HomeMy WebLinkAboutchat10:14:30 From adiel mcknight to Tom Thiersch - FAC Chair(Direct Message) : I was having tech issues, the repeated sound. I missed the non quorum at the start.
10:02:38 July 10, th meeting of.
10:02:41 Oh, well, you all is recording. Okay, it's fine.
10:02:47 Um. So this is the July 10th meeting of the Ferry Advisory Committee for Port Townsend.
10:02:51 Jefferson County.
10:02:54 And in attendance. We only have 2 members, Adam Levin and myself. Tom. Tears chair.
10:03:01 Uh.
10:03:03 Expecting attendance.
10:03:03 Our guest from Cookeville.
10:03:05 By Steve King and.
10:03:06 We have a guest, at least one guest, Web, who's the.
10:03:10 Fac chair from Cookeville.
10:03:12 We'll ah!
10:03:13 I'm gonna skip any public comment period for the moment. Just so we can get right into Hadley's.
10:03:19 Information for us. Let her get on with her day. I have a couple of questions for you, Hadley, but just off the top.
10:03:28 Any late breaking news from ferries that you'd like to fill us in on.
10:03:33 Um, nothing late breaking. We're in our peak summer season right now. So um! Going through 4th of July.
10:03:40 We.
10:03:42 Did experience some uh service disruptions due to Crewing's a real challenge right now.
10:03:50 Due to a lot of health related requests simple, a bit of an uptick in Covid, and then a lot of summer holiday vacation leave requests meant that we missed um a number of trips,
81 trips last week, due to lack of Coast Guard documented crew that particularly affected the inter Island um Route in the Samoan Islands.
10:04:12 Now a good portion of those trips were for um inter island connections in the San Juans. At this point nearly every route is downsized either by capacity or by number of vessels,
as you all well know, for Port Hudsonville.
10:04:28 And um, we are just able to move a larger boat to Edmonds Kingston, so they're at their regular capacity right now. Um! Every other route is reduced in some way or another um
other than the Sam's.
10:04:44 Which is running with 4 domestic ferries instead of the 5th boat that provided international service and some um minor domestic service.
10:04:53 So that's sort of.
10:04:53 I'm so sorry to interrupt, Tom. I don't see a quorum.
10:04:57 I just have you and Adam.
10:05:00 Right well, as a 4 Member Committee 2 would constitute a quorum. I believe.
10:05:05 It's it would be 3 out of 4 has to be one more than half.
10:05:11 Okay.
10:05:13 Steve will be here soon right.
10:05:15 Steve Will is supposed to be here soon, with limited time available.
10:05:21 But I guess we can. I think we can continue. Whether it's a meeting or not. We can still continue with our conversation.
10:05:29 So.
10:05:29 Okay. Sorry to interrupt.
10:05:30 It's where Jack in.
10:05:32 For on this side of the on this side.
10:05:35 We don't have Joe.
10:05:35 Hold up your your hand and right we'll swear, Jack, in as a as a as a temporary number.
10:05:39 Yeah.
10:05:40 We don't have a joint committee set up yet one of these days. Perhaps we will.
10:05:46 Um.
10:05:46 Anyway.
10:05:49 Uh, so.
10:05:49 Handley. Yeah, I had. I had a couple of questions for you. Uh. 1st of all, you know the the Wsf Weekly service update that you've been sending out just wanted to confirm that
is, in fact, going to all the fac members, not just to the chairs.
10:06:04 Office. I see members. It also goes to local and state elected officials.
10:06:09 It goes to all of our staff.
10:06:11 Um watch that wss, staff.
10:06:15 And then our Comms team uses it to respond to media requests on us for the as needed basis.
10:06:22 Great that that I think that's a really really helpful update.
10:06:27 Um.
10:06:28 The.
10:06:31 Sort of a related question is.
10:06:33 Um as as a chair. Speaking of members of the Fa. I have no idea.
10:06:40 How up to date you're the roster is that you at Wsf. Have of fa members.
10:06:46 Uh.
10:06:47 Maybe that's something that you could confirm with each chair on a periodic basis or something, because, you know, members come and go.
10:06:56 Ah, reasonably. Frequently we have. What about 50 fa members across the system.
10:07:01 Um. I don't know. I just I just don't know.
10:07:03 If if your records are up to date, I don't have any visibility to that. So maybe if you could think about how we can coordinate on that. That would be helpful to me.
10:07:12 Um.
10:07:13 Maybe.
10:07:13 They are up to date in terms of what we're notified by the appointing authorities. So we rely on the records updated on the appointing authorities, not the Fa. Chairs.
10:07:23 So when we hear, then a new member has been appointed, or is their term is expired? We update our records.
10:07:33 Um.
10:07:34 So I have everything up to date on what I've been notified of.
10:07:40 Right.
10:07:39 And you know, for example, I think, for coupe was appointed, but we were never notified until very recently, and stuff. So I think you know.
10:07:49 There's some discrepancies based on the pointing authorities, not letting us know when they fill committees.
10:07:56 So I think on your side you can make sure that your various um.
10:08:01 Yeah. However, your each of your committees are appointed.
10:08:05 That they let us know.
10:08:07 Right. That's that's my concern. I think some emails may occasionally get lost in the crossing.
10:08:13 And so you may or may not have current information. And that's why I'm asking the question.
10:08:19 So I'll I'll follow up with you, I guess. Offline with an email. See if we can't get a little more clarity on that.
10:08:26 Um.
10:08:28 Interrupt again. This is Daniel. Just to be clear, do we need to end, you know, in the meeting, because it was called to order, and then we can continue on with the conversations.
