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From the Washington Public Ports Association |
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october 2011 |
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Upcoming Events December 6, 2011 Continuing Legal Education Seminar Hyatt Regency, Bellevue December 7-9, 2011 Hyatt
Regency, Bellevue Suzanne
Fletcher Leads Tourism Advocacy Efforts at Washington Tourism Alliance Ecology To Increase Wastewater and Stormwater Permit Fees Airport Cooperative Research Program Webinar Series
Free For Airport Organizations GEM Car Provides Convenience for Port of Kingston
Guests Ecology Requests Comment on Municipal Stormwater
General Permits Department of Commerce Designates and Reauthorizes
Innovation Partnership Zones With
the closing of the state tourism office at the end of the 2009-2011 biennium,
Washington state was left with a gaping hole where tourism investment and
development usually resided. Industry
stakeholders decided that, instead of sitting idly by as the idea of “Our
primary objective is to act as the marketing arm of the state of Washington,”
said Fletcher. In an effort to
maintain momentum, Fletcher has been traveling the state conducting
roundtables. She described these
meetings as a “getting to know you” process.
“It was really fact finding to figure out where we’re at with
Washington tourism,” she said.
Photo: Steve Shelton With
the roundtable tour completed, Fletcher has turned her attention to
fundraising. “Our short term goal now
is to raise funds through corporate sponsorships, partnerships, and
memberships,” she said. As
the organization is still in its infancy, Fletcher is currently WTA’s only
employee. Fletcher describes the WTA
as “like a start-up” and hopes to one day have a larger staff. “We have to take things one at a time,” she
said. “The long term goal is to be a
self-sustaining industry. Obviously we
would love state support, but our objective is not to be a state-run
organization.” The
Washington Tourism Alliance was established in February 2011. For more information on the WTA, or to find
out how to become involved, please visit http://www.watourismalliance.com/. The
Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is increasing annual fees for some
types of wastewater and stormwater discharge permits. The change
ensures that the costs of Washington’s wastewater/stormwater permit program
are funded. The increases align more closely with the cost of managing the
permit program and are in accordance with state law. The fees –
paid by businesses, industries and local governments – help offset the
state’s expenses to issue and administer wastewater and stormwater discharge
permits. The permits are the state’s primary tool to prevent and control
water pollution. The move
increases annual permit fees by 4.34 percent for fiscal year 2012 (July 1,
2011, through June 30, 2012) and 4.62 percent for fiscal year 2013 (July 1,
2012, through June 30, 2013) for the following permit fee categories:
• Aquatic
Pest Control. • Boatyards. •
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. • Dairies. • Construction
and Industrial Stormwater Individual and General Permits. • Municipal
Stormwater Permits. • Municipal
Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plants. • Private
and Government-Owned Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plants. • Water
Treatment Plants.
Fees for other
permit fee categories will remain at the current rates. Ecology has adopted Chapter 173-224
WAC (Washington Administrative Code). The final rule is online (http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/permits/permit_fees/index.html#Rule%20Adoption
). Beginning
in October the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) will provide a
series of 3 webinars summarizing recent ACRP publications related to
airports. These webinars are offered at no charge to airport
organizations. Advance registration is
required. Webinars will feature results from ACRP research projects,
delivered by key industry practitioners and senior researchers. Please see the information for each webinar
below. To register for any of the
webinars, please follow this link. October
24, 2011 Wildlife
vs. Airports: Techniques for Repelling and Deterring Birds and Animals Moderator:
John Weller, National Wildlife Biologist, FAA Speakers:
John Ostrom, Airside Operations Manager, Minneapolis - St.
Paul Metropolitan Airports Commission; Steve Osmek, Wildlife Program
Manager, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; Stephanie Ward,
Manager, Aviation Planning, Mead & Hunt November
14, 2011 Current
Trends at Airports: Rights and Responsibilities C.
Daniel Prather, Founder and CEO, Prather Airport Solutions; Brett
W. Fay, Operations Coordinator, Lakeland Linder Regional Airport; Rick
Crider, Vice President, RW Armstrong December
5, 2011 Small
Airports: Practical Guidance for Survival Thomas Thatcher, Senior Research and Planning Manager, L.R. Kimball; Laurie Cullen, Vice President, HNTB; Lois Kramer, Founder and CEO, KRAMER aerotek, inc.
Three
years ago a Port Gamble resident loaned an electric car to the Port of
Kingston to use as a demonstration vehicle.
