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8b reso____
December 10, 2019

RESOLUTION NO. 3767
A RESOLUTION of the Port of Seattle Commission establishing a Duwamish
Valley Community Benefits Commitment Policy
Directive to guide the implementation of the
Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program and
other Port operations that impact the Duwamish
Valley Community.

WHEREAS, the Port of Seattle is committed to creating economic opportunity for all,
stewarding our environment responsibly, partnering with surrounding communities, promoting
equity and social responsibility, and being transparent and accountable; and
WHEREAS, the Port's Century Agenda states the Port will use its influence as an institution
to promote Women and Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE) growth, small business growth,
and workforce development to include increasing workforce training, job and business
opportunities for local communities in trade, travel and logistics; and
WHEREAS, the Century Agenda also states the Port will be the greenest and most energyefficient port in North America by reducing air pollutants and carbon emission, and restoring,
creating and enhancing 40 additional acres of habitat in the Green/Duwamish watershed and
Elliott Bay; and
WHEREAS, the Port recognizes that institutional racism has contributed to both inequities
in the distribution of the Port's economic prosperity benefits and to environmental degradation
amongst near-Port communities compared to others, particularly those experiencing socioeconomic challenges; and
WHEREAS, in 2017 the Port Commission adopted Resolution No. 3736, which was
amended by Resolution 3746, establishing a Priority Hire Policy Directive to provide good family
wage jobs to qualified construction workers from economically distressed areas of King County,
including Georgetown and South Park, by increasing access to port projects; and
WHEREAS, in 2018 the Port Commission adopted Resolution No. 3747 establishing a
Welcoming Port Policy Directive to increase engagement with, and support for, immigrant and
refugee communities; and
WHEREAS, in 2018 the Port Commission adopted Resolution No. 3737 establishing a
Diversity in Contracting Policy Directive to provide the maximum practicable opportunity for

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increased participation by WMBE in Port contracting for public works, consulting services,
supplies, material, equipment, and other services; and
WHEREAS, in 2019 the Port established an Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion to
address institutional racism and increase equity, diversity, and inclusion in Port policies,
processes, and programs; and
WHEREAS, the Duwamish Valley Community (Community) consists of a group of people and
organizations that live, work, play, study, or worship in the near-Port neighborhoods of South Park
and Georgetown along the Duwamish River and have been historically or are currently impacted
by economic, racial, and environmental injustices, including the Duwamish People, the first people
of Seattle; and
the Duwamish Valley Community (Community) consists of groups or individuals that
collectively live, work, play, study, and worship in the neighborhoods of South Park and
Georgetown along the Duwamish River who have historically and currently been impacted by
economic, racial, and environmental injustices, including the Duwamish People, the first people
of Seattle; and experience disproportionately high environmental health and socio-economic
burdens; and
WHEREAS, the 2013 Cumulative Health Impacts Analysis published by Just Health Action
and the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition/Technical Advisory Group characterizes the
Duwamish Valley Community as experiencing environmental justice issues such as
disproportionate exposure to air pollution, lack of greenspace, and high poverty rates
contributing to a life expectancy in South Park and Georgetown that is 13 years lower than other
wealthier communities in Seattle; and
WHEREAS, the City of Seattle's 2017 Preparing for Climate Change Strategy Report
identifies this community as one of the communities that will be most impacted by climate
change conditions such as extreme heat, rising sea levels, and flooding; and
WHEREAS, the Port seeks alignment with the City of Seattle Resolution 31567 and King
County Motion 2015-0167 related to the Duwamish Waterway Cleanup and the health of
communities adjacent to the Lower Duwamish Waterway, and other public agencies who have
recognized historic and present inequities experienced by the Community, and have launched
long-term initiatives within their own operations, such as the City of Seattle's Duwamish Valley
Action Plan that addresses environmental justice and equitable development in the community;
and
WHEREAS, the Port has historic involvement in the Duwamish Valley through Superfund
cleanup and remediation as part of the Lower Duwamish Waterway Group (LDWG) along with
the City of Seattle, King County, and Boeing., and LDWG has collectively invested approximately
$50 million in investigating contamination in the Lower Duwamish waterway, developed
approaches for cleanup of the waterway and means to prevent recontamination through source

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control; and the Port of Seattle has individually already invested nearly $13 million into the
cleanup of Terminal 117 Early Action Area; and
WHEREAS, the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) and the Port of Seattle have partnered
on several initiatives to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gases such as the Clean Truck
Program, air quality education projects, and the adoption of the Northwest Ports Clean Air
Strategy to reduce air emissions from shipping and port operations in the Georgia Basin and
Puget Sound airsheds from cargo-handling equipment, rail, harbor craft, ships, and trucks; and
WHEREAS, in January 2017 the Port and Duwamish Valley community were selected by
the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Ports Initiative to receive a technical
assistance grant to pilot a project (pilot project) that facilitated dialogue and engagement with
communities experiencing environmental justice issues; and
WHEREAS, the pilot project enabled the Port to identify three areas of collaboration and
mutual benefit with the Community: capacity building, environmental stewardship, and
economic development to prevent continued community displacement; and these three areas,
as well as community-based organizations such as the Port Community Action Team (PCAT), are
key pillars for sustaining the ongoing partnership; and the Port and has expended over $450,000
on targeted community programs such as shoreline improvements, increased access to public
educational events, and green career pathways; and
WHEREAS, the PCAT is a Community-convenedn advisory group established in 2017 as
part of the pilot project and consistsconsisting of Duwamish Valley community members that
engage the Port in collaborative action and strategic planning in order to address historical and
current disproportionate, cumulative impacts affecting the Duwamish Valley community; and the
PCAT provides training and coaching to Port staff on inclusive engagement practices and cultural
competency that ensures the effectiveness of achieving the Century Agenda; and
WHEREAS, in May 2019, the Port of Seattle Commission authorized the creation of the
Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program and directed staff to collaborate with community
partners to establish a Community Benefits Commitment that provides shared goals and
definitions, a strategy and workplan with actionable items, and an evaluation framework;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Port of Seattle Commission as follows:
SECTION 1. The Duwamish Valley Community Benefits Commitment as shown in Exhibit
A is hereby established.
SECTION 2: The Duwamish Valley Community Benefits Commitment shall be labeled and
catalogued as appropriate, together with other Commission Policy Directives, and shall
be made readily available for use by Port staff and members of the public as a governance
document of the Port of Seattle.

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ADOPTED by the Port of Seattle Commission at a duly noticed meeting thereof,
held this _____ day of ________, 2019, and duly authenticated in open session by the
signatures of the Commissioners voting in favor thereof and the seal of the commission.

Port of Seattle Commission

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