THIS IS AN ARCHIVED NEWS STORY FROM 2020 AND THE CONTENTS OF THIS ARTICLE MAY NO LONGER APPLY. FOR THE LATEST COMMUNITY NEWS CLICK HERE.

To protect the health and safety of our residents, Councilmembers and staff, the April 21 City Council meeting was held via video conference. Under new policy direction from the State, in-person public attendance at meetings is temporarily prohibited. Cities can only conduct business that is “necessary and routine” or related to the COVID-19 response. That was reflected in the agenda. You can watch a recording of the meeting here and view the full agenda packet here. Here are a few general updates from the meeting:

— The City of Newcastle will play a small role in this April NFL draft. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the draft is going completely virtual, and team officials will make picks from the comfort of their homes. A few of the team’s executives call Newcastle home and will be conducting the draft from our community.

— The health and safety of our community remains the highest priority. With that in mind, the City has made the decision to cancel our community’s Fourth of July celebration and Summer Concerts in the Park series. For now, the Sept. 12 Newcastle Days festival remains on the calendar, but we’ll continue to monitor and evaluate the situation, then update the community if that changes. Read our full statement here.

— There's no place for hate or discrimination in the City of Newcastle. The Newcastle City Council issued a proclamation denouncing stigma and bias related to COVID-19.

— The Newcastle City Council joined advocates and communities throughout King County in taking action to prevent sexual violence by standing with survivors and proclaiming April 2020 Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

The Newcastle City Council wants to hear from you! Members of the public are invited to share thoughts during public hearings or two open public comment periods at meetings. Regular meetings of the City Council occur on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at City Hall, starting at 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted. You can also email your thoughts to Councilmembers at [email protected].