Newport City Council Grapples with Scam Surge and Keller Fence Storage Proposal

During the January 16, 2025, Newport City Council meeting, members addressed a rise in scams impacting the community and deliberated on a proposal for an interim use permit for Keller Fence, a local business seeking to expand its storage capabilities. These discussions followed reports from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Fire Department, highlighting the growing prevalence of fraudulent activities targeting residents and local entities. The council also considered infrastructure updates and granted an interim use permit for Keller Fence, amidst concerns about traffic and site development.

The meeting opened with a report from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, where Sergeant Leed provided an alarming overview of a surge in scams, particularly those leveraging artificial intelligence. He recounted a distressing incident involving a young individual scammed on Instagram, where a compromising image was used for extortion. Leed stressed the importance of vigilance, especially as tax season approaches. He advised residents to scrutinize unsolicited messages and emphasized that the Sheriff’s Office does not employ aggressive tactics such as threatening emails, which have been falsely attributed to them.

Echoing these concerns, the Fire Chief highlighted similar fraudulent activities targeting the fire department, notably unauthorized requests for t-shirt orders. Both officials underscored the urgency for increased public awareness to combat these scams, which have taken various forms, including email, voicemail, and social media traps.

In parallel, the council engaged in a discussion regarding the proposed interim use permit for Keller Fence. The proposal followed a conditional use permit granted in 2023, permitting the company to conduct environmental remediation on a nearly four-acre site zoned for general business. The interim use permit would allow for indoor and outdoor storage within an existing cinder block building and a designated storage area behind it, with plans for new fencing to enhance screening.

City Planner Nathan explained that interim use permits are typically issued for short-term uses that align with city interests. The proposed permit for Keller Fence aimed to synchronize with their conditional use permit, expiring in one year. However, the Planning Commission had recommended extending the permit to three years, citing the need for operational stability. Staff opted for a one-year term to reassess the situation if necessary, maintaining alignment with the conditional use permit’s timeline.

Concerns arose during a public hearing about potential increases in traffic and site lighting impacts, particularly from a resident near the site. Staff presented images illustrating the materials to be stored, primarily fencing-related, and confirmed that the site would operate only during daytime hours. They also reviewed vehicle access points and the frequency of site visits, which were expected to be infrequent, primarily for overflow storage.

The council deliberated on the proposed storage operations, assessing various conditions to address community concerns. The proposal included twelve conditions, such as ensuring appropriate screening and limiting operations to daylight hours. A council member questioned the resolution’s timing, with staff clarifying that Keller Fence could not commence storage until property acquisition was finalized.

Representatives from Keller Fence, including Tim, expressed intentions to use the site for overflow storage while addressing existing pollution concerns. Past site assessments revealed contamination issues, necessitating further testing before development could proceed. Grants had been received for phase one and two environmental assessments to address these concerns.

Ultimately, the council approved the resolution for the interim use permit with specified conditions, allowing Keller Fence to proceed with storage plans once property ownership was confirmed. A subsequent agenda item related to closed session discussions was tabled for a future meeting due to procedural requirements.

In other updates, the engineers’ report by John Hergan detailed progress on the 2025 Street and Utility Improvements project, nearing 60% completion. Hergan announced an upcoming public information meeting for residents along the project corridor and highlighted potential funding through a stormwater resilience grant program. Additionally, a grant application for a water treatment plant feasibility study was approved.

Public Works also reported on recent water main breaks attributed to aging infrastructure from the mid-1960s, affecting a limited number of homes with brief service interruptions. The completion of a three-year Emerald Ash Borer grant project was noted, involving the removal and replanting of trees to enhance community greenery.

Note: This meeting summary was generated by AI, which can occasionally misspell names, misattribute actions, and state inaccuracies. This summary is intended to be a starting point and you should review the meeting record linked above before acting on anything you read. If we got something wrong, let us know. We’re working every day to improve our process in pursuit of universal local government transparency.
Mayor:
Laurie Elliott
City Council Officials:
Josh Schmidt, Tom Ingemann, Bill Sumner, Marvin Taylor

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