Port of Royal Slope owns railroad

ROYAL CITY - Just when you put a story in the newspaper stating that the Port of Royal Slope does not yet own a railroad, the state makes you appear to be wrong by handing it over.

We had a story on July 14 that the transfer of ownership had not been made as of that morning by the Washington State Department of Transportation. That evening it was made at a regular PORS Commissioners meeting.

"The unsigned 'Royal Slope Right-of-Way Transfer Agreement', along with copies of the deeds were received that night at a regular Commissioners' meeting," Port Executive Director Cathy Potter said.

After discussing the agreement, the Commissioners decided to sign it and get it back to WSDOT as soon as possible. WSDOT included a 30-day closing period for after this agreement is signed by the Secretary of Transportation and the Attorney General.

"This is, hopefully, to help move things along," Potter said.

But the PORS is not going to wait around for things to happen. It has been trying to get the old Royal Slope short line going for more than 20 years.

"We are going ahead with advertising for an operator (RFP Request for Proposals)," Potter said. "We have a stipulation that we can't sign a contract with an operator until we have the title of the railroad in hand." However, Commissioners believe the Port should posses the title by then. Proposals are due on Aug. 25, and we hope to select an operator Sept. 22."

There is a lot of excitement at the PORT now, Potter said. Getting the RFP documents ready is part of it. Working with two different outside businesses that want to locate on the rail is the rest.

According to Potter the prospective new industrial park businesses, Although no signed yet, would mean new employment in the Royal City Area.

Potter believes the PORS industrial park will begin to grow as soon as the short line is up and running.