November 19, 2018
For further information:
Interim Executive Director Jim Pivarnik
Phone: (360) 385-0656
Email: jim@portofpt.com
Headline: Port’s draft capital budget includes airport runway rebuild
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The Port of Port Townsend Commission looked at the first draft of 2019 capital budget on
Nov. 14, 2018, with more review in store. The final budget is slated to be approved in
December.
The draft budget projects 2019 capital expenses at $5.23 million, $4.4 million of which is a
federally funded rebuild of the runway at the Jefferson County International Airport (JCIA).
Outside of the airport runway, the draft budget calls for $833,364 in capital projects. The
budget also begins building an operating reserve.
For the runway, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would provide 90 percent of the
funds, with the other 10 percent expected from a combination of State and Port sources.
Timing of the rebuild is not yet determined.
Commissioner Pete Hanke told staff that the project should be carefully studied so that
decisions about it are not made on short notice. It’s possible the funds will be secured in
2019 with construction that year or in 2020. The FAA requires that the runway be rebuilt in
compliance with new design standards. Those standards call for a crown design for
maximum rain runoff, rather than today’s shed design directing all rainwater to one side.
Interim Executive Director Jim Pivarnik said the Port will do all in its power to see that the
project will be timed to minimize impact on pilots and JCIA businesses during the busy
season.
New Deputy Director Eric Toews is administering the project for the Port.
“While there will be short-term inconvenience, in the long term we’ll have a well-engineered,
reliable airport runway for decades to come,” said Toews. Toews is still pursuing an option
to allow use of the taxiway as a landing strip during construction.
Another major capital project facing the Port, but with its funding not specified in the
budget, is the repair of the south jetty at the mouth of the Point Hudson Marina. Estimated
to cost $5.5 million, Pivarnik said the Port will continue to look for outside assistance and
partnerships before it settles upon a plan. The search for a creative solution remains a high
priority, he said. The 2019 draft budget contains the first half of $500,000 that would be
earmarked for emergency repairs over the next two years.
The capital budget draft also includes:
• Boat Haven workyard resurfacing as part of continued stormwater treatment upgrades;
• Boat Haven water meters;
• Additional work to mitigate creosote odors in the Point Hudson building in exchange for
the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s commitment to a five-year lease; and
• Upgrading the Port’s vehicle fleet.
The draft capital budget also contains a look forward for the next five years, with major
projects in that time frame including the Point Hudson south jetty repairs, renovations of C,
For further information: Interim
Executive Director Jim Pivarnik
Phone: (360) 385-0656
Email: jim@portofpt.com
D and linear docks at the Boat Haven, piling replacements and upgrades for the Quilcene
Marina ramp, among many other things.
The draft budget and the five-year plan take strides toward strengthening the Port’s cash
reserves, according to Director of Finance Abigail Berg. If projections hold, the Port would
generate an operating reserve of $180,000 by the end of 2019, and increase this reserve up to
$1.44 million – an estimated 25 percent of operating expenses — by the end of 2023,
according to Berg.
Commissioners credited Port staff with presenting a clear and concise budget document.
In early November the Commission approved a 2019 operating budget that projects $6.19
million in revenues, $5.04 million in expenses and $1.15 million in operating income.
The draft budget is available for public review from the Port’s administration office, or via
the Port’s website, www.portofpt.com. A podcast of the budget discussion is also on the
website, linked to the Nov. 14 Commission Public Workshop.
The next Port Commission regular business meeting is slated for Nov. 28 at 5:30 p.m. in the
Port Commission Building.