10:08:39 Um.
10:08:40 I guess we can. Uh.
10:08:43 Declare ourselves to be in recess.
10:08:45 And then continue the conversation. If that's okay.
10:08:47 Okay. Thank you.
10:08:49 Thank you.
10:08:53 Um.
10:08:55 Okay, so um.
10:08:58 The I had a question that came up. Ah.
10:09:01 From from a member of the public.
10:09:03 They were asking about loading procedures on the fer.
10:09:09 Um. You know how the the ordinary sailors that direct the people onto the boat.
10:09:16 Tell them you know where to put their cars.
10:09:18 Is there a documented procedure that they follow? What sort of formal training do they get in that? And so forth?
10:09:26 Ah!
10:09:27 And you know, if there is a documented procedure, what is it? And where is it?
10:09:34 Eric.
10:09:39 Oh, okay.
10:09:35 Is training. It's actually the Abs that will devote the direction of the which is the boson.
10:09:41 Um. There is.
10:09:44 Some training in terms of hand signals and safety, and that sort of thing. But as each vessel is different, and each mate has a different process, and some routes are dual destination,
and others are not, and.
10:09:58 Other things, and the load is always different. So size of.
10:10:02 You know.
10:10:03 Trucks, and that sort of thing calls.
10:10:06 There really isn't.
10:10:08 A standard procedure. The guideline is 1st on 1st off um, that they follow as much as they can, if possible. But again, if there's a tall down the middle, or something like
that. They may unload them first.st
10:10:20 To free up space for others. Um!
10:10:23 So it's sort of an art more than a science.
10:10:27 Right.
10:10:27 On a lot of the bills. Um.
10:10:29 But there is some standardization in terms of the hand signals. They're supposed to use some safety.
10:10:35 Um.
10:10:35 Guidelines, and that kind of thing.
10:10:39 Sorry, Handley, will you say? AV, what? What does that mean?
10:10:42 And you said their AV.
10:10:44 A, b.
10:10:43 So ab able bodied sailor, which is the Second Level crew member. So.
10:10:49 Sort of middle.
10:10:49 So I was gonna ask, cause, you know, we talk about staffing issues. So the guys that are that most of the people that are directing on and off, and even out in the parking lot,
you know, even in out in the waiting lots.
10:11:00 So those are all able bodied sailors, and those are people that also.
10:11:05 Uh.
10:11:06 Able to be on the ship and provide service, and do all the all the smaller things to.
10:11:12 Uh. The folks that work in the terminals terminal staff traffic attendance are not able bodied sailors there. Those are the crew members who work on the vessels.
10:11:20 So.
10:11:21 But the the guys on the boat that are directing you in.
10:11:24 Their.
10:11:26 Seamen.
10:11:25 Yeah. The men and women on the boat that are.
10:11:28 Directing traffic, our Abs.
10:11:30 Right cause. The only reason I'm asking is because since there's a huge staffing issue.
10:11:35 Um. Is there a way to, you know, to to, I say, replace those people that are doing the I don't. I don't say they're notial jobs, but they're more.
10:11:44 You know, the the jobs that don't require other training for semen is it would be possible to replace some of the people that help load in direct load and kind of what Tom was
saying. If they, you know, creating a procedure and a training system for them that would free up more of the Ab. Able bodied sailors and stuff to be able to man the ships.
10:12:05 Um.
10:12:07 Well.
10:12:08 We're doing that in the in a way, in order to steer and.
10:12:13 Uh navigate the vessel. They need to be licensed. Deck officers and A. B's are not licensed tech officers, but we have created the Ab to mate program, which is one of the 1st
workforce development programs that we created and funded. And the funding was just extended in this last session, which allows ads.
10:12:31 That have a certain amount of um see time and work on the vessels to take their mates license while being paid.
10:12:39 Brad.
10:12:38 To do that. Um, pilot, it's work and.
10:12:42 So that program is that stepping stone for AV's to move into a mates position, or a captain's position to become licensed tech officers, and therefore be able to help.
10:12:52 Um.
10:12:53 Do, the.
10:12:54 Where.
10:12:54 They and Captain responsibilities. So we do have that program in place.
10:12:58 And then back, filling A B's through hiring more ordinary sailors, which is the entry level position. Um, they do need a.
10:13:05 Fair amount of C time to get their AV ticket. So that's also a program that we've put in place is helping those OS's um.
10:13:14 Know how they.
10:13:13 Where's our biggest crime? Where's the our biggest crunch as far as uh staffing, is it? At the very top? Probably.
10:13:21 That's where.
10:13:21 Yes, Ldos, although because of the success of the Abd program in our college programs, it's starting to be Abs, and one of the shortages we're having right now is because we
have folks in those programs out for training.
10:13:35 That they're not able to work. So our relief pool is smaller than it typically would be. But that's a short term problem for a long term gain.
10:13:44 Right.
10:13:41 Mean we can't even find a dishwasher. I understand.
10:13:45 Hey!
10:13:49 Thanks. Um.
10:13:51 Speaking, of accruing.
10:13:53 Um.
10:13:54 Question has come up.
10:13:56 The I guess so. So now.
10:13:59 Sure.
10:13:57 Bob, before you go to the next question. I just wanted to respond to Roster. I'm not able to paste something in the chat, but the roster I have shows Adam Levin Bill man, Nicole.
10:14:08 Steve King and yourself.
10:14:11 As the 5.
10:14:13 Fa members, but what I do not have.
10:14:15 Is their term.
10:14:17 Ending dates which um all the rest of our.
10:14:21 We've been provided term.
10:14:24 Okay.
