No one was happy with how the engagement with ABC Recycling played out. In the Port’s enthusiasm to get the shipping terminal active we did not choose a good long-term partner and have learned from this experience.

Tor served on the Petersburg Alaska Planning and Zoning committee for four years and the existence of the town is based on fishing which can produce conflicts between residence and industry. This lived experience in navigating multiple user groups will be useful as we look to increase the number of vessels calling at our terminal. The completion of the railroad spur to the shipping terminal by 2028 will expand the opportunities for diversification of cargo and provide a needed option for delivering cargo by trucking or rail.

I have been a member of the Whatcom Working Waterfront Coalition since I moved to the county and will guide the Port in its continued support of marine-based industries. Whatcom County is a maritime community and continuing to provide and improve our marinas and maritime services offered is critical to attracting and maintaining our commercial fishing and recreational fleets. The economic benefit to the community from commercial fishing is compounding as these vessels bring revenue from seafood sales, repair and maintenance, as well as wages that filter out to the community. The role of the Port is to provide infrastructure for industries that would not be able to operate otherwise. In order to continue to be the home port for the local and Alaska commercial fishing fleet the Port needs to continue to take guidance from the industry through working groups like the Whatcom Commercial Fishing Association (WCFA), Whatcom Working Waterfront Coalition (WWWC), and the Marina Advisory Committee (MAC).

 Having the skilled trades to repair and maintain vessel in Whatcom County along with the storage and ancillary are critical to helping this industry prosper. The Bellingham Waterfront and the Blaine Harbor both have historical contamination that the Port Commission needs to continue to advocate for clean-up funds.  The remediation of historical contaminated along the Bellingham Waterfront and the Blaine Harbor are a necessary step that will provide areas to restore shipyard capacity for larger boats which would return several million dollars of annual maintenance work to local workers.  

Bellingham Airport is an International Airport for general aviation but not commercial as we currently do not have custom facilities, the construction of which is being explored.

Seattle Connection:

We need to improve the number of daily connections between Bellingham Airport and Seattle. Currently with only three daily connections it is not a viable option and people do not seriously consider it. Five connecting flights per day would eliminate extended layovers in Seattle, making flying more user-friendly than driving.

Destination Flights:   

Why go south when you want to go North to Alaska? Northern Washington and especially Bellingham have many social and economic connections to Alaska. Seasonal direct flights to Juneau and Anchorage in the summer and Hawaii in the winter would be popular.

Canadian Passengers:

With the current currency exchange rate and geopolitical situation Canadian passengers are going to take time coming back. Some factors are outside of our direct control but we can be proactive on prioritizing our local airport, rather than Vancouver and Seattle being the default for American and Canadians alike. Like other airports we need to invest 5% of our gross revenue to place Bellingham top of mind, creating a positive momentum encouraging more routes to be added.  

With the airport closure in July 2027 for a month of planned repairs, we should use this opportunity as a rebranding of the airport with three new routes to coincide with the reopening of the runway.

Tor’s first job in Whatcom County was working a harvest season for Raspberries and Blueberries on Jake Maberry’s farm. The port assisted with the transition of Boxx Berry Farm to a research facility run by Washington State University (WSU). Many voters believe that the port purchased the farm property for the port to operate when they were just following their charter to facilitate commercial activities through innovation and research to support our $350M agriculture industry in Whatcom County.

 This arrangement created a cooperative between WSU, our local farming communities, and the Port to promote research, productivity, and sustainability to strengthen Whatcom’s agricultural industry. The Whatcom Food and Farming Station leases the space, covering the cost of the loan so that the project is not dependent on tax dollars.

As the Port has fully extricated itself from the agreement with Harcourt Developments we are unrestrained and can allow our collective imagination determine what will serve the community best. A priority is to increase the continuity with the rest of downtown Bellingham rather than the current feeling of separation. What is needed is a holistic and long-term view for developing the master plan.

I would like to see the container village renamed to reflect what it currently is- a community gather place. The Romans called the area where people gathered to buy good, debate, and socialize the “Forum” and I would be interest in asking the city to name this area something like “The Forum” to reflect what we want to see in this area.

To facilitate our mission we need a comprehensive review of port-owned properties to strategically acquire, or potentially sell properties that are ill-suited for our goals but have a higher best use for the community. We need to be mindful of continuity to reduce conflicts and buffers from other uses. Properties of interest for review include several port-owned lots between 3885 and 3897 Cliffside Drive and near 3884 Cliffside Drive, all of which may be best suited as residential lots.

A majority of voters believe the Port of Bellingham bought Boxx Berry Farm when it is actually just assisting financially with the transfer. The port needs to do better at publicizing its activities and benefits to the community. ABC recycling did not get the Bellingham Shipping Terminal off on the right foot and it would benefit the county to initiate a public awareness campaign. Tor was on the Petersburg Alaska Planning and Zoning Committee for four years which informs his understanding of industry- residential interaction and after ABC it is critical to get the public back on board with seeing the port’s activities as beneficial.

As of now, the five County Council districts are the same geographic areas as the five port districts but currently the 3rd port district is the 5th county and 5th port is the 3rd county district. Confusing? Exactly.

The Port’s attorney is not clear if the Port Commission has the authority to change the numbering, but for the good of the order and to reduce voter confusion it is imperative that we streamline the two to be both paired and sequential. There will be no gerrymandering as the districts have already been decided. It will simply be a numerical change to match the 5th county district with the 5th port district. Commissioner Briscoe is currently representing the “3rd district” and will continue to represent the same citizens but his district will be renumbered to the 5th district with the same term length.