— from Mia Kartiganer, Port Commissioner-Elect —

The brilliance of “By the People for the People” governance is that you needn’t be over-educated in any particular field in order to serve, within reason. The state of Washington provides training for newly elected individuals in every role.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning the dos and don’ts of Port Commissions at the WPPA (Washington Public Ports Association) training for new commissioners and annual conference. I had already read the materials before deciding to file as a candidate, yet found it very helpful to go over them again with anecdotes from people who have been doing this for some time.The WPPA provides ongoing support and resources for all of Washington’s ports including lobbying and legal guidance.

I was surprised to learn that of the 150 ports in the US, 71 are in the state of Washington. As great in size as Sea-Tac and as small as Keyport whose three commissioners divvy up the responsibilities of running their small marina. Equally surprising to me was that only 5 ports have 5 commissioners; Sea-Tac, Tacoma, Everett, Vancouver, and Orcas (this is where I would insert a baffled emoji). In our case it keeps us from risking a quorum every time we go to the store.

Now I would like to share what I believe to be the most important thing I have learned through continued conversations with sitting commissioners. It seemed at odds to me that the environment could be so high on the list of a port’s stewardship responsibilities and yet have caused so much consternation and disquiet within our community. The FAA’s prescribed steps for creating a Master Plan begin with creating a long term vision that adheres to their/its safety guidelines. It isn’t until step five, where we live and breath, that attention is turned to the environmental impact study. It isn’t low on the priority list, it just comes after the scope and area of the project has been established so that it can be focused. I know that I would have felt less anxious had I better understood this. I believe we could have avoided much strife had this been made clearer from the outset. Everything in order.

Going forward you will find that the Commissioners of January 2020 are all deeply committed to making sure that the members of this community have access to information, answers to questions, and, to the best of our ability, peace of mind regarding the direction of the port. It’s what I signed up for and what you have a right to expect.

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