Friday Harbor Port Commission, March 28, 2025

An island resident recognized and thanked the League of Women Voters for their diligence in bringing people to public meetings, calling it a civic duty.

The marina manager Jan Gresseth reported that marina business is holding steady with a good amount of guest traffic and preparing for the summer season. Customers are comfortable using the new reservation system.  Interest in the scholarship program for summer staff is high.

The commission reviewed the boat washing policy. After comparing the policies of other marinas, they decided to advocate the use of biodegradable, phosphate free soap, no suds, using as little soap as possible. They may add a "no suds in the water" clause to the policy for clarity. The policy will be amended and a shorter version distributed for the upcoming season.

There is a short-term, month-to-month lease proposal from Amazon to rent parcel 777 to park 7-8 small delivery vans. This would allow for one Amazon box truck to come to the island once a day and allow islanders to take advantage of Prime memberships and 2-day shipping options. The Executive Director has the delegated authority to approve the lease request but brought it to the Commission for input. The ED will proceed with the lease unless directed otherwise.

The commission reviewed the draft Port Public Art Policy. All comments from previous meetings were consolidated into one document. The commissioners discussed how to handle the requests for proposals and how to collaborate with the Town and town art process. If the Port identifies a location where they would like to put art, they will start the process. Current wording allows latitude for smaller art pieces (e.g., airport terminal) while requiring an (request for proposal) RFP process for larger, more visible pieces. A process where the commission initiates an RFP with a selection committee that potentially includes members of the Town Art Commission).

MEM was the low bidder for the project to repair the south airport fueling apron. The $7 million Port Electrification Grant project was included in the supplemental budget in both the House and Senate. The Executive Director is optimistic that it will come out of committee and does not anticipate any issues.

*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