COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.          10a 
ACTION ITEM                            Date of Meeting      February 9, 2021 
DATE:     January 22, 2021 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    David McFadden, Managing Director 
SUBJECT:  202 1 Program Authorization Request and 2020 Economic Development Partnership
Program Results 
Amount of this request:                 $930,000 

ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission authorization for the Executive Director to execute contract agreements
and implement the 2021 Economic Development Partnership program with King County cities in
an amount not to exceed $930,000. 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
The Economic Development Partnership (EDP) program builds alliances with King County cities
to advance economic development broadly across the region. The program, funded by the Port
property tax levy, provides cities $5,000 - $60,000 grants to implement economic development
projects that tie to the Port's business interests. The Port requires a 50% match (up to 25%
monetary match and 25% in-kind resources match) to ensure cities are also committed to project
success. 
The Port of Seattle Commission created the Economic Development Partnership (EDP) program 
in 2016 to advance local economic development in partnership with cities in King County. Over
the past four grant cycles (2016  2020), city grant partners have implemented projects that
advanced economic diversification, local business development, company attraction, planning
and feasibility studies, tourism, and workforce development. 
For   2021  staff  is requesting Commission to authorize funding not  to  exceed  $930,000
to implement the EDP program. This represents a $35,000 reduction from historical funding.
Staff  plans  to  reduce  the  maximum  grant  award  amount  from  $65,000  to  $60,000  to
accommodate this reduction.
FOCUSING ON COVID-19 RECOVERY IN 2021 
The 2021 grant partnership with King County cities will focus on initiatives that advance COVID-
19 economic recovery. Staff will work with city partners to implement projects this year that help

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COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 10a                                Page 2 of 10 
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small businesses rebound and stay open, drive buy local efforts, promote local (safe) tourism
activities and support impacted workers. 
If funding is authorized, staff will open the 2021 application with a program kick-off meeting in
February. During the application process, staff will work closely with cities, especially smaller
cities, to create projects that address COVID-19 economic impacts in their communities. 
Once an application is approved and agreements are in place, cities will work on projects and
send final reports between March 2021 and November 1, 2021. Awarded funds are calculated
based on the budgets submitted by participating cities in the applications and agreements
executed by the Port of Seattle. 
2020 YEAR IN REVIEW: CITY PARTNERS PIVOT TO ADVANCE RELIEF/RECOVERY EFFORTS 
In the second quarter of 2020, the Port began working with cities to pivot projects, through
agreement amendments, to meet immediate community needs created by COVID-19. During this
period, staff also worked with smaller cities to move projects that supported local businesses. 
Over half of the participating cities pivoted or reallocated resources to projects that supported
COVID-19 relief and recovery. 
As the year continued, the Port convened cities on five virtual meetings to identify resources to
support small businesses, share response best practices as the crisis evolved, and offer feedback
on the Greater Seattle Partners Recovery Framework. 
Overall, 30 King County Cities leveraged about $811,000 in Port EDP funding and contributed 
about $567,000 in matching resources (about $501,000 in monetary matching funds and about
$66,000 in in-kind matching resources) to spur economic development projects. 
The 2020 projects are classified into five categories based on the type of economic development
activities.  The  small  business  assistance  projects,  "buy  local"  initiatives,  and  tourism
development projects (totaling $646,346 in EDP funds together) had some of the greatest
impacts on supporting local economies through business support and promoting local commerce. 
Several cities are conducting multiple projects and some cities' projects crossover into multiple
categories. 
The number of economic development projects by category are: 
Small business assistance: 17 cities executed 24 projects with $352,609 of EDP funding, 
Buy local initiatives & marketplace development: 12 cities executed 14 projects with
$159,604 of EDP funding, 
Tourism development: 11 cities executed 14 projects with $134,133 of EDP funding, 
Business attraction and trade development: 7 cities executed 8 projects with $88,345 of 
EDP funding, 
Planning/ feasibility studies: 3 cities executed 3 projects with $10,000 of EDP funding, 
Workforce: 2 cities executed 2 projects with $66,261 of EDP funding. 

