E.D. Speculation

There has been much speculation today on how the port commission got to a final decision on the new port director. I will present the facts here. I do this to provide the public with the background on how the commissioners arrived at our decision – whether you agree with the choice, or not, this post is intended to show I am striving to remain open and transparent.

Earlier this year the commission took an unfortunate position on Charlie Sheldon which put him in an awkward place so he resigned; I did not agree with the majority on the commission. After that action we put Rob Fix, the port's Chief Financial Officer (CFO), into the interim director's seat. That was a politically challenging but nonetheless rational move and here's why: the commission discusses many topics regarding the port, among them future needs for staffing to meet long term goals. We had discussed long term succession plans with Mr. Sheldon and Mr. Fix was one person we would have looked at to replace Charlie when he decided to retire. That doesn't mean Mr. Fix would have been promoted then or that he would even still be working at the port but we would certainly look internally to fill roles, most organizations do this and I agree with the practice. Thus, and I will grant you the questionable circumstances argument, the choice to make Rob the interim director makes sense.

We then went out to the marketplace using a respected search firm to find a new director. After a long, careful process we wound down to 9 candidates that each commissioner was able to interview one on one. Yes, Rob was in the pool of nine. As I stated above, I do believe that internal candidates should be interviewed. As a rule the names of people interviewed but not selected for the final unveiling are not discussed publicly so as to protect their employment status where they currently work – it is standard practice and appropriate. Since Rob was not selected in the final 3 we kept his name, as well as the other 5, confidential. This is the reason you did not know about his interview, just as you will not know the names of the other candidates since it is crucial to maintain that privacy.

We brought 3 candidates forward to vet through our local process and those were Jonathan, Bill and Les. Jon most closely fit the criteria the commission identified and we intended to extend an employment offer to him. However, later we learned that Jon felt he wasn't going to be a good fit here. And, no, it's not an east coast/west coast thing, I believe that Jon's work has led him to positions that seem similar to our port but differ in execution. We have a very hands on system of governance in this state that dates back to our inception, we may seem like busy bodies but we get involved in our government activities and take ownership in ways that are unfamiliar to folks from other places.

So, Jon came out here, we interviewed him, he interviewed us and he felt like he wouldn't be a good fit. I applaud him for being honest enough to the citizens here to take a good look and choose carefully, that is worthy of respect and I extend my thanks and respect to him for being professional enough to do that.

Given that we still had great candidates to choose from your commission went back into session to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of those candidates. This means we discussed all the candidates in the pool of 9 we identified earlier so that each was carefully weighed once again. We then decided that the pool should be reduced to Bill and Les, who are both very capable and very qualified, as well as a third candidate from the pool, Mr. Fix.

Each candidate was discussed very candidly, very openly and no holds were barred. The commission did not flip a coin, nor sit around over beers joking our way to a conclusion. We had an extremely honest conversation amongst ourselves and individually came to the same point.

I am breaking no confidences sharing the following, it is my honest and best conclusion. I will say that Mr. Panos brings an unearthly set of skills in his toolbox but not quite what we are after. Mr. Reardanz is an exceptionally skilled lawyer and becoming a great asset at the Port of Everett but I felt he needs more port time in the trenches before taking a leadership role. Both men will continue to succeed and I wish them all my best.

Our decision to hire Mr. Fix rests on one and only one premise: who can best serve the needs we have identified. For me, economic development through the facilitation of job creation is paramount and one of the two goals in the port's mission statement. Good stewardship of the public's assets is another critical goal and all three finalists were certainly capable of giving us their best and succeeding. We have seen Mr. Fix's work over the past 4 years and in the last few months he has done well as our interim director.

Jim and Scott have their own points which you will have to ask them for, I won't speak for them here.

It was decided that further delay, more looking or a new process would still leave us in an uncertain position with just as many unknowns. You will criticize us for presenting a sham process but I assure you it was as I have described above. I hope that you will see I have been open and honest since the day I took office, that when wrongs at the port need exposing that I will expose them. I further hope that you will see my airing of this story is to ensure that you have the same facts I have had.

You may criticize us and given this past year we haven't made the best choice every time so we are deserving of your scrutiny. What I hope you will do now is continue to push us for our best, as well as push us to get the best from the port leadership and staff. The Port of Bellingham belongs to the people of Whatcom County and the commission is your conduit so thank you for staying engaged.

