Port of Bellingham Commission

Compiled by Bill McCallum

Action Taken at November 5, 2019 Meeting

Shall the commission:
131. Authorize the executive director to sign a $352,853 contract with Puget Sound Energy to increase the power supply at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal? Puget Sound energy will install conduits, vaults, and electrical equipment; convert overhead utilities to underground utilities. The work will double the power power supply to Warehouse 1, Berth 1, and the log pond area. A contingency fee of $47,147 brings the total contract to $400,000. (8827/Consent Agenda B) Approved 3-0

132. Authorize the executive director to accept a $95,435 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for a float and pile replacement project? The wood float, creosote pilings and service ramp at the Gate 1 pump-out float at Squalicum Harbor will be replaced with a utility gangway and a concrete float/piling system. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation was created by Congress in 1984, it is the nation’s largest conservation grant-maker. The board of governors of the 501(c)(3) organization is appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. The entire project is estimated to cost $348,120. The grant along with a pending state grant will fund the entire project. (8828/Consent Agenda C) Approved 3-0

133. Authorize the executive director to accept the donation of a chipper wheel from Northwest Recycling? The chipper wheel was used by Georgia-Pacific in their downtown Bellingham plant. The port will be responsible for transporting the chipper wheel from its current location near the intersection of Holly and F Street to the waterfront bike park. (8829/Consent Agenda D) Approved 3-0

134. Adopt the Bellingham International Airport Master Plan? The master plan was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. It runs 265 pages and is available on the port’s website. At the 8/16/2016 meeting, vote #144, the commission approved a $463,483 contract with AECOM Corp. of Seattle for a planning study to replace the 2015 airport master plan. Ninety percent of the contract is funded by the FAA. 8830/Action Item 1 (Resolution 1387) Approved 3-0

135. Adopt the Bellingham International Airport Master Plan as an element of the Comprehensive Scheme of Harbor Improvement? (Pubic hearing held.) No expenditures on port improvements shall be made until a Comprehensive Scheme of Harbor Improvements has been adopted by the Port Commission. 8831/Action Item 2 (Resolution 1388) Approved 3-0

136. Authorize the executive director to sign an agreement with the city of Bellingham for the Puget Sound Coastal Storm Modeling System? The United States Geologic Survey proposes to include Bellingham Bay and the shoreline of Whatcom County in the Puget Sound Coastal Storm Modeling System. The model will give local jurisdictions the data needed to plan for and respond to coastal flooding due to sea-level rise plus storm events by providing information about storm wave heights, currents, and inundation areas, depths, and durations. It couples coastal storm processes including surge, waves and wind-wave setup with sea-level rise, tides/King tides, stream flow and circulation to predict flooding extent and physical processes that influence erosion and sediment transport out to the year 2100, and is based on 10 years of research and development with international partners and guidance from US Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA. For more information, please see (walrus.wr.usgs.gov/coastal_processes/cosmos/puget/). The full cost of the system will be $500,000, it will be split between the United States Geologic Survey ($150,000), city of Bellingham ($135,000), Whatcom County ($125,000), Port of Bellingham ($80,000) and city of Blaine ($10,000) (8832/Action Item 3) Approved 3-0

137. Approve a lease modification with Sound Pacific Seafood for premises at the Blaine Marine Industrial Area? At the 11/3/2009 meeting, vote #165, the commission approved a lease with the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe for property located at 245 Marine Drive in Blaine. The tribe leases the space to purchase fish for their processing facility in LaConner. At the 5/20/2014 meeting, vote #69 the lease was transferred from the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe to Sound Pacific Seafood. The lease is subject to rent adjustments every five years. Rent for the next five-years will be approximately $92,575. The next five-year period ends on 10/31/2024. (8833/Action item 4) Approved 3-0

Action Taken at November 19, 2019 Meeting

Shall the commission:
138. Authorize the executive director to sign $1,954,266 in contracts (a 5.4 percent increase) to implement the 2020 employee benefits program? The medical plan is $1,954,266; the dental and vision plan is $122,620; accidential death and dismemberment is $12,644; long-term disability is $19,192; employee assistance program is $2,900 and the broker fee is $60,000.(8900/Action Item 1) Approved 3-0

139. Adopt the 2020 strategic budget? (Public hearing held at November 5 meeting.) The regular property tax levy for 2020 will result in approximately $7,453,502 in taxes collected by the port. 8901/Action Item 2 (Resolution 1390) Approved 3-0