10:14:24 Dates. So that would be nice to know.
10:14:26 Expiration dates of terms you mentioned. Nicole is.
10:14:31 Her term is expired.
10:14:33 It's expired. She's being reappointed. Bill, man is is expired, and is not reapplying.
10:14:38 So see, that's 1 of the reasons. I suspected that your roster was not correct.
10:14:42 Is, that.
10:14:43 Notice.
10:14:42 So this is as of May.
10:14:44 The last time I got information from, I believe it was from Commissioner Dean.
10:14:49 Yeah.
10:14:50 Like, I say, emails have either gotten lost or just not been generated, especially when it comes to terms.
10:14:57 Because you.
10:14:58 Hadn't been notified, for example, that Nicole's term had expired.
10:15:01 So that that's the reason I brought it up. So I guess I need to work with county staff.
10:15:07 To get that communications cleared up and get you those terms. Also.
10:15:12 Yep.
10:15:13 So thanks thanks for looking out.
10:15:13 Yeah, almost all the other companies I have term ending dates in our roster. But for port towns and Jefferson County it just says unknown.
10:15:20 I don't think provided to us.
10:15:24 Okay.
10:15:23 So should I delete Bill from my roster.
10:15:27 As long as we're talking about it. Yeah, I will. I'll make sure that you get an up-to-date list along with dates.
10:15:32 Okay.
10:15:32 From the county.
10:15:34 For me from the county.
10:15:36 Okay.
10:15:37 Thanks thanks for following up on that.
10:15:39 Um.
10:15:40 The so another question, speaking of crew.
10:15:45 Question. So it's now July first, st new fiscal year. So your funding is now in place for the extra crew, for the you know, extra.
10:15:53 Dick and.
10:15:55 Um.
10:15:56 I guess there.
10:15:58 It's bridge, 1 1 bridge crew, and one deck crew, or one oy engine room.
10:16:03 And.
10:16:03 OS and wiper.
10:16:04 Yes, entry level positions for both. So a ordinary sailor, and then.
10:16:09 Euler.
10:16:10 Right.
10:16:10 For every watch, and we have deployed those starting 2 months ago and most watches in the system based on crew availability.
10:16:18 So.
10:16:18 And so that's that's just getting started.
10:16:21 And does it seem to be helping at all?
10:16:25 Do you know any idea.
10:16:26 I don't have data on when it helps, because we wouldn't track that because of vessel would just keep sailing um. But it.
10:16:35 The.
10:16:36 Challenges that if we're short, any other position.
10:16:38 Um. For example, most of the cancellations this weekend were due to a missing chief engineer and assistant engineer.
10:16:47 A, b.
10:16:47 Um. I'm not aware of any missing, or OS's or oilers that.
10:16:53 This weekend.
10:16:54 This past weekend, so.
10:16:56 Yeah. The boat still ties up. If it's not missing, it's.
10:16:59 If it is missing a position.
10:17:01 That isn't duplicated. Does that make sense.
10:17:05 There was a fair chunk of money that was allocated. And so the question is, is it going to be effective?
10:17:11 And so something that's somehow track whether or not that's actually going to work.
10:17:16 Cause. You know the concern is, you know, the cost this year, you know. It was put in the supplemental.
10:17:23 But in future years for funding this thing, you can't rely on the legislature to to do that each and every year. So.
10:17:30 Concern is.
10:17:31 You know what kind of impact is that gonna have on on higher fares.
10:17:36 Somebody's got to pay for. It usually ends up the passengers.
10:17:41 So that that was the the concern of the question. Adam.
10:17:44 Yeah. And this one's kind of Jack should be involved in this, too. I guess this is the proper time to bring it up, and.
10:17:49 One of the reasons why I'm on the fa is is business.
10:17:53 You know, local businesses.
10:17:55 Um. And you know that. Obviously, you you guys, it's the ferry system. And that's the most important thing.
10:18:00 But you know you said 81 cancelled trips over 4th of July, and even a single canceled trip on small routes like our route here at Cookeville, you know.
10:18:09 Uh Port Townsendville.
10:18:10 The economic impact.
10:18:12 On the local businesses.
10:18:14 Um is can be rough, even when when a late fairy gets cancelled here we lose all the you know. All the restaurants lose the reservations, and we lose the travel. The shops lose
money.
10:18:25 And.
10:18:26 So you know, 81 cancel trips over the 4th of July weekend. The economic impact to small towns like Jack, you know, coupe.
10:18:32 Um, you know we we rely, you know th, those, those, the the business communities around the ferries rely on that.
10:18:40 Is there a way that we can do a study or or something that will help impact? Possibly the funding this way? You're getting to that that there's other reasons that that you guys
need more funding.
10:18:52 How we can help.
10:18:54 As business communities.
10:18:56 To possibly.
10:18:58 Help raise more funding for you.
10:19:00 Uh again, with either business reports or something that we can put together to show the economic impact.
10:19:06 That. You know, you guys are struggling to get Staff.
10:19:09 And then it becomes a, you know, and it's also.
10:19:12 Generating revenue.
10:19:13 So you guys, by generating revenue, I mean, you know how we can help.
10:19:18 Generate revenue, generate.
10:19:19 Uh um. You know, money allocations and stuff by maybe putting together something that shows the.
10:19:26 The business impact of of cancelled ferries.
10:19:33 Yes, I think.
10:19:33 Anything we can do to help.
10:19:35 I mean, I guess 2 response to that one. I think there is widespread understanding, and especially in the last couple of years, among the others, that.
10:19:46 The ferry system has been chronically underfunded in his diren, and we did receive.
