Newport Student Appointed As Citizen Advisor To Planning Commission

The Newport City Council has appointed Simon Holding, a 17-year-old Newport High School senior as a citizen advisor to the city’s Planning Commission, bringing a student perspective to discussions about the community’s future.

Holding told councilors he hopes to become an urban planner and wants to learn more about Newport’s zoning rules. He also described a research paper he wrote on mobility justice in Newport, based on interviews with two local government officials.

During the interview, Holding pointed to Highway 101’s importance as a transportation route and said the city should look for ways to connect people across Newport through options beyond driving, including walking and biking.

He said he sees a role for himself in helping connect public interests with the city’s planning process. The council interviewed candidates for a Planning Commission vacancy in August. The citizen advisory role is a non voting position.

While doing his research paper Holding spoke with the city of Newport's ODOT representative about the importance of highway safety. He also spoke about how budget constraints can affect public safety on our roads.

Holding said "What drew me in to do this work was an opportunity to give all citizens an equal opportunity for travel accessibility where they live." Holding added " I love doing volleyball for instance, however it is not always easy for students especially to have access to modes of transportation to take part in out of school activities."

Many students rely on their parents for transportation, "If that is not available citizens can become stuck where they are creating a detachment from their community." Something Holding hopes to change to change in the future.

City councilors noted during the interview that they were impressed that Holding showed up to apply and show interest in city government. The council said they look forward to having a younger person's perspective and viewpoint. The city has been working to include youth in advisory roles on city commissions like the parks and recreation committee and library committee.