Port 1 commission discusses budget, dredge, rate hikes

At last Thursday’s Wahkiakum County Port 1 meeting, commissioners approved the budget and suggested rate changes for 2016; they approved a resolution to secure a loan from Wahkiakum County in the amount of $250,000, and they continued discussions about the purchase of a dredge from the Rose City Yacht Club in Portland.

During the budget and rate hearing, Port 1 candidate Brett Deaton suggested that the commissioners raise the monthly moorage to $3.50 while maintaining the electric rate at $30. He also suggested raising the daily launch fee and lowering the annual launch fee.

“I was at the John Wayne Marina in Sequim the other day and they charge $36 per year or $10 a time,” Deaton said.

Commissioner Scott Anderson suggested raising the rates of monthly moorage by 5 percent.

“It’s cheap,” he said, “5 percent isn’t going to hurt.”

“I’m not saying I’m against it,” Commissioner Bob Kizziar said, “but I would just like us to consider that one of the main purposes of the port is to promote the economic wellbeing of the community and I’d hate to run our guests off.”

“I don’t think I’d raise anything other than the suggested raises,” Commissioner Gary Quigley said, “but I’m only part of this.”

The commissioners approved the rates for 2016 as presented, which included raises to things like daily parking fees, ice, trailer storage and their cancellation fee.

Anderson made a motion to amend the rates for a 5 percent increase for monthly moorage, cabins and yurts. Quigley seconded the motion.

“You haven’t convinced me to do it,” Kizziar said.

“That’s fine,” Anderson replied.

“Of course it is,” Kizziar said.

The commissioners voted 2-1 against the motion, with Anderson voting for the raise in rates.

The commissioners also voted to approve the port’s budget of $1,103,117 for 2016. They will begin the year with a balance of $606,900

in cash and investments. One of their biggest

expenditures in the next year will go towards the replacement of a dock, which will cost the port more than $200,000.

Two bids for the dock replacement had been received and were opened at the meeting. The bid from Wolesely was in the amount of $253,165.84. The second bid, from Balance Industries, was for $204,750. The commissioners asked the manager, per port Counsel Tim Hanigan’s advice, to review the bids in order to ascertain whether they met qualifications.

Commissioners Quigley and Anderson will travel to Portland later this month to check out the dredge that the port is considering for purchase.

“I’m for getting it, but there will be expenses,” Kizziar said. “We would have to have a good employee or two to run it.”

Commissioners and staff then discussed some of the many issues of purchasing the dredge, which is used and in need of some repairs. According to Port Manager Jackie Lea and Kizziar, the dredge is running but has a leak.

“Are we buying a running dredge or we buying as is?” Anderson asked.

“The original price was $30,000,” Lea pointed out, “now it’s $20,000.”

“They have a vested interest in us getting it because they come here,” Kizziar added. “Their sailboats haven’t been coming because of our channel. They want to come, they want us to have it.”

“We’re buying a running, semi-broken down dredge?” Anderson asked again.

County Commissioner Mike Backman was in attendance. During open forum he shared that he had spoken with representatives from several ports in southwest Washington, including Longview, Kalama and Woodland at a recent Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments meeting.

“I told them I wasn’t part of the port,” Backman said. “I was trying to put you in the same room. I talked to them about working with you guys to try and help develop something in the port here to make more money and bring in jobs. They seemed interested in partnering with us. I’m just trying to put that together if you want to take it where you can. You might think about talking to them.”

Kizziar responded.

“We could step back and let Mike be our emissary or we could work it ourselves,” he said. “I think Mike is on the right track, not so much to get us to work with other ports, cause I’m already trying to do that, but to get us to work with the county and the city. That is what I see as the immediate need around here.”

“I think that we ought to know the most we can to run the port the best we can,” he added. “Mike isn’t the only one giving me information on what we should be doing.”

Kizziar expressed a desire to attend the annual meeting of the Washington Public Ports Association in Seattle held in November, so he might learn more about what other ports are doing. He also announced that he was resigning from the Marine Resources Committee and suggested that Quigley take his place. Quigley will take the matter under consideration.