The vehicle was such a hit, the Port purchased one of its own. Today, the Port of Kingston’s GEM car is
provided as a courtesy vehicle to paying marina guests and gets used on
average 3 to 4 times per day in the summer months. On summer weekends, that average goes up to
8 to ten times per day. “The
guests love it, they think it’s a great service,” said Kevin Van Vliet,
Harbormaster at the Port of Kingston.
“The guests are impressed.”
While
the GEM car provides guests with a convenient way to get around town to fill
up on supplies, not everyone can use it, and there are a few rules governing
its use. “We
have clear and concise dos and don’ts,” said Van Vliet. Typically only those paying for guest
moorage can use the service, and each guest interested in borrowing the
vehicle must fill out a user agreement and must have an up-to-date insurance
policy. The guest must also be age 21
or over. The GEM car can only be taken
for an hour at a time and the driver must stay in Kingston proper. “So far we haven’t had any problems with
rule breakers,” said Van Vliet. The
vehicle is a low maintenance asset for the Port; it has a maximum speed of 25
miles per hour, the parts are cheap, and so far the only repairs have been to
the cables in the doors. As for other
fun facts about the GEM car? “It never
goes zero to 60 and it gets great gas mileage,” said Van Vliet. The
Washington Department of Ecology offers for public review and comment, the
next generation of permits to increase environmental protections against
polluted runoff in Eastern and Western Washington. The state's most populated urban areas
are required to have this permit under the federal Clean Water Act. To provide economic relief for local governments,
Ecology will maintain the status quo and re-issue the current Phase I and
Phase II permits in Western Washington for an additional year, as well as the
Phase II permits for Eastern Washington. Phase I refers to the state's
most populated areas. Phase II are the next-most populated areas. The new
permits will not go into effect until 2013, and new permit requirements will
be phased in over the five year life of the permit. For more detail on the next generation of
permits, please click here. Ecology
invites public comments on the Eastern Washington Phase II Municipal
Stormwater General Permit and the Phase
I and Phase II Municipal Stormwater General permits for Western
Washington until 5 p.m., Feb. 3, 2012. The Washington State Department of Commerce
designated three new Innovation Partnership Zones (IPZs) and reauthorized
nine others to help spur regional economic growth through key sectors such as
manufacturing, global health and technology. “I congratulate our newest Innovation Partnership
Zones and the ongoing successes of the others in our vibrant IPZ community,”
said Rogers Weed, state Commerce Director. “Washington has a history of
innovation. Our research institutions are among the most highly regarded and
productive in the world, but we must continue to drive discoveries and new
technologies into commercialization effectively if we’re going to compete and
prosper in the global economy.” New IPZ Designations: ·
Interactive Media and Digital Arts IPZ (King County) ·
King County Financial Services Collaborative (King County) ·
Urban Clean Water Technology Zone (Pierce County) Re-Designations: IPZs are designated for four-year terms.
The following IPZs designated in 2007 retained their status: ·
Aerospace Convergence Zone (Snohomish County) ·
Port of Bellingham Waterfront Innovation Zone (Whatcom County) ·
Bothell Biomedical Manufacturing IPZ (King County) ·
Grays Harbor IPZ (Grays Harbor County) ·
North Olympic Peninsula IPZ (Clallam County) ·
South Lake Union Global Health IPZ (King County) ·
Spokane University District IPZ (Spokane County) ·
Tri-Cities Research District (Benton County) ·
Walla Walla Valley IPZ (Walla Walla County) The Innovation Partnership Zones program was
created in 2007 by Governor Gregoire and the Washington State
Legislature. Its goal is to stimulate the growth of industry clusters
and build regional economies. IPZs empower regions to form partnerships
between research entities, private sector partners, and workforce training to
collaborate and develop commercially viable technologies. To learn more about Innovation Partnership Zones,
visit www.choosewashington.com Port of Seattle
wins Seattle Business Magazine Green 50 award The Port of Seattle
won Seattle Business Magazine’s Green 50 award for local businesses and
institutions that “deserve recognition for believing that forthright
stewardship of our resources is good business.” The port won the award in the
Government/Academia category. “Seattle sets a high
bar for environmental standards nationally. Being recognized as a local
environmental leader for our efforts means a lot,” said Stephanie Jones
Stebbins, Director of Seaport The Port of Seattle
won the award based on environmental initiatives at both the Airport and
Seaport. These programs include the creation of a centralized preconditioned
air system for aircraft parked at gates at Sea-Tac International Airport,
