Port of Vancouver Board of Commissioners

0:00 ♫ ♫ ♫ [upbeat orchestral music] Good morning. Welcome to the campaign here for the commissioners meeting. Today is Tuesday April 14th. I'm calling the public meeting to order at 9 30 a.m. There was no executive session held this morning. I do have a microphone so maybe I should sit next to it. Please note this meeting is being recorded. My name is Don Orange and I'm the president of the Port of Vancouver Commission. Joining me are Eric LeBrant and Commissioner Temple Lynch. We are conducting a hybrid meeting along with our in-person meeting

0:59 we're having here we also set up so that we can take testimony from folks that are not physically able to make it here. Please join me in a pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Moving into the agenda, the first action is approval of minutes. Temple, what do you say? Well, Mr. President, I have reviewed the minutes of the March 24th, 2026 regular meeting and find them to be in order, so I move approval. I will second the motion. All in favor? Aye. Unanimously.

1:58 Next up is open forum. Yes, good morning commissioners. So today we do have a few folks that are interested in speaking during open forum. We will start with our virtual testimony. We have Don Steinke that is joining us virtually. So let's go ahead and move to Don. If you could hear me and we'll verify we can hear you as well. Good morning. Can you hear me? Yes, can hear you perfect. Hello everyone. My name is Don Steinke. I would like to talk about rooftop solar. For example, several thousand people in Clark County such as Commissioner Orange have rooftop solar with a two-way meter on their house. If Commissioner Orange's solar panels produce more energy than he's using, then Clark PUD

2:56 buys that surplus energy from him at the retail rate. However, Clark PUD had had no program for doing that for commercial buildings such as warehouses until this year. Now they do. The PUD tells me that their key accounts managers are promoting rooftop solar with their key accounts such as at the port. I encourage you to amplify that message to your tenant, to your tenants. The urgency is greater than I realized a week ago. We maxed out our hydro system years ago and we are short of electricity for population growth and for economic development. Clark PUD was counting on getting solar electricity from east of the Cascades delivered by the

3:54 BPA system, but we can't count on that anymore. And the reason is, I left that out of my notes, but the reason is Interior Secretary Doug Borlom is scouring the federal registry to deny any renewable energy projects on federal land, not only on federal land but with any federal nexus such as the BPA. So we may not be able to get electricity from the BPA if Interior Secretary Doug Borlom nixes that. And so we need to have local solar and so that's why I encourage you to get busy with local solar on your own warehouses. And the Clark PUD has an incentive program for that.

4:44 And their incentive program has a maximum size of 1000 kilowatts and the compensation rate is the avoided cost rate rather than the retail rate. And I encourage you to develop a plan to cover all your roofs with solar by 2045 as much as possible. The ideal time is when buildings are re-roofed. Topic two, although you have adopted a climate action plan, I don't recall if you adopted an emissions reduction plan with intermediate targets. I encourage you to do that if you haven't. Topic number three, starting this month, the Washington Zero Emission Incentive Program is officially going live.

5:38 It's offering 112 million dollars in vouchers to help Washington businesses purchase zero emission, medium and heavy duty commercial vehicles and equipment. I sent the details to your general manager. Thank you, that's all I have. Have a great day. Thank you, Don. Next up? Yes, so we have two people that have signed up here in person. First, I'd like to welcome Peter Fels to the podium up here. And I didn't say so because we haven't been getting a lot of public testimony, but if you'll keep it around three minutes, it'd be appreciated. Yeah, I think I can be shorter than Mr. Steinke. He didn't even run long. He has a lot of good information. Good morning commissioners, Ms. Lowe, Ms. Marler, and whoever's listening in the audience. My name is Peter Fels. I live here in Vancouver.

6:38 First of all, I want to congratulate you and thank you and your staff for what seems will be an environmentally friendly lease on parcel seven for future warehouses. However, once again, I want to address the issue of potential ICE detention facilities in warehouses on port property. As you probably know, the federal administration is currently housing over 70,000 people in private detention facilities throughout the country, and they're looking to expand their capacity. Homeland security is buying land and leasing warehouses to be used for detention. Now, when I last spoke on this topic virtually a month ago, Commissioner LeBrent commented that he finds what ICE is doing morally reprehensible. I believe you probably all agree.

7:31 I also believe the vast majority of your constituents agree and do not want ICE detention facilities on port property. Detention facilities don't serve the mission of the port to promote industrial jobs for our community. They may in fact interfere with port operations. We don't know exactly who the future tenants of warehouses leased out by Majestic Realty might be. However, you can prevent their use for detention facilities by placing restrictions on the lease agreement with Majestic or whoever your lessee of parcel seven is, and those restrictions would prohibit any use or sublease for use of a detention facility. I ask you to direct your staff to consult with legal team, maybe Ms. Lowe here, to incorporate

8:31 such restrictions into the proposed lease and any other future leases. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Peter. Thank you. >> Okay, next we have Deacon Lutnich. >> Good morning, commissioners and staff. Thank you again for the opportunity. Quickly want to thank the port for their willingness to send a representative to our biweekly labor roundtable. It's always nice to have an update on what's happening here, and it's appreciated to have the representation of the port in the community. On that note, I'm here today to circle back to an idea I addressed this board with about a year ago, and that's the idea of safe bidder language and contract awards.

9:23 It essentially says that if a contractor has had three serious, willful, or knowing violations, or excuse me, serious health or safety citations, violations, or penalties in a three-year period prior to bidding work for, in this instance, the Port of Vancouver, that contractor would be prohibited from being awarded that work for their safety violations. Similar language has recently been adopted in the city of Richfield. That language led to the removal of a lowest responsive bidder who did not meet those qualifications, and the project was given to the second lowest responsive bidder. This is language that protects, I think, awarding agencies, it protects families, and it shows a commitment to safe work and care of members of the community in the area.

