Port of Anacortes. Special Commission Meeting October 26, 2015

Transcription

1 Special Commission Meeting The Port Commission of the held a special meeting at 12:00 P.M. on the afternoon of. This special Commission Meeting was noticed on October 23, The meeting was held in the Commission Meeting Room of the Port Transit Shed Building, 100 Commercial Avenue, Anacortes, Washington. In Attendance: Commission President Eberle, Commission Vice-President Rubin, Commission Secretary Niver, Commissioner Short and Commissioner Mooney. Also in attendance: Executive Director Worra, Director of Finance & Administration Brownfield, Director of Operations Beaner, Project Manager Dossen, Project Manager Darden, Environmental Specialist Tchang, Marina Operations Lead Johnson, Facilities 1 Hyman and Executive Assistant Lindsey. CALL TO ORDER At 12:00 P.M. Commissioner Eberle called the special meeting of, to order and welcomed all in attendance. Commissioner Short led the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. ANNOUNCEMENT Commissioner Eberle announced that he had called the special meeting due to what he termed rumblings for some time by the users of the T-Dock cranes. These rumblings culminated in a letter by a user to a Commissioner. Commissioner Eberle recalled when the Commission voted for funding the new cranes, they were of the understanding the new cranes would solve the problems reported, but unhappily, they had not. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD Commissioner Eberle opened the floor for public comment. Mr. John Pope inquired whether a second public comment period would be available toward the end of the meeting. Commissioner Eberle agreed to add a second period for public comment. Hearing no one with a desire to address the Commission at this time, the floor was closed. STAFF PRESENTATION T-Dock Cranes Executive Director Worra presented a summary of the T-Dock crane replacement project, including the project history, bidding process, cost, the project schedule, on-going maintenance, and the way forward to resolving issues. Project History The Port s 2008 Comprehensive Plan discussed the overall redevelopment of T-Dock and its cranes. T-Dock is a great asset for the community, and especially commercial marine users, that is provided by the Port. Over the years, Port staff has continued to address critical repair issues at T-Dock until we are in the position to fully replace or resurface it as included in the Port s long-term Capital Improvement Plan. The costs to do so are higher than what funding is currently available. The Port hosted several user group meetings in with that group s input and feedback provided to the Commission, Executive Director and staff.

2 Page / 2 Port staff was directed to look into the replacement of the less dependable south crane and subsequently to replace both the north and south cranes with same sized, dock mounted, 1-ton jib cranes with a rotating boom, an end of boom fixed hoist and overhead and end of boom lighting. Staff was further instructed to conduct permitting separately for a future 2-ton in-water jib crane. The 2-ton crane would require additional in-water support structure at considerable cost. So a compromise of two new 1-ton cranes was decided on. The 2-ton crane is still included in future plans for T-Dock. Bidding Bidding went out in April Three bids were received, all of which were nonresponsive. The project was re-bid in May 2014 with one bid received from American Construction Co., Inc. and the project was awarded to them in June Konecranes was American Construction s sub-contractor for supplying the cranes. After multiple delays and meetings, it was determined Konecranes could not meet the project requirements and were replaced with sub-contractor Washington Cranes by American Construction. Executive Director Worra thanked Director of Operations Beaner, and Port Project Managers Darden and Dossen for providing the history information. Project Cost Executive Director Worra provided a cost breakdown of the project: Project permitting $4,454 Project design and engineering $28,748 Construction $278,235 Construction oversight $19,312 Project Schedule The construction contract was executed with American Construction Co., Inc. in June 2014 with a start of construction date of January The contract was extended due to multiple submittals and reviews, crane procurement and fabrication and crane installation and certification. The north crane was placed into service on June 19, 2015 and the south crane was placed into service on July 15, 2015, substantially completing the project. Project close-out elements with American Construction are on-going. An immediate occurrence was trouble with the weight limiter switch. This was an inconvenience to users although the south crane was functional until the north crane was completed. On-going Maintenance There have been six warranty claims to work through: 1. Rotational Limit Switch in the north crane failed and had to be changed out 2. Card reader on the south crane had a wiring issue that was corrected 3. Variable frequency drive on the south crane was faulty and replaced 4. Pendant hand controller was not working properly on the north crane, A backup pendant was installed and the multi-strand cable was replaced. 5. End of boom light was flickering on the north crane. An electrician is following up on this. 6. Pendant hand controller not working properly on the south crane. A backup pendant was installed and the pendant will be rewired. Executive Director Worra noted there were back-up controllers for each crane so operations could continue until replaced under warranty. Both cranes are fully functional today. Concerns The crane service has been unreliable. Executive Director Worra agreed noting the six warranty claims in July-October. He also observed these are sometimes fixed on the spot and whenever staff is alerted to a problem they fix whatever they can right away. Executive Director Worra noted the Port had some similar issues when installing the P/Q Hoist and the Trailer Boat Launch.

