Port of Chehalis Announces Vacancy on Port of Chehalis Commission

by | Apr 21, 2021 | Updates

Applications Accepted for Vacant Position

[Chehalis, WA]  — Today, the Port of Chehalis announced the resignation of Port Commissioner Ken Kostick, who served the Chehalis community as a port commissioner in District 2 for the past 13 years. Commissioner Kostick’s departure creates a vacancy on the Port of Chehalis Commission and, based on the legal process outlined for vacancies as written in state law (RCW 53.12.140 and 42.12.070), the Port of Chehalis will be accepting applications for candidates to be appointed to that vacant position.

The appointed replacement will serve until a replacement is elected in the November 2021 general election, then that elected replacement will then serve the remainder of the current 6-year term through the end of 2025. To meet the statutory deadline the Port of Chehalis Commissioners must appoint a replacement within 90 days.

Those interested in applying can download application materials at the port’s website, portofchehalis.com, along with additional information on the details of the position. Interested individuals must be a registered voter residing within the boundaries of Commissioner District 2 of the port district. A map of the commissioner districts can be found on the port’s website.

The deadline for applications to be received at the Port of Chehalis is May 31st, 2021. Residency will be verified and background checks will be conducted on all applicants. Public comment regarding applicants will be accepted prior to commissioners appointing a replacement at a future Port of Chehalis commission meeting.

For more information about what it means to serve as a public port commissioner, what public ports do for our local economies, and how your leadership can impact our entire community, please visit these links:

Additional resources, including a “Commissioner Resource Guide,” are also available online from the Washington Public Ports Association.

For more information about the Port of Chehalis please visit https://portofchehalis.com.

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Port of Chehalis Media Contact
Lindsey Senter
Director of Finance & Administration
lsenter@portofchehalis.com
(360) 748–9365
portofchehalis.com

Succession Process

PORT COMMISSIONER SUCCESSION

Port Commissioner Succession, Mandatory Legal Requirements

Most of the legal procedures for succession of port commissioners are spelled out in state law, specifically:

RCW 53.12.140 – Vacancies. A vacancy in the office of port commissioner shall occur as provided in chapter 42.12 RCW or by nonattendance at meetings of the port commission for a period of sixty days unless excused by the port commission. A vacancy on a port commission shall be filled as provided in chapter 42.12 RCW.

RCW 42.12.070 – Filling nonpartisan vacancies. A vacancy on an elected nonpartisan governing body of a special purpose district (…) shall be filled as follows unless the provisions of law relating to the special district (…) provide otherwise:

(1) Where one position is vacant, the remaining members of the governing body shall appoint a qualified person to fill the vacant position.
(3) If less than two members of a governing body remain in office, the county legislative authority of the county (…) shall appoint a qualified person or persons to the governing body until the governing body has two members.
(4) If a governing body fails to appoint a qualified person to fill a vacancy within ninety days of the occurrence of the vacancy, the authority of the governing body to fill the vacancy shall cease and the county legislative authority (…) shall appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy.
(5) If the county legislative authority of the county fails to appoint a qualified person within one hundred eighty days of the occurrence of the vacancy, the county legislative authority or the remaining members of the governing body of the (…) special district may petition the governor to appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy. The governor may appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy after being petitioned if at the time the governor fills the vacancy the county legislative authority has not appointed a qualified person to fill the vacancy.
(6) As provided in chapter 29A.24 RCW, each person who is appointed shall serve until a qualified person is elected at the next election at which a member of the governing body normally would be elected. The person elected shall take office immediately and serve the remainder of the unexpired term.

PORT COMMISSION SUCCESSION, ADDITIONAL INTERNAL PORT PROCEDURES

When a vacancy occurs on the port commission, remaining commissioners shall work to ensure that a replacement is appointed within the 90-day statutory deadline. Unless directed otherwise by the port commission, port staff will take the following steps:

• Advertise the vacancy in appropriate local print and electronic media, describing the responsibilities and requirements of the position, links to a map of port commissioner districts, and listing appropriately-required application materials.

• Answer inquiries from interested persons and collect application materials.

• Verify submitted application materials and check to ensure applicants meet requirements such as voter registration and residency in the correct port commissioner district.

• Perform records checks and criminal background checks on all applicants.
At a regular or special meeting of the port commission in open session, the port commission may then:

• Take public comment on the applicants.

• Discuss applicants in a closed-door executive session on personnel matters, conducted under RCW 42.30.110(g), “To evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for public employment”.

• Take action to appoint a replacement commissioner.

INFO ABOUT THE APPLICATION AND APPOINTMENT PROCESS

What ports do: https://www.washingtonports.org/what-ports-do
How ports work: https://www.washingtonports.org/about-our-ports
Port commissioner resource guide: https://www.washingtonports.org/s/commissionerresourceguidemarch2010.pdf

Download Port of Chehalis Commission application and related info: https://portofchehalis.com/downloads/

Port of Chehalis Commissioner District Map