Commissioners Present: Benye Weber, Marshall Bronson and Ann McDonald

Others Present: Jim Patton (Executive Director), Molly MacLeod-Roberts (Edwards & Associates), Nathan Whalen (Whidbey News-Times), Tom Baenen (GFMG President), and Laura Blankenship (Comprehensive Plan Editor-in-Chief).

Call to Order: The regular meeting was called to order at 10:30 a.m. by Commissioner Weber in Room 116 of the Island County Administration Building located at #1 NE 7th Street, Coupeville, WA, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING:
Weber stated that the Minutes for the regular meeting of December 12, 2007, were available for approval and signatures.

A motion was made by McDonald and seconded by Weber to approve the December 12, 2007 regular meeting Minutes as submitted. The motion passed unanimously.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS:

Letter of Appreciation Presented to Laura Blankenship: The Board presented a Letter of Appreciation to Laura Blankenship for her service as Editor-in-Chief of the Port of Coupeville's Comprehensive Plan 2007-2026. A copy of that letter was mounted on the back of a frame displaying letters from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office and the Washington Public Ports Association and presented to Blankenship. Port Clerk MacLeod-Roberts read the Port of Coupeville's letter aloud and a copy of that letter is attached to these Minutes.

Blankenship thanked the Board for their appreciation. She said it was not her sole effort - there were many people involved. The Board thanked her again for all her service.

BOARD ELECTION OF OFFICERS:

Election of Officers and Designation of Representatives to Other Organizations for 2008: Weber stated that the floor was open for nominations.

ACTION: A motion was made by Bronson and seconded by McDonald for Weber to continue as Board President for 2008. The motion passed unanimously.

ACTION: A motion was made by Weber and seconded by McDonald for Bronson to serve as Board Vice President for 2008. The motion passed unanimously.

ACTION: A motion was made by Weber and seconded by Bronson for McDonald to serve as Board Secretary for 2008. The motion passed unanimously.

Weber recommended that the Board members retain their positions as designated representatives to other representatives, with Bronson replacing former Commissioner Bryson as representative for the Shoreline Management Plan and as the Port's liaison with the Greenbank Farm. The Board agreed with Weber's recommendation.

Patton noted that the Port of South Whidbey had sent copies of letters submitted to the Council of Governments (COG) and to the Regional Transportation Policy Organization (RTPO) designating their representative for 2008. Their representative would serve in support of the Port of Coupeville's voting position on the COG Board. Weber explained that the Port of Coupeville and the Port of South Whidbey have only one voting position on the COG and therefore it rotates between them. Patton said he would submit similar letters to the COG and RTPO and provide the Port of South Whidbey with copies notifying them of the Port of Coupeville's 2008 designated representative.

MEETING OPEN TO PUBLIC INPUT: Weber opened the meeting to public input. No one wished to speak and Weber closed the meeting to public input and returned to the public meeting.

MEETING OPEN TO PUBLIC INPUT: Weber opened the meeting to public input. No one wished to speak and Weber closed the meeting to public input and returned to the public meeting.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Port Executive Director's Report: (Patton)
Boating and fueling activities: Patton reported that twice as much fuel was sold in January 2008 than was sold in either January 2007 or January 2006 - about $4,500 worth. He explained that the bulk of the fuel went to the large tug moored in Penn Cove that is a family's residence. Patton said that the owner of the tug has helped the Harbor Master with small tasks when the Port's Handyman wasn't available, and he has done so free of charge.

Status of Wharf space rented to Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA): Patton said that he had spoken with William Bell of WICA and KWPA Radio that morning. Bell said he would submit a proposal in writing, and Patton said he would email it to the Board. Bell would like to approach the Board at the next regular meeting to request permission to personally assume the lease that WICA and the Board had agreed to last summer. Bell said WICA was simply not sufficiently organized to perform according to the business plan that the Board had approved. He would like to make some modifications to that business plan and assume the lease. Bell promised to recover all the rents that WICA has been late in paying and he intends, with Board approval, to then sublease to WICA the small space required for the radio transmission. Bell plans to sell the sundries and marine supplies to the boaters, and he is anxious to get started with that. Patton said he would email Bell's letter to them when he received it, and Bell would formally present his request at the Board's regular March meeting.

Results of State Accountability Audit: Patton referred the Board to the very brief report from the State Auditor issued at the conclusion of the 3-year audit. Patton read aloud the results of the audit, and a copy of that report is on file in the Port office. Weber said she wanted to again thank Patton, MacLeod-Roberts and Harbor Master, Long Bechard, for their work during the audit.

