|
|
|
|
From the Washington Public Ports Association |
|
|
|
JULY 2011 |
|
Upcoming Events October
6-7, 2011 Port Projects Eligible for
Federal DOT TIGER III Funding State
Invites Public Comments on Changes to Clean Water Financial Assistance
Programs FMSIB
to Issue a 2011 Call for Projects On June 30th
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that $527 million will be
available for a third round of the highly successful TIGER (Transportation
Investment Generating Economic Recovery) competitive grant program, which
funds innovative transportation projects that will create jobs and have a
significant impact on the nation, a region or a metropolitan area. In the FY11 budget
President Obama signed in April, $527 million was directed to the Department
of Transportation for critical investments in the nation’s transportation
infrastructure. States, cities, local governments, and other partnerships and
groups will have until this fall to prepare their applications for the
popular TIGER program, which has funded high-impact projects including roads,
bridges, freight rail, transit buses and streetcars, ports, and bicycle and
pedestrian paths.
Funding and Setasides A total of
$527 million is available. A number of
set-asides were included in the legislation:
Grant Sizes US DOT can
make grant awards as small as $10 million and as large as $200 million. However, in rural areas awards may be as
small as $1 million, and US DOT has indicated that the largest grants are
likely to be less than $200 million.
In the TIGER II program, grants ranged from $1 million to $47.6
million, with an average award of $13.25 million. Matching Funds and Leverage At least 20
percent of project costs must be provided from non-federal funds. However, projects in rural areas may
receive up to 100 percent federal funding.
US DOT will give priority to projects for which federal funding is
required to complete an overall financing package. Projects can increase their competitiveness
by demonstrating significant non-federal contributions. Eligible Applicants States,
local governments, transit agencies, ports, metropolitan planning
organizations and Native American Tribes, multi-state and
multi-jurisdictional groups, among others, are eligible to apply. Eligible Projects All surface
transportation capital projects are eligible, including highways and bridges,
public transit, freight and passenger rail, and port improvements. Application Process and Deadlines Pre-applications
providing basic information to validate eligibility must be submitted by
October 3rd. Final applications are
due October 31st. Selection Criteria and
Considerations Primary Selection Criteria Long-Term
Outcomes: DOT will
give priority to projects that have a significant impact on desirable
long-term outcomes for the nation, a metropolitan area, or a region.
Applications that do not demonstrate a likelihood of significant long-term
benefits in this criterion will not proceed in the evaluation process. The
following types of long-term outcomes will be given priority:
Job Creation
& Near-Term Economic Activity:
DOT
will give priority to projects that are expected to quickly create and
preserve jobs and promote rapid increases in economic activity, particularly
jobs and activity that benefit federally-recognized economically distressed
areas. Secondary Selection Criteria Innovation: DOT will give priority to projects
that use innovative strategies to pursue the long-term outcomes outlined
above. Partnership: DOT will give priority to projects
that demonstrate strong collaboration among a broad range of participants
and/or integration of transportation with other public service efforts. DOT will
give more weight to the Primary Selection Criteria. Additional Considerations US
DOT is directed to ensure an equitable distribution across geography,
transportation modes, and between urban and rural areas The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) invites the
public to review and comment on changes the agency proposes to make to rules
about clean water financial assistance. The changes allow Ecology to continue to receive federal funds
for its Washington State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund (Revolving
Fund) program. The program provides financial assistance to local governments
for water quality improvement projects throughout the state. The change would amend Chapter 173-98 WAC (Washington
Administrative Code) to establish funding categories, ceiling amounts, and
project eligibility for Green Project Reserves projects and forgivable
principal loans (loans that do not have to be paid back) as part of Revolving
Fund. The categories are: energy and/or water efficient, green
infrastructure, and environmentally innovative. The rule also includes proposed amendments to Chapter 173-95A
WAC that will maintain consistency between the Revolving Fund and the state
Centennial Clean Water Fund (Centennial) rules. Ecology will hold a video conference public hearing at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, 2011. The
public hearing will be held at the four sites listed below. Interested
parties can attend any of the four sites to participate in the public
hearing. Lacey will be the lead site for the hearing.
To comment on the proposal, you may testify at the public
hearing, or email comments to Joseph Coppo at joseph.coppo@ecy.wa.gov.
