PORT ANGELES — The Port of Port Angeles, city of Port Angeles and Clallam County officials are asking the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to stop the clock on the Friday deadline for protesting the agency’s selection of Newport, Ore., as a new home for its research fleet.
Port Executive Director Jeff Robb sent a letter, both by mail and e-mail, to NOAA on Tuesday asking the agency to extend the deadline for filing protests of the agency’s early-August decision.
No response had been received by Wednesday.
During an hour-long strategy meeting on Wednesday, port, Port Angeles city and Clallam County representatives decided to go along with the plan.
NOAA spurned offers from Port Angeles, Bellingham and Seattle, where the four ships are now based at Lake Union, to accept the Oregon bid.
A successful protest would reopen the bidding process.
The Port Angeles proposal was to make building and infrastructure improvements in excess of $25 million, Robb said Wednesday.
The Port of Newport had offered a $43 million package that was bolstered by the Oregon Legislature granting the port $19.5 million in bonding capacity. NOAA signed a 20-year-lease with Newport on Aug. 8.
Settlement
The Port of Port Angeles’ entire $7.5 million settlement from the state Department of Transportation on the failed graving yard project on Marine Drive was earmarked for the improvements, with the remainder coming from reserves and bonds, said Bill James, port director of finance and administration.
The port-city-county proposal calls for lengthening the Terminal 3 pier in Port Angeles to accommodate 1,560 feet of moorage and leasing a site to NOAA for $2.57 million annually for 20 years.
Friday marks the last day of a 10-day period in which a protest can be filed with the Government Accounting Office.
The 10-day clock began Aug. 18 after Robb, James and port Trade and Economic Development Director David Hagiwara were debriefed at a meeting at agency headquarters in Seattle on how NOAA rated of proposals submitted by Newport and Port Angeles.
When staff asked for information on ratings for “environmental concerns and natural areas,” they were told the data was in Washington, D.C., Robb said in an interview.
“We ranked well behind them,” Robb said.
Debriefing never ended
The port contends that the debriefing never really ended because requested information was not provided, and information that was provided was too vague, making it impossible to make a decision about a protest.
“It is the port’s position that the debriefing has not concluded because this information should be provided,” Robb said in his letter.
“In addition, we were not advised at the conclusion of our meeting that the debriefing was closed, nor have we been advised of such in writing.”
At the strategy meeting Wednesday were Robb, James and Hagiwara, as well as port Commissioner Jim McIntire, county Commissioner Mike Chapman, county Administrator Jim Jones, Port Angeles City Council member Karen Rogers, City Manager Kent Myers and city Community and Economic Development Director Nathan West.
Port attorney Dave Neupert participated by phone.
Robb said he did not know if Bellingham or Seattle filed appeals of the decision to the Government Accounting Office.
________
Staff writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-417-3536 or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
