Port of Bellingham Port Commission District 1 Candidates: Dan Robbins, Michael Shepard Why are you running for office? I want to continue the great work that I have accomplished in the last 4 years as your Port Commissioner that includes: Job creation, ongoing development in the Waterfront District, expansion of the marine trades, and more activity at the Shipping Terminal. I feel strongly that now, more than ever, we need continued leadership at the Port that understands that a solid financial footing allows the Port to accomplish great things like preserving marine industry and cleaning up historic contamination. I m running for the Port because we all know Whatcom County is a great place to live to, but an increasingly hard place to afford. The Port is the only municipality specifically charged with countywide economic development and job creation. We have lots of opportunity and work to do here. My other main reasons for running are wanting to see more progress on the GP Waterfront Redevelopment project and having our Port take regional environmental sustainability leadership. What is the one thing you will accomplish in this elected term of office? Over the next four years we will see exciting progress in the Waterfront District. Through economic development I will create more jobs along with continuing the cleanup of contaminated sites. I expect to accomplish many things once elected, however one specific area of work will be around comprehensive, countywide economic development. The County has many great business opportunities and the Port is mandated to specifically handle economic development. To accomplish this well, the Port needs to work with City, County and private partners. We need to work to support efficacy of existing industry, attract new business and incubate the employers of tomorrow. What do you see as your biggest challenge if elected? The biggest challenge for me will be getting enough grant money from the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) fund to continue the important cleanup of toxic sites. If we don t get the funding, we must continue to make progress in this area of work. We can do this with sound financial management. One of the biggest challenges I see, if elected, is to guarantee that the GP re-development site project gets done in a timely manner. There is much to do on the site, and I want to ensure that the project is steadily moving forward, so that the people of Whatcom County have access to the site and can benefit from its development. Bellingham is a waterfront town that often does not feel like one. There is limited public access to beaches and locations to launch a kayak or SUP. I pledge to work toward public access to this public resource. What is your greatest professional or philanthropic accomplishment and when was that?
Four years ago I would've answered this question by saying it was being president or vice president of seven successful companies and employing over 150 people during my professional business career. If you look at it by how many mouths you have fed, then I would have to say being elected Port Commissioner. We have created over 500 living wage jobs while at the same time cleaned up an environmental toxic site at a cost of over 30 million dollars to help create even more jobs in the future. Many of those accomplishments were done with 2 to 1 votes and if I had voted the other way most of that would not have happened. One could argue that none of this successful work would have happened if I hadn't had the experience in working in those seven different businesses. It is always challenging to pick only one example. A professional accomplishment is becoming the first elearning Director at Whatcom Community College. I managed a staff, a $1.7 million budget and helped write/implement over $4.5 million in grants. We expanded educational opportunities for thousands of students, particularly in high-demand professional technical fields, like nursing, computer security and physical therapy assisting. A philanthropic achievement is the current partnership that Kulshan Community Land Trust has with Habitat for Humanity. We are currently building 75 affordable homes in Bellingham. I bought my first home through Kulshan and have served on their Board of Trustees for the past two years. What will you do to ensure Bellingham International Airport remains competitive with Paine Field in 2 years? Through good financial management and continued economical growth our community will continue growing and, in turn, help support our fine airport. I will work to secure east-west flights for BLI that will help increase traffic. We must continue to market to our airline partners, provide competitive parking rates and provide an excellent customer experience. Keep in mind that our growth comes from increased Canadian passenger traffic so Paine Field is unlikely to impact that market segment. To ensure Bellingham International Airport remains competitive with Paine Field, I will strive to continue to make Whatcom County a thriving place for business and tourism. One industry that can see substantial expansion is the outdoor recreation industry. Annually $705 million is spent on outdoor recreation in Whatcom County. I would like to see that number rise as we become the outdoor recreation capital of the Pacific Northwest. This type of tourism could fuel substantial growth in flights at BLI that is not dependent on the rise and fall of the Canadian dollar. I would also like to see the Port actively seeking ways for the airport to expand direct international flight destinations. How do you see economics and environmental stewardship working together at the Waterfront? Our economy and our environment can and must co-exist. Waterfront economic development and environmental stewardship are linked because those considering new investment in our waterfront are interested in environmental stewardship and waterfront investment. This provides the economic driver to continue to clean up the environment. The Waterfront District is a good example of this interdependent relationship.
