Submitted by the League of Women Voters Observer Corps
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization, encourages informed participation in government. The Observer Corps attends and takes notes at government meetings to expand public understanding of public policy and decisions. The notes do not necessarily reflect the views of the League or its members.
Friday Harbor Port Commission regular meeting of Aug. 8
The Lions, Rotary, and Soroptimists asked to run a Rock the Dock in 2026 around July 4. The Port supports organizations holding community events throughout the year and will make facilities available when possible.
The commission reviewed a draft Jackson Beach Driftwood Policy. This would stop logs at Jackson Beach from being moved across vegetation and onto the pavement, causing mess and noise. Residents could apply for special use permits to collect wood outside of the proposed guidelines. It will include a policy on mechanized removal but stay silent on chainsaw use, except during burn bans.
The Executive Director Todd Nicholson reported that the team is now focused on major projects like electrification and airport upgrades. Replacement projects for older docks and walkways are on hold due to high permitting and mitigation costs dictated by NOAA fisheries. In 2018, NOAA fisheries changed the definition of baseline from the current state of a project site to include impact of the expected lifespan of existing facilities, so that any action extending the facility’s life is a new impact requiring mitigation. The rule change discourages maintenance, leading to facilities waiting for emergencies before addressing issues. Delaying maintenance to avoid mitigation costs is bad for infrastructure.
Transient moorage is down slightly this summer, possibly by 10-15% due to high regional costs, economic concerns, and Canadian tariffs.
The commission discussed the Spring Street lots and decided to move Amazon and their trucks to another location off of Spring Street and to look for a long-term tenant that will create jobs for that lot. The H Lot was mentioned as a potential site for Amazon.
