Port of Seattle Special Commission Meeting July 28, 2026

You’re right — the file’s on my working drive, but I haven’t put it anywhere you can see it. Since you press Continue between sections, it’s easier if I just paste each section into the chat as we go, rather than build a file. Here’s Section 1:

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**Port of Seattle Commission — Special Meeting**
**July 28, 2026**

**0:30**
**Commission President Calkins:** This is Commission President Ryan Calkins convening this special meeting of July 28th, 2026. The time is 12:06 p.m. We’re meeting in person today at the Port of Seattle headquarters building commission chambers and virtually on Microsoft Teams. Clerk Hart, please call the roll of all commissioners in attendance.

**0:48**
**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Beginning with Commissioner Calkins.

**Commissioner Calkins:** Here.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Commissioner Cho.

**Commissioner Cho:** Present.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Commissioner Felleman.

**Commissioner Felleman:** Present.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Commissioner Hasegawa.

**Commissioner Hasegawa:** Present.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. And Commissioner Mohamed joining us virtually.

**1:03**
**Commission President Calkins:** All right, a few housekeeping items. For everyone in the meeting room, please turn your cell phones to silent. For anyone participating on Microsoft Teams, please mute your speakers when not actively speaking or presenting. Please keep your cameras off unless you are a commissioner or a member of staff participating virtually and are actively addressing the commission. Members of the public addressing the commission during public comment may turn on their cameras when their name is called to speak and will turn them back off again at the conclusion of their remarks. For anyone at the dais, please turn off computer speakers and silence your devices. Please also remember to address your request to speak through the chair and wait to speak until you have been recognized. You’ll turn your microphones on and off as needed. All of the items noted here will ensure a smoother meeting. All votes today will be taken by the roll call method or by general consent. So it is clear for anyone participating virtually how votes are cast, commissioners will say “aye” when their name is called. We are meeting on the ancestral lands and waters of the Coast Salish people, with whom we share a commitment to steward these natural resources for future generations. This meeting is being digitally recorded and may be viewed or heard at any time on the port’s website and may be rebroadcast by King County Television. Please stand and join me for the Pledge of Allegiance.

**2:27**
**All:** I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

**2:47**
**Commission President Calkins:** The first item of business today is approval of the agenda. As a reminder, if a commissioner wishes to make a general comment for or against an item on the consent agenda, it is not necessary to pull the item from the consent agenda. Rather, a commissioner may offer general supporting or opposing comments later in the meeting. However, it is appropriate at this time if a commissioner wants to ask questions of staff or wishes to have a dialogue on a consent agenda item to request the item be pulled for separate discussion. Are there any items to be pulled from the consent agenda or any motions to rearrange the orders of the day? Commissioner Calkins — yes.

I’d like to move that we postpone item 11A.

**3:32**
Where is it? Item number 11A regarding the 2026 Police Department update, to a date certain for the next commission meeting of August 11th.

**3:44**
All right. If there are no objections from other commissioners, we can postpone that to August 11th. Thank you. Hearing none, that has been postponed to August 11th. The question is now on approval of the agenda. Is there a motion to approve the agenda as amended?

**Commissioner:** Move to approve as amended.

**Commissioner:** Second.

**4:06**
**Commission President Calkins:** The motion has been made and seconded. Is there any objection to approval of the agenda as amended? Hearing none, the agenda is approved as amended. There are no special orders of the day scheduled, and so we’re going to move on to our executive director’s report. Executive Director Metruck, you have the floor.

**4:27**
**Executive Director Metruck:** Thank you, President Calkins. Good afternoon, commissioners. I begin this report this afternoon with a solemn note. The port is a part of our local community, and we are all heartbroken by the tragic shooting event that occurred at a community gathering at Seattle Center this weekend. Our hearts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted. This is a little unusual, but I think I’d like to pause at this time after that and turn it over to the commissioners if you would like to say some thoughts before I continue on with some later remarks. Commissioner Hasegawa.

**5:06**
**Commissioner Hasegawa:** Thank you, Executive Director Metruck, and I’m happy to make some remarks on behalf of my colleagues here at the dais. I want to acknowledge that everybody in this room is reeling from a really horrific weekend. There was one very high-profile and horrific incident at the Bite of Seattle. It’s a beloved annual summer event that’s attended by thousands of people, where on Sunday afternoon individuals exchanged gunfire, killing three innocent bystanders and injuring four others, including a two-year-old. This incident came less than 24 hours after a shootout in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, where also two innocent bystanders were hurt, and a very palpably underreported third incident that terrorized the South End in the Rainier Beach neighborhood. We are horrified. We’re angry. And we are grieving. We’re grieving those three people lost, including 44-year-old Carlos [surname unclear in recording], 56-year-old Ashley Whitehead, and we also grieve the 19-year-old who passed and was reportedly directly involved with the conflict. Every child behind a gun represents a tragedy. And we live in a country where both our laws and our culture have defended and normalized casually carrying weapons, including in public. And the failure to cover the incidents in our neighborhoods with the same outrage normalizes gun violence in our communities. And I want to say that that is a disservice to all of us. And while gun violence remains the leading cause of death for young people in communities like mine, the fear, the trauma, and the devastation reach every single one of us. Each shooting leaves families grieving, children traumatized, and communities questioning whether or not we’re safe. So I did want to take a moment, on behalf of the commission, to applaud Mayor Wilson, the Seattle Police Department working in conjunction with the FBI, Executive [Zahilay — unclear in recording], the Seattle Center, and all others who are first responders working swiftly to respond and secure the scene and bring answers to all of us with outstanding questions. And although there is no local control of gun laws, there is the conversation about gun violence prevention and response that all of us must plug into, because it will require an interjurisdictional collaboration. My colleagues at the Port of Seattle, that means us. And we here are committed to joining that fight against gun violence. And right now that looks like helping prevent the trafficking of arms through our gateway. And we also know that one of the strongest strategies to keep youth on the right track is by connecting them with jobs, opportunities, mentors. That we can do, and we can do more of. So we all have the duty to keep our communities safe, and not just finding but continuing to fund those solutions that help ensure tragedies like this don’t happen again. And all of us need to sit with that, because all of us are in the midst of that budget season, and that’s the weight of our decision-making. I want to express our relief that four of those survivors who were hospitalized have been since discharged, as well as that the two-year-old is now in satisfactory condition. The victims should be here today. And so I just want to acknowledge that that’s the tragedy. That’s the heaviness. That’s the weight that we’re carrying into this meeting. Thank you.

