The Port of Everett. Washington is looking to expand well beyond Everett and this Fall will go to voters for approval. Here’s more from a press release out this morning.
Click to see the full presentation.
The measure, slated for the August 2024 primary ballot, will consider enlarging the Port District to all of Snohomish County, excluding City of Edmonds, Port of Edmonds, and Town of Woodway limits, respectively.
This momentous decision follows an exploratory effort by the Port to conduct an economic value study and legal assessment of expanding Port District boundaries beyond its current footprint to be better positioned to bring value and economic opportunities to more of Snohomish County.
“At this time, only about 15 percent of the County population has access to port economic development resources,” Port of Everett CEO/Executive Director Lisa Lefeber said. “The Port of Everett is one of the largest ports in the state that doesn’t serve the whole county. This measure, if passed, would allow the Port to invest in key transportation, economic development and environmental projects outside the current District.”
With the feedback collected, and following years of informal discussion on boundary expansion, the Port Commission believed it was time to give voters a chance to formally consider the opportunity for other areas of the County to have access to Port District resources.
PORT COMMISSION REACTION
“In my time serving the port industry, I’m blown away seeing and experiencing the breadth of what ports are capable of delivering to and for their communities. Ports are the pulse of our economy, and the Port of Everett is a global gateway to Snohomish County. I welcome the opportunity to be able to do more for the Snohomish County community if the voters so choose. This is a historic milestone for the Port and this community.”
– Glen Bachman, Port Commission President
“I believe this is a great chance for residents, businesses and local jurisdictions to offer up their voice on whether they would like to have access to the unique assets of the Port and the tools we have to support economic and job growth, and overall quality of life. I want to compliment the staff for the work that they have done to listen to the community – all the community meetings, briefings and so on, reflected in the report. It’s important we continue to provide opportunity for these areas of the County to give input and get questions answered.”
– Tom Stiger, Port Commission Vice President
“As we move forward today, the only thing we can do is continue to spread the word about our vision and hear from the community about what its needs are. The feedback has demonstrated that there is a lot of community interest in exploring expansion. A vote in favor of an expanded Port District would create new opportunities throughout the County for economic development and extend Port resources and support for county-wide environmental stewardship.”
– David Simpson, Port Commission Secretary
Next Steps
With the Commission’s petition by resolution to put boundary enlargement up for a vote, the next step is for Port staff to prepare and file all required documentation with the Snohomish County Auditor, and subsequently, the Snohomish County Council to add it to the ballot.
If the voters of the proposed enlarged area were to approve the measure (simple majority of 50.01% or more), the Port would then be required to address governance by submitting to the voters, as required by RCW 53.12.120, the proposition of whether to increase the number of Port Commissioners from three to five.
The Port would also re-open the public input process for its Strategic Plan to ensure feedback and the economic and community needs of each community are considered in the Port’s vision and capital investment plan moving forward.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW OVERVIEW OF BOUNDARY EXPLORATION & NEXT STEPS
CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL ECONOMIC VALUE STUDY & LEGAL ASSESSMENT
A webpage with additional information and FAQs will be available in January.
Port staff will continue to engage with stakeholders and community members to share information on the ballot measure. Various public engagement opportunities will be made available through August 2024.
For additional information, or if you have interest in an informational briefing opportunity in 2024, contact publicaffairs@portofeverett.com.
December 20, 2023
Everett