COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.   11a 
BRIEFING ITEM                                 Date of Meeting   October 25, 2022 
DATE:    October 18, 2022 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Christina Billingsley, Senior Program Manager, Environmental Engagement 
Tiffany Sevilla, Workforce Development Program Manager and Data Analyst, Office 
of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion 
Sally del Fierro, Director, Community Engagement 
Luis Navarro, Workforce Development Director, Office of Equity, Diversity and 
Inclusion 
SUBJECT:  Briefing on Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program and Duwamish River
Green Jobs Program 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This  presentation  to  Commissioners  will  provide  a  three-year  milestone  update  on
implementation of Resolution 3767, the Duwamish Valley Community Benefits Commitment
Policy  Directive.  Staff  and  community  partners  collaborating  on  the  Duwamish  Valley
Community Equity Program and the Duwamish River Green Jobs Program will present current
activities, program accomplishments, and identify opportunities for the future. 
Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program (DVCEP)  Activities, Accomplishments, and
Community-led investments 
Duwamish Valley Port Community Action Team (PCAT) and Port Capacity Building 
The Port Community Action Team (PCAT) is the community-convened advisory group
established in 2017 and consists of Duwamish Valley community members that engage the Port
in collaborative action and strategic planning in order to address historical and current
disproportionate, cumulative impacts affecting the Duwamish Valley community. The PCAT cowrote
Resolution 3767, the Duwamish Valley Community Benefits Commitment Policy Directive 
(CBC), with Port staff, which the Commission unanimously adopted in December 2019 (see
Attachment A). 
Since 2019, PCAT members have been engaged in multiple types of decision making to direct
DVCEP resource distribution, strategies, and impact evaluation. Some examples include:
overseeing the DVCEP budget and operations, advising on the Duwamish River Community Hub,
engaging with and building relationship with all levels of Port stakeholders including Executive
Leadership Team and Commissioners, directing funding for sponsorships, improving equity in
contract solicitation processes, and more. 

Template revised April 12, 2018.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                               Page 2 of 12 
Meeting Date: October 25, 2022 

The PCAT meets regularly to identify ways to build organizational and community capacity to
work with Port staff, who likewise convene internally to do the same. The “Duwamish Valley
Inter-departmental Team” consists of over 25 members across multiple functions across the
Port and are designated by Port Executive Leaders to participate. The group meets quarterly to
gain skills in equitable engagement, cultural competence, and other topics that improve staff
capacity to work with Duwamish Valley community members. Additionally, a core group of
Executive Leadership Team members act as advisors to the DVCEP, known as the “DVCEP
Executive Champions Group”. This group enables direct relationship and connection with PCAT
members to ensure that leadership at the top of the Port organization are accountable to
implementing the shared policy. 
After conducting a racial equity analysis of the program in 2021 in combination with PCAT’s
participation in anti-racism trainings, the DVCEP adopted new ways of working. These include
conscious efforts by staff and PCAT members to identify and extricate practices of White
Supremacy Organizational Culture (see Attachment B) within the Port, DVCEP, and PCAT. To this
end, the PCAT and Port continue to collaborate on important logistics to make this happen (ex:
giving advance notice, making Port communications more accessible  and transparent).  In
addition, the PCAT has developed a new operating structure guided by a new vision and values
statement (see Attachment C). 
Now, the means of how the program operates and the ends (impacts) are centered in anti-
racism and community leadership, which results in better long-term health and viability of the
partnership between the Duwamish Valley and the Port. Given that there is no expiration date
to Resolution 3767, the Duwamish Valley Community Benefits Commitment, this approach to
establishing a sustainable, inclusive, anti-racist, and accountable organization is critical to get
right in the program’s early years. As a result, this has been the primary priority for both PCAT
and Port staff over the past first three years of the program. 
PCAT-sponsored investments 
While this transformative structural work was occurring in the relationship between the Port
and the Duwamish Valley community, the PCAT identified it was also important to meet urgent
community needs through the program, especially during the COVID 19 pandemic. Starting in
2020, PCAT members began bringing community-led activities to the Port for sponsorship using
the Port’s authority granted under Trade Business and Community Development. These highimpact
, community-led projects promoted Port-related economic activity and public education
about the Port while advancing community-identified benefits. Selection criteria was designed
in collaboration with Port staff and projects were chosen for funding consideration based on: 1)
project alignment with CBC goals and strategies, 2) impact in community, and 3) project
feasibility and evaluation. These projects include, but are not limited to: 
-    Solar Energy Education Youth Workshop – a workshop series introducing local youth to
careers in renewable energy that resulted in the installation of solar-powered lights
constructed by youth at Duwamish River People’s Park 