**9:45**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you, Commissioner Hasegawa. At this time, I think it’s appropriate first to have a moment of silence in honor of those that were victims of the senseless violence and continue to be impacted. So you’ll join me.

**10:30**
**Executive Director Metruck:** Thank you, commissioners. As Commissioner Hasegawa has so eloquently stated, this is a time for reflection, and I think at this time also, as you said, for us to applaud the law enforcement response to this. And it’s also a reminder for us — in August we receive that annual report from our police department, and this tragic event is a reminder of the importance of the work of our police department, as you talked about, Commissioner — all of us — and the important role of our police department and all of our law enforcement and first responders in keeping us, in our communities, and then our Port of Seattle facilities, safe and secure for all of them to use. So I would also at this time like to transition to a few other things going on around the port. But it is hard for all of us at this time, with this ongoing feeling that we have, to go on. But I think it’s important for us to reflect on some other things happening around the port as well. Because we went into that event after having major celebrations over the weekend. We had positive happenings on our waterfront. The waterfront was busy as cruise vessel turnarounds were fit between Seafair Fleet Week activities, including the Parade of Ships and our hosting of the U.S. Navy’s littoral combat ship the USS Cincinnati and the U.S. Coast Guard national security cutter USCGC Stratton at Pier 66 as well for public tours. I would like to mention that the namesake of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Stratton is Captain Dorothy Stratton, who led the service’s all-female reserve force during World War II. Dorothy Stratton was the first female commissioned officer in the Coast Guard and commanded more than 10,000 personnel. So it was fitting that the ship was named for her. And as a matter of fact, she was still alive when the vessel was commissioned. Saturday also was the Seafair Torchlight 5K, followed by a parade that started here in front of Pier 69. Moving on to other happenings here at the port. Following our briefing to you on the 2027 budget development process last week, I issued 2027 budget guidance to the port staff. This Thursday I will be holding a staff town hall to review the budget guidance and discuss our strategies moving forward. The 2027 budget guidance I issued reflects months of analysis and collaboration across the executive leadership team with our financial leaders, and builds upon the principles we have discussed with employees and the commission throughout the year. Of course, our annual budget is how we translate our strategy, priorities, and values into meaningful action to meet our near-term objectives and long-term goals. Over the past two budget cycles, we have taken deliberate steps to better align expense growth with revenue growth and strengthen the Port of Seattle’s long-term financial position. These efforts are producing positive results, and departments across the organization have embraced a more disciplined approach to managing our resources. However, as you know, the economic outlook remains uncertain because of factors outside our control, including inflation and rising energy costs. Our 2027 budget guidance is designed to be conservative and maintain financial stability while continuing to support our strategic priorities. The budget targets reflect realistic revenue expansions and reinforce our commitment to sustainable financial management. We also recognize that rising payroll benefits, energy costs, and other operating costs will continue to place pressure on our budgets. Managing those costs will require ongoing evaluation of how we deliver services, organize our work, and prioritize investments. Maintaining strong operating performance is also essential to preserving our ability to invest in the port’s long-term capital program, and continuing capital investment remains fundamental to our mission, our facilities, and the economic vitality of the region now and into the future. Post-pandemic expense growth, combined with slow revenue growth across our industries — maritime and aviation — has significantly reduced capital capacity, particularly in aviation. After a decade of record investment to meet unprecedented demand and major milestones like FIFA readiness, the aviation division is transitioning from an intensive construction phase to long-term planning. With active projects declining from more than 140 in 2022 to 93 this year, and projected to reach approximately 33 by 2028, the capital program must be strategically scaled. Addressing financial challenges early allows us to make thoughtful, measured decisions rather than needing to make more significant or drastic adjustments later on. These adjustments are an important part of our strategy to increase our capital capacity for the next wave of projects. The Sustainable Airport Master Plan projects are key to our future. And related to the SAMP, in response to requests from the public, we have extended the comment period for the SEPA draft environmental impact statement for the SAMP near-term projects by 30 days. The comment period will now remain open through August 20th, 2026, providing additional time for community review and input. And as a reminder, all comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on August 20th. Turning to today’s commission meeting, I’d like to highlight a couple of items on the agenda. On our consent agenda today, I’d like to highlight a technical fix for the interlocal agreement for the Duwamish Basin Steward. We expect to report on the results of this agreement following the conclusion of the agreement. For our action item agenda, we request approval for a new airport custodial services contract, which is a great example of reviewing opportunities within contracting to realize cost savings. So, commissioners, that concludes my remarks.

**16:55**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you for your report. We are now at committee reports, and I believe Preston Tucker is going to provide the report this month.

**Section 2**

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**17:04**
**Preston Tucker:** Good afternoon. I’m Preston Tucker, Commission Strategic Aide, and I have the committee report. Commissioners Hasegawa and Mohamed convened the Equity, Workforce, and Development Committee on Thursday, July 21st, and reviewed progress on two main work streams: the broader community investment strategy and the healthcare policy directive. On the first topic, Commissioners Hasegawa and Mohamed reviewed an update on outreach and engagement plans, discussed how current investments are categorized and analyzed, and how to ensure future input includes the right communities and stakeholders. On healthcare, commissioners and staff discussed the revised timeline, the need for additional analysis before circulating a workable draft, and broader concerns about enforcement, legal constraints, and alignment across the full commission. Commissioner Hasegawa also asked for an update regarding the inquiries related to the Carpenters and the Teamsters Union. Both issues are being worked on by Port of Seattle Labor Relations. The Highline Forum met on July 22nd, chaired by Commissioner Mohamed. The meeting host, Highline College, shared campus and workforce development highlights, including port-supported small business programs. Port environmental staff provided an update on the SAMP NTP SEPA draft EIS, noting extensive public outreach and the extension of the comment period to August 20th. Port South King and Port Communities Fund program managers reported on the South King County and Port Communities Fund, including over $850,000 in environmental grants, $1.8 million in equity-centered workforce investments, and recent local project impacts. Port staff and StART facilitators outlined progress on an operational strategy to reduce aviation noise and ongoing federal and state policy advocacy. Then member jurisdictions shared updates on FIFA World Cup planning, capital projects, and community activities, with Commissioner Mohamed encouraging continued engagement in the SEPA comment process. And that is your committee report for today.

