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From the Washington Public Ports Association |
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august 2010 |
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Upcoming Events September
16-17, 2010
WA
Transportation Plan 2011-2030 Public Draft Released Ecology
Invites Comments On New Construction Stormwater General Permit Prevailing
Wage Workshops Scheduled WSDOT
Calls for Regional Mobility Project Proposals WA
Department of Ecology Water Quality Program 2010
Governor’s Best Practice Awards Nomination Period Open The Washington Transportation Commission (WTC) released a DRAFT
version of the Washington Transportation Plan 2011-2030 (WTP 2030) for public
review and comment. WTP 2030 was developed by the Commission with ongoing
engagement and input from a diverse Advisory Group and other partners around
the state. The next step is to gather additional input from key
transportation planners, users and interested private citizens, to assist
them in furthering the development of the plan so that it can truly represent
the collective priorities for transportation statewide. WTP 2030 is a high-level policy plan required under law to
provide policy guidance and strategic recommendations across all
transportation modes and regions in the state. WTP 2030 encompasses the
2011-2030 planning horizon, a period in which significant change is expected
in the state’s growth, economy, mobility, and infrastructure investment
needs, along with changes to come at the federal level for transportation.
This draft plan does not replace the current federally compliant 2007-2026
Washington Transportation Plan, but will serve as a policy update to that
plan. The Commission knows that there are significant challenges to
meet the transportation needs statewide; the existing 2007-2026 Washington Transportation
Plan identifies a need to invest more than $67 billion over 20 years (2005
dollars), most of which is unfunded. They and the Washington State Department
of Transportation are working at the state and local level to develop more
current estimates on the total investment need and this information will be
incorporated into the FINAL version of WTP 2030 to be released in December
2010. The Commission will hold five
Listening Sessions next month. All Listening Sessions are scheduled
from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, except for the Spokane Listening Session, which
will run from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. o
September 9: WSDOT Headquarters, 11018 NE
Circle, Vancouver o
September 14: Harmon Center, 101 North 65th
Avenue, Yakima o
September 23: Downtown Spokane Library,
906 W Main Avenue, Spokane o
September 29: Everett Transit Station, 3201
Smith Avenue, 4th Floor, Everett o
September 30: Norm Dicks Government
Center, 345 6th Street, Bremerton The purpose of these sessions
is to share information about WTP 2030 and actively engage both public
agencies and private citizens across the state to help shape the content and
priorities of the Plan and to solicit input on key questions and policies.
They also will seek local input and perspectives on transportation system
needs, challenges and opportunities. WTP 2030 is available on the Commission’s website at
http://wstc.wa.gov/WTP_New/default.htm. Comments on WTP
2030 are welcomed and encouraged through October 15, 2010. Please submit your
comments to the Commission either by email: wtp2030@wstc.wa.gov or by mail: P.O. Box
47308, Olympia, WA 98504-7308. As we reported last month, TVW graciously agreed
to do a Faces and Places episode on
the history of ports in Washington. Part of the film will be shots of
historical port photos. If you’ve got some great black and white historical
photos of your port that you’d like considered for inclusion in the film,
please mail them to the WPPA offices before August 30th. In addition, part of the narration of the film
will include the diversity of ports and the interesting things they do. If
you’ve got an interesting tenant– someone people wouldn’t normally associate
with a port – or a unique tidbit about your port, please email it to kolson@washingtonports.org
before August 30th. Mark Your Calendars Now The 2011 Port Day will be March 14 – 100 years
after the signing of the original Port Act bill. The Construction Stormwater General Permit,
issued by the Department of ·
Vancouver -
Aug. 23, 2010, at Washington State School for the Blind, ·
Tacoma -
Aug. 25 at Pierce County Parks and Recreation, Sprinker ·
Mount
Vernon - Aug. 27 at Skagit Public Utility District,
1415 Freeway ·
Yakima -
Aug. 31 at Southeast Yakima Community Center, 1211 South 7th ·
Spokane
Valley - Sept. 1 at City of Spokane Valley Center
Place, 2426 Ecology will accept written and oral comments on the draft permit,
fact sheet and notice of intent. Comments should cite page number and line
number and reference specific text when possible. Ecology encourages comments
by e-mail. Submit them with the subject Open government starts at the top with President Obama’s federal Open Government Initiative; it also involves state and local government. Here are a few selected sites on open government and open public meetings:
Q. When someone fills out a Public Records Request
and wants that info sent via email, do you know what the allowed charge to
that individual might be? When they request paper copies, we charge
$0.15/page. Secondly, we are now
taking down Action Only Items on our commission meeting minutes. So of
course, since there is not enough info in those, members of the public have
requested DVD copies of the actual meeting. Do you know what the allowed
charge is for that? A. $.15 per
page for paper copies is what the statute allows, without specific cost
documentation. You can also charge “actual cost” if you can document
that cost. However, documentation is difficult unless you are sending
it out to be copied – as then you would have a receipt for actual cost.