Template revised September 22, 2016.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                                Page 3 of 12 
Meeting Date: October 25, 2022 
-    Youth-led Pedestrian and Bike Safety study – a youth-led ground-truthing study on bike
and pedestrian infrastructure near Port properties, that has accelerated Port, Northwest
Seaport Alliance, and City  collaborations  on traffic safety improvements in the
Duwamish Valley 
-    PCAT logo contest – a graphic arts and public relations campaign to raise awareness
about the PCAT and CBC while supporting the local artist economy 
-    Economic Justice Storytelling Series – a tour organized by Duwamish Valley journalists to
elevate stories of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color entrepreneurs in Port-related
industries, especially SEA Airport 
-    Gateway  Park  North  Youth  Cleanups  –  youth-led  cleanups  at  Georgetown’s  last
remaining river shoreline access point, a Port shoreline-property 
Incredible Parks Want Incredible Names – Port Parks Renaming Project in 2020 
In October 2020, the Commission voted to adopt new, community-sourced names for six Portowned
parks and shoreline habitat areas along the Duwamish River. The names reflect the
cultural, historical and environmental significance of each site. The action followed many
months of community engagement in areas surrounding the parks. The ‘Incredible Parks Want
Incredible Names’ project was designed in partnership with the Seattle Parks Foundation, a
public greenspace non-profit, to ensure community involvement and transparency. 
Throughout the process, over 4,000 public comments were received recommending that the
new names include indigenous place names and Lushootseed words for local wildlife and
natural features. Over twelve thousand individuals engaged with the program’s educational
website that provided videos and information about each park’s history, archival photos of the
old river shoreline, environmental conservation uses, and stories from nearby community
members and park users.  Stakeholders involved in  the renaming process included tribal
historians,  environmental  educators,  Duwamish  Valley  community  members,  and  Port
Maritime Environmental staff. 
Duwamish River Community Hub 
The three-year lease for the Duwamish River Community Hub began in summer 2021 primarily
as a field office for the construction of Duwamish River People’s Park but has also been used to
as a place-based economic development center for the community to easily access Port-related
economic development resources. Activities at the Hub align with Port-related industries and
career  sectors:   maritime,  aviation,  economic  development,  workforce  development,
environment and sustainability. To date, the Hub has hosted over 120 events serving
community members of various age groups, ethnicities, and language abilities.  The range of
event types have included: technical support for high school youth applying for the Port
internship positions, cruise  and maritime  career fairs, community-led construction trades
information and recruitment fairs, trainings on green jobs and Duwamish River stewardship,
Maritime High School field visits, and much more. 


Template revised September 22, 2016.


COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                               Page 4 of 12 
Meeting Date: October 25, 2022 
Port staff from the Duwamish Valley Interdepartmental Team regularly use the Hub as a hot
desk and meeting location for local collaborations; its key location makes it easy to facilitate
and maintain relationships with the stakeholders across the community. 
The Hub is organized by a part time building coordinator and supported by an advisory group
consisting of a PCAT representative and staff from External Relations, Real Estate, Marine
Maintenance, and Economic Development. The Hub rent is paid by Maritime Environmental
and External Relations Departments, and the building coordinator role is funded by Economic
Development Department, totaling to an annual cost of operations at $170,000. Port staff
continue discussions to bring the City of Seattle into partnership for collaborating on managing
the lease and using the space for their various activities in the Duwamish Valley. 
Community Engagement at Duwamish River People’s Park 
Duwamish River People’s Park is a two-decade ongoing story about the Duwamish Valley
community and the Port of Seattle’s long journey to cleanup an old industrial site and
transform it into a 14-acre shoreline habitat with public access to the Duwamish River.
Duwamish River People’s Park and Shoreline Habitat (formerly known as Terminal 117) is
located on the left bank of the Duwamish River in the South Park neighborhood. At
approximately 14 acres, this will be the largest habitat restoration site along the Duwamish
River and will contribute to the recovery efforts of endangered Southern Resident orca by
providing crucial habitat for their main food source, Chinook salmon. The Duwamish River
Community Hub and the park are intricately linked for hosting environmental education events,
habitat stewardship work parties, and enabling the Port to connect local residents to other
efforts by the Maritime Environmental Department.
Starting in 1937, the Duwamish Manufacturing Company and Malarkey Asphalt Company
operated at the site with minimal environmental regulations, as the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) was not formed until 1970. These companies heavily polluted the soil
and shoreline of the site and went out of business in 1993. The Port acquired a portion of the
property in 1999 with the plan to build a maritime cargo terminal. In 2003, the EPA designated
the site as a highly toxic “Early Action” Superfund cleanup site. The EPA found contaminated
soil, asphalt, oil, pipelines, a non-leaking underground diesel storage tank, drums, and debris in
the riverbank resulting in risks of exposures to PCBs, a highly toxic chemical hazardous to public
health. Since the Port and City now owned these polluted areas, both government agencies
agreed to partner in the site’s cleanup.
In 2007, the Duwamish Valley community advocated for the Port to pursue a higher standard of
cleanup that would transform the site into a public use park and habitat reserve. Port
Commissioners followed suit and unanimously voted for a full site cleanup, which allowed for
the site to be used for public access and habitat restoration. The park’s public grand opening
celebration took place in summer 2022 with hundreds of community members in attendance. 


Template revised September 22, 2016.




COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                               Page 5 of 12 
Meeting Date: October 25, 2022 
Duwamish River Green Jobs Program 
The Duwamish River Green Jobs Program is a collaboration with the Green Jobs Coalition (a
collection of Duwamish Valley WMBES and non-profits including Dirt Corps, Duwamish Valley
Youth Corps, ECOSS, Duwamish Tribal Services, and Sean Watts LLC). The vision of the Green
Jobs Coalition is a Duwamish Valley with no systemic bias, where lower income residents and
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color:
1) face no barriers to sustainable, fulfilling, inspiring, living wage careers, and
2) contribute to and benefit from healthy whole, self-sufficient communities restoring
the health of the Duwamish River. 
The program’s purpose is to equitably provide access to Port-related maritime and green career
opportunities to communities most impacted by Port operations. In addition, the program 
advances the Port’s Century Agenda environmental and sustainability commitments to restore,
create, and enhance an additional 40 acres of habitat in the Green/Duwamish Watershed and
Elliott Bay, partner with near-Port communities, and provide economic opportunities for all. 
In alignment with Resolution 3767, the program prioritizes the inclusion and participation of
Duwamish Valley community members, especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The
program aims to address the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the environmental sector, in
light of the fact that “disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on communities of
color [and that] people of color poll higher than whites in support for environmental issues,” as
identified in the Green 2.0 Report. In addition, the program aligns with the Washington STEM
Career Connected Learning Framework and advances the goals of the Port’s Youth Internship
Program by placing select previous Port interns into paid, experiential learning opportunities in
the Green Jobs sector. 
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ON GREEN JOBS/GREEN CAREERS AT THE PORT
In 2019, Commissioners authorized staff to conduct a solicitation to evolve the pilot project into
a long-term sustainable green jobs program focused on the Duwamish River. After a
competitive bid process, the contract was awarded to a group of organizations now referred to
as the “Green Jobs Coalition.” The group operates using a non-hierarchical and anti-racist
framework in designing their work plan, making decisions with Port staff, and in fulfilling the
scope of work. The Coalition includes: Dirt Corps, Duwamish Valley Youth Corps, ECOSS,
Duwamish Tribal Services, and SM Watts Consulting LLC. Since 2020, the contract has been
jointly funded by External Relations and the Maritime Environmental Department. In 2022, the
Office of Equity contributed significantly to support the work. As of 2023, the program will be
funded by all three departments. 
After its first year of operations in 2021, the Green Jobs Coalition conducted a racial equity
analysis of the outcomes and activities. Following this evaluation, the group identified the need
to narrow down the program’s focus areas and address key root causes of inequity within the
environmental sector. The following three green jobs career pathways - inclusive of training in