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Meeting Date: February 9, 2021 

The program funding supported $556,267 for projects in large  cities (50,000 or greater
population), $193,395 for projects in mid-sized cities (10,000 to 49,999 population), and $61,290 
for projects in small cities (0 to 9,999 population.) Program funding supported $420,645 for
projects in South King County, $312,868 for projects in East King County, and $77,440 for projects
in North King County. 
The projects highlighted in the City Project Summaries section offer a sample of the ways cities
are leveraging the EDP program to create jobs and advance the regional economy. 
LEVERAGING THE PORT EDP FUNDS TO GET FEDERAL PANDEMIC AID TO BUSINESSES 
Funding from the Economic Development Partnership (EDP) program drove a unique economic
partnership in 2020. King County cities used the Port's funding to leverage state and federal
resources that supported COVID-19 relief and recovery for hard-hit businesses. As an example,
17 cities used $352,609 in Port funds to support small business outreach, technical support to
small businesses, and to help small businesses apply for U.S. Small Business Association pandemic
aid programs. 
As of December 2020, 29 cities in King County shared data on federal cash grants they provided
to small businesses: 
Cities supplied 3,446 grants to small businesses and non-profit organizations. 
Cities distributed $16,417,215 in cash grants to businesses with many cities also supplying
COVID-19 response materials like personal protective equipment. 
At least 1,248 grants were dispersed to women-owned businesses (18 reporting cities), 
1,016 grants distributed to minority-owned businesses (14 cities), and 32 veteran-owned
businesses (4 cities.) Multiple responses from cities unofficially noted that many did not
collect this data or disaggregate this data suggesting that the number of grants going to
women-owned, minority-owned, or veteran-owned businesses is higher. 
The Port of Seattle Economic Development Partnership (EDP) program funding helped cities
communicate and provide technical support to get grants and other forms of pandemic
assistance to small businesses. Some projects  supported direct technical assistance for
businesses such as the (Re)Startup425 helping local businesses apply for Payment Protection
Loans or Burien, Covington, and Tukwila funding technical support from local chambers of
commerce. The cities of Enumclaw, Mercer Island, Burien, Pacific, Redmond, SeaTac, Tukwila,
and Woodinville used funds to outreach to local businesses about pandemic aid programs. 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
Annual Budget Status and Source of Funds 
The Port of Seattle Economic Development Partnership program is an initiative that will cost
approximately $930,000 to implement in 2021. The Port property tax levy will be used to support
the 2021 grant program. 

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Future Revenues and Expenses (Total cost of ownership) 
The program is anticipated to operate annually. It will likely cost between $700,000 and
$1,000,000 per year unless the Port of Seattle Commission changes or eliminates the program. 

DETAILED INFORMATION ON CITY PROJECTS 
Regional Partnerships 
Redmond and Kirkland (Bellevue participated using separate funds) 
Innovation Triangle  Participated in UK City of Surrey Briefing, D.I.C.E. Trade Show, UK
West Midlands Briefing, and NASSCOM Trade Mission follow-up. 
Retained an automotive retailer and shared information across participating cities on
COVID-19. 
Innovation Triangle website received 1,063 users (12% increase year-over-year.) 
Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, Redmond, and Renton  
(Re)Startup 425  Launched a web portal for COVID-19 resources for East King County. 
Launched Startup 425 Innovation Lab accelerator with 12 businesses participating with
Bellevue College. 
Conducted more than a dozen Startup 425 workshops online with hundreds of
participants, plus added webinars on specific topics (like federal financial relief and retail.) 
Assisted almost 600 businesses (with more than 3,200 employees) with financial advising
and federal business relief applications, including more than 600 calls and 1,000 email
interactions. Provided business assistance to more than a dozen businesses in languages
other than English including 12 in Spanish, 4 in Chinese, 2 in Korean, and several in other
languages. 
Duvall and Snoqualmie 
Supported  the  "Savor  Snoqualmie  Valley"  tourism  initiative  by  replacing  signage,
implementing social media promotions, and implementing a cooperative marketing
campaign. 
Individual City Projects 
Algona - $5,000 (1 of 6 cities finishing projects) 
Redeveloping King County Transfer Station  Conducting a real estate study to determine
how to redevelop King County's waste transfer station property. The site will be
transferred to the city. 