leading the effort for the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest (SAFN)
project, the At Berth Clean (ABC) Fuels program for cargo vessels, and the
Scrappage and Retrofits for Air in Puget Sound (ScRAPS) program. Runners up in the
government/academia category were Washington State University, University of
Washington, Lake Washington School District, and the Washington State Convention
Center. The panel of judges
determining awards included: Joan Crooks, Executive Director, Washington
Environmental Council; Marc Daudon, Principal, Cascadia Consulting Group;
Alan Durning, Executive Director, Sightline Institute; Jim Hanna, Director of
Environmental Impact, Starbucks; Ross Macfarlane, senior advisor, Climate
Solutions; and Jon Naimon, Managing Director, Light Green Advisors, LLC. Port
of Douglas County Receives CERB Funding The
Port of Douglas County recently received word that its application for a $1
million loan package for infrastructure improvements in its Pangborn Airport
Business Park has been approved. Funding was granted by the Community
Economic Revitalization Board (CERB), Washington State's strategic economic
development resource, focused on creating and retaining jobs in partnership
with local government. CERB finances public infrastructure to encourage new
development and expansion in targeted areas. The
Port of Douglas County funding package includes an $850,000, 20‐year
loan at 2.5% interest; and a $150,000 grant. “Principal and interest payments
on the loan are deferred for the first five years,” explained Port Director
Lisa Parks, “which will allow us to complete the improvements and market the
property to new tenants.” “The
overall project cost is estimated at $2 million,” Parks stated. “The balance
will likely come from general obligation bonds and the refinance of two
existing higher interest rate bonds, applying the savings from the lower
interest rates toward the project.” The funds from CERB are received on a
reimbursement basis and are to be used once the other revenues (in this case,
bond revenues) are depleted. Parks
expects the project to begin almost immediately. “Permitting and engineering are
slated to start this fall. “We hope to
have permits by early spring, with construction occurring spring/summer 2012
and completing next fall. We have a preliminary site plan that will be used
to begin our permitting process; the plan will be refined and amended as
needed to respond to permit and/or engineering issues in the event that they
arise.” The
Port’s Pangborn Airport Business Park is located west of and adjacent to
Pangborn Airport. This project focuses on the southwest corner of the
property. Improvements will include extending 5th Street SE/Campbell Parkway,
including curbs, gutters, sidewalks, landscaping and storm water systems;
water, power and telecommunications extensions; and rough site grading. The
improved property has the potential to positively impact economic vitality in
a number of ways. First, tenant‐ready
property will increase the Port’s potential to generate essential non tax‐based
revenue. Second, revenue generated through business park leases is shared
with Pangborn Airport, which means increased revenue helps reduce the burden
on both the Port of Chelan County and the Port of Douglas County, owners of
the airport, to subsidize airport operations. Third, fully developed and
subdivided, tenant‐ready
property significantly increases the potential to attract new industries and
businesses to Douglas County. Port of Camas-Washougal Hosts First Open House
For Waterfront Revitalization The
Port of Camas-Washougal announced it will host the first public meeting
to hear public input and listen to suggestions from community members about
public access and site development of the land area between 2nd Street and
6th Street, south of Highway 14 in Washougal. The
public meeting, moderated by the environmental contractor Maul, Foster and
Alongi, will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at the
Camas-Washougal Municipal Courthouse at 89 'C' Street in Washougal. "We're
continuing a community conversation, that began with business stakeholders,
about the future of the waterfront," said David Ripp, executive director
for the port. "The goals for this area are to clean up contamination,
put the property to a productive economic use, provide public access to the
waterfront and restore riparian habitat from the marina east to 6th
Street," said Ripp. The
purpose of the meeting will be to introduce the strategic planning effort,
site constraints and facilitate a community conversation on vision for future
use. The facilitated workshop format will ask attendees to voice their opinions,
share their priorities and fill out comment cards. The
port has also created a project page on the port website: http://portcw.com/index.php/projects/
to update citizens as more information is known about the site
revitalization. Port
of Everett Maintains Excellent Bond Rating Despite Economic Downturn Standard & Poor’s Ratings
Services has affirmed its ‘A-‘ underlying rating on the Port of Everett’s
revenue bonds. According to the September