There isn’t any charge specifically allowed for
providing electronic records (ie: via e-mail) or for a DVD. However,
again, if you can show the “actual cost” for a DVD, you could charge
that. The hardware costs are so low that it’s hardly worth charging,
and it is so difficult to calculate and document staff time for providing the
disk, that unless it’s a really big request and really does require a lot of
staff time and effort, it appears more obstructionist to try to charge for it
than to just consider it a part of what we do as ports… provide information
to the public. The Washington State Department of Labor &
Industries and the State Auditor's Office are offering several free workshop
on prevailing wage. The agenda will include competitive bidding requirements,
common pitfalls and ways to avoid them, contractor registration requirements,
prevailing wage responsibilities and small works projects. Dates and
locations are listed below:
Registration can be done online (Online Registration)
or by completing the If you are interested
in attending or would like additional information, please contact Shari
Purves-Reiter, 360-902-4733, purs235@lni.wa.gov or Rebecca
Llewellyn, 360-902-6366, ller235@lni.wa.gov. WSDOT
is now accepting Regional Mobility Grant project proposals from cities,
counties, ports, and transit systems through October 7, 2010. The competitive
grant program was established in 2005 by the Washington State Legislature to
reduce delay for people and goods and improve connectivity between counties
and regional population centers. The
project proposals will be reviewed, prioritized and submitted to the
Washington State Legislature. The Legislature will make the final determination
on projects and funding. Pending Legislative approval and funding, WSDOT may
award up to $40 million for 2011-2013 Regional Mobility Grant projects. Since
the program began in 2005 it has provided approximately $100 million to
support projects to improve mobility. Local agencies statewide have completed
or are working to deliver more than 40 projects, including new transit
service, new and expanded park and ride lots, new buses and more. The
Legislature provides funds to support the Regional Mobility Grant Program
through the 2005 Transportation Partnerships Package. Cities, counties,
ports, and transit agencies interested in applying for a Regional Mobility
Grant will find the grant application and application guide online. WSDOT
will host Regional Mobility Grant workshops to give prospective applicants an
opportunity to review grant application requirements and ask questions about
the application process. Workshops will be held in: ·
Vancouver:
Thursday,
Sept. 9, 2010, 10 a.m. to noon WSDOT SW Region Headquarters 11018 NE 51st Circle, Room CR
124 ·
Seattle:
Tuesday
Sept.14, 2010, 10 a.m. to noon Goldsmith Building 401 Second Ave. S.,
Conference Room 250 ·
Wenatchee:
Wednesday
Sept. 15, 2010, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. WSDOT’s North Central Region
Area 1 Maintenance Facility 830 Euclid Avenue, Building
“B” ·
Spokane:
September
19-22, 2010 For more information contact Mark Eldridge at eldridgem@wsdot.wa.govor 360-705-7273. FY2012 Grant and Loan Application Workshops What: Ecology workshops for the water quality grant and loan
funding cycle covering different funding programs
and a review of the FY 2012 application for the following funding programs: Washington State Water Pollution Control
Revolving Fund - Centennial Clean Water Program -- Federal Clean Water Act
Section 319 Nonpoint Source Fund Who Can Attend: Local governments, public entities, and nonprofit
organizations interested in applying for grant and loan money for projects that improve
Washington's water quality Eligible Project Types: Wastewater
treatment - Stormwater facilities and activities - Nonpoint source pollution
remediation - On-site septic repair and replacement Ø Eastern WA Sept. 14, 2010 Spokane Convention
Center Ø Central WA Sept. 15, 2010 Central WA University Ø Northwest WA Sept. 21, 2010 Lynnwood Convention
Center Ø Southwest WA Sept. 23, 2010 Lacey Community
Center All
workshops will start at 9:00 a.m. Detailed information can be found at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/funding/cvcles/2012/index.html The Workforce Board and Department of Commerce
are accepting nominations for the 2010 Governor's Best Practices Awards in
Economic and Workforce Development. You are invited to submit
nominations highlighting accomplishments in the combined field of economic
and workforce development in Washington's communities, particularly
achievements that create family-wage jobs, encourage innovation, and promote
an environmentally healthy economy. The annual Governor's Award for Best Practices
in Workforce and Economic Development brings statewide public and
professional recognition to projects and programs that have achieved positive
results and have made noteworthy contributions to both the field of workforce
and economic development. The deadline for nominations is September 10,
