Tagpos_rm_2020_02_25(35)

Resolution No. 3770 is a Port of Seattle Commission resolution formally adopting charters for four standing committees — Aviation, Energy and Sustainability, Equity, and Waterfront and Industrial Lands — while also amending the existing Audit Committee charter. The charters define each committee's purpose, scope, and operating rules, and direct the committees to develop annual workplans. All committee records, including agendas, minutes, and presentations, are designated as public records and are to be published online proactively.

In February 2020, the Port of Seattle Commission considered authorizing reimbursable agreements with the FAA, valued at up to $120,000, to support the installation of a Surface Area Management System (SAMS) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The project involves placing approximately 33 remote sensors across the airfield to improve situational awareness and provide data on airfield operations, with some sensors potentially affecting FAA-owned facilities. Funding was already budgeted under CIP #800650, with no additional funds requested.

The Port of Seattle requested $3.4 million in additional funding to complete environmental review studies required under federal (NEPA) and state (SEPA) law for planned near-term expansion projects at Sea-Tac Airport. The cost increase was driven by a two-year planning delay, expanded public engagement in multiple languages, additional technical analyses including aircraft noise, air quality, and environmental justice studies, and a decision to produce two separate review documents instead of one combined report. The contract with aviation environmental consulting firm Landrum & Brown brings the total project cost to $6.4 million.

This February 2020 Port of Seattle Commission memorandum outlines the organization's top local and regional policy priorities for 2020, including industrial lands protection, clean fuels and sustainability, cruise terminal development, and equity and inclusion initiatives. The document covers Port-wide priorities such as reducing carbon emissions, supporting regional transportation mobility, and workforce development across King County. While the document addresses broad Port operations and planning, it does not specifically focus on Sea-Tac Airport noise policy.

In December 2019, the Port of Seattle Commission adopted seven guiding principles—including that biometric use be justified, voluntary, private, equitable, transparent, lawful, and ethical—to govern how facial recognition and other biometric technologies are used with passengers at Sea-Tac Airport and cruise facilities. The motion also established a working group, drawn from multiple port departments and community stakeholders, to develop a comprehensive biometric policy by mid-2020. Public-facing biometric technology may only be implemented once that formal policy is in place and demonstrated to align with the adopted principles.