I would like to see economic and environmental stewardship working together at the waterfront by building and supporting new business, that increase environmental sustainability, while also promoting positive economic development. I want the Port to be a partner in ensuring the clean-up of Port properties and waterways, using sustainable development technologies and methods to develop and redevelop Port properties and businesses, and also overseeing the restoration of salmon habitat. District energy is one solution to environmental sustainability at the Waterfront. I would also like the Port to set an ambitious goal of net-zero energy consumption. As an elected official, what will you specifically do to encourage job growth at Port properties and throughout the County? The Port encourages job growth by: (1) cleaning up historic contamination and installing infrastructure on port property so that it is ready for development and use; (2) supporting the marine trades in Bellingham and Blaine by reserving property for marine trades at fair and reasonable prices; and (3) by continuing to support our airport to make the County an attractive place for new development. I will encourage job growth at Port properties by supporting the Waterfront Redevelopment project, and by attracting new, sustainable business at the Port. Whatcom County has many great heritage industries and businesses and I think it important to maintain and grow those businesses in order to increase economic development. In terms of economic development, I would like the Port for strategically focus on a core set of industries. These should include marine trades, high tech, outdoor recreation and value-added agriculture. For example, the Port has many opportunities to expand our agriculture industry in the County, which will create more jobs. The Port of Skagit, has invested in their agricultural economy with fantastic results creating jobs, revenue and tourism. I also see opportunity in supporting environmental sustainability and job creation at the same time. When the Port invests in projects like salmon habitat restoration, de-armoring shorelines and alternative energy production we are supporting our local economy. Did you agree with an emergency shelter being located in the proposed location? If yes, why was this the best solution? If no, what solution would you offer to aid those facing homelessness in our community? No, I did not agree. The marine trade property should remain for marine trade industries and jobs. The Port just paid the City $750,000 that can be used to address this homeless problem and, in addition to this the Port has airport property that could be part of the solution. Homeless shelters do not need coveted waterfront property. I agree that a shelter needs to be built for the homeless in Bellingham. There is little value debating best use for the property that the Port from the City of Bellingham. We need to work on finding a shelter location that works best for all stakeholders. Bellingham clearly has a homelessness crisis that needs additional aid and resources. I support the Port working to help find a shelter site. I also support working towards long-terms solutions for the homeless, including ample affordable housing, substance abuse treatment, and mental health counseling. Unlike
other candidates, I actively work on creating affordable housing by serving on the Board of Trustees for Kulshan Community Land Trust. We are currently building 75+ permanently affordable homes in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. What is the future of maritime jobs on our Waterfront development and throughout Bellingham and Fairhaven? I believe the future is bright because the Port has consistently worked to preserve land for marine industrial jobs, invested funds in the upgrade of the marine terminal, and built and/or refurbished marine industrial facilities like the Fairhaven Shipyard and All American Marine. I think maritime jobs have a strong future on the Waterfront development project, and throughout Bellingham and Fairhaven. Every marine trades job in Whatcom county supports 2.5 additional jobs, or 7% of our local workforce. I want to ensure that the maritime industry employers and employees have the infrastructure they need in order to support and maintain the growth of the industry. I would also like to see the Port helping to invest in the future of this industry, by partnering with Bellingham Technical College to create a marine trades certification program.
Port of Bellingham Port Commission District 2 Candidates: Ken Bell, Barry Wenger Why are you running for office? I have always been interested in transportation and moving commodities. The Port is a natural fit for me because my company does work in ports across the world. My office overlooks the former GP site and I am incredibly frustrated with the Port s inability to get any traction on this development. Bottom line, I want to bring jobs to this county. I'm hoping to build a Port that generates prosperity and represents the interests of our entire community. I've had 26 years experience working to facilitate waterfront redevelopment all over the state, and I'm planning to bring that experience to foster economic development that meets the needs of our commercial fishers, boaters, light industry, shipping terminal customers, and marine businesses and trades. I also believe that full public access to our waterfront and where appropriate, mixed-use sustainable development are equally important. What is the one thing you will accomplish in this elected term of office? We will change our focus to economic development. Time to start working in earnest on developing new opportunities for our existing business base. That combined with an all-out effort to bring new opportunities to the Port s properties. I want to make sure we have enhanced our marketing to attract the best and the brightest to the waterfront. I'm planning to kickstart waterfront redevelopment and county-wide economic growth by fostering greater cooperation between local governments and creating greater certainty for the private sector to be able to do what it does best: create jobs and satisfy customers. With proven experience bringing together stakeholders from government, business, and community groups, I'll get the wheels moving and the red tape out of the way. What do you see as your biggest challenge if elected? Getting all the municipalities and governmental entities on the same page. We cannot attract the best employers if we cannot agree on a strategy to bring them here and keep them here. The hardest work will be finding the businesses looking to relocate or start-up on our waterfront and then rallying the troops to make it happen. We'll need to work hard to make sure our state government makes the necessary investments in Whatcom County's future, especially when it comes to critical infrastructure for trade and redevelopment projects. In recent years, politicians in Olympia have inappropriately spent our crucial toxic clean-up fund on their pet projects, and it's time for us to be advocates for a more prudent use of our taxpayer dollars.