10:19 Having seen this language, gone through legal process, and now having taken action in a different municipality, I wanted to bring it back to the forefront of this organization. I think it's a great opportunity for this port to promote safe work sites, safe work zones, and just kind of respect the process of construction and how hard and how important it is for people to go home to their families every day. Happy to resend an email with that information and examples of that language to any that need it, and I can also obviously produce hard copies. Any questions about its intent or the spelling out of it, or just anything happy to meet offline or in any situation, but I think this is a great opportunity for this port to show a commitment to the safety and health of local workers in this community, and I appreciate the opportunity. Thank you so much. Thank you, Deacon.

11:13 Deacon, we don't usually go back and forth at this point in the deal, but you do well to send all of us, bring us back up to date on that. Commissioner Lindz had the opportunity to welcome you, by the way. Happy to see you up there. My brain's just waking up to the issue, so if you'd send us that stuff. Happy to refresh everybody's memory. Yes, sir. Anything else? Great. Thanks so much. Thank you. Thank you, Deacon. Commissioners, that is all that has signed up. I'll just quickly look into the audience to see if anyone else. I think that is it for open forum today. Very cool. We're through with open forum. We haven't had any in a while, so I've got to check my notes and know where to go next. Next up are action items on the agenda today. Juliana, you're ahead.

12:13 Yes, so we have two action items today, and we have Josh Poe, Port Project Manager, who is actually going to be presenting both action items. So good morning, Josh. Good morning, Juliana. Good morning, commissioners. Good morning. All right, first action item. This project supports the Port's strategic plan goal to develop a 20-year comprehensive scheduled maintenance plan to maximize operational capacity, efficiency, and life expectancy of Port assets. The lease agreement between the Port of Vancouver and Western Partitions, Inc., effective June 9, 2021, references that the Port shall, at its expense, repair and maintain the roof structure. In the First Amendment of the lease, effective September 10, 2024, the parties agreed that the Port would design, permit, and construct building repairs to either repair or replace the existing roof coating, interior downspouts, gutters, roof venting system, and any other water damage caused from roof leaks.

13:09 If approved, this project will replace approximately 170,000 square foot of roofing, repair water damage within the office spaces, and perform needed sprinkler maintenance. Some hazardous materials abatement will be required as part of the scope of work. The construction schedule for this project is 120 working days. On February 19, 2026, the Port of Vancouver issued an invitation to bid 2602 building 2001 improvements. The Port of Vancouver's award of this contract is established on base bid, not to include the additive alternate. The Port reserves the right to adjust the scope of this work to match available funds. On March 12, 2026, the following bids were received. And in the agenda item, you have the bidder list, Pacific Tech Construction out of Kelso, Washington, is the apparent low bidder with a bid of $2,718,202. Staff has reviewed Pacific Tech Construction responsive bid and concluded that they are

14:06 a responsive and responsible contractor capable of performing the work. The bid is below the engineer's estimate range of $5,860,800 to $6,477,726. This project was included in the approved 2026 capital budget. Would you like me to read the recommendation? >> Please. >> That the Board of Commissioners authorize the CEO to execute a public works contract with Pacific Tech Construction, the lowest responsive and responsible bidder for bid 2602 building 2001 improvements for $2,718,202 plus applicable Washington State sales tax. Are there any questions?

14:47 >> Hearing none, what's your pleasure? >> I move that the Board of Commissioners approve the recommendation as presented by staff. >> I'll second the motion. >> Moved and seconded. Call the question. All those in favor? >> Aye. >> Unanimously. >> Thank you. Action item two, this project supports the port's strategic plan goal to provide trails and public access opportunities on port properties and to support multimodal transportation. The project will facilitate an approximately 1.1 mile multi-use path which extends segment five of the Port of Vancouver Renaissance Trail to the county owned section of Renaissance Trail located adjacent to the Flushing Channel.

15:39 This segment is the last segment of the Renaissance Trail located on port property and connects the Renaissance Trail from terminal one to Frenchman's Bar Park. Trail segment five will extend the existing Renaissance Trail system along Lower River Road, or SR 501, along the port's parcel three property. This project will include progressing the entire segment to a 30% design level and implement a partial construction package for the grading of the trail segment. The grading construction is planned for 2027. On October 17th, 2025, the port issued a request for qualifications for trail segment 5B, design and consulting services. A proposal evaluation and interviews were conducted with the results, determining OTAC Inc to be the most qualified consultant to perform the services required by the port. This project is in the approved 2026 capital budget and will be funded with the remaining bond funds from the 2022 bond issuance. With that, I'd like to read the recommendation.

16:36 >> That the Board of Commissioners authorize the CEO to execute a contract with OTAC Inc. In the amount of $695,543 to perform design and consulting services for Renaissance Trail segment 5B. Any questions? >> Is there any finer map than this one, or is this kind of rough? >> This shows the entire segment along our port property. There is some much more zoomed in map that we have that I can provide you. >> I'd sure love to see that at another time. >> Absolutely. >> I'm excited about this. I need to be back on my bike, and this is beautiful. I had dinner with somebody last night whose husband got knocked off a bike 20 years ago. And just passed the first of the month, but he spent the last 20 years pretty well devastated.

17:33 They're getting bicycles off the roadways today, something I think is beautiful, but enough said. Did you already read the recommendation? >> I did. >> Did you? >> Yes, I did. >> Excellent. I wasn't paying proper attention. What do you folks play? Got anything to say? >> I don't have any questions, so I can make a motion. >> I did have one question. Just noting how long this project has been underway. Does anyone know offhand when we started this process? >> I don't. It was before my time at the port. So I know we started segment four and five really in 2022, I believe, or 2021. And so this is an extension of segment five and be going on for a couple more years.

18:26 But it was well, well before then, because segment two and three were probably five, ten years ago at least now. >> Yeah, I remember that being one of the- >> Possibly longer. >> Possibly, yeah. >> Yes. >> I remember approving trail segments- >> By 15 plus years. >> When I was new, so. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Well, it's great to, all that preamble to say it is great to see it getting to this point. Where we're truly connecting with the trail system that's already out there. So I appreciate the long ongoing work of the team over these various segments as we go. So did you already make a motion? >> No. >> Okay. >> Would you like to? >> Sure, I'll move that we adopt the recommendation as presented. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> Aye. >> Unanimously. >> Thank you, Josh. >> Thank you, commissioners.

