Action Taken at December 16, 2025 Meeting
Shall the commission:
125. Appoint Tamara Sobjack (chief financial officer) as auditor and Sarah Eastwood (controller) as deputy auditor for fiscal year 2026? The auditor reviews and certifies all payments, maintains control over all designated cash funds not invested and in compliance with state law and port policies. Provides oversight with regards to actions of the port officials which may represent malfeasance or misfeasance. (15127/Consent Agenda C) Approved 3-0
126. Designate the chief financial officer as the official responsible for informing the public of the port’s intent to issue tax-exempt bonds? The designation expires on 1/31/2027. 15128/Consent Agenda D (Resolution 1183-V) Approved 3-0
127. Adopt liability insurance standards for port agreements for fiscal year 2026? Liability standards include items like lease (commercial/ land), rental agreements, boathouse brokerage rental agreements, ground transportation, airline leases, air taxi agreements, aviation fuel providers, marine fuel providers, moorage, corporate events, meetings/ events, moorage and boathouse (structure) agreement. In 2025, the commission revised leases, property transactions, meeting and events, corporate events with a term of five years or less. (15129/Consent Agenda E) Approved 3-0
128. Modify a harbor land lease with Foss Maritime Company for property located at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal? At the 3/19/2019 meeting, the commission approved a harbor land lease with Foss Maritime Company. The lease was for 160 linear feet of moorage space and 160 square feet of upland space for a 20-foot storage container. This modification will increase the upland property to 360 square feet to allow for a second 20-foot storage container. This new lease increases the rent and financial security requirements and adds stormwater management. The rent for 2026 is $22,989. (19130/ Consent Agenda F) Approved 3-0
129. Modify a harbor land lease with W. Bryan Chesledon and Mary Lou Chesledon for the Harbor Building? The lease was initially approved in 2001 for the building located on the corner of Roeder Avenue and Coho Way. The lease is for 32,885 square feet of land and 27,900 square feet of parking area. The lease runs from 1/1/26 through 12/31/20230; the rent for the five years will be $235,243. (15131/Consent Agenda G) Approved 3-0
130. Modify a lease with Halo Holdings of Lynden for property at the Bellingham airport? At the 3/24/2020 meeting, vote #28, the commission approved a five-year lease for 40,302 square feet of property at the Bellingham airport for parking passenger vehicles belonging to tenants, employees, subtenant employees and customers. At the 6/17/2025 meeting, vote #70, the property lease was reduced to 20,000 square feet and the port allows to use the site for storage of sand, gravel and snow removal equipment. This modification will increase the rent by 3 percent for the first year and then by the Consumer Pice Index for the next four years. (15133/C0nsent Agenda I) Approved 3-0
131. Authorize the interim executive director to sign a $49,200 contract (amendment #2) with CFM Advocates of Vancouver, Wash., to provide state lobbying services? The port is involved with the state government in a number of areas, including the cleanup of historic contamination, the expansion of marine trades, strategic management of the Bellingham airport, redevelopment of the shipping terminal and ongoing development at the Waterfront District. CFM has been instrumental in helping the port secure over $42 million in grants for cleanup projects over the next two years. The monthly fee is $4,100 for a total of $49,200. The contract expires on 9/30/2026. (15135/ Consent Agenda K) Approved 3-0
132. Authorize the interim executive director to sign a $93,000 contract (amendment #1) with CFM Advocates of Washington, D.C., to provide federal lobbying consultant services? The port is involved with the federal government in a number of areas, including the Bellingham airport, marine trades, shipping terminal/log pond, and the Waterfront District. CFM has been instrumental in helping the port secure over $19 million in grants for reconnecting rail traffic to the shipping terminal. The monthly fee is $7,750, and a yearly total of $93,000. The contract expires on 12/31/2026. (15136/Consent Agenda L) Approved 3-0
133. Increase the base salary for the executive director by 2.9 percent to $226,380? The base salary of $220,000 was approved at the 6/3/2025 meeting, vote #65. Tiffany DeSimone was appointed interim executive director at the same meeting. (15137/Consent Agenda M) Approved 3-0
134. Establish commission meetings dates for 2026? Meetings will be held on the first and third Tuesday of the month with a starting time of 4:00 p.m. Exceptions: the second and fourth Tuesday in April, May and June; three months will have one meeting, the second Tuesday in July and the third Tuesday in August and December. (15138/Consent Agenda O) Approved 3-0
