Item No.: 8f_redline
Meeting Date: September 10, 2019
PORT of SEATTLE COMMISSION BYLAWS REDLINE
For consideration September 10, 2019
There are no changes proposed other than to Article I and Article II, Section 1.
Changes in red are per Resolution 3761; changes in blue are per Amendment 1 to the resolution.
Article I – Object
1. Founded in 1911 by a vote of the people as a special purpose government, the Port of
Seattle’s mission is to promote economic opportunities and the quality of life in the region
by advancing trade, travel, and commerce in an equitable, accountable, and
environmentally responsible manner.
[inserted by Amendment 1]
Founded in 1911 by a vote of the people, the Port of Seattle is a special-purpose
government led by a board of elected Commissioners. Its mission is to benefit the quality of
life of King County residents by expanding partnerships in trade, travel, and commerce. It
achieves these goals in an equitable, accountable, and environmentally sustainable manner.
[inserted by Resolution 3761 but stricken by Amendment 1]
The Port of Seattle was chartered by the voters of King County as a port district by special
election on September 5, 1911, as a special-purpose municipal corporation of the State of
Washington. The Port of Seattle Commission is vested with all port powers described by
law and governs the Port of Seattle in accordance with state law to fulfill the port’s
purposes and objectives.
[stricken in both Resolution 3761 and Amendment 1]
(Res. 3761, §1, 2019; Res. 3742, 2017)
2. These bylaws constitute the rules governing the transaction of business by the duly elected
Port of Seattle Commission. Commissioners shall faithfully, ethically, and transparently
perform all duties of office and shall abide by the principle that public service is a public
trust. It is the goal of these bylaws to outline the transaction of business in a way that
appropriately safeguards the rights of the majority, minority, and individual within the body
politic of the Port of Seattle Commission. (Res. 3742, 2017)
3. [Repealed by Resolution 3761, September 10, 2019]
Commissioners shall serve the public and the mission of the Port of Seattle as a public
agency to create quality jobs throughout the diverse communities of King County by
advancing trade and commerce, promoting industrial growth, and stimulating economic
development. Commissioners shall advance the port’s commitment to create economic
opportunity for all, responsibly steward the environment, partner with surrounding
communities, promote social responsibility, act transparently, and remain accountable.
(Res. 3742, 2017)
[stricken in both Resolution 3761 and Amendment 1]
Article II – Commissioners
1. Membership. The Port of Seattle is led by a board of five commissioners elected by King
Port of Seattle Commission Bylaws, as amended September 10, 2019 Page 2 of 2
County voters to four-year terms pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 53.12 RCW.
[inserted by Amendment 1]
The members of the Port of Seattle Commission shall be those commissioners duly elected
pursuant to the laws of the State of Washington.
[stricken by Amendment 1]
Election and terms of port commissioners shall be pursuant to applicable law. As elected
officials, each commissioner shall exercise the responsibilities of office and be accountable
to the general public, the citizens of King County, and one another. (Res. 3761, §1, 2019;
Res. 3742, 2017)
….
Revision History
September 10, 2019 Resolution 3761 revised the object statement in Article I and the
membership description of Article II, Section 1.
January 8, 2019 Resolution 3754 removed the automatic succession of the vice
president to president.
January 30, 2018 Resolution 3744 removed the requirement that the vice president be
the chair of the audit committee (Article III, Section 6) and moved
provisions relating to oversight and review of the internal audit
director to Article II, Section 8.
December 19, 2017 Resolution 3742 repealed all prior resolutions amending the Port of
Seattle Commission bylaws. The previous version had been adopted
August 15, 2017. The December 19, 2017, version reorganized the
bylaws into seven articles, established Robert’s Rules of Order as a
parliamentary authority, changed the order of business and regular
meeting schedule somewhat, provided for formal committee
structures, incorporated rules for order and decorum, and otherwise
articulated several processes which previously had been left to
informal understanding.