19:25 >> Thank you, Josh. >> Thank you, Julianna. >> Unfinished business? >> Yes, so in your packets, you'll find the port contract log. And this is a list of the active contracts that the port currently has, both public works as well as service contracts. And the highlighted portions of the contract log is the most recent activity. The contract logs are also located on the port's website. So anyone has the ability to review active contracts. Any questions on those? >> Hearing none, new business? >> No new business today. >> Accounts payable? >> Yes, we do have accounts payable. And I'd like to welcome Nick McIntyre, our accounting manager, to the podium. Good morning, Nick. >> Good morning, thank you. Good morning, commissioners.

20:20 We did not receive any questions prior to this meeting, so I'll start by reading the recommendation, then open the floor for questions. The recommendation is the Port of Vancouver, USA, Board of Commissioners, by motion, ratifies and approves the payment of March 2026 vouchers 127, 202 through 127,641 and the amount of $6,930,145.95. Including electronic payments generated between March 1st, 2026 and March 31st, 2026 and the amount of $1,126,277.84. And March 2026 payroll check 52251764 and direct deposits 100001 through 100132.

21:16 And 130001 through 130133 and the amount of $774,058.51. >> Thank you, any questions? >> I move to approve the recommendation as presented. >> I'll second the motion. All those in favor? >> Aye. >> Aye. >> Aye, unanimous. >> Thank you. CEO report. >> Yes, so I'd like to start the report with Matt Graves. He is our environmental manager who is going to provide an update on some of our environmental projects. Good morning, Matt. >> Good morning, thank you, Juliana. Good morning, commissioners. Today I'm going to give you a little snapshot into the port's storm water management program. Next slide.

22:13 I'll touch briefly on our storm water permitting and compliance here at the port. Some of our storm water projects that are being grant funded this year and a little update on our floating treatment wetlands. So the port operates mainly under two permits. We have what's called a municipal storm water permit, which you can see outlined in light blue here. This covers all of port property. Our second permit is our industrial storm water general permit, which is the one in the dark blue that covers our industrial activities. And on top of that, we have currently five construction storm water permits that cover projects under construction throughout the port, including our trail project right now. In addition to that, we have tenants that have multiple storm water permits. Some of them have industrial storm water permits. Some have an individual permit. Some have what's called a sand and gravel storm water permit. And some discharge their storm water to sanitary sewer under a waste water discharge permit with the city of Vancouver.

23:10 So lots of storm water permitting and compliance that goes around here at the port. The most challenging and most technical permit for us is the industrial storm water general permit. This permit requires constant inspections in collaboration with our facilities and marine operation groups to keep up with the best management practices like street sweeping, dust control, catch basin and storm line cleaning, spill response, equipment and cargo storage. >> Help me out, that one on the left, where is it? >> That's the terminal four pond. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. >> And I apologize for interrupting you. >> No, that's okay. >> My brain works. >> And in addition to that, also just cleaning of the terminals after vessel activity. So a lot going on with a lot of different players to make sure everything's in good shape. In addition, the industrial permit requirements can change every five years,

24:07 usually adding more requirements like increased sampling, increased coverage areas, lower benchmark values that you have to meet, or adding new pollutants to sample for. Currently, the permit requires sampling storm water runoff for these items here. Zinc, copper, pH, turbidity, and oil sheen. And these need to be met every quarter to limit corrective actions that can be really costly to us if we continue to keep exceeding those. The ports required to sample the storm water discharge is quarterly at the three locations shown here. The terminal four storm water pond on the left, the terminal two biofiltration system, which is the photo in the center, and then birth ten, which is on the right there. You'll be pleased to know that the port is currently in compliance and has met all these benchmark values at all sampling locations for both the first quarter and the second quarter of 2026.

25:05 >> Are those benchmarks, those are what we're allowed to hit, and we haven't hit those. >> Correct. Yeah, you want to be under those levels. >> I'm trying to make sure I understand, as opposed to the levels that we're at in the benchmarks somewhere. >> Sure, yep. So at the terminal four pond, we've been piloting a small polishing system since 2001 that has proven that the concept and the media we are using is consistently treating storm water to keep us below the benchmark values. This graph on the right shows the reduction of copper in the port storm water since 2012. The blue line shows the port's sample results over the years, and the red line shows that benchmark value from our permit of 14 parts per billion. Copper's the most challenging pollutant to treat, so you can see how adapting and making changes both at the pond as well as all over the terminals has really helped that number drop below the benchmark value consistently since 2023.

26:04 The pictures on the right show some photos of that pilot system where storm water's pumped out of the pond, ran through these filters and treatment media before we then discharge it to the Columbia River.

26:20 Next slide. So one of the projects we're working on at terminal four pond, we've received two Department of Ecology storm water grants. The port is designed and will construct a larger version of that pilot system that we currently have in place later this year. And the system will utilize sand filters and carbon filters to provide final treatment of storm water at terminal four, before we then discharge to the river. The project is currently at 100% design, and the port received $601,375 from the Department of Ecology to design that system. And we are also granted $3,918,936 to help us construct that later this year. Another project we've been working on since 2024, the port has been piloting basically the same system that we had at the terminal four pond, but at terminal two to pretreat storm water before it enters our biofiltration system shown here.

27:20 This facility has been utilizing rental equipment just to prove the concept, and it's kept the port under those storm water benchmark values since we've installed it. So once that terminal four polishing system is constructed under operation, we'll be moving the port-owned equipment from that facility to this facility, just to alleviate all that rental equipment and put in port-owned equipment. And that should happen sometime in the first or second quarter of next year. Another project we've been working on this year is replacing our floating treatment wetlands. We started piloting those back in the terminal four pond back in 2014. And floating treatment wetlands help improve storm water quality by reducing algae growth and removing pollutants like nutrients and heavy metals and suspended solids. And that's primarily through plant root uptake and their microbial biofilm development from being suspended in water.