Template revised September 22, 2016.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                               Page 6 of 12 
Meeting Date: October 25, 2022 
culturally relevant storytelling, physical education, and history lessons - will now serve all future
job creation and career connected learning activities:
(1) Green stormwater infrastructure  is an approach to water management that
protects and enhances natural water cycles and aims to reduce pollution in
watersheds, improve the built environment to conserve water use, and mitigate
climate change impacts. Marketable skills in this sector include project design,
plumbing, hydrology, horticulture, customer service, project management, indoor
environmental health, construction, general contracting, engineering, customer
service,  landscaping,  and  specialization  in  infrastructure/building  design  that
promotes stormwater management techniques.
a.  Culturally relevant storytelling related to this sector include: relationships to
water, access to safe drinking water
b.  Physical education related to this sector include: safety with tools, movement
related to bending, surveying, digging, installation of pipes and GSI equipment 
c.   History lessons related to this sector include: Puget Sound ecological history,
history of redlining, flood and climate change-related infrastructure 
Student quotes 
“It was cool being able to recognize that I already knew what sorts of green infrastructure that
they were talking about, such as the oyster barrels and plant system that resembled a rain
garden. It just shows that I’m able to apply what I’ve learned to more conversations and
experiences around me!” 
“I really liked doing the little science experiments with the water because it almost reminded
me of being in school in Chemistry except better because I’m not being graded for it.” 
(2) Land-based salmon habitat restoration is a sector of conservation ecology that
emphasizes the interconnectedness of watershed health with terrestrial forest
health to promote salmon recovery. The sector includes the conservation of riparian
shoreline and urban forest natural resources. Marketable skills include ecological
restoration techniques and best management practices, arboriculture, native plant
identification/cultivation, shoreline-specific horticulture, erosion control, shoreline
habitat management, salmon lifecycle education and protection.
a.  Culturally relevant storytelling related to this sector include: Immigration and
connotations of outside “labor”-based work to different cultures, various
experiences with wilderness across ethnic or socio-economic differences 
b.  Physical education related to this sector include: safety with tools, movement
related to bending, stretching, carrying, installing plants, removing weeds 
c.   History lessons related to this sector include: Straightening of the Duwamish
River, industrialization of Seattle, Port of Seattle history 
Student quotes 
“It was a really fun day because the whole community was here and I got to relax with food