If you have any questions or need clarification ask me here rather than a phone call so I can make sure to share with as many people as possible

The ED and Job Creation

Text of a recent response I sent to a reader regarding the port's ED and job creation.

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I don't think expertise in any specific field is necessary in the ED, although it would be desirable and helpful depending on that experience.

I believe we need a well rounded person who can champion and put into play the vision of the commission, which should be the vision of the owners - you, the taxpayer.

The ED is appointed, at will, by the commission so it's extremely important that the port isn't "controlled" by the director - the port should be "managed" by the director.

As to job creation: I don't believe it is the port's job to create jobs, rather, it is the port's job to manage the public's land portfolio and other assets in such a way that the private sector can find opportunities for success. It may seem like parsing words but I don't think so. I think the port should be a facilitator bringing interests, ideas and people together all of which can then capitalize on the synergy or geography of our region to advance our county's economic goals.

Your port should create opportunities, and in the case of the local capture of over 900 jobs on the waterfront (granted short term, I know, but that company just signed a 5 year lease so there will be some long term work), a refocus on the fishing community, dozens more private hires at the airport, high rates of occupancy in port buildings, etc, etc, I think that the port has been working toward that "creating opportunities" end reasonably well.

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/10/16/2731226/port-of-bellingham-unveils-finalists.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/10/16/2731226/port-of-bellingham-unveils-finalists.html#storylink=cpy

My 5 Commissioner Effort

The following is a verbatim response I sent to a proponent of the 5 commissioner proposal who has criticized my approach. After that is a bit more explanation.

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"I have your input, thank you for that.  I am now seeking legal advice from an independent third party that represents neither you nor the port. This way I can be assured that the reading of the statute and the language of the question are both simple and clear.  I want no part of an ambiguous effort.  Simple, clear, legitimate and defensible - that is my goal.  You asked for my leadership and you are getting it, what you won't get is your own special voice to do what you want. I take it very seriously that I represent the people of Whatcom County and  to that end I will work for the greatest good for the majority.  Again, you have asked for my leadership on proposing 5 commissioners and you will get my honest, hardworking effort as promised."      (end of quote)

I will be bringing the correct resolution regarding a five commissioner proposal to our June 19th Port meeting.  Given Mr. Jorgensen's own proposal at our last meeting, I believe the measure will pass and go on to the November ballot.

The resolution will ask for a five member commission with seats distributed among five new districts.  With five districts I believe a clear message will be sent to the entire county that the Port of Bellingham represents the ENTIRE county and if the measure passes then we will ensure an equitable distribution of commissioners.

Those five districts should be apportioned equally and randomly by population ONLY, with no regard whatsoever to gerrymandering that can favor any particular viewpoint -  especially since the purpose of 2 extra commissioners is to improve representation not create political stalemates, that would be ridiculous and should be avoided at all costs.  The districts would have district only primaries as now, with county wide runs for each district's top two out of the primary.

In the coming week I will be working with independent legal counsel while simultaneously researching the effort that 4 other ports used to increase or attempt an increase to five commissioners.  It is important to me that the legal vetting of the resolution be done carefully by people skilled in interpreting law.

Combined with the Port's legal staff opinion, we will have 6 legal opinions and/or precedents to guide the process.  These 6 examples will inform the work in bringing a proper resolution to my fellow commissioners on the 19th.  We will propose a properly worded ballot question that can survive a legal challenge if the measure passes in November; here in Washington we are all aware that badly worded ballot initiatives can be thrown out after an election.

It is no secret that I believe the push for five commissioners is a knee jerk reaction to some bone-headed decisions by your current commission, of which I am a member.  However, it is not my place to decide for the citizens of this county how their governments will be structured, therefore, I have worked with the proponents to bring the question to the November ballot this year, 2012, for a vote by the people.

Regardless, new voices, experience and viewpoints will certainly inform the guidance of the Port of Bellingham so that it can continue to serve and succeed for the the people of Whatcom County.  I have spent the past two and a half years working toward that end and hope to go on serving and working for the people of this county for some time to come.

Thank you to all who have read this post. I think it explains my position and that I am moving carefully to ensure the effort is above reproach.   You may have your own opinion so please weigh in, let me know what you are thinking.    