135. Authorize the interim executive director to sign a $50,247 cooperative service agreement with the federal government for hazard management services? The agreement is with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the animal and plant health inspection service and wildlife services. Airports are required to actively manage wildlife hazards and implement mitigation measures that reduce risks to aviation safety. The port will reimburse the federal government for the costs providing specialized expertise and support to manage the hazards. The agreement runs from 10/1/2025 through 9/30/2026. (15146/Consent Agenda N) Approved 3-0
136. Authorize the port’s legal counsel to sign contracts up to a total of $219,456 with Anchor QEA of Seattle (to assist CDS Attorneys at Law) and other consultants to provide technical expertise in support of legal work related to the environmental department? Since 1996, legal counsel, in conjunction with the port’s environmental department, has managed the claims process for the port’s cost cap insurance policy, cost recovery efforts involving former tenants and historical insurance, grant funding programs, and negotiations with the state of Washington concerning agreed orders and consent decrees for the port’s 20 state-listed Model Toxics Control Act sites. Anchor QEA has provided the bulk of the technical-legal support for these efforts. The contract expires on 12/31/2026 (15148/Consent Agenda P) Approved 3-0
137. Authorize the interim executive director to sign documents transferring property to the City of Bellingham for a waterfront skate park? The city will compensate the port with a park-impact-fee credit of $131,525 for land (approximately 0.37 acres) valued at $8 per square foot. The skate park will be located beneath the Chestnut/ Roeder Street bridge. Construction of the park will cost $450,000, and the money will come from lodging tax receipts. (15149/Consent Agenda Q) Approved 3-0
138. Reaffirm CDS Attorneys at Law (formerly Chmelik, Sitkin & Davis) as the port’s legal counsel for 2026? The firm’s hourly rate is $360 for principals and from $220 to $310 for associates and paralegals. (15151/Consent Agenda B)
Approved 3-0
139. Adopt rental revenue standards for 2026? The base rate range for Bellwether and Bayview Buildings is $18.72 to $35 per square feet per year, Harbor Center from $12.60 to 23 per square feet per year, Harbor Mall and 625 Cornwall from $9.50 to $14.50 per square feet per year. The guidelines recommended for 2026 are attached to Memorandum 15186 as Appendix “A.”(15186/Action Item #3) Approved 3-0
140. Modify the lease with Fenex Salon and Spas dba Zane Salon and Space & Fenex Coffee? The business is located in suite 102 and suite 104 of the Bellwether Building. This modification of the lease adjusts the rent structure by reducing the base rent from $23.49 to $12.00 per square foot per year. In addition to the base rent, there is a concession fee of 3 percent on $10,000 or less, and 5 percent over $10,000. The commissioners expressed gratitude to the tenant for expressing hardship and working with staff in order to design a lease that works for all. (15185/Action Item #4) Approved 3-0
141. Establish five newly drawn commissioner districts? (Public hearing held on Deember 9.) At the general election in 2025, a majority of voters approved a ballot proposition to increase the number of port commissioners from three to five. The five port districts will have the same boundaries as the five Whatcom County Council districts. The annual recurring cost to add two commissioners is estimated at approximately $125,000. The cost of the 2026 elections: each primary position, if necessary, will cost $60,000 and the general election will be $200,000. 15189/Action Item #1 (Resolution 1426) Approved 3-0
142. Determine by lot, which commissioner will represent District 2? Both Michael Shepard and Carly James live in newly drawn District 2. Commissioner Shepard won the coin toss and chose District 1; commissioner-elect James will represent District 2. Bobby Briscoe will remain in District 3 for now. 15190/Action Item #2 (Resolution 1427) Approved 3-0
143. Increase by $600,000 the strategic budget to dredge the water around the shipping terminal pier? The project has been complex due to the nature of in-water work. Unforeseen conditions including removal of a large rock, buried remnant piles, and the amount of dredging material from the berth area exceeded estimated costs. The revised budget for dredging is $9,500,000. (15198/Action Item #5) Approved 3-0
144. Appoint Industrial Development Corporation officers and establish the date, time and location of meetings for 2026? (Commission meeting as the board of directors of the Industrial Development Corporation.) Officers were appointed to coincide with the approved 2026 board of commissioners and appoint Tamara Sobjack as treasurer. Meetings will be convened on an “as needed” basis at the port administration office in the Harbor Center Building. (15180/15181/15182/IDC Action Items #1-3) Approved 3-0