2010. The application is online at: http://www.wtb.wa.gov/BPNomination.asp. Haley to Leave Port of Douglas Yesterday, Port of
Douglas Commission Chair Jim Huffman issued the following statement: Pat Haley has been a valuable member of the
Port of Douglas County team for the past 10 years. We acknowledge all of
the good work that Pat has accomplished on behalf of the Port. We praise
Pat's leadership in bringing new buildings and tenants to the Port's
P'angborn Industrial Park. We also are grateful for Pat's involvement in
extending sewer service and fiber optic infrastructure to the Industrial
Park. The Port is accepting a letter of resignation from Pat submitted to us
at our meeting this Wednesday. We regret that we will lose his contributions
and appreciate that he is as interested in the Port's future success as is
the Board. His resignation is effective August 31, 2010. I want to personally thank Pat for his
interest in promoting leadership among all of the public entities in Douglas
County that provide services necessary to support and enable economic
development. In the interim, Doug Provo, Business Manager,
will take over day to day responsibilities for the Port with assistance from
other staff and Board members. The Board will initiate an aggressive
replacement and succession planning process consistent with concurrent review
of its Strategic Plan. While our current Strategic Plan is clear, the
changing environment here and elsewhere across the country necessitates
review and most likely, change. Port of Vancouver
Commission Approves Sale to Farwest Steel The Port
of Vancouver USA announced the sale of 20 acres of industrial land to Farwest
Steel Corporation, one of the leading distributors, processors and fabricators
of specialty steel products in the Northwest. The sale was approved
unanimously by the port’s board of commissioner s at their regularly
scheduled August 10 meeting. The $5,082,500 sale is expected to bring up to
225 industrial jobs to Clark County. “Approval
of this sale is all about bringing jobs to Clark County,” said Jerry Oliver,
president of the port’s board of commissioners. “Selling property is not
something the port does often or without careful consideration, but we feel
this is in the best interests of both the port and the community.” Public
comment and designation of the property as surplus during their June 8
meeting preceded the commissioners’ decision to sell. Also part of the
process was the development of agreements between the port and Farwest that
set strict criteria for the sale, including a minimum job requirement and a
repurchase clause if the company decides to sell the land or ceases
operations. These covenants will ensure the commission’s criteria for the
sale is protected. Farwest
operates several facilities in Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho and Utah
and plans to consolidate some of their distribution, processing and
fabrication operations in Vancouver. Approximately 100 jobs will be relocated
to the port, with plans to add an additional 125. Farwest will generate
sought-after family wage jobs, paying an average annual wages of
approximately $40,000, with benefits. Farwest
plans to construct a $25-$30 million facility that will contain its
distribution, processing, fabricating and office support. The Port of
Vancouver location will allow the company to grow their business and better
serve their customers. “We have
been looking long and hard throughout the region for a location that best
suits our ability to grow and efficiently deliver quality products to our
customers, “ said Patrick Eagen, president and chief executive officer of
Farwest Steel Corporation. “The port had industrial land ready to build, with
the right river, road and rail connections – this is the best choice for us.” American
Association of Port Authorities Awards Port of Benton The American Association of Port
Authorities has recognized the Port of Benton for their outstanding
communication program. The port received an Award of Excellence for an advertising
series written and directed by Jan Jackson, Director of Marketing for the
Port of Benton, and produced by Bret Parker of Charter Communications. The
series was aired on Charter, KEPR and KNDU to celebrate the Port’s 50th
anniversary. An Honorable Mention was also
awarded for the Port’s Crow Butte website design. The website was written and
produced by Jan Jackson, and designed by Jennifer Sorn of Jenographics. Ikon
Marketing Group, led by Craig Sutton, consulted and programmed the
reservation section of the site. The communication competition is
open to all port districts in North, Central and South America. Port Raises
Concern with U.S. Air Force Draft Environmental Assessment On July 29, 2010, the Port of Everett submitted its response to
the U.S. Air Force, raising questions about the terms presented in the Draft
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the transfer of the Mukilteo Tank Farm. Among many issues with the Draft EA, the port voiced concern
over requirements set forth in the proposed Preservation Covenant, which
extend beyond Air Force legal authority. The port also noted concern over
