EVERETT — The Port of Everett Commission got an update of operations and adopted a new vision statement during its annual two-day retreat in February.
Port of Everett spokeswoman Lisa Lefeber said the commission spent its first day of the retreat discussing operational issues at the marina and the shipping terminals.
The port operates the third largest container facility in the state and the largest public marina on the West Coast.
Port staff updated the commission on the former Kimberly-Clark Co. pulp and paper mill, located immediately north of the port’s shipping terminals. Kimberly-Clark has been tearing down most of the brick buildings and other structures at the waterfront site to prepare it for sale. The contractor has been shipping out rubble by barge. Lebeber said the commission supports the city of Everett’s vote to retain the site’s maritime-industrial zoning.
“It’ll be a major change in the scenery and the waterfront,” she said. “It’s a big change for this city.”
The port had 11 more ship calls in 2012 than it did in 2011, she said. The port expects ship calls to grow again in 2013 and the growing volume “shows the economy is coming back,” she said.
The port is seeking grant funds from the state Legislature for the second phase of improvements for its roll-on, roll-off dock for wheeled machinery that can roll straight onto ships, Lefeber said.
The port spent most of 2012 bringing in fill soil to raise its Riverside Business Park above the 100-year flood plain and is marketing the 34 acres of industrial-zoned land along the Snohomish River as ready for development, Lefeber said.
She said port commissioners and staff discussed ways to find better use of the marina’s small moorage slips, many of which are vacated during the winter when boat owners store their crafts on land. She said one idea to keep boaters using the marina year-round was to include the port’s upland storage areas with moorage rates.
Guest moorage is doing well, Lefeber said. Business in the sector was up by 40 percent from 2011 to 2012, with 6,000 visitors using Everett Marina moorage last year.
At the retreat, the port commission, led by President Michael Hoffmann, adopted the following vision for the Port of Everett: “We are valued for operating in a sustainable manner that improves the community, environment and economy.”
To achieve the vision and mission of the port, the governing body adopted a set of core values to advance the organization and confirm the way the port operates. The vision statement declares:
- We exemplify the highest ethical standards;
- We honor our commitments to our community;
- We are high-performers that value the privilege of public service;
- We embrace the richness of a diverse community;
- We are responsible stewards of community resources and the environment; and
- We are mutually dependent and supportive of our partners.
In September 2012, the port commission adopted a new mission for the port that states: “The Port of Everett is an economic development enterprise carrying out the public’s trust to manage and develop resources, transportation facilities and supporting infrastructure to enable community opportunity.”
Kurt Batdorf: 425-339-3102; kbatdorf@heraldnet.com.
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