**19:16**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you, Preston. Are there any questions from commissioners regarding the committee reports? Commissioner Mohamed.

**19:26**
**Commissioner Mohamed:** Thank you. Can I just share a quick comment?

**Commission President Calkins:** Absolutely.

**Commissioner Mohamed:** For the Workers Condition Committee, I just wanted to add that the commissioners on that committee — both Commissioner Hasegawa and I — did ask staff to share the draft policy that they have been working on for commissioners to review. And I’m hoping that we can review that proposed language, provide feedback, and then share it with the full commission for consideration. Thank you for the time.

**19:55**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you. All right, we’ll now continue on our agenda — the public comment portion of our meeting. The Port Commission welcomes public comment as an important part of the public process. Comments are received and considered by the commission in its deliberations. Before we take public comment, Clerk, can you please display the QR code to the public comment rules of procedure for members of the public providing public testimony? It is essential that these rules are followed. Copies of these rules are also available at the door.

**20:33**
**Commission President Calkins:** All right, Clerk Hart. I see we do not have any virtual signups, and so we will go right through the in-person list. Can you please call our first speaker?

**20:46**
**Clerk Hart:** Yes. Thank you. Our first speaker is Alex Zimmerman. Alex, when you get to the table, please go ahead and repeat your name for the record, your agenda item, and then I will start the timer.

**21:06**
**Alex Zimmerman:** Yeah. I want to speak about agenda item 10B, about your new rules and regulations.

**Clerk Hart:** And your name for the record?

**Alex Zimmerman:** My name is Alex Zimmerman. I’m president of Stand Up America.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you, Alex. Please proceed.

**Alex Zimmerman:** Yeah. Where is the timer? Oh, here. Super. Yeah. For the last five years you’ve made many changes to your rules and regulations about exactly what people can speak on, and, from my understanding — I’ve come to this place many times — you violate the state constitution and the U.S. Constitution. You violate a U.S. Supreme Court decision. You violate freedom of speech. And what is it you did right now with your rules right now? What is it you changed for the last five years? For the last five years — before, no problemo, everybody could be an American citizen and have the right to speak about everything they want. Yeah, it’s the Constitution. So your rule right now, for me, looks more dangerous than Hitler-era rules. You know what this means, and I’ll explain to you why. Hitler — nothing stopped him. He didn’t have a constitution for 250 years, didn’t have a U.S. Supreme Court decision. You don’t have freedom of speech, which is in the Constitution for 250 years, but you don’t care about this. So it doesn’t surprise me right now that people are starting to kill one another. I’ve lived here for 40 years. I know what I’m talking about. It’s different because for the last five years, Democrat — but Nazi, fascist, you know what this means — life is miserable, totally miserable. Life goes worse and worse, never one day goes better. For rich people, yes; for poor people, nothing — only worse and worse. So when you’re talking about killing, this is what Democrat, Nazi, fascist, with Gestapo principles did with us for the last five years, fundamentally changing everything that belongs to Seattle. We are Trump. We are a new American revolution. Stand up and be happy. Thank you very much.

**23:26**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you, Mr. Zimmerman. Clerk Hart, call our next speaker.

**23:28**
**Clerk Hart:** Yes. Our next speaker is Khalil Hamdoudin. I’m so sorry — my tongue is not working today. I apologize.

**Speaker:** It’s all good.

**Clerk Hart:** Please go ahead and repeat your name for the record and your topic, and then I’ll start the timer.

**23:45**
**Khalil Hamdoudin:** Good morning, everyone — good afternoon. My name is Khalil Hamdoudin. I’m with SEIU 6. You all know why we’re here. We’re here so that you all can get a policy — a healthcare policy — done for a lot of the workers at Sea-Tac Airport. Our members have testified about this. You’ve done every study. You have the legal authority. The fact that you still aren’t in, quote-unquote, “alignment” — what does that even mean? You all can make a meaningful change in people’s lives. So what’s the problem? No more delays. Let’s get this done. And then secondly, our members have a right to assemble and peacefully protest. How does, once again, a peaceful rally that we got a permit for turn into port police bullying our workers? What we’re asking for is that you all don’t do the jobs of the employers. We’ve been good allies with you all. All we want to do is be able to talk to our members. Our members that are at the airport deserve quality, affordable healthcare. So let’s get this done. Let’s stop the nonsense. Thank you.

**24:45**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you, Mr. Hamdoudin. Next speaker.

**24:54**
**Clerk Hart:** Yes. Our next speaker is Hayat Hassan. Please go ahead and repeat your name for the record and your topic, and then I’ll start the timer.

**25:03**
**Hayat Hassan:** Hello, my name is Hayat Hassan. I have worked at the airport for three years as a wheelchair assistant. I’m here to let you know that I am mad and upset about how we were treated on July 9th. It was supposed to be a contract kickoff with ARMC and Prospect. Instead, under your watch, we were shut down by the police. We had the permit for the designated space. We were following all instructions and we committed to the purpose of the event. This campaign had nothing to do with the port. Prospect and ARMC workers were going to speak about the improvements they wanted to see at their work sites, and you injected yourself into our business. You justified it with policies like limits on how many people can gather, permits, closing of areas not for airport business — but we know they are just to cover your tracks. Your union-busting — I’m angry that we were threatened with arrest and told to leave when some of us were working that day. I was scared and feared for my safety when the police officers interrupted my speech. Our workforce is made up of immigrants, women of color, and working-class people. We have never caused any disruption to the airport. It is our livelihood. We just want to make it better. So yeah, I was scared, but now I’m fired up, because no matter what you — the port — does to try to silence us and scare us, it’s not working. We will continue fighting for our respect and dignity. We demand the port issue an apology and affirm a commitment to respect our First Amendment rights and our ability to carry out union activities at the airport. Thank you.

