PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.      4d 
ACTION ITEM 
Date of Meeting     August 5, 2014 
DATE:    July 8, 2014 
TO:      Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:   Dan Thomas, Chief Financial and Administration Officer 
SUBJECT:  Temporary Staffing for Accounting, Finance & Budget and Internal Audit 
Amount of This Request:             $0   Source of Funds:     Annual operating
budget 
Maximum Contract Value:      $1,500,000 

ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission authorization for the Chief Executive Officer to execute up to three 
contracts with a temporary staffing agency in support of staffing needs for the Accounting &
Financial Reporting, Finance and Budget and Internal Audit Departments. The sum of the usage
against contract(s) will not exceed $1,500,000. 
SYNOPSIS 
This temporary staffing contract will cover vacant positions typically resulting from staff
turnover and/or for special projects for Accounting & Financial Reporting, Finance & Budget, 
and Internal Audit Departments. It has been extremely difficult, through the Port's normal
recruiting process, to hire for senior level accounting and financial analyst positions, which has 
resulted in extended vacancies for key positions. In addition, periodically the Accounting &
Financial Reporting, Finance & Budget, and Internal Audit departments have special projects
requiring additional temporary staff since existing staff are fully committed to existing
operational priorities leaving no time for these occasional and yet critical assignments. 
This contract will provide the Port with the flexibility to meet business needs as they arise by
allowing accounting, finance and internal audit to hire qualified temporary professional staffing
on an as-needed basis for a fixed period of time and at a pre-determined hourly rate. The
contract will be for one year with two 1-year options. 
BACKGROUND 
The Port executed a single contract last fall for a not to exceed amount of $300,000. However,
$242,542 has been consumed leading to the expectation that this contract will be completed
within the very near future. Higher contract usage was due to three vacant financial analyst
positions, heavy workloads, and the initial SLOA III reconciliation that was newly executed in
November 2013 retroactive to January 1, 2013.

Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
July 8, 2014 
Page 2 of 2 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
The total contract(s) will not exceed $1,500,000. No work is guaranteed to the staffing agency
and the Port is not obligated to pay until services are rendered. 
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED 
Alternative 1) Use existing staff to handle all work and special projects, though they may
already be fully committed to existing operational priorities, leaving no time to cover work of
vacated positions and these occasional and yet critical assignments.  This is not the
recommended alternative. 
Alternative 2) Continue to post open positions with the hope that successful candidates will be
hired in the immediate future. Timely hiring is the primary focus for vacant positions, but due to
an ongoing shortage of talent in these specific disciplines, hiring qualified candidates often takes
six months or more from the date of the vacancy. This is not the recommended alternative. 
Alternative 3) Engage in temporary staffing purchased service contract(s) for needs as they
arise. This alternative would ensure adequate staffing needs for ongoing work and/or special
projects. This is the recommended alternative. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
None 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
None