2011 report, the Port of Everett’s ‘strong financial position, with solid
debt service coverage’ has allowed the rating service to reaffirm the Port’s
high rating. Standard & Poor’s is known to investors worldwide as a leader
of financial- market intelligence (S&P Website). “We are very proud that we
have been able to maintain our A- rating. This, in conjunction with our track
record of no audit findings for 14 years, is highly commendable,” Port of
Everett Executive Director John Mohr said. “We appreciate the work Karen
Clements has done as Chief Financial Officer and our entire finance
department. It is also important to recognize our operations team that has
worked to provide the financial stability to allow Standard & Poor’s to
reaffirm our high bond rating. I am really proud of our staff.” As a result of this rating,
the Port earned a lower interest rate on its bonds, with an average rate of
4.35 percent. The savings, like mortgaging a home, will be realized over the
life of the loan. “Having a good bond rating
allows the Port of Everett to maximize its capital investment dollars to
create more economic opportunities in the Port District,” Mohr said. “The
Port’s financial health has reduced the expense to taxpayers by way of lower
interest payments.” The Port uses revenue bonds
to invest in capital projects. Over the next five years, the Port is planning
to invest approximately $230 million into its facilities for capital
improvement projects. The list of projects is vast, ranging from
international trade projects, property developments, marina improvements and
public access enhancements. First Electric Vehicle Charger Comes to Stevenson in the Scenic
Columbia River Gorge The City of Stevenson,
the Stevenson Business Association (SBA), and the Port of Skamania County
partnered to bring the first Level II Electric Vehicle Charging Station to
Washington’s side of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The station is located at
Teo Park along the Columbia River Waterfront in the City of Stevenson,
adjacent to shops, restaurants, spas, and art galleries. This station
is the result of cooperation among local business leaders and local
government. SBA President Scott Anderson stated that “As a small town,
Stevenson has been forward thinking and on the cutting edge, such as being
one of the first cities to offer city-wide free WiFi access, and now the EV
Charging Station.” Moli Thomas, of MST Consulting, who managed the project,
said “Stevenson is a wonderful, eco-friendly tourism destination. This
charger is another way that we can help support healthy tourism activity in
the area. Our goal is to bring people out to one of the most beautiful
places on the planet and let them recharge while taking advantage of all that
Stevenson has to offer.” This station is especially important because
it will allow people to reach the area from the I-5 corridor (50 miles
west) and recharge for their return trip. The ribbon cutting for
the station will be on Wednesday, October 26th, 2011 at 4:00 pm, followed by
an after party in the park. All are welcome to come and look at the
station, at the electric cars, and enjoy some great food, local wines and
beer, and music. Port of Chehalis Issued
Unique Permit by Corps of Engineers for Developing Properties Containing
Wetlands Port of Chehalis officials have announced the
signing of a Regional General Permit (RGP) by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers in Seattle and Port of Chehalis commissioners that applies to
development of Port property located at the Chehalis Industrial Park
containing wetlands. The process
allows for advanced mitigation, creating shovel ready sites on Port
properties. Under the RGP, nominal
low-quality wetlands will be mitigated by exchanging them for high-quality
wetlands that have been created at a site several miles away in Pleasant
Valley near Adna, WA, which is a site more adaptable to wetland development. Port Executive Director Jim Rothlin said the RGP
is the first of its kind issued by the Seattle Corps Region and will
substantially reduce the time needed for securing environmental permits
needed to develop Port property. As a
result, the Chehalis Industrial Park properties should be much more desirable
to prospective business clients looking for land that can be developed in a
short time frame. Normally, approving
a mitigation plan for a site containing wetlands can take two years or
more. Under the RGP, that process is
greatly simplified and should move forward within a few months. The Port currently owns 250 acres of developable
land at the Chehalis Industrial Park.
The newly established wetland site has been created by the Port over
the past five years. The RGP uses the
Pleasant Valley site as a designated area from which wetland acres will be
used as mitigation at the same time as wetlands on Port property in the
Port’s Industrial Park are used for development. Port Commissioner Ken Kostick explained that
establishing the Pleasant Valley Site and securing the permit was a part of the
Port’s long term goals of creating shovel-ready property for businesses
looking to bring family wage jobs.