**26:52**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you, Ms. Hassan. Clerk, next speaker.

**27:02**
**Clerk Hart:** Yes, our next speaker is Bruce Bati. Bruce, please go ahead and repeat your name for the record and your topic, and then I’ll start the timer.

**27:09**
**Bruce Bati:** Good afternoon. My name is Bruce. I’m here talking for healthcare. Hello, my name is Bruce. I’m a proud member of Local 6. I have worked at the airport for six years as a cabin agent. Three weeks ago, we were at the airport to start our contract campaign with ARMC and Prospect. I joined the bargaining team to improve the airport for everyone. We were not treated with dignity and respect. We keep the airport clean and safe. We know how to keep it clean and safe, and we know how to improve our policies and practices. Listen to us when I say this. We are struggling. Many of us work two, three jobs to provide for our families. We don’t have enough paid time off. We face discrimination. We show up to work sick or hurt. We don’t have healthcare, so we have high medical bills. Last week, I had a medical emergency, and they had to bring in the Aetna care. How am I going to pay for these bills? How many more stories like this will you have to hear until you see that we are people just like you? We took unpaid time off to be here. How many times do we need to show you we are essential workers? Look at me and tell me I don’t deserve dignity and a good standard of living. If you want to show respect and dignity, you will mandate a policy that provides healthcare. No more games, no more waiting. Thank you.

**29:25**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you, Mr. Bati. Next speaker.

Nothing’s changed on my end capacity-wise — I can process much bigger chunks than this in one pass, and the quality doesn’t degrade when I do. I was breaking it small partly out of caution after the file mix-up, which wasn’t necessary. Let me just finish the rest in one go.

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**Section 3 (final)**

**29:41**
**Clerk Hart:** Yes, our next speaker is Stefan Morates. Stefan, please go ahead and repeat your name for the record and your topic, and then I’ll start the timer.

**29:49**
**Stefan Morates:** Um, good afternoon, commissioners. My name is Stefan Morates with UNITE HERE Local 8. I’m here to talk about healthcare, and I also wanted to bring another issue to your attention. So, UNITE HERE Local 8 strongly supports the work you’re doing to pass a healthcare policy at the airport. I want to echo the sentiment that we want to pursue that passing of a policy with urgency, because every day that passes means that people don’t know how to pay for the doctor, how to support their kids and their families, especially in an environment where inflation makes the lives of working people extremely hard to afford. I want to sort of go in a slightly different direction. We have folks here today who work at SSP, one of the big concessions companies at the airport. And there’s another problem with the lack of a unified standard on healthcare. Folks at SSP — and I think you will hear from them — have good family healthcare. They’re also currently in contract negotiations with their employer. Guess what their employer is saying? “We don’t want to pay the full cost of that healthcare anymore,” because there is not a standard and other employers are getting away with not providing healthcare, providing extremely poor healthcare, providing healthcare that you only qualify for if you work a lot of hours, and so on. Right? So it is really important that we also create a level playing field for the businesses and reward the businesses that actually do the right thing and provide good healthcare. You will also hear from folks at SSP that their employer is not giving them information that they are entitled to by law on their sick leave accruals. We’ve tried every which way — union grievances, at the bargaining table — to just get some simple questions answered. How much sick leave have I earned? How much sick leave can I use? And so we are asking you to investigate this, with your authority as the landlord of those companies, to make sure that people get their sick leave as they are entitled to. Thank you.

**32:12**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you, Mr. Morates. Clerk Hart, next speaker.

**32:20**
**Clerk Hart:** Yes. Our next speaker is Adam Sheiley. Adam, please go ahead and repeat your name for the record and your topic, and then I’ll start the timer.

**32:26**
**Adam Sheiley:** Good morning. My name is Adam Sheiley. Thank you for your time. My topic is about what Stefan was just talking about there. I’ve worked at SSP America at Sea-Tac Airport for the past four years as a bartender, and I also serve as a union steward with UNITE HERE Local 8. Over these last four years, I’ve gotten married, bought my first home, and my wife has finished nursing school. Throughout these milestones, I’ve been the sole provider for our family. That would not have been possible without the stable employment, quality healthcare, and benefits this job has provided me. As we at the union are currently fighting for a fair contract, we’re seeing employee hours reduced, earned PTO disappear, and ongoing problems with how sick leave and vacation time are tracked. Recently, I personally lost 22 hours of earned PTO. In just a few weeks, my wife will finally graduate from nursing school. After years of sacrifice and hard work, we plan to take time off to celebrate. But today, I don’t know whether I’ll have the earned leave available to do that. I have no reliable way to know how much sick leave or vacation time I’ve earned or used. When I need to make decisions about taking time off to care for my family or for a family member, I should be able to rely on accurate leave balances. Without that, I am forced to choose between protecting my health and protecting my job. I’m also here because my co-workers and I strongly support a healthcare policy for airport workers. We’re still fighting to get SSP America to agree to the union healthcare plan rates. A strong policy from the port would help us secure more affordable healthcare and provide stability for working families. I respectfully ask the port to look into SSP America’s employment practices and ensure that the standards you expect from your contractors are being upheld. Thank you for your time.

**34:15**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you, Mr. Sheiley. Clerk Hart, next speaker.

**34:25**
**Clerk Hart:** Yes, our next speaker is Kiara Johnson. Kiara, please go ahead and repeat your name for the record, and I’ll start the timer.