The Case for a Travel Lift at FMIP

I’ve been engaged in conversations about Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park (FMIP) for some time now regarding the lack of legitimate water access. We lost the ABA contract because of this problem.

 My plan calls for a large travel lift facility at the northern edge of FMIP extending out to deeper water to avoid sensitive near-shore habitat. The old facilities in the estuary would be removed and habitat enhancements made at the mouth of Padden Creek.

(http://www.superyachttimes.com/articles/Image/Companies/ISA-Yachts/2009-08-Travellift/ISA-Travellift-big.jpg)

The suggested problem of habitat issues preventing this project simply allows people to hide behind a "do-nothing" attitude. Two, narrow piers extending into deep water utilizing steel or concrete piles to support 6 to 8 foot wide concrete caps would have less impact on the near shore environment than the current boat launching facilities crowding the Padden Lagoon estuary.

Docks and Pilings

Certain man-made structures can also provide habitat for marine organisms. In areas where the water is relatively clean, docks support large communities of attached animals such as sponges, tube dwelling worms, anemones, barnacles and mussels. Motile animals including nudibranchs, sea stars, sea urchins and small fish also find food and shelter in this environment. Many World War II ships have been deliberately scuttled to provide habitats for marine life.

Eelgrass Beds:

Seagrasses such as surfgrass or eelgrass often cover shallow areas of sea bottom. These grasses are not seaweeds, but are actually flowering plants. Seagrass habitats are a major source of food and shelter for many organisms in near shore environments. They also help stabilize the soft bottoms of these habitats with their dense root systems.  (http://www.gdrc.org/oceans/ocn-zones.html)

 If the Port owned a lift or a local private company owned a lift with pricing restrictions placed on it to control monopolistic pricing then all potential future builders in Fairhaven where boats have been built for over a hundred years would have real access to the water with a very small footprint on the nearshore habitat.

Without ‘real’ access for builders, then the Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park isn’t any more valuable than warehouse storage.

Thoughts?

A Message to Port Staff

This is a letter I wrote after our April 3, 2012 meeting, I asked that it be forwarded to port staff.

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Yesterday was a challenging one for everyone at the Port of Bellingham. Where we have the continued day to day work and tragedies during normal operations, we then add the weight of uncertainty and fear.

I spoke with Commissioners Jorgenson and Walker twice yesterday to reassure them and confirm that we remain committed to the Port and all of you who make it so successful. While the three of us may disagree at times, even, unfortunately, in a pretty dramatic way, we believe in you.

There will be a transition. There will be uncertainty. There will be challenges yet unknown. Please know that we three commissioners all work in our own way to represent the people of this county and help keep our port moving in the very positive direction it has been going.

For those of you who could not attend yesterday's meeting you would have heard an outpouring of support for the way the port is perceived in our Whatcom County community. I have had no end of e-mails and phone calls for the past two days reiterating that this port is doing great things and serving our communities well.

I would ask that you discuss with each other how best to remain tight with your coworkers, support your senior staff and continue your good work. Jim, Scott and I, as well as the entire county, will be relying on all of you to rally with us. Most of you were here when Mr. Darling left, use the positive experiences from that time to succeed, use the poor experiences to guide you to better outcomes.

The commission will be working very closely with our interim director to ensure our continued success. If any one of you have a need to discuss an issue, your HR director is a stalwart for you so please remain confident, follow your handbook protocol, feel comfortable knowing that your rights will be protected and honored.

Finally, thank you. Thank you for your understanding that the commission is elected, that we can be quirky sometimes and for sticking with us when we are.

Most sincerely,

Mike McAuley

Expand the Fish Hatchery in Old Town?

I've been talking with the Commercial Fishing Assoc. of Whatcom County (CFA) about an idea they've been shopping regarding a public/private/tribal partnership that would dramatically increase the output of the hatchery in Old Town currently operated by BTC as a teaching platform.

The partnership would involve BTC's NW Center for for Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences program, support/funding by the fishing community and some role by the tribe that I don't know of yet.

I toured a neat hatchery in Juneau that may be a model for here. The program is extensive, they don't just grow fish. Check out:

http://dipac.net/

So, whaddya think? I wanted to relocate the library to this site but that got shot down by the Library board so is there a more suitable use for the old Sash and Door site?

