Compiled by Bill McCallum
Action Taken at November 3, 2020 Meeting
Shall the commission:
95. Authorize the executive director to sign an agreement with Sanitary Service Company for a remedial design investigation at the Central Waterfront site? The contract to perform the work was approved at the 1/22/2020 meeting, vote #7. The port shall coordinate the work to minimize impact to the Sanitary Service Company. The cleanup site is approximately 55 acres of industrial property; a four-acre portion of the site is property owned by Sanitary Service Company. The cleanup is being managed under the Model Toxics Control Act. There are no costs associated with this agreement. (9789/Consent Agenda C) Approved 3-0
96. Award the low bid of $235,879 for exterior repairs and painting at the Harbor Center and Marine Square? The engineer’s estimate was $329,000. The work at the Harbor Center involves exterior repairs, caulking windows and doors, gutter repair and other miscellaneous work. The work at Maine Square involves cleaning, painting and repairing the exterior. The port received five bids. (9790/Consent Agenda D) Approved 3-0
97. Small Works Roster. Contracts under $300,000 fall within the executive director’s spending authority; they only require commission notification. Inner harbor pile replacement: $94,243; waterfront lawn and trail: $80,438; Gate 1 float and gangway replacement: $195,606; cruise terminal solar power project: $210,971; electrical vehicle and pay station improvements: $142,868. (9791/Consent Agenda E)
98. Approve the appointment of Becky Kelly to the grounds transportation position on the Bellingham Airport Technical Advisory Committee? Ms. Kelly is a transit planner for the Whatcom Transportation Authority. She has a master’s degree in urban planning and has 15 years of transportation experience. As a graduate intern she worked in aviation planning at SeaTac airport. She will serve a three-year term on the nine-member committee. (9797/Consent Agenda B) Approved 3-0
99. Authorize the executive director to accept a $312,303 state grant for the Gate 1 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. At the 11/5/2019 meeting, vote #132, a $95,435 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for the project was accepted. The two grants bring the total for the project to $381,740. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $442,946. (9793/Consent Agenda G) Approved 3-0
100. Approve the sale of the building at 3710 Williamson Way from Rover Stay Over/The Puget Hound to Scheffer Holding of Lynden? At the 9/17/2019 meeting, vote #115/116, The Puget Hound/Rover Stay Over (dog boarding, daycare and grooming services) purchased the building at 3710 Williamson Way from the port for $53,239. The airport property was leased to the Whatcom Humane Society until 2013 and to The Puget Hound in 2017. Rover Stay Over conducting business as The Puget Hound will sublease the building from Scheffer Holdings. (9794/Consent Agenda H) Approved 3-0
Action Taken at November 17, 2020 Meeting
Shall the commission:
101. Donate an ARFF Lukas tool to Firefighters United and accept an Amkus tool donation from the North Whatcom Fire District? The Lucas tool was acquired by the port in 1980 with federal funds. The Lucas tool requires a power cord, it is designed to cut through metal. The Amkus tool was acquired in 1995, is powered by gas and is 20 pounds lighter than the Lucas tool. (9826/Consent Agenda B) Approved 3-0
102. Authorize the executive director to sign a $351,305 contract (amendment #3) with SP Plus Corp. of Chicago, Ill., for janitorial services at 13 Bellingham airport buildings? This contract is the same amount at the one approved at 1/7/2020 meeting, vote #2. This one-year extension runs from 2/1/2021 to 1/31/2022 and brings the total amendmented amount to $1,650,833. (9827/Consent Agenda C) Approved 3-0
103. Small Works Roster. Contracts under $300,000 fall within the executive director’s spending authority; they only require commission notification. Airport carpet replacement: $72,793; Cornwall toxic covering repairs: $68,264. (9828/Consent Agenda D) Approved 3-0
104. Authorize the executive director to sign a $31,500 contract (amendment #2) with Bennett Engineering of Bellingham to monitor the airport woodwaste landfill? Georgia-Pacific operated the landfill from 1984 to 1992; the port acquired the property in 2005. The Whatcom County Health Department issued the permit for the closure of the woodwaste landfill site in 2010, see the 12/7/2010 meeting, vote #165. It is anticipated that woodwaste post-closure monitoring, water sampling and reporting will be required for 15 to 20 years. The total amended amount is $125,430. (9829/Consent Agenda E) Approved 3-0