inclusion of an abandoned, 1,300 foot creosote pile supported pier, and
failure to provide a warranty regarding clean up actions completed on the
property. “We expect the Air Force to take our concerns into account,”
Port Executive Director John Mohr said. “Our hope is that the Air Force will
explore alternatives that are acceptable to and would best serve both parties
in this agreement. The Tank Farm property can be a tremendous asset to the
community once these issues are resolved.” The Port sees three major issues with the proposed Preservation
Covenant in the Draft EA, which sets the preservation requirements for the
property. These issues include:
Furthermore, the Draft EA includes conveyance of the pier. The
pier is Air Force personal property, and cannot be transferred to the port
unless determined appropriate as a port facility. The pier is of no value to
the port, and would cost an estimated $10 million to remove. “Transfer of the derelict pier would impose too large a burden
on the port,” Mohr said. “Accepting the liability for removal of the
structure would be inconsistent with the port’s mission and a misuse of
public Port funds.” The port has requested the Air Force provide the Comprehensive Environmental
Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) Warranty missing from the
Draft EA, and extend the comment period to allow time to respond to the
Warranty. The CERCLA Warranty is required by federal law and is necessary to
properly evaluate the environmental condition of the property. The Mukilteo Tank Farm is a decommissioned fuel tank site
located along the Mukilteo waterfront. The Air Force is in the process of
conveying 18.85 acres of the property to the Port of Everett for use as a
multi-modal facility. Port Explores Ways to Boost
Tourism
The Port of Seattle Commission recently led a
round table policy discussion to find ways of boosting tourism dollars in the
King County region. Current figures show considerable spending by visitors,
but funding the promotion of tourism by the State of Washington is ranked 48
out of 50 states. With so much opportunity at stake, the tourism industry has
adopted the theme "tourism matters" to help raise awareness of the
contributions made by tourism in the state.
The commission is exploring ways it can contribute in a positive way
to this economic issue. "Tourism is WA's fourth largest economic
sector and our third largest employer. The port wants to use Sea-Tac and the
cruise terminal to generate even more tourism jobs and do that in
environmentally sustainable way," said Port Commission President Bill
Bryant. According to one panelist, tourist destinations
should not be taken for granted for potential visitors, nor should
promotional efforts be curtailed.
"It took Colorado four years to recover its tourism numbers after
eliminating its tourism promotion budget," said Becky Bogard, Executive
Director of the Washington State Destination Marketing Organizations
Association. The Port of Seattle is a major player in the
local tourism industry. With Sea-Tac International Airport and its two cruise
terminals, its assets are uniquely positioned to benefit from any new
promotional efforts. Around 100,000
passengers move through the airport every day, and the 2010 cruise season
from Seattle is expecting over 850,000 passengers to visit Alaska. Interesting figures include the following: · Travelers spent $14.2 billion in the state
in 2009-a little more than half of that in King County ($7.5 billion). · This spending generated nearly $1 billion
in state and local taxes; nearly half in King County ($453 million out of
$958 million). · Tourism generates 147,600 jobs, and $4.2
billion in payroll. Participants in the roundtable included J.C.
Baldwin, Port of Chelan County Commissioner, Becky Bogard, Executive Dir.,
Washington State Destination Marketing Organizations Assn., Chad McKay,
President and CEO, Mackay Restaurant Management Group, Tom Norwalk, President
and CEO, Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau and Robin Pollard, Executive
Director, Washington Wine Commission Ports Clean Air Strategy In other news, the Port of Seattle successfully implemented its Drayage Truck
Registry (DTR), a program that insures only clean trucks will access port
terminals. Drayage truck drivers have until December 31, 2010 to
register their trucks, which are required to have a 1994 or newer
engine. It is estimated that around 1500 trucks are in the port's
drayage fleet, and since DTR went live late last week, over 200 have registered
online. Port of Kalama
Appoints Interim Commissioner The Port of Kalama Commissioners announced the selection of
local businessman Troy Stariha as interim Port Commissioner. Mr. Stariha
will assume the seat formerly held by Commissioner Fred Swanstrom, who died
in May after 15 years of service. Stariha will represent the port until
January 2012, when Swanstrom's term would have ended. The position will
go before voters in November 2011. "Fred was always the guy who got
things done. He was big on having no taxation and attracting new businesses.
