Others Present: Jim Patton (Executive Director), Molly MacLeod-Roberts (Edwards & Associates), Port of South Whidbey: Rolf Seitle, Lynae Slinden and Geoff Tapert (Commissioners), Ed Field (Port Manager) and Dane Anderson (Port Financial Coordinator), Linda Lyshall (Whidbey Basin Liaison, Puget Sound Partnership).

Call to Order: The Special (Joint) Meeting was called to order at 1:10 p.m. by Commissioner Seitle in the Conference Room of the Freeland Public Library located at 5495 Harbor Avenue in Freeland, WA, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

PURPOSE OF THE MEETING:

The purpose of the Special (Joint) Meeting was to listen to a briefing by a representative of the Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) on their process and progress for developing draft priority actions. The Board of Commissioners of the Port District of South Whidbey Island (POSW) was present and its meeting was held in the form of a Special Workshop.

Introductions: At the request of Lyshall, Whidbey Basin Liaison for the PSP,, everyone present introduced themselves. Lyshall explained that Gary Rowe, PSP's Skagit County Administrator was ill and unable to join her today as scheduled.

Briefing: Lyshall encouraged the meeting's attendees to feel free to ask questions during the presentation. She explained that PSP is doing similar presentations for all sorts of groups (chambers of commerce, realtors, developers, etc.), targeting decision-makers as well as people that are not normally engaged in these issues. She asked everyone present to let her know if they knew of other groups interested in or in need of a presentation. Lyshall then provided the Boards of the two Ports with a PowerPoint presentation about PSP that included background about how PSP began and the current issues concerning the Puget Sound area and all of its inhabitants. She explained that the Whidbey Basin extends from Mukilteo to the edge of Skagit County and in the waters it starts at Samish Bay and includes Padilla, Fidalgo and Skagit Bays, all of Saratoga Passage, Port Susan, Port Gardiner and Possession Sound. Lyshall said PSP was organized with three interactive groups: a Leadership Council, an Ecosystem Coordination Board and a Science Panel.

Questions and discussion by the Boards of the two Ports:

Port of Coupeville (POC) Commissioner Weber said she didn't understand how all the action teams and the three panels appointed by Governor Christine Gregoire work together and asked if a flow chart was available. Lyshall explained the Ecosystem Coordination Board is in charge of how are we going to implement this? and the Leadership Council is in charge of what are we actually going to implement?. The Ecosystem Coordination Board makes recommendations to the Leadership Council, and the Council has final say and will approve what goes to the legislature. Lyshall said the PSP has to deliver their Action Agenda to the Washington State Legislature on December 1, 2008. The Action Agenda is being worked on right now, and will address the following: 1) What are the priorities for Puget Sound? 2) What will we be spending our money on? 3) What do we do first? and 4) How much money do we need?. She added that there is an additional group of hired consultants that are developing a financial strategy.

POC Commissioner Bronson asked if the plan is vetted by the Science Panel, and Lyshall said: yes, and explained the goals of PSP for the 7 identified action areas (including the Whidbey Basin) and the 6 topic forums established.

Lyshall said PSP had also conducted an inventory in January/February to try to get an idea of what everyone is doing in the Sound, and what different jurisdictions and entities were contributing both monetarily and in effort toward Puget Sound. She noted that the ports might have participated in that. POSW's Manager, Ed Field, said the inventory form on the website was 30-40 pages long, and that seemed like quite a lot for an agency with only one staff member to fill out. He hoped to work with PSP and determine what a realistic response to it would be, and Lyshall said she'd be happy to work with him. She said she now has the inventory for the Whidbey Basin so she can work directly with Ed to fill it in, and it does not have to be that many pages.

Weber wondered if the most money would be going to the most hazardous area, rather than a lot of small projects within the Sound. Lyshall said the idea of PSP is to try to create a more cohesive plan - one plan rather than a whole bunch of little ones and small efforts here and there, noting that many are duplicative and are wasting energy. Weber said she is excited about the idea of targeting the area that has the most concern.