10:19:53 More funding in the last 2 years than.
10:19:55 Sort of proportionally then phrases ever received, and a pretty great proportion of the transportation budget. But there's.
10:20:03 Drastic transportation needs statewide. So.
10:20:05 You know, when you look at the geography of the State, and how many.
10:20:10 Districts.
10:20:10 Right.
10:20:11 Our racer districts, etc. So I don't know if getting more data to prove a point that people already know.
10:20:18 Is helpful, but there is funding for a.
10:20:21 Economic impact study of sorts. Um, that was just past this.
10:20:27 That is gonna be led by the Joint Transportation Committee.
10:20:30 Of the legislature, and I believe they'll, you know, be involved. Many stakeholders in that, and getting data from.
10:20:38 All ferry served communities.
10:20:40 So that was something that the legislature recognized, needing more of a.
10:20:44 More information about impacts to communities from.
10:20:48 Ferry service and needs. That'll be happening. I believe it's.
10:20:50 Anything that can help, you know, secure more funding for you guys. Yeah.
10:20:54 Yeah, I can't remember if it's due next year, the following June off the top of my head that it's sort of over the next year or 2 that that funding will be. That study will
be underway. It's not something we're leaving.
10:21:05 But um.
10:21:07 That there's recognition of that.
10:21:08 It's just a political challenge, you know. You can.
10:21:12 Yeah, maybe something with, you know, Tom and Jack.
10:21:15 Can work.
10:21:12 So I think other advocacy with your local, with your legislators is important as well for your business community to be doing.
10:21:20 Right. We can work over the next 6 months, or something to put together something that you know, anything that that helps prove your.
10:21:27 Your point, I mean, yeah, they know it, but you know, sometimes having it down written down, or something to.
10:21:32 Right.
10:21:33 To do, to to help the impact.
10:21:35 Yep.
10:21:35 I think for sure.
10:21:36 Thank you.
10:21:37 Good.
10:21:36 Yeah, yeah, I think I think it's actually western, that's doing that steady um, that economic impact study. I think.
10:21:41 We can do a study. On one night.
10:21:42 But I mean, I think that I think, Adam, that's that's exactly for is that's actually what was was funded in this legislature is that the economic impact.
10:21:49 We see it in real time, and you know when all of a sudden the town will die. I mean some of you. All of a sudden we lose that, and then somebody go. Yeah. The last ferry was
cancelled. And you're like.
10:21:58 And you know you can see.
10:21:59 We like. I say, we see it in real time.
10:22:04 Absolutely in case you weren't aware. Adam owns a restaurant.
10:22:07 Yes.
10:22:08 In public account.
10:22:09 So he's he's very personally impacted by the loss of traffic.
10:22:12 All the town, the community. It's not.
10:22:15 You know.
10:22:15 But.
10:22:15 Well, and just just on the on the good news part of that.
10:22:21 A couple of years ago. Actually, we were working. We were able, with the port and the county in the city.
10:22:29 Jointly funded an economic impact study by hovied.
10:22:33 Hove. Sorry. And it it showed that I think it was in excess of 50 million dollars worth of economic impact just due to the ferry system as a whole.
10:22:43 Not not necessarily the loss of of one vessel, or the loss of a single sailing.
10:22:48 But it did show the magnitude, and I'll I'll send you a copy of that study. I know obviously weren't on the committee at that time.
10:22:55 But yeah, I can send you a copy of that Hovey report. It was.
10:22:59 It was very well done. Those folks know what they're talking about, and I hope.
10:23:02 That we can get that information incorporated into the overall system. Study that that Wssf is doing.
10:23:12 Um.
10:23:12 Yeah. And I think that the study that the legislatures commissioned.
10:23:16 The Jtc. Is leading. And I think, Jack, you're right. I think they're working with.
10:23:19 I can't remember which University.
10:23:21 To do that study, that that will be.
10:23:24 Illuminating, and I know that they're looking forward to that.
10:23:27 And.
10:23:28 No, I believe that they'll be coming to us for data as needed.
10:23:34 Does the hook can out close a bridge closure. Does that affect? Is that.
10:23:38 Affecting the ferry business that should should increase the business. But they're doing overnight closures, so I'm I'm not sure.
10:23:46 Yeah, they've been pretty good at coordinating with us. Um, as much as possible before they set those closures. The challenge for us is that a lot of crew members who work on
the Central Sound routes live in Jefferson County and points west.
10:23:58 So when they start the closure at.
10:24:01 For in the end the closure. Open the bridge at 5 in the morning that um has meant some disrupted sailings for crew members that start their watch at 4 in the morning. For example.
10:24:12 So I believe we had 6 crew members affected in the last round of closures where they weren't able to get to work.
10:24:19 So.
10:24:20 Olympic region's been pretty good at talking to us about it, so we dispatch at least knows ahead of time. It can warn those.
10:24:26 Um.
10:24:27 People.
10:24:28 Yeah.
10:24:29 You know where we can leave them and switch crew around, but it does. That's where the challenge has been for us.
10:24:34 Um.
10:24:35 Is it never not a challenge?
10:24:39 Jackie raised your hand.
10:24:41 Ha! Had you said you said something interesting a few minutes ago you said that a lot of the recent cancellations were because the chief engineers and assistant engineers. It
just made me wonder is is the fact that we're moving ferries all over the place, and the the engineering team has to follow the ferry is that part of the problem that.
10:24:55 The person actually thinks that they're supposed to be working in whatever Bremerton. But now they're in the San Juans, and that part of why, that's an issue because of how
we're moving all the ferries around because of our lack of ferries.
10:25:06 Mean, I think in general, that's a.
