Transcript

The Regular Meeting meeting scheduled for 2024-03-12 at Pier 69

  • This is Commission President Hamdi Mohamed convening the regular meeting of March 12, 2024
  • The time is now 10:30 a.m
  • We are meeting in person today at the Port of Seattle's headquarter building, commission chambers and virtually via Microsoft TeaMS Present with me today are commissioners called Calkins
  • Cho, Felleman, and Hasagawa, who are currently gathered in the executive session room awaiting the opening of the public meeting, will now recess into the executive session to discuss one item regarding litigation, potential litigation or legal risk per RCW
  • 42 30 Section sorry, 42 31 110 Section one I
  • The session is expected to last for about 45 minutes
  • We'll reconvene into public session at 12:00 p.m
  • Thank you
  • This is Commission President Hamdi Mohammed reconvening the regular meeting of March 12, 2024
  • The time is now 12:24 p.m
  • We are meeting in person today at the Port of Seattle headquarter building, Commissioner Chambers, and virtually via Microsoft TeaMS Clerk Hart, please call the roll
  • Thank you
  • Madam Commissioner
  • President, just a note on the time is 12:04
  • That's correct, yeah, 12:04
  • Just for the record and for the roll call, beginning with Commissioner Calkins here
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Cho
  • Present
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Felleman
  • Present
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Hasegawa
  • Present
  • Thank you
  • And Commissioner Mohammed
  • Present
  • Thank you
  • We do have a full quorum here today
  • Great
  • A few housekeeping items before we begin
  • For everyone in the meeting room, please turn your cell phones to silent
  • For anyone participating on Microsoft Teams, please mute your speakers when not actively speaking or presenting
  • Please keep your cameras off unless you are a member of the commission or the executive director participating virtually or you are a member of the staff in a presentation and are actively addressing the commissioner
  • Members of the public addressing the commission during public comment may turn on their cameras when their name is called to speak and will turn them back off again at the conclusion of their remarks
  • For anyone at the dais here today, please turn off the speakers on your computers and silence your devices
  • Please also remember to address your request to be recognized, to speak through the chair, and to wait to speak until you have been recognized
  • You'll turn your mics on and off as needed
  • All of the items noted here will ensure a smoother meeting, so thank you
  • All votes today will be taken by a roll call method so it is clear for anyone participating virtually how votes are casted
  • Commissioner will say aye or nay when their names are called
  • We're meeting on the ancestral lands and waters of the Coast Salish people with whom we share a commitment to steward these natural resources for generations to come
  • This meeting is being digitally recorded and may be viewed or heard at any time on the port's website or may be rebroadcasted by King county television
  • Now please stand and join me for the pledge of Allegiance
  • Thank you all
  • The first item of business today is approval of the agenda
  • As a reminder, if a commissioner wishes to comment for or against an item on the consent agenda, it is not necessary to pull the item from the consent agenda
  • Rather, a commissioner may offer supporting or opposing comments later in this meeting once we get to that part of the agenda
  • Please wait until the motion has been approved on the consent agenda is on the floor for these comments
  • However, it is appropriate at this time if a commissioner wants to ask questions of staff or wishes to have a dialogue on a consent agenda
  • Item to request the item to be pulled for a separate discussion
  • Are there any items to be pulled from the consent agenda or any motions to rearrange the date commissioners hearing none
  • Commissioners, the question now is on approval of the agenda
  • Is there a motion to approve the agenda as presented? So moved, one second
  • Great
  • The motion has been made and seconded
  • Is there any objections to approval of the agenda as presented? Hearing none
  • The agenda has been approved as presented
  • Moving us along to item number four
  • There are no special orders of today scheduled for today, so I'll move us along
  • Next item on the agenda is the executive director's report
  • Executive Director Metruck, you have the floor
  • Thank you, President Mohammed Good afternoon, commissioners
  • Greetings from Washington, D
  • C
  • I'm here in Washington with aviation Managing Director Lance Little to participate in the Airport Council International and American association of Airport Executives legislative conference to advance our aviation priorities
  • Understand we are the first of several port and partner delegations who will be in DC this month on a variety of issues
  • Strong federal partnership is key to our success across all of our priorities and industries, and these visits will advance that work
  • I'm participating in this commission virtually today, but Deputy Executive Director Karen Goon is ready to step in if there are any technical difficulties
  • I would like to begin my remarks by acknowledging the start of Ramadan this past Sunday
  • The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is a time dedicated to fasting, prayer, reflection and community
  • As I've mentioned to the port staff before, please feel free to reach out to your muslim colleagues, neighbors, friends to say Ramadan Fubara
  • Keep them in mind as they go through this month of not eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset and having less energy than usual
  • Perhaps
  • I'm sure they will appreciate your support
  • I would also like to note that March's Women's History Month and last Friday, March '8th, was International Women's Day
  • This time is marked by celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and serves as a call to action for accelerating gender parity here at the port of Seattle
  • Our month long celebration of women takes the form of several events put on by our employee resource group, the women's initiative network, or wind, culminating in the annual women's outstanding achievement awards, which will be held on March 27
  • Congratulations to all the nominees
  • Commissioners
  • I want to share with you some of the community engagement our teams have been leading in the past month
  • Last Saturday, March 9, the port hosted a community land stewardship event
  • Port staff and 28 community members moved ivy and planted trees to facilitate the healthy growth of native plants and trees in our urban forest
  • These types of events advance the port's commitment to environmental sustainability and are an example of one of the ways the port fosters relationships with our neighboring communities
  • We host these events regularly, but the timing was perfect with our concurrent effort to establish land stewardship plan and tree replacement standards
  • All of our commissioners have held the shovel at one point or another, most recently commissioner president Mohamed I understand that you were there this weekend, so thank you for your participation
  • This coming Saturday, March 16, in collaboration with numerous businesses that support cruise, the port is sponsoring a port job at the Pier 66 cruise terminal facility
  • We are promoting this opportunity through a number of channels, including through our community engagement partners and through the OEDI team
  • Last year, this event resulted in considerable job offers being made on the spot
  • Finally, at every meeting we talk about the importance of stewarding our assets
  • Not only are these facilities the investment in our King county community, but they are also part of the legacy of the port commission's and port staff who came before us
  • Last month, we were saddened to learn of the news of the passing of one of those leaders
  • Frank Clark came to the Port of Seattle, Port of Seattle's maritime transportation division after retiring for the US army service in Vietnam 1968
  • He ultimately became the maritime director for the port, retiring in 1993 and then ending aye
  • career in maritime in 2007
  • With SSA today, just a call to remember Frank and send our condolences to aye
  • family and former colleagues here
  • Moving to today's commission meeting, I'd like to highlight a few items on our consent agenda
  • We have our routine notification of approvals approved under the new delegation
  • Some minors items I'd like to highlight for the month of February include signing the articles of Governance for the Ocean Acidification alliance in 2020
  • The Port of Seattle was the first port in the world to join the International alliance to combat Ocean Acidification
  • The port's ocean Acidification Action plan was presented to the commission in July of 2021
  • Signing these articles formalizes our engagement with technical experts from around the world
  • We also approved a five year contract with King County Metro to purchase one regional card for all, otherwise known as the Orca cards for port employees
  • The current Orca card program is a key element of the port's approved commute trip reduction program
  • Later this spring, you'll hear about a related effort to provide commuting options for all airport employees
  • Also on our consent agenda is a narrow amendment to our salary and benefits resolution
  • This resolution will provide me with the authority to create a provisional pay program to help offset financial impacts and inequities due to parking and primary work locations
  • This is separate from the larger effort related to our compensation program, which is expected to come before you later this year
  • More details about this program will be provided to staff in the coming weeks
  • This authorization simply provides the authority to address these inequities related to employee parking
  • On our new business and briefing agendas, we have two items that I'd like to mention briefly
  • The commission engagement and staff work on the land stewardship plan and tree replacement standards has been extensive and has paid off, putting the Port of Seattle in the position to be the only port in the country to create such high standards
  • This is a terrific example of the ways our commission and the staff lead
  • I want to recognize the leadership of Commissioner Hasegawa and the environment and sustainability team led by senior director Sandra Kilroy
  • This work
  • Similarly, the language access plan you will be briefed on is innovative work
  • While many cities and larger jurisdictions around the United States are implementing language access policies, this new work at the port level, this is new work at the port level
  • I want to recognize employees at teams across the board in the leadership of Commissioner Mohamed and senior director for Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Bookda Gheisar, for putting together our port so far forward in this work
  • This is difficult, intensive work and we need to keep it all at the center of our mission to provide economic opportunity, increase equity and improve our environmental sustainability
  • Commissioner, this moves my remarks this afternoon
  • Thank you
  • Executive Director Metruck thank you for your report and thank you for your words regarding Ramadan and recognizing women's History month as well
  • Are there any questions from my colleagues hearing? None
  • I will move us along to item number six on the agenda
  • Erica Chung will be providing our committee reports
  • Erica, you have the floor
  • Thank you
  • Good afternoon, President Mohammed, commissioners and executive director Metruck
  • I have two committee reports for you today
  • On February 27, Commissioner Hasegawa and Calkins convened the equity and workforce Development committee where they were briefed on two items, a report out of the work directed by the language access order thus far, and a preview of OEDI's annual report
  • Both items will be coming to the full commission later this year
  • Also on February 27, Commissioner Felleman and Calkins convened the waterfront and industrial Lands committee, where they were briefed on two iteMS Also a briefing on the Wasca and how early conversations are taking shape, along with a touch point on Mayor Harold's south downtown vision and a review of the waterfront and industrial lands committee board plan for 2024
  • This concludes my report
  • Thank you
  • Thank you, MR Chung, for that update
  • Are there any questions from my colleagues moving us along? We are now at the public comment section of the agenda
  • The Port commission welcomes public comments from public members and it's an important part of the public process
  • Comments are received and considered by the commission in its deliberations
  • Before we take public comment, let's review our rules for in person and virtual comments
  • Clerk Hart, please play the recording
  • We did test this prior to the meeting
  • Meeting today as noted, public comment is an important part of the public process, and the Port of Seattle Commission thanks you for joining us
  • The Port of Seattle Commission welcomes you to our meeting today
  • As noted, public comment is an important part of the public process, and the Port of Seattle Commission thanks you for joining us
  • For the efficient operation of meetings and in order to maintain decorum in the meeting room, the commission has adopted rules of procedure governing public comment and audience attendance
  • Before proceeding, we will overview those rules for your general information
  • Each speaker will have two minutes to speak unless otherwise revised by the presiding officer for the purposes of meeting efficiency, and the speaker shall keep their remarks within the allotted period of time, provided a timer will appear on the screen and a buzzer will sound at the end of the speaker's comment period
  • The commission limits comments specifically to items on its agenda and items related to the conduct of port business
  • If comments are not related to these topics, the presiding officer will stop the speaker and ask that comments be kept to those topics
  • This rule applies to both introductory and concluding remarks
  • All remarks should be addressed to the commission as body and not to individual commissioners outside of the context of action taken in their official port capacity
  • Disruptions of commission public meetings are prohibited
  • Disruptions include, but are not limited to the following speaking when not recognized to speak by the presiding officer holding or placing banners and signs in the meeting room in a way that endangers others or obstructs the flow of people or view of others at the meeting intentionally disrupting, disturbing or otherwise impeding attendance or participation at a meeting refusing to follow the direction of the presiding officer or security personnel speaking on matters other than items on the agenda or topics related to the conduct of the port business attempting to use the comment time for a purposeful delay, including remaining silent or engaging in other activity without conveying a discernible message using the comment period for the purpose of assisting in a campaign for election of any person to any office or for the promotion of or opposition to any ballot proposition, except when addressing action being considered or taken by the commission on a ballot proposition appearing on its agenda directing public comments to the audience engaging in abusive or harassing behavior, including, but not limited to, derogatory remarks based on age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, disability, pregnancy, sex, gender, sexual orientation, transgender status, marital status, or any other category protected by law, the use of obscene or profane language and gestures, assaults or other threatening behavior and sexual misconduct or sexual harassment for safety purposes individuals are asked not to physically approach commissioners or staff at the meeting table
