Clare Petrich News

The six largest West Coast ports — Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles, Port of Oakland, Port of Portland, Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma — sent a letter to President Donald Trump to pursue fair and mutually beneficial trade agreements.The letter highlighted their concerns that the long-term impacts of the escalating trade conflict between China and the United States will create irredeemable economic harm to employers, workers, residents and international partnerships along the West Coast and throughout the entire country.“The chaos of the current trade war is one of the most prominent risks ahead. Exporters are losing market opportunities through increased tariffs on sales to China.

The 2014 Maritime Security West conference is underway in Tacoma, Washington. The preconference day included tours of the Port of Tacoma, the City of Tacoma’s Marine Security Operations Center and the opportunity to view and ride a large number of tactical craft belonging to local police, sheriff fire and rescue departments at the Foss Waterway Seaport moorage. King County Sheriff’s Department gave a flying demonstration of the airborne tactical extraction platform (AirTEP). SeaBotix provided a demonstration of a remotely operated underwater vehicle.

U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) yesterday announced that a critical provision they authored to reform the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) and significantly benefit the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma was included in the bipartisan, bicameral deal on the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) released in the afternoon. As “donor ports,” the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma currently receive just pennies for each dollar they contribute to the HMTF through collected shipping taxes, while other ports around the country disproportionately receive millions more. The provision included in the WRRDA deal today reforms the HMTF…

Congressman Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) introduced The Maritime Goods Movement Act for the 21st Century (H.R. 4105) legislation that would replace the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT), designed to fund the operation and maintenance of American ports. McDermott said HMT is outdated and currently incentivizes shippers to bypass American ports and move goods bound for the United States through Canada and Mexico, amounting to $30 million in losses to maritime infrastructure, with losses expected to increase if current trends continue.

The Port of Tacoma Commission named Clare Petrich Commission President and elected officers for 2009 on Jan. 22. Positions among Commissioners rotate yearly, based on procedures approved by the Port Commission in 1999. Petrich replaces Port Commissioner Dick Marzano as Commission President. Marzano will serve as Assistant Secretary in 2009. Port of Tacoma Commissioners serve four-year terms. The five-member Commission is the governing body of the Port, setting policy and authorizing major expenditures. Port Commission meetings and study sessions are open to the public and are held at The Fabulich Center (formerly Port Business Center), 3600 Port of Tacoma Road. Pierce County voters first elected Petrich to the Port Commission in 1995. She was re-elected in 1999, 2003 and 2007.

The Port of Tacoma Commission today selected Timothy J. Farrell as the Port's Executive Director, effective January 1, 2005. Farrell has served as the Port of Tacoma's Deputy Executive Director since 2000 and as Acting Executive Director since July 1, 2004. Andrea Riniker, who has served as the Port's Executive Director since 1997, will continue on in a transitional role until January 1, 2005. She will work with the Port Commission, and travel with Farrell and Port of Tacoma Commission President Clare Petrich to meet with customers to assure a smooth changeover to Farrell's leadership. Before joining the Port of Tacoma four years ago, Farrell, 38, was Deputy Port Director of Business & Administration for Massport, Boston.

R. Ted Bottiger was appointed President of the Port of Tacoma Commission by fellow commissioners at the Commission's first meeting of 2005, held Thursday, January 7. Positions among commissioners rotate yearly, based on procedures approved by the Port Commission in 1999. Bottiger replaces Port Commissioner Clare Petrich as Commission President. Petrich will serve as Assistant Secretary in 2005. Bottiger was appointed Port Commissioner in March 1997, elected in November 1997, and re-elected in November 2001. Before serving as a Port Commissioner, he served four years as an Assistant Attorney General for Washington State and spent 23 years in private legal practice. Bottiger also served 23 years in the Washington State Legislature, the last five years as Senate Majority Leader.

The Port of Tacoma Commission has approved a contract with Houston-based Kaiser Aluminum to purchase the company's aluminum smelter located near the Port for an initial cash payment of $12.1 million. re-developing for container terminal use. approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. first quarter of 2003. necessary demolition and environmental remediation that may be required. funds will be placed in escrow. additional proceeds of the sale. Clare Petrich. Activity at Kaiser's Tacoma facility was curtailed in 2000. 73,000 metric tons of aluminum annually. America. community. Kaiser President and Chief Executive Officer Jack A. and to further strengthen the company's liquidity. years. clearly, so has the Northwest power environment," continued Hockema. market today.