Lyshall added that PSP is also developing an accountability measure. An accounting specialist has been hired to develop an accountability system and it will be pretty comprehensive.

Lyshall noted that Penn Cove is large area of concern due to the low dissolved oxygen issues there, similar to some of those in Hood Canal but it is not as severe, yet. Bronson said he had difficulty not in accepting the oxygen level, but the fact of saying it has gotten worse when he can't find any historical data indicating there were ever higher oxygen levels. He said the issue of Penn Cove not flushing very much may actually be a chronic problem rather than a recent problem. Lyshall said some of these issues are just natural flows of the wind and water and then it is exacerbated by input from the land use. She said his historical data question was a very good one, and although she didn't have an answer for him, Lyshall said she could do some research and see what she could find out.

POSW Commissioner Seitle asked how the Northwest Straits Commission (NWSC) fits into the picture. He said they were somewhat disappointed when they found out the NWSC wasn't really considered very much when the Leadership Council was established. Weber said the NWSC didn't have a seat on the Ecosystem Coordination Board. Lyshall said she was aware that NWSC's Director, Ginny Broadhurst, wanted to be on that board and Lyshall was hopeful that would happen, but it hasn't. Lyshall said she is trying to partner with and involve Broadhurst as much as she can with what she is doing in the Whidbey Basin. Lyshall said the PSP would be holding a Technical Work Session on June 24^th as part of the process of developing a Whidbey Basin Characterization. It will be held at Padilla Bay and is co-sponsored by the NWSC. The ports will be invited to attend, and additional details will be emailed later this week.

Seitle said there is a fairly large-scale model from the 1970s effort to clean up Lake Washington, which was very, very successful. Lyshall agreed it was an excellent model, and PSP has looked at it. The Leadership Council is trying to be very open-minded and they are looking at different success stories. The Council has met with people from Chesapeake Bay who have struggled with some of the same issues for quite some time.

Field said he knows everyone in the room is supportive of improving the health of Puget Sound, but the POSW is also currently considering a possible marina expansion project in Langley and the existing facility has a lot of problems as far as creosote piles. The port is looking at how to provide long-term correction of those problems, but he is wondering how much harder it is going to get to do a project in the Sound. The port intends to do it as environmentally soundly as possible, but it is a marina and there will be docks and shading, etc. Lyshall said it would be up to the State Legislature to decide, but one of the six primary areas the PSP needs to look at is quality of life and people like their boats - it's why many people live on Whidbey Island. That will be balanced with the other areas - they will not look at only the environment, but also the economy, quality of life, etc. She said there might be changes down the road with stricter guidelines for marinas, but she doesn't think the PSP will say no marina expansion.

Weber noted that it will be 2-3 years before the State Legislature does anything, and the POSW is looking at permitting within the next 1-2 years. The guidelines and hurdles the port will be dealing with will be based on what is governing the port right now, and not down the road, when Weber thinks it is going to be much more restrictive.

Lyshall said one thing that has been discussed is requiring low impact development and she thinks that is a real possibility. Weber agreed. Lyshall said it will take time; this is a 15-year plan.

POSW Commissioner Tapert said it is his understanding that PSP is a new state agency that has the ability to influence the other agencies and departments within the state through the Legislature and Lyshall agreed that was correct. Tapert said whatever solutions PSP comes up with may affect the Department of Ecology (DOE), the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), etc. He said, If it's determined that sewage, for example, might be one of the biggest culprits and DOE changes its criteria, which then in turn requires municipalities that have waste water treatment plants to add additional facilities and so on, is that a possibility? Lyshall said it was. Tapert said he agreed we need to look at what's the biggest bang for our buck and what we can do right away, but we shouldn't lose sight of the little things we need to do as well. He doesn't like the idea of new development getting hit with the biggest burden, because he thinks current development is doing the best it can compared with all the existing infrastructure which isn't being retrofitted and continues to pollute. Lyshall said that was a good point - redevelopment is also needed. Weber agreed and noted that there are many septic systems on Whidbey Island that are not working and were actually never approved or updated.

