Officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), NOAA’s Marine Operations Center-Pacific (MOC-P), the Port of Newport, and other members of the team for the NOAA homeport project gathered at Hatfield Marine Science Center Thursday morning for a project kickoff session and site visit. (Photos courtesy Port of Newport)

Port of Newport officials got down to brass tacks Thursday as brass from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and others gathered at Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) to “kick off” the homeport project for NOAA’s Marine Operations Center - Pacific (MOC-P).

They developed a list of contact points; discussed and defined roles and responsibilities for project team members; reviewed and refined the project schedule included in the 20-year lease agreement, and determined milestone dates for key aspects; set dates for monthly progress reports and video conference sessions; and outlined the port’s responsibilities within the next 30 days.

They also visited the South Beach site, where Capt. Michelle Bullock, Commanding Officer of the NOAA Pacific Fleet, briefly piloted a landlubber craft - a bulldozer - to perform the ceremonial groundbreaking.

Bullock then joined James Barrows, NOAA’s real property contracting officer, Dan Strandy, chief of project planning and development, and Lt. j.g. Andrew Colegrove, the MOC-P relocation project manager, for a 1 p.m. press conference at HMSC.

“We have a lot of mixed emotions,” Bullock said, responding to a question about how her staff feels about moving from big city to small town. “The news is still pretty fresh, but some of them are asking questions about Newport, and we want to get as much information to them as possible.”

Concerns are “pretty typical” - schools, housing, quality of life.

Those who have already investigated - and the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce, realtors, and others began fielding questions in June - are “beginning to see the benefits of a small town versus the City of Seattle,” Bullock noted. Still, she added, it’s a definite lifestyle change, and Colegrove and others stand ready to make the transition as smooth as possible for those who opt to make the leap.

Port Commissioner Ginny Goblirsch said they are putting together a group to offer support for those families, and to get the local workforce ready for any job opportunities that might arise, and get local suppliers on approved lists to serve as vendors for NOAA’s operations.

Bullock said some NOAA folks are “doing their homework,” while others are listening to scuttlebutt and rumors circulating about Newport and related matters.

“They have some big decisions to make,” she added, noting that a lot of the rumors and misinformation “have been easy to dispel.”

One thing is certain - NOAA folks know Newport wants them here.

“Wow!” was Bullock’s response to a question about the community’s reception for the dozen NOAA folks who arrived in town Wednesday night. “The community has welcomed us warmly from day one,” she added.

Newport’s reaction stood in stark contrast to responses from folks in Seattle, Port Angeles, and Bellingham.



Opposition ebbs



After initial consideration and debriefing sessions with NOAA officials exploring why their proposals were rejected, Port of Port Angeles and Port of Bellingham officials backed away from filing appeals to protest the decision.

In a unanimous Aug. 19 vote, Port of Bellingham commissioners opted not to launch a protest, citing costs of up to $300,000 to follow through on it.

Port of Port Angeles officials also cited cost as a factor in shying away from an appeal. In addition, they noted that a winning appeal would only re-open the proposal process, not award the lease to one of the other bidders.

According to the Peninsula Daily News, the consultant-prepared Port Angeles’ proposal cost $129,000, split among the port ($54,000), the City of Port Angeles ($50,000), and Clallam County ($25,000). Port commissioners said they couldn’t compete with the one-two punch of bonding capacity - $24.76 million from the Port of Newport, $19.5 million from the Oregon Legislature.

According to The Bellingham Herald, Port of Bellingham officials had pledged to not subsidize the project with taxpayer money.

They decided against the appeal after a Monday debriefing in Seattle, where NOAA staff explained how each bid was analyzed based on technical and financial aspects. They learned that Newport’s proposal toped them all technically, and offered the lowest annual lease cost at just over $2.53 million. Bellingham’s lease offer went in at about $4.07 million.

Meanwhile, Washington’s two senators and five members of Congress sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), requesting a review of NOAA’s decision. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) has requested a full debriefing from NOAA.

It could be a case of too little, too late.



Best offer



Barrows said the bidding process was competitive based on gleaning the best value for NOAA and the nation’s taxpayers.

“We tried very hard to ensure the integrity of the process, and it did not include politics,” Bullock noted. “Newport scored highest in technical components, and offered the best price.” NOAA experts, she added, “pored over those proposals,” combing through them thoroughly to make a determination.

The lease documents are posted online at www.moc.noaa.gov/mop.html.

Despite the rumblings from Washington politicians, it’s now full steam ahead for the project in Newport. Joshua Dodson from Beaverton-based Day CPM (Comprehensive Project Management - the firm that managed the Oregon Coast Community College campuses construction - is the project manager.

“It’s a very challenging project on a very tight timeline,” said Bullock. “I look forward to opening day, when we dedicate the building, and to seeing the first NOAA ship sail under Yaquina Bay Bridge.”



Terry Dillman is the assistant editor of the News-Times. Contact him at (541) 265-8571, ext 225, or terrydillman@newportnewstimes.com.



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