PORT ANGELES — The Port of Port Angeles commissioners will consider on Monday if they will appeal the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s choice of Newport, Ore., as the base for its research fleet currently berthed in Seattle.
The port, along with Seattle and the Port of Bellingham, sought to win the new lease.
NOAA signed the 20-year lease with the Port of Newport on Friday after announcing its choice Tuesday. The lease will take effect in 2011.
“We’re setting up for some discussion on Monday to determine how far we want to push this,” Bill James, interim executive director, said Friday.
Port of Port Angeles officials are considering whether the Port of Newport had an unfair advantage and if a formal protest can be justified.
Port to consider fairness of pick
James said on Tuesday that the port will file a formal protest with NOAA if officials feel the allocation of $19.5 million from the state of Oregon to help build the new facility — something Washington state is prohibited from doing by its constitution — created an “unlevel playing field” or if it finds that the NOAA chief’s role as a marine biologist at Oregon State University played a part.
A decision may have to come prior to a briefing from NOAA officials, which the port has requested, on the details of why it selected Newport.
James said NOAA has offered to hold such a meeting in Seattle the week of Aug. 17.
The port hopes to have that meeting prior to making a decision on an appeal, he said, but added that there is a 10-day window for taking action.
“We would like to have a briefing before we file,” James said.
“We will have a lot more information after the briefing.”
When the 10-day time line begins is not clear, he said, although he suspected it might have begun Friday with the signing of the lease.
NOAA officials and port attorney Dave Neupert couldn’t be reached Friday for information about details of the appeals process.
Other possible appeals
But the port may not be the only entity that attempted to woo NOAA to file an appeal.
TheSeattle Times reported Saturday that the city of Seattle may file a formal protest.
James said he had spoken with Port of Bellingham staff members about a possible appeal but declined to comment on their position.
The interim director of that port, Fred Seeger, did not return a phone call Friday requesting comment.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Mountlake Terrace, is seeking to protest NOAA’s decision to move the fleet out of the state.
Her spokeswoman, Ciaran Clayton, said that a letter from the state’s congressional delegates will be sent this week to the heads of the agency.
The letter will request a list of all the criteria used in making the decision to move to Newport.
Clayton said she couldn’t comment on any other actions under consideration.
The four-ship research fleet has been located in Lake Union in Seattle since 1911. The lease ends June 2011.
The current facility is the base of the vessels and also services six NOAA ships based in Hawaii, Alaska and California.
The port’s proposal to have the four research vessels based in Port Angeles cost $129,000.
That cost was split three ways.
The port paid $54,000, the city of Port Angeles paid $50,000 and Clallam County contributed $25,000.
City Manager Kent Myers said the city wouldn’t take part in any appeal the port files.
“We will support whatever decision the port makes,” he said.
The port has also spent $134,925 for planning on upgrading Terminal No. 3, where the research vessels would have been located if the port had won the lease.
James said the improvements are needed, with or without the NOAA fleet.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
