The ruling body of the Port of Everett needs to change to handle its heavy load of projects and to expand its expertise, a group of residents said Tuesday.
They asked the three-member port commission to put three proposed changes up for a public vote on the September primary ballot.
They include:
* Increasing the membership to five people.
* Electing two members at large, rather than from the three separate port districts.
* Reducing terms from six years to four.
“We have to get more diverse opinions here,” said Dave Mascarenes of Everett, who asked the commissioners to put the three issues on the ballot. “There are so many projects going on, we need more people to do the work.”
Mascarenes also noted that by law, two of the three members can’t talk to one another privately about items coming up for a vote because that would be a quorum, and therefore an illegal meeting.
“The population is growing so much,” Mascarenes said. “This is the time for this to happen.
Mascarenes noted that the Edmonds Port Commission operates in the manner he is proposing following an election in September 2001. He said voters in the Edmonds port district approved the three change measures by an overwhelming majority.
Peggy Toepel of the Everett Shorelines Commission told port officials her group supports the changes because of the heavy demands on the commission.
Craig Skotdal of Skotdal Real Estate Services also supported the changes, saying recent moves to change how corporations are governed also apply to agencies such as the port.
“Experience shows there is a strong relationship between high-performing companies and the strength and independence of their boards,” he said.
Skotdal added later, “It’s important for directors to have an active independent dialogue, and given the current configuration of the port commission, that kind of dialogue is at best discouraged and at worst illegal.”
Port officials accepted the proposals and comments without making comments of their own.
The port commission’s chairman, Jim Shaffer, said the issue would be considered and would likely come before the group at their next meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