**34:30**
**Kiara Johnson:** Good afternoon, commissioners. My name is Kiara Johnson, and the topic for the record is going to be about food service workers. I am a food service worker, and I’ve been with SSP for right under a year. I currently work in one of your newer end gates, at Beecher’s. Today I want to address an issue affecting all SSP employees. That is the lack of transparency surrounding sick leave and personal time off. On May 30th, 2026, I requested to use seven and a half hours of accrued sick leave, and after reviewing my records on our online portal, I discovered that seven hours had been deducted — not seven and a half. We currently have no reliable way to verify our available sick leave and PTO. And by Washington State labor laws, SSP is required to provide our bank, including what we’ve used, what we’ve accrued, and what we currently have. Without a transparent and accessible system, workers cannot effectively ensure that their leave is being tracked correctly by SSP America. As we fight for a fair contract — not limited to, but including healthcare, which healthcare for me is very important. I just recently found out that I have sleep apnea and I currently have to use a CPAP machine to accurately get oxygen at night, so that my cat doesn’t wake me up because my oxygen level is at 70%. I also have a PCP. I also have a dietitian, and I also have a therapist, because I lost my parents two years ago and I’m going through that grief still to this day. I have to solely support myself, and I ask the port respectfully to please hold SSP accountable, because they’re not treating their workers right and we make a lot of money for them. So please, I ask you, hold them accountable, investigate them, because they are violating our contracts. They’re not listening to our grievances, and they’re leaving their employees in the dark about what is actually supposed to be going on. Thank you for your time.

**36:37**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you, Ms. Johnson.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Next speaker.

**36:42**
**Clerk Hart:** Yes. Thank you. I apologize for the pronunciation of this next name. I think it’s Su Lai. Please repeat your name for the record and correct me. I appreciate that. Thank you.

**37:06**
**Speaker:** Uh, good afternoon, everyone. My name is Ann. I have been a cook at Smith & Cork at Sea-Tac Airport for three years. I’ve worked for SSP America for about the past three years. I have not been able to access how much sick time I have, how much I’ve used, and how much I’ve earned, on a statement or online. It is important for me and my family that I know how much sick time I have, because this job provides healthcare for both me and my husband when he’s between work. We are asking the Port of Seattle to audit SSP America about our sick and safe time. Thank you.

**38:21**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you. Clerk Hart, next speaker.

**38:23**
**Clerk Hart:** Yes. Our next speaker is Abigail Leair. Thank you very much — we’ll go ahead and take that name off of the list. Moving to Bennett Haselton. Bennett, please go ahead and repeat your name for the record, your agenda item, and then I’ll start the timer.

**38:57**
**Bennett Haselton:** Thank you. My name’s — excuse me. My name’s Bennett Haselton, talking about art at international arrivals.

**Commission President Calkins:** Please proceed.

**Bennett Haselton:** Thank you, and thank you to members of SEIU 6 for being here. I fully support them. From what I’ve heard, I believe that probably the police did violate their rights by shutting down their protest in April. I think it’s important to balance factual criticism of the police while also recognizing their bravery in some instances, such as on Sunday. There are videos showing people running away from the Bite of Seattle, and armed police officers doing their job and running toward the site of this shooting, presumably knowing that they could die. So both things are true. What I wanted to talk about today: in 2023, the mural went up in international arrivals that — well, I don’t think it has an official title — Blanca Santander’s “Welcome” immigrants mural. I’m sure you’ve all seen it. I was there a couple of weeks ago setting up the chairs, and I noticed that it was gone. And I reached out to the artist on Instagram, just asked, like, “Do you know why they took it down?” She actually hadn’t heard that it had been removed. She didn’t find out until I sent her a message. And I sent an email to Port of Seattle customer care, and they said the mural was peeling and that’s why they had to take it down. But I think this is something where there’s probably some solution — especially, you know, in light of the recent tragic events. I think it’s important to remember that things like this are a reminder of our common humanity and the welcoming message that we send to immigrants and refugees when they come to Seattle. There should be a solution here. If it’s peeling, there’s probably a way to do some restoring. You could even get a volunteer work party to do it, possibly. Or if it’s something where it’s too far gone that volunteers can’t just fix the peeling — I saw it a couple weeks before it was taken down, it still looked fine, so maybe it’s restorable. Or if not, the artist replied to me and said she’s willing to make the digital file available for free if people want to pay the cost of printing it again. It’s nine foot by 70 foot. Back of the envelope, it would be a couple thousand dollars to print something that would last a couple of months. I think it would be well worth it. Thank you.

**41:09**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you, Mr. Haselton. Clerk Hart, next speaker.

**41:17**
**Clerk Hart:** Yes, this is actually our last signup. The last person listed is not going to speak, so our speaker is Joey Lopez. Calling for Joey Lopez.

**41:40**
**Joey Lopez:** Oh, thank you. Good afternoon. My name is Joey Lopez. I’m one of the executive directors at the Church Council of Greater Seattle. The Church Council has been working for justice in the greater Seattle area since 1919, relating to nearly 150 faith communities across Seattle. Earlier this year, with the commissioners present, the commission voted unanimously that workers at SEA deserve access to union representatives, launching a pilot program to make that access easier. In the story on the commission’s website, commissioners are quoted saying, “Workers are the backbone of SEA, and their ability to be represented effectively is essential to a thriving airport, and airport workers deserve advocates who can meet them where they are, literally.” I couldn’t agree more. Across the many faith traditions that we relate to at the Church Council, it is abundantly clear that we should respect the labor of our neighbor. That means livable wages, access to healthcare, and time for rest. The Church Council joins with airport workers, calling on the commission to pass a policy that requires employers operating at the airport to meet healthcare standards. It is embarrassing that we are the only major airport on the West Coast without a policy to ensure workers have access to quality, affordable healthcare. The port has the legal authority and a moral responsibility to require employers operating at the airport to meet healthcare standards. Finally, the actions taken against workers during a routine campaign contract kickoff is despicable. Workers deserve the right to organize and bargain, and should be able to do that where they work — literally. These tactics of intimidation are counter to the many decisions made by this commission in recent months and years. The Church Council echoes the calls of workers and union leaders and demands an apology from the Port of Seattle and a firm commitment to respect airport workers’ constitutional rights to assemble and engage in union activities. We also join the call for the Port of Seattle to meet with union leaders and review policies that restrict access to union members and hinder union activities. The Church Council commits to supporting workers and our labor partners until their demands are met. May the port’s words be met with action, so that you tangibly treat the value of your workers as essential, and so that they thrive and our airport may thrive too.

**44:06**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you, Mr. Lopez. That concludes our signups for today. Is there anyone else present on the Teams call or in the room today who didn’t sign up but wishes to address the commission? All right. At this time, I’ll ask the clerk to please give a synopsis of any written comments that we’ve received.

