Royal Slope port returns from retreat

ROYAL SLOPE — Following a two-day retreat, the Port of Royal Slope hopes for input from the public.

The retreat took place in a rented board room in Lake Chelan from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, with retired Big Bend Community College professor Joe Rogers acting as facilitator.

Manager Cathy Potter said commissioners Frank Mianecki, Davey Miller and Alan Schrom work well together and support each other's ideas.

"We were able to set some goals and define objectives on how to accomplish some of the goals," she said. "We have a strong agriculture base, so keeping that while promoting agribusiness and maybe encouraging some diversification is kind of what came out of that."

Miller felt the session was productive and the goals very responsible and challenging.

Objectives covered during the retreat included managing and maintaining fiscal ability, fostering partnerships with other entities for development, increasing jobs by fostering economic development, exploring opportunities to aid in development, taking advantage of opportunities to purchase property within the district and promoting diversity of transportation modes to serve agriculture, industry and other economic interests.

One objective in the works is to pursue restoration of rail service to Royal City, and encouraging reinstallation of rail lines from Lind to Ellensburg.

"If and when that occurs, we would like to install new sittings into the port's industrial park," Potter said. "That's one of our goals if we do get that rail service going again. And then we need to work to increase public awareness of the efficiency of rail, to take some of the loads of trucks off of the highways."

Much of the port discussion is still in draft form, Potter explained, but she plans to hold a public meeting to generate community involvement.

"We're open to change or revising, or adding to what we have down here," she said. "We definitely want to keep the residents of the district informed about what's going on, along as what's going on with the budgeting and the spending process."

Miller agreed, and said he hopes the public gives the district input on whether commissioners are moving in the right direction.

"Just to make sure we're doing what they want us to with their tax dollars," he said.

The district holds its next monthly meeting April 10 at 7 p.m. at the port office.

"What I see is the commissioners are so great together and they all look out for or they're concerned about the community, and bringing the type of businesses in here that are going to help our community," Potter said.

Miller believes the future is bright.

"There's been a tremendous amount of growth since 2001, when our first tenant moved in," he said. "It's one of those types of entities where you can advertise and promote, but at the same time, until somebody has a need for a processing plant or some other facility for the port to look at, you have to play the waiting game a little bit … You try and try and try, and just hope something comes out of it in the near future."