John Creighton: Remarks as Outgoing Commission President

January 6, 2009

I would like to thank my fellow Commissioners for the opportunity to serve as Commission President these past two years. They have been two very eventful years of introducing new initiatives to improve our public accountability, environmental stewardship and transportation infrastructure important to freight mobility.

I have been thinking about all that has happened over the last two years on the Commission recently, and quite frankly two of the proudest accomplishments of the Commission over the last 24 months were set in motion at our very first few meetings at the beginning of 2007:

(1) The Commission passed a measure directing a Commission-led outside investigation of the Port Police Department scandal that signaled and set in motion a more active oversight role being performed by the Commission that has been further strengthened over the course of the last two years.
(2) The Commission also passed a six-point environmental motion that made some important changes such as prohibiting cruise ship dumping in the Olympic Marine Sanctuary, mandated use of low sulfur diesel or shore power by cruise ships, and directed staff to work with King County on the biomass study staff will be presenting later today. The measures taken in that motion also led to a national environmental advocacy group, a historic critic of the Port, issuing a press release in favor of our Terminal 30/91 project.

We also hit the ground running at the first meeting in January 2008, with the addition of two new Commissioners, both of whom were instrumental in helping push forward reforms coming in the wake of the State Performance Audit.

Looking back, some of the key measures of our progress in the last two years that come to mind are the following:

First, our focus on reform to provide greater public accountability at the Port:

One major element was the establishment and strengthening of the Port Commission’s Audit Committee, which we established in my first year on the Commission in 2006, but made further reforms in the wake of the performance audit. With the establishment of this Committee as a fully functioning standing committee, and the improvements to our Internal Audit Department, we have been able to realize $2 million in cost savings as well as giving Port departments and customers a tool to examine their own performance.
In addition, our response to the SAO Performance Audit, and the earlier 2007 TKW Audit provided opportunities for internal reform you see reflected in Resolution 3605 (the Commission’s revised Delegation of Authority), our CEO’s establishment of the new Capital Development Division, and our Central Procurement Officer. The new Delegation of Authority and the host of new procedures in contract management will help ensure that construction projects get handled in a way that satisfies the public’s need for openness and visibility, while allowing the important infrastructure projects we need to remain a competitive Port going forward.
We also passed a number of new initiatives specifically involving ethics that are helping to create a culture of accountability, including adopting a revised Ethics Code for Commissioners in September, 2007, and the CEO’s subsequent revision of the Port’s Policy for Employees, our new Ethics Policy for Consultants, the Fraud Awareness Policy and Whistleblower Protection procedures.

Second, our environmental initiatives really broke new ground, and the CEO picked up the baton, moving past mandated remediation and establishing new concepts in setting our goal to be the “cleanest, greenest, most energy efficient Port” in the country.

We worked in collaboration with the Ports of Tacoma and Metro Vancouver and other stakeholders in developing the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy, a joint effort to reduce seaport-related air emissions. In conjunction with adopting the Strategy, the Port Commission authorized a resolution that aligns the organization's seaport environmental goals with those of the Port of Tacoma. I believe the Clean Air Strategy represents a first but significant step forward in reducing air emissions and protecting the air quality for the entire region.
Following our briefing by environmental staff on a recently conducted greenhouse gas inventory at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the Commission adopted a motion which supports federal efforts to reduce aircraft emissions and directs staff to establish targets for emission reduction at the airport. We look forward to working further on this issue.
We are also attempting to expand the public land holdings in King County, with the prospective $100 million dollar purchase of the Eastside Rail Corridor from the BNSF railroad. While we have hit some snags due to the collapse of the financial markets, I am glad the Port is making the effort to preserve this asset in public ownership, which will be a great benefit to Eastside communities and to the entire County for generations to come. I am also very pleased that we have been able to partner with King County to ensure that the corridor can be used in multiple ways, both now and in the future.

Third, we have made real progress over the last two years in improving our transportation infrastructure and helping freight mobility:

Port of Seattle Commissioners approved a $5.5 million investment in the completion of SR 519. This project provides a crucial connection between the Port's Terminal 46 facility and the freeway system, giving trucks an efficient way to move cargo to and from the Port and pedestrians a safe route to sports stadiums and local shops. This project is part of FAST Corridor, transportation projects designed to improve freight mobility along rail corridors in King and Pierce counties.
Our work on East Marginal Way to provide a north- and south-bound grade separation on Duwamish Avenue South, relocating East Marginal Way through this corridor to improve access among Port terminals, the rail yards, and local manufacturers’ & distribution warehouses. The lead track will be grade-separated to connect the on-dock rail facility with the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 5.
And of course, if you have been down to the airport this year, you can see the new lane improvements on SR518, as well as the near-completion of Sound Transit’s new light rail station at our airport. Together these two projects will ensure long-term, effective access to our newly expanded Sea-Tac Airport, whether by car or mass transit.

Last but not least, one of the most significant accomplishments of the last two years is bringing on a new Chief Executive with a vision for the Port that aligns with the Commission and the community. I also want to thank the Commission Office staff for their hard work and dedication over the last two years.

It has been an eventful two years, and an exciting time to be at the Port, as we have moved forward with our goals as an organization. I look forward to continuing my work at the Port of Seattle, and would like to welcome, on behalf of our fellow Commissioners, our new President.