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2025-09-23
Port of Seattle Commission Meeting 09/23/2025
Highlights of the Port of Seattle's latest commission meeting include the planned transfer of North Sea-Tac Park to a permanent preservation trust, with SeaTac lobbying for ownership in what will likely end up as a cost-free solution for both sides. Community opposition was strongly against the closure of Salmon Bay Marina, one of Seattle's last remaining live-aboard and houseboat havens, with nearly a dozen residents testifying against the decision. The meeting also introduced the Port's 2026 budget process, revealing their aggressive borrowing strategy where every operational dollar saved generates ten dollars in capital project capacity. This "borrowing machine" approach explains why the Port remains restrictive with tax levy dollars for community grants—unrestricted funds provide crucial leverage for massive infrastructure projects. Our comment was to end the onerous grant requirements for those grants - especially with cities. The program has created tremendous PR value for the Port, but far less actual benefit for airport communities. -
2025-09-23
Port of Seattle Commission Meeting
Full Meeting Packet 11a. Central Services. It is the beginning of budget season. The Port Commission receives separate briefings on each of the sections of the empire. This meeting will discuss the small but mighty Central Services, which provides administrative services for the agency as a whole, including: Accounting, Human Resources, External Relations (lobbying), Legal, -
2025-09-22
$500,000 in Port Funding Available for Community-led Environmental Improvements
The Port of Seattle is now accepting applications from community-based organizations for projects that improve the environment in historically underrepresented communities that surround Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and South King County, extending up to Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley, and the Duwamish Valley. A total of $500,000 is available in this cycle of the South King -
2025-09-21
Ep #8 The Rube Goldberg Debt Experiment
The Airport Communities Podcast Last week we looked back at how the Port of Seattle’s tree cutting, originally known as the Flight Corridor Safety Program, led to a short-lived public interest about the SAMP, including the creation of a number of local groups, and the development of all the Port’s current community grant programs. Housekeeping: -
2025-09-20
Revealed: ‘Corporate capture’ of UN aviation body by industry
Exclusive: Industry delegates outnumbered climate experts by 14 to one at recent ICAO meeting, thinktank says Damian Carrington Environment editor Fri 19 Sep 2025 01.00 EDT The UN aviation organisation has been captured by the industry, a report has concluded, leading to the urgent action required to tackle the sector’s high carbon emissions being blocked. Industry -
2025-09-19
Flights resume after radar and communication outages hit air traffic controllers in Dallas
By Pete Muntean Alexandra Skores, Aaron Cooper People gather near an American Airlines desk on Friday, September 19, as planes are delayed at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport due to a reported telecommunication outage. Lorenzo Ferrigno/CNN A telecommunication outage caused Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers in Dallas to lose radar and some communications Friday afternoon, -
2025-09-17
Work group revisits JBLM option to ease SEA Airport congestion
A state work group is exploring air travel at JBLM to ease SEA airport congestion, despite military opposition. Author: Drew Mikkelsen UNION GAP, Wash. — A state work group is again weighing whether to allow civilian air travel at Joint Base Lewis-McChord as a way to relieve Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s mounting congestion. The military rejected a -
2025-09-17
UECNA Webinar: Airspace Changes – Update
Across the world airspace is being modernised. Many flight paths may change. And narrow, concentrated flight paths, known as PBN, are introduced. In 2021 we already explored the impacts on local communities and asked what can be done to ensure communities can gain some benefits from the changes (Webinar No 3). Now, four year later,