  • During the meeting, individuals may provide written public comment before or after the meeting and in addition, speakers may offer written material to the commission clerk for distribution during their testimony to the commission
  • If a meeting is disrupted by an individual in attendance in the meeting room or by an individual providing public comment in person or virtually, the following procedures are adopted
  • A first disruption will result in the presiding officer warning the individual that the disruptive conduct is out of order and that a further disruption will result in the speaker's loss of speaking privileges
  • A second disruption at the same meeting or within 90 days after the first disruption will result in a loss of speaker's privileges
  • The presiding officer will end the individual's comment period and will announce that any further disruption by the individual within the next 180 days will be grounds for exclusion from commission meetings
  • If additional disruptions occur within 180 days from the loss of speaking privileges, the individual shall lose attendance privileges for commission meetings for 180 days thereafter
  • This applies to individuals who are in person or attending virtually
  • If, during the three years following a 180 day period of exclusion from commission meetings, an individual engages in another disruption, the individual shall lose attendance privileges for the commission meeting for a one year period thereafter
  • Written materials provided to the clerk will be included in today's meeting record
  • The clerk has a list of those prepared to speak
  • We are taking comments from anyone who has signed up to speak virtually, as well as from anyone who has joined us in the chambers
  • When your name is called, if you are joining virtually, please unmute yourself
  • Then please repeat your name for the record and state your topic related to an item on the agenda or related to the conduct of port business
  • If you're on the team's meeting and at the same time streaming the meeting on the website, please mute the website stream to avoid feedback
  • When you have concluded your remarks, you may again turn off your camera and mute your speaker
  • If you are speaking from the room, please come to the testimony table, repeat your name for the record and state your topic related to an item on the agenda or related to the conduct of port business
  • Our public comment period will now commence
  • Thank you again for joining us today
  • Clerk Hart, please call the first speaker
  • Thank you
  • Let me get the timer on the screen for us
  • Great
  • There we go
  • And I will start in the room today
  • Madam Commissioner, President, our first speaker is Sandy Olsen
  • Sandy, if you could please repeat your name for the record and your agenda item or a topic related to the conduct of port business, please
  • Good morning, it's Sandy Olsen from Carnival Corporation
  • Vice president of corporate affairs
  • Sandy, is your mic on this one here? It is on
  • It is on
  • I'll just repeat it again
  • Sandy Olsen, vice president, corporate affairs, from Carnival Corporation
  • And I'm speaking about cruising
  • So thank you, commissioners, for the opportunity to comment
  • I want to share an update on our aggressive efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our global operations
  • At the top line, Carnival Corporation is producing approximately 10% less total greenhouse gas emissions today than our peak historical year in 2011
  • And we're achieving this despite a 30% increase in capacity in guest capacity since that time
  • So we've taken deliberate action to be more energy efficient and reduce our overall fuel use
  • It's everything from upgrading HVAC systems efficiency, installing powerwise LED and smart lighting technologies, changing itineraries to reduce fuel use, riding ocean currents and using weather patterns
  • Weather streams for propulsion support, adding special coatings to the hulls of ships to minimize the drag, and also installing air lubrication systems so ships can glide atop a cushion of air bubbles with less friction
  • So, plus, as you know, Carnival Corporation installed Seattle's first shore power connection on P 91 almost 20 years ago
  • And our ships have been turning off their engines and plugging in ever since to reduce fuel use and help cut emissions in port
  • Together, these and other efforts have reduced our overall fuel use by roughly 15% in 2020, 315 percent versus 2023, I should say
  • And that's measured on a lower berth capacity, which is a standard measure in our industry
  • And in more good news, last year, Carnival Corporation announced we've accelerated our stated 2030 greenhouse gas intensity reduction goals by four years
  • So with a new timeline of 2026, we committed to cutting greenhouse gas intensity by at least 20% versus our last benchmark in 2019
  • And we recently reaffirmed we're on pace to end 2024 just shy of this goal, reducing our greenhouse gas intensity by 18%
  • So, just in finishing, commissioners, may I be most proud to tell you that this performance means we will have reduced our greenhouse gas emission intensity by an impressive 42% since our first benchmark in 2008
  • Again, those results are on a lower berth capacity as a standard measure
  • And I'll be back soon to share our latest sustainability report with supporting data and verification
  • Thank you
  • Thank you, Sandy, for your comments
  • Clerk Hart, please call our next speaker
  • Yes, thank you
  • Joining us virtually today is Sandy Shetler
  • Sandy, if you could please repeat your name for the record and your agenda item or topic related to the conduct of the port
  • Hi
  • Yes, I'm Sandy Shetler and I'm commenting on the land stewardship plan
  • Can you hear me? We can
  • Thank you
  • Great
  • Thank you
  • Yeah
  • The land stewardship plan states that it will offset tree clearing impacts, but there's really absolutely no way to offset the plan to cut down 27 acres of healthy native forest in Riverton Heights to build even more cargo warehouses
  • Newly planted trees have extremely low survival rates and take decades when they do survive to reach the level of maturity where they can protect people by cleaning and cooling the air
  • And since the forest soil in Riverton Heights will be covered with warehouses and pavement, the offset for this community is actually never
  • So
  • For environmental justice, equity and public health, the land stewardship plan needs to be amended to protect existing forests
  • Thank you
  • Thank you, Sandy, for your comments
  • Clerk Hart, please call the next speaker
  • Thank you
  • Our next speaker from the room is Alex Zimmerman
  • Thank you, Alex
  • Please repeat your name for the record and your agenda item or topic related to the conduct of the port
  • Okay, I remember my name for now, it's good
  • Maybe later, not too much, but right now I remember my name
  • Alex Zimmerman
  • Yeah, I live here for 40 years
  • Alex, can you please state your topic related to the conduct? Yeah, my name is Alex Zimmerman and I was speaking about public rules
  • What? As you have? Yes
  • Thank you very much
  • Because it's totally confused me
  • I live 40 years here
  • You know what has been and in political for all my life
  • And I know law about this
  • Your rules look like it's not only don't have sense
  • You know what it means by definition this violation of constitution
  • I'm not too much sure you read constitution all five
  • You know what it means? Nothing exception
  • Because constitution first amendment in freedom of speech have dozen and dozen court decision in exactly in 9th circle
  • When you read decision what is make 9th circle when you cannot read this
  • And next meeting I will bring you
  • I bring right now this decision to everybody
  • Because I have a hundred trespasses 17 only from Seattle for 15 days
  • I bring you this copy
  • So you understand this because you look to me like a children from fifth grade
  • You know what it means when you do no constitution American constitution
  • Not chinese or North Korea or another dictator
  • You know what has been facist dictator
  • It's talking about how low qualification you are
  • You know what I mean? When you don't understand and you represent people you don't understand American constitution
  • When you're talking about this serious problem
  • What is we have right now in administration post to be teach you because your level very low
  • You know what it means? I understand
  • Maybe you belong to this what is I call damn nazi fascist junta
  • You know what it means? What is controlling Seattle controlling us for 40 years
  • But constitution of United States bill of right is for everybody
  • So I recommend you
  • You know what this means? Dismiss this before I don't bring you in court or give you example from 9th Circle about this
  • Everybody
  • What is you did right now is a crime
  • You're supposed to be all in jail
  • You understand? About a token
  • Thank you very much for your time
  • Clerk Hart, please call the next speaker
  • Madam Commissioner President, that concludes our signups today
  • Thank you
  • Clerk
  • Is there anyone else present on the team's call or present in the room today who did not sign up or who wishes to address the commission? If so, please state and spell your name
  • State the agenda item or topic related to the conduct of the port that you wish to speak for on the record hearing none at this time
  • I'll ask clerk Hart to please share a synopsis of any written comments that we've received
  • Thank you, Madam Commission President, members of the commission, Executive Director Metruck we have received 27 written comments for the meeting today prior to the deadline
  • These have been previously distributed to your emails and will become a part of this meeting's record
  • I understand we continue to receive written comments post deadline as well
  • And these two will be distributed and will become a part of the meeting record today
  • All 27 comments received pertain to item ten C related to the land stewardship plan and tree replacement standards resolution on your agenda for introduction
  • The comments request that 27 acres in Riverton Heights and 110 acres in North Sea-Tac park be excluded from any plans to industrially develop these forested areas and speak to environmental and health impacts from removing tree canopy
  • And I'll go through the list of people who have submitted these written comments
  • Very quickly, coming from Julia Schuttler, Joe Olsen, Daniel Heath, Lassie Webster, Jill Duran, Jessica Dixon Horton, Jessica Bookwalter, Mar D, Megan Tully, Temple Lavelli, Ashley Cohen, Louie Ashley Shane, Sadie, Cecia Strain, Elizabeth Heard, Robin Dragovich, Laura Devoli, Ellen Arnston, Paula Jennison, Moani Russell, Erin Tenney, Ethan Bickle, Malik Crisp, Evelyn Horan, Andy Stewart, Steve Durham, Asaph Orrin, and Jennifer Houston
  • And that concludes our written comments received today
  • Thank you, clerk Hart
  • Hearing no further public testimony, we'll move on to the consent agenda
  • At this time, items on the consent agenda are considered routine and will be adopted by one motion
  • Items removed from the consent agenda will be considered separately immediately after adoption of the remaining consent agenda
  • IteMS I'll note today that item eight f on the consent agenda is a resolution
  • Adoption today on the consent agenda acknowledges Commission consolidation of introduction and separate adoption readings into one action, and the resolution would be adopted today if there are no objections to consolidate
  • If there are no objections to the consolidations of the reading for this item, then we will be able to proceed
  • Are there any objections from my colleagues? So we'll proceed to consolidate
  • At this time, the chair will entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda
  • Items covering eight A, eight b, eight c
  • Is there a motion and a second to approve the consent agenda? Commissioner Hasegawa moved it second
  • Great
  • The motion has been made and seconded
  • Commissioners, please say aye or Nate when your name is called for the approval of the consent agenda
  • Clerk Hart
  • Thank you
  • Beginning with Commissioner Calkins
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Cho? Aye
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Felleman
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Hasegawa
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • And Commissioner Mohammed
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Five ayes, zero nays for this item
  • The motion passes
  • Moving on in the agenda, we have three new business items today
  • Clerk Hart, please read the first item into the record, and then executive director Metruck will introduce the item
  • Thank you
  • This is agenda item ten a
  • Authorization for the executive director to advertise and execute a construction contract for 2024 airfield projects
  • Contract two
  • To transfer budget authorization as necessary between the 2024 airfield projects to procure long lead items to include a project labor agreement for the contract and to authorize use of Fort Cruise for abatement work for an amount requested of $13,074,500 and a total estimated combined project cost of $189,650,500
  • Commissioners, maintaining the infrastructure of our aviation and maritime gateways is relatively routine, but a critical responsibility for us here at the port
  • This item is essential for maintaining safe operations of aircraft at our airport
  • In October, the commission authorized contract one of our 2024 program
  • Contract two replaces distressed airfield pavement, joint sealant, drainage work, and other supporting infrastructure at the airport
  • The presenters we have several people here, but I'm going to turn it over to Robert Kikolas, development manager for airfield operations
  • Robert? Thank you, MR Metruck and commission
  • I am Rob Kokilas from airfield operations, and I do apologize
  • It's supposed to be there in person, but my portal shadow vehicle broke down, so I'm back in the office
  • So I apologize for any confusion there
  • So I'm just here to set the stage before Jeff goes into more detail
  • Pavement is the most basic and fundamental infrastructure that we have at the airport, and we have nearly 23 point million square feet of it on the airfield, and over half of that is already over 20 years old
  • So it's getting up there in age within that pavement and under the pavement, we have miles of infrastructure, such as drains, pipes, duct, banks
  • These are as old or older than the pavement itself
  • So the majority of contract two is a continuation of our ongoing pavement and infrastructure replacement program, intended to replace the pavement and infrastructure as they fail or become obsolete
  • We will be using rapid set concrete, which is the term we use kind of colloquially, but it means we can do the work at night and have fewer operational impacts
  • And in the morning time, the rapid set concrete will be hard enough for aircraft to roll over
  • Switching subjects for a moment away from pavement and infrastructure replacement, the only constant we have here at Seattle, at SeaTac, is change along that line
  • We have an increased need for wide body gates, or gates that are capable of handling wide body aircraft
  • So we're requesting authorization to take two narrow body gates at the north satellite and convert them to be able to operate between either the two narrow bodies or one wide body aircraft, depending on the need
  • And again, there'll be work at the north satellite
  • So the work we're requesting here, it's not glamorous, it's not headline grabbing, but as a wise man recently stated, it is the bread and butter of what we do here at SeaTac
  • So now I'll pass it over to Jeff Sedlak, who's going to go into more detail
  • Thank you
  • Yeah
  • Thank you, MR Kikalis
  • Good afternoon, commissioners
