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From the Washington Public Ports Association |
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June 2010 |
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Upcoming Events July
15-16, 2010 July
25-27, 2010 July
Brings Leadership Education Opportunities Legislative
Issue Talking Points Lt.
Governor to Hold Economic Development Forum Ports
To Serve on State Budget Reform Panel Partnership
Unveils In-lieu Fee Plan Dept.
of Ecology Releases Draft Guidance on Emissions The month of July will include two opportunities
for port leaders to expand their skills and network with their colleagues. First up, the directors will gather at The
Courtyard by Marriott in Richland, July 15-16 for the annual "Port
Director's Only" Seminar.
The program
committee has designed an agenda that provides port directors with
unparalleled opportunities to discuss with each other the challenges and
successes that come with the role. This year’s topics will include: · Managing your Audit – Tips and Suggestions
for the State Audit Process · Trends and Issues in Managing
Staff – What’s New? · Pairing Up your Assets with
your Strategic Plan If you haven’t already registered for the
seminar, there’s still time to do so at http://www.washingtonports.org/member_resources/events/eventregistrationdirectors.asp Later in the month, commissioners will meet at the Sleeping Lady in
Leavenworth, July 25-27 for the bi-annual Commissioner’s Seminar. The seminar begins the evening of July 25th with a BBQ cookout offsite
at the Red Tail Canyon Farm. The
agenda covers topics such as: · Tools for Evaluating your Executive Director · Financial Analysis for Commissioners – What to Pay Attention To · Running your Meetings Faster: A Primer on Public Meeting Procedures · Ports and Cities: Why Can’t We Just All Get Along? · Managing External Stakeholder Groups If you haven’t already registered for the
seminar, there’s still time to do so at http://www.washingtonports.org/member_resources/events/eventregistrationcommissioners.asp More information about these seminars can be
found online at www.washingtonports.org
or by calling the WPPA office at 360-943-0760. WPPA looks forward to seeing
you in Richland and Leavenworth next month! Boating Facilities Grants
Preserve Access to State Waters For many folks here in Washington, being out on the water is part of
the lifestyle that makes our state such an attractive place to live. Whether it’s waterskiing on an Eastern
Washington lake, sailing on Puget Sound, or boating through the San Juan
Islands, being out on the water is central to the Northwest lifestyle we
enjoy. For nearly 40 years, a little known state matching grant has helped
thousands of people get out on the water by helping to fund boat ramps,
docks, marina parking facilities and other boating infrastructure. Many ports have received matching grants
from the state Boating Facilities Program (also called the “Recreation
Resources Account”), which is funded through a portion of the gas tax. Even though it’s helped pay for projects in just about every county in
the state, this account was one of several swept clean by the Legislature
during the last biennium. By state
budget standards, the account is relatively small (generating about $9
million per biennium), but the impact to local governments is enormous. With legislators already talking about another round of budget cuts
next year, it is important for ports that are applying for these funds or
have received them in the past to contact their state legislators and
Governor Gregoire with the following messages: ·
Protect and preserve the
Boating Facilities Program: boating is family-friendly and supports local businesses in
communities around the state. When voters created the account 40 years ago,
they saw the potential to spend time on the water with friends and family.
Today, that sense of fun and adventure is central to the unique lifestyle we
enjoy as well as a multi-million dollar industry that supports jobs across
the state economy. ·
Maintain the state’s commitment
to local communities:
local governments are required to provide at least 25 percent in matching
resources. Without the state’s commitment to continue its partnership with
local communities, many of these projects will not occur. · History
of success: for nearly forty years, boating
grants have supplemented local investments around the state. In fact, these
grants have built infrastructure in 37 of the state's 39 counties. The
account returns large dividends (in terms of economic activity and quality of
life) for a modest investment from state coffers. Please allow this history
of success to continue. Washington State Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen
is holding a legislative event at the Port of Tacoma on July 9. The Legislative Committee on Economic
Development & International Relations will spend the day hearing from
port leaders about the current challenges they face. Leaders will hear from
experts on freight mobility, environmental issues, air cargo, rail and marine
terminal activities. The event will include a tour of the Port of
Tacoma’s facilities and will be video recorded by TVW for public viewing. The day-long event is open to all interested
parties. For more information, contact the WPPA office. According to the recently released forecast, the
governor’s budget office projects that the state could be facing a $2.5 to $3
billion shortfall when they start writing a new two-year budget in
January. In preparation for developing the next state budget, the
governor is forming a panel made up of leaders from both the public and
private sectors to help her prepare for that process. Ports are well
represented on the panel, with both WPPA Executive Director Eric Johnson and
Port of Seattle Director of External Affairs Patricia Akiyama having been
tapped to serve on the 38 member panel. The panel will hold a series of public hearings
throughout the state over the summer, giving the public an opportunity to
better understand the context of the upcoming budget dilemma, and provide
their input. The effort is intended to reform the way the budget
is developed, and how the state determines what programs it will fund with
the revenue reductions. Land managers may soon have a new tool for
mitigating environmental impacts, courtesy of the Puget Sound Partnership
(the “Partnership”) which unveiled a plan last month to create a new in-lieu
fee mitigation program. Similar to mitigation banking, in-lieu fee
mitigation works like this: ports and other permit applicants purchase
credits from a non-profit or governmental management group in order to
satisfy compensatory mitigation requirements.
