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MOSES LAKE - Port of Moses Lake commissioners unanimously appointed consultant Patrick Jones as its executive director this week. The port's current executive manager, Craig Baldwin, reports to Jones starting Aug. 1, explained port commission President Kent Jones. Kent Jones is no relation to Patrick Jones, who had been working as a consultant for the port.
Kent Jones called Baldwin "a super manager," but said his skills do not lie in the area of long-range thinking and planning. Instead his skills are found with project planning, such as with the airport improvement project. Patrick Jones, 57, Seattle, worked as executive director of the Washington Public Ports Association from 1992-2009. His employment experience includes working for the Port of Seattle as its director of government relations from 1989 to 1992, and the American Association of Port Authorities from 1985 to 1989.
He is principal of Jones Strategic Consulting, but stops his consulting work when he begins his appointment at the Port of Moses Lake, he said. Patrick Jones called Baldwin a "very, very capable manager." Baldwin's duties are going to change slightly, "but we're hoping he stays," Patrick Jones said.
In June, Kent Jones told the Columbia Basin Herald the port was considering many staffing options as it looked to the future. Some ideas included splitting the finance/administration manager's position into two jobs, adding an airport manager, or hiring a new employee to lead the port. The port is currently working without an economic development director because of an employee death last year.
Kent Jones said commissioners previously discussed the need for additional help at the port and "needing it now." "As we had those discussions, it just kept coming back, at least to me, if we could do this with Pat, he was the logical person to help us sooner rather than later," Kent Jones said. He believes Patrick Jones and Baldwin have the ability to work together to help the port district improve.
"I think he is going to be a great addition to port staff," Baldwin said. "He has a lot of training that comes with that. He will be a great choice. I look forward to working with him." Baldwin's title, average salary of $111,585 and responsibilities stay the same, he understands. "We will sort things out as we go," Baldwin said. Patrick Jones' appointment is part of a three-year contract. His annual salary is $140,000. At this point, he is declining health benefits, Kent Jones said.
He is married to Patricia (Patty) Jones and has two adult daughters. He is a graduate of Boston University and completed port-specific graduate work at the University of Washington Institute of Marines study. "Pat is a known quantity and brings broad experience with economic development projects, with excellent contacts at the state and national level," comments Port of Moses Lake Commissioner Mike Conley. "He understands how ports around the country have leveraged their assets and partnered with both private business and public entities to make things happen. I think he can help us here." |
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Carbon fiber plant seeking annexation of 1,098 acres
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Moses Lake City Council members are considering annexing 1,098 acres along Randolph Road for the SGL Automotive Group. The property is zoned for industrial use only, said Moses Lake city manager Joseph Gavinski. It was at the request of the SGL Automotive Group to use Moses Lake water sewer services in the construction of their new carbon fiber plant.
SGL Automotive Group is building a $100 million carbon fiber manufacturing plant to supply materials to BMW for parts of a future line of electric cars. The council board will next look at a petition for further consideration. Six other property development groups signed the annexation petition presented during the council meeting. The city has had extraterritorial agreements, which are essentially individual annexation agreements for the past 30 years with various property owners in that area to use city services, said Gavinski. Part of the agreement included the possibility of city annexation.
"Over 65 percent of property owners we talked to in that area have agreed to being annexed into Moses Lake," said Gavinski. "The city only needs 60 percent of a land to proceed with annexation." In exchange for the police, fire and street services the city provides the annexed area, the city would benefit from the sales and tax generated from the property, said Gavinski. The area the city is seeking to annex is worth about $34 million, he added. Gavinski said the city would receive about a $1 million in tax properties.
There is some opposition to the annexation. It was brought to the council's attention at the meeting. Fire and emergency response times would be much slower than fire code standards if the area were to be annexed, said Port of Moses Lake Commissioner Brian McGowan. "Fire response time to an emergency is around 4 minutes. When I drove from the proposed annexation site to Moses Lake Fire Station 1, it took me about 10 minutes," said McGowan, who is also a volunteer firefighter. The area is currently being serviced by Grant County Fire District 5. In an interview, Gavinski said the city is planning to build a fire station closer to the proposed annexation area.
Source: Columbia Basin Herald |
Port to improve radio service
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MOSES LAKE - The Port of Moses Lake is improving its airfield radio service by purchasing electronics from a former port tenant for $1. Pinnacle Towers, now known as Crown Castle International, requested to have its port lease terminated and to sell to its equipment to the port.
The company also asked if the port was interested in receiving its equipment, title and ownership of its tower. "While we don't need the cell tower itself, the equipment is easily movable," said Craig Baldwin, the port's executive manager. "We had been looking at putting in some sort of antennae. We have a lot of dead sports with our radio service on our airfield ... This equipment is usable for that need." The current purchase made more sense than buying equipment later, he explained.
The company has been located at the port since 2004 and was leasing property to hold an antennae for cellphone services. The lease is no longer needed.
Source: Columbia Basin Herald |
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Port approves SGL financing agreement
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MOSES LAKE - Port of Moses Lake commissioners approved a financing agreement Monday with the state Department of Commerce for SGL Carbon Fiber plant's electrical connections and hook-ups. The port is involved because a public entity was needed to help process the application, explained Craig Baldwin, the port's executive manager.
 No port funds were spent in helping the company receive $275,000 from the governor's strategic
recovery fund. The money helps SGL pay a total of roughly $2.8 million worth of work of electrical work. Other funds come in the form of a $2 million loan/grant from the state Community Economic Revitalization Board and $200,000 from Grant County's strategic infrastructure program.
Grant County PUD does the electrical work, while the port makes the payment of state funds, he explained. Baldwin described the money as another incentive that was granted to SGL. When the incentive program was put together, the company hadn't yet decided on which land to purchase for its plant. It was initially believed a new substation was needed, but instead, SGL can connect to the Randolph Substation.
The company plans to use 12 megawatts of power annually, according to Sarah Morford, a PUD spokesperson. The electrical work has begun and the majority should be done by the first quarter of 2011. Grounding work needs to be done after that date. SGL is building a carbon fiber manufacturing plant near Moses Lake, which is expected to create an initial 80 jobs and increase to 200 jobs at full completion.
Source: Columbia Basin Herald |
Million Air works to attract local business
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MOSES LAKE - Larry Godden, Million Air Moses Lake's general manager, told Port of Moses Lake commissioners about the company's recent efforts to attract local business. Million Air Moses Lake is a fixed-based operator located at the Grant County International Airport and is associated with Freeman Holdings.
Freeman Holdings' main focus is serving all five branches of military aviation, Godden said this week. He attended the U.S. Navy Tailhook Convention in Las Vegas last week, where he said he made good connections with Whidbey Island officials. As a result, he's expecting to have a A-6 Intruder aircraft at the airport Thursday.
Godden also plans to attend a Warthog aircraft competition in Idaho in October. They will be able to watch demonstrations on the flight line. He is also attending an air tanker conference in Orlando, also in October. "We're actively pursuing aviation branches and hoping to bring more and more business here," Godden said.
- Source: Columbia Basin Herald
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