Todd Nicholson

The meeting addressed several action items. The Commission confirmed officer positions, with one Commissioner moving to Secretary, another to Vice President, and the third to President. An addendum to the Employee Handbook regarding a PTO Gifting Policy was approved. Site plat alterations for Andrew Fleming (Salty Paddle) were approved to align with existing lease lines. Approvals were also granted for the assignment of a lease from Grand Aero LLC to Skytrails Condominium Association, and a subsequent amendment to the Skytrails Lease to correct the legal description. Furthermore, Resolution 26-001, supporting the expansion of the Friday Harbor Urban Growth Area to cover the Airport, Shipyard Cove, and Jensen's, was approved, with discussion noting that Jackson Beach was ineligible due to not being adjacent to town parcels. Key discussion topics included the review of a proposal for a community eelgrass mural by Alchemy Art Center and Friends of the San Juans, where staff was tasked with drafting a Request for Proposal (RFP) and securing photos of potential permanent installation sites. Other discussions covered preferred timing for a joint meeting with the Town Council, scheduling the Annual Newsletter for May to include year-end numbers, and preliminary discussion on potential Marina Rules and Regulations updates related to new reservation software. New business introduced interest in siting a floating sauna at the Port, which will be brought back for a formal discussion with research on logistics and potential conflicts of interest.

The regular business discussed included the approval of payroll and vouchers. Commissioner inquiries focused on the ongoing legal suit concerning the Friday Harbor House and the status of the partial payment for the Port's new electric boat, the Silverback Grizzly. A discrepancy was noted in the printed vouchers report regarding Photon Marine payments, which the Port Auditor confirmed was due to a cutoff on the printed form, confirming two separate invoices were processed.

The meeting included approval of the consent agenda, which covered payroll, vouchers, and minutes from prior meetings in November 2025. Action items addressed the Oath of Office certification for Commissioner Black following his re-election, the unanimous approval for the assignment related to Hangar F3A consent to sale to Kenmore Air, and the unanimous approval of resolutions 25-014 and 25-015 concerning W33 Entitlement transfers to Orcas Island Airport and Lopez Island Airport, respectively. Resolution 25-016, an updated CERB Grant resolution for the Travelift pier, was also approved. The commission further approved Task Order #8 from Leon Environmental for the MTCA Upland Haul Out Pier Redevelopment support, which is budgeted to harden the shoreline. Discussion items included rescheduling the December BillPay meeting, reviewing the 2026 meeting schedule, updating the PTO Gifting policy, and considering an update to the Airport Terminal Art display. The Executive Director reported on ongoing coordination with Ecology regarding the remedial investigation report and planning for the Fuel Apron project.

The meeting was convened for the authorization of bill payment and payroll. The commission approved the payroll and vouchers.

The meeting included a public hearing for the 2026 budget, where the EDC requested continued funding at the previous year's level. The budget was adopted with some changes related to the Airport Fuel System and South Apron projects. The Cannery was added to the Scheme of Harbor Improvements. The commission discussed the possibility of a contract with the EDC to make up for any funding gap. The purchase of the Cannery was discussed as an opportunity to enhance the island's appeal for sailing. The use of Port labor for Solar Canopy Construction was approved. Modifications to the employee handbook were approved, and a PTO Gifting addendum will be discussed in a future meeting. A change order for Hangar 80 Retaining Wall & Vehicle Access Ramps was approved. The Puget Sound Partnership is expected to assist with the cleanup at the Cannery for mitigation credits.