Template revised September 22, 2016.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                               Page 7 of 12 
Meeting Date: October 25, 2022 
and music while also doing my job to answer questions on the [Duwamish River People’s]
Park.” 
“[The visit to Seahurst Beach] was very cool, very educational in terms of learning more of
the sea life here in the area such as the crabs that live under rocks, the different types of
anemone's, barnacles that blend with rocks, and overall the ecosystem there is here.” 
(3) Water-based environmental education is an area of environmental education that
encompasses the exploration and conservation of the marine environment such as
coastal,  estuarine,  or  riparian  fauna  and  flora.  The  sector  requires  a  basic
understanding and comfort with on-water experience, water safety, marine vehicle
safety, fish and marine wildlife identification, and marine ecology. Marketable skills
in this field include stormwater management, curricula development and teaching,
recreational boating, fishing and safe fish consumption, environmental stewardship,
conservation techniques specific to riparian or coastal ecosystems, natural resource
monitoring, river guide training, first aid training, and water safety.
a.  Culturally relevant storytelling related to this sector include: relationships to
water, access to safe drinking water, education of safe fish consumption and
fishing habits. 
b.  Physical education related to this sector include: water safety, kayaking/small
vessel safety 
c.   History lessons related to this sector include: Indigenous Coast Salish heritage
and relationship to the Duwamish River 
Student quotes 
“Swimming on a hot day is already pretty nice honestly but strengthening my skills to make
sure I’m safe in the water is definitely the highlight of it all.” 
“[The cooking and fish safety day] was really cool and soothing being able to talk with the
Khmer members from the organization and cook in my native tongue with them since I don’t
have a chance to connect with many other people from my community otherwise.” 

PROGRAM METRICS AND JOB CREATION OUTCOMES 
The Duwamish River Green Jobs Program hosts a summer youth training series and a fall adult
training series. Activities organized by the program included: career awareness (career panels,
worksite  tours),  career  exploration  (networking,  industry-based  experiences),  career
preparation (worksite learning), and career skills training (hands-on training, mentorship).
In the 2021 summer cohort, 13 out of 15 youth trainees were BIPOC-identified, were a mix of
high school and non-student youth, and 50% were recruited directly from the Duwamish Valley.
The fall cohort included 8 out 10 adult trainees who were BIPOC-identified, including 6 English
Language Learners. Fifty percent of participants had direct connection to (either presently
resided in or previously resided or worked in) the Duwamish Valley. Adult participants

Template revised September 22, 2016.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                                Page 8 of 12 
Meeting Date: October 25, 2022 
identified as underemployed, unemployed, or in career transition before participating in the
training.
Trainees from the program found work in the following maritime and green career areas:
•      Local environmental restoration and landscaping companies 
•      Starting their own stormwater management businesses, ex: contractors for installing
green stormwater infrastructure at private and industrial properties 
•      Non-profits in the environmental sector 
•      Environmental education 
•      Local government parks and recreation departments 
•      Horticulture at local nurseries 
•      Advanced education, ex: pursuing graduate school for environmental engineering 
The Green Jobs Program aligns with the Port’s Workforce Development Policy’s metrics for
success.  Identification  of  investments,  outcomes  and  progress  of  the  Port’s  workforce
development efforts including, but not limited to: 
1.       The number youth placed in internships and (or) jobs: 2021- 15 youth, 10 adults.
2022- 11 youth, 10 adults 
2.       The number of persons trained, recruited, placed in jobs, and retained*: 2021 and
2022 (ongoing) trained: 26, recruited 27, placed in subsequent jobs (or education)
TBD, retained TBD). *Retained means the number of participants that began the
program and successfully completed it. Retention rates across years is not applicable
because it is a one year program. 
3.       The types of internships and jobs and range of compensation: Internship types
focused on the three environmental sectors (green stormwater infrastructure, landbased
salmon habitat restoration, water-based environmental education) and honed
these marketable skills: technical conservation science and restoration skills, cultural
storytelling, physical education, communication, environmental stewardship, and
community project development. $18/hourly rate for trainees. 
4.       The number and types of businesses that are served: over a dozen BLS Green Jobs
identified within “outputs sectors” benefits from the Green Jobs Program trainings. 
5.       Any other tangible benefits realized by the port, the workers, businesses, and the
public. 
• Sites improved: The Green Jobs Coalition and the Port have conducted instruction and
training at ten shoreline sites, including Lake Washington Ship Canal, Elliott Bay, and
Duwamish  Waterway  locations.  Six  combined  public  shoreline  access/habitat
restoration sites in Duwamish Valley have received Green Jobs Coalition effort. The