  • Jeff Sedlak, project manager with AVPMG for the 2024 airfield projects contract two
  • We can go ahead and move to the next slide
  • So contract two is a continuation of the full airfield program that executive director Metruck mentioned earlier
  • And for operational efficiencies, surety, and cost savings, we've bundled a portion of the airfield program with another CIP program for the N 14 wide body and n 15 narrow body common use project that MR Killis just mentioned
  • So this contract is a combination of two projects for efficiencies and cost savings, and the overall contract will have an established WMBE goal of 14%
  • And we worked with the diversity and contracting office to analyze the potential subcontracted trades to establish that goal
  • So we're very proud of that goal in this contract
  • Next slide, please
  • This slide gives you an indication of the many concrete panels that will be replaced under this contract
  • Each of those pink dots represents one approximately 20 foot by 20 foot concrete panel out on the airfield at SeaTac
  • And as Rob mentioned earlier, we are using rapid set or high early strength concrete for the panels being replaced in the movement area so away from the terminal buildings so that we can return to service each morning the impacted taxiways or taxi lanes to keep the airfield up and running
  • And then there will be extended closures at gate a three and n 13 through N 16 as we're working in close to the building
  • But we have engaged in biweekly coordination meetings with other port of Seattle projects at the airport, as well as the airline technical representative to make sure that we are phasing this construction to mitigate impacts to our airline partners and the traveling public as much as we can
  • Next slide, please
  • So this slide real quick gives you the overall purpose of the 2021 through 2025 airfield program
  • It's a roughly $180,000,000 program that we've been proceeding around the airfield since 2021
  • And those are our super glamorous damaged pavement photos that we use to remind everybody why we're doing this and keep the airfield running
  • I won't go into detail over the scope bullets there
  • I think they've been said pretty sufficiently
  • But I did want to point out the second item there, the fire hydrant vault cover replacements at the end concourse
  • We are just now embarking on going around the terminal areas to replace those fire hydrant vault covers, working with the fire department, and finding a more reliable and ergonomic way for them to access fire hydrant vaults when responding to emergencies
  • So just wanted to point that out
  • A key safety component of this project
  • Next slide, and the next project that's within this contract is the widebody conversion that Rob was mentioning
  • And this is a key project to add widebody capacity at the port ahead of upcoming planned construction projects elsewhere at the airport
  • And also, we are getting this done now to be fully ready before World cup activities descend upon Seattle
  • So we'll have an additional wide body gate ready for 2026
  • And we are also adding a fuel hydrant pit on the right side of the aircraft position at N 16
  • It's currently striped for wide body aircraft, but not able to accommodate every aircraft in the fleet because we need to add that fuel hydrant pit on the right side of the aircraft
  • So this will help maximize gate scheduling capabilities for the airport
  • Next slide, please
  • So, real quick on the schedule
  • We are slated to start construction the third quarter of this year, July eigth to be exact
  • And we did work with the airlines to clear the 4 July holiday, so we're not impacting that rush
  • And then we will also be starting the work in and around the north concourse on September eigth after the Labor Day holiday
  • So we're really trying to dial that in to not impact the traveling public as much as we can
  • And then the in use date for the contract will be second quarter of 2025, when all the work is complete
  • Next slide
  • Thank you
  • So this is a summary of the budget
  • The $189,000,000 total number is because we're attaching to the larger airfield program
  • But the column on the left, you'll see is the breakdown of this specific request
  • So moderate in nature, but key in the execution of the mission to keep the airfield running
  • And with that, that concludes my report, and we'd be happy to take any questions
  • Thank you
  • Great
  • Thank you for the presentation
  • Are there any questions from my colleagues at this time for staff? Commissioner Felleman, thank you for that presentation
  • And the irony that the column on the left is moderate only because, as compared to the overall project, $16 million between friends
  • But really, the point that I think always needs to be clarified is that where these funds come from, that there was an MIA agreement on this, and so this is paid for within the airport's activities? Yes, that's correct
  • There's no federal funds in this particular contract
  • Thus we went with a WMBE goal instead of the DBE goal typically shown
  • Yeah
  • Nor are there tax dollars
  • Correct
  • There's no tax dollars involved
  • Yes, all right
  • And the only other thing was whether or not WSDOT considered
  • I know that we have limitations on how many electric tugs we can get on the airfield, due in part due to the limitation of the number of outlets available
  • Was there any opportunity there to provide some additional electrical support while you're ripping up cement? There will not be electrical ground support equipment chargers
  • But thank you for that question
  • I did forget to mention that we are going to be upgrading the gate power available at gate N 14 so that a wide body aircraft can plug in when they come into that gate in the future
  • Currently, it's striped to accommodate wide body aircraft, but they can't plug in because their power demand is larger than what's on the jet bridge that's available
  • So we will be upgrading that so we can turn off the wide body power units when they're at the gate
  • Nothing on the tugs? Not right now
  • We're protecting in place the existing chargers in the area
  • Correct
  • Any additional questions? Hearing no further questions for this item
  • Is there a motion and a second for approval of item number ten? A? Still moved
  • Seconded
  • Great
  • The motion has been made and seconded
  • Commissioners, are there any further discussions on this item? Hearing? None
  • Clerk Hart, please call the roll for the vote
  • Commissioners, please say aye or nay when your name is called
  • Thank you
  • Beginning with Commissioner Calkins
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Cho? Aye
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Felleman
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Hasegawa
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Mohammed
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Five ayes, zero nays for this item
  • The motion passes
  • Clerk Hart, please read the next item into the record, and then executive director Metruck will introduce the item
  • Thank you
  • This is agenda item ten B
  • Authorization for the executive director to execute contracts in the amount of $5,955,000 for acquisition of approximately 63 fleet vehicles or equipment to support operational needs, changing technology standards, improved safety systems, environmental standards, and the electrification strategy set forth in the maritime climate
  • Erin
  • Action plan, sustainable fleet plan and the century agenda
  • I'm sorry, Steve
  • Commissioners, earlier today on the consent agenda, you authorized disposition of the 70 obsolete fleet vehicles
  • This action authorizes the acquisition of their replacement as part of our sustainable fleet plan
  • Of the 63 vehicles we plan to acquire, 27 of them will use alternative fuel sources
  • The presenters are Delmas Whittaker, director, marine maintenance, in Shayla Horton, fleet asset program manager
  • So Delmas
  • I think that's what you
  • All right
  • Good afternoon, commissioners
  • Executive Director, Metruck
  • Sorry, I got a little bit excited about buying vehicles
  • So, again, I'm Delmas Whittaker, the director of marine maintenance and I apologize
  • Our fleet manager, Levi Clark, intended to be here today
  • He fell ill
  • But I am joined here by my colleague Shayla fortune, who is our fleet project manager
  • So we are really excited to come and talk to you a little bit about our 2024 fleet purchases
  • Next slide, please
  • Okay, so the fleet that marine maintenance manages is probably consists of about 600 or so assets, but 200 of those are our vehicles
  • We are seeking an authorization for $5,955,000 to be used to procure vehicles that are used for not just marine maintenance, but our poor construction services staff, engineering, and also our corporate services
  • And as Steve pointed out, this is an effort to replace the vehicles that we are surplusing
  • So next slide, please
  • And I should have mentioned on that first slide that we are working in consultation with our central procurement staff, as well as working through those guidelines that have been established within our procurement policies as what governs the work that we're doing right now
  • We're working within the guidelines of our maritime Clean Action Plan, also our port sustainability plan and our fleet management best practices, and largely around our port values regarding stewardship
  • The team really does do our best to prioritize the assets that we're purchasing to ensure that we're taking the most effective effort to purchase renewable and energy first
  • And if the renewable energy sources cannot be used, that an asset type that we can prioritize being our plug in hybrid assets and try to right size the vehicles that we're purchasing to support the needs of our organization
  • Next slide
  • The other great new very, I think great tool is the arc system and looking for a means of remote charging
  • And as part of this Puget request, the intent is to purchase three of these beam arc type solar units and a transportation system
  • This will really help us with some of those short term gaps that we may have in our electrical vehicle infrastructure, as well as it will help us in regards to resilience to be able to
  • They're movable
  • They're easily movable and transportable and have an easy setup time
  • Also, we are planning in this budget to purchase two mobile battery trailers
  • These mobile EV trailers are mounted battery systems that can be moved and deployed as necessary to support other short term needs
  • Next slide
  • And this is the trailer system that's accompanied with that particular arc system
  • And it should be noted that it takes one person 4 hours
  • It's an amazing unit and it will provide us with a lot of flexibility, especially in some of our areas where we literally do have infrastructure issues that is just very difficult for us to get over
  • But as we roll out our fleet vehicles, not only will we have the vehicles on site, but we will also have the ability to provide power
  • Next slide, please
  • Now, as I mentioned, the current state of the maritime fleet is that we're looking at about 200 or so vehicles right now with a fuel usage, as you can see there, of anywhere of just over 59,075 gallons
  • Now, the one thing that we've been trying to work towards and working with our environmental sustainability team is to reduce those greenhouse gases
  • Obviously, the goal is 50% below the 2005 levels by 2030
  • As of 2023, we've achieved a 35% reduction in emissions from the fleet driven by our replacement of our fossil fuel diesels and the use of renewable diesel for our onsite fueling
  • Now, one point is that according to our analysis in the fleet climate and action plan, that light duty electrification can reduce approximately 250 Metruck tons of greenhouse emissions per year
  • And for the fossil fuel use accounted for
  • Our fossil fuel use accounted for 560 Metruck tons in 2023
  • One item that's not posted here that I really wanted to make sure that I highlighted is that this year we received a grant from the Washington State Department of Energy in December to offset the cost of two electric heavy duty forklifts for use at T 91, which included in this budget are capital funds needed to procure the units
  • And before the port seeks reimbursement from the grant once the assets are put into service, those are going to be amazing assets for the operation there at Terminal 91
  • And I know that through working with the fleet team, they exposed me to the capabilities that are currently being used in California
  • So we're really excited about that opportunity
  • Next slide, please
  • Now, the approval of this authorization will one, it does help us with kind of our short notice issues
  • In some cases, it takes us anywhere from a year to 18 months in order to get a vehicle ordered or get it through the system
  • There's such a backlog for the electric vehicles
  • And I will say that in that second bullet, we're having the ability to reach out to local dealerships if there are vehicles that are on site
  • And I'll give a little credit to Shayla and Levi and the team
  • They're always on the hunt to be able to get those vehicles
  • If they're in arm's reach here in the northwest, they're reaching out to those dealerships to be able to get those vehicles to meet our sustainability plan
  • Also, in some cases, there are rebates or other opportunities that have a very limited window
  • And by gaining this approval, it will give us access to those discounts that will, again, help to reduce our costs
  • So with that, I feel like this will be a great opportunity for us to have access to those funds
  • So, with that, I believe that concludes my presentation and subject to your questions
  • Thank you, MR Whitaker and Sheila, thank you for being here as well
  • I will now open it up to Commissioner Cho ask any questions that they may have
  • Commissioners, Commissioner Felleman, thanks so much, and I appreciate your enthusiasm for this
  • It's pretty extraordinary
  • I'm particularly excited by this mobile unit
  • I want to put one on a barge, extend it to our maritime operations
  • But that's really quite clever, and I don't think I've ever seen it before, so I'm looking forward to how that ends up working for you
  • And if you can pull into my garage, I'm having a real hard time getting my power to my car right now
  • Other than that, the last slide, number seven
  • I was wondering, is that a off the shelf vehicle or is that a modified? Because I just saw one of these, that it's a pretty large rig, the van? Yeah
  • Shayla, do you want to speak to that van? It's a Ford Transit, and that's actually the biggest vehicle that we use in our fleet, and we have at least ten of those
  • And so that's just off the shelf vehicle? No
  • Well, this one has had some upfitting to get it ready for service, and all of our vehicles go through updating to get ready for service
  • So, no, it's not just off the lot like that
  • As far as the powertrain work, is that
  • Yes, we provide some specifications with regards to our needs based on the payloads and what we'll use the vehicle for
  • And as Shayla talks about with the outfitting side of the house, we do have to make some modifications for shelving, and also, in some cases, if we're going to rig different types of equipment depending on the craft, but for the most part, the chassis and so forth are pretty standard
  • Well, that's really interesting, because that's a pretty big rig to have fully electric
  • So, basically, you can get a Ford transit of that size, and you just do the interior however you want
  • All right
  • Thank you
  • Well, commissioner, I'll have to invite you to the Advanced Clean Transportation conference, where yours truly had the opportunity to drive one of a box truck that they had that was electric
  • That was absolutely amazing
  • And the technology has moved very far down the road
  • There were a lot of cool toys, but we're being responsible stewards, and we're buying those units that we know that we can use in our best interest
