EVERETT — The two remaining members of the Everett Port Commission interviewed three candidates for the vacant slot Tuesday, saying they’ll vote on a decision at a public meeting next week.
Their choice will fill the commission’s District 2 position, which became vacant when Connie Niva stepped down because she purchased a home outside the port district. If commissioners Phil Bannan and Michael Hoffman can’t agree, the decision will be made by the Snohomish County Council.
Bannan, commission chairman, said Tuesday that seven people had applied for the temporary position, which will end in November when a permanent replacement is elected. Bannan and Hoffman chose to interview three candidates in a public meeting. They included:
A. Duane Pearson, a retired timber company executive now serving on a port real estate advisory committee.
Michael Hopkins, a former port shipping agent and business owner now studying for his teacher’s certificate.
Eugene Dvornick, a retired former commander of Naval Station Everett who until recently had a boat in the port’s marina and was active in its owner’s group.
Pearson, who was first up after drawing a 4 from a deck of cards, said public service was important to him. “I think I can help so that the port doesn’t have to be placed on hold as far as the commission is concerned,” he said.
He said he believed the port had been doing a good job, but that it could place more emphasis on handling its many real estate properties and planning for their best use. He noted that he had 35 years of experience in handling corporate real estate.
Pearson said that one of the most important issues facing the port is what to do with its planned $400 million redevelopment of the waterfront, which is now on hold as the developer goes through bankruptcy.
“It now needs to be revisited,” he said of the proposal, noting that market conditions are the key factor right now.
Asked to assess when the project would get going again, Pearson said it would be two to three years before money would be available and probably another year after that before anything would we built.
Hopkins, a son of Don Hopkins, a former port commissioner for 18 years, noted that he lives in Mukilteo and that residents of that part of the port district believe they haven’t been adequately represented.
“They don’t feel they have a voice,” he said.
He said residents of the area would like to play a bigger role in what’s done with the former military fuel depot on the Mukilteo waterfront that the port is trying to take over from the Air Force.
Hopkins noted that he worked at ports in Japan and in Washington state as a shipping agent and that he speaks Japanese. He said his background and language skills could help in working with foreign ports.
He said the redevelopment was being controlled by the economic conditions.
“I think it’s more of a wait and see,” he said. ”The money’s not there. There’s no reason to push if the money isn’t there.”
Dvornick, like Pearson, said he was interested in the position because he wanted to give back to the community.
He said the redevelopment was an important issue and one that needed a lot of consideration. “I think it opens the waterfront to the public, and that’s what the port should be doing,” he added.
Dvornick said he would like to see the port improve its cargo business. “I’d like to see cargo ships coming in everyday,” he said. “I’d like to see an expansion of that aspect.”
He said his experience with ships and marinas could aid the commission. He also noted that the port’s current situation is a good example of why it needs to expand to a five-member panel, a move he would support.
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