Ports association holds listening session Monday

by Matthew Weaver<br>Herald Senior Staff Writer
| September 7, 2007 9:00 PM

Leadership gets closer to districts, hears issues

COLUMBIA BASIN - Monday is a good day for area port district commissioners and staff to share their issues.

The Washington Public Ports Association holds a regional listening session Monday at the Port of Moses Lake in the main conference room of the Grant County International Airport terminal.

The session runs from noon to 3 p.m. A working lunch is provided.

Association President Jack Thompson said he and association Executive Director Pat Jones decided to hold the regional sessions across the state in an effort to meet with port district representatives on a more localized level than the association's normal meetings, held twice a year in the spring and fall.

"We thought we wanted to maybe bring the leadership a little closer to the ports, and do exactly what it says, kind of a listening session," Thompson explained. "We want the port members to tell us are we doing a good job, are we providing the services to them they think they should be getting? Just check to see where we are."

The Moses Lake-based session is the third or fourth the association has done, Thompson said. The sessions have been drawing representatives of seven to 10 port districts, he added.

Thompson said there is no expectation of issues to be brought up.

"We're going so we can listen to them," he said. "We want to talk about what the association is doing and make sure some of the ports which don't have an opportunity to participate in the two meetings have a chance to hear what their public ports association is actually doing."

One issue Thompson said the association runs into is the permitting process that port districts must go through.

"From that, it will help us do a better job working with our legislators trying to get those issues resolved," he said.

The information from all meetings will be compiled into a report presented at the annual meeting in November.

The event is open to the public.

For more information, call the association at 360-943-0760.