28:19 The pilot program showed really good results using natural products to help filter storm water, but unfortunately in 2024 when we had to dig out the pond, the remaining pilot floating wetlands that were in there just weren't salvageable. So we'll be purchasing new ones this year. We purchased 500 square feet of floating treatment wetland that'll include about 1,200 native plants. It'll look similar to the pictures on the left on a larger scale. But we're gonna use more native plants for our area, like the ones pictured on the right there in our pilot study. So we're pretty excited to get those installed and going. Next slide. Well, that's all I have for updates, but we're really excited about these projects this year and just the continued success of our storm water management program here at the port. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. >> I do have a question. >> Go for it.

29:19 >> Matt, what's the lifespan for the floating treatment islands? Like what's the lifespan of those? What's the maintenance required on them? >> The main maintenance we do is just harvesting them, cutting down the plants when they get too large just so we can promote a regrowth of them. The design on our pilot wasn't the greatest cuz we used a very rigid flotation device and when we'd have a lot of water moving through the pond, it works kind of like a river current. And they were bumping into each other, getting stuck on shore and breaking. So the new designs are much more pliable to that kind of environment. So other than that, they can last quite a while. I mean, these ones lasted well over ten years, the ones that we had left that made it through all the storms. >> Cool, thank you. >> What are those wastes once you have to harvest them like you did and start over again? What level of, they've been absorbing the pollution. >> Correct. >> For ten years or whatever. >> Yeah, and we- >> So

30:18 what do we do with them when we're done? >> Those things are taken to our decant facility where they're then taken to the Columbia Resource Center Transfer Station and just through landfill. Nothing crazy, no hazardous waste. But we have tested it in the past and they're low enough to just landfill. Similar with plants in our gratitude boxes that we've done in the past. >> Do you have anything to put him on the spot for? >> [LAUGH] >> No, I appreciate, actually I did have one question, come to think of it. I assume that we're not the only port on the Columbia facing those kinds of thresholds or benchmarks that we're trying to meet. >> Correct. >> But I'm also assuming that our team is probably better equipped than any of the other ports to meet those benchmarks. Is there ongoing collaboration with like Glama, Longview?

31:16 >> Yeah, we collaborate a lot with Porta Longview, but we also have a storm water quality chair through WPPA that meets. We're all ports that are interested in collaborating, can get together on those calls. And we all talk about the permit, and the requirements, and what we're all doing. >> Awesome. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Matt. >> Appreciate it. >> And I mean, yes, we have a very innovative environmental team. And as you can see, they have some very interesting and effective projects. And I appreciate that they continue to look for ways to find innovative solutions. So they do a fantastic job. And then my final update today is yesterday we held the exit conference with the state auditor's office. And I'm pleased to share that we have our 17th clean audit.

32:15 And I just want to thank Nick, Sheila, Scott, our accounting team, our contracts team, IT, and really everybody at the port who does an amazing job to be great stewards of our public funds. And we have very effective policies and procedures to support the work that we do. And that's all I have today. >> Thank you. Thank you. Next up is the commissioner's reports. I think we start with you, Temple. >> Okay then. >> Let's just do it. >> All right. Well, first of all, congratulations and thank you on the clean audit. That's no small feat to go 17 years with clean ones. And to get through the audit and just deal with it too, that's a big disruption. So congratulations. Recently, we had an RTC,

33:11 Regional Transportation Committee meeting. And that basically deals with our regional transportation issues. And at that meeting, we talked about regional emergency transportation routes, like evacuation routes, and how we have a plan to keep those clear, and also updates to the transportation improvement program. So relatively routine, but also when you're talking about emergency transportation routes, a little terrifying. But regionally, we're developing a plan to identify, prioritize, and then develop further planning on how to make sure those stay clear in the case of emergency. Also, ongoing conversations with the Interstate Bridge replacement team. As we've seen in the news and already talked about here, the project's issued their set of core projects.

34:09 And so our staff is working with IBR staff on understanding all of those components and their potential impacts. So that's an ongoing conversation. Not as part of my port representation, but as part of my role on the state's Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board. I was recently in Everett for our regular meeting, and we met at the port of Everett. So I saw what some of our neighbors up there are doing, and they have a lovely waterfront that sadly will, it pales in comparison to ours. >> [LAUGH] >> But they're doing some interesting work up there, and also I saw the, I got to take a tour of the Boeing factory where they create all of their, a lot of their commercial planes. And it's gigantic, apparently the largest building by volume in the country, if not the world, and it was interesting to just see another,

35:08 another area how they handle their freight and mobility up there. But we're doing a good job here as well. >> Thank you. You're up. >> I don't have a whole lot to report since our last meeting. I had the opportunity to attend the labor round table a few weeks ago. And it was also attended by a commissioner from the Port of Longview. So it was fun to to run into our neighbors to the north. But that is all I have to report. >> All right. Well, I'll take a shot at it. Excuse me. I started out by going to a meeting of the firefighters that's led by, this year it's led by a captain from the

36:04 from the Vancouver Fire Department, but it's a regional get together of firefighters and how to address maritime issues and challenges. And I sat there for a few hours and listened. And the folks that we're used to seeing come to our house, or take care of people on medical, they're expected to address the industrial issues that might come up in a fire in this area. They're expected to address issues that come up on ships. And one of the interesting things, Deacon was addressing issues relative to the safety of working folks that come down here to build things for us. And these folks, the firefighters, have learned over recent decades

37:01 that they're being exposed to things that just weren't on our radar. And one of the most recent ones is the foam that is used for chemical fires, or gasoline fires, or that might well be used in a ship fire, is deadly. It's carcinogenic and it's, now we know that. And it's stored at a bunch of airports and a bunch of places. And it's being cleaned up and it's being replaced with a new one, a new foam that is thought to be healthy. But the new foam has a whole different set of characteristics to it. And it won't do some of the things that the old one would, but the one serious advantage of the new foam is they can practice with it. They couldn't practice with the foam once they found out it was killing them.