Patton said there was still one item of unfinished business regarding the audit. The State Auditor had advised the Port of a law requiring state organizations to make daily deposits of cash and the Port should submit a waiver request to the County asking that only sums over $500 be deposited daily. In response to the Patton's written request, Island County Treasurer Linda Riffe sent the following note: Jim, as per our conversation on the telephone, I give my verbal permission for the Port of Coupeville to make deposits not exceeding one time per week, based on the information you've provided. Please complete the attached affidavit and return it to me, and I will sign it and return a copy to you. A copy of the signed affidavit is on file in the Port office, and Patton stated that action completes the audit.

Status of Comprehensive Plan Initiatives:

Progress on the Conservation Easement: Patton said he intends to speak with Michael Stansbury of the Greenbank Farm Management Group this week. They will work together to develop a draft for the State's Attorney General (AG), requesting the AG's opinion as to whether or not a state port may surrender its development rights, even to another municipality. The formal request must be put forward by one of the state's legislators, and it was previously agreed that once the Board approves the form of the request, the Board will take it forward to State Senator Mary Margaret Haugen. Weber said she would do it.

Progress on the Marine Education Center (MEC): Patton reported that Washington State University-Extension (WSU) and the Beachwatchers held an excellent, well-attended meeting in January to examine their next steps for moving forward with the MEC preparations. One idea they are considering is the creation of a virtual aquarium where people could see a variety of mobile rather than fixed displays. At the meeting, Patton recommended that they integrate a place to eat in their plans as early as now. They agreed to do that, and Patton noted that would work best with the lease arrangement for a restaurant on the Wharf. During the meeting, individuals were appointed to identify various obstacles and identify who the audience would be. They asked Patton to provide some verbiage to include in their video presentation. WSU-Extension wants to provide an explanation of how the Beachwatchers are cooperating with the Port on the Coupeville Wharf and the MEC and how the Master Gardeners are cooperating with the Port at the Greenbank Farm. Patton said they spent a considerable amount of time discussing an outreach program to incorporate as many stakeholders in the MEC as possible, and they will utilize the video presentation to do that. Weber said several people had contacted her and expressed their interest in the status of the MEC. Patton said he would supply the Board with copies of the current list of stakeholders, and the Board could then add individuals to that list. Weber said although the MEC is being led and coordinated by the WSU Beachwatchers, there are many other partners involved in the project, including the Town of Coupeville, the Historic Front Street Association, the Ebey's Trust, etc.

Progress on the Master Site Plan for Greenbank Farm (Donna Keeler): Patton explained that Keeler was unable to attend today's meeting, but she had completed her draft of the Asset Inventory. Patton will review the draft and will respond to Keeler and include the Board in his response.

Bronson said he had attended all of the Master Site Plan focus group meetings to date and he said they were progressing and were well attended by representatives of both the Port and the GFMG. He said he would share his notes from those meetings during his report as Greenbank Farm Liaison.

Greenbank Farm Management Report: (Baenen) GFMG President Tom Baenen was on hand with to answer any questions the Board had regarding the January Report. He apologized that he had not been able to email the report prior to the meeting due to a computer virus. He reported the following:

Farm shops closed Tuesdays in January. Well received by shop owners. Artists Co-op and Greenbank Farm Management Group remained open.

One rental space in Barn C is still vacant - reviewing possible alternative use.

Five meetings in January: Commercial, Agriculture, Recreation, and Critical Areas have begun for the development of the Master Site Plan for the Greenbank Farm. 46 citizen volunteers are involved.

Baenen noted that there were people from GFMG who were not appointed but who volunteered to serve on those committees as citizens interested in the Master Site Plan. They are not there as representatives of the GFMG.

200 applicants for the Events Manager position resulted in approximately 15 interviews, 3 finalists; new hire will start 2/15/08.

The December Finance Report for the Managed Property was reviewed with Commissioner Marshall Bronson on January 24th. Income $47,579; Expenses $45,765. $1,814 Net Operating Income for 2007.

Weber thanked him for his report. Baenen said he would get back to Patton regarding the scheduling of the February meeting with the Port and GFMG.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Marine Resources Committee (MRC): (Weber) Weber said most of the MRC were extremely pleased to know that the Northwest Straits Commission (NWSC) had received money from the federal government thanks to the efforts of U.S. Senator Patty Murray. Weber said NWSC has new board members, including David Dicks as Partnership Director and Kathy Fletcher from the Puget Sound Action group. At the local level, the MRC has been discussing the benefits of partnering in Port Susan with Snohomish County. That information is attached to these Minutes. Sound Waters University: Weber said there was wonderful press coverage for the February 2nd event and there were 535 residents who pre-registered to attend. David Dicks was very impressive as the keynote speaker. On the evening of February 1st, some of the Beachwatchers took him on a tour of the Island, including the Coupeville Wharf. Dicks was very impressed with what the MRC has been doing and with the educational displays on the causeway and in the breezeway. Weber said Dicks was quoted in the Whidbey News-Times (a printed version of the article is attached to these Minutes) and the Port of Coupeville was also mentioned during his interview on KING-5 News. Dicks also included the Wharf displays in his keynote speech.