As part of the transaction, the obligation to mitigate is then
transferred to the in-lieu fee program sponsor. Under the new program, applicants may be able to
pay into a restoration fund instead of performing specific actions. Mitigation projects will be located as
close to the impact as possible. For
impacts to freshwater resources, sites will be located as close as possible
within the same watershed. Marine
impacted sites, mitigation will occur within the same drift cell. A complete prospectus is available for public inspection
on-line in the “Announcements” section of the Partnership’s front page: http://www.psp.wa.gov/.
The Washington
Department of Ecology is releasing draft
guidance on addressing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) during
review under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The draft
guidance primarily addresses projects that will result in greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions or may be vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Agency
decision-making that includes a SEPA analysis is an important part of
reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The guidance is intended to help lead
agencies, applicants, and the public use SEPA to: ·
Assess
greenhouse gas emissions that could be expected from various types of
projects. ·
Understand
the environmental impacts of those emissions. ·
Support
consistency within and between agencies in their assessments. The guidance also
provides information about sources and types of greenhouse gases as well as
suggestions on how emissions can be reduced or avoided. The guidance can
be accessed on a series of linked webpages at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/sepa.htm
The Department of
Ecology will take written comments on the draft guidance until June 25, 2010.
Comments should be sent by email to sepaguidance@ecy.wa.gov . The Port Security
Grant Program (PSGP) Round FY09 is in progress. As previously
announced, June 1, 2010 was the deadline for providing Marine Exchange of
Puget Sound with Notice of Intent to Submit an Investment Justification (IJ),
or application for PSGP FY09 funds. The deadline for a
completed draft IJ is July 1, 2010. Changes to the description, costs, and
other information may still be revised in the final IJ, for which the
deadline is August 1, 2010. After that date, no more changes may be
made unless requested by the Area Maritime Security Committee field review
committee, the Puget Sound Captain of the Port, or FEMA. For more information,
please contact Mary Ann Chapman, Marine Exchange of Puget Sound at machapman@marineexchangesea.com. Port of Tacoma Commission Chooses John Wolfe as CEO Commissioners selected interim Executive Director John
Wolfe as their top candidate from among five finalists for the permanent job
to lead the Port of Tacoma. Wolfe has
served as the deputy executive director of the Port of Tacoma since June
2005. Prior to joining the Port of Tacoma, he served for two years as the
executive director of the Port of Olympia, and before that as Olympia's
director of operations and marine terminal general manager. Wolfe also
spent 10 years with Maersk Sealand/APM Terminals in Tacoma, most recently as
the terminal's operations manager. A native
of Puyallup, Wash., Wolfe earned a bachelor’s degree in business
administration from Pacific Lutheran University in 1987. I’m more
than willing to bet my future on John,” said Commission President Don
Johnson. “I’m very confident with this decision.” Port of Allyn Granted Water Use Approval Port of Allyn Commissioners recently
announced that Allyn will finally have enough water to serve commercial,
residential and fireflow needs for at least 20 years. After many years
of working to accomplish this they received approval from the State
Department of Ecology for use of 300 acre feet of water at 555 gpm.
According to Executive Director Bonnie Knight this is roughly equivalent to
1,000 residential hook ups. Providing an adequate water system
for Allyn has been a stated goal of the port and the Allyn Community
Association for many years. The port purchased the property and well in
1978 and expanded to serve the area south from the port property along the
waterfront. After many years of meeting regulations and environmental
requirements as well as securing funding, the Commission was finally able to
announced that their request been approved. From the time Judy Scott, Ben
Meservey, and Linda Blackwell took office back in January of 2000, they
shared a single minded determination to provide the infrastructure to support
business and jobs in Allyn. Current Commissioners Jean Farmer and Randy
Neatherlin continued the effort with Commission chair Judy Scott. Port of Klickitat Appoints New
Commissioner The Port of Klickitat Board of
Commissioners have appointed William (“Bill”) Schmitt of Lyle, Wash., to fill
the position left vacant by the unexpected passing of former Commissioner
Rodger Ford. Ford had represented Commissioner District #2 that encompasses
the communities of Appleton, Dallesport, Klickitat, Lyle, Murdock, and
Wahkiacus. Several individuals expressed interest
in the position and three applications were ultimately received by the
deadline. “We were fortunate to have had several qualified candidates apply
for the position,” said Commission Secretary Jim Herman. “We sincerely
appreciate their interest and willingness to serve their community.” That sentiment was echoed by
Commission President Wayne Vinyard. “We were pleased with the quality of all
the applicants,” said Vinyard. “In the end, Bill's level of community
involvement, years of board service, and previous experience with the Port
were key factors in his selection. With two board vacancies in the last five
months, the Port Commission has been in a period of transition and we felt
his history and experience would be particularly valuable in allowing us to
move forward quickly.” Schmitt was previously appointed to
the Port Commission (to fill the unexpired term of William Hamm) and served
from October 1990 to November 1991. He has also served as a fire commissioner
for thirteen years and as a school board member for over nine years. Schmitt will be sworn in at the next regular
meeting of the Port Commission and begin serving immediately. His appointment
will continue through the November 2011 election. Port of Seattle Continues At-Berth Clean Fuels
Program Earlier
this month, the Port of Seattle Commission received an update on one of its
most successful environmental initiatives, the At-Berth Clean (ABC) Fuels
program, which encourages shipping and cruise lines to burn cleaner fuels
while at berth. ABC
Fuels is a product of the 2007 Puget Sound Clean Air Strategy whose goal is
to improve air quality for the region.
