PORT OF SEATTLE

MEMORANDUM

COMMISSION AGENDA

Item No.

Date of Meeting

March 8, 2011

DATE: March 2, 2011

TO: Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer

FROM: Tom Barnard, Research and Policy Analyst

Geri Poor, Regional Transportation Manager

SUBJECT: Century Agenda Committee Monthly Briefing

SYNOPSIS:

The Century Agenda Committee has held eight internal meetings since its inception on January

4, 2011, planning around the following topics:

 Possible overarching strategic focus areas

 Panel topics and questions

 “Givens” that would form the parameters of the panel discussion

 Communications and Outreach planning, including a Media Panel on March 8, 2011

 Budget

 Panel logistics

Five meetings have been held by the Century Agenda Committee itself, and three additional

meetings have been held with senior Port staff. The regular schedule starting on March 8 and

continuing through September will have public panel discussions generally held on the second

Tuesday of each month. Panels will be composed of members of the public who have particular

expertise in each area under discussion. Some participation by Port staff and experts outside of

our local area is anticipated.

Panel topics proposed so far include: 1) Creating Economic Opportunity, 2) Growing Seaport

Trade and Tourism, 3) Increasing Air Travel and Cargo, 4) Stewarding our Real Estate Assets,

5) Enhancing Community Values, and 6) Aligning Revenues and Strategic Goals. There will

probably be some fine tuning of these topics between now and the second panel on April 12.

A cycle is proposed following each focus area, whereby at the internal meetings held on the

fourth Tuesdays of the month, the Century Agenda Committee and senior Port staff will review

the panel’s discussion from the second Tuesday meeting. Out of those discussions will emerge a

preliminary strategic goal, which will be presented to the Commission at monthly briefings. The

Commission would use those occasions to approve the preliminary strategic goal, which can then

be fleshed out by Port staff.

COMMISSION AGENDA

T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer

March 3, 2011

Page 2 of 2

By late September, a short list of strategic goals should be reviewed and approved by the

Commission. Port staff will then work out five-year objectives to achieve those goals. Final

approval of both the strategic goals and their objectives will be completed by December 2011.

BACKGROUND:

Starting in 2008, the Port of Seattle began creating a “Century Agenda” — a comprehensive

vision and strategic plan that focuses on the Port’s next quarter-century. The goal of the Century

Agenda is to refresh the Port’s strategic plan, using a process that builds upon the

accomplishments of the first century with a visionary look forward to the emerging challenges

and opportunities of the 21st century.

The first stage of the Century Agenda’s work was completed on August 4, 2009, with the

adoption by the Commission of the “Century Agenda: Expert Panels’ Recommended Guiding

Principles.” Since that time, both the Commission and Port staff have engaged in iterative

discussions to develop strategic goals to further work on the principles embodied in that report.

The need for a formal process to finalize these goals prompted a proposal to form a temporary

Port of Seattle Commission Committee, as provided for in the Commission’s Bylaws, to oversee

the next steps in the Commission’s strategic planning process. On January 4, 2011, the Century

Agenda Committee, chaired by Commissioner Albro, and joined by Commissioner Creighton,

was approved by the Commission.

BUDGET:

The Commission is also being asked to authorize a budget in a separate memo to carry out this

phase of the Century Agenda work. It includes both anticipated items and possible potential

additions as the work of the Century Agenda Committee is further developed. The source of

funding is Commission contingency funds, which is set at $400,000. The total estimated cost

will not exceed $145,000, with currently planned activities not to exceed $85,000. Major cost

items will involve the hiring of a part-time intern at $20,000, and the video recording of public

meetings, at no more than $40,000.

OTHER DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS BRIEFING:

Century Agenda: Expert Panels’ Recommended Guiding Principles dated August 4, 2009