major source of the beach closings. The council recently awarded a contract to investigate the moat outflow and to provide recommendations on how to best address it. The council needs prepare to act expeditiously on the recommendations that are made. Second: Release of raw or partially treated sewerage from the Middletown Wave Avenue pump station directly into the ocean either because (a) the rate of flow out of Middletown is greater than the rate at which it can be pumped up the forced main into Newport (for transfer to our treatment plant) or (b) forced main failures which necessitates release of sewerage directly into the ocean. The replacement of the Memorial Boulevard forced main will hopefully eliminated most of these events. Third: Storm water outflows in the area of Atlantic Beach and the Esplanade. Further data collection is needed to establish that these point sources are major contributors to the problem. In any event, the RI Department of Transportation needs to investigate these point sources and take necessary remedial action. Because the possibility of an extreme rain event resulting in a flow out of Middletown greater than can be sent into Newport will still exist, and would result in a Wave Avenue discharge, the amount of sewerage that Middletown accumulates should also be addressed. Newport needs to work with Middletown, and use the leverage it has including increased fees and penalties under the terms of our contract with them, to encourage them to control the amount of waste water that accumulates in its system during a major rain event. Middletown is taking good faith actions to do this, but it is in Newport's best interest to actively pursue every path available to it to ensure everything that can be done, is done.
Leonard	Not only the symptoms, but the cause of the pollution needs to be dealt with and eliminated. Middletown has surpassed its sewer capacity regularly. We are in the midst of negotiations with them. All users need to work to correct the cause of the problem. We need to find a grant writer willing to work on finding additional federal and state money. (Some work on a percentage basis of funds received, i.e. administrative fee). All avenues must be explored. Residents need to remove any additional water being pumped into the storm drains. Alleviating the causes and updating our system will be the only way to eliminate the problem.

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