The port provides an incentive of $2,250 to use low sulfur fuel in
vessels' auxiliary engines for each call.
The
ABC Fuels program began in 2009 and to date has eliminated more than 105
metric tons of sulfur dioxide emissions. The low-sulfur fuel (0.5% sulfur)
reduces sulfur dioxide emissions by 80 percent and diesel particulate matter
by 60 percent. This year has seen a
steady increase in participation, with 33 qualifying vessels signing up in
April, and 40 in May, the most of any months since the program began. In light of the program's success,
Commissioners voted to invest an additional $541,000 to fund the program
through 2010. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Welcomes Newest Nonstop
Route to Japan The Port of Seattle and the
Governor's welcomed Delta Air Lines inaugural nonstop flight to Osaka, Japan
from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The new daily service is the
second new route in four days inaugurated by Delta Air Lines, the world's
largest airlines, to position Seattle as a major west coast gateway to Asia.
Friday, Delta began five times a week service to Beijing, China. Delta Air
Lines last year merged with Northwest Airlines, becoming the world's largest
airline. In
other welcome news to the community, the port has changed the annoying
back-up beepers on marine terminal equipment to Brigade white sound reverse
alarms. These state-of-the-art alarms protect workers without annoying
neighbors. Olympia is the first Pacific Northwest Port to transition to the
new alarm technology. Port of Skagit Adds Dry Boat
Storage Capabilities with Addition of New Forklift La Conner Marina,
owned and operated by the Port of Skagit, has a new forklift that will expand
the marina's ability to provide dry boat storage. The Port Commission authorized
an expenditure of up to $250,000 in January to purchase the new Hoist
Liftruck Neptune Series M250 marina forklift. Research conducted last year by
the marina staff determined a negative lift forklift with increased load
capacity over the existing lifts would provide access to the marina's dry
boat facility to bigger boats. "Early on in this process,
staff recognized the high replacement cost of our existing forklift and
decided to consider a negative lift as an additional option, thus meeting the
premier service and destination requirement in our long-term vision and
strategy for the marina and dry boat facility," said Scott Peterson, the
port's director of facilities and operations. "At the same time, staff
realized the value of the haul-out facility the port built in 2004 to meet
the demand for larger boats and the economic impact it would have on
marine-related jobs in the local community. This facility provides the
opportunity to put a negative lift to work immediately." The new forklift is able to
handle vessels weighing up to 14,000 pounds, said Paul Mattos, harbormaster
at the marina. Its 29.5-foot-tall two-stage mast gives the machine 18 feet of
negative lift to reach down into the water and pick up boats, plus 35 feet of
positive lift for placing vessels in elevated dry storage. The galvanized
forks on the new Neptune are 20 feet long and feature rubber extruded fork
covers that are gentle on boat hulls while also providing protection from
corrosion. Paul Vick, former Port of Pasco
Commissioner, died last month in Kennewick. Commissioner Vick served for nine
years as an elected commissioner at the Port of Kennewick until he was unseated
in 2001. Aviation planning was Vick's expertise, said Jim Toomey, who
replaced Vick as manager of the Port of Pasco in 1991. "He had certain gruffness in his
management style but he could very clearly set a path and focus on it. He
represented the old style of management," Toomey said. Vick was a proponent of
transportation improvements and development of industrial properties.
Unfortunately, he had to deal with a financial decline during the mid- to
late-1980s in the Tri-Cities that put the brakes on many projects, Toomey
said. Vick was born in Pablo, Mont. He
served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. After the war, he attended the
University of Montana before starting his own surveying business. He came to
the Tri-Cities in 1983 when the Port of Pasco hired him. Prior to that, he
worked as the airport manager and industrial development manager for five
years at the Port of Port Angeles. Vick was involved with many
professional organizations, including the Washington Public Ports Association
and the Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla Good Roads and Transportation
Association. Vick also served as campaign chairman
for the United Way of Benton and Franklin counties. Regional Port
and Airport associations (WAMA, WPPA, PNWA, WA State Good Roads &
Transportation) and service clubs (numerous Rotaries, Chambers, and Kiwanis)
have lost a good friend. © 2006 Washington Public Ports Association. All rights
reserved PO Box 1518 * Olympia, WA 98507 |
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