“Although a long and arduous process, the proactive approach will
present many benefits to future clients while maintaining the balance of our
environment,” added Kostick. Federal
and State agencies, as well as the Chehalis and Cowlitz Indian tribes visited
the Pleasant Valley site to monitor progress during its development and helped
create solutions for issues identified during the process that would benefit
all parties involved. The current RGP is applicable for five years and
is renewable. Other ports in
Washington as well as other entities have been following the process, which
could be considered as a standard for future property development in the
state. Employment
Grows at Port of Skagit Facilities Combined
full- and part-time employment by tenants at Port of Skagit properties
improved in the third quarter of this year compared to the same period last year,
according to a report presented to the port's Board of Commissioners. The
Third Quarter Employment Census, prepared by port staff, showed port tenants
employed 1,042 people during the quarter, compared to 1,025 a year ago. There
were 905 full-time employees, a decrease of 11 from last fall. But part-time
employment grew, from 109 jobs last fall to 137 now, the census also
revealed. The
port’s employment numbers were adversely impacted by the recent closure of
Woodinville Lumber, which operated in the port’s Bayview Business Park as
Tri-County Truss and had employed about 75 people. “Many
of our tenants are still feeling the effects of the recession, but it seems
to be bottoming out,” said Jerry Kaufman, chairman of the Port of Skagit
Board of Commissioners. “The good news is that we are seeing increased demand
for our port-owned properties.” The
job numbers were mixed compared to the first quarter of 2011, with employers
reporting 63 more full-time jobs but 28 fewer part-time jobs. Kaufman
noted there were eight port tenants reporting at least 20 percent growth in
full- and part-time jobs since last year. In addition, the port attracted
three new tenants in the past year, bringing in a total of 19 full-time jobs
and five part-time jobs. The
total number of Port tenants is 86, up six from last fall. The number of
tenants and sub-tenants at Port-owned properties is as follows: · Bayview
Business Park, 40; · Skagit
Regional Airport, 27; · La Conner
Marina, 18; · Conway
industrial site: 1. The
port surveys its tenants for the employment census in the spring and fall of
each year. Port Executive
Reorganizes Senior Staff Port of Bellingham
Executive Director Charlie Sheldon today announced a re-organization of port senior
staff to better focus the organization toward business development, greater
job creation, and a more balanced staff workload. “I’ve been here for
a year and I have been impressed with the knowledge and abilities of my
staff,” Sheldon said. “We now need to bring a laser-like focus on meeting our
basic mission of providing economic development and transportation facilities
to the residents of Whatcom County. I have full faith and confidence in my
senior staff and believe that our current structure works extremely well, but
I am making a few changes to better position us for the future.” The changes include
promoting port Chief Financial Officer Rob Fix to the newly created position
of Deputy Director/Chief Financial Officer. In addition to serving as the
second-in-command at the port, Fix will be charged with overseeing port
finances, economic development, informational services and real estate
administration. Fix worked for many years in the private sector in the
hotel and hospitality industry and he has been at the Port of Bellingham
since 2009. While at the Port, Fix has been heavily engaged in overseeing
port finances and also has been a key leader in the economic development
efforts that port has undertaken with other entities in Whatcom County. Sheldon has created
a new position, Director of Business Development, and moved Real Estate
Director Lydia Bennett into that role. “After many years
of discussion, planning, environmental review, and the completion of an
Environmental Impact Statement and a new Master Plan, we are now at the
moment when we must move from study to delivery,” Sheldon said. “While we are
still some months away from concluding our rezoning agreements with the City,
now is the time to provide full-time, direct attention to finding users of
that property, whether they are mixed- use developers or industrial
users. Our priority is bringing those properties back into productive
use and adding jobs to the waterfront, similar to those we recently announced
for the Shipping Terminal, and to do that we need to move beyond
planning efforts to action and that action relies upon outside investment,
developers and innovative partnerships,” Sheldon said. “This economic
climate demands that we go out and find new businesses and new partners, as
well as work with companies and organizations in our community that are ready
to grow,” Sheldon added. “Lydia Bennett has extensive private sector
real estate experience and I want her to now spend all her time
bringing the waterfront properties, as well as other port properties in the
county, such as in Blaine, back into use. ” In addition to her
Realtor license, Bennett has achieved distinction and developed national
connections through her role as a national instructor for Certified
Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) Institute. Communications
Manager Carolyn Casey has been promoted to Director, External Affairs. This
new position will include communications, media relations, supporting Sheldon
and the Commissioners in government relations, providing support for
port-wide strategic planning, support and supervision of corporate events and
the port’s meeting and event rentals operations. Sheldon also
announced that Human Resources Manager Elizabeth Monahan’s title is now Human
Resources Director. Monahan will take on additional administrative management
responsibilities and oversight of emergency management and safety programs in
addition to her human resources and labor relations duties. “These changes
announced by Charlie are responsive to the critical changes we have seen in
our local economy and our need to move aggressively ahead with both the
waterfront and our capital programs across the organization,” said Mike
McAuley, port commission President. “We’ve spent many years planning and
preparing to upgrade our properties, and now is the time to make it happen. I
share Charlie’s belief in the staff and believe that these changes will
better position us to face the many challenges ahead.” Outside
Auditor, Port of Shelton Marina Director, Port of Everett Director
of Real Estate and Business Dev., Port of Moses Lake Aviation
Director, Community Partnerships, Port of Seattle Chief
Human Resources Officer, Port of Tacoma PO
Box 1518 * Olympia, WA 98507 |
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