POULSBO — The eroding rock wall at Waterfront Park is shaping up as the top issue for the Port of Poulsbo Commissioner candidates as they make their final pitches before the Nov. 6 general elections. With threatened moorage at the marina and structures along the shoreline, the matter is much more than an election issue though — it’s a fullblown problem. Repairing the slippage, which has been going on for the past quarter century, will require grant funding and the project will have to swim through the environmental gill nets to succeed. Prospective commissioners must not only work through this process but with officials from the City of Poulsbo who have agreed to partner with the port in the effort to restore the bulkhead.

Although the wall is a pressing issue, the commission must work together to ensure the Port of Poulsbo continues to run smoothly and remains a strong presence in this community.

The Herald contacted the four prospective commissioners this week, and asked them to answer five election questions in their own words. The answers are edited only for length, which was set ar 100 words maximum.

What matters at the Port of Poulsbo?

1) What is the single biggest problem facing the port? How will you solve it?

2) What sets you apart from your opponent?

3) What are your qualifications?

4) What port service do you feel should be changed during the next several years? How will you implement this change?

5) Why do you want to serve the port as commissioner?

Position 1

Nan Mader, Poulsbo

1) The bulkhead at Anderson Parkway has been eroding away and raising the sea level under the visitors’ dock and gradually damaging the park and the park features. The port has been considering this situation for more than two years; it must be solved. Grant funding efforts must be examined. Currently, the port makes little effort to work with the city on any projects. I will make it a point to work with the city, as I find the mayor, city council and the city staff open to discussion and willing to help solve problems of mutual interest for our city.

2) My interest in learning about and following the laws governing our councils, commissions and boards set us apart. Additionally, I have a strong interest in improving fiscal conservatism in the port. The opportunity to serve as port commissioner is a privilege and as such I won’t ask for compensation for time I spend taking part in community activities on behalf of the port. Currently the commissioners interpret the regulation liberally, requesting payment for any activity or time. While it may legal, it is not the intended spirit of the regulation. As such I will not ask for a stipend to attend other meetings or provide any assistance to the port employees.

3) I have attended port meetings for the past 15 years. If fact, I have attended more meetings than the current commissioners. Additionally, I was the manager and director for a large company for twenty years. I am convinced that governmental bodies can work within strict budgets, as they must in the private sector. I attended North Kitsap High School and the University of Washington. Moreover, I live aboard a boat in the port and therefore I have a personal interest in keeping the port as pristine a backyard as I can for our boat, other boaters and residents in the area.

4) There are several, one of which is, the port currently meets twice a month, each meeting rarely lasting more than one hour. I find this a waste of time and port funds. Compensation for the commission and secretary costs the port in excess of $600 per month. In addition, the port employees are given compensatory time off for time spent at meetings. By combining business to one meeting per month we can reduce half these costs. If elected, I will make this motion at the first meeting. If the other commissioners agree, it will be final immediately.

5) I believe I am qualified to address the possibility of a foot ferry, dock space for larger tour boats, and the maintenance and improvement of the port facility. While attending port meetings I have been able to enact some changes to the port from the public forum. However, as I become more dissatisfied with the actions of the current commission, I feel to enact the changes I have discussed above, I could only do so from the elected position. If the voters of Poulsbo choose to put me in the port commission, I will do my best to serve them well.

Tony DeCarlo, Poulsbo

1) The rock retaining wall along the park is sliding into the bay. The sediment from this slippage is reducing the depth beneath our floating piers and causing them to bottom out during low tides. We have partnered with the city to replace the retaining wall and to remove the silt along the shoreline down to its original depth. The problem facing us is to get the money to pay for the repairs. With the city in partnership with us we have applied for a grant and will seek other grants to assist with the cost of repairs.

2) I have been a resident of Poulsbo for 26 years and have been very active supporting our community. When my children were in high school we formed a band booster club. We raised $40,000 the first year to send the band and drill team to the band competition at the Fiesta Bowl and Disneyland, and two years later as president, raised another $30,000 to send the band and drill team to the International Music Olympics. I have been on several bike-a-thons to raise money for charities, the Knights of Columbus fund raising for Special Olympics and college scholarships.

3) I am currently one of the port commissioners and have been for about eight years. When we replaced the retaining wall and platform next to the launching ramp, I was involved from beginning to end. Since I had the engineering background, I worked with the engineering firm that was contracted to do the work. In the past I worked for the City of Anchorage doing design, drafting and surveying. I worked for Westinghouse for 30 years on electrical and mechanical systems on the Polaris, Poseidon