— by Katie Wilkins, Orcas Issues reporter —

Members of the public packed the airport conference room for the most recent Port of Orcas meeting on April 11. Many came to find out who would be nominated for the last vacant commissioner seat, and to hear about the status of the Airport Master Plan.

There were three potential nominees for port commission: Greg Ayers, Pierrette Guimond, and Poke Haffner. After each candidate had the opportunity to introduce themselves, Poke Haffner was nominated and then appointed to the port commission by unanimous vote. Haffner came to Orcas from Alaska three and a half years ago. She worked for the Attorney General’s office in Alaska for many years, which gave her experience interacting with the Department of Transportation and the FAA. Bea von Tobel recommended her for the port commission.

All of the port commissioners who have been appointed to fill vacant seats will need to run in elections this November if they intend to keep their seats. This list now includes Clyde Duke, Bea von Tobel, and Poke Haffner. Greg Sawyer’s current term expires at the end of the year, meaning that his seat may also be contested. The deadline for filing to run for port commission is fast approaching; candidates must file between May 13 and May 17. More information from the county’s elections page can be found here: https://www.sanjuanco.com/1221/Elections-Office. When introducing himself at the April 11t meeting, Greg Ayers announced his intention to run for port commission this fall.

After Poke Haffner assumed her new seat, most of the remaining meeting time was devoted to a conference call with DOWL’s Leah Henderson, one of the company’s lead consultants hired by the port to help draft the Airport Master Plan. Henderson provided an outline of what has been completed so far and what tasks remain before the Airport Master Plan is finalized. The plan contains six chapters. Chapters one, two, and three are posted on the port website. Henderson reported that the FAA has already approved chapter two and “concurs” with chapters one and three. (Not all chapters have to be formally approved.) Chapter four is the only remaining chapter that requires FAA approval.

Before the remaining chapters of the airport master plan can be submitted to the FAA, the port commission must first approve them. To that end, DOWL is scheduled to make a final presentation to the port at its next regular meeting on May 9. This meeting is planned as an opportunity to update the public on the Airport Master Plan as well, and will take place at a venue yet to be determined—one larger than the airport conference room.

Commission chair Greg Sawyer stressed that he wants port commissioners to be prepared to approve the Airport Layout Plan (essentially a map of the airport according to the new Airport Master Plan) by the May 9 meeting. There are no special meetings currently scheduled until then. Meanwhile, commissioners may discuss the Airport Layout Plan, whether by email or in person, in groups of two—groups of three or more would constitute an illegal meeting.

Once the Airport Master Plan has been approved by the port and the FAA, there will be a 30-day public comment period, followed by a final presentation to the port commission. The plan will then be finalized and published. Stay tuned for details of the May 9t meeting as the date approaches.

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