PORT ANGELES — The Port of Port Angeles commissioners on Monday unanimously approved a contract with consultant Reid Middleton to help prepare a proposal to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The port, along with the city and county, have been trying to attract NOAA’s Seattle-based research fleet to the area.
NOAA bases the fleet on Lake Union, but it is looking for a new location and plans to move in 2012.
Port Angeles is one of the potential locations, and NOAA likely is seeking proposals from interested ports before Feb. 4, said Bob McChesney, Port of Port Angeles executive director.
The total contract with Reid Middleton was for $129,000, with the city agreeing to pay $50,000, the county $25,000 and the port — which was named the lead agency — paying $54,000.
The $54,000 was already included in the port budget out of the economic development fund.
“The time line is much compressed,” McChesney said.
Plans in place
Wendell Johnson, director of development services at Reid Middleton, said he and his team have been working on the project for the past several weeks in order to meet the deadlines.
“Everyone knows what they are supposed to do and by when,” he said.
Several groups are working on the proposal, which will include cost estimates, analysis of the site and building proposals, he said.
“It is a very complicated formula, but we’ve drawn together a list of all the requirements they have for the site,” Johnson said.
“We also are working on supplemental documents.
“For example — quality of life — if you are trying to get a government worker here that has never even been to Washington state, what would you want to tell them about the area?”
All three commissioners voted in favor of the contract and expressed that NOAA could be a boon to the area.
“This would have such an economic impact that I can’t even think of a comparable example in recent history,” port commission president John Calhoun said.
The commission also heard a report from Craig O’Neil, marketing director at Kenmore Air Express.
O’Neil said that although passenger count was down by about 12 percent in 2008, the airline was still well above the required 10,000 per year required by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Kenmore Air
He said there were about 26,000 passengers in 2008, and the airline was predicting a flat year in 2009.
“We are expecting use because of the Hood Canal Bridge closure and because of our interline ticketing, and less use because of the economy for a net result of a flat year,” O’Neil said.
He said the company is working on several initiatives including better fares for advanced purchases, a Twilight special and discounts for Web booking.
“We’ve already had a few people take us up on these and will continue to work on them,” O’Neil said.
“We want to emphasize that we are committed to this market and that maintaining plane service to the area is important to us.”
After several audience members asked the commission at its Monday meeting to reconsider raising rates at John Wayne Marina, the commissioners asked the staff to come back with an analysis on how not raising rates would affect the budget.
“I know boat owners who are giving up altogether because of all the costs that are going up,” Richard Michaels, North Olympic Power and Sail Squadron member, said to the commissioners during public comments.
Commissioner Jim McEntire had already requested the analysis at an earlier meeting, but it was not yet ready, McEntire said.
“I think that the John Wayne Marina tenants have been persistent in coming to us, and we owe them an answer,” Calhoun said.
“We owe them an affirmative answer.”
The rates were raised during the budget process by about 9 percent across the board.
About a half-dozen audience members commented, saying they agreed the rates should not be raised.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
