Motion 2020-18 – Competition Waivers Page 1 of 5

MOTION 2020-18:

A MOTION OF THE PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION

directing the Executive Director that competitive solicitation is

not appropriate or cost-effective for youth opportunity services

and exempting such contracts from the requirements of Chapter

53.19 RCW.

On May 26, 2020, the Port of Seattle Commission directed the Executive to implement short-

term employment opportunities for youth 16 – 24 that enhance the mission of the Port of

Seattle and support economic recovery for the residents of King County from the COVID-19

pandemic. The program was directed to be implemented by July 1, 2020.

During that same timeframe, the Port has seen unprecedented impacts and shutdowns in the

airline and cruise industries, has taken extraordinary measures to protect its workforce, and has

reduced the Port budget by $70 million for 2020. The impacts of the pandemic on every aspect

of life at home and work are extreme.

TEXT OF THE MOTION

The commission exercises its authority under RCW 53.19.020(5) to determine that a competitive

solicitation process is not appropriate or cost-effective to address the emergency nature of the

youth facing the highest unemployment rates in King County, among other indicators in King

County as directed by commissioners during the May 26, 2020, commission meeting and to assist

in these four areas: best benefit areas with the highest rate of youth unemployment, for youth

of color, and youth in South Seattle and South King County; connection with Port industries;

breadth of industries/opportunities; career trajectory for students, connecting to another

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To that end the Commission authorizes the Executive Director to execute contracts for Aerospace

The Commission has determined that a competitive process for these agreements is not

appropriate or cost-effective based on:

1. Research identified the five non-profit organizations listed here have established youth

2. The non-profit organizations identified here have established programs developed to

5. The nonprofit organizations identified have lower cost of overhead providing a more cost-

While workers in nearly every sector Washington’s economy have been adversely affected by the

Covid-19 pandemic, the loss of employment opportunities for low-skilled workers between 16-

24 years of age is the most substantial. The Port is expediting these contracts to meet this

between the ages of 18 and 24, living in south Seattle and South King County area, and workers

of color. Works of colors are defined as Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Black/African

American and American Indian/Alaska Native workers. This resulted in these demographics

being laid off at higher rates, have greater impacts from COVID, and have greater pre-existing

health and environmental conditions that negatively affect outcomes.

King County and the City of Seattle have largely cancelled their summer internship

opportunities. The Port of Seattle has had to limit our in-house internship opportunities to 20

down from almost 110 spots as staff are trying to figure out how to return to work.

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Opportunities in the private sector are also extremely limited in the industries where youth

The Port of Seattle designed a summer employment Opportunity Initiative to respond to the

unprecedented impact in communities of King County The Initiative will connect youth between

the ages of 16 and 24 with paid learning opportunities designed to build skills to succeed in the

workplace, create learning opportunities that connect young people to a long term career path,

strengthen community, and support young people and their families during the COVID-19

pandemic.

Facilitated by community-based providers who specialize in employment readiness, cultural

enrichment, mentorship, educational opportunities, and career readiness training in the focus

• With a requirement of salaries/wages/stipend for youth at a $15/hour minimum wage.

Projects must provide youth with opportunities to participate in economic activities like

occupational job training and placement, job advancement and job retention, pre-apprenticeship

training, or occupational education programs associated with port tenants, customers, and local

economic development related to port tenants or port-related economic activities

of operationalizing racial equity. Project must evaluate outcomes with quantitative information

including: number of trainees, recruited, placed in jobs, and retained; the types of jobs and range

Motion 2020-18 – Competition Waivers Page 4 of 5

of compensation; the number and types of businesses that are served; and any other tangible

The Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion created a working group with Port employees from

various departments with expertise with youth employment. This working group looked at the

following organizations with a strong understanding of the Commissioner’s focus areas.

The Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC). AJAC has over 10 years of experience

and direct ties to Port industries by creating a pipeline for aerospace careers and strong ties with

communities in South King County, workforce development, and expertise in youth employment.

It is uniquely equipped and positioned to create solid career paths for incarcerated youth, youth

at risk of entering the juvenile justice system, immigrant population, and low-income youth

within the South King County area.

Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle: This organization will develop, own and operate housing

for the benefit of low-income, homeless and formerly homeless people in Washington State. This

summer both programs will employ youth to help build tiny cottages for the homeless. These

programs are a bridge to link people of color to apprenticeships or pre -apprentice construction

training programs. The Port understands the construction industry is a hard trade to get your foot

into the door.

Seattle Goodwill: This organization is a strong candidate that demonstrate a long history (short

of 100 years) of understanding on how to execute student centered cultural competency within

Seattle Parks Foundation: This organization will be the cluster lead and fiscal sponsors for five

grass roots organizations in the Duwamish Valley. This funding structure helps smaller

community-based organizations lead by people of color navigate the governmental overbearing

process and legislation. These programs will create internships within maritime, aerospace, and

environmental industries. The workgroup understood that smaller organizations have many

obstacles to overcome to develop quick rapid response proposals for government review.

The competition waivers are justified on the basis that it will help the Port expeditiously meet

the extremely high need for summer employment for youth, in particular, the emergency nature

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of the skyrocketing youth of color unemployment and secure the limited number of programs

our legal, financial, programmatic and emergent issues.

Identifying projects and programs that can advance the Port’s mission, including the creation of

short-term employment emphasizing this age group, will provide material benefit to the Port as

it looks to maintain, preserve and enhance the assets and programs of statewide significance that

are necessary to Washington State’s economic recovery in 2020.