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Auburn - $65,000 
Auburn IPZ Incubator Operations  Continued incubator operations during COVID-19 and
moved workshops and technical assistance online. Workshop participation ranged from
10-60 participants. 
Non-profit  Conference    Hosted  a  two-day  conference  for  non-profits  focused  on
resiliency strategies. 
Buy Local Auburn  Marketing campaign for the citywide business directory generated 1.3
million impressions. Businesses have been able to manage their profiles during COVID-19
showing their open hours and services like delivery or curbside pickup. 
Bellevue - $65,000 
Heart of Bellevue Campaign - Launched a multi-pronged "buy local" marketing and
activation campaign in partnership with Bellevue Downtown Association called "Heart of
Bellevue" to drive activity at local small businesses and encourage outdoor dining during
the summer. 
Outdoor Dining  Created the first outdoor dining program in Bellevue history, which
garnered dedicated support from more than 70 percent of survey respondents and
"provided near-typical revenue for Main Street restaurants during the most unusual
summer in recent memory." 
Bellwether Arts Festival  Adapted the Bellwether Arts Festival due to COVID-19 to
provide an online marketplace for local artists during the holiday season. 
Participated in Startup 425, (Re)Startup425, and the Innovation Triangle. 
Black Diamond - $5,000 
Commercial Area Survey  The city received 240 survey responses, including 95% from
residents and 12% from business owners, suggesting citizens would like to see a seasonal
market or public spaces (public seating or plaza) on a piece of city-owned land in the city's
historic downtown area. 
Burien - $52,000 (1 of 6 cities finishing projects) 
Downtown 153rd Street Activation  Public space activation and streetscape improvement
with multiple elements. The ribbon-cutting had 2,000 people watching the video and
received 200 shares on social media. 
Commissary Kitchen  Planning for the Discover Burien Maker Space and Commissary
Kitchen to promote food-oriented microenterprises through training, collaboration, and
shared kitchen space. 
Regional Visitor and Business Attraction  The Discover Burien website received 648,000
impressions for visitor promotion and continued to support business attraction through
the Soundside Alliance for economic development. 


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COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 10a                                Page 6 of 10 
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Carnation - $5,000 (1 of 6 cities finishing projects) 
Tolt Avenue Business Retention  Supporting key local businesses affected by the Tolt
Avenue construction project.Work includes connecting business owners with technical
assistance  and  creating  local  "special  events  and  promotions"  to  draw  people
to the downtown core during road construction and COVID-19. 
Covington - $20,000 
Small Business Support  The Green River Small Business Development Center counseled
12 small businesses for 28 hours and shared COVID-19 resources at the "Covington Virtual
Luncheon." 
Website and Marketing Refresh  Produced 2 30-second videos and shot new professional
photos highlighting downtown Covington and development opportunities. 

Des Moines - $0 
Des Moines Marina Redevelopment - Building on the first 3 Port of Seattle grants, the city
is continuing to investigate financing for a public-private redevelopment partnership for
the Des Moines Marina. The redevelopment proposal was delayed due to COVID-19. 
Duvall - $7,840 
Savor Snoqualmie Social Media Outreach  Increased Facebook (1%) and Instagram (26%) 
followers, increased impressions of the "Perfect Pairings" and "Arts and History" blog
series, and added new photos and videos. 
Restoration of Main Street/ SR 203 Wayfinding Signage  Replaced signage that received 
multiple positive sentiments on social media. 
Enumclaw - $12,200 
Small Business Outreach and Assistance  Partnered with the Enumclaw Chamber of
Commerce to contact 150 businesses and surveyed 1,000 businesses affected by COVID-
19. Referrals were made to the Green River College Small Business Development Center. 
Federal Way - $59,295 
Promoting 2021 NCAA   Event      Prepared   for 2021 NCAA   Swimming   and   Diving
Championships (athletic event) expecting over 2,000 athletes and 10,000 people. 
Hospitality and Tourism Training Program  Created an online hospitality education and
tourism training course for industry staff delivered to 400 businesses. 
Virtual Consulates Week and Tourism Capital Improvement Plan  Developed the concept
for a Consulate Week to promote international trade and a written report on how to
finance $1 million in capital improvements at Celebration Park. 


