PERSONALLY SPEAKING: JIM KYLE PRESERVATION THE GOAL
HOW MANY INVOLVED?
If we want to keep Bellingham and Blaine as commercial working ports for marine trades, fish processing, commercial fishing, and all that goes with that, it will require some long-term protection. That’s our goal – to help preserve what we have for the citizens of Whatcom County. It’s not just the ports and harbors that provide the economic engine. It’s many, many companies that are not even at the harbors. That’s what we’re about.
We have 90 maritime companies as members. They include one-man shops and big companies like All American Marine and Bellingham Cold Storage. We’re going to recruit this year in an organized fashion that we haven’t done before, and we expect to increase by at least 20. There’s potential for more. We’re also going to recruit associate non-maritime members – any locally-based company or individual supportive of the concept. Maritime jobs are mostly above average, family wage jobs. Everyone who sells something in this county depends to some extent on the maritime sector. It shouldn’t be hard to get folks to throw in support of the Working Waterfront Coalition.
ECONOMIC INFLUENCERS A study that the Port had done by Martin & Associates shows that commercial fishing and seafood processing companies based on Port property – if you add up the employment provided by them – that number is competitive with the
AT A STAGE TO GROW
with just an administrative assistant paid a few hours a month. The burnout level could affect what we can do until we can expand the volunteer base doing the work, and until we can hire an executive director.
THE PORT’S THE KEY We have actively engaged with the Port of Bellingham. We certainly don’t rule out working with the city and the county. At least for now, probably 80 percent of what we do is in cooperation with the Port.
WE COME IN PEACE When the coalition formed, a backlog of resentment existed toward the Port going back 10 years or so. That served as part of the motivation for the formation of the Working Waterfront Coalition.
AVOIDING CONFRONTATION Those who started formed the organization consistently emphasized having a cooperative relationship and not a confrontational relationship with the Port, or anyone else we engage with. We have worked hard with the Port. And the Port staff has been very cooperative in working with us, helping us learn how we can be most effective, and actually collaborating closely on several projects.
ROUGH HISTORY WITH PORT
JIM KYLE spent much of his life for decades fishing aboard his beloved old 42-foot schooner, Home Shore, which he sold to his son going into the 2016 fishery in Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Jim Kyle)
largest employers in the County, including the hospital (PeaceHealth St. Joseph) and Western Washington University. 84 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
We’re at a stage to grow a larger membership, but also to effectively work on issues with the membership level that we have, though we’re still a volunteer organization
Part of the long history of this whole process has been to overcome the bitterness that existed when the Port of Bellingham was focused more on real estate development, and less on the port facilities. Staff had been reacting to the Port Commission as it existed years before, and that was changing. People paying attention know that the ship has turned, and continues turning slowly toward the core functions of the Port and away from non-maritime real estate.