Seattle Press on Line - Change is Coming at Fishermen's Terminal

Change is Coming at Fishermen's Terminal

By Jo Bailey and Carl Nyberg

Feb 14, 2002 -- Fisherman Dings the Port of Seattle

Once in a great while David does beat Goliath.
It happened just last month when a feisty elderly fisherman took the executive director of the Port of Seattle to small claims court.

Boyd Dingman. Jo Bailey photo

Boyd Dingman, 83, who had moored his fish boats at Fishermen's Terminal for 64 years--longer than anyone else--took umbrage against the Port when it confiscated his old 40-foot wood fish boat, Sea Spirit, and sold it at auction for $200, saying he was delinquent in his moorage payments.
He bought his boat back for $201.
Dingman took his case to small claims court, suing the Port's Mic Dinsmore. He claimed his documented vessel was seized and sold illegally and asked for $4,000 in damages, according to a court representative. She said the case was heard on January 25, they reached an agreement and the case was dismissed.
Jim Serrill, Fisherman's Terminal general manager, said he represented Dinsmore in the suit on behalf of the Port of Seattle.
"We reached an amicable agreement," Serrill said. "The Port paid him $1,000, and $1,700 in back moorage was forgiven."

Serrill to move to Seaport Security from Fishermen's Terminal; Director of Seaport Operations Sewell to resign

Jim Serrill, general manager of Fishermen's Terminal, has accepted the job of director of Seaport Security for the Port of Seattle. He said the Port is in the process of finding a replacement for him through an internal search, and he anticipates someone will take over his position "relatively soon."
In the past month the Port Commission voted to accept Serrill's recommendation that the terminal, historically and traditionally a moorage for fishing vessels of the North Pacific fishing fleet, be opened up to yacht moorage, which may begin as early as this summer.
Serrill's recommendation was based on conclusions from the year-long Harbor Development Study 21 (HDS 21), a large panel of local business and community leaders. HDS 21 members determined that opening the terminal to yacht moorage would generate moorage revenues which could help offset the 30 percent vacancies at the terminal.
"There is very important work to be done at Fishermen's Terminal and I will stay engaged here until a new person is assigned to the position," Serrill said. "I intend to stay involved in the recreational boat issue, the reconfiguration of the docks, and changes to the Fishermen's Terminal Advisory Committee to make sure it better represents the fishing industry." He said he has given the Port input on skills needed for the general manager's job.
Serrill said he is looking forward to new opportunities in his new position. "I had a great deal of exposure to security issues when I was in the Air Force. I understand the concept of personal security as well as security of the facilities," he said.
Serrill is not the only Port administrator to change positions. Steve Sewell, manager of the Port's Seaport Division, has announced he will resign by July 1, 2002.
Peter Knutson, director of Friends of Fishermen's Terminal, a fisherman activist and anthropology professor at Seattle Community College, said he and other fishers are concerned about replacements for both positions.
Knutson sent an earlier message to Sewell stating that the selection of a new director to replace Serrill at Fishermen's Terminal "should involve an open public process. This is a critical juncture for this facility and it is especially important that the new director be sensitive to public concerns over the future of this key industrial facility ... we would urge you to open this process to public participation and conduct an open search."
After he learned of Sewell's plans he sent another message, this time to Mick Dinsmore, executive director of the Port of Seattle, stressing the fishers' concerns. "We also are very concerned that now the Seaport Director replacement search also be an inclusive public process," rather than internal search.

Heartland Studies Future of Fishermen's Terminal

In other Fishermen's Terminal news, Port of Seattle spokesman Mick Schultz talked about a newly released study of the terminal. He said the draft study, performed by Heartland LLC, contains five possible land-use ideas for the terminal site, all of which would retain the current zoning.

"These are alternatives, not recommendations, plans or proposals," Schultz said. "There is no consideration of retail or residential use."

The study suggests five options for the future use of space at the Terminal, all of which entail destruction of some or all of the net sheds. The net sheds are currently used by fishers to store gear and repair nets while in port. The study options include:

* Mini-storage (convert seven sheds and demolish the shop building),
* A combination of "flex space" and mini-storage (demolish eight net sheds),
* "Flex space" alone (demolish eight net sheds);
* Office space (demolish seven net sheds and the Nordby building, relocate fishing support area);
* A combination of office and mini-storage (demolish all net sheds and the Nordby building, relocate fishing support area).

"However, we are not contemplating such uses as the net sheds are fully utilized with a waiting list," Schultz said. "We're content. We are engaged in supporting the fishing industry with repairs to the South Wall and dock reconfiguration," he said. "The port plans no further steps for the terminal."

Jo Bailey & Carl Nyberg are freelance writers, authors of the Gunkholing series of cruising guides and are members of Northwest Outdoors Writers Association.

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