3 Page / 3 There is a two year warranty on the entire system, a two year warranty on the jib crane and other warranties covering some parts and services for three years and others for up to ten years. In response to complaints that the cranes are too slow, Executive Director Worra reported they will go 28 feet per minute, loading up to 2,000 pounds, roughly the weight or a commercial dumpster or a Volkswagen beetle. For safety, this is an appropriate speed and is twice the speed as the crane used at the Port of Bellingham, which has a maximum speed of 14 feet per minute. When lifting smaller loads, the cranes can go somewhat faster. In regards to the replacement lighting, Executive Director Worra reported that users found the lighting to be inadequate. Executive Director Worra reported he had requested and received personal feedback from Bret Andrich of Global Diving and Salvage and from Andy Schwenk. In speaking with Harbormaster Fowler, the input he has received is that when the cranes work, they are fine, although users wish they were faster and that the warranty response has been slow in some cases, but never unresponsive. There has never been a time when both cranes were out of service. Executive Director Worra stated the Port needs to provide this service to commercial fishermen and other commercial marine users. Fee Schedule The Port used to charge $30 a month for unlimited use and now has a card system charging $5 per each thirty minutes of use. Lighting Lights on T-Dock don t extend over the side of the dock to shine on the water or onto the deck of boats. Those using the dock in the early morning or evening hours have to use their sodium lights onboard their vessels. The Port is looking into options including installation of a new light at the head of the dock. Permitting for such a project is required. The Port has improved the lighting in the parking area adjacent to T-Dock and also recently completed $12,000 in repairs to the dock, replacing stringers and planking on the approach to the dock. Looking forward The 2015 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) graded improvements to T-Dock as a high priority. $515,000 to improve T-Dock, including re-decking, is part of the 5-year cash flow plan. This number includes permitting. In 3-10 years, the Port would like to do a complete replacement of T-Dock, making it more of a wharf and adding a two-ton crane as well as improvements to the head of B-Dock. The estimated cost for that project in today s dollars is $3.6 million. Executive Director Worra noted his disappointment that although he makes himself available, he has not received any comments about the cranes directly from the public. He stated at the end of the day it is staff s job to resolve issues and apologized to the Commission that complaints have come to them. He asked users to please first notify the Marina office if there is a problem with any Marina equipment. After hours Marina Security Steve Krebs will answer and report any problems to appropriate staff so that it can be addressed as soon as possible. Executive Director Worra noted he could be reached by phone or text twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and would prefer to hear about issues to more quickly solve them. He provided his Port and personal contact information and also the information for Director of Operations Beaner and Harbormaster Fowler. Executive Director Worra (360) front desk, (360) office, (360) cell