What is your greatest professional or philanthropic accomplishment and when was that? Philanthropically it would be the founding of Step Denver, a privately funded homeless shelter with a focus on treating addiction. I was the founding board chairman and remain involved as the chair of its executive committee to this day. Additionally, my wife and I have been ardent sponsors of the Whatcom Hospice foundation. Professionally it would be maintaining the contract for the US Antarctic program for over 25 years. We have also patented three different technologies to thermally treat and recycle contaminated soil. With my strong scientific background, I designed, operated, and managed a commercial shellfish aquaculture facility on San Juan Island during the late 1970s. With hard work and smart investments, my small business quickly expanded to employ 26 people in living wage jobs between a newly constructed hatchery, nursery, and a growout facility. I was responsible for research and development of innovative aquaculture techniques, construction, permitting, materials, as well as managing staff, marketing, and finances from bay-to-restaurant table. I m proud to say our products were well received by our many customers -- our oysters were the featured blue plate special at the Washington State Association of Restaurateurs, and commanded three times the normal price point from top-tier Seattle area restaurants. What will you do to ensure Bellingham International Airport remains competitive with Paine Field in 2 years? The only thing that we can do, is increase the demand for flights. Since it is a supply and demand industry, we must keep a vital workforce that will attract users to the airport. We cannot be dependent on Canada and the strength of the Canadian dollar for our growth. There is nothing better for the airport than a steady workforce and living wage jobs to make an airport successful. The airport is a critical asset that can help us attract employers with significant potential to create and expand living wage jobs. I'll make sure our recent investments in the airport pay off by collaborating with local governments in identifying and promoting our unique local amenities to the employers that align with our competitive edge. This includes tech companies, fishing industry customers, and other employers whose ability to attract and retain talent leverages Whatcom County's border location and outdoor recreation opportunities. How do you see economics and environmental stewardship working together at the Waterfront? They go hand in hand. We have the tools to clean up what has been contaminated by past users. We must ensure that we have done this to the satisfaction of companies wanting to use our assets. Companies want to come to places and work with people that take care of their home. I believe that many of our central customers on the waterfront -- the fishing fleets, boatbuilders, and other marine trades -- rely on prudent environmental stewardship. I'm committed to fostering a win-win approach that allows this sector of the economy to grow and prosper by supporting other compatible businesses that understand the importance of maintaining water quality and thriving commercial fishing
and shellfish populations. Moreover, smart investments in waterfront clean-up of toxic sites will attract employers and foster new clean energy and high tech job opportunities. As an elected official, what will you specifically do to encourage job growth at Port properties and throughout the County? Start selling!! We are perfectly poised to bring any number of industries and users to the port. I want to focus on the employees responsible for economic development. I am a salesman and hope to pass on some of my energy to staff. I will also be working to improve relationships with the all the Cities and the County to maximize our potential to show unanimity of purpose. I'm committed to bringing together all of our local governments in a more collaborative approach that creates a more predictable local business environment. Too often, the Port's ability to create jobs has been limited by poor working relationships, especially with the City of Bellingham government. I'm looking forward to an approach that ensures the customers we're attracting to the Port know what to expect from their investments here. My experience working across the private and public sectors will be vital to identifying common ground and setting personal agendas aside to focus on widely shared priorities for job growth. Did you agree with an emergency shelter being located in the proposed location? If yes, why was this the best solution? If no, what solution would you offer to aid those facing homelessness in our community? No. This was not only the wrong place but it was also the wrong solution. Having studied this issue at length I am more convinced than ever that one large facility to warehouse people will not solve this issue. There are many reasons people fall into homelessness. Addiction, mental illness and poverty are the most common reasons people are on the streets. Addiction and poverty can be addressed by moving the addicted to treatment facilities and poverty can be addressed by creating work. By the way there is nothing better for one s sobriety than having a good job in addition to a good peer-to-peer recovery effort. Mental illness is an entirely different issue and the schizophrenic needs an entirely different place to get treatment. Most of the homeless community wants to be near the downtown core. This is natural because this is where services are more available. We can find places to deal with this community that does focus or concentrate them in the downtown core. The Port needs to have a seat at the table where this issue is being discussed. community? I don't agree with the location that was proposed as it's much better suited to accommodate marine trades businesses. Helping to aid folks experiencing homelessness doesn't need to come at the expense of thriving local businesses. While I believe the port has opportunities that are currently underutilized elsewhere that could be made viable for an emergency shelter, the long-term solution has to be focused on the port's central mission of making sure we have living wage job opportunities that make housing easier to afford. What is the future of maritime jobs on our Waterfront development and throughout Bellingham and Fairhaven?
We have tremendous potential for increasing the maritime presence on out waterfront. My focus will be on helping to enhance the current employers by focusing on markets and marketing that would increase their market share. That means bringing in more boats for the service industries. We can build on the success of All American Marine and work on becoming the best boat building community in the country. Markets can be enhanced for the sale of fishermen s commodities. I would love to see a market on the waterfront for the sale of fresh local commodities. The water is what makes us special. I think we should preserve our marine trades businesses as the central customers of our waterfront. This means making smart investments in waterfront cleanup and maritime infrastructure as well as ensuring we offer competitive moorage rates and understand the specific needs of our local customers in this market segment. I also hope we can foster excellent opportunities for trade in some of our fastest growing sectors, including information technology, clean energy, and value-added agricultural processing. If done right, these new customers can supplement, rather than displace, our existing marine trades industry. I'm wary of plans for redevelopment that would see our industrial sector pushed aside for lower paying service industry jobs. We should make sure the waterfront remains competitive for family wage industries that need it most: fisheries, marine trades, and import/export operations.