Seitle said development and the creation of impervious surfaces is the biggest problem for Puget Sound, and Lyshall agreed it is a huge problem. Tapert pointed out that Snohomish County is still operating under the 1992 Stormwater Manual, although the 2001 edition has come out and that was updated in 2005. He said the rules keep changing, but local governments have a hard time keeping up with the rule changes. He thinks that all the county and state governments need to come up with the same set of rules and use them throughout. Lyshall said there is work going on to create of incentives and to try not to be as regulatory-based.

Lyshall agreed there is a certain amount of chaos right now. A lot of change is being created, and chaos is a natural part of changes. She thinks things will start to smooth out next year as people figure out where they fit, where they're taking direction from, who has final say, etc. and she thinks the Legislature is going to help determine that, and the Action Agenda will help determine that to some degree as well. PSP's Leadership Council Chair, Bill Ruckelshaus, says PSP will get this plan 70% of the way this year. It won't be perfect, but it can be refined over the two years.

POSW's Financial Coordinator, Anderson, asked what PSP's intention is with respect to actions after the Action Agenda is agreed on. Lyshall said that has not been decided yet, but there are other required activities after December 1^st, including looking at all state-funding sources and evaluate those.

Seitle asked if the Action Agenda would include recommendations for funding amounts and priorities, and Lyshall said, Yes, very definite recommendations. Dane asked if it is then up to WDFW and DNR to implement it, and Lyshall said, It is up to everybody to implement it. PSP is not just a state-run effort, it is a partnership with all local jurisdictions, tribes…everybody.

POSW Commissioner Slinden asked Lyshall to explain the mechanics of prioritizing. If, for instance, Penn Cove is identified as a priority, how does Lyshall see all the other Puget Sound partners such as Port of Seattle or Port of Everett throwing their funds into fixing Penn Cove? She asked if there is some method of implementing the priorities and to actually fund them. Lyshall said a priorities plan is being discussed. They are focused on protecting key ecological areas and processes, and they are developing a map of where the key ecological areas are that need to be protected and haven't yet been damaged. They are also looking at what processes need to be protected. PSP knows that protecting it costs a lot less than trying to restore it, so protection of the good areas is number one on the priority list. At the same time, PSP intends to have a list of restoration priorities.

POC Commissioner McDonald asked if Lyshall could name a few things a property owner can do. Lyshall said there a lot of things individuals can do, starting with healthy gardening, without using pesticides or chemical fertilizers. They can read labels at the grocery store and choose products that are natural and healthier for the environment, and get rid of whatever toxics are currently in the household such as Draino, etc.

Slinden pointed out that the POSW has a policy of no toxic chemicals or pesticides used in their parks. She asked if PSP was considering having a similar policy required of all community, city and state parks. Lyshall said there are programs that have already started doing that - there is a Salmon Site Program that is working on it. PSP's Executive Director, David Dicks, would love to see Safe for Puget Sound stickers on products in grocery stores.

Weber and Tapert both noted that Washington State Department of Transportation is still spraying herbicides along the state's highways in Island County, even though the County stopped using herbicides on county roads. Lyshall said that is an issue that needs to be addressed. Slinden said a statewide, no-spray policy needs to come from the State Legislature. Lyshall said the reason it hasn't been done is that there is a cost benefit analysis that says it is cheaper to spray than it is to use labor for mowing. The criteria used for the analysis need to be changed.