4 Page / 4 Director Beaner (360) front desk, (360) office, (360) cell. Harbormaster Fowler (360) Marina office, (360) cell. Executive Director Worra stated if staff was not responsive to please let him know. He reiterated that T-Dock drives a lot of business for the local economy and is important to the community. Commissioner Eberle thanked Executive Director Worra for a wonderful presentation noting it went a long way to providing more information to the Commission. He noted that Executive Director Worra had no input into the bidding and awarding of the crane project in 2014 as that was before he began work at the Port. Commissioner Rubin inquired why a special meeting was called for this presentation when the Commission has a regular meeting scheduled for November 5 th, just ten days from now. Commissioner Eberle noted there were users in attendance who had voiced concerns to Commissioners and he wanted to provide answers regarding the T-Dock cranes operation. Commissioner Mooney stated he had requested the meeting as he had been informed that every time the fishermen would attempt to use the crane, it didn t work. In deference to Executive Director Worra, Commissioner Mooney noted he came to the Port after the cranes were already in process, and he voiced appreciation for the explanation given today. Commissioner Mooney thought the Director of Operations had not approved the change from a hydraulic crane that the new cranes replaced. He noted the Port has learned who not to buy cranes from and believed it was a hard task for Executive Director Worra to step in and take care of the issues. Commissioner Mooney stated he asked for this special meeting because people had been telling him the cranes were not reliable and he wished to know why the cranes were not satisfactory. He inquired whether the cranes were approved by the Marina Advisory Committee and the user group and noted it was his understanding the cranes were installed by the former Executive Director over the objection of the Director of Operations. Commissioner Mooney asked what cost to would take to make the cranes satisfactory. Executive Director Worra reiterated the work done to date and explained once more the three types of warranties and warranty periods for the cranes. Commissioner Mooney stated he did not understand why the Port had to order a specially built crane when he thought it should be a standard item. Commissioner Niver noted it appeared the cranes were built in place. Director of Operations Beaner explained that the main mechanisms arrived whole from the manufacturers and then the cranes were put together here and installed by the contractor. Commissioner Niver noted that receiving only one bid limited the Port s options. The Port follows a bidding process and while it would have been nice to have more options, the Port did not. He asked whether the electrical problem was fixed on site. Executive Director Worra explained that it had been re-routed from the web lockers. Commissioner Eberle was bothered by the appearance that no one in America was building complete one-ton cranes.

5 Page / 5 Director of Operations Beaner explained that what was specified for the project was not a stock crane and had to be put together. He noted cranes come in all different styles and in the case of the T-Dock cranes, the requested components were not available pre-made. Commissioner Eberle saw this as a question for the engineering and why specifications were written to require custom cranes. Commissioner Niver observed T-Dock is somewhat limited in terms of size and weight than can be handles. Director Beaner concurred. He noted the cranes had been set for one ton, but in testing lifted too much and as a result failed inspection. A one-ton limit switch had to subsequently be installed. Commissioner Niver inquired if all repairs to date were covered under warranty. Director Beaner affirmed they had. Commissioner Short noted it was unfortunate the Port did not receive more bids. Commissioner Mooney agreed, noting once again that the cranes had been okayed by the prior Executive Director and that current Executive Director Worra was tackling the issues now. Commissioner Rubin stated he wanted to insure his next comments would not diminish the importance of T-Dock and the cranes to the community, but he acknowledged the Port and community were about a week away from an election and felt the staff had been made to jump through hoops to provide this summary, taking them from other work and causing a waste of public resources. He stated we need to do better. Commissioner Eberle addressed Commissioner Rubin, stating he was accusing the Commission of holding the special meeting for political purposes and should state that. Commissioner Mooney noted the Commission needed to be responsive to the community and the commercial users. Commissioner Niver was of the opinion that staff had been very responsive. Commissioner Mooney did not want it said that the employees had any part in the non-reliability of the cranes and were working to do a good job. He appreciated the historical summary by Executive Director Worra. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD Commissioner Eberle opened the second public comment period and invited those wishing to speak to please use the podium microphone and to state their name and address. 1. Mr. Pat Barrett, Marine Drive, Anacortes, addressed the Commission. He stated he agreed with Commissioner Rubin, and noted the special meeting smelled of politics and why was it needed if both cranes were working fine today. He inquired why this issue was not addressed in a regular meeting. Mr. Barrett stated most of those in attendance at the meeting today were not here because of problems with the T-Dock cranes. He thought it was atrocious that a person up for re-election called this meeting for political reasons. In regards to T-Docks, Mr. Barrett noted he is a member of the Anacortes Small Boats Center and explained the Port went through the same process with the P/Q Hoist, with Port staff moving forward without further consultation from the users resulting in a crane that he believed still did not work as intended. 2. Mr. John Richards, th Court, Anacortes, addressed the Commission. Mr. Richards noted he was a member of the Marina Advisory Committee and stated the Committee s recommendation regarding the cranes was to swap out the insides of the current cranes to improve their operation and that the Committee was surprised by the purchase of new cranes.

