Port of Grapeview seeks to increase public engagement

Kirk Boxleitner | Feb 09, 20230

Engaging the community is critical to the success of any update to the Port of Grapeview’s comprehensive scheme, said Brad Pomroy of the port’s Strategic Planning Advisory Committee.

At a port workshop Jan. 22, port Commissioner Jean Farmer added that listening to constituents is essential because “what the people want may be different from what we want, and we work for them, so we need to make sure we’re doing what they’re asking of us.”

When Commission Chair Mike Blaisdell asked when the port should solicit public comment, Farmer suggested before the summer, and Pomroy asked for specifics on what would need to happen to make such a meeting a success.

Farmer recommended between three and four community meetings because “not everyone can come on the same night,” but Pomroy still expressed concern, noting the day’s workshop had “five people from the public involved, which is not a good representation of the demographics of our community.”

Farmer responded by saying meetings concerning subjects such as the port’s industrial development district vote demonstrated the public can be persuaded to fill a meeting room.

“They had a vested interest in that,” Blaisdell said.

“They have a vested interest in this, too,” Farmer said.

“But do they know that?” Blaisdell responded.

Blaisdell and Farmer concurred that the port should use whatever means they have to alert the public about such meetings, while Pomroy noted that such notices are legally required as part of the comprehensive scheme update.

Pomroy seconded Farmer’s contention that news posted on Facebook travels quickly and broadly.

“Like it or not, that is how North Mason people communicate,” said Farmer, who recommended between two and three people be tasked with running a port Facebook page, and volunteered herself for one of those posts, citing her involvement with a previous version of a port Facebook page.

“I was on that page 20 times a day, seven days a week, for a six-week blast, when the levy got voted on,” Farmer said. “Three of us were, all day long.”

Other previously successful public awareness-raising tactics Farmer recommended for the port included nightly sign-waving in Allyn and Belfair, and providing persuasive arguments on specifics that mattered to the public.

“There was no misconception of what it was paying for, or how much money it was,” Farmer said. “For the IDD vote, we said how much it was, and asked, ‘Can you afford less than a latte?’ ”

Pomroy and Blaisdell nonetheless agreed that, while suggestions for public awareness-raising tactics were welcome, they would need to be planned and structured to achieve the proper degrees of community representation among those who might attend public comment meetings.

“Someone needs to take leadership on at least identifying things we need to think about,” Pomroy said. “Should port commissioners visit community associations? How about Facebook, signs, and articles in the newspaper?”

“We shouldn’t just throw it all against the wall and see what sticks,” Blaisdell said. “Planning how to use each of those (tactics) may require an entire workshop just on public engagement.”

While Blaisdell pledged to work with Bob Pastore of SPAC on “exploring” updates to the port’s comprehensive scheme, Farmer recommended that, during the port’s next regularly scheduled meeting on Feb. 21, the commissioners approve the establishment of a port Facebook page to provide basic facts on the port and daily updates on its plans and meetings.