PORT ANGELES — The Port of Port Angeles is moving forward with preliminary work on the Terminal 3 dock just in case the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration comes to town.
Port commissioners unanimously decided at their Monday meeting to do preliminary planning and engineering for extending the dock.
The engineering work, which will cost $134,925, will let the port meet a tight timeline should Port Angeles be chosen as the new station for NOAA’s research fleet.
NOAA’s Lake Union lease is up in 2011, and the agency is considering moving from the Seattle area in 2012.
The Port of Port Angeles is bidding for the station, as are port agencies in Seattle, Bellingham and Newport, Ore.
The port submitted a proposal that was reviewed by a NOAA technician and will find out in August whether it is selected, commission President John Calhoun said.
‘T pier’ renovation
Interim Executive Director Bill James said even if the port is not selected by NOAA, the money on Terminal 3 — the 445-foot “T pier” at the foot of Tumwater Street — will not be wasted.
“This is a project that we have already been looking at,” he said.
“This is a project you have said that you would do anyway,” he told the three-member port commission.
If NOAA does not come to Port Angeles, the extended T pier could be used for oil tankers, cruise ships and other large vessels.
“We have had a lot of inquiries about this,” James said.
“The demand for it is there.”
The engineering work will include seismic analysis, geotechnical analysis, bathymetric surveys, vegetative and soil surveys and sediment sampling, said David Hagiwara, director of trade and development.
“Whatever kind of work or design is done later, this is the kind of work that will need to be done,” he said.
“What I would suggest would be to go ahead with some of the permitting as well after this is over because those permits can be renewed, and it could save you time and money later, even if you didn’t go right ahead.”
So far, the port has spent $77,215 on a contract with consultant Reid Middleton, which worked with the port on its proposal to NOAA, and will continue to work on the sampling.
Additional work, pay
An additional $50,000 to $75,000 will be paid for extra work on the final proposal, which was mailed last week, Hagiwara said.
The port had originally budgeted $250,000 for the NOAA-related work, so the action on Monday authorized about $34,000 more than the original budget, Calhoun said.
Details on the bid — and how much NOAA would pay in rent for the facilities — were not released.
Calhoun said the details must be kept secret so the other bidders don’t learn what’s in the Port Angeles proposal.
NOAA could create about 180 jobs in Port Angeles if it relocates to the port, port officials have said.
Permanent director
In other business Monday, the commissioners discussed the recruiting process for a new executive director.
Former Executive Director Bob McChesney left May 15 to take the top post at the Port of Edmonds.
James has been interim director since.
Holly Hairell, human resources manager, started advertising in local media as well as in trade journals throughout the region.
The commissioners on Monday directed her to contact regional ports to inform them of the job opening.
The job listing states that salary depends on qualifications, and applications are due by June 26.
McChesney earned $123,000 annually.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladaily news.com.