6 Page / 6 3. Mr. Stuart Currie, 3916 S Avenue, Anacortes, addressed the Commission. Mr. Currie stated that he too was a member of the Marina Advisory Committee, serving for a year and a half. He inquired how many calls the Commission had received during the issues with the crane and when. Commissioners Short, Rubin, and Niver stated they had all received zero calls. Commissioners Mooney and Eberle noted they had received two calls, with Commissioner Eberle adding that the calls he received were in the past week. Mr. Currie agreed with Commissioner Rubin that the information presented at this meeting could have been added to the next regular meeting agenda. He asked if any of the Commissioners knew when the commercial crab season closes with Commissioner Rubin affirming he did. Mr. Currie asked meeting attendee and Commission candidate Joe Verdoes, who replied that only three days remained and that it was a sprint to the end for commercial crabbers. Mr. Currie stated it was vital for Mr. Verdoes and others to get their time in for crabbing instead of sitting here in a non-essential meeting. He noted that in his 30-years of experience, he had bought many cranes from Washington Cranes and had never had any problems when specifying what was needed. 4. Mr. John Pope, 4001 Peters Lane, Anacortes, addressed the Commission. Mr. Pope stated the timing of the special meeting said a lot about the issue and motivation of the Commissioners who called for it. He was of the opinion that holding a special meeting regarding T-Dock was taking money out of the crab fishermen s pockets that had to make the choice fish or to attend. Mr. Pope noted the timing of the meeting with the publication of the last newspaper before the election was questionable. He stated the Port creates its own storms and needed to seek meaningful input before construction. Mr. Pope observed the members of the Marina Advisory Committee were a talented, experienced group, yet were not apprised of the cranes design. He believed the commercial fishermen and the Marina Advisory Committee could have helped and that the Port needed a change to a more inclusive culture. 5. Mr. Joe Verdoes, Driver Road, Anacortes, addressed the Commission. Mr. Verdoes noted that the topic of the meeting today did not warrant an emergency. He observed that he was the only fisherman attending today and that if the input from fishermen was wanted, it would have been better to call a meeting in the evening when they returned from work. Mr. Verdoes stated he disliked the cranes, found them slow, and sometimes had to swipe the card reader twice for them to operate. These were issues he had been working on with the Marina Director and expected to continue to work on them with the Executive Director. Mr. Verdoes did note that the cranes at T-Dock were better than those at other ports. He noted in Port Angeles they require that Port staff run the single crane and he found it more convenient to have two cranes as at T-Dock and the ability for users to do so on their own. Mr. Verdoes questioned the motivations behind calling today s special meeting at this time. 6. Mr. Dan Morris Young, 2902 Oakes Avenue, Anacortes, addressed the Commission. Mr. Morris Young thanked the Commission for holding this special meeting. He stated that he had sent an to a commissioner over a week ago and was told this was told by that commissioner that this was the first he had heard of the problems with the cranes. Mr. Morris Young stated he was surprised that was the case and that today was the first time for the Commission to hear this information. He observed a two-year warranty would go fast and inquired whether the Port has people on staff that could make needed repairs.

7 Page / 7 Executive Director Worra affirmed the Port did and would keep the cranes in good repair, once again noting their importance to the community. Mr. Morris Young noted he himself had been using cranes for more than 20 years in the dive trade and that operational cranes were vital to the commercial marine community. Hearing no one else with a desire to address the Commission, the public comment period was closed. UPCOMING MEETINGS Executive Director Worra reviewed the Commission s upcoming meeting schedule. The Commission s first regular meeting in November will be November 5 th at 7:00 P.M. and will include a Public Hearing on the 2016 budget. The Commission will hold a special meeting, Community Roundtable, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce, on November 12 th at 5:00 P.M. at the Seafarers Memorial Park building. That meeting is an open forum for questions and answers hosted and moderated by the Chamber of Commerce. The Commission s second meeting in November that would normally be on the 19 th is cancelled as Commissioners and staff will be attending the WPPA New Commissioner Seminar and Annual Meeting in Seattle November ADJOURNMENT With no further business to come before the Commission, Commissioner Rubin moved to adjourn, which was seconded by Commissioner Niver. Commissioner Eberle called for the vote on the motion, which carried unanimously, and at 12:55 P.M. the meeting adjourned. Attest: Bob Eberle, President Keith Rubin, Vice-President Ray Niver, Secretary Pat D. Mooney, Commissioner William L. Short, Commissioner Julie Johnson Lindsey, Executive Assistant