Is a hatchery expansion a good use?

Steady State Economics - the basics

In a recent debate with some fellow 'Hamsters this concept of Steady State Economics was presented. The principles, seemingly agreeable, are as follows:


Achieving a steady state economy requires adherence to four basic rules or system principles:
(1) Maintain the health of ecosystems and the life-support services they
provide.
(2) Extract renewable resources like fish and timber at a rate no faster than
they can be regenerated.
(3) Consume non-renewable resources like fossil fuels and minerals at a rate no
faster than they can be replaced by the discovery of renewable substitutes.
(4) Deposit wastes in the environment at a rate no faster than they can be
safely assimilated.

Text from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steady_state_economy



So, is this the same as 3BL (triple bottom line) or People, Planet, Profit?

Thoughts?

Being Elected is Really Crimping my Style

Obviously, the title on this one was supposed to be obnoxious. I hope it grabbed your attention! :-)

The following is copied from my post on NW Citizen but has additional wording since I have more space here.


See:

http://www.nwcitizen.com/entry/actions-of-county-council-chair-discourage-public-comment

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The job of elected folks, my job, is, in part, to sit still and listen to everyone who wishes to exercise their right to address their governments. This is fundamental and critical.

I have often been appalled that payment windows and clerks' offices doing the people's business close at 5 or, worse, as in the case of some county offices, 4:30. Ostensibly, this seems justified so that they can get their work done and finish up their workday like the private sector.

Well, we are not in the private sector anymore. We serve at the pleasure and on behalf of the people.

I feel that even if you want to 'beat me up' on something it is still my responsibility to hear you out without my making it inconvenient for you to do that.

While President of the Port Commission I would move items forward on the agenda if people came to discuss something about that item. That way they could participate, feel that their participation had value AND then go home if they wanted without having to wait for all the boiler plate business to get taken care of before we "got around" to their issue. I did this because it's what I would like to have done for me - show me you value my time when I showed up to address you.

I will grant that the Port Commission doesn't usually get a whole lotta folks at our meetings but my philosophy is this: Tuesday are port days, I only schedule port business on Tuesdays, I'm not done 'til everyone goes home - period. My fiance knows this and so do my clients, both of whom are very accommodating. To be blunt: this shit's important and you guys deserve my full attention.

I would urge any elected body here to think about this as I have: I didn't exactly sign up for the Marine Corps just to get my $800 a month and shot at in Kuwait - I signed up to support my country like my granddad did.

When we signed up to serve as electeds, we all knew the hours suck and the pay is horrible and people will say nasty things, it's part of the job. But for all that, we must cling tenaciously to the truth that we are SERVANTS of the people and our convenience should not be created by your inconvenience.

Your thoughts?

Airplanes over Bellingham

So, as promised yet very much delayed here's the scoop on why you see the big jets over Bellingham's east side. This comes directly from the tower supervisor at BLI, Bellingham International.

Victoria, BC air traffic control picks these planes up from down south and tells them which pattern to fly. Yes, Victoria is quite aware of the preferred approaches to Bellingham.

They only get handed off to the BLI tower when in close. The pattern, tho, is established far from here when the planes are in the travel lanes.

On a side note there is apparently some new tech coming online someday that keeps better track of aircraft and doesn't force them into established lanes for safety - essentially opening up more of the sky to be used more efficiently. Stay tuned on that.

Bottom line, established lanes in the sky and the approach set up established by Victoria. The airport is nice and all but boy, we sure don't get a whole lot of say in how the whole system works.

Also, you flyers out there, cut me some slack, this is greatly simplified both in speech and explanation. I'm just laying out the bottom line.

Long time away but....

Process: 1. A series of actions, changes, or functions bringing about a result (http://www.thefreedictionary.com)

The reason for the processes we engage in is to ensure that all opportunities for failure are reduced or eliminated. This sounds pretty good until there are so many processes for the process that a timely result becomes impossible.


Result: The consequence of a particular action, operation, or course; an outcome (http://www.thefreedictionary.com).


The bottom line for environmental cleanups is results. Results matter. And I believe that so long as we achieve the results we need that we shouldn't get too hung up on the process to get there, let's just get it done.