Friday Harbor Port Commission, December 12. 2026

Commissioner Gib Black was sworn in for another term. The Commission approved the sale of Hangar F3A from Sound Maintenance to Kenmore Air.  The commission approved the transfer of Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds to Orcas Island Airport and Lopez Airport to keep them in the local economy. This will increase the annual amount for Orcas and Lopez airports to $225,000. They approved updating the Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) grant application resolution to comply with state required formatting.

The commission approved an additional $90,500 civil, structural and geotechnical engineering services along with regulatory stakeholder coordination by Leon Environmental MTCA for the upland haul-out pier redevelopment project at the boatyard. This will improve the upland infrastructure, raising the ground to harden against sea level rise, stormwater impacts, and shoreline structural work. The order covers permitting, engineering and some project management but not construction.

The commission will hold a meeting via zoom call on December 26 to approve end of the year payments. The December 2026 Washington Public Ports annual meeting will be called the Winter Meeting.

The Personal Time Off (PTO) gifting policy is now in place. Employees can donate up to 40 hours of PTO per year to colleagues facing medical or family emergencies.  The updated Airport History Panels and new electronic display covering 2010-2025/2026 will replace the Featured Pilot poster. The Pilots Association will store the posters.

The Port is promoting its website updates and news releases. The Winter Newsletter will be published in January and could ask for input on the Cannery redevelopment project if released in time. Public meetings will start in early summer.

Commissioners discussed future power needs at the Climate and Sustainability Roundtable including solar panels that are needed to meet the island’s electricity demand.

The Port may break ground on the new headquarters building in the southwest corner of the airport property this spring with construction taking about a year.

*The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization encourages informed participation in government. The Observer Corps attends and takes notes at government meetings to expand public understanding of public policy and decisions. The notes do not necessarily reflect the views of the League or its members