140. Approve a termination of management agreement with the Northwest Discovery Project for the Marine Life Center? The Marine Life Center is located at the Harbor Center Building in Squalicum Harbor. In 1995, the port entered into a yearly agreement with the Northwest Discovery Project to operate the center. In order to continue to support this popular community attraction, the port’s community outreach division will manage this line of business. This action will allow the Marine Life Center to stay open and available to the public. In an effort to support the continued operation of the center, Northwest Discovery Project shall donate its assets. The estimated 2020 operating costs for the center is $152,000 which is off-set by donations. (8902/Action Item 3) Approved 3-0

141. Transfer a lease from Sound Pacific Seafood to the Tulalip Tribes of Washington for premises at the Blaine Marine Industrial Area? At the 11/3/2009 meeting, vote #165, the commission approved a lease with the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe for property located at 245 Marine Drive in Blaine. The tribe leases the space to purchase fish for their processing facility in LaConner. At the 5/20/2014 meeting, vote #69 the lease was transferred from the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe to Sound Pacific Seafood. The lease expires in 2059. (8833/Action item 4) (8903/Action Item 4) Approved 2-1, Bobby Briscoe opposed.

142. Authorize the sale of one vessel for the nonpayment of moorage fees? The auction was held on December 13 at the Blaine Harbor office for a 28-foot bayliner cruiser with unpaid moorage fees of $2,497. (8905/Consent Agenda B) Approved 3-0

143. Approve the 2020 Bellingham airport tariff schedule? The schedule contains modification for residents of the San Juan Islands and non-domicile airline employees. The schedule will increase the electric vehicle reservation fee and transportation network carrier fee. The increases and changes take effect on 1/1/2020. (8906/Consent Agenda C) Approved 3-0

144. Authorize the commission president and secretary to sign an operating agreement (amendment #1) with West Coast Terminal/Stevedore Company? Ports America is the Washington state division of West Coast Terminal/Stevedore Company. The original agreement was approved at the 10/16/2018 meeting, vote #151. It allows Ports America exclusive stevedoring rights for loading/unloading trucks, rail and ocean vessels with some steel products, forest products, metal/aluminum ingots, modules, oversized and project cargoes. This amendment grants West Coast Terminal (d/b/a Ports America) a non-exclusive license to manage Foreign Trade Zone Site 8, located in the “log pond” area. Under the port’s subzone alternative site plan framework, West Coats Terminal will remove cargoes from vessels and ultimately load them on outbound trucks. Goods bound for Canada can stored in the Foreign Trade Zones free of U.S. import duties. (8907/Consent Agenda D) Approved 3-0

145. Write-off a delinquent balance of $13,494 for Anthony Monroe dba Northwest Native Architecture? In July 2017, the port entered into a lease with for suite 105 located at 11 Bellwether building. In March 2018, the port issued a default notice which required the balance to be paid in full within three days. In June 2018 a termination of lease and settlement agreement was approved by the commission. Despite numerous attempts to collect the delinquent amount, no payments were made. Anthony Monroe dba Northwest Native Architecture has been unresponsive to all communication efforts. The write-off balance of $13,494 will be recorded as uncollectible revenue. (8910/Consent Agenda G) Approved 3-0

146. Write-off of the delinquent account balance of $238,973 for Puglia Engineering? At the 10/1/2002 meeting, vote #95, Puglia Engineering of Bellingham signed a three-year lease for approximately 8.5 acres of property at the Bellingham shipyard site in Fairhaven. The lease was renewed and modified over time to expand the property, address improvements, and extend the lease to October 2020. In 2017, an investment in a shipyard in San Francisco caused significant financial stress to Puglia. While operations at the shipyard in Fairhaven were successful, Puglia could not sustain the losses, litigation and liability arising from the San Francisco investment. In April 2018, Puglia sought protection under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. Chapter 11 allows for businesses to continue to operate while they seek to reorganize their liabilities. See the 4/9/2019 meeting, vote #47, for Chapter 7 liquidation. The write-off balance of $238,973 will be recorded as uncollectible revenue. (8911/Consent Agenda H) Approved 3-0

147. Small Works Roster. Contracts under $300,000 fall within the executive director’s spending authority; they only require commission notification. The executive director has awarded public works contracts for Bellwether carpet replacement, $41,672; Zuanich visitor float, $245,662. (8912/Consent Agenda I) Approved 3-0