Compiled by Bill McCallum
Action Taken at January 4, 2022 Meeting
Shall the commission:
1. Authorize the executive director to sign a $1,118,399 three-year contract with SP Plus Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio, for janitorial services at 13 Bellingham airport buildings? The previous three-year contract expired on 1/31/2022. The yearly amounts run from $361,835 in 2022 to $383,892 in 2024. The contact runs from 2/1/2022 to 1/31/2025. (10673/Consent Agenda E) Approved 3-0
2. Small Works Roster. Contracts under $300,000 fall within the executive director’s spending authority; they only require commission notification. The executive director awarded contracts for security gates at the Squalicum Harbor and Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park (FMIP) to Perimeter Security Group in the amount of $254,951 and for container arch to Konnerup Construction in the amount of $156,128. (10675/Consent Agenda G) Approved 3-0
3. Adopt rules, regulations and rates’ handbook for Blaine Harbor, Squalicum Harbor and the Bellingham Cruise Terminal? The handbook (Resolution 1354) was approved at the 10/4/2016 meeting, vote #168. There are no changes to the existing rules and regulations in this annual adoption. The vote also authorizes the executive director to enter into modification of leases with merchant leaseholder tenants for standard lease terms and conditions for merchant leaseholders. 10676/Consent Agenda H (Resolution 1354-G) Approved 3-0
4. Authorize the executive director to sign a $341,126 one-year contract (amendment #3) with 5 Star Services of Sedro-Woolley for janitorial services? Five Star will provide janitorial services at 28 port facilities: all the port facilities except the airport. This extension brings the total contract to $1,063,506. The contract runs from 2/1/2022 through 1/31/2023. (10677/Consent Agenda I) Approved 3-0
5. Approve the 2022 Bellingham airport tariff schedule? The schedule is being held at the same levels as the 2021 tariff schedule with no rate or fee increases due to the ongoing pandemic. The schedule is for ground service fees; license to operate fees; space and land rental fees; transit, weekly and monthly tie-down, aviation fees; and security access card. (10678/Consent Agenda J) Approved 3-0
6. Authorize the executive director to sign documents for a $125,000 loan to Egis Mobile Electric of Bellingham? The company is in the business of designing and manufacturing electrical products for police/emergency vehicles, marine, 4X4/van and work trucks. The interest rate is 1.44 percent per annum. The loan will allow sales on a national level and with regional retailers. (10679/Consent Agenda-K) Approved 3-0
7. Modify a lease with the Teal Jones Lumber Company in Sumas? At the 8/3/2004 meeting, vote #87, the port signed a five-year lease with Teal Jones Lumber Services of Surrey, B.C. The lease was for five buildings on five acres at the Sumas Industrial Park with the option to purchase the property. The facility was impacted by the November flood with equipment damaged or lost. The company will receive a one-month rent credit worth $22,890. Teal Jones has indicated they would like to purchase the site; the property purchase will be discussed at a future meeting. The company employs between 25 and 50 workers at the Sumas plant. (10680/Consent Agenda L) Approved 3-0
8. Modify a land lease in Blaine Harbor with Point Roberts Press Inc.? At the 6/7/2005 meeting, vote #72, the commission approved a 40-year lease with Point Roberts Press to construct a two-story building at 225 Marine Drive in Blaine. Phase 1 demolished the existing building and constructed a two-story building. The top floor of the building would be for Point Roberts Press and the lower level will be rented to marine related users. During the first five years of the lease, a second phase would add 8,000 square feet to the building. The lease terminates on 5/31/2045. The second phase was renegotiated and the construction of it has been removed. Point Roberts Press has had difficulty leasing the building. This modification allows residential uses in 30 percent of the building plus commercial and retail uses on the ground floor. (10683/Action Item 2) Approved 3-0
9. Declare an emergency to allow for the prompt cleanup of damages at the Bellingham airport? On December 27, 2021, unseasonable cold temperatures resulted in the freezing and breaking of a water line on the second floor of the commercial terminal building. Water reached Halibut Henry’s on the first floor, the common terminal areas and the exterior sidewalk. (10681/Consent Agenda M) Approved 3-0
10. Delegate certain administrative powers and duties to the executive director? The executive director shall have the authority to manage all personnel matters for port employees and staff, which includes hiring, firing, training, grievance procedures, labor union contracts, employee benefits and administration of the employee salary schedule and incentive programs. The administrative powers will remain in effect until 1/31/2023. 10685/Consent Agenda B (Resolution 1106-Y) Approved 3-0