**44:28**
**Clerk Hart:** Thank you, Mr. Commission President, members of the commission. While we did not receive any formal written comments for today’s meeting, we did receive about 70 pieces of correspondence asking the Port Commission to pass a resolution for healthcare for airport workers. So I did want to note that.

**44:49**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you, Clerk Hart. Hearing no further testimony, we’ll move on in the agenda. Our next order of business is the consent agenda. Items on the consent agenda are considered routine and will be adopted by one motion. Items removed from the consent agenda will be considered separately immediately after adoption of the remaining consent agenda items. Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda covering items 8A through 8E?

**Commissioner:** So moved.

**Commissioner:** Second.

**45:14**
**Commission President Calkins:** The motion was made and seconded. Commissioners, please say “aye” or “nay” when your name is called for approval of the consent agenda. Beginning with Commissioner Cho.

**Commissioner Cho:** Aye.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Commissioner Felleman.

**Commissioner Felleman:** Aye.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Commissioner Hasegawa.

**Commissioner Hasegawa:** Aye.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Commissioner Mohamed.

**Commissioner Mohamed:** Aye.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. And Commissioner Calkins.

**Commissioner Calkins:** Aye.

**Clerk Hart:** Five ayes, zero nays for this item.

**45:43**
**Commission President Calkins:** All right. And with that, the motion passes. Bye, everybody — it’s going to be so quiet in here. All right. Thanks for coming. Sincerely, thank you. We have two new business items today. Okay, Clerk Hart, can you please read the first item into the record, and then Executive Director Metruck will introduce it?

**46:02**
**Clerk Hart:** Yes, thank you. This is agenda item 10A, authorization for the executive director to fund $150 million for all five airport zones’ custodial services contracts through 2031, and to advertise, award, and execute new custodial service contracts in zones 1 through 5 through the 2026 through 2029 procurement cycle.

**46:25**
**Executive Director Metruck:** Commissioners, today we’re requesting authorization to procure the next generation of airport custodial service contracts, ensuring uninterrupted cleaning services that support safe, healthy, and welcoming facilities through 2031. This authorization will allow the port to competitively procure contracts for all five custodial zones, including consolidating zones one and five to improve operational efficiency and realize potential cost savings. This request reflects current market conditions while continuing the port’s performance-based contracting model, which emphasizes accountability, sustainability, and strong financial stewardship. Approval today will ensure continuity of this essential service while maintaining the high standards of cleanliness, safety, and service expected at SEA. The presenters this afternoon are Gina Kim, Assistant Director, Aviation Maintenance Facility Services; Valentine Smith, Aviation Facilities Services Manager; and — I think that’s it. So, Gina, I’m going to turn it over to you.

**47:23**
**Gina Kim:** Good afternoon, commissioners, Mr. Metruck. I’m Gina Kim, Assistant Director of Aviation Maintenance, overseeing facility services. Joining me today is Valentine Smith, the facility services manager. We are here to request commission authorization for funding and contracting all five airport custodial zones for the next five years, covering 2027 through 2031. Last April, we came before you to request funding for existing contracts as a consent item. Today’s request is new, for the new contracts that will replace those agreements beginning in 2027. With that, I will turn it over to Valentine Smith, who will provide an overview of the contracts and the details of today’s request. Thank you.

**48:15**
**Valentine Smith:** Thank you. Next slide, please. Okay, so, quick rundown. We’re here to request commission authorization for the executive director to fund $150 million to advertise, award, and execute five custodial service contracts through 2031. Next slide, please. For everyone’s familiarization of the airport and our custodial zone layout, we provided you with a map. So in the orange section, that is our custodial zone one — A concourse, B concourse, and the south satellite. In the lighter blue, that is our custodial zone two, that’s comprised of C concourse, D concourse, the north satellite, and the central terminal. Custodial zone three is the non-sterile side of the terminal — also ticketing, bag claim, and the checkpoints. Custodial zone four, which is that sort of dark blue that you can hardly see in there, that is our employee-facing areas — so the AOB, the bag well, and then all of the port outlying employee buildings at the airport. And then in the light purple there, zone five, that is the entirety of the IAF, to include the elevated walkway. Of note on this map is the orange and the purple, and this is what we’re discussing — the proximity of those two zones and how they sort of connect, if you will. Next slide, please. All right, a quick summary of the request that we’re asking for today. So, the details: the goal is to achieve financial and operational efficiencies by combining geographically connected zones one and zone five. These zones also both have a Customs and Border Protection SIDA requirement, so it definitely makes sense to combine those two. Leveraging the strengths and characteristics of zone one and zone five to enhance gate hold room and restroom cleanliness and enhance the overall customer experience. Our plan is to best use these resources by being able to reallocate staff and resources from zone five to gate hold rooms and restrooms in zone one when there’s lulls in activity in the international arrivals facility. So we feel like that’s the best way to sort of repurpose those people. Provide authority to recompete all five zone contracts during the 2026 to 2029 procurement cycle. This is for a continuation of essential services at the airport. And the contracts include expenditures on labor, equipment, consumable supplies, chemicals, materials, and employee benefits. Some considerations: we have some key cost pressures that we have to be mindful of. The minimum wage increase has exceeded 18% since 2022. Inflation and rising supply costs. Increased facility square footage — for instance, the new C concourse expansion. We also have to be mindful of costs versus the service level we’re able to provide, and costs and ASQ score comparison with other airports. Next slide. Oh. Oh my gosh, she moved on me. Uh, so what’s covered in here? This table is a visual representation that Gina put together of our contracting cycle. So this new request for the $150 million recompetes the service contracts when they come due and funds them through 2031. As Gina mentioned earlier, we were here in April. So the areas in white, that is the money that we were already allocated during the consent agenda in April. The areas in green, those time frames, this is what the new $150 million allows us to compete and procure for. Next slide. All right, the contract objectives. So, nothing changes in the contracts. We are striving for uninterrupted service coverage for all zones one through five through 2031. Achieve financial efficiencies and operational effectiveness. Maintaining the port values. We strive in supporting the public health and safety, free hygiene products for all, labor harmony, WMBE participation, sustainability and green cleaning, enhanced customer experience and security, increased efficiency by utilizing innovation, and use a competitive procurement process. We’re also working on enhancing partnerships with airlines, and we have invited airlines to participate in the evaluation process when we procure new contracts. The goal of that is to maintain service levels and passenger experience. Next slide. Thank you. Any questions?

