As part of its strategic plan update, the Port of Vancouver released draft language of its goals and strategies during a workshop Thursday.
The port is nearing the end of its roughly year-long effort to update its strategic plan.
“This is the road map; the actual driving will be yet to come,” said Commissioner Eric LaBrant.
The port is in the final stages of document preparation. During Thursday’s workshop, the port reviewed its community, economic development, environmental, financial, organizational and marine and industrial business goals.
Within each of those areas are three or more smaller goals for the future.
Some notable ones among them are: the port’s desire to strengthen community outreach and communication; and protecting air and water quality and port land’s via a climate action plan and what it called “innovative” stormwater management practices. Also, the port wants to analyze the risks and create a plan to help business be resilient, continue and recover after a disaster.
The port is still refining its vision statement.
The current statement speaks to being “globally recognized and well capitalized state-of-the-industry facilities, infrastructure and service providing accountable economic benefit.”
Now, port officials are considering a more community-focused approach.
It is the first time in about a decade that the port has undertaken updating its guiding document.
Since the last update, the port has undergone several changes. It has a new commission, a new CEO and a larger staff. The West Vancouver Freight Access project is completed; the Vancouver Energy oil terminal proposal has come and gone; the port has faced public complaints and even defended itself in court over public meetings; and it’s begun taking serious steps in overhauling its original property Terminal 1 on the downtown waterfront.
The new strategic plan will chart the course for the port’s future, complete with a vision for future goals, strategies for achieving them, and metrics for charting progress.
The port has been working with the consulting firm Maul Foster Alongi to craft the update since last summer. The port also gathered information from at least 100 organizations involved in the region’s economy and environmental well-being.
Linda Garcia, facilitator and spokeswoman for the Vancouver-based Alliance for Community Engagement — a mix of leaders from environmental organizations, unions and community nonprofits that has closely watched the port’s plan development work.
She said the port has given her group the opportunity to review the draft plan. ACE, she said, is going to be reading it for sustainability and equability issues and specially if the plan will prohibit new fossil fuel projects at the port. She also credited them for making the process accessible for the public and emphasized that the public needs to take advantage of it.
“The port has opened this up for feedback from the community, and the community needs to step up and be engaged,” she said.
The comprehensive draft plan will be released Aug. 14 during the port commission’s regular meeting. The commission is expected to consider the final plan during its Sept. 11 meeting. The public will have a chance to provide feedback on the plans during the next three upcoming commission meetings.
The public can also comment via email to communityfeedback@portvanusa.com, by in writing to the port’s administrative offices at 3103 N.W. Lower River Road, Vancouver, WA 98660.
