Decision to collaborate with Port causes tension with council
Avani Nadkarni/of The Herald
Published: September 16th, 2009 10:54 AM
After a heated discussion at the Sept. 8 Sumner City Council meeting, five of the seven council members voted to collaborate with the Port of Tacoma for several improvement projects.
The collaboration, according to the agenda bill, is for the purpose of obtaining (the Ports) support for various city of Sumner transportation projects which have a demonstrated benefit to the city and the Port. These include the Main Street and Fryar Avenue corridor improvement, the State Route 410 interchange study and the study of truck routes. Support from the port can come in the form of letters, testimony, lobbying and other non-monetary assistance.
Councilmember Matt Richardson was staunchly against the idea and Councilmember Randy Hynek chose to abstain.
Richardson said he favored the idea of collaborating with the port, but didn't like the fact that the city needed to sign an agreement.
These kind of agreements can be made without legally binding contracts, Richardson said. (Not signing a contract) doesnt mean we dont want to work cooperatively.
He also questioned the fact that Sumner is listed as the lead agency in the agreement.
I'm not sure we need to make that kind of leap, he said.
Councilmember Steve Allsop,and most of the others saw it differently.
We chose to support the Port of Tacoma (when they were trying to obtain the Main Street/Fryar Avenue funding). In exchange ... we got not one but three projects funded in very short order, Allsop said. (The contract) is just formality. I dont think these are sinister, underhanded ... agreements.
Allsop went on to say that he thinks Sumner being listed as the lead agency is a positive thing.
I dont mean to imply that the port has anything sinister up its sleeve, Richardson countered. I hope council at least looks at this a little longer before (we make a decision).
Hynek, who ultimately abstained from the vote because he was not present at an Aug. 31 meeting with members of the port, said he questioned one part of the agreement.
I see a number of items that protect the port financially, but I dont see anything that protects Sumner, he said.
Sumner City Administrator John Doan offered his thoughts on the topic.
In the agreement, the Port of Tacoma is putting something on the line, Doan said. Were not really putting anything on the line. Were not committing to anything.
In other words, Doan continued, Sumner doesnt have to pursue any project it doesnt want to.
It doesnt oblige the city of Sumner to do anything, Allsop said of the yearlong agreement, which will terminate in January 2011 with an option to extend. It just says the port is on our side.
Richardson and Hynek both continued to express discomfort to signing such a contract.
We've had so many agreements in the past without legal binding, Richardson said. Why do it now? Why would we move forward with this?
Because, said Mayor Dave Enslow, who did not get a vote in the matter, small towns can afford to have a major entity on their side.
We need those friends, Enslow said before the vote. When youre a town of 9,000 people, you need a few big brothers.
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Dispersal of stimulus funds disappoints Sumner councilman Richardson
By CHAZ HOLMES
Bonney Lake-Sumner Courier-Herald Reporter
Mar 23 2009
While the Puget Sound Regional Council decided March 12 how to allocate federal stimulus dollars for Pierce County projects, disappointment continues to flow from the fact the Port of Tacoma received the overwhelming majority of the funding.
During the Sumner City Council meeting of March 16, councilman Matt Richardson expressed his opinion that the strategy used by the Sumner Council during the request period was not beneficial to Sumner or other cities and towns.
Richardson said Mayor Dave Enslows opinion, one shared by some on the council, that the Port would be a powerful ally to Sumner in future funding requests, was incorrect.
Prior to attending the March 10 meeting of the Pierce County division of the PSRC, Richardson said he was asked by the mayor and council to not create a strong opposition for the port because the port is a strong entity and it wouldnt be wise to create an enemy of the entity.
Richardson does not believe there is the risk of any type of adversarial relationship if Sumner were to take a stance against the ports request for 79 percent of Pierce Countys stimulus funds.
Why would we fear an enemy we don't have? Richardson asked.
Richardson added that he believes the request from the port for $15.4 million was both excessive and unnecessary, since the port has other methods of raising funds.
At the PCRC meeting, Port of Tacoma commissioner Dick Marzano said the port was at 12 percent of its bonding capacity, meaning 88 percent of its bond limit is available to fund projects.
Richardson repeated that Marzanos reason for the port not using more bonding capacity was to avoid more debt.
The ports project could also receive funding from the state Surface Transportation Program, but Marzano said before the PCRC those funds would not be available for three months.
The problem some see with not wanting to wait is, even with the stimulus dollars, the port doesnt have the money to fund the project and it isnt able to move ahead.
The Port of Tacomas public information director Tara Mattina said the port has other avenues through which to obtain funding.
At the Sumner council meeting, Richardson said the PCRC was negatively affected because representatives did not feel the decision was just.
University Place Mayor Linda Bird said while there were many people who were upset, she feels the group will be able to work together after a period of healing takes place.
I think some things were said in the heat of the moment, she said.
Bird said she felt the decision was made too quickly to allow adequate discussion about compromising on the result, leaving some to feel their thoughts on the matter were not considered.
We have to demonstrate that all opinions are valued, she said.
Bird said she is hoping to get back to the point where morale is as high as it was prior to the March 10 PCRC meeting, but realizes the challenge.
It will take a little bit of time to build a trust level, she said.
Bonney Lake-Sumner Courier-Herald Reporter Chaz Holmes can be reached at cholmes_courierherald.com or 360-802-8208.
Article Link: http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/pierce/bch/news/41714572.html