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COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 10a                                Page 7 of 10 
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Issaquah - $37,589 
Business Retention and Buy Local program  Launched a marketing and business outreach
campaign with local banners, 29 newsletters going to 3,796 subscribers (25  55% open
rate), and 200 surveyed businesses focused on promoting local shopping. 
Regional Business Summit with Chamber of Commerce - Hosted 88 businesses at the 
Regional Business Summit to discuss regional COVID-19 issues. 
Data collection project with Chamber of Commerce - The Chamber of Commerce created 
five data modules and a tax toolkit for small businesses. 
Great Careers for Students  The "Great Careers" career fair was postponed, and funds
were used to develop digital tools for future fairs. The event connects students to livingwage
jobs that do not require a 4-year degree. 
Participated in the Startup425 and Re-Startup 425 regional partnerships. 
Kenmore - $21,242 
Business Survival Training  8 businesses and 2 non-profit organizations completed the
business training accelerator focused on navigating the current business climate. 
Professional  Photos    Updated  aerial  and  community  stock  photos  for  economic
development marketing. 
Kent - $65,000 
Apprenticeships  and  Advanced   Manufacturing  Training     The  Aerospace  Joint
Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC) trained 10 workers (6 participants self-identified as
women and 7 as individuals of color) on skills helping them move to jobs paying on
average $18 an hour. 
34 jobseekers receive tuition-free, pre-apprenticeship training, and 17 front-line workers
receive COVID-19 safety training. 
AJAC establish an online portal for employers to easily identify and apply for available
wage reimbursement resources. 
Kirkland - $65,000 
Participated in the Startup425, Re-Startup 425, and the Innovation Triangle regional
partnerships. 
Maple Valley - $26,180 
Entrepreneur and Resident Survey on COVID-19  173 businesses responded to a survey
on business needs and 208 residents replied to surveys finding where residents work. The
business survey informed the city's actions to COVID-19. 
Advertising/ Marketing for Outdoor Recreation  Marketed the city as an outdoor
destination in Outdoor Northwest and Visit Seattle. 



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COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 10a                                Page 8 of 10 
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Mercer Island - $24,470 
Business Outreach  Surveyed 269 businesses (mail and email) and updated contact 
information for 109 active businesses. Using the updated list, staff sent three emails to
about 950 businesses (41% open rate) about COVID-19 resources and grant information. 
Buy Local Program  Started a buy local program with 18 businesses participating and 52
social media followers. 
Milton - $5,000 
Mainstreet Placemaking Project  Installed street banners to delineate and promote 
Milton's main commercial corridor. 
Newcastle - $12,450 (1 of 6 cities finishing projects) 
Retail Gap Analysis and Report  A consultant developed a detailed retail market analysis 
of downtown Newcastle to identify retail and service businesses that could be attracted
to the city. The market research report can also be used by existing businesses. 
Normandy Park - $6,610 
Update Economic Development Website  Updated the city's economic development 
website with 2 eco-tourism videos and data from the current comprehensive plan. 
Ecotourism Marketing Video  Produced an "ecotourism marketing video" to use on the
city's website and in marketing programs. 
North Bend - $6,965 
Tourism Attraction Signage  Worked with the North Bend Downtown Foundation to
create and restore wayfinding signage and add 16 seasonal beautification and community
event hanging light pole banners to better direct tourists toward Downtown North Bend. 
Pacific - $6,875 
Business Engagement Survey  Partnered with a local chamber of commerce to develop 
and administer a survey of 43 businesses. The survey showed that 57% had applied for
federal pandemic aid and 50% had "resorted to temporary layoffs." 
Redmond - $63,774 
Business Outreach and COVID-19 Support  Surveyed 75 businesses, participated in the
Eastside Recovery Hub, and assisted 60 companies with support resources. 
Light Rail Dislocated Businesses  Contacted 93 businesses during 4 business walks and
developed a podcast with updates on the project. 
Eastside Economic Analysis  Created an economic baseline report and regional profile. 
Participated in the Startup425, Re-Startup 425, and the Innovation Triangle regional
partnerships. 