37:59 So they use it in an absolute emergency. I guess overall, thank you for the firefighters for what they're doing. Thank you to all the working people that get up and do all the tasks. I'm a retired guy and a politician. And I deeply appreciate the things that people are doing. There's a bunch of things, and I went to the Labor Roundtable. And oh, I spoke with some of the environmental community. And they're urging us, kind of like what Peter and Don were talking about. And they're urging me to go talk to the VUD about community solar, which is a little bit different than rooftop solar in how it's administered and so on, and see if the port can get involved in that. The port of Kamas Washougal did one, and they're doing something up in Ridgefield.

38:58 And I need to learn more about it, and I will.

39:04 And these folks, Peter was talking today, and they beat me up about keeping us from leasing out the ice. And I told them that the land that we're talking about is not designated or designed for residential purposes. And my understanding legally is that it ain't going there. And as a matter of fact, on Thursday noon, I got a call from a friend of mine that's a dentist, and he happens to be Indian by descent, and a US citizen. Thank god. But a friend of his that's been here on temporary visas, on an asylum temporary visa for 10 years, on renewal. And he runs a restaurant out in Beaverton.

40:00 Went in to get his renewal at the facility in Portland. And they said, no, you're refused. loaded him up and took him to Tacoma to a jail that's in an industrial facility up there. And I rode up there with him. And the concern is real. And shall we say, these are interesting times. I don't think they're very interesting to that fellow up there that may get deported and where his family thought enough said. Yes, I went to the Labor Roundtable. Yes, I went to yesterday's audit exit. And my impression was just as favorable as what you put out, and the folks for the state are impressed.

40:51 And we're privileged to sit as commissioners in an organization that's running pretty damn well. But we ought to be paying attention. And I resolve to pay more attention. We're fortunate in that sometimes folks in public agencies aren't doing all the things dotting all the I's. Our people are, and they're doing it right. And we need to make sure that we keep an eye on that and encourage it. And it ain't my fault they're doing it right. And so I want to make sure it isn't my fault if they quit doing it right. If that makes any sense. But thank you to the folks on the-- thank you to all you folks. Thank you to the folks that work on the financial team.

41:49 We just listened to an awesome report here from the environmental team. Thank you for all of you working away at this stuff. Hell, it's time I ran out of words. We're-- we have a workshop. Do we have any need from anybody to take a break? Or can we roll right into that? Hearing no-- if we can take a 15-minute break we can come back, or we can just roll. I'm OK to continue. OK. All right. We'll reconfigure the room. No, we'll just do-- we'll do-- just kind of roll right into it. I do have a couple of items before we roll right into the workshop. But if we're OK not taking a break-- Excuse me, did I jump? I'm sorry. No, you're-- Yeah, I jumped. I apologize. Go for it. OK. So just on the screen we have upcoming events.

42:47 So our next commission meeting is Tuesday, April 28, 930. We have a variety of community events as the weather is maybe in the next couple days. But we have sunshine here and there. But we have a lot of activities happening. I'd like to point out our port lecture series. We have our port lecture number two, which is this-- let's see, what's today? It's tomorrow evening, 630 to 8 at the Kiggins Theater. And it is a presentation on the reliability by the river, the Tidewater barge lines. And it's a free event. So it's fun to dive into more of the ins and outs of the Columbia Snake River system. And then on our number three lecture is on Wednesday, April 29, 630 to 8 PM, again at the Kiggins Theater.

43:46 And this is an opportunity to hear from the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, who formed the Northwest Seaport Alliance, and just hear from another port in the state of Washington. And so that's what we have for upcoming events. And then communicating with the commission, just a few ways you can do that. Again, we had the opportunity to hear from folks here during open forum. You can email the commissioners. You can call the office. We'll get you in touch with the commissioners. And I, again, encourage folks to get on the port's website. We have a lot of great information on the website about projects and what's happening at the port. And so with that, we will roll into our workshop. And this is a Terminal 1 update. So I'd like to welcome Mike Bomar, our chief economic strategy officer and Terminal 1 project sponsor, who is going to provide an update on Terminal 1. Good morning, commissioners, CEO Marler, Lisa, members of the public.

44:46 I am very pleased today to be here to give you an update on Terminal 1, our waterfront development project. Next slide, please. So before-- let's go one more slide. Before we talk about where we are today, I wanted to note the historical significance of the Terminal 1 site and acknowledge its location along the Columbia River, as it's been a vital trading and gathering site for Native American peoples for thousands of years. This area later became home to Fort Vancouver in 1824, which catalyzed regional economic growth. And in the late 1800s, Terminal 1 site hosted lumber mills and rail yards, as rail expansion changed this area dramatically. The site then shifted to shipbuilding toward the end of World War I with the standard for shipyards, as you can see in the photo there. In the early 1900s, Vancouver became known as the prune capital of the world. And in 1912, Terminal 1 became the birthplace of the Port of Vancouver. A municipal dock was built in 1921,

45:46 and we actively exported lumber, prunes, and shingles at this site. As the second span of the I-5 bridge was opened in 1959, our maritime operations moved west, and hotels were built on the no longer active working dock. The Thunderbird and then the Red Lion at the Key operated from 1960 until 2015, and the old Centennial Building was a community gathering place for groups like the Rotary Club of Vancouver. As Columbia Waterfront LLC and the city moved forward with their waterfront vision in the late 2000s, the Port was a key partner in helping to advance infrastructure investments to improve access to the waterfront, while also creating major efficiency improvements to the rail access to the Port, as well as the BNSF mainline. Between 2015 and 2022, the site had interim uses, including the popular Warehouse 23 and hosted Night Market Vancouver. During this time, the Port Commission established a vision, and staff advanced a plan for the future of this special place, which

46:44 is now becoming a reality. Next slide, please. Wanted to just set a baseline, and for both the Commission as well as the public, to understand the key documents that guide our work as we develop this site. In 2015, the Port embarked on an ambitious plan to develop Terminal 1 as a place that was accessible to the public, both in its features and its connection points, as well as its price points, sustainable both environmentally and financially, and as a gathering place where residents and visitors alike could learn more about their community, their history, the river economy, and the impact that the Port has on our region. This was a collaborative effort that included many community stakeholders and resulted in the adoption and the city's approval of the Terminal 1 concept development plan in December of 2016. This document outlines key requirements for the site to ensure that investments made are consistent with the Commission and the community vision. In 2017, the Port's mission was updated to include waterfront development.

