Phone
(360) 739-1002
Email
kenforport@gmail.com
Town where you live
Bellingham
Experience (300 characters max)
My experience includes serving as a Port Commissioner 2017-Present. Prior to that I was on the Whatcom County Planning Commission, Whatcom County Charter Review Commission, served on the Economic Development Investment Board and been active with the Small Cities Partnership. Professionally, I have
I was Elected to the Charter Review Commission appointed to the Whatcom County Planning Commission, and elected to be Port Commissioner.
I am a member of the Sunrise Rotary Club. My wife and I currently work as handlers for our support dog.
Previously I was the chairman of the board for a homeless shelter for 10 years. I am active with the County's Small Cities Partnership and the Whatcom County Business and Commerce Committee.
In our last few months of service the Port Commission we decided to change the executive director and to increase the size of the Port Commission. Those are changes that I believed needed to happen. This term I am committed to finding the right Executive to lead the port into the next decade. I am also working to make sure our communication with the City, County, Neighborhoods and Laborers is enhanced. Our community outreach and public input has been sorely lacking in the past. These changes are intended to fix that problem. Our hope is to achieve the best outcome for our working waterfront. I am committed to keeping the shipping terminal active by ensuring we have rail service to the waterfront and commerce moving across our docks. I want a new plan to develop the Airport industrial property. We have none and it's time. The old GP site and waterfront district need the same kind of new vision. We have the opportunity of a lifetime to create a world class experience on that site.
Vision- We need big plans at the waterfront, airport, Blaine industrial marina and the shipping terminal. Now is the time to bring our community together for a vision that can be achieved sooner rather than later. All areas of the port need to have more community involvement and a real permanent plan in place for their development. We should be able to show everyone in the public what these areas will look like when they are finished.
Industrial land utilization and availability. We have sorely neglected our industrial land base for creating jobs. There is no better way to make housing affordable than to provide good jobs. We cannot begin to recruit new business without taking serious steps to improve infrastructure.
The Waterfront needs a new plan. It needs to become the diamond of the northwest. This property is the best and most valuable piece of real estate on the west coast. It needs a vision, plan and a uniqueness that makes us the envy of every other waterfront in the state.
My district goes from north Lake Whatcom to the Canadian border, east of the Guide Meridian. This area is primarily agricultural, light with some heavy industrial mixed in but primarily resource based. This area would be the most likely place for the City of Bellingham to grow. It is also perfectly suited for industrial activity. The best thing we could do for this area is to promote sustainable agriculture. Which we have done by giving the farming community a place to conduct research and develop crop improvements. The Port purchased the Boxx berry farm and in conjunction with Washington State University we will turn it into a laboratory for our farmers, similar to the Bread Lab in Skagit county.
We can promote local purchasing of our Whatcom grown ag.
Growing the industrial areas and promoting local jobs will also keep our people home.
We are preparing for any increase in sea level rise. We will comply with all City directives. We will be monitoring our waterfront at all times to see what the impacts of storms and any increase in water levels.
We are exposed directly to the ocean and we will be preparing for any major storm impacts as well. Managing stormwater, cleaning up legacy contamination and proper waterfront uses will keep the impacts to a minimum.
From a policy standpoint it will be important to have a working shipping terminal. The ability to load and unload commercial goods in Bellingham will cut down on the number of trucks on the road and minimize impacts to roads and highways.
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