POC Executive Director, Patton, asked Lyshall if any work has been done to determine the proportional contribution to the contamination of Puget Sound from the higher areas in the watershed, since not all of the 4 million people in the area live on the beach. He said ports typically represent the coastline, but most of the people reside way back from the waterfront. Lyshall showed a graph indicating population density in the Puget Sound area, and explained that PSP is charged with looking from the top of the mountains to the water; looking at the entire system. Lyshall explained they are working with watershed groups, town councils, city councils, tribes, etc. and not just ports.

Patton asked what PSP's interface has been with the City of Oak Harbor. He is sure their waterfront accounts for a fair amount of the pollution that goes into the area, and noted the condition of the water in the Oak Harbor Marina. Lyshall said PSP has met with them and will do so again in a couple of weeks. They are working with the City of Oak Harbor on low-impact development and the city is changing its regulations to encourage it. She said PSP will also hold a public meeting with Oak Harbor's mayor, council and anyone else who wants to attend on June 26^th at 5:30 p.m., and it will be televised on the local channel.

Field said he had recently learned that there is an Office of Regulatory Assistance (ORA). His understanding is that ORA will assist with major projects such as the expanded marina project planned by POSW by gathering all of the agencies and tribes, etc. sort of as an intake scenario. He asked Lyshall if PSP participates with that. Lyshall said she had worked with ORA a little bit on the tidal energy issue, but not on anything else. She imagined ORA would be involved in some way, but she doesn't think it has been defined yet. Lyshall said it's a great idea though, because they want to make all of it a simpler process.

Weber asked how the port districts are going to be players in this. She would like to hear from John Calhoun, Port Commissioner of Port Angeles, who is the representative of the port districts on PSP's Ecosystem Coordination Board. She feels Calhoun should be reporting to the port districts via newsletter, etc. and notifying the ports of the meetings he attends and decisions made at those meetings. Slinden suggested Calhoun should include his report in the Washington Public Ports Association (WPPA) newsletter, and everyone agreed. Weber said the ports should be informed as to what is going on, because the decisions Calhoun makes will affect the ports, and the commissioners might not like them. Weber suggested that both POSW and Port of Coupeville send a letter to Calhoun requesting he submit a report for inclusion in WPPA's newsletter, and all of the commissioners agreed.

Patton noted Lyshall's statements regarding PSP's providing of grants to Oak Harbor to straighten out their low impact development (LID). He said the Port of Coupeville has committed to use LID within its Master Site Plan activity for the Greenbank Farm and also in Coupeville as well. He and Bronson had spent the morning learning about pervious concrete from the Whidbey Island Conservation District (WICD). The Port of Coupeville has asked WICD to participate in the Master Site Plan for the Greenbank Farm, and they have promised to take an active role. Patton asked if there is some way PSP can assist in the Port's efforts, other than simply applauding them. Lyshall said they used to do Public Information Education grants, etc., and there has been a lot of talk of having those again. She thinks it is likely PSP will have something like that, but she is not making any promises. Patton asked how the Port could nudge them and Lyshall encouraged them to send in comments through the PSP website. She said they could also attend the action meetings; the next one is tentatively scheduled for July 22^nd in Mount Vernon. Patton asked Lyshall if it would be useful to use Calhoun as a spokesperson for the Port, and she said, Yes, definitely. The recommendations of the Ecosystem Coordination Board go up to the Leadership Council. She said they could also attend the Ecosystem Coordination Board meetings, and noted that there is always a period allowed for public input. Information regarding those meetings and the Leadership Council meetings is available on the PSP website.

Slinden asked why a Skagit County Administrator is listed as representing Whidbey Island on the Ecosystem Coordination Board. Lyshall explained that he is actually representing the Whidbey Basin Action Area, a huge area which includes the counties of Island, Snohomish, Skagit and part of King County. She added that the core team for the Whidbey Basin Action Area includes Jeff Tate, Don Meehan and Karen Bishop from Whidbey Island.

Weber thanked Lyshall for coming. Lyshall requested email addresses for the commissioners and Patton and Field said they would provide her with those.