  • Commissioner Calkins
  • Sounds like Commissioner Felleman is dreaming about the hashtag van life
  • I had an interesting conversation with another fleet owner recently
  • I think he said their total is about 650, primarily pickup trucks, but also I think they're class six trucks for last mile delivery
  • And he described a few of the challenges that they've had in both sourcing and then also as they purchased sort of pilot vehicles from a variety of manufacturers, that there were some that were clearly suited for commercial work and for longer distances, and others that were really intended for a more, call it, residential market, but private consumer market
  • And I'm wondering how much work we've done
  • We're moving from fairly small number of all electric to basically the majority of our fleet over the next few years
  • And so the difference between a manufacturer that's geared towards a commercial market like we have, where maybe the use is a bit more rugged and ongoing
  • I wonder if you guys have explored the differences and made a determination which manufacturer in particular tends to meet our needs best
  • I'll start, but definitely Shayla will be able to give some details about a couple of the vehicles that we've piloted
  • And again, that's the opportunity to be able to seek out, give the Ford Lightning, for example
  • The Ford Lightning is obviously a great utility vehicle and provides us a lot of flexibility
  • But Ford themselves, in a conference that I went to last year, clearly said, how many of you are still waiting for Ford vehicles? And there were a lot of hands that went up, and they said, you're going to be waiting because the demand is so high
  • So we have looked at other opportunities, and I think Shayla's found some other smaller light duty vehicles that be able to meet our particular needs
  • And I would like her to be able to speak to just our venture with the pilot, with our Volkswagen fleet vehicle, which, as you pointed out, that's not kind of the one of the things that I would have seen as a fleet type vehicle, but in conversations with Levi and the team, and it's working real well for us
  • So, Shayla, would you like to add to that? So we did a pilot program over the past year, and we've had multiple different motor pole vehicles that are EVs
  • We have a couple of bolts, we have lightnings, we have an I'd four, and then we also do the transit
  • And so we've been trying to basically broaden our scope with our team as far as them being able to use different vehicles and let us know which one they like, the best
  • They really do love the Volkswagen so far
  • The bolt also, we get a lot of good reviews on
  • The transit is more of our service vehicle instead of the service truck that we used to use
  • Now we're moving over to the e transit for the service vans
  • And so we have kind of been jumping around with different vehicles to see which will work best for us
  • So far, the Ford Transit is the one that we do use the most in our work
  • And could you talk to maybe how many of those vehicles you were able to just snatch right off the lot? They are hard to get
  • Like, the bolt right now has been discontinued, but they're bringing it back
  • The Volkswagen is also on the contract, so we're able to get that one as it's available
  • It just depends what they have on the lot or through contract, we can order vehicles and get them coming
  • But, like, right now, we have two Rav4s that just got delivered, and those took like six months or more
  • A lot of the stuff is taking over a year or more
  • And then along with upfitting, especially for the transits, we've had some vehicles that are upfitter
  • We have about six vans that are waiting to be upfitted
  • They've been there for a year
  • So just waiting on the upfitting piece, all of it together, along with finding the vehicles, can take up to two years or more
  • And I would also point out commissioners that sometimes they will come back to us about
  • I had one vehicle this year to say, hey, listen, this package has changed, so we want to be able to consider these alterations
  • So we are trying to be very flexible in our approach to be able to just seek whatever opportunities we're trying to get ahead of that other fleet operator that you just talked about to be able to meet our needs, because we know there's a lot of folks that have a similar idea
  • Commissioner Joe
  • Yeah, just out of curiosity, who does the outfitting of these vehicles for us? So depending on what it's for, like, as far as service vans, we have particular vendors that we go to for outfitting, like the vans and service vans
  • The truck is different as well
  • We have a vendor that we go to for service trucks
  • So it just really depends what we're upfitting and what kind of work needs to be done
  • So it's post acquisition, though, of the vehicles? Yeah
  • So that's like a separate process
  • So normally we buy the vehicle first, we arrange upgrading with someone else after the fact
  • Got it
  • It says here that 27 of the 63 vehicles will be alternative fuel source? What are we talking about here? Diesel
  • It can be electric
  • It can be biodiesel, renewable diesel
  • But for the most part, we're referring to electric when we're saying that
  • Wait, so 27 of the 63 are alternate fuels, so the remainder are not? That's correct
  • 27 is our initial number
  • We are hoping that we'll be able to do more, but again, it depends on the purpose for that vehicle that we'll be striving for
  • I thought the remainder was all
  • Sorry, commissioner, chose someone's mic is on
  • If you could turn your mic off online, that'd be helpful
  • That helps me understand
  • I thought everything except in 27 were EVs
  • But you're saying that the Delta is actually all just conventional vehicles? Yes
  • Why aren't we converting the other ones? It really depends on the operational need and as far as, like, the operational need, payload, all this different stuff goes into it
  • The range, for one thing, like on the service, on the e transits, it's only about 100 miles for range
  • So right now, we don't have the charging infrastructure in to even support charging any of these electric vehicles
  • So until we get that in, it's like we can't bring in all these electric vehicles at once
  • It has to be like a more gradual transition to it
  • Yeah, that was actually going to be
  • My next question is, do we even have the EV infrastructure to support this weight? Our EV infrastructure is light, and obviously, we are continuing to add year over year of where we're having additional infrastructure that's being put in
  • But as you're aware, it can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for trenching infrastructure, especially older infrastructure
  • And so that was our move to the alternative method of bringing in a beam system to make sure, as Shayla pointed out, so that wherever we're going to have an electric vehicle, we're going to have charging to be able to support that
  • Yes, I recognize that number 27 is a lower number, but we're going to do our best
  • As our change in infrastructure does increase, we're going to be able to add more of those vehicles
  • Our intent is to come in above that number
  • But based on what we have right now, that's where we're starting with these purchases
  • And have we looked into grants for EV charging? They just awarded the first round of CFI grants
  • Seaport alliance just got $14 million for it
  • Do we pursue those? I've talked to staff about it before, and I just don't understand why we haven't pursued these grants
  • I do know that some of the, just like when we've looked at the grants for our two electric vehicles that we're getting out at Terminal 91 is that we are working on that
  • As far as opportunities, I can't speak directly to that particular grant, but I will follow up on that and get an answer back to you
  • Thank you
  • Thank you, Commissioner Felleman
  • Thank you for raising that
  • I was also confused by that
  • My understanding, though, is, like, our whole diesel fleet is running on some form of green diesel
  • Is that not the case? Yes, we do use a low sulfur diesel
  • All of our other vehicles are on low sulfur
  • Well, not all, but the majority of our vehicles are on low sulfur diesel
  • Well, not just low sulfur
  • I thought it was a bioreplacement
  • It was either renewable diesel or
  • Here's our maritime person here
  • She's the one that told me, I think this is on Stephanie Jones, 7th, the managing director of the maritime division
  • Commissioner Felleman, and you're correct, it is a renewable biodiesel that we use
  • There's a handful, if you notice the page, previous slide there is that we list the number of gallons
  • So periodically, a truck is somewhere away from marine maintenance, and it needs to be refilled
  • And we use conventional diesel
  • But unless it's an extenuating circumstance, you can see renewable diesel is 22,000 gallons
  • Regular diesel is just about a 10th of that
  • So typically we do
  • And I just would also add to the previous conversation, my understanding is wherever we can use an alternative fuel vehicle, we do
  • But there are, as Shayla was describing, there are some cases where that technology is just not available
  • Some of our heavier duty specific trucks, you can't get that yet
  • So we are wherever we can
  • We are making that transition today
  • But there are some places where the technology does not yet exist for heavier duty, like a vactor truck, for instance
  • There's some specific technologies where you just don't get that
  • So what the team really has done is pushing this forward as fast as today's technology allows
  • Just to clarify that
  • So I think part of the confusion is that when I hear alternative fuel, we're thinking about green dies
  • When you talk about electrification, we don't think of it as a fuel
  • Right
  • So I think that was the confusion we both incurred
  • I also saw on the consent item 8D, we are disposing of 70 fleet vehicles
  • So we're acquiring 63 and getting rid of 70
  • Right
  • In this same day
  • Yeah, that's correct
  • And those will go out to aviation
  • That's correct
  • That's correct
  • Commissioner Joe
  • Yeah, just real quick, what is the lifespan of these alternate fuel vehicles that we're expecting to get out of them? Probably 15 years
  • Okay
  • Thank you
  • So, hearing no further questions for this item, we can move to approve it
  • Is there a motion and a second to approve item ten B? I move we approve item ten B
  • No second
  • Great
  • The motion has been made and seconded
  • Commissioners, are there any further discussions or debate on this item? I would just also like to say thank you all for the work that you're doing and helping us reach our emission reduction goals
  • It's obviously a heavy task that you guys have been tasked with, but really do appreciate the work that is happening
  • Thank you
  • Absolutely
  • With that said, clerk Hart, please call the roll for the vote
  • Commissioners, please say aye or nay when your name is called
  • Thank you
  • Beginning with Commissioner Calkins
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Cho
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Felleman
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Hasegawa
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • And Commissioner Mohammed
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Five ayes, zero nays for this item
  • The motion has passed
  • Congratulations
  • Great job
  • Thank you
  • Thank you
  • Clerk Hart, please read the next item into the record, and then executive director Metruck will then introduce it
  • Thank you
  • This is agenda item ten C, introduction of resolution number 38 21, a resolution adopting SEA tree replacement standards for airport activities area and the Sea Land stewardship plan for Seattle Tacoma International Airport commissioners
  • Last year, you adopted principles to guide the development of the port's environmental land stewardship efforts for trees, forests and other habitat
  • That order built on the port's existing regional and industry leadership on these topics by identifying five principles and four strategies for land stewardship across all port facilities and properties
  • Today's resolution is the culmination of the efforts undertaken by staff to meet those deliverables outlined in the order 2023-10
  • That effort included a community engagement process, baseline inventory, stewardship recommendations, and more you'll hear about in the presentation
  • So presenters this afternoon are Anne Sharado, Deputy Commission chief of Staff Sarah Cox, Director, Aviation Environment Sustainability Chipper Manny, environmental program manager
  • So with that, I'll turn it over to member
  • Thank you, Director Metruck
  • I want to thank the environmental team and especially Chipper Manny, who has been developing the airport land stewardship for years and really helped deliver a quality product at the commissioner level
  • We've been working on this policy for over a year, including Commissioner Hasagawa hosting an April 4, 2023 community check in, and many thanks to Commissioner Strategic Advisor Erica Chung, as well as a follow up
  • On July 27, 2023, the commission authorized an order to implement the port portwide environmental land stewardship principles and strategies preceding the introduction of the policy on November eigth 2023, Commissioner Hasagawa hosted a webinar on Sea tree replacement standards and SEA land stewardship plan
  • We incorporated community feedback from both April and November engagements into the plan and helped open the comment period for over a month
  • Finally, we had at least three committee meetings and one public briefing leading up to today
  • Thank you
  • Good afternoon commissioners and Executive director Metruck
  • I'm Sarah Cox, the Aviation Environment Sustainability director
  • I am so excited to be here today to present the SEA land stewardship plan and our proposed tree replacement policy for introduction today and hopefully adoption at our next commission meeting
  • These two strategies support the port portwide environmental land stewardship principles, which Executive director Metruck noted were adopted in July of 2023 and these principles recognize the operational and development requirements of our transportation industry and how we seek to balance those with the needs of responsible use of balancing our economic community and our natural resources and the port and our team
  • We recognize the significant community and habitat benefits provided by natural resources on our land that we own and maintain and we continually strive to go beyond the minimum regulatory requirements to address environmental justice, improve environmental health, increase climate resilience and improve habitat for fish and wildlife
  • I just wanted to highlight a few of the items that we have previously done
  • Since 2005, we've successfully implemented a suite of projects to improve ecological processes and functions that are critical to fish and wildlife
  • We have restored, enhanced or created over 177 acres of wetlands and buffers, including planting over 350,000 native trees and plants and this area is protected from future development
  • We've also partnered with our local cities burying in the city of Sea-Tac to replace 400ft of Culvert in Miller Creek and restored it to a natural habitat and restoring connectivity to upstream
  • We also partner with the city of Des Moines, City of Sea-Tac and King county on our Des Moines Creek basin Plan and that established floodplain in Des Moines Creek wetland and buffer restoration and creation, as well as improvements in Des Moines Creek
  • So we are so excited to formalize a lot of the work that we've done in the past into these programs and I will now pass it over to Chipper Mieni to go into some of the details
  • Thank you
  • Thank you Director Cox
  • Thank you commissioners and thank you executive Metruck
  • And thanks in particular to Commissioner Hasegawa for her tremendous leadership in advancing the land stewardship initiatives
