Exhibit,_,.".__
la.
Port Commission
00
Meeting oi
Nickelsville
PO. Box 2548 
Seattle, WA 98111
(206) 450-9136
September 1, 2009

The Honorable Bill Byrant
Seattle Port Commission President
Port of Seattle
Terminal 67
Seattle, WA 98101

Dear President Byrant:

It has been a disappointing week for Nickelsville.

Friday August 21St was a day of great hope. Four Nickelodeons had met with
Seattle Port Commissioner Gael Tarlton and several of your leading staff people
including Mr. Kurt Beckett. Also at the meeting were Duwamish Chairperson
Cecile Hanson, Church Council of Greater Seattle Executive Director Michael
Ramos, Lutheran Public Policy Institute Executive Director Paul Benz and
Speaker of the Washington State House of Representatives Frank Chopp.

We are grateful to the Port for meeting with us on several occasions, and
responding to our proposals. Thank you.

At the end of the August 21st meeting Commissioner Tarlton agreed to bring a
simple proposal back to the Port, and encourage its serious consideration.

That proposal would have granted two additional months for Nickelsville at
Terminal 107, with a 3'01 month if serious and massive efforts to find a permanent
site for Nickelsville had occurred without success. At the end of those 3 months,
Nickelsville would move - whether or not a permanent site was available to
move to.

We believe this proposal addressed concerns the Port had with our earlier offer
of a 3 Month Temporary Use Agreement. Speaker Chopp had guaranteed his
involvement, particularly in assuring that the legality of this action was clarified
by the legislator. Nickelsville also committed to leaving Terminal 107 at the end
of the term regardless of whether a permanent site had been procured or not.

Finding a permanent site is not easy, and both Terminal 107 and other unused
Port Property are suitable. Yet we were willing to take a chance and give up

considering the Port as a serious permanent site in exchange for up to 3 months
of peace and no conict with a property owner.

Last Tuesday we received notice that our proposal had been rejected, and that
the Port intended to sweep Nickelsville from Terminal 107 on September 30th.

The press release that announced the planned sweep continues to confuse our
true needs and intentions: It again says that Nickelsville is looking for a
donation of land, money or services. This is false  we just want temporary use
of land to get through a real emergency. When the emergency is over the
temporary use ends.

Equally frustrating is the continued pretence that the Port lacks legal authority to
let us survive, temporarily, at Terminal 107. Not only does the State Constitution
explicitly allow municipal corporations to help the poor and infirm, but no State
Official has seconded the claims that other laws prohibit the Port from helping
us
stay together and safe.

Port actions themselves have made obvious there is no legal barrier to allowing
poor people (with no other option) to temporarily survive on Port Property:
First, notice of trespass was posted on July 24th that Nickelsville had to leave in 3
days.

This was followed by notice that a Court Order would be obtained, on August
10th, to give us the boot. Then this action was dropped and we were ordered
gone by August 215*. Now the date to sweep Nickelsville is September 30th .

Our desperate efforts to stay together and safe are being 'put up' with for over
two months (from July 23rd to September 30th) already!

The other side of the coin is to ask why, if a permanent location can be found,
haven't we found it since July 23rd? We can truthfully say that if we haven't had
to spend the last two months fending off being swept, we probably could have!

What Nickelsville needs to find a permanent site is several months of hard work
focused on this goal, and finding a properg owner who understands that
helping homeless people to survive is a worthy use of property.

We fear that what we have received instead is a month of chaos, distrust and
contention.

We will do our best to find a permanent site as soon as possible, and cooperate
with all those sincere about assisting us, but it is highly doubtful this will
succeed by the end of September.

For this reason we are calling on you to keep an open mind. Please learn more
about our efforts. Find out why we are insistent on not being scattered to the
winds to join the several thousand other homeless people sleeping alone and
isolated under bushes and bridges in King County.

Two years we were greatly impressed when Commissioner Creighton took the
time to stay with our friends at Tent City3 for the night. You are welcome to join
us for an evening if you wish, or simply meet us there for a briefer time. We
would also be glad to meet you elsewhere at your convenience.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
WM MKS- {beavers
4""J  "a
5'37?! Ww
7% we wear
it.
Dbm/ C'aNTEh'

We will do our best to find a permanent site as soon as possible, and cooperate
with all those sincere about assisting us, but it is highly doubtful this will
succeed by the end of September.

For this reason we are calling on you to keep an open mind. Please learn more
about our efforts. Find out why we are insistent on not being scattered to the
winds to join the several thousand other homeless people sleeping alone and
isolated under bushes and bridges in King County.

Two years we were greatly impressed when Commissioner Creighton took the
time to stay with our friends at Tent City3 for the night. You are welcome to join
us for an evening if you wish, or simply meet us there for a briefer time. We
would also be glad to meet you elsewhere at your convenience.

Thank you for your consideration.
m I" 4 m r5                 Sincerely,
7 (5% V6 r ,5