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COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 10a                                Page 9 of 10 
Meeting Date: February 9, 2021 

Renton - $65,000 
Tourism Development  Launched an integrated strategy targeted at local, tourism, and
business recruitment  audiences promoting local commerce.  Social media reached
45,000+ people across five different social media channels growing 27.9 percent over a
year. 
Downtown Faade and Storefront Improvement Program  Mix of programs supporting 
downtown retail area with 65 percent of downtown businesses participating. 
Pandemic Small Business Support  Hosted COVID-19 retail best practices event with 6
individual   store-front   consultations.   Participated   in   Startup425   and   hosted
entrepreneurial support for 118 registrants in 3 webinars. 
SeaTac - $6,555 
Business "Synergy" Retention and Expansion Program  Conducted outreach and business
support to 208 businesses, including 55 restaurants and 38 hotels. 300 businesses replied
to the survey. 
Website  COVID-19  Update  for  Businesses  -  Updated the  SeaTac  city  economic
development website with relevant information for businesses about COVID-19 and
resources for economic recovery. 

Shoreline - $56,198 
Urban  Pop-Up Drive-In  Arts  Series  Created  4  sold-out  drive-in  arts  experiences
highlighting 15 local films that received 5 earned media placements and created paid
opportunities for filmmakers and local vendors. 
Shoreline Place Farmers Market Promotion  Helped the Farmers Market adapt to COVID-
19 to run 17 market days and increased the average shopper spending per visit. 
Music Industry Incubation and Tourism  Hosted second Music Summit and 2 events for
small businesses on arts monetization strategies. 
Glass Art Festival Tourism and Commercial Center Activation  Promoted a neighborhood
commercial center through participation in Refract 2020: The Seattle Glass Experience
with local artist demonstrations. 
Skykomish - $5,000 (1 of 6 cities finishing projects) 
Digital  Interpretive  Tour  of  Skykomish  History    Created  a  digital  walking  tour  of
Skykomish working collaboratively with the Skykomish Chamber of Commerce, the
Skykomish Historical Society, and the U.S. Forest Service. The tour will be marketed with
QR codes at points of interest, physical signage and marketing collateral, search engine
optimization, and social media. 
Snoqualmie - $8,000 (1 of 6 cities finishing projects) 
"Seasons in Snoqualmie" Destination Marketing and Tours  Promoted the "Seasons in
Snoqualmie" brand to encourage visitation to Snoqualmie year-round and contract with
Savor Snoqualmie Valley to grow Instagram content and run the "Unexpected Pairings"

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COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 10a                               Page 10 of 10 
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marketing campaign to raise the visibility of unique activities in and around the City of
Snoqualmie. 
Tukwila - $20,930 
Digital Media Program for Tourism  Created a digital media program for tourism by
creating content shared through a new website, email newsletter, and social media. 
Business Assistance  Contracted with the Seattle Southside Chamber to contact 600
businesses, provide technical assistance to 10 businesses, and conduct 890 referrals. 
Kent Valley Industrial Area Company Recruitment  Maintained the business recruitment
campaign for aerospace and manufacturing companies across the Kent Valley in
partnership with Kent and Auburn. The site revived 1,402 unique visits in the first three
quarters of 2021. 
Woodinville - $11,779 
COVID-19 Online Resource Hub  Partnered with Woodinville Chamber of Commerce to
create, maintain, and market the Woodinville COVID-19 business recovery resource
micro-site that received 1,000 visits while contacting 800 businesses with resources on
managing COVID-19. 
Wayfinding  Improved placemaking and neighborhood identification through updated
neighborhood banners and the development of a digital visitor map in partnership with
the Woodinville Wine Country. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
(1)   Economic Development Partnership Program PowerPoint Presentation 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
July 10, 2020  The Commission heard a briefing on how the 2020 Economic Development
Partnership Program funding was being used to respond to COVID-19 .
December 10, 2019  The Commission authorized the Executive Director to execute contract
agreements and implement the 2020 Economic Development Partnership program with
King County cities in an amount not to exceed $965,000. 
July 23, 2019  The Commission heard a briefing on the 2019 Economic Development
Partnership program. 
January 8, 2019  The Commission authorized the Executive Director to execute contracts
supporting the 2019 Port of Seattle Economic Development Partnership Program in an
amount not to exceed $960,000. 



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