11. Amend the 2022 budget to include a table of environmental cleanup sites? The table runs from 2021 to 2026. Total cleanup funding for the six years is $39,802,435. The port will be responsible for $17,774,416 and $22,028,012 from outside sources, primarily the state of Washington will come from the Model Toxics Control Act. (10686/Consent Agenda C) Approved 3-0
12. Authorize the executive director to pay $102,623 to the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office for the port’s share of the 2021 general election costs? The total cost of the general election was $618,859. The port’s share is based on 157,062 registered voters. (10687/Consent Agenda D) Approved 3-0
Action Taken at January 18, 2022 Meeting
Shall the commission
13. Authorize the executive director to accept a $405,000 state grant for the affordable housing project? At the 10/8/2019 meeting, vote #118, the commission authorized the executive director to accept a $200,000 state grant for toxics cleanup. The port was selected to receive a healthy housing grant for the Lignin parcel located at the corner of Cornwall and Laurel. The parcel is part of the G-P cleanup site, which requires remediation under the Model Toxics Control Act. The redevelopment is planned to include a mix of affordable housing, workforce housing, work-live spaces, a multistory mixed-use building with ground-floor commercial, a community kitchen, work force training, and public open space. The $405,000 grant will be used for the engineering design of the Lignin affordable housing project. Anticipated funding for the affordable housing project is $2,600,000. (10697/Action Item 2) Approved 3-0
14. Authorize the sale of four vessels for the nonpayment of moorage fees? An auction was held on February 17 at the Squalicum Harbor office for a 40-foot cruiser with unpaid moorage fees of $1,878, a 26-foot sailboat with unpaid fees of $2,414, a 29-foot sailboat with unpaid fees of $2,093 and a 23-foot sailboat with unpaid fees of $2,269. The date for all the unpaid fees is 1/11/2022. The port contracted the four owners about the unpaid fees a total of 31 times over five months. (10699/Consent Agenda B) Approved 3-0
15. Small Works Roster. Contracts under $300,000 fall within the executive director’s spending authority; they only require commission notification. The executive director awarded a $94,329 contract to Spectra Contract Flooring for the Gate 3 interior tiling. (10701/Consent Agenda D) Approved 3-0
16. Authorize the executive director to accept state funds — as they become available — to reimburse the port for the costs associated with the disposal of a sailing vessel? In October 2021, a sailing vessel was mooring on port buoys without registering. The port was unable to contract the owner so it was deemed abandoned. The estimated cost of demolition and disposal is $7,500. The state will reimburse the port 90 percent of the costs. (10704/Consent Agenda G) Approved 3-0
17. Authorize the port’s legal counsel to sign contracts up to a total of $153,197 with Anchor QEA (to support Chmelik Sitkin & Davis) 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, manages the claims process with AIG 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 technical-legal support for these legal efforts. The period covered is from 1/1 through 12/31/2022. (10705/Consent Agenda H) Approved 3-0
18. Approve a vendor handbook for the Bellingham Dockside Market? At the 1/5/2021 meeting, vote #6, the commission authorized the executive director to sign an agreement with Bellingham SeaFeast to operate a dockside seafood market. A total of six monthly dockside markets could be held in Squalicum Harbor by 12/31/2021. The market allows local fishers to sell their catch directly to consumers. The SeaFeast board voted to move management of the market to the Port of Bellingham, effective 1/1/2022. The handbook has a market schedule and fees, membership guidelines, a vendor review committee, regulatory policies and grievance procedures. The port will receive $35-$50 per market stall. (10706/Consent Agenda I) Approved 3-0
19. Establish revised commission districts? (Public hearing held at January 4 meeting.) The commission approved a draft plan at the 12/7/2021 meeting, vote #147. State law requires the Port of Bellingham to prepare a redistricting plan every 10 years, based on the most recent federal decennial census. The 2020 census gives the population of Whatcom County as 226,836. For equal distribution, each of the three districts should contain 75,612 people. Precinct 234 is being moved from District 2 to District 1 and Precinct 136 is being moved from District 3 to District 1 to balance the population in the three districts. The plan contains the following: District 1: 75,499; District 2: 75,612; District 3: 75,725. 10707/Action Item 1 (Resolution 1400) Approved 3-0