10:25:09 Frustration of the Engine department. Um vessel, but.
10:25:12 I don't know if that was related to this specific reason. I'm trying to think if we have any votes away from their home port right now that aren't designated as relief.
10:25:22 Um.
10:25:24 So Chimacum may be the only one.
10:25:26 It's not homeported in Bremerton. Um.
10:25:29 So.
10:25:30 You know they do get travel, time and mileage, and everything. So I think that's affected. But.
10:25:35 If you.
10:25:36 In general. Yes, that's a stress on them, you know, and leading to burnout. It's leading to, I think higher relief requests.
10:25:45 Hmm.
10:25:45 Um, you know more over time. There's a lot more over time.
10:25:49 Requests and positions filled on over time, which has a cumulative effect of burnout, and that's what they've been citing more often.
10:25:57 It's system wide, not just engine, but everyone that when you're so thin on resources, people get burned out. They are traveling long distances. They are, you know.
10:26:08 Samuan or Islands. That's why I think that's a particularly hard one, because they have to.
10:26:13 Connect from Mana Cordus out there.
10:26:15 Mm.
10:26:16 Then efficiency drops.
10:26:16 Many of them travel from downtown.
10:26:19 Sorry Adam.
10:26:19 Yeah. Again.
10:26:20 Then, if in those situations efficiency drops, and and you know, see efficiency and safety.
10:26:25 Yes.
10:26:25 Unfortunately take the hit when people get tired and overworked and burned out.
10:26:29 Yeah, I mean, engineers already work uh week on week off.
10:26:33 And so that's a lot of time away from their families. If they're committing Mo. A lot of them commute 2Â h each way.
10:26:39 Um work 12Â h.
10:26:41 Commute 4Â h.
10:26:43 Or a week.
10:26:41 Yeah, we definitely don't. Wanna, you know, sacrifice it and safety.
10:26:45 But.
10:26:45 Right.
10:26:47 I for us. I guess the good news is we always have a a Kd. So our our crews presumably are local all the time. So at least that's not an issue for us.
10:26:53 Yes, you have a portal-based group, primarily. Um.
10:26:57 Which is nice, and it's sort of a.
10:27:00 Uh. That route in particular is challenging. So there's only.
10:27:05 A few.
10:27:06 Captains that wanna go in and out of, you know Keystone Harbor.
10:27:10 And they've been there a long time.
10:27:15 Yep.
10:27:15 Okay.
10:27:17 Um. I have. I have one more question for you.
10:27:20 Uh so last week.
10:27:23 I saw for the very 1st time in a ferry alert, the use of the word catastrophic.
10:27:28 Describing the the urgent need to to do some repairs on Walla. Walla.
10:27:33 I was wondering what the heck was that about.
10:27:37 Gosh!
10:27:38 Uh, I think it was a.
10:27:40 Probably not the best choice of words. Honestly. Um.
10:27:44 Well, if it's appropriate, it's appropriate.
10:27:46 Well, I don't know if it wasn't anymore catastrophic than any other maintenance needs.
10:27:51 That these aging vessels need.
10:27:54 So.
10:27:55 You know, I think that that word caught a lot of people's eye and.
10:27:59 Maybe I would have been the right choice of words, but.
10:28:02 It is one of this. It's it's.
10:28:03 Catastrophic ferry around the world. Those those were.
10:28:07 They mean a completely different thing when you know those overloaded 40,000 people ferries.
10:28:11 They have a catastrophe.
10:28:12 Yeah, I mean the need. I guess it could have been catastro. It could be catastrophic if we weren't able to pull it out of service to do this maintenance work that needs to be
done. I don't know off the top of my head what the need is, but vessel told us. It's urgent, and they needed to get it in to do this 2 day repair and.
10:28:31 Um.
10:28:31 Need to know.
10:28:32 Right.
10:28:33 And I need to know basis.
10:28:35 Okay.
10:28:34 So we're moving Chimacum to that route which will downsize. I just saw the alert that the self is.
10:28:41 Gotten to Seattle, Bainbridge. So that's a route that's supposed to have 2. Jumble's 2 hunt, 2 202 car ferries.
10:28:48 That's currently operating with.
10:28:50 A 90 car South.
10:28:53 Um.
10:28:53 And we made the decision to move the Chimacum, the 144 cartom to Bremerton, because they only have one boat and have 2Â h wait. So the.
10:29:04 The risk.
10:29:04 I'm going there day after the meeting. I'm I'm only.
10:29:09 To Bainbridge.
10:29:09 Like I go to Bremerton, or I go to Bainbridge.
10:29:12 Well, that probably depends on which boat you're trying to catch, because every other vessel is the smaller vessel on Seattle. So you have greater frequency. But.
10:29:21 One of them smaller, where Bremerton has.
10:29:24 Pretty low frequency, and so the decision was, give them the 144 cart instead of the 90 car self, because.
10:29:30 The impact of missing the boat is greater for those customers, because they would have to wait a whole 2Â h till the next sailing, whereas for Bremerton it's, you know, every
half hour I mean rich about every half hour. So.
10:29:44 So even if you miss the 90 car, self gets overloaded.
10:29:47 There's another trip.
10:29:49 Fairly.
10:29:53 Well, and of course this, the the schedule is getting all screwed up, but boats are running really late.
10:29:59 Oh, yeah, that's.
10:29:59 For the last several days, for the most.
10:30:01 That.
10:30:02 Schedule is designed for 2 Jumbo twos, and.
10:30:06 The south is much slower. Um, and the chim will come as well, and.
10:30:09 You know, we're trying to pack cars on there and.