47:42 That same year, the Port advanced the 2018 strategic plan, which included the goal to implement the vision of a destination waterfront at Terminal 1. Four strategies further defined this goal. One, to build a public marketplace on the Columbia River. Two, to create a financially independent business model by securing long-term partnerships to support the operating and capital costs. Three, to support public enjoyment and tourism through activities such as river cruises and events at Terminal 1. And four, to explore partnerships in arts, culture, and historical interpretation. Additional agreements, such as the hotel lease with the AC Marriott, Lincoln Property Company's development agreement, the Department of Natural Resources and Recreational Conservation Office agreements, further define this work, all consistent with this broader vision. Together, these documents set the stage for our day-to-day work in advancing projects at Terminal 1. So let's chat about how we go about implementing this vision.

48:40 Next slide, please. So just a quick outline of the roles and responsibilities. And before I dig into this, I want to give a huge thank you to our previous T1 sponsor, Jonathan Eder, who really got us to where we are today, as well as the dozens of folks at the Port with their technical expertise who help advance the vision of the Terminal 1 project. It is truly a blessing and an honor to work with these folks day in and day out. The Port of Vancouver Commission and executive leadership team help set that vision and guidance, make sure we keep us honest as we go through this process. Project sponsor, myself, I'm responsible for just coordinating and executing. The Terminal 1 planning group, which is a large cross-departmental group, works and meets regularly on a broad variety of Terminal 1 issues. And the T1 working group, with its project delivery and technical oversight, work on the very specific and technical needs of the project. We also use a variety of external consultants, partners, and technical resources to provide

49:39 market expertise, community input, technical design, and help us with operations. Next slide, please. So you may have seen this slide before. I think it's up on our website as well. The pledge commitments at Terminal 1 are substantial. They include over a half a billion-- that's with a B-- dollars of private investment over $130 million in port and other contributions. And we've already received $12 million from state capital project funding. The site is already also generating significant local and state tax dollars, including tens of millions in property and B&O tax, over $50 million in construction and general sales tax, over $10 million in combined REIT and leasehold excise tax, and over $5 million in lodging tax. Next slide, please. So a big thank you to Jack Flug and Patricia for helping to put together this sources and uses slide. As you can see, the private investment remains the lion's share with the port, state capital grants, and philanthropy, which we'll discuss later,

50:37 making up the rest. On the uses side-- the next slide-- private investment is paying its fair share, while the port will continue to invest in the public infrastructure, new dock, public market, and other public amenities at the site. Next slide. So let's just do a quick overview of the site itself for more detail. From west to east, we have lots one, which this will be the next one to open up is the 440 West Apartments. Just south of that is a similar plan for apartments at lot two. Then we have the AC Hotel by Marriott. To the north is the offices at terminal one, which are home to Zoom Info's world headquarters. Below that, the Daniels Way Plaza proposed, and a future mixed use site currently called lots five and six. To the south of that is the transit or lower dock, Vancouver Landing, and the future home of the new dock and public market. To the right in the dotted line shows

51:35 is the anticipated path of the new Interstate 5 bridge and approaches. Next slide, please. So this is also listed on our website and just gives you, again, a sense of the timeline as we're moving through. So again, master planning in 2015. The first building to go vertical was the AC Hotel and the completion of the Vancouver Landing in 2022. The old dock was removed in '23 and '24, as well as the construction of the LPC building. Last year in 2025, Zoom Info actually moved in to their offices at terminal one, and we began the new dock construction. LPC began their mixed use residential buildings, and that will be completed this spring. And then as we advance design for the public market, that will begin construction anticipated in 2028. We also have the Daniels Way Plaza, and lots five and six will be anticipated once the completion of the I-5 bridge, as well as the other projects at terminal one are finished. Next slide. We're very proud, as Matt mentioned earlier,

52:35 of a lot of the environmental commitments and sustainability features that we have, including those at terminal one. Terminal one is a LEED. That's a leadership in energy and environmental design site. It's a LEED Gold neighborhood. And the environmental features are not limited just to its buildings, but also in everything from native common area plantings to access to multimodal transportation options. Other features that you see up on the slide are things like bird safe windows, sensitive lightings to project measures like fish friendly gravel or fish mix placed on the bank, and bubble curtains for the dock rebuild to protect fish and to improve aquatic habitat. Next slide. So digging into the projects a little bit, the Vancouver landing area was one of the first projects at terminal one. And this project included phase one improvements to the Renaissance Trail behind the AC Hotel, a new rotary way historical walkway that was funded in part by a generous donation from the Vancouver Rotary Foundation. This is the largest donation ever from their club and was part of their 100 year celebration

53:34 as they had been meeting at or near the site for most of their 100 year history. The new and improved landing also includes features that highlight the Columbia River watershed, historical displays honoring labor and the history of our river economy, as well as fun Vancouver Easter eggs and a nod to our sister city partnership, which I'm very fond of Joyo Japan. Last year, students from Washington State University-- go Cougs-- expect something a little louder, Ryan, but that's OK. Thanks. From their digital technology and culture program, built an interactive vignette application that allows visitors to blend virtual and real to learn even more about our area past, present, and future. Next slide, please. The Renaissance Trail is another important project linking Terminal 1 to the rest of the Vancouver waterfront and to a large planned trail improvement partnership across the county. Phase one of this project is complete and included both state and federal funding of nearly $1 million. This portion of the trail is wide enough