105. Lease an additional 4,899 square feet to Alpha Distributors at 3767 Alpha Way? A lease for the property was signed at the 8/18/1987 and the property increased on 12/19/1988. On 1/18/1989, an underground fuel storage tank was installed. (9832/Consent Agenda H) Approved 3-0
106. Modify a lease with The Coffee Junction located in Fairhaven Station? The original lease was signed in 1995, the business was known as Fairhaven Coffee and News. Dues to the pandemic, the business has been unable to cover operational costs. The rental structure will be change from monthly rent to 6 percent of gross sales from June 2020 through August 2021. (9833/Consent Agenda I) Approved 3-0
107. Approve a lease with Fairhaven Workstudios LLC (amendment #6) for property north of the Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park? At the 12/6/2016 meeting, vote #205, the commission approved a lease for 1.5 acres of undeveloped property for office and live/work studios, subject to city of Bellingham’s approval. The lease was amended at the 2/6/2018 meeting, vote #25; 5/7/2019 meeting, vote #60, and 12/10/2019 meeting, vote #151 and 6/2/2020 meeting, vote #43. The monthly payment will remain at $500. This amendment expires on 12/31/2021. (9834/Consent Agenda J) Approved 3-0
108. Adopt the 2021 strategic budget? (Public hearings held at November 3 and November 17 meetings.) The regular property tax levy for 2021 will result in approximately $7,464,017 in taxes collected by the port. 9835/Action Item 1 (Resolution 1394) Approved 3-0
109. Adopt the 2019 property tax levy? (Public hearings held at November 3 and November 17 meetings.) The estimated levy rate will be $.2089 per thousand of valuation. 9835/Action Item 1 (Resolution 1395) Approved 3-0
110. Authorize the executive director to sign a $12,013,472 settlement agreement with Univar Solutions USA for remediation costs at the Harris Avenue Shipyard cleanup site? In 1915, Pacific American Fisheries constructed a shipyard on the five-acre site and in 1916 leased the in-water area from the state of Washington. In 1966, the port purchased the upland property. Hazardous substances have been identified at the site and require action under Model Toxics Control Act. Univar is a successor to the Pacific American Fisheries and liable for the environmental remediation. At the 3/19/2013 meeting, vote #53, Univar signed an agreement that it was liable for 40 percent of future cleanup costs. Liability insurance was issued by The Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania, the New Hampshire Insurance Company and Northbrook Excess and Surplus Insurance Company. In the agreement, the port will not pursue claims agains the three companies in exchange for the remediation costs. (9836/Action Item 2) Approved 3-0
111. Authorize the execute director to sign an agreed order with the state of Washington to perform remedial design for cleanup actions at the Harris Avenue Shipyard site? At the 12/17/2002 meeting, vote #121, the executive director signed an agreed order with the state of Washington for a remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) of contaminated marine sediments at the Harris Avenue shipyard site. At the 2/16/2010 meeting, vote #37, the executive director signed an agreed order with the state of Washington for a site-wide remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS). The RI/FS agreed order was amended in 2016 and finalized by the state in 2019. A draft cleanup action plan for the site has been developed and will be available for public review prior to finalizing. (9837/Action Item 3) Approved 3-0
112. Authorize the executive director to send a non-binding letter of intent to Dominion Sustainable Development Corporation of Bellingham for the acquisition of property at 1000 C Street in exchange for port property in Fairhaven? Dominion (owned by David Ebendal) is planning a development in Fairhaven that includes an underground parking structure that requires the acquisition of 24,500 square of property at the port’s Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park. David Ebendal owns property at 1000 C Street that port would like to acquire, it abuts port holdings on C Street. In exchange for the C Street property, the port will convey to Dominion the Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park property and $350,000. (9838/Action Item 4) Approved 2-1, Michael Shepard opposed.
113. Authorize the executive director to sign a docket application to rezone a part of the Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park? The rezone would add Commercial Core zoning to the existing Fairhaven Urban Village Industrial 2 zoning. The rezone can take a year or more. The port will sign the rezone docket application so the process can move forward. (9838/Action Item 4) Approved 2-1, Michael Shepard opposed.