Template revised September 22, 2016.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                                Page 9 of 12 
Meeting Date: October 25, 2022 
Green Jobs Coalition and the port have collaborated to conduct more than thirty-five
events/site activities 2019-2022.
• Planting: Principal focus of many site improvements is establishing native vegetation as
fundamental environmental resources, providing important habitat values as well as
green/safe open space. Approximately 1750 native trees and shrubs and approximately
1100 native marsh plants installed by Green Jobs Coalition trainees. Note that planting
includes clearing areas of invasive vegetation, preparation of planting locations, plant
installation, and ensuring plant survival. In addition, they  helped with urban kelp
propagation at three waterfront locations. 
• Physical improvements: Site work has included installation of pedestrian shoreline
access trails and bank-line steps, installation of protective waterfowl fencing, and
removal of obstacles/debris for site safety. 
• Training/instruction: Work with the Green Jobs Coalition has included environmental
restoration design, demonstration of riparian vegetation and marsh planting techniques,
native vegetation identification, accomplishing site irrigation, assistance with green
stormwater  installations,  and  introduction  to  geographic  information  system
applications 
• Innovation/idea transfer: Collaborative work has been mutually beneficial. For example,
the opportunity to use port provided large wood materials in a recent green stormwater
project would not have been possible without the Green Jobs Coalition collaboration.
Also, establishing native plant “nursery plots” in South Park and Georgetown is the
result of sharing ideas with Dirt Corps staff and trainees. Future work beneficial to
Duwamish Valley communities may include street-end shoreline “re-vegetation” and
innovative green-wall applications, using salvaged materials. The Green Jobs Coalition 
work has enriched environmental conditions, provided neighborhood green-space, and
physically improved publicly owned port assets. 
• Wages for Opportunity Youth and Underemployed BIPOC Adults: Approximately
$60,000 in wages provided to trainees throughout the program, predominately to Black,
Indigenous, and People of Color 
• Cultural Shift in Environmental Sector: Challenging the “green ceiling for people of
color” to enter into the environmental sector: majority participants identified as Black,
Indigenous, and People of Color 
• Inter-generational mentorship and leadership within the Duwamish Valley:  youth
participants  led  tours  to  adults  of  the  Duwamish  River  Peoples  Park  and  their
stewardship efforts at Port properties at multiple Port events. 
• Cultural competence and Belonging: Cultural and historical tours of areas that
participants had not experienced (such as Chinatown/International District, Duwamish
Longhouse); telling the stories of Indigenous people, immigrants, refugees and other
communities of  color  and  their  history or  relationships to  the  maritime  and
environmental sectors. 
• Modeling for other Agencies: Program serves as a model for inclusive habitat
stewardship and environmental education across the region and country, staff working
on the Duwamish Valley partnership have presented at many regional, national, and

Template revised September 22, 2016.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                              Page 10 of 12 
Meeting Date: October 25, 2022 
international conferences since 2021 (ex: American Association of Port Authorities,
Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation- Maritime Working Group). 
The Port’s Workforce Development Policy Directive, as adopted by Commission on June 23,
2020 offers the following definitions that serve as foundation for this program: 
“Green Job/Green Career” means a job or career needed to operate and sustainably
manage Port assets. Green jobs/green careers provide the skilled and diverse workforce
in  King  County  required  by  the  Port  to  satisfy  environment  and  sustainability
commitments identified in the Century Agenda and support the Port’s operations. This
workforce is created using principles of an inclusive green economy that concurrently
enhance the environmental health and economic well-being of communities. Examples
of Port-related green jobs/green careers may include but is not limited to: renewable
and solar energy, stormwater management, habitat restoration and carbon banking,
eco-tourism and sustainable transportation, environmental compliance and 
remediation, environmental policy, as allowable by law. 
“Inclusive Green Economy” means according  to the European Commission, as an
economic model, one that differs from traditional ones in that it takes due consideration
of environmental and social externalities, focuses on resource efficiency and ecosystems,
as building blocks of the economy; taking into account that environment degradation
undermines long-term economic growth and human development. The transition to an
inclusive green economy entails joined efforts at many levels, including in stimulating
sustainable  lifestyles,  scaling  up  sustainable  consumption  and  production  and
encouraging green entrepreneurship, through the advancement of eco-innovations, the
facilitation of resource efficiency, and the mainstreaming of green consumer behavior. In
the course of change, new green jobs are to be created without compromising on
existing employment, and a significant reduction on carbon emissions, waste and other
forms of pollution is to be achieved. 
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ON THE DUWAMISH RIVER COMMUNITY HUB 
Alignment with Century Agenda Goals and Objectives 
Events hosted at the Duwamish River Community Hub range in topics identifying with a wide
range of the Port’s Century Agenda Goals; namely: 
Goal 3: Responsibly Invest in the Economic Growth of the Region and all its Communities;
especially in the Workforce Development Department’s efforts to increase career and business
opportunities  for  local  communities  in  all  port-related  industries,  specifically  through
construction trades, maritime, and green jobs sectors. 
Goal 4: Be the greenest and most energy-efficient port in North America; especially related to
promoting the Port’s substantial work on the nearby riverfront to restore, create, and enhance
40 additional acres of habitat in the Green/Duwamish habitat. The Hub functions as a field

