COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.          10a 
ACTION ITEM                            Date of Meeting        July 27, 2021 
DATE:     Friday July 9, 2021 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Bookda Gheisar , Senior Director, Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Alison Beason, Senior Policy Data Analyst, Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion 
SUBJECT:  202 1 Program Authorization Request for the South King County Fund
Amount of this request:                 $2million 

ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission authorization for the Executive Director to execute contract agreements
and implement the 2021 South King County Fund program in an amount not-to-exceed $2 million. 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
The South King County Fund (SKCF) program was created in November 2018 to provide $10
million in resources to near-airport communities. The statutory authority in which the fund was
rooted in (RCW 35.21.278) is the same one that dictates the parameters of the (sunsetting)
Airport Community Ecology (ACE) program, which was newly minted as the SKCF Environmental
Grants Program. 
A successful first cycle of the SKCF was launched in the summer of 2020 awarding $250,000 in
support for Women and Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE) small business development;,
$981,881 for Economic Recovery Programs; and $250,000 for Environmental programs. It
resulted in awarding 29 contracts between all three programs. 
For   2021  staff  is requesting the  Commission authorize funding not-to-exceed  $2  million
to implement the SKCF program. This represents a $500,000 increase from the first cycle. The
second cycle will support $250,000 for WMBE small business development, $1.5 million for
Economic Recovery Program, and $250,000 for Environmental Grants .
According to the Statement of Support for Order No. 2019-10: Adopting principles to guide
outreach and development of the South King County Fund policy: 
"...the Commission intends to retain review and approval authority for proposed projects and to
retain the authority to approve funding of projects recommended by Port staff, as well as projects
recommended through community input." 

Template revised January 10, 2019.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 10a                                 Page 2 of 4 
Meeting Date: July 27, 2021 

For the first round of awards in 2020 the Commission met this intent when Commissioners
received a briefing in advance of the final awards in public session and voted to approve the final
set of projects. This authorization will continue to meet the spirit of Order No. 2019-10 through
a passive approval process. The Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (OEDI) and External
Relations staff will select the awardees for 2021 funding. Commissioners will receive an email 14
days before the final execution of contracts and can notify the team if the any Commissioner has
questions or concerns about the awardees. After contracts are finalized and programs are in
place, Commissioners will receive a lessons learned briefing and another request for 2022
funding, likely in July or August 2022. 
2020 YEAR IN REVIEW: RECOVERY EFFORTS 
In 2020, after conducting community engagement with several multicultural stakeholders in
South King County, it was clear that economic development was a priority for these communities.
Hearing this community feedback and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing
economic crisis, in April 2020, the Commission added "Economic Development" as an approved
use of the fund. 
South King County is one of the most diverse areas in King County, with over 95 languages spoken
by families in the Highline school district alone. These communities, however, are vulnerable
because of a myriad of existing structural and social inequities that disproportionately impact 
many populations across this area:  people of color, women, immigrants, and people with low 
incomes. These community members have long dealt with issues that challenge their well-being,
from poorer health outcomes to lack of access to educational attainment and, consequently,
higher-paying jobs. 
The global health and economic crisis that has risen from the spread of the coronavirus has hit
vulnerable communities like these the hardest. The Commission's decision to use the South King
County Fund to also address economic recovery is timely and critical. 
For the last year staff have been working in a collaborative and interdisciplinary team, led by
External  Relations  and  OEDI,  which  has  included  representatives  from  Legal,  Central 
Procurement Office, Finance and Budget, Commission Staff, as well as outside consultants hired
for their expertise in multicultural engagement and developing equity-based grant making
processes. 
In 2020, the fund awarded over a $1 million within the following three programs: 
$981,881 for the new Economic Recovery program with funds supporting non-profit
organizations conducting projects in the following four categories: 
o  Small Business Assistance 
o  Workforce Development 
o  Job Creation 

Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 10a                                 Page 3 of 4 
Meeting Date: July 27, 2021 
o  Ideation, Network building, Development of New, Innovative Economic Recovery
Strategies 
$250,000 for a new Environmental Grants Program built from the ACE model which
services Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Normandy Park, SeaTac and Tukwila. 
$250,000 for Port Gen (program of Diversity in Contracting). The Port expanded existing
contracts with organizations that support WMBE businesses in South King County as part
of the overall Economic Recovery Strategy. 
PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION 
There is much to celebrate after the first year of the SKCF. A new program was designed and
launched in a matter of months to support economic recovery efforts in a region economically
devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Port leadership, interdepartmental collaborations and
committed, hard-working staff all contributed to getting this new program off the ground. 
In April 2021, the staff presented to the Commission several recommendations and insights into
the program. After multiple meetings with the inter-departmental team, it was recommended to
get authorization from the Commission to execute the contracts prior to advertising all requests
for proposals. Getting authorization will help to effectively fulfill the vision of being an equitydriven
, community-centered program for the community. 
This authorization removes some of the time delays and barriers that occurred during the first
cycle of the SKCF. The co-managers will keep the Commission abreast on all contracts
recommended for funding but present to the Commission an update on the proposals after
awarded. 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
Annual Budget Status and Source of Funds 
The Port of Seattle South King County Fund program 2021 budget will be $2 million to support
the three departments, Economic Development, External Relations, and OEDI. The funding
source is tax levy. 
Future Revenues and Expenses (Total cost of ownership) 
The program is anticipated for five years for $10 million in resources for near-airport
communities. It will likely cost between $1 million to $2.5 million per year unless the Port of
Seattle Commission changes or eliminates the program. 

ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
(1)   Presentation slides 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
April 28, 2020|Motion 2020-10 

Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 10a                                 Page 4 of 4 
Meeting Date: July 27, 2021 
The Commission to add economic development to the permissible uses for the South King
County Fund, in support of local recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 
June 25, 2019|Motion 2019-10 
The Commission adopting principals to guide outreach and development of the South
King County policy. 
November 27, 2018|Motion 2018-14 
















Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).