54:33 for a variety of users, as well as access for emergency vehicles to all areas of the site. Next slide. The AC by Marriott Hotel at Vancouver Waterfront is a gem and a catalyst for this site. Opening in 2022, the project was the first to go vertical and reflects a great partnership with a local hotel developer. This hotel has 150 guest rooms, including three suites, and is already a go-to meeting space for many mid-sized events, including weekly meetings for the Rotary Club. Next slide. The Terminal 1 lower or transient dock was built in 1992 in partnership with the city of Vancouver and the Recreational Conservation Office. This public day-use dock has become increasingly popular with boaters since the activation of the waterfront. The city and the port are currently working together to chart a path forward for the future of the dock and will be bringing forward a series of options later this fall with recommendations on how to address emerging challenges at this site. Next slide. You've all received regular updates on the dock

55:33 and replacement, but I'll give you just a few highlights from this project set to be complete in February of 2027. We removed nearly 1,100 creosote pilings from the site, including some really cool-- depending on how you look at it-- inverted dug firs-- construction methods have definitely changed over the years that were over 100 years old. We constructed ground improvements and bulkhead wall to make sure the site was seismically resilient. And during the last in-water work window, which was October through January, the contractor installed 199 steel piles and is now installing pile caps and concrete slabs at the site. This fall, the contractor will install the remaining fender piles and complete the deck. Next slide. Terminal 1 includes a variety of public spaces and infrastructure that support the site. Seen here is the launch of the offices at Terminal 1, which offers spectacular views, both looking north to downtown Vancouver as well as south to the river into Portland. The launch was built as a nod to the Standover shipyards, which

56:31 were operated on site, again, at the end of World War I. And to the right is an example of a great partnership with Vancouver's Downtown Association. You may be familiar with their flower basket program. We've joined that, and we'll continue to expand the number of seasonal baskets as the site develops. Next slide. So Block 1, soon to be open as the 440 West Apartments, features 194 market rate units, starting with studios from $1,550 per month. This building includes ground floor retail and some great modern amenities. We look forward to touring it with you this spring. Block 2, set to be a similar type of building, is just to the south, and is set to start soon after with possible construction commencing as early as 2027. Next slide. And now to the crown jewel of the site, the public market. The market is currently estimated to cost $47 million and will be a 40,000 square foot building with several anchor tenants, many configurable spaces for a variety of small business types, catering kitchens, and event and entertainment spaces. The market is currently at 30% design

57:31 and will advance to 60% design this year. As part of this year's work, the port will be working with consultants and stakeholders to further define and optimize the project to ensure operational and financial sustainability. Next slide. So the original inspiration for the public market was drawn from the warehouse in the '20s that was on site and was remodeled into a hotel and event space in more recent years. A project relatively close by that gives a sense of the general scale and form of the project as the [INAUDIBLE] market in Wenatchee. The import engaged early with the owners of this project to better understand opportunities and lesson learned from their experience. Additionally, the port has researched and even toured dozens of other public markets across the country and really the world to gain inspiration and ideas as we advance the vision of this iconic site. Next slide. So fundraising. Over the past couple years, the port has been working to create philanthropic giving

58:29 as part of the public market's funding plan. We started with research on the best and most appropriate ways for the port to provide a vehicle for receiving these funds and concluded that establishing a field of interest fund with the Community Foundation of Southwest Washington was the optimal approach. The Community Foundation is a longstanding and trusted partner with experience in establishing these types of funds for public benefit. The next step is to release an RFP to bring on a fundraising campaign consultant to structure and launch a multi-year effort to raise a minimum of 10% or around $5 million. A couple of important notes, we don't plan to offer naming privileges for the market itself and funding will be dedicated to areas of public benefit and enjoyment. Next slide. Highlighting Vancouver's great arts and culture community, Terminal 1 will include a variety of art installations. Jim Hagar on our team has been working to launch an RFP for this year's budgeted art edition at the Vancouver Landing. This work has been done thoughtfully and in partnerships with tribes and local partners

59:29 to ensure that the site truly reflects our community and our culture. On the left is a rotary piece poll, which includes 13 languages common to the community, as well as Braille and American Sign Language. On the right is the Aqua Gallery at the offices of Terminal 1, and that's a great example of how partners are also advancing arts and culture at the site. Next slide. As I mentioned, operational planning for the public market will take place this year, both in our work to advance the 60% design, as well as establishing an operations plan for the market that will help us better understand what the port's direct role will be in operating the markets and the many facets of the market versus contracting with third party partners. And there is more to come soon on this effort. Next slide. So as Commissioner Lentz mentioned, we have been coordinating closely with IBR, not only on freight and river navigation, but also on the interaction between the project and the program and the Terminal 1 site. We are meeting regularly, very, very regularly,

1:00:29 to talk through the details, to try to avoid impacts at the site, as well as to look at how do we optimize both temporary and permanent solutions to ensure operability and that both sites can thrive. Next slide. So that is the end. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Next slide. Coming in newer to this, what are the kind of guiding principles for development of the operations plan and getting to 60%? Yeah, so kind of the mantra that I use is accessible, affordable, and then either educational or enlightening, right? So accessible is making sure that not just from a construction

1:01:28 design standpoint, but really everybody in the community is able to access and enjoy Terminal 1. And so we try to be really thoughtful and reach out to a lot of different groups in meeting that. Affordable, and again, we have to find that fine line between an operation plan that's financially sustainable, but is also something where people feel like it's not out of their pocketbooks to come and enjoy Terminal 1. So that is a guiding principle as well. And then again, that educational piece is such a great opportunity, especially as we're several miles away from downtown and a lot of the core of where people gather. It's a great opportunity to educate folks not only about the river economy and the port, but also just Vancouver and the history. So we want to make it an engaging and interactive site where people can really enjoy that. So those will all be elements as we advance the 60% design beyond the technical, and the materials, and all the other things of how is this actually working.