  • I would also like to thank Erika Chung for her wonderful collaboration in leading development of the policy language related to land stewardship
  • Lastly, please allow me to thank our environmental leaders Sandy Kilroy and Sarah Cox for allowing me to support their leadership and vision to create a more sustainable airport
  • The environmental Land Stewardship principles passed by commission last year balanced stewardship environmental stewardship with airport needs for operations and development the principles have five components
  • First, they require comprehensive application of the principles to all port wides to all programs and processes
  • This includes the second principle, which ensures that land stewardship is specifically and directly applied to capital development prograMS The principles also recognize the nexus between stewardship and community benefits and seek to ensure programmatic actions apply and equity lends to land stewardship planning
  • This includes the fourth principle, which seeks to ensure that the port works with its community and government partners to improve ecological outcomes
  • Lastly, the principles also recognize land stewardship is best implemented using a holistic ecological approach, using best practices to maintain and enhance the health of our trees, forest, and other habitat
  • Next, slide in speaking to the land stewardship plan, specifically, which is being proposed for adoption
  • The land stewardship plan is intended to facilitate application of the principles by providing a framework for identifying and prioritizing stewardship actions
  • While the plan recognizes that the airport has legal and policy obligations to develop infrastructure and support safe and efficient flight operations, it seeks to improve the sustainability of those operations and associated development
  • Improving sustainable management of the ecological resources in the face of significant development pressures will enhance and restore ecological productivity as well as increase to the community benefits provided by the open space
  • The plan's objectives include, first of all, inventory tracking and annual reporting of achievements
  • We have already completed the baseline inventory using 2021 land cover data, the results of which are then used to inform planning and analysis to achieve the subsequent objectives while also providing a benchmark for tracking progress
  • Those subsequent objectives include maintaining the health of existing habitat while also enhancing and restoring our disturbed habitat
  • This is best accomplished by emphasizing contiguous habitat along highly regulated stream corridors, which lie generally between the airport operational areas and surrounding communities
  • The habitat corridors along streams also contain the highest level of ecological function, including allowing free movement of salmon, other fish and wildlife, and other fish and wildlife stewardship outcomes can also be improved through community partnerships, which is the fourth objective of the plan, allowing coordinated planning and implementation of land stewardship actions beyond sea properties in our neighboring communities
  • For example, Sea maintains community stewardship sites and sponsors community tree planting and invasive maintenance events at the sites
  • Commission has also approved grant programs that provide funding for citizen sponsored projects, both ecological and social and surrounding communities
  • While the previous objectives primarily emphasize planning and voluntary stewardship actions, the plan also recognizes the airport's need for development to support efficient operations
  • This is necessarily going to require tree clearing for this reason
  • The last objective establishes goals and actions consistent with the land stewardship plan principles that mitigate the effects of tree clearing required for operations and development
  • Next slide, please
  • The land stewardship plans management approach is to align stewardship recommendations with existing land use and regulated ecological resources
  • In operational areas, which include the airfield proper and the terminal, stewardship potential is highly constrained and no actions are recommended
  • We have also grouped ground leases in this category as the lessee is responsible for maintaining those sites through the terms and conditions of its lease
  • This includes North Sea-Tac park, which is leased and maintained by the city of Sea-Tac, and they are responsible for the maintenance of the park plants at development sites
  • The plan recommends stewardship actions that ensure public safety and adequately maintained landscaping
  • In practice, we are inventorying development sites to mitigate potential vegetation hazards to structures, public areas, and roads
  • We are also inventorying formal landscaping around buildings and other infrastructures to identify missing, dead, and unhealthy trees in order that we may replace them
  • Remaining sites contain significant ecological resources that are assessed for suitability to provide certain types of stewardship depending on the nature and extent of the resources present
  • As Sarah mentioned, the airport maintains already approximately 200 acres of protected mitigation that is mostly forested and receives long term stewardship, emphasizing invasive species removal to protect the native vegetation from degradation, particularly in areas containing high value trees
  • Sites with a potential for future stream and wetland mitigation are identified and evaluated as part of a comprehensive assessment
  • These sites are held in reserve until needed for future mitigation
  • This tactic is consistent with the strategy to provide environmental mitigation in the vicinity of the airport
  • Upland forested areas are more appropriate for voluntary forest stewardship actions that help to increase tree canopy
  • Those types of sites are maintained through community stewardship, other voluntary stewardship actions, and also provide potential to accommodate tree replacement requirements for development
  • Next slide, please
  • Based on that recommended management approach, site plans are created assessing the condition of trees, forests, and other habitat and evaluating the magnitude of the need for invasive management and restoration planting
  • This information is used to support maintenance planning as well as capital development design related to environmental mitigation, including tree replacement
  • Next slide, please
  • Importantly, the Land stewardship plan complements and applies port equity policy, considering equity and environmental justice through the lens of the community benefits that are provided by the Land stewardship program initiatives
  • Equity is deeply integrated into the Land stewardship plan through requirements to inventory equity attributes, implement community partnerships and grant programs, and support broader policy based integration of equity into capital development and design through such initiatives as the sustainable project evaluation framework and the proposed SE treacement standards
  • In practice, land stewardship plan objectives require the inventory of four distinct equity attributes, including the port's own equity index scoring, the urban heat island effects, and two components for site accessibility
  • The objectives subsequently require that those attributes be used to prioritize sites for stewardship that provide the greatest potential for increasing community benefits
  • Conceptually, this is applied as prioritizing sites with lower or poor equity score in order to provide the greatest functional and functional ecological functional lift and community benefits
  • For example, the accompanying figure on the slide indicates the port equity index scores in neighborhoods surrounding the airport
  • Areas with poorer scores receive greater priority for stewardship actions
  • Next slide moving on to the proposed policy directive for SCHV replacement standards
  • The application of the land stewardship principles is supported through a strategy to adopt tree replacement standards for the airport's jurisdiction
  • Typically, municipal codes require tree replacement as part of development standards for site clearing and grading
  • All cities surrounding the port have adopted tree replacement standards and their development standards
  • These standards are fairly complex but generally require a maximum three to one replacement ratio for cleared trees
  • Airport properties are subject to city standards in which the development occurs
  • With the exception of the airport activity area identified in blue on the figure
  • The airport activity area is administered by the interlocal agreement between the port and the city of Sea-Tac
  • The agreement designates the airport building department as the jurisdictional authority within the airport activity area
  • Currently, there are no formally authorized tree replacement standards in the airport activity area
  • The proposed tree replacement standards before you today fill this regulatory gap and ensure all trees removed on airport property, whether they're in the cities or within the airport's jurisdiction, are required to be replaced
  • Next slide, please
  • We take an innovative approach to tree replacement that is consistent with the land stewardship plan's objectives
  • To provide a holistic approach, we exceed the typical city standard of three to one replacement by requiring a four to one replacement ratio and consistent with the plan, the replacement standards take a forest health approach, and credits for replacement can be generated using one of three actions
  • You can plant one tree which generates one replacement credit
  • You can also protect an existing tree from invasive threat and that also would generate one credit
  • And this approach is similar to the regulatory approach for replacing wetlands, which uses a credit based system intended to replace ecological functions
  • In the case of the proposed tree, replacement credits can be generated by I've already said that I apologize
  • Next slide
  • As Leanne and Sarah both mentioned, consistent with the port's equity policy requiring public engagement and comment on the development of new port policies
  • Staff implemented a public engagement process for both the environmental land stewardship principles as well as the proposed sea land stewardship plan and tree replacement standards
  • The port held a public webinar on November eigth presenting the land stewardship plan and tree standards to the public
  • With approximately 40 attendees at the webinar, the port published the webinar Slide Deck draft, Land stewardship plan and tree replacement on the port website for public review
  • Approximately 20 individuals provided comment either during the webinar or subsequently through email
  • Once the comment period closed, the port published the comments in a blog addressing the comments
  • Next slide, please it's important to note that we received positive feedback on the land stewardship plan and the tree replacement policy
  • One comment calling the plan's objectives and goals laudable
  • We did receive specific and substantive comments regarding public outreach approach, the land stewardship plan objectives, as well as questions about how the port is documenting and reporting programmatic outcomes
  • The port concluded these substantive comments required a direct action in response
  • First, we responded to comments regarding the public engagement process by extending the public comment period from two to six weeks
  • We also confirmed that we would publish all comments in addition to the published blog response on the website so that the public had access to them
  • Second, we received substantive comments asking for the land stewardship plan to go even further to integrate equity into site planning
  • While the port still recognizes the need to balance equity with environmental, economic, and operational policies and requirements, we responded by revising the plan's objectives to include direct statements about equity
  • Specifically, the plan's objectives and goals were revised to add language explicitly requiring equity attributes to be inventoried and that the inventory attributes be used to prioritize stewardship actions
  • We also updated the plan to clarify the port will document and report its achievements through annual reporting and regulatory reporting requirements
  • Importantly, the port did not receive substantive comments on SEA's proposed approach to tree replacement
  • Comments related to tree replacement were general in nature, asking the port to please limit future development that requires significant tree clearing
  • The land stewardship plan and tree replacement standards do not propose or recommend clearing for development or development projects in general, so there was not a way to directly respond to those comments via revisions or updates to the two proposed strategies before commission today
  • Next slide, please
  • Thank you very much for allowing me to give you this presentation today and we're happy to take questions
  • Great
  • Thank you for the presentation and all the information you've provided
  • Are there any questions at this time for the actual staff? Commissioner Hasegawa thank you, Madam President
  • Madam President, we as commissioners have often talked among ourselves about how the Port of Seattle is uniquely positioned to lead on issues of environment sustainability
  • I think for a long time and historically, the public perception of the port is that we have always prioritized economic development at the cost of environmental well being
  • I am so proud of the labor of love and the heart and the hard work that has gone on for years in order to bring us to this moment
  • This is the port's land stewardship plan
  • There's a reason why we made it available electronically, because the irony of having a tree replacement standard to reflect this labor of love
  • Right
  • It's over 100 pages
  • Codifying and stewarding exactly how we are going to implement our land stewardship principles
  • And there are a number of remarkable elements to this tremendous and thick document, not least of which of how it's raising the bar for our tree replacement standards from four to one
  • Prioritizing and preserving old growth trees, recognizing the ecological benefit that they provide
  • Our aim to connect and preserve contiguous tree canopy, using an equity index as a decision making tool, ensuring that we're preserving habitat for fish and wildlife
  • It's all in here, and there's so much that's gone in and it's so consequential
  • That's why we also made sure that we had a very robust public review and comment period
  • I'd like to recognize and thank the many number, the many people in the public who showed up to be able to participate in these public input sessions, the many people who took time to look through this and actually write in
  • I'd like to recognize and thank the staff who made sure that that was a priority in our process
  • We often talk about how it's not just what you do, but how you do it
  • That means a lot
  • And although we didn't receive a lot of substantive feedback, there was some feedback that I'm really grateful to you for taking the time to listen, to record, to make publicly available so everyone knew what that feedback was, and then to incorporate it
  • That's really incredible
  • Active listening and responsive leadership
  • And I'd also like to recognize and thank AJ for bringing together such a really beautiful public input process
  • We have extended the public comment period
  • This has been in the works for about three or four months
  • To bring it to this point, everyone
  • And I think my question for staff is a nontraditional question, and it's for Chipper
  • And what is the piece of this? You've worked on this for years, and one of my favorite pieces in walking with you in this journey was actually going out to a site in Des Moines, seeing you in your element, seeing the potential of that space right there and what it could be having the historic relevance of that community and what it would mean to them
