— by Minor Lile, Orcas Issues reporter —
At their November 14 meeting, the Orcas Port Commission approved operating and capital budgets for 2020. The 2020 budget anticipates expenses of $553,130 for operations and $520,310 for capital expenditures, for a combined total of $1,073,440.
This was the first meeting of the Port Commission since the November election, in which one incumbent and three new commissioners were elected. In the November 5 election, Pierrette Guimond and Michael Triplett were elected to two-year terms that will expire in 2021. Incoming commissioner Mia Kartiganer and incumbent Bea vonTobel were both elected to four-year terms that will be completed in 2024. Commissioner Steve Hopkins continues in office with a term that ends in 2021. Incoming commissioners Mia Kartiganer and Pierrette Guimond were both present at the meeting. The incumbent and newly elected commissioners will take office on January 9, 2020.
The 2020 operating budget of $553,130 is an increase of $13,140 (2.38%) over the 2019 budget. Major expense categories include $151,640 for personnel, $75,000 for aviation fuel, $22,100 for utilities, $13,500 for insurance, and $47,000 for facilities and grounds maintenance. Income of $90,000 is anticipated from aviation fuel sales, $11,000 from landing fees, $21,500 from long term and short term automobile parking, and $83,000 from hanger and land lease fees.
The bulk of the capital budget of $520,310 is $451,000 that is allocated for continued work on the Port Master Plan. The budget anticipates that $405,900 of this will be funded by a grant from the FAA, with additional grant funding of $23,000 from the State of Washington. Additional capital expenditures are expected to include $42,000 for the Capital Contingency Reserve, $25,310 for navigation aids, and $2,000 for machinery and equipment.
Although the Airport Master Plan was not on the published agenda for the meeting, a few questions about its status were raised during the public comment period. According to acting Port Manager Dwight Guss, there are plans for an as yet unscheduled meeting to be held early next year during which consultants from DOWL, the engineering firm that the Port has contracted with to develop the master plan, will be available to update the public and Commissioners on the status of the project and to communicate the next steps necessary to complete and publish a draft report. This meeting had previously been scheduled for November 13 but was later postponed until after the newly elected Commissioners take office in January.
Additional updated information on the Airport Master plan was provided to Orcas Issues on November 15 and is available here. In a significant change from previous versions of the plan, the current version of the draft plan does not include the relocation of Mt Baker Road as an element of the preferred alternative. Instead the draft plan recommends that this issue be addressed in a future study.
The next meeting of the Port Commission is scheduled for December 12 at 4:30.