10:30:13 Having overloads and all the rest of it, so.
10:30:16 It's challenging. So they haven't been running on time at all, and Seattle Bainbridge in a long time. They haven't had their regular vessel complement.
10:30:25 For everyone.
10:30:23 I don't know. Over a year.
10:30:27 I was on gym. I come over over the weekend Sunday.
10:30:30 Yeah.
10:30:31 Great great game with the storm. But, boy, the travel was packed.
10:30:37 Coleman. Doc was unbelievable trying to get home. It was.
10:30:41 You're scaring me.
10:30:41 You know, 90 degrees inside. It was just.
10:30:43 Awful!
10:30:45 Anyway.
10:30:46 Um. Okay. Well, any other questions or comments for Hadley. If not, we'll let you go.
10:30:54 Anyone, anyone, going, once, twice.
10:31:00 Okay.
10:30:56 Okay, thanks and thanks, Hadley. We'll let you get back to your day and appreciate you. Appreciate you being here.
10:31:03 Thank you. Thanks for the great questions, Tom. Let me know if you wanna.
10:31:07 Send me roster information, or want more about the roster.
10:31:11 Will do.
10:31:13 Banks.
10:31:12 Okay, thank you all. Bye.
10:31:14 Have a great day.
10:31:17 So we are still in recess and talking.
10:31:23 That meeting, just talking.
10:31:22 I don't know what happened to Steve. You must have gotten. Steve must have gotten pulled away to some something urgent with the city.
10:31:29 Um. I had hoped to hear from him.
10:31:33 If there were any.
10:31:34 As far as any traffic impact in port towns due to road work in the city.
10:31:40 Maybe he was having a catastrophic. He's having a catastrophic problem with the city.
10:31:44 Yeah, all kinds of infrastructure.
10:31:45 You start throwing that word around the catastrophic problem with the roundabout.
10:31:50 Yeah, well, there is that.
10:31:52 Um.
10:31:53 And I had hoped to hear from Nicole about any, or get an update on what sort of.
10:32:00 Ah!
10:32:01 Traffic we're seeing with the transit.
10:32:05 Ah routes going to and from the ferries, because, you know, we've got the Kingston express, and then Clam has got their straight shot.
10:32:12 To Bainbridge.
10:32:13 Which is uh.
10:32:14 And I just wanted to get an update on what kind of utilization we're getting on those.
10:32:20 I've I've taken that straight shot, and it's it's really nice.
10:32:23 Very helpful if you don't need a car.
10:32:26 Um.
10:32:26 But that's not going to happen. So Adam.
10:32:30 I put you down on our agenda for for discussion about you know any, the impacts to local businesses.
10:32:37 And well, we've already talked about that.
10:32:40 So so much for that.
10:32:41 While we were we were talking about the missing parries, so the the cancelled it was probably the proper time to, you know. Bring that up.
10:32:48 No, that's fine. We don't exactly have a tight agenda here.
10:32:54 Adam, do you.
10:32:53 Uh, Jack being a public comment period. It's all yours.
10:32:59 Adam, do do you? I mean? So you know, do you know, does coop fill have impacts from the port of the do the equivalent businesses actually, truly get impacted by folks not coming
over from port towns and to go there, because, you know, obviously, the ferry goes right into, you know, very close to to businesses in port towns and the coop side. You'd have to be
driving on to actually get to Coopville.
10:33:20 Cause. It's, you know, the ferry terminal so far away from everything. Um, I mean, do you.
10:33:23 Ah, yeah, it's something I don't. I'm I'm new to the area. I don't really know where the center of coop was.
10:33:28 Uh, okay, yeah, it's it's like a 10Â min.
10:33:31 8Â min drive um.
10:33:33 Hey? In jack um.
10:33:34 One of the things that along before you join the meetings, and one of the things that you know.
10:33:39 That I that I thought of I mean, you know they have a challenging uh job. But one of the things what I thought of is.
10:33:46 For raising money and awareness, you know, and for both businesses at both towns.
10:33:50 Is doing something like a combined ferry festival.
10:33:54 Like. We have the Victorian festivals, and we do that that we could do if we could somehow do a joint.
10:33:59 You know um festival between Phil and Port Downsein.
10:34:05 Call it the Ferry Festival. Have, you know, I mean pretty much like all these, like the wooden boat, and all that, try to make it into a an annual thing, where.
10:34:12 We we we can have. You know, we have ferry history. We can actually have, you know, old time people on the ferries and kind of have a have a festival on both ends of the of
the you know, in Coupeville and in Port Townsend, and.
10:34:25 You know, those kind of things would not only for local businesses, it would raise awareness of the ferry, have ferry history, you know, for the kids.
10:34:32 Have all kinds of exhibits.
10:34:34 On the on the ferry for that. Maybe the whole month.
10:34:37 You know, and you have people dressed in period costumes that.
10:34:40 You know things like that. Even some of the the the semen and.
10:34:45 Making into something that can become a.
10:34:46 You know, an annual event like the wooden boat, and you know I I thinking, like, I say, something like the ferry between Coupeville and Port Townsend, and we could have Co.
Events, and you know, and kind of outdoor things, and maybe something that use whatever we can figure out into turning it into something that.
10:35:02 You know, could raise awareness, and because obviously this is the lowest.
10:35:06 I think that in the low in the Washington State ferry system we're pretty much the lowest revenue.
10:35:11 Place up here, I think I was told.
10:35:15 Yeah. Yes.
10:35:15 We're pretty near the bottom. Yeah.
10:35:16 It's it's interesting. i i i mean, I don't have insight as to whether the coupon um business, community, or whatever be interested in that or not. It'd probably be a conversation
with the.