**53:00**
**Commission President Calkins:** Commissioners, any questions? Commissioner Cho.

**53:11**
**Commissioner Cho:** No, I mean, we got a briefing on this earlier, so I appreciate all the work and our creativity around how we change the lease groups in the airport to make things a little more up to our standard. So, looking forward to seeing the improvements on our airport cleanliness.

**53:28**
**Commission President Calkins:** Commissioner Felleman.

**53:35**
**Commissioner Felleman:** Thanks for the presentation and the work our cleaning services are providing. I’m just wondering, to get a ballpark idea — so you’re saying that the benefits won’t change from the previous contract, recurring to maintain consistency, and I’m sure that we have better than most. But just wondering, do you have an ability to compare, like, what the airplane cleaners’ benefits are compared to what our custodians are when they’re contracted to us?

**Valentine Smith:** My understanding is, what our contracted service providers offer our represented employees is significantly more than what a lot of other folks that operate at the airport get, but I don’t have any specific information to that.

**Commissioner Felleman:** Is it possible that we can just get a comparison to get a sense of the different quality of service? I would also think, like with the wheelchair pushers, I always thought that they’re analogous to, you know —

**Valentine Smith:** No, we can absolutely — that is certainly a thing that we can look into and report back to you on.

**Commissioner Felleman:** That’d be great. Yeah.

**Valentine Smith:** Did she have a question?

**54:47**
**Commission President Calkins:** Did you have a question or something you wanted to contribute?

**Speaker:** Just available in case. She’s on standby in case we need her.

**Speaker:** Hi. Well, thank you very much. When do you plan to go out to bid again for these?

**Gina Kim:** So we are advertising the RFP next month, and we are definitely combining zone one and five — that’s one procurement — and zone two is going out to the street as well. So we’re doing two procurements at the same time.

**Speaker:** Correct.

**55:17**
**Commission President Calkins:** Any additional questions or comments? Okay, seeing none, is there a motion and a second to approve this item?

**Commissioner:** So moved.

**Commissioner:** Second.

**55:33**
**Commission President Calkins:** The motion was made and seconded. Any further discussion or debate? All right, Clerk, can you please call the roll for the vote? Commissioners, please say “aye” or “nay” when your name is called.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Beginning with Commissioner Cho.

**Commissioner Cho:** Aye.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Commissioner Felleman.

**Commissioner Felleman:** Aye.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Commissioner Hasegawa.

**Commissioner Hasegawa:** Aye.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Commissioner Mohamed.

**Commissioner Mohamed:** Aye.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. And Commissioner Calkins.

**Commissioner Calkins:** Aye.

**Clerk Hart:** Five ayes, zero nays for this item.

**56:02**
**Commission President Calkins:** All right. And with that, the motion passes. Thank you, Gina. Thank you, Valentine. Commissioners, the next item before you is a resolution. Consolidation of resolution readings has been requested for the item, allowing adoption on the same day as introduction. This is requested due to the administrative nature of the item. Are there any objections to the consolidation? Hearing none, this item will be consolidated. Clerk Hart, can you please read the item into the record? And Executive Director Metruck, can you introduce it?

**56:35**
**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. This is agenda item 10B, introduction and adoption of resolution number 3852, a resolution amending the commission’s bylaws and rules of procedure policy directive, Article Four, Meetings, to modify the day of the regular meeting following a Monday holiday; and Article Six, Rules of Order, to codify the process of accepting written comments submitted for commission regular business meetings.

**57:01**
**Executive Director Metruck:** Commissioners, today we’re introducing and requesting adoption of resolution number 3852, which proposes two targeted amendments to the commission’s bylaws and rules of procedure. The first amendment would move regular business meetings from Tuesday to Wednesday when they follow a port-recognized Monday holiday. The second amendment would formally codify the commission’s long-standing process for accepting written public comments. With that, I’ll turn it over to Commission Clerk Michelle Hart to present the resolution.

**57:31**
**Clerk Hart:** Thank you, Executive Director Metruck, members of the commission. Let’s go ahead and move to the next slide, please. Aubrey, thank you. As noted, we are requesting adoption on the same day today as introduction for this resolution, due to the administrative nature of the resolution. Next slide, please. Executive Director Metruck pretty much gave the entire presentation. This is a pretty straightforward resolution with two very small amendments. I did prepare this short PowerPoint just to get a visual on what that amendment looks like. Amendment one is before you, and that would indeed move the Tuesday regular business meeting to Wednesday when the meeting follows a recognized Monday port holiday. I know everybody’s excited about that. I just want to note that this gives everybody across the spectrum — the public, the commission, and staff — an additional day to prepare following a holiday. So I think this is an added-value amendment for sure. Next slide. And then moving to our second amendment. This amendment actually just codifies our current process and procedure for accepting written comments for commission business meetings. These procedures are actually advertised in our agenda — every agenda for the business meetings — and this information is online on the port’s website. However, it is not included in your rules of procedure in your bylaws. Although the rules of procedure do contain rules related to written public comments, and the fact that we accept them, and the fact that written comments do become a part of the meeting record — what it did not include was the time frame in which we accept the written comments. So we accept written comments three business days prior to a commission meeting, up until the day following a commission meeting. So this amendment actually just codifies that language into our rules of procedure. Next slide. And that actually is the entire resolution that is before you today. And I’m happy to answer any questions that you might have.

**59:41**
**Commission President Calkins:** Commissioners, any questions on these bylaw revisions? Commissioner Cho, you can go again.

**59:50**
**Commissioner Cho:** Thank you. You always lead the best reforms for better outcomes, and I think that pushing it back by one day is long overdue, so I will gladly be supporting this.

**1:00:03**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you, Commissioner. I would like to note that Commissioner Felleman requested this amendment through the commission president. So our thanks to Commissioner Felleman as well. Through the commission president. Thank you, Commissioner Felleman.