Council of Governments (COG): Weber attended a Special meeting of COG on February 1st, and David Dicks gave a presentation to a packed room. There were mayors, city council members, port representatives, planning commissioners, etc. in attendance. Weber said she was very impressed with Dicks’ agenda to clean up Puget Sound. She said that there has been money out there for years to clean up the Sound, but she is amazed that there hasn’t been much advancement or major success stories in those years. Weber thinks the Puget Sound Partnership will look at all the involved agencies that have clean up funds available and will then prioritize and group them together. Weber noted that there are 3 working groups that serve under Dicks’ directorship, and the Ports of Washington have a representative Port Commissioner in one of those groups. Patton recommended that he draw up a letter from the Board to that Port Commissioner to identify the Port of Coupeville and familiarize him with the Port’s involvement with the MRC, etc. The Board directed Patton to prepare the letter. Weber said that the next COG meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 19th from 3:30 - 5:30 pm in the Island County Commissioners Hearing Room in Coupeville. The agenda lists a speaker from the Nature Conservancy on San Juan Island regarding lessons they’ve learned from Port Susan. The COG’s business meeting will be held on March 4th at the same time and same location.

Central Whidbey Chamber of Commerce (CWCOC): (Weber) Weber reported that the next meeting of the CWCOC is tomorrow, February 14th, in the Fellowship Hall at the Coupeville United Methodist Church at 8:00 a.m. There will be representatives present from the Washington State Ferries, including Communications Manager Hadley Green and Susan Harris. The ferry panel will provide current information and an opportunity to ask questions regarding the Keystone/Port Townsend ferry run. Public Affairs Committee: Weber said she serves on the Public Affairs Committee as well, and attended that meeting at 4 p.m. the day before. The Committee put together an A-Z Resource Directory but the Chamber of Commerce does not have the money to publish it. The Committee members have downloaded it and used it and found it to be very helpful and a nice tool for the local businesses and their employees. The Committee continues to seek out ways to fund the publishing of the directory. Weber said the Committee had asked her for details about what the Port was doing at the Greenbank Farm with the Master Site Planning and they also want to know more about the Marine Education Center. She will provide more details at next month’s meeting. The Committee also asked if the Port had anything firmed up with the Public Affairs Officer from the Victoria Clipper. Patton said that would be discussed later on the agenda. Weber reported that a writer from Sunset Magazine would be in Coupeville on Thursday and Friday. The writer is doing a story on Lolita and will be working with the Orca Network, but she will putting an angle in her story about Coupeville and the Mussel Festival, scheduled for the first weekend in March.

Economic Development Council (EDC): (Weber) Weber said she attended the EDC meeting on January 16th (that Agenda is attached to these Minutes). The EDC seeks approval of their Board of Directors and nominations for the slate of officers. McDonald has been nominated as Vice President. The meeting’s agenda included EDC’s Report to Island County Elected Officials (attached to these Minutes) and a discussion about the Keystone Ferry. Also discussed was HB-2527: modifying the definitions of rural county for certain economic development programs, and SB-6195: modifying the definition of rural county for economic development purposes. The EDC requested the members to respond to State Representative Barbara Bailey on HB-2527. State Senator Mary Margaret Haugen was the sponsor of SB-6195 and it was profiled for introduction. Weber said she didn’t know the current status of either bill. University of Washington branch campus: Weber said there was a lot of information about the campus being located in Marysville. Senator Haugen was lobbying strongly for an Everett location as it would serve Skagit, Snohomish, Whatcom and Island Counties. Marysville and Everett seem to keep coming up as the top locations and meeting attendees were asked to notify the EDC Board as to their preference. Weber said she did not state her preference because she really didn’t have enough information and therefore didn’t have a preference. Patton said he understood that the Island County Commissioners do not have an official position for preferred location either.

Weber said she had attended or would attend 19 meetings for the Port of Coupeville between January 9th and February 19th, in addition to the Port’s regular meetings. Announcement: Weber announced that Kathy Fletcher, Executive Director of People for Puget Sound, would be on hand to discuss Saving Puget Sound on Thursday, February 21st at the Coupeville Recreation Hall from 7 - 9 p.m.