10:35:27 Camera, commons.
10:35:27 The Kufel Chamber of Commerce, or or the or the town there. Coup already has a lot of festivals, you know. It occurred as as you were. You were talking to him, I mean Adam.
10:35:38 And I don't know.
10:35:39 How we would arrange this. Maybe.
10:35:42 Poor Townsend Chamber would want to undertake this. It might be interesting to to.
10:35:46 Do some sort of a.
10:35:48 Survey, you know, if people as they're, you know, entering each of the.
10:35:52 You had to keep going the poor towns and terminals, you know, for whatever, for a couple of weekends in a row, or something. Find out where people are coming from and going
to. I I have. I have the impression, and I have no idea if it's if it's accurate or not that the majority of the economic impact of the line is to port towns. And and it's people coming
down from, you know, the North, you know, onto would be to go over to port towns and and back. And and I I have the impression there's not.
10:36:18 That much of people coming from Jefferson County, you know, over to Coupeville. They had economic value over here, but it might be interesting to get, you know, a chamber or
another to kind of.
10:36:28 Pay to have someone standing there asking every car and every person you know. Wh where are you coming from and going to? And why.
10:36:36 Got.
10:36:33 For, you know, couple of weekends just to find out, you know, where the real impact is. I don't know just an idea.
10:36:41 Well.
10:36:37 People love. People love that answering questions. No one of the things.
10:36:42 That Tom's right.
10:36:42 Well, let me just say on that idea.
10:36:45 Um.
10:36:47 Ferries? Does a formal origin, destination, study.
10:36:51 Hmm.
10:36:50 Which tracks all that information very, very.
10:36:54 Closely.
10:36:55 And and it covers the entire system.
10:36:58 But you know it gets down to every route, and exactly what you're saying. Where are you coming from? How did you get here?
10:37:04 Where are you going? What are you going to do when you get to where you're going?
10:37:08 Uh.
10:37:09 What kind of you know. Transit, if anything are using all that kind of stuff.
10:37:13 That's incor. That's all part of that survey. That's the good news. The bad news is that they haven't done one since 2,013. They they're supposed to do one every 7 years. But
then this little pandemic came along.
10:37:24 And kind of put a halt.
10:37:27 So they know that they have to pick that up there. They're way overdue.
10:37:31 And uh, I don't know if.
10:37:34 The funding for that made it into the supplemental I have to check on that. I think I think it did.
10:37:41 For it for a new origin, destination, survey.
10:37:44 But.
10:37:44 Well.
10:37:45 Um. You know, it's a really good point. The good news is that the formal study is funded by the State.
10:37:57 Well, we can do an informal way.
10:37:52 So it would give us a little more scientific information. But I like the idea of just asking folks. I mean, Adam, when when you talk to to your customers.
10:38:05 Do you ever does that kind of subject ever come up about.
10:38:08 You know. Well, how did you hear about us? Where are you coming from? Where you going to.
10:38:17 Ah!
10:38:10 Of course, we we talk cause a lot of people. You know, we have people say, Hey, can you get our food out by 8 15, because we gotta make the ferry, you know. Generally we talk
to people. And we, you know, we say, Hey, where are you coming from? Where you're going. We do that with most customers. But.
10:38:23 One of the things is, see, we're lucky, Jack. We can do. And, Tom, we can do an informal study.
10:38:28 Without anybody else. You guys can't really, Cooper, because everybody comes off the ferry and has to go one way.
10:38:34 Here, you know. Honestly, if we wanted to. Just take the time for us, Tom, you just sit there right at that corner when when all the cars come out, and they either go right
or they go left.
10:38:44 They're going right. They're not coming to Port Townsend.
10:38:45 They're going out of town, that's all the trucks, everybody. If they go left they're going into town, so we're lucky enough to be able to. I mean, you know, if we wanted to.
10:38:54 Over a few periods, you know, check the different, and we don't have to check every. But we check all the busy ferries, and you can really see, you say, Well.
10:39:03 There was 80 cars got off the ferry, and only 20 of them went.
10:39:07 To the street when it went to town. The other 60 went this way. So like I said, You guys can't do that, Jack, but we could do. We could literally do an informal.
10:39:14 Study. We know where they're coming from.
10:39:15 But it would be interesting to.
10:39:18 Interesting to go to the next.
10:39:17 Right. We wanna know where they're coming from, what they're doing. But at least we could see.
10:39:21 Yeah.
10:39:21 Impact right away.
10:39:23 What what that doesn't tell you is is the ones that aren't going to town. Why are they on the ferry?
10:39:27 Right. And that's.
10:39:31 Yeah.
10:39:27 Right? Right? I'm saying it's an informal. It's it's less scientific. But we could. Just sometimes I look at that, too, and I go. Wow! Everybody got off the ferry, and they
all went right. Nobody went to town or.
10:39:37 Hmm.
10:39:37 Sometimes I get worried when I'm coming through and I'm going. Oh, God, the ferry's here! The town's gonna be, you know. It's gonna be hard getting through the town, but it's
not.
10:39:44 Hmm.
10:39:45 Yeah.
10:39:46 Yeah.
10:39:47 Interesting.
10:39:47 Well, so so, back to this festival idea, which is really interesting.
10:39:53 Uh.
10:39:54 Seems like. Probably Victorian festival. Here in town would be the.
10:40:01 To link up with something. Yeah, link up in the.
10:40:01 A good opportunity.
10:40:03 Previous one.
10:40:04 Um, and and.
10:40:05 This sounds like something that the Chambers of Commerce for both ends of the county, Jefferson County, Cham.