Or, you can mail your comments to Joseph Coppo,
Washington Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600,
Olympia, WA 98504-7600. If you have questions, Coppo’s
phone number is 360-407-6510. All comments must be received by Ecology by
Aug. 3. The Freight Mobility
Strategic Investment Board is issuing a call for projects to maintain a
six-year list of active projects. Due to a favorable construction
environment, FMSIB has been able to advance more projects than anticipated
during the current biennium. To be able to maintain an active six-year list
of projects, the Board will need to add additional freight projects to our
list. The Board is seeking eligible projects that would be ready to go to
construction during the 2013 to 2019 time frame. State policy makers are
developing a new revenue package to be considered by the 2012 Legislature
with additional funding for transportation programs including FMSIB. If the
revenue package is approved there may be an opportunity to fund earlier
construction starts. The call will begin on July 11, 2011 with fully completed applications due by close of business
on August 26, 2011. Applications
are available on-line at www.fmsib.wa.gov Eligible projects must be on a
strategic freight corridor and be listed as part of a state or local
transportation plan. Projects should improve the movement of freight and/or
mitigate the movement of freight through local communities. Studies will not
be considered at this time due to the large backlog of unmet freight
construction needs. FMSIB participation will be limited to the construction
phase only but project costs and percentage participation will be determined
based upon the total project cost. Projects on the current list of FMSIB
projects do not need to apply again. These projects will retain their
position on the list. The projects that are prioritized from this call will
be added to this list. Freight projects may be
submitted by WSDOT, cities, counties and ports. Projects must be on a
strategic freight corridor (annual tonnage minimums: 4 M tons for roadways, 5
M tons for railways and 2.5 M tons for waterways). Additional statutory
requirements may be found on our website or in RCW 47.06A Policy questions may be
directed to: FMSIB P.O. Box 40965 Olympia, WA 98504-0965 360.586.9695 Technical or formula
questions may be directed to: Jeff Monsen
C.R.A.B. P.O. Box 40913 Olympia, WA 98504-0913 360-753-5989 Port of Pasco Opens New Headquarters The Port of Pasco recently celebrated the opening of its new Headquarters,
the first of up to 22 buildings planned for the 110-acre Osprey Pointe site
in Pasco, Washington. The 20,000 sf office building
marks the entry to the site, forms the edge of the public open space, and
establishes design elements for future buildings. Heavy timbers from a deconstructed WWII warehouse adjacent to the site
were reclaimed for architectural elements within the new building. The main
entry features a double-height glass wall, and the river-facing south side of
the building features a viewing deck and deep roof overhangs for natural sun
shading.
Port of Pasco Commission Chairman Bill Clark said, “The vision was to
create an anchor building that would draw attention from potential clients.
The building BCRA designed is spectacular. They brought to the table an army
of design and technical professionals that could answer the most challenging
questions, but most importantly, they were excited to be involved in this
project.”
Port of Pasco is quickly developing into a regional business hub, and needed
a site that reflected this growth while integrating with the community. The
Osprey Pointe site is situated on a stretch of rare undeveloped Columbia low
bank riverfront and has a rich history, including use as an Army/Navy depot,
making it a valuable community asset that the Port wanted to carefully
enhance. Port of Seattle Welcomed 800th Vessel in ABC Fuels Program In June the Port of Seattle welcomed the APL Spain, the 800th vessel to use low sulfur
Port
of Skagit Releases First-Ever Annual Report For the
first time in its 47-year history, the Port of Skagit has published an annual
report to the citizens of the port district. The 12-page
brochure reports on the port’s activities and financial performance during
2010, and it also includes information about the port’s 2011 operating and
capital budgets. Some of the highlights include these facts: · Employment
by the port and its tenants at the end of 2010 was 1,007 jobs with an annual
payroll of approximately $39 million; · The port
earned operating revenue in 2010 of $4.6 million, which was 6 percent ahead
of budget; · The port’s
2011 capital budget totals just over $7 million. Copies of
the annual report are available for pickup in the port offices at Skagit
Regional Airport and the La Conner Marina, or the port will mail copies to
citizens. Call 360-757-0011 to request a copy. The report also is available
for download on the port’s web site at www.portofskagit.com/about-the-port/financial-information/.
Northwest Ports Post Progress toward
Clean Air Goals for 2010 Target Year On June 23, more then 300 people from the community celebrated the
unveiling of the Fisherman’s Tribute Statue located at the Port of Everett’s
Waterfront Center. The event included a dedication ceremony for the statue,
followed by the opening night of the Waterfront Concert series. Kay Zuanich and Barbara
Piercey, co-chairs of the Fisherman’s Tribute Statue Committee, planned since
2004 for the statue to honor the rich fishing heritage of the Everett
waterfront. Past Port Commissioners Don Hopkins, Phil Bannan and Jim Shaffer
authorized the statue and it took seven years to make this vision a reality. The statue was designed and
fabricated by Kevin Pettelle, and the plaza and park were designed by Port
staff Larry Crawford (retired) and Jim Weber. Port of Camas-Washougal Receives
State Grant for Analysis of Waterfront Property Cleanup and Restoration The Port of Camas-Washougal announced it has
received a $200,000 Integrated Planning Grant from the Washington Department
of Ecology for the cleanup and reuse of a contaminated waterfront site.