  • What is your favorite piece of this piece of work, of this land stewardship plan before us? I think you aye
  • the nail right on the head
  • It's the community stewardship events where we're able to bring the community together and tell our story and let them directly see the work that we're doing to try to steward the environment and then take that with them
  • So, for example, at the community stewardship event this Saturday that commissioner, President Mohamed attended, thank you very much
  • We were actually not planting trees, which is our typical shtick
  • Let's put some trees in the ground
  • We were actually getting out there doing the hard, hard labor, and I have the tendonitis in my hand to prove it today of removing ivy and protecting high value trees in and adjacent to our existing restoration areas
  • So as part of that, we are able to educate the community about how to remove ivy
  • They can take that to their own private residences or to their own outside, into their own communities and apply those techniques more broadly
  • So I think the community planting events are really where the rubber meets the road for land stewardship
  • We heard from a lot of folks about how important our green spaces are to their health, to their mental health, ability to be able to recreate, to the resiliency of communities and having a plan in place to protect these lands
  • It's not just important to our airport adjacent neighbors, it's important to the port of Seattle as an institution in holistically reducing our carbon footprint
  • And I'm truly confident that this resolution will provide a clear path forward on how to steward our lands for the well being of the future
  • I look forward to a second reading and adoption
  • And I think it's also important to clarify that we heard from a lot of folks that they wish that this could also be a vessel for us to be able to take further action to make decisions about uses of our real estate
  • And I want to acknowledge also that that is being very seriously considered on behalf of the commission through separate bodies of work, including our real estate strategic plan and the ongoing work of the joint advisory committee, which is co chaired by Commissioner Mohammed and President Mohamed and commissioner Felleman, in conjunction with our City of Sea-Tac neighbors
  • And there's been tremendous headway on that body of work as well, yet separately from this
  • So I appreciate all the good work of staff
  • Thank you
  • So much to all the folks who've been supporting us on commissioner staff via committee
  • And I'd especially like to thank you, Chipper, as well as John Everett, Sarah Cox from the aviation environmental team, and to Erica Chung from the commission office
  • Thank you, Commissioner Hasegawa
  • Commissioner Calkins, I want to extend my thanks to Commissioner Hasegawa on this, these projects where you really are forging a new, essentially a brand new policy and program for the port, these are the ones that really take a great deal of passion to move forward, and you have been dogged in your efforts to make this happen
  • And I appreciate all of the work that staff has done to engage the public on this
  • We've received a number of comments about this, and it sort of reminded me a few of them felt like, do you guys recall that there was a function on some social media, I can't even remember which one it was, where somebody had posted an article and you started to comment on it, but you hadn't clicked on it yet
  • There was this pop up that said, don't you want to read the article first? I sort of feel like I wish
  • Don't you want to read it first? Because I think if you read it, you would be strikingly surprised at how amazing this document is
  • In fact, it's so good that I think it's going to become one of those things that the port of Seattle is able to use to teach other ports
  • So having read this, it's a model
  • It's not perfect, but we're going to keep improving it
  • So really well done
  • Really well done
  • Excited to support this at the next meeting
  • Thank you
  • Any additional comments? Commissioner Felleman, thank you so much for all the hard work that's gone into this and the experience you brought to make this substantively possible
  • So I don't know that any other ports have arborists and stuff like that on staff
  • So we are quite fortunate to be able to produce something of this substance
  • I had a couple of questions and I assume might be sources of confusion for the public, just in terms of what this applies to which properties and things like that
  • And there are two different terms of art
  • One is an airport action area, an AAA versus a airport operations area, an AOA
  • Can you help me understand that distinction? So the AAA is an area that's defined via our interlocal agreement with the city of seatac, and that actually encompasses the AOA, the airport operating area, which is terminal, airfield or runways, taxiways, et cetera
  • So the AAA boundary within the ILA extends beyond that
  • But how just within Sea-Tac
  • The inventory, however, which is one of the components of the stewardship plan, applies to all of our properties
  • True? Correct
  • Which is fantastic
  • You got to know what you got in order to how to manage it
  • So all of the properties in the south end, multiple cities, are now inventoried, all of the port owned properties
  • And you mentioned, though, that the stewardship planning is not in the leased properties, but they are inventoried
  • That's an excellent question, commissioner
  • You caught us
  • We are not actually inventorying the developed properties that are subject to ground leases
  • That are currently ground leased
  • That are currently ground leased, yes
  • So we're not even inventorying those
  • Those sites have been developed and are primarily buildings and parking lots with formal landscaped areas
  • And the reason that we're not inventorying them is because, again, the lessee is responsible for the maintenance of those sites
  • And so because we don't have a mechanism for the direct stewardship actions proposed in the plan, we didn't include those areas
  • Well, why I see that it's relevant is for one of the most important mitigations, obviously, is avoidance
  • And so for those areas, that we could intensify use in relatively lower ecologically significant areas in lieu of expanding to areas otherwise, if you knew what was in those areas, we could put a multilayer parking garage on an existing site, rather than sprawling to another site
  • But knowing that that site is of lower ecological value allows to inform
  • And that's really where this site prioritization category is
  • Where you say, for me was the idea was it's one thing to decide how to steward a property that's to be developed, but which one to develop, which one to avoid the most can also be looked at based on the relative ecological value
  • If you have a development of X square footage, you could put it on any number of sites
  • So you would choose the site that would have the least ecological community values
  • Do you see that as one of the roles, or is that just whether the real estate team chooses to make use of that? We have been in partnership with real estate team as we have been developing our plan, and they are developing their plan, and so we're looking at this in partnership to balance exactly that
  • And I think you will see that reflected in the real estate plans that they've presented
  • A couple more go for
  • And I appreciate the equity index effort, but when you look at the heat map for this area, one's hard pressed to find an area that is not inequitable
  • Because of the general area
  • This is one of the lowest treat areas in the whole region
  • So how you distinguish within that area is hard for me to understand
  • It's a nuance, and perhaps adjacency to community areas would make one of those variables distinguishable
  • So I just understand the challenge to laying an equity index on something that is generally impacted
  • And I think the last thing is, well, I want to note the fact that the community input was really invaluable
  • And the comment letter that we received from the Highline folks, defenders of Highland forests, I really appreciate the thoughtfulness they put into this
  • It was obviously not an off the cuff effort, and I want to acknowledge when people spend that much time on that
  • And your suggestion that laudable was used in one of the letters
  • It came from this letter
  • They specifically noted that these are laudable principles of environmental justice, sound strategies, and ecological community benefits
  • Then they go on to say we shouldn't be cutting any trees, but the idea that where we would apply this, they acknowledge the methodology of worthiness
  • I do really think that that's of note
  • And that again, to the degree we can use this as guidance for avoidance, I think that particularly addresses what they're talking about
  • And because you've done all this inventory work really allows us to make that effort
  • Last thing is, why not maritime? Why not all of our properties? You heard aye
  • last question, maritime
  • I can't speak on behalf of maritime, however, I know that they have been working on this, but our properties are also very different
  • I think it's important that it's primarily industrial properties versus on the aviation side
  • We do have more diversity in our properties to be able to pursue this comprehensive plan
  • Thank you, Commissioner Felleman, and thanks for staff for answering those questions
  • I do have a question for staff, but I first want to acknowledge the hard work and the time that Commissioner Hasegawa has put into this land stewardship and especially the elements around making sure that community input was prioritized and valued both through the webinar and the public comment
  • I think as public officials, elected officials, that is an important part of our role, is not just to listen to the public for two minutes during public comment, but really to be out there and engaging with them
  • And you exemplified that really well
  • And so I just want to say thank you for doing that and all of the collaboration that you led in partnership with staff
  • Thank you all for your hard work in this
  • Just lots of gratitude there
  • I did participate in this weekend's land stewardship activity, and it was really fun
  • I wish I could have been there a lot longer and had bruises like you to show, but chipper, one of the things that I did hear you say, and I appreciated was the fact that you also have lived in that South King county community, and I think there is something to be said about that when you have port staff who come from the community and who are also doing the work
  • One of the things that Sarah, both you and I heard from, actually, the defenders of high line force who were there, Sandy Hunter, Rick Hardwood, were there
  • There's this mixture between what is in SAMP and what is in the land stewardship plan, and there seems to be some level of confusion around that
  • For instance, the park that we were at that day or the area that we were at over the weekend, there were folks who believed that that was an area that was included in Sam
  • But I heard that that wasn't a part of it wasn't a consideration
  • So I'm wondering one, is there some ways that we could attach just the FAQ to provide some level of clarity for what the public is asking us? I think there's areas, obviously, that require deeper level of nuances and more discussions, but there are some stuff that are just black and white that folks are asking us that
  • I think we could help maybe provide them with just clear answers
  • Yeah, absolutely
  • And I think there's a way we could just connect in to our SAMP website where it shows where the development is in relation to the land use parcels that are noted in the land stewardship plan
  • And I would also like to just note that for all of the future development that is presented in stamp, the sustainable airport master plan near term projects, we are under environmental review right now, and we will be publishing the draft NEPA document in Q four this year for public comment
  • And we are encouraging, and we'll be conducting a lot of outreach to receive the public comment on the proposed development
  • Great
  • And we'll be notifying the public when that time comes
  • Absolutely
  • And also connecting with groups like the Highline, the defenders of the Highline forest
  • Right
  • Yes
  • And I've shared with them our Siba NEPA site for communications, as well as we have a very extensive distribution list for our environmental reviews
  • Wonderful
  • Thank you again
  • Thank you to the staff and Commissioner Hasegawa for your leadership on this work
  • So hearing no further questions for this item
  • Is there a motion and a second to introduce a resolution number 38 21? Madam President, I move adoption of resolution number 38 21
  • Wonderful
  • Madam Commissioner President, just to note introduction, not adoption
  • Introduction
  • Thank you
  • I want to move forward so quickly
  • Introduction
  • Thank you
  • I stand corrected
  • For the record, this is introducing resolution number 38 21
  • The motion has been made by Commissioner Hasegawa and it's been seconded by Commissioner Ryan Calkins
  • Commissioner, is there any further discussion or debate on this item hearing? None
  • Clerk Hart, please call the roll for the vote
  • Commissioners, please say aye or nay when your name is called
  • Thank you
  • Beginning with Commissioner Hasegawa
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Felleman
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Calkins
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Cho
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Commissioner Mohamed
  • Aye
  • Thank you
  • Five ayes and zero nays for this item
  • The motion has passed to introduce item number 38 21, moving us to item number eleven, presentations and staff reports
  • Clerk Hart, please read the next item into the record and Executive director Metruck will then introduce the item
  • Thank you
  • This is agenda item Eleven, a briefing of action items from Language Access Order 2023 five and request for a multi phase extension to complete the remaining deliverables
  • Moving the due date on these deliverables from February 29, 2024 to February 28, 2026
  • Commissioners, King county is one of the most diverse counties in the nation
  • With that comes many languages spoken by our customers, users and employees
  • As a federally funded entity, we have certain regulatory obligations related to ensuring that non-english speakers and others who need translation and interpretation services can access our facilities and services
  • In April 2023, we passed Order 2023 five which directed us to increase our efforts in this area
  • This briefing will update you on the progress thus far while requesting an extension on some items that require additional work
  • Presenters this afternoon are Bookda Gheisar, our senior director of office of Equity Diversity and Inclusion, and Guadalupe Torres, humanity investments program manager
  • So with that, I'll turn it over to Bookda
  • Thank you
  • Good afternoon, commission president Mohamed commissioners and executive director Metruck
  • For the record, my name is Bookda Gheisar and I'm the senior director of the Office of Equity Diversity and Inclusion
  • I'm really excited to be here with you today to present an update and report on the language access motion that our commission passed last year
  • And before we start, I want to acknowledge the team who's worked really hard in this project, my partner here, Guadalupe Torres, who's been with our team for about two years now in the office of Equity and also leading the South King county fund work, as well as this language access work
  • And we have been very lucky to have Gloria Zapata Gonzalez, who's an emergency hire and part time supporting King County Metro, to also work with Guadalupe and I on this project
