Beginning this month, I – along with my fellow Port Commissioners – will be posting a monthly update on the work of the Commission. Our goal with these updates is to keep community members aware of policy and budget decisions that are on the horizon. We hope that if you know more about the work of the Port and the Commission, you can provide input into those decisions.

These monthly updates are part of a broader effort we are making to communicate our work. You may have noticed that we have a new website – if you haven’t, please visit PortofPT.com. We’ve configured the site so that you can easily subscribe (via email or your favorite feed reader) to Commission meeting information, as well as general Port news. Whether you’re interested in our marine trades, county-wide economic development work, tourism, or the aviation sector, we hope you will find it easier to stay informed about the work of the Port.

At any time on the Port website, you can find Commission information by clicking on Port Info at the top, and then Commission. As elected officials, we value your input – send us an email at any time, or if you wish to remain anonymous, utilize the suggestion box on the right hand side of the site.

As we enter October 2014, we are currently involved in studying insurance requirements for Independent Contractors. Additionally, we are beginning the 2015 budget process (which will be approved by the end of November) and starting a season of Port conferences where we attend and talk with other ports about their successes and failures.

This week, some of the Commissioners and staff are attending the Washington Public Ports Environmental Seminar in Walla Walla. We will be informing others that we have apparently discovered an effective method of removing zinc and copper from our storm water runoff. This is a big problem that many municipalities and industrial sites are struggling with. We’ll be talking a lot about zinc and storm water in the next year, as our ability to remain viable as a Port is directly tied to our ability to reduce zinc and copper levels.

Stay tuned, and stay in touch,

Steve Tucker
President