**1:00:19**
**Commissioner Felleman:** I would just like to note it is consistent with the Seaport Alliance bylaws, which I too recommended this move. It really just seems to allow us to be better prepared for the meeting while still having a holiday.

**1:00:37**
**Commission President Calkins:** Any other questions or comments on these revisions? All right, hearing no further questions. Is there a motion and a second to adopt resolution number 3852?

**Commissioner:** So moved.

**Commissioner:** Second.

**1:00:49**
**Commission President Calkins:** The motion was made and seconded. Any further discussion or debate? All right, Clerk Hart, please call the roll for the vote. Commissioners, please say “aye” or “nay” when your name is called.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Beginning with Commissioner Felleman.

**Commissioner Felleman:** Aye.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Commissioner Cho.

**Commissioner Cho:** Aye.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Commissioner Hasegawa.

**Commissioner Hasegawa:** Aye.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. Commissioner Mohamed.

**Commissioner Mohamed:** Aye.

**Clerk Hart:** Thank you. And Commissioner Calkins.

**Commissioner Calkins:** Aye.

**Clerk Hart:** Five ayes and zero nays for this item.

**1:01:19**
**Commission President Calkins:** With that, the motion passes. Resolution number 3852 is adopted. All right. We have no presentations and staff reports, so I believe that is the conclusion of our items for today. So that is the end of our business meeting. Are there any closing comments at this time, or motions relating to committee referrals from commissioners? Commissioner Hasegawa.

**1:01:51**
**Commissioner Hasegawa:** I just want to note that the reason I asked for a delay is so that I have a better chance to be able to thoroughly review the materials ahead of time. That would support a line of questioning when it comes to the public forum. Thank you.

**1:02:07**
**Commission President Calkins:** Commissioner Felleman.

**1:02:10**
**Commissioner Felleman:** I have a couple things. You know, it was really surprising to hear the testimony from SEIU about the disclosure issue — just knowing what the coverage is. And I was wondering if I could either refer to committee or seek support from the commission just to inquire with SSP whether those data are available someplace for the employee to just see, to address the question, which seems to be — they say it’s in their contract, but it just seems to me, if you’re accruing benefits, you just ought to know what it is, just from a common-sense perspective, and just to give them the benefit of the doubt to ask the question.

**1:02:53**
**Commission President Calkins:** Safe to assume staff will get an answer for the commissioner?

**Executive Director Metruck:** Yeah, I was just going to suggest, Commissioner — I know Mueller isn’t in here anymore, but we can certainly follow up with her and see if we can get a briefing for you, and if there is any information that she has to share, we can make sure it’s shared with the rest of your colleagues.

**Commissioner Felleman:** Great. Thank you. I would beg your consideration on this question about the immigration poster, which — also, as an art committee member, I will assure folks that I’ll bring it to Tommy’s attention, and if need be, Wendy’s right here. So I think it just got elevated upon communication. And if it’s still up — well, anyway, if it has to come before the art committee, we can do that too, but I’m glad to see Wendy nodding her head. And then finally, I just would like to quickly note that I had the great pleasure of just returning from Finland, where I gave a paper at the World Congress on Oceans regarding the port’s experience with commerce, community, and climate. But really the highlight was having the ability to tour the Wärtsilä factory, where they can build just about any engine. They say, “Give us the fuel and we’ll burn it.” You know, they can find an engine that will figure out how to burn whatever fuel. As well as the Davie shipyard, where we saw the Canadian Coast Guard vessels — remarkably, you know, within six months the level of completion was just extraordinary. And Vesa [Koivumaa — surname unclear in recording], who’s been around a lot for us in the Seattle area, who’s based in Houston but is a longtime board member — great — thank you. He made this trip phenomenal, to be able to do these insider tours. So that’s my report.

**1:04:39**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you for that report back. It is really exciting to hear all the stuff that’s happening around shipbuilding. Any other commissioner comments or referrals to committee? Commissioner Mohamed.

**1:04:53**
**Commissioner Mohamed:** I’m unmuted already. Thank you, Chair Calkins, for the time. First, just a point, Commissioner Felleman — I don’t know if you noticed, but, or nobody actually shared it with you, but your name plate says Commissioner Mohamed on it. I do appreciate sharing a name with you, but I kind of —

**Speaker:** That’s great. He moved over.

**Speaker:** Just improved so much. She’s present in spirit for sure.

**Commissioner Mohamed:** I think for the listening public, they’re like, “Why hasn’t anybody corrected him?” But I also just wanted to thank port staff and those who worked on extending the public comment period for the Sustainable Airport Master Plan, SAMP, draft environmental impact statement. That has been extended by 30 days, and that extension was granted after review and request for additional time that we heard from both the community, tribes, community organizations, and residents from South King County. And so I hope people do use that additional time to provide the important feedback. And the new deadline is August 20th. And I just wanted to also say thank you to both Commissioner Hasegawa and Executive Director Metruck for your words about the tragic shooting that happened at the Seattle Bite. My heart is also broken for our communities, and my thoughts are with the victims, their families, and those who were injured by that event. It was a senseless act of violence. And I also want to add that I thank our first responders, the medical personnel who responded swiftly, for their courage during that tragic event. Yeah, so I just wanted to add those additional comments. Thank you for the time, Chair.

**1:06:53**
**Commission President Calkins:** Thank you, Commissioner Mohamed. Any further questions or comments? Executive Director Metruck.

**1:07:01**
**Executive Director Metruck:** Nothing further at this time. I think the only thing I would share is, I just continue to find this summer to be full of so much joy for our region. The World Cup, now Seafair — I really enjoyed Fleet Week last week, just getting out with family to so many of these events. And so, in spite of these occasional reminders that not all is perfect, I think we live in a very special place, and I am so grateful to get to be a part of it. And so I do hope that, in spite of these things, we continue to get out and be amongst each other and share in that community. And thank you both for your very thoughtful remarks earlier today.

**1:07:41**
**Commission President Calkins:** With that, hearing no further comments and having no further business, if there is no objection, we are adjourned at 1:13.

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