Action Taken at September 3, 2024 Meeting
Shall the commission:
76. Approve the tolling agreement and authorize the executive director to sign it? In 2005, the port acquired property from Georgia-Pacific. The purchase and sale agreement provided that, after the exhaustion of the policy limits, environmental liability for the property is to be allocated between the port and Georgia-Pacific in accordance with the Model Toxics Control Act and the terms of the purchase and sale agreement. The port and Georgia-Pacific have negotiated the tolling agreement. It limits for three years, all claims from the date the agreement is signed by both parties. The parties can extend the agreement. (14013/AI #1) Approved 3-0
77. Reallocate $73,448 to fund the Squalicum esplanade pier and bulkhead condition assessment as well as the Squalicum Harbor Gate 3 bulkhead? The money will be transferred from the Squalicum boathouse kitchen remodel, improvements to the Squalicum Harbor dumpster enclosure, and the installation of a new fender pile at Squalicum Harbor. (14014/Consent Agenda D) Approved 3-0
78. Approve a new 25-year lease with Amtrak? Since 1995, Amtrak has been a port tenant. The previous lease expired in 2020; the lease has been on a month-to-month basis while the new lease was being negotiated. The base rent will be $1.00 per year, plus a monthly total of $1,366 for 450 square feet of building premises, non-exclusive areas of the building, bus loading area and platform area. (14015/ Consent Agenda C) Approved 3-0
79. Authorize the executive director to sign a $42,762 contract (amendment #3) with Jacobs Engineering Group of Bellevue for a wetland buffer plan at the Bellingham airport? In 1998, a survey of wetlands at the Bellingham airport was conducted. In November 2022, the port asked Jacobs Engineering to identify any wetlands that were not on the original 1998 analysis. A new wetland was identified at development area 18. This amendment will prepare a development site 17 wetland report for a third-part development off Victoria Place and wetland hydrology monitoring of the wetland mitigation site in the Alderwood Pond area. The total amended contract is $178,520 with a completion date of 6/30/2025. (14016/ Consent Agenda B) Approved 3-0
80. Increase the budget for a John Deere tractor from $28,000 to $50,000? The budget increase will be used for additional horsepower and a snow blade for clearing parking lots. (14017/Consent Agenda E) Approved 3-0
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Action Taken at September 17, 2024 Meeting
Shall the commission:
81. Send a letter to the state of Washington supporting an application by the Bellingham SeaFeast Festival for a tourism regeneration grant? The letter touted the festival as a clean, environmentally friendly and sustainable operation. It also applauded the SeaFeast’s efforts to create a “Zero Waste” festival. The port has been the festival host for the past eight years. (14027/Consent Agenda B) Approved 3-0
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Action Taken at October 1, 2024 Meeting
The meeting was canceled due to scheduling conflicts.