Template revised September 22, 2016.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                              Page 11 of 12 
Meeting Date: October 25, 2022 
office for the construction and maintenance of the newly opened, Duwamish River People’s
Park. 
Goal 5: Become a Model for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; especially in supporting riverfrontbased
WMBE and DBE firms and non-profits to work with the Port and receive appropriate
trainings and resources needed to eliminate disparity of access to Port business opportunities;
and to accelerate regional workforce development efforts in port-related industries to provide
equitable access to quality careers. 
And finally, Goal 6: Be a Highly Effective Public Agency; because the Hub is managed in
partnership with the external stakeholder community group, the PCAT, the Port is accountable
to ensure the Hub’s relevancy and impact, which steers us correctly towards building a healthy,
safe, and equitable Duwamish Valley community.
Addressing Barriers to Entry at the Hub 
The first year of the Hub’s lease revealed barriers preventing community and industry access to
the facility. The Hub opened during the Covid pandemic, but Port staff worked alongside
Duwamish Valley community members to develop inclusive Covid Safety Guidelines and
procured portable air filters, masks, and hand sanitizer for each meeting space within the Hub.
In December, the Port of Seattle placed a moratorium on public meetings, which impacted
staff’s ability to activate the space and accommodate incoming event requests. During that
time, however, staff worked with the PCAT to identify and remove barriers for community use. 
Staff received feedback that the Hub building rates were too costly, the process for booking the
space felt arduous, and uncertainty about Port requirements for using the Hub all created
significant barriers to reserve the space. Staff from External Relations, Real Estate, and Legal
Counsel collaborated to develop a more affordable rate sheet and revised application process.
The reduced rates and revised application process increased the usage of the space by 80%.
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING
(1)   Presentation slides 
(2)   Resolution  3676   (previously  adopted),  Duwamish  Valley  Community  Benefits
Commitment Policy Directive 
(3)   White Supremacy Organizational Culture, article by Tema Okun 
(4)   PCAT Organizational Statements 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
• October 27, 2020 – Commission adoption of new park names for six Port-owned
shoreline and public access areas along the Duwamish River 
• December 10, 2019 – Commission authorization of Duwamish River Green Jobs Program
contract solicitation and PCAT Community Capacity Building contract solicitation 

Template revised September 22, 2016.

             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                               Page 12 of 12 
Meeting Date: October 25, 2022 
• November 19, 2019 – Commission introduction of Resolution 3767, Duwamish Valley
Community Benefits Commitment Policy Directive 
• October 29, 2019 – Energy and Sustainability Committee approves Introduction of the
Policy Directive to the full Commission 
• May 28, 2019 –  Commission establishment of Motion 2017-07, Duwamish Valley
Community Equity Program 
• April 10, 2018 – Commission authorization for funding to continue EPA Pilot Project
activities with Duwamish Valley community members 















Template revised September 22, 2016.