  • So thank you, Gloria, for being here today
  • And also I want to acknowledge a deep partnership in this work with external relations, Sally del Pier, Kathy Roder, Kathy Swift, and our business intelligence team who really support the analysis of the data and the cohort that you'll hear a lot more about shortly
  • Next slide, please
  • Our language access work is grounded in multiple demands and also commitments, starting with Title six, which applies to our entire organization and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, in all of our programs and activities that have any federal financial assistance, and also to provide meaningful access to limited english proficient persons and communities
  • I think you know that the FAA also released a very robust new mandates for Title VI for airports
  • Just last year, we provided our title VI plan and our community participation plan and were both accepted and are considered a best practice among airports already
  • So really excited about that work, and the FAA work actually is really growing
  • So mandates for FAA Title VI last year to this year have already grown by a lot of different ways
  • And I also want to mention, though this is not on the slide, that our title to work, of course, is a significant commitment, especially at the airport, to build an accessible airport
  • And you'll see shortly that ASL is, of course, one of the top languages, American Sign language, that we offer to our travelers at the airport
  • But in our organization, we've committed to go beyond compliance and to align our work with our century agenda goal of being a model equity, diversity and inclusion organization, and also our raise values of respect, antiracism, equity, integrity, stewardship and excellence
  • Language access has been and continues to be a significant element of how we become a welcoming and accessible organization
  • I know that all of you are familiar and know that, for example, in east King county today, one out of every four residents are foreign born
  • And in Seattle public schools, 170 languages are spoken by children attending Seattle public schools
  • And that 98118, where commissioner Hasegawa resides and I almost reside, is one of the most diverse zip codes in the nation
  • Next slide, please
  • So the language access order asked us to conduct an assessment in the organization, which you're going to hear a lot about, and included a community survey
  • I want to clarify that in the context of this assessment, we surveyed community based organizations that partner with the port
  • So we have not done a survey of travelers at the airport
  • That is something that I recommend that we look into because it's been some years since the airport has done a survey and updated languages at the airport, but of course, they're always looking at that
  • And we can do a lot more on surveying travelers around languages
  • But today we'll be talking about community partners and organizations and also the order mandated us to develop a guidance manual that then is systematically available to everyone in the organization and teaches our staff on how to provide translation and interpretation services
  • This is the port that we're actually not ready, and we're going to come back and talk more about asking for an extension on this component and human services also to propose a policy for when staff are used for interpretation
  • And we're going to address that in just a minute
  • Next slide, please
  • So the timeline in the order you can see on this slide was to survey the organizations last fall and our community as well in the last quarter of 2023, and then to begin a cohort of the departments that are providing most of the services and to provide a manual and to come back to you for a report
  • Next slide, please
  • So step one was to actually provide this survey internally, and 15 teams in external relations and 41 other teams responded to the survey
  • And our goal primarily was to just find out how are we doing today and how could we grow this work and identify those gaps
  • And so Guadalupe Torres is going to do a deep dive on our key learnings from the survey
  • But I want to share next slide, please
  • Just some of the examples of the great work that we're doing today
  • You can see that for South King county fund for some of the other listening sessions, and our human resources department for internships
  • A lot of materials are being translated
  • So we want to actually give credit to this great work and also identify how we can go deeper
  • So just turning it over to Guadalupe
  • Thank you, Bookda, and thank you for the opportunity to work on such a meaningful and important project
  • It has been very heartfelt
  • So what did we learn from this assessment that we conducted? What did we learn from this information and data collected? We learned that the port's reach is broad and that these interactions look differently among different departments
  • So, for example, external relations, working on the boat tours, that looks different
  • Very closely engaged to community, versus the airport, where we have almost 50 million travelers visiting our sites
  • So lots of different touch points
  • We also learned that there is a lot of engagement happening
  • 83% of our departments reported some type of engagement, 100% of external relation teams reported this
  • So that was kind of surprising that there is this high level of engagement
  • We also knew that aviation would, aviation customer service, accessibility and external relations would be the most frequent interactions would be happening there
  • That was validated
  • Formal processes were really uncommon, and that's an area that our teams were expressing a desire for more, a little more structure around that, a little more guidance
  • We learned across departments trainings about language access are really rare
  • Again, another opportunity to do better and to support our teaMS And then when we provided an open ended question in the survey and many responses were indicative of a desire
  • Again, as I noted for some standards, some tools, some a little more direction
  • Next slide, please
  • When we looked at King county in general and the languages, the data that was provided around their language services, and we compare them to the port of Seattle, we can see in the right column is the port and in the left is King county
  • We see overwhelmingly that tier one, Spanish, is the dominant language
  • Pier two, very similar to King county, with two unique exceptions
  • One is American Sign language and the other is japanese
  • What an asset
  • What an opportunity to delve deeper into this, and then with tier three, very similar
  • So again, this validated our findings and are very similar to King county
  • Next slide, please
  • So we talked about training and that this is a really important piece that we could go deeper on
  • And Bookda spoke about the guidance manual
  • This is a really strong opportunity to provide our teams with more information, with more support, with tools and direction on how to engage and how to problem solve
  • They're already doing amazing things, but imagine what that can be with training
  • Next slide
  • How are the interactions happening? What we learned from this assessment was that they're mostly happening with people asking for help
  • Can you help me? And mostly at the airport or in community
  • And so that's how it's mostly happening
  • The other piece is that we're asking them, can we help you? An excellent example of that is with our Pathfinders program at the airport
  • These are individuals that are placed strategically throughout the airport, and their job is to assist
  • And they're asking, how can I help you? And many of them speak other languages, and what they've established is a way to engage with people
  • This is something that they do well
  • And I had the honor to shadow them and could see that this is something that could be replicated throughout different departments
  • Next slide
  • Staff members as interpreters
  • So another really strong asset and a finding that was a little surprising was that over one in four external relation teams and one in three non external relation teams report staff using another language or serving as interpreters
  • And that's really wonderful, because what we learned was that most of these interactions happen informally and that our teams are just stepping forward
  • These interactions usually require immediate assistance, and our teams are stepping forward and providing that and asking good questions
  • So we'll go deeper into how that can be recognized and compensated in this policy as it evolves, but that this is something to be proud of something, to recognize that our port staff is problem solving
  • Our port staff is able to step forward and assist many individuals
  • Next slide, please
  • We also looked at dollars, how much money is the port spending in language access? And we looked from 2019 to 2023
  • And as you can see, it's been pretty minimal with the exception of 2021, kind of standing out
  • We attribute that to being a response to COVID impact and that we needed more translation services in our documentations and more interpretation services with virtual meetings
  • So I think that's pretty strong data there that can help guide us into where we can improve
  • Next slide, please
  • So one of the really critical pieces from the survey and from the assessment was that it helped us identify high usage departments
  • We were able with business intelligence to define a criteria to help us identify those departments and those are them on the slide
  • And not surprisingly, we're seeing lots of aviation, but we're seeing other departments too
  • That was interesting and I think important to note
  • So these are the departments and from this data we were able to form a cohort of representatives from these departments
  • And I'll speak to that in a minute
  • But that's something that was something good that can be cultivated and nurtured to really drive change
  • Next slide
  • So we booked a clarified what community we engaged with
  • These are individuals
  • These are community partners that already have a relationship with the port of Seattle
  • These are our partners and that we emailed the survey to about 150 of them
  • 66 responded, which is a 44% response rate, which is good and solid
  • What did we learn? Next slide, please
  • We learned that community really craves and wants personal interaction and personal connection
  • They want information about jobs and contracting opportunities and they want to give us some feedback about our computer translated tools that we're using
  • They found them useful but not accurate
  • It's important to note and that the needs vary across the community
  • So organizations that are specific in working with immigrants and refugees, for example, their language access need services, are going to be higher than those working predominantly in English
  • So there's a variety
  • And we acknowledge that many participants called out difficulties in trying to track information about jobs and about contracting opportunities
  • So we acknowledge that and want to do better
  • Next slide, please
  • Again, it's reflective of the community
  • We did see spanish as number one and then an array of different languages because we have such a rich and diverse community in King county
  • Next slide
  • So we looked at again, what do they want? They want to know about jobs and they want to know about contract opportunities
  • Certainly they want to be more engaged with the port
  • And we can do this by looking at leveraging technology and also going to community rather than having community come to us
  • Next slide, please
  • Here's the slide on the language access cohort and I want to take this opportunity to shout out the cohort because these are representatives from 18 departments that we met twice a month
  • I gave them homework, they showed up, they were highly engaged, deeply passionate about the work and offered really practical advice, suggestions and recommendations that we can start implementing relatively quickly
  • We focused on vital documents, we focused on understanding, peeling back that level and really understanding how are departments engaging? What are the challenges across the board? How can we define these tools so that they can help all of our departments? I think I'm going to pass it back to you, Bhutan
  • Thank you, Guadalupe
  • Next slide, please
  • So just wrapping up with our recommendations after this last six months of doing this assessment
  • Number one, we feel like there is so much that we can do to systematically implement language access in the organization, first with staffing this work
  • As you can see that Guadalupe in this case has also South King county fund and has been able to support this work when South King county fund work is not actively happening
  • We have some money for a consultant for this year, you commissioner Hasegawa had requested $50,000 that we have
  • So we're trying to figure out using that as a consultant or part time staff and also maybe looking at some title six duties for that person, as Guadalupe mentioned, moving forward with a tiered approach to look at this cohort to work together for the rest of this year, develop some really deep language access plans based on that, request their budgets for next year, and in the meanwhile for Guadalupe, Gloria and I to complete the language access manual, which includes partnering with some organizations externally who are doing this work really well
  • We have referrals from the city of Seattle, King county for companies that are doing a great job and we're looking at them
  • And of course, technologies made tremendous advancements, although as Guadalupe said, community members are not always happy with those platforMS But it is every day growing and getting better and better
  • Next slide please
  • Investing in tools and resources and partnerships
  • We feel like starting with prioritizing the areas that community really wants us to look at, which is our contracts, RFPs jobs to look at translating those first and finding a better way to reach the community with those offerings and developing some contracts with companies that do a great job
  • And then a resource center where a lot of training materials are available for all port staff
  • Because right now we do have a couple of contracts, but there is one in aviation customer service and one in external relations, and they're not really accessible to the entire port
  • Next slide, please
  • Katie Gerard, senior director of human resources, is here in case you have any questions about this
  • But HR has done a lot of research and looked at policies for paying employees when they do offer interpretation and translation on the spot, and they are working to adopt a policy by the end of this year
  • Next slide, please
  • Education and training for all employees
  • Of course, we found that a lot of people are still not really clear about the mandate to offer language access
  • Or we found that there are pamphlets that are translated in spanish and available in the community, but that when you call that number, the person who answers doesn't know how to find an interpreter to help the person
  • So there's a lot that we can do to really train our employees, make resources available to them
  • And again, we're doing a really great job on accessibility and ASL, but I think we can continue to systematically implement that across the organization because it is going well at the airport
  • Next slide, please
  • Graphic and signage
  • Of course, we have a lot of great signs, but making sure that they are everywhere and that people can see, first of all, that everyone has a right to request an interpreter and that we as an organization are comfortable with people seeing that and asking for support
  • Next slide, please
  • So this recommendation is specifically about communities in King county that we have partnership with and where we want to grow partnerships