It will be nice to carry that on for Fred," said Stariha. Stariha, a Kalama resident since 1981, owns Kalama Auto Supply
and Repair in downtown Kalama. He said, "I feel the port is where the
economic growth in our community will take place. As the port grows, the
downtown will also receive more exposure, and everyone will
benefit." He is married and has three sons. Much of his
free time is spent coaching and watching his children's sports teams. Commission President Jim Lucas said, "We had six qualified
candidates for the position. We appreciate that so many people were
interested in serving on the Commission. We chose Troy because he is very
involved in the community and with local business. We believe that
perspective will be valuable in developing port policy." The port also announced recent changes to its staff. Liz
Newman, most recently responsible for information technology and special
projects for the port, has replaced Mindi Linquist who left to accept a
position as Political Director of "People for Patty Murray". Newman's
new title is Marketing and Communications Manager. Newman has worked for
the port since 1999. Sean Clark was hired to fill a new staff position
as planner. He will be involved with permitting and projects. Clark
most recently worked as traffic manager for Cameron Glass. Port of
Tacoma’s Demolition Program, Habitat Restoration Earn Environmental Honors The Port
of Tacoma demolition program won the 2010 Environmental Enhancement Award
from the American
Association of Port Authorities, a trade group representing leading port
authorities throughout the Western Hemisphere. The port
also received an AAPA Honorable Mention in the Environmental Mitigation
category for Gog-le-hi-te II, a
former city landfill along the Puyallup River that now provides
valuable wetland habitat for native plants, shore birds, juvenile salmon and
other critters. The
port's demolition program resulted in
recovering or recycling an average 87 percent—and in some instances more than
98 percent—of materials from 57 structures on the Tacoma Tideflats. The 7,071
tons of recycled or reused material kept about 275 dump truck loads of waste
out of community landfills. The
structures, including old piers, shuttered steam plant, abandoned office
building and former chemical facility, were removed to make way for environmental cleanup and planned terminal, road and
rail development. In addition to the
AAPA environmental honors, ports also received recognition for information
technology, facilities engineering and communications achievements. The Port of Tacoma
received communications honors for making commission meetings and
presentations more accessible through webstreaming, and for its annual
breakfast program featuring industry experts. The awards will be
presented Sept. 22 during AAPA’s 99th Annual Convention in
Halifax, Nova Scotia. Port Receives $2.4 Million in FEMA
Security Grants The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded the
Port of Olympia four grants totaling over $2.4 million to increase safety and
security at the marine terminal. The port applied for the funds through FEMA
s Round 10 Port Security Grant program, which requires zero matching dollars
from the port. These grants will help keep employees and longshoremen safe and
operations secure on the marine terminal, said George Barner, Commission
President. The community benefits with more efficient lighting and less light
pollution. The grants cover the following items: · Security lighting and cameras
will replace broken and inefficient lights on the terminal and will purchase
additional lights and security cameras ($2.03 million). · A new telescopic material handler
will give staff the ability to replace and repair terminal lights ($206,000).
· A new portable, generator-powered
telescopic boom lighting unit will direct light to locations where it is
needed ($139,000). · A new security and emergency
response vehicle will enable a quick response to emergencies ($43,000). Port
Launches Harbor Drive Project The Port of Klickitat is preparing to
launch a project to improve one of the main roads at its Bingen Point
Business Park and deliver utilities to the properties adjacent to it. The
Harbor Drive Improvement Project will straighten the access road leading to
the existing port buildings and provide potable water, sanitary sewer,
electric, telecommunications, and gas services to over seven acres of
additional port property. Funding for the project is coming
from a $99,000 grant awarded by USDA Rural Development, a $50,000 grant
awarded by the Klickitat County EDA, a $40,000 grant and $310,000 loan
package awarded by the Washington Community and Economic Revitalization Board
(CERB), and additional funds from the port itself. “This is another important step in
the port's ongoing efforts to prepare the Bingen Point Business Park for
further development,” said Marc Thornsbury, the Port's Executive Director.
“We are pleased that our partners recognize the importance of our continuing
efforts and we are grateful to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, CERB, and
Klickitat County for their financial support as we continue to take concrete
steps toward the achievement of our long-term economic development
objectives.” Additional benefits of the project
include the creation of a looped water system to meet the fire flow
requirements of future development, removal of the non-functioning traffic
circle, and leveling of the road to align it with the target elevation of
adjacent properties. “Though the extension of utilities may be considered the
highlight of the project, these other benefits are just as important,” said
Thornsbury. “For years, the port has recognized the safety issues with the
traffic circle and the alignment and elevation of Harbor Drive as well as the
need for a looped water system. This project addressed both, though in the
case of the latter, on a smaller scale than previously envisioned.” This project builds on the earthwork completed
by the port earlier in the year and will be followed by additional earthwork
in 2011 and 2012. It will also provide connecting points for the future
westward extension of E. Bingen Point Way, along with utilities, to serve the
port's remaining waterfront properties. Chief Commercial Officer,
Port of Tacoma Yakima
Airport Manager, Yakima, WA © 2006 Washington Public Ports Association. All rights
reserved PO Box 1518 * Olympia, WA 98507 |
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