PortofGraysHarbor.com
Receives Honor in AAPA’s 2011 Communications Award Program The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), a trade group representing leading
port authorities throughout the Western Hemisphere, has selected 20
seaports to be recognized for exemplary communication projects at its annual
awards event later this summer. The Port of Grays Harbor, on Washington
State’s Pacific Coast, received an Award of Merit for the website
PortofGraysHarbor.com. Websites
were judged based on the information provided by the site, organization, and
overall quality of the site. “PortofGraysHarbor.com
is our 24/7 communication tool,” noted Gary Nelson, Executive Director. “We designed the website to provide
relevant information about our services and facilities to a variety of
audiences -- from our trading partners around the world, to our citizens here
in Grays Harbor. Our first priority was communicating the diverse activities
and opportunities of our port in a visually pleasing and easy to use manner.
This award reinforces what we have heard from our users, that the site is not
only attractive, but effective.” Using
input from port staff, customers and the community, PortofGraysHarbor.com was
created by a team comprised of Marc Sterling of Sterling Digital and Shelli
Hopsecger of Coast Controls & Automation, Inc. The site features easy to
navigate pull down menus highlighting the diverse facilities of the Port of
Grays Harbor. Updated regularly, highlights of the site include a running
slideshow on the home page, a newsroom with the latest news and photos of
port activities, a vessel schedule and minutes of the latest Commission
meeting. Port
officials will be presented their Award of Merit at a September 14 luncheon
in conjunction with AAPA's 100th Annual Convention in Seattle (https://www.aapa2011.org/main.aspx), which runs September 11-15. USDA grant issued to Port of Chehalis for strategic plan update Port of Chehalis commissioners voted at their
regular meeting on June 23 to accept a $30,000 grant from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture that will be used to help pay for an update to the Port's
Comprehensive Master Plan. The current plan was adopted in 2006 and many elements of that plan
have been completed. Port Executive Director Jim Rothlin explained the
first $20,000 of the federal grant requires matching funds to be paid by the
Port. He noted there are sufficient Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)
funds available to provide the matching funds. Commissioners agreed they would not spend all of
the grant or Port money on the strategic plan update just because it was
available. Rothlin noted that Patrick Jones, the consultant who is expected
to help prepare the new strategic plan, indicated an abbreviated planning
process could be completed for somewhat less than $30,000. Rothlin said he will contact Jones and discuss
options for a professional services contract with him covering the desired
scope of the project. That should be available for commissioner review next
month, added Rothlin. The strategic plan update is proposed to be completed
by the end of the calendar year. Port of Seattle Continues to be the
Green Gateway for Trade A recently updated study shows that the
Port of Seattle once again offers the lowest carbon footprint for containers
moving from Asia to the Midwest. The 2011 "Carbon Footprint Analysis for
the Asia to North America Intermodal Trade", conducted by the maritime
firm Herbert Engineering Corp, builds upon their 2009 study and reconfirms
that the Port of Seattle is the Green Gateway for trade. It is now available on the port's
website . Herbert Engineering's study,
commissioned by the Port of Seattle, calculated the carbon footprint of trade
routes from the Asian ports of Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh,
Busan, and Tokyo to the U.S. distribution hubs of Chicago, Columbus, Memphis,
New York, Norfolk, and Atlanta via the North American gateways of Prince
Rupert, Seattle, Oakland, Los Angeles/Long Beach, Houston, Savannah, Norfolk,
and New York/New Jersey. The study analyzed the ship, truck,
and rail segments of each trade route, including the all water routes via the
soon to be expanded Panama Canal and the Suez Canal. Vessel analysis was
conducted for ship sizes of 4,500, 6,500, 8,500, and 12,500 TEUs traveling at
design and slow steaming speeds, with utilization rates of 60 percent to 90
percent. Government
Relations Director, PNWA
Maintenance and Repair Manager, NW Marine Terminal Operating Company Office Assistant, Port of
Shelton
Commerce
Specialist 3—CERB Program Manager, Department of Commerce PO
Box 1518 * Olympia, WA 98507 |
|