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Action Taken at October 15, 2024 Meeting
Shall the commission:
82. Authorize the sale of two vessels for the nonpayment of moorage fees? An auction was held on November 7 at Blaine Harbor for a 38-foot sailboat with unpaid fees of $2,629 and at Squalicum Harbor for a 32-foot sailboat with unpaid fees of $4,098. Port staff contacted the owners about the unpaid fees a total of 23 times. (14083/Consent Agenda D) Approved 3-0
83. Authorize the executive director to renew the port’s liability and auto insurance coverage? The primary and excess liability includes terrorism ($100 million). The premium from 10/1/2024 through 9/30/2025 will be $296,790, a 3.6 percent increase over the previous year. The 2023-2024 premium was $286,452. Alliant Insurance Services of Newport Beach, California, will continue to serve as the broker of record. (14084/Consent Agenda E) Approved 3-0
84. Renew and modify a lease with Bellingham Aviation Services at the Bellingham airport? At the 11/4/2003 meeting, vote #93, the initial lease was for office space in the terminal building, a selfservice tank and tank pad, a 25,000-gallon jet fuel storage tank and tank pad was approved. At the same November 2003 meeting, an airplane refueling lease with Bellingham Aero was approved. This renewal will combine both leases into one for five years. The nominal rent for the five-year period is $850,720, which ends on 12/31/2028. (14085/Consent Agenda F) Approved 3-0
85. Authorize the executive director to sign a personal services agreement 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. The monthly fee is $4,100 for a total of $45,100. The contract expires on 9/30/2025. (14090/Action Item #1) Approved 3-0
86. Approve the agreement with Harcourt for arbitration and the removal of stockpiled material? At the 10/19/2021 meeting, vote #116, the commission authorized the executive director to sign a revised project memorandum and estoppel certificate for Harcourt’s waterfront residential project. The amended agreement reduced Harcourt’s exclusive right to develop property within the downtown waterfront site from 18.8 acres to 7.7 acres owing to the fact that Harcourt has not completed any of buildings A, B or C on schedule. By 10/19/2023, Harcourt had not completed buildings A and B. On 10/20/2023, the port issued Harcourt a notice of default for the failure of compliance with the development schedule. This arbitration and stockpile agreement contains a handful of key components that resolve a number of ongoing disputes. Harcourt is required to remove stockpiled material within 12 months at a minimum volume of 250 tons per week. Once the removal is completed, the building construction project may continue. (14091/Action Item #2) Approved 2-1, Michael Shepard opposed.
87. Amend the Airport Advisory Committee by adopting Resolution 1415 and approve nine members to the committee? The Airport Advisory Committee was established on 9/1/1992. At the 3/18/2014 meeting, votes #40 and #41, the commission established two committees to address the impact and operations of the Bellingham airport. The Bellingham Airport Advisory Committee had a 12-member nontechnical committee with community members. The Technical Airport Advisory Committee had members from commercial aviation, pilot associations, air cargo, airport business and air traffic control. At the 8/11/2020 meeting, vote #72, the two committees were integrated. The committee currently has 24 members, six are appointed by local government and 18 were are from the technical committee. The committee is struggling to fill open positions — currently there are eight open positions. The resolution will reduce the quorum requirement from seven to five members and allow members who have reached their term limits to serve an additional three-year term. 14094/Consent Agenda C (Resolution 1415) Approved 3-0
88. Authorize the executive director to sign a $27,196 contract with Infax Inc. of Alpharette, Georgia, for a flight information display system and advertisement system services at the Bellingham airport? At the 9/6/2016 meeting, vote #148, the airport transitioned from a multi-airline common-use terminal system to the flight information display and advertising system with Terminal Systems International of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. An initial contract for $32,542 was authorized with Infax at the 9/7/2021 meeting, vote #107, for the same information display and advertisement system services; it expired on 10/31/2024. A new component will allow the airport to display advertisements in both still image and video format, enabling revenue generation through paid advertising. (14100/Consent Agenda H) Approved 3-0
89. Modify a lease with Halibut Henry’s at the Bellingham airport? On December 22, 2022, cold temperatures resulted in two water lines breaking; the water impacted Halibut Henry’s and Southwest Airlines. The total repair cost to the port was $69,187, with a $50,000 deductible — the insurance payment was $19,187. As a result of the incident, Halibut Henry’s was obligated to shut their doors for an extended period of time and make a sizeable financial investment to restore and renovate their premises. To ensure a return on their investment, their lease is being extended to 7/31/2033. (14101/Consent Agenda I) Approved 3-0
90. Authorize the executive director to sign a $99,425 contract with Maul Foster Alongi of Bellingham to conduct a study of industrial lands and employment in Whatcom County? Whatcom County and seven cities in the county are updating the Comprehensive Plan as required by the Growth Management Act; the deadline is 12/31/2025. This study will analyze the following: what industry trends will influence development, how/where are industrial lands being used and available, is the supply of lands adequate to meet the anticipate demand, what infrastructure investments must be prioritized to support pad-ready sites and are there potential areas available for rezoning to support industrial growth. The contract expires on 12/31/2024. (14102/Action Item #3) Approved 3-0
