Item Number:    7a_attach_3 
Meeting Date:  February 24, 2015 
DRAFT MOTION OF THE 
OF THE PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION 
REGARDING ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMITTEES 
TO FORMULATE PORT POLICY DIRECTIVES 
AS PRESENTED FEBRUARY 24, 2015 
TEXT OF THE MOTION 
The Commission hereby establishes Policy Committees to oversee the development of
Policy Directives called for in the Port of Seattle Commission's Responsibility and Authority
and Delegation to the Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"). The Policy Committees shall be led by
members of the Port Commission and an appropriate executive chosen by the CEO. Each
committee will be responsible for coordinating efforts to engage subject matter experts as
appropriate. 
The first such Policy Committee to be established will be for the purpose of creating the
Port of Seattle's Energy and Sustainability Policies. These policies will set standards for the
Port's own environmental and carbon footprint and provide guidance as to how the port strike
the balance between benefits and potential impacts of it's or prospective tenants' operations. 
STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION 
The Port of Seattle's mission is to create jobs by advancing trade and commerce,
promoting industrial growth, and stimulating economic development. The Century Agenda,
adopted by the Port Commission in late 2012, sets out strategies, objectives, and regional
initiatives that guide the Port's efforts in pursuit of this mission. 
The Port was established under Washington law as a public agency and engages in
commercial enterprises that sustain a healthy economy. It is therefore endowed with both
governmental and commercial powers. These dual capabilities require institutional frameworks
that foster public accountability and empower direct conduct of commercial activity. The
Commission is updating the current General Delegation of Authority for this purpose and to
pursue the Century Agenda. 
All authority of the Port of Seattle is vested with the Commission in its actions as a
public body. Through this new General Delegation (passed under Resolution No. XXXX), the
Commission subsequently delegates to and vests authority with the Chief Executive Officer
("CEO") and delineates Commission and CEO responsibilities. It sets expectations and lays the
basis for the respective efforts of the Commission and CEO to be aligned, complementary, and
effective. 
The General Delegation calls for the development and adoption of Policy Directives to guide the
Port's efforts in pursuit of its strategic objectives and empowers the Commission, together with
the CEO, to carry out this effort. The purpose of this motion is to establish the vehicle to create
those Policy Directives.