10:40:12 And I don't know what it what it is over there near Coopville.
10:40:14 Maybe coupon me cooper.
10:40:16 Yeah.
10:40:17 Those those 2 groups would be the logical sponsors for something like that.
10:40:21 Um.
10:40:21 Promoter history. I mean. Not that we need. You know that we could.
10:40:25 Get a grant from the ferry system. They don't obviously don't have any money.
10:40:28 Um. But you know, in in a perfect world that would be. It is a small, you know, something.
10:40:32 Cooperating with also the ferries. Because we're gonna you know, we're gonna.
10:40:37 Whatever. Bring out the retired sailors to talk to people, or whatever you know, to to do fun things, and just kind of.
10:40:44 Create fairy history, too.
10:40:46 Yeah.
10:40:47 Well, it's funny you said Victorian, or that. And I, said Victorian.
10:40:51 The the boats that we used to have on this run.
10:40:55 They steal electrics that got, all 4 of which were retired back in 2,007.
10:40:59 Because they were all rusted out. They were 80 years old. They were damn near Victorian themselves.
10:41:04 I didn't realize they were that old well.
10:41:06 Yeah.
10:41:07 That was, they set the record for for longevity, and they worked really well, all 4 of them.
10:41:14 But then 2,007 Thanksgiving.
10:41:17 Called the Thanksgiving Massacre.
10:41:19 Because we had 0 boats for a couple of years. Well, for a year, until we leased a very small one from Pierce County.
10:41:26 Yeah.
10:41:27 Um.
10:41:28 Well um.
10:41:30 So do we have any other business. Uh, Adam, if you, if you want to follow up with with the chamber.
10:41:37 And and look into your idea. There, I think that would be helpful, Jack, if if you feel like.
10:41:43 You know you 2 can talk about it.
10:41:45 Don't have to involve me.
10:41:46 Yeah, I mean, I'm gonna I just I just found the Chambers email address. I'm gonna send him a quick note and just ask if they understand, if they know what the economic impact
is of that very. And if they have any interest in in potentially collaborating on a.
10:42:00 Of nothing, and if so, I'll let you guys know.
10:42:02 I'll I'll send you a copy of that study, too, Jack. I think it probably.
10:42:07 Ah!
10:42:08 Has some information in there about the coop fill into the route, and what's going on.
10:42:13 One of the things we could do.
10:42:13 Not as much, but some.
10:42:16 Jack one of the things it could do.
10:42:17 Is like you said. You know how many people actually, you know, come into poor towns, and they want to go to Kuville and all that stuff.
10:42:23 You know, it could possibly bring more awareness to for the people over here to say, Hey, you know you can't just do this side of the festive. You gotta go to the other side,
too.
10:42:32 You know, vice versa, and then maybe introduce more people to downtown things that they they didn't know. And you know.
10:42:39 And again, it only can can provide, you know, future hopefully, business.
10:42:44 Yeah, yeah, I'd be very interested. My, my.
10:42:48 My assumption is that they're much more focused on on the muckle Clinton Ferry from a standpoint. I mean, it's still a half hour drive people coming up, but the volume is much
greater. But I'll I'll ask, and it'll be interesting to see what they say. Um, we also have an Economic Development Council, which I just a Google, just remind me of, that they may
actually have some info about it.
10:43:06 So I'll take a look there, too.
10:43:09 Okay.
10:43:11 Anything else for the go to the order, if not.
10:43:13 I guess I'm going to bring us out of recess.
10:43:18 Back into a meeting.
10:43:19 Thank you.
10:43:18 I I was just gonna ask them what, Tom, the one thing we didn't ask Hadley about is uh whether they have any thought about providing extra service for the other festivals. You
guys have the summer, if it's still only the wooden boat show. I don't know if you've heard anything.
10:43:32 I think no news means.
10:43:35 No news.
10:43:36 So it's probably I'm certain that it's only gonna be wooden boat at best.
10:43:41 Yeah. And then we're, you know, we're starting with the concerts on the docks. So we've got those coming up soon, and those are Thursdays. We've got.
10:43:47 So I was just checking the schedule. September, you know, is.
10:43:51 Is our um. We've got wooden boat. And then, 2 weeks later, we've got the the film festival.
10:43:55 4,000 film fest.
10:43:56 Oh, yeah.
10:43:57 And before that we've got jazz and blues.
10:44:04 Fingers crossed.
10:44:04 You know.
10:44:00 So yeah, it's just gonna be a grim summer in terms of service. Yet another grim summer.
10:44:07 So.
10:44:08 Yeah.
10:44:08 Okay, well, thanks. Folks.
10:44:11 I guess we're we're out of recess, and I'm gonna now declare us, adjourned.
10:44:17 Thanks very much.
10:44:17 We're gonna cancel the meeting.
10:44:18 Productive talking, not meeting, productive talking.
10:44:19 There's no meeting to adjourn. So we're just gonna cancel it.
10:44:22 Tom.
10:44:23 Okay. There never was a meeting.
10:44:25 Will this never happen?
10:44:26 Thank you.
10:44:26 However, the recording has to be retained, so thank you.
10:44:28 So I don't have an alibi.
10:44:31 Nope.
10:44:33 Thanks, Adiel, for for keeping us on.
10:44:32 I gotta go to Cac. That's I'm excited about that. I have to go to Caca, my brother-in-law from Chinese coming in.
10:44:39 So.
10:14:30 From adiel mcknight to Tom Thiersch - FAC Chair(Direct Message):
I was having tech issues, the repeated sound. I missed the non quorum at the start.