by Joan Pringle
The Port of Anacortes commission sets policy for overseeing the Anacortes Airport, Cap Sante Boat Haven and the marine terminal where Dakota Creek Industries builds and repairs steel and aluminum vessels up to 400 feet long. Three positions on the commission are up for re-election this year.
Being a port commissioner is more than just attending meetings. It’s also about being involved in the community, said Port of Anacortes Commissioner Bill Short.
Short, who represents District 2 is up for re-election this year along with commissioners Ray Niver of District 1 and board President Keith Rubin of District 5. The terms of commissioners Steve Hopley of District 3 and Pat Mooney of District 4 run until December 2011.
Niver and Short, who are serving their second four-year terms, both said they are planning to file for re-election, while Rubin said it is “highly likely” he’ll run again.
Anacortes port commissioners serve four-year terms starting on Jan. 1 following a November election. Voters within a certain district vote for their representative in the primary — Aug. 18 this year — while voters within all the districts vote for all the positions in the general election — Nov. 3. Potential candidates can file by mail though June 5 or in person June 1-5 at the Skagit County Elections Office.
The 75 public port commissions in Washington are quasi-legislative bodies that establish policies to set the future of the port districts, according to a Commissioner Resource Guide put out by the Washington Public Ports Association.
Their duties include setting guidelines for economic development, adopting plans, purchasing or disposing of real estate, setting rates, establishing positions and employment policies, setting budgets and levying taxes.
The commissioners are accountable for their actions under state civil and criminal laws.
The commission works as a whole to represents the ownership of the port, which is the 23,000 residents of the port’s districts, said Executive Director Bob Hyde. And it decides the long-term vision of the port.
Niver described the commission’s responsibilities as overseeing the “bureaucracy of the port” and to be citizen representatives. The purpose of elected officials is to serve the public, not themselves, Niver said.
The commission is there to make policy, not manage the port, something that takes strategic thinking, Rubin said. Commissioners should have a vision of what the future should look like and the leadership to handle it.
Part of the commission’s job is to protect the waterfront, including part of it for public use, Short said. He explained that one of the reasons ports were established in Washington was to prevent the railroads from taking over the waterfront in Seattle.
Being aware of the community’s needs and working with port staff on policy to achieve those needs is one of the commission’s main responsibilities, Short said. Those needs include infrastructure at the airport, marina and marine terminal and creating an environment for family wage jobs.
In short, the port builds things, cleans up polluted sites and drives economic development, said Rubin, who encourages residents to file for office.
“When there are choices, public servants do a better job and when there are choices, voters have to educate themselves to make a decision,” he said.
Serving as a commissioner also gives residents the chance to serve the community and be a part of improving the economic welfare of that community, Hyde said.
For their service, Anacortes commissioners receive a $200 monthly salary. State code also allows board members to receive per diem compensations for attending official port meetings or acting on behalf of the port at other events.
In the case of the Port of Anacortes, commissioners are paid $104 for attending its regular semimonthly meetings every first and third Thursday of the month, special meetings called by the port, executive sessions, functions or meetings approved by the commission as a whole, and meetings held by organizations the commissioners are assigned to, such as the Skagit County of Governments, WPPA and the port/city liaison committee.
The commissioners also receive free medical insurance paid for by the port, which the port does for its employees as well. That benefit could amount to $800 a month if they had to pay for it themselves, Short estimated at a recent meeting.
Port districts
Voters in the Aug. 23 primary will vote for port commissioner candidates in their own district. In the Nov. 3 general election, all voters will vote for all the positions. For a detailed map of port districts, go to http://www.portofanacortes.com.
• District 1: West end of Anacortes; seat currently filled by Ray Niver, term ends Dec. 31, 2009.
• District 2: Northeast portion of Anacortes, east of E Avenue to Fidalgo Bay; Bill Short, term ends Dec. 31, 2009.
• District 3: March Point and Bayview area; Steve Hopley, term ends Dec. 31, 2011.
• District 4: Southeast portion of Anacortes from E Avenue to Fidalgo Bay; Pat Mooney, term ends Dec. 31, 2011.
• District 5: South Fidalgo Island; Keith Rubin, term ends Dec. 31, 2009.