  • I think you might be familiar that for South King county fund, we actually have a contract with a consulting company that provides in language liaisons in South King county for people to learn about South King county fund
  • They do question and answer sessions
  • They teach people about South King county fund, and that's really a model that we could really replicate across the organization in a lot of our other work
  • And Sally del Fioro is also looking at a model of language ambassadors in spanish speaking communities so that we could specifically look at really doing much more robust offerings with their spanish speaking community
  • And I think that's our last slide
  • Oh, sorry
  • Proposed next steps
  • Just really quickly, we're here to ask for a two year extension for the tiers that we've talked about to continue to develop the manual, implement it across the organization, and get to a point where everyone understands how to do plans, how to incorporate it in their budget and what the mandates are to finish the manual and implement it and make it available for everyone to finalize the compensation policy for employees, to support the language access cohort and get them to the point of developing their budget
  • For next year
  • And that concludes our report
  • Thank you for your time, and we're happy to answer any questions you have
  • Wonderful
  • Thank you both for the presentation
  • I'll now open it up for questions and comments from my colleagues
  • Commissioner Hasegawa
  • Thank you, Madam President
  • Director Gheisar, can you please do me a favor and clarify what the language access cohort is? Yes
  • So when we offered the survey organization wide, we identified 18 departments who are very actively offering language access services
  • And so we developed a cohort of those 18 departments who've been working with Guadalupe for the last four months
  • Those are the departments described in slide 13? Yes, as a cohort
  • Okay, great
  • And then they're identified as high usage departments
  • Are the high usage departments measured by requests for language access by internal entities like employees or externally by members of the public trying to access the port of Seattle? I can answer that
  • So we developed a criteria, and I can provide you with specifically what that criteria was
  • But we worked with bi business intelligence to help us define the criteria
  • And then based on the responses of the various departments, whoever scored the highest was then moved into high usage, defined as a high usage department
  • And that criteria is about how often you provide the services in what languages
  • So really, these 18 departments rose to the top who are actively either doing it or trying to figure it out or have figured out something and trying to do more
  • Okay
  • But it's language access for members of the public, and they're doing that work as departments
  • It's not language access for their employees
  • Correct? Okay
  • Correct
  • Did we have any way of gauging usage or request for service by travelers traveling public through sea? No, we did not
  • Though, as I mentioned earlier, the FAA title Vi plan is beginning to require that airports ask this question of travelers, what languages do you speak, what country are you traveling from? And even ethnic origin in some cases
  • So that's something that we're going to continue to look into and hopefully do next year
  • So the airport would plausibly gather that information of the traveling public, not the airlines, when they're booking tickets
  • The airport business intelligence already has team members who are walking around the airport and conducting surveys of the traveling public
  • And so our goal is to be able to either include language in those surveys or to conduct separate surveys
  • I'm sure everybody would be happier if it's the same surveys
  • Okay, thank you
  • And then on slide three, development
  • The third bullet point is development of a guidance manual for departments to create language access plans
  • And then they'll propose the budgeting resources necessary to effectively implement
  • Is that for both translation and interpretation services? Okay
  • Yes
  • And then does this include not just departments, but port programs, for example, green jobs or port jobs or the
  • A new apprenticeship, other things that we look to be able to facilitate access to jobs for non traditional communities? Absolutely
  • Okay
  • Absolutely
  • And actually, I'm glad you asked that
  • You said port jobs for our own jobs, but also mentioning port jobs, one of the things that the FAA actually is asking us is to include in our contracts that the companies that contract with us have the same obligation
  • That's great
  • Support jobs, for example, as a nonprofit entity that receives dollars from us would have the same requirements
  • Is that nuance described here in the plan? It will be
  • It will be
  • Very good
  • All right
  • Thank you very much
  • Oh, and I just thought I should clarify, although 98118 is near and dear to my heart, I actually proudly represent
  • Are you going to get 1440? Me, too
  • That's why I was saying almost right there
  • Thank you, commissioner
  • Any additional questions or comments? Commissioner Felleman, I appreciate you note the importance of the outreach part and how much work that we've been doing
  • And I just want to acknowledge the fact the years before this, we have Luis Navarro, who's been an ambassador in reaching out to the communities
  • And if we need to let folks know about the existence of these additional programs, we couldn't have had a better communicator for that end
  • Thank you for all your work
  • Agreed
  • Thank you, commissioner
  • Luis Navarro has been a language access department unto himself for all the years that he's been here
  • Absolutely
  • Hats off to Luis
  • I know he's in the room
  • I have a couple of, I guess, comments and not necessarily questions
  • I know
  • I'm glad that you guys are coming before us and asking for an extension
  • This work is a heavy load
  • And I appreciate the fact that you said that it's going to need additional staffing or a consultant to do it
  • And I'm glad that you guys are also looking at different tools
  • The one that I've recommended, or we've had success in the city of Seattle has been smartcat, which is basically a translation tool that creates a language bank
  • And so, as translators are doing these translations, it actually memorizes what has already been translated, and it cuts the translation time into half
  • And I just happen to know a little bit about the city of Seattle
  • What it showed, too, for the city is that it reduced the city's translation cost by 17% overall for all of the departments when they're streamlining and using one system, as opposed to every department translating their own sort of material
  • So that's one thing I wanted to point to
  • And Commissioner Calkins and I have had conversations about ethnic media, and I do wonder how that intersects or if that's something that you all have thought about when you're thinking the intersection between language access and ethnic media and the translations
  • I've seen some of our press releases being translated, and so is that something that came up for you guys when you were talking to external relations? Yes, absolutely
  • And I saw Kathy Swift walk in earlier
  • Kathy, do you want to walk up here for a moment and address that question? Not to put you on the spot
  • Kathy, please introduce yourself
  • aye.there
  • I'm Kathy Swift
  • I work in the external relations department, managers of the website and the advertising
  • We have done ethnic media ads in second languages
  • We've been doing that for at least four or five years, kind of primarily for job and career advertising
  • We've also run some sponsored content that's been translated and also translations on the website
  • So we've been doing that not as much as we would like to because it's a little bit of a longer process when it has to go through a manual translation, but that's definitely something that's important
  • And we do have, think, a list of 15 or 16 different ethnic media outlets that we work with every year
  • That's great
  • That's super informative
  • Great
  • Well, that concludes my questions and hearing
  • No further questions
  • I understand that there is a staff request in this briefing to extend order number 2023, five deliverable deadlines to February 28, 2026
  • Is there any objections from Commissioner Cho this request for an extension hearing? None
  • Staff may proceed with their deliverable timeline
  • So that February 28, 2026 deadline works for us
  • Thank you again for the presentation
  • I will move us along in the agenda now
  • Thank you so much
  • Thank you, commissioners
  • Absolutely
  • So we are at item twelve, which is questions on referrals or committee and closing comments
  • That concludes our business meeting agenda for the day
  • Are there any closing comments at this time or motions related to committee referrals from commissioner? Commissioner Hasegawa? Just three things
  • First, happy Women's History Month to everybody and Ramadan Mumbarak, also to everybody
  • And I also wanted to acknowledge that on the note of our last presentation, the role that Luis Navarro had in not just that, but in many good works here at the port of Seattle
  • We recently learned that he will be retiring and that this is aye
  • last week here with us at the port of Seattle
  • Well, aye
  • final meeting with us before the commission
  • And so I just wanted to recognize you
  • Senor Mucis portoro Sutravaho mendiciones into Camino proximo
  • Gracious Luis
  • Language, accent I think we just found our spanish translation
  • Any additional comments? I would just like to pile on and thank you, Luis, for your service
  • I know we'll see you back here
  • There seems to be a trend of retirees always coming back in some sort of capacity, which is why I always like to know, obviously, you have a home here at the port of Seattle, regardless of where your journey takes you post retirement
  • But over the last four and a couple months here, years, in a couple of months here, I've been here
  • It's been such a pleasure
  • You've done a tremendous amount of work filling the pipeline for our workforce, and I hope you realize that a lot of the work that you've done over the years will obviously outlast you and that that legacy lives on beyond your tenure here
  • So I really appreciate the legacy that you've brought here into this organization, and we look forward to having you back
  • I'll just pile on and say I'm willing to do an exit interview, but only if we get to do it in
  • Awesome
  • Ready? Commissioner Felleman
  • Well, we've already been talking about Costa Rica
  • It is the ultimate ecotourism destination, so I totally intend to find a way to make that a business trip with you
  • But I've so much appreciated working with you and will continue, I hope
  • And that's why I want to acknowledge your history of work here, long before we had an office of equity, diversity and Inclusion
  • So thank you, Louise
  • I do want to reserve a comment after this, but I don't want know spoil this moment
  • So if you want to address us, I just didn't want to
  • But I'll comment on something else
  • Sure, Louise
  • Madam Commissioner, president, IDC executive director Metruck has aye
  • hand up as
  • Oh, ok, maybe we'll start there
  • Executive director Metruck, in hopes that you're going to say comments about
  • Exactly
  • Commissioner, I do want to thank Louise for
  • Let me just comment on my
  • Since I arrived over just over six years ago, he was a really reliable confidant, talking about making engagement in the community and making connection across the community and all the work that he had done
  • All those connections were incredible
  • And he knew everyone
  • He knew who to introduce me to and he helped me make those introductions and continues to do that to this day, and then transitioning in multiple positions that I know he served throughout the port in aye
  • career at the port, and he succeeded in every one of those in different positions, and then with the stand up of the office of equity, diversity, inclusion, and then in the workforce development as well
  • He's always undertaken all those duties with dedication, and I greatly appreciate aye
  • mentorship and aye
  • collaborative effort in carrying out that work
  • So you will be Miss Luis
  • We hope to see you around, and I hope to look forward to more celebrations in your fabulous career
  • Thank you
  • Thank you, director Steve Metruck
  • Director Bookda Gheisar
  • Should we call you up? We're going to just pile on
  • Louise, thank you for this opportunity, and thank you, commissioners
  • As you know, I just came to the port five years ago, but I had worked with Luis for many, many years prior to that
  • And of course, once I got here, everyone in the community who had ever found a door into this organization had been introduced to this organization by Luis Navarro
  • And so I think, Commissioner Felleman, you're absolutely right, that long before there was the office of Equity, there was Luis Navarro, who has always welcomed people, built effective and trusting relationships with the organization, and made us a friend in the community
  • So thank you, Luis, for all of your work
  • We have a fantastic retirement party for Luis in April
  • I'm sorry that I don't remember the date, but it's on your calendars, and I hope that you're able to attend
  • Thank you, Director Gheisar, and I will just say quickly, and then I'll turn it over to you, Louise, thank you for your public service, and I'm looking forward to attending your retirement party and really just appreciate the work that you've done
  • Your name is well known in the community, and so your legacy will live on at the port of Seattle
  • Thank you for your service, and I'll turn it over to you
  • You have the floor
  • Well, I just want to say thank you and probably won't say much other than my first connection to the port of Seattle was in actually 1994, when I represented one of my former employers, the airline industry
  • And I was introduced by then, 1994, to Gina Marie Lindsay, the former director of the airport, who proudly presented us with the new design of the airport office tower and the third Runway
  • Have I mentioned this? Because I was very impressed with the presentation, and I believe my airline then, along with Alaska and others, we were the early signers of the third Runway in what is today the AOB airport office building
  • So somewhere in some basement and some storage box, my name is there, signing on as a great project
  • And it was
  • And little did I know then that ten years later, I would be managing that same project as part of the properties of the airport
  • But from there on, it's been a great journey, serving the community, serving CEOs and commissioners
  • And I'm so proud of all of you and what you continue to do and the work
  • My colleagues, every single colleague on board and my employees in the office of equity, this is just a great way to finish and to move on
  • So muchas gracias
  • And as they say in Costa Rica, where I'm from, Puravida
  • Thank you
  • So, hearing no further comments and having no further business, if there is no objection, I haven't touched the gavel
  • You can add your comment now
  • Go for it
  • I just want to express my dismay that we do not have a ceasefire come Ramadan, and it pains me and it pains all of us that we're in this situation
  • So thank you
  • Yeah, I really appreciate you saying that
  • And to all the port staff members who are practicing and observing Ramadan, I say Ramadan cream to you all
  • And I wished you all very well this month
  • Appreciate your comments, Commissioner Felleman
  • That was important to say before
  • I adjourned the meeting hearing
  • No further comments and having no further business
  • If there's no objections, we are adjourned at 02:35 p.m
  • Thank you
  • Thank.

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