Council of Governments (COG): (McDonald) McDonald reported on the Special Session of December 19, 2007, and the regular meeting of January 23, 2008. The Minutes from the December meeting and McDonald’s handwritten notes from the January meeting are attached to these Minutes.

Regional Transportation Policy Organization (RTPO): (McDonald) McDonald reported on RTPO’s January 23rd meeting. Her handwritten notes are attached to these Minutes.

Washington Public Ports Association Legislative Committee (WPPA): (McDonald) McDonald said she looked forward to attending the next meeting in Olympia on Friday, February 15th, from 10 a.m. until noon. She said she will report back on the meeting.

Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) and Greenbank Farm Liaison: (Bronson)
SMP: Bronson said the SMP marches on. He reported that yesterday there was a presentation by Larry Kwarsick for the Ebey’s Reserve Board. Bronson said that the SMP has been in the works for about 7 years and it has gone through every kind of public process. Now that the State of Washington has no objections to the SMP as proposed, there will be a final review period in Coupeville during which people can make comments. Greenbank Farm: Bronson said Master Site Plan Coordinator, Keeler, gave very good briefings to the four groups: Commercial, Agriculture, Environmental Resources and Recreation. He said each focus group consists of about 10 people, with a good representation of the public, as well as the GFMG members.

Island County Tourism: (Bronson) Bronson explained that he was the Chair of the Island County Tourism Board. The logo is The Shortest Distance to Far Away. Their target area has been from Vancouver, BC to Portland, WA. Bronson said there is a gap in the statement of marine requirements, and there has never been any input from ports or marine facilities. Bronson said there should be input on marine requirements. Weber said a marketing plan is one of the Port’s initiatives in the Comprehensive Plan, and working with such groups would be beneficial.

Grants Application Workshop for the Washington State Recreation & Conservation Office (RC0): (Bronson) Bronson said he attended the workshop on February 5th in Mount Vernon. He said the workshop was very well done and he appreciated that the attendees were given copies of the PowerPoint presentation. They also provided the attendees with all the manuals needed to apply for grants, and Bronson gave that to Patton to maintain at the Port office. Bronson said he learned that the Port of Coupeville is eligible to apply for almost anything, and that government agencies do fund other government agencies, and certainly in the recreation field. Weber said the amount of grant money available had been an eye opener for her as well. She said now that the Port has a Comprehensive Plan in place, they are eligible to apply for grant money. Patton noted that all of the grants require a matching arrangement, which is difficult for a small port without money to accomplish. Bronson said a lot of the matching can be done in-kind, and Weber said they could also leverage time and develop a partner relationship as well. The Board discussed the need for an experienced grant writer. At McDonald’s request, Patton said he would ask Keeler about her background regarding grant writing.

NEW BUSINESS:

Discussions with Victoria Express regarding the use of Coupeville Wharf as a terminal: (Patton) Patton reported that Denise Brennan of Victoria Express had emailed him a week ago. She said they would like to schedule a visit to Coupeville to discuss ferry service in the area. Patton said he would call her this afternoon to set it up. He asked if the Board wanted Victoria Express to come and do a public presentation at a regular or special public meeting or would they prefer Patton just meet with them and report back to them via email. After discussion, the Board agreed that Patton and a representative could meet and it could be an Executive Director-level discussion. Patton suggested he could email the results of that discussion, and then the Board could decide if they wanted to invite Victoria Express to come to a regular or special meeting. The Board agreed with Patton’s suggestion.

ANNOUNCEMENTS & ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS:

Next Port regular meeting: The next regular monthly meeting of the Port’s Board of Commissioners will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 12, 2008, in the Island County Commissioners Hearing Room located at #1 NE Sixth Street, Room B-102, Coupeville, WA.

Monthly Financial Status Report: MacLeod-Roberts submitted the final December 2007 financial statement.

ACTION: A motion was made by Weber and seconded by McDonald to accept the final December 2007 financial statement as submitted. The motion passed unanimously.

Approval of Current Vouchers: MacLeod-Roberts submitted vouchers audited and certified by the auditing officer as required by RCW 42.24.080. She also submitted expense reimbursement claims certified as required by RCW 42.24.090. ACTION: A motion was made by Bronson and seconded by McDonald to approve by signature the February 2008 vouchers, numbers #638 - #659 for a total amount of $31,485.15. The motion passed unanimously.

ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the Board, Weber adjourned the meeting at 12:11 p.m.