1:02:19 I was going to ask about-- you'd mentioned anchor tenant, what that looks like, what we're envisioning. When I think about Oak Tree Station over in the Colburn East Vancouver, or Pike Place Market, or any number of other kind of these kind of public markets, I don't necessarily get a sense that they have an anchor tenant per se, and more of the space is dedicated toward one of those smaller vendors. So I'm wondering, when you say anchor tenant, kind of what we're thinking there. Yeah, thanks for that, commissioner. I think it's an important distinction, because sometimes when we think anchor tenants, we might be thinking like Walmart, right? Or some very large development. And the anchor tenant in this sense is somewhere between, I think, 1,500 and 2,000 square feet. So we're talking about restaurants that are there. And again, there's some of those parameters or what we're going to be setting with that operations

1:03:18 plan on how do we, again, to your point, make it a reflection of Vancouver and the region and the area, and make it affordable as well too. So we do have some controls in that space. But typically, that anchor tenant piece are those areas that just have a little bit more in terms of their facilities and equipment and things like that that are a little bit more permanent than the other areas that can move as we do events or other things within the facility. OK. Little gum wall. Sorry. He was talking about an anchor tenant. You're not going to have a gum wall like they do in that bike market. I was just there this weekend, actually, as a matter of fact. If it's the will of the commission and the community, we can certainly look into that. But that is not something I am planning. All right. Excuse me. And the other thing I'll add is that we still are learning. And that's part of why we are bringing experts on board to help us understand what is that proper makeup to make sure that we are financially

1:04:15 have that financial stability and that operational mix. And so that's part of what we're trying to understand is how do we preserve the affordability and the ability to support small incoming or new businesses who are maybe making that transition from, say, a seasonal business to maybe wanting to do a year round business. So we're just trying to understand what is that operational makeup that will help be able to support all types of business. I mean, Vancouver's got a lot of international flavor that's pretty well established. And so I don't-- and this is me personally, so feel free to chime in. But I'm thinking less along the lines of business incubator, new business, making those kinds of transitions, and maybe more along the lines of showcasing some of the established businesses

1:05:15 that we already have that might be more financially prepared to participate down at the waterfront. But at the same time, I think we get more flavor if it's smaller spaces. And depending on who I talk to, there is sort of that assumption of, well, if this is what we do, we have anchor tenants. And then you kind of fill in with the nail salon and the coffee shop next to it kind of thing. But I think we've also got some really good examples throughout the Northwest of the ones that don't have-- public spaces that don't have a traditional anchor tenant, like Pike Place or Oak Tree Station or any number of others that maybe they just didn't get the memo, but they're doing really well. And I'd rather see that kind of mix. Thanks, Fisher. That's great comments.

1:06:14 And I think it's consistent with what our team sees as the vision for Terminal 1. We have already talked with groups like Fourth Plain Forward, Hispanic Metro Chamber, the Greater Vancouver Chamber about what programs they have and how we can partner in looking at micro enterprises and supporting them and being a resource to that so that people see the public market not as an in-destination but as an area where they can start to explore Vancouver and to understand other areas and kind of branch out into spaces where they can explore and really discover new businesses that are doing amazing things in the area. So we're excited to do that. We'll certainly be collaborating with you along the way as well too to make sure that vision stays consistent. And I think that is the goal of both of our teams. Coming from a small business background, my perspective might be a little different than yours. And I'd love to see us encouraging people,

1:07:09 encouraging folks in getting started. And I think we have a space that some of the spots-- by what I've seen in other markets and what we've maybe talked a little bit about-- some of them are not even full-time spots that they're rented for a little bit and show people what they are about and try out making a more permanent-- not Vancouver market, which is a different flavor. But if you go down to the Portland Saturday market, they got a bunch of vendors with various stuff that they make. But they're only there a day a week. I don't even know where they are anymore. I don't go down much. But that's just kind of my $0.02 worth in that zone. - I'll just throw in to finish this off. - I've got a couple more cents. I just want to say that I really appreciate the direction

1:08:09 and strategy that you're taking. And I think what I've heard is that it does incorporate all of this. I think my personal understanding of market factors and how we draw audience, I think that some kind of anchors will probably be necessary. But also, I'm very glad to hear that we're talking about incorporating new and emerging and diverse businesses as well. And creating this opportunity for consistency as well as discovery is something that will be incredibly valuable, I think, down there. And that this will integrate nicely with the waterfront that is already there, but also offer something that we don't yet see there. And I'm really happy to see that moving forward. - Appreciate that. Thank you. What you're describing to my brain, when I think of an anchor tenant, I think it's J.C. Penney's or [INAUDIBLE]

1:09:05 certainly whatever. But what you're describing and you describe it as an anchor tenant, 1,500 square feet, according to my mental math, is something smaller than 40 by 40, which is not-- that's not a big restaurant. That ain't a big anything. Correct, yes. Thank you very much. Did anybody have another bite in the apple they want? - Sure. I'll mention, too, one of the other concepts that came up in some previous iterations was the concept of day tables in some of the open areas. And I think that is part of the bigger discussion of, we want to work in concert with the farmer's market and the stuff that's already down there. And it's a careful needle to thread to make sure that we're not in competition with or pulling

1:10:03 vendors away from them. And that's, I think, a good-- I'm sure we're already aware of that. But a good thing to keep in mind as we go, that we're really adding to what they have. And I'm sort of envisioning this continuous experience where someone can start down at the waterfront and kind of mosey throughout the day on up toward Esther Short Park or vice versa without us tripping over each other. - Yeah, and thank you for that prompt, Commissioner. I completely agree. Another number one question-- and it's great to be in this venue to be able to talk about it a little bit-- is, are you replacing the farmer's market or is the farmer's market moving into the public market? And the short answer is no. It is meant to be a partnership. They've certainly been involved. They were involved early on and will continue to be involved in that conversation. And the idea is to reinforce, again, kind of that discovery of maybe you see the public market when you're driving across the bridge, and then you learn that there's this amazing farmer's market that's doing amazing things down here as well too. And so our goal is to be a bridge and a partner in that.

1:11:03 And certainly, there may be some crossover in vendors going one way or the other. But the idea is to help support that, not to replace it or to move it. - Thank you. - Thank you much, Mike. - Pleasure. Thanks so much for the time. - Thank you, Mike. - I believe we are going to end this meeting. The folks sitting up here, we're not going to adjourn until after we've signed our documents. Am I missing anything? - No, you are spot on. - All righty. Thank you all.