Earlier this month ports around the state elected new commissioners. Congratulations to all newly elected commissioners.

A question was recently posed by the WPPA Marina Committee. They asked, “Can a port district charge differing moorage rates for customers...

At the end of July, I attended the Commissioner’s Conference at Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine. It was a nice change of pace to attend a conference near my home, not only because I could sleep in my own bed and avoid several hours of travel...

It’s an election year, which means election law is front and center. In this month’s column, I will discuss updates to port-specific election laws and revisit some election season tips for port staff, commissioners and candidates to keep in mind.

Summertime at the port means increased use of port facilities—port marinas, piers, and boat launches will be filled with recreational boaters, commercial fishers, and whale watchers; port parks will host festivals and events; and general aviation airports will see increased traffic.

In April, the Washington Court of Appeals issued a decision in West v. Walla Walla City Council , a case involving an alleged violation of the Open Public Meetings Act (“OPMA”).

In this month’s column, I cautiously dip my legal toe into the implications around recent federal funding actions.  I say “cautiously” because I realize there are strong opinions on all sides of federal politics right now.

This past January I had the pleasure of attending WPPA 2025 Port Day in Olympia and observing WPPA Staff and members engage their state legislative delegations and other elected officials to advance the interests of ports all over Washington.

Does your port own buildings that are 20,000 square feet or larger? If so, between June 2026 and June 2028, your port will likely have to comply with Building Performance Standards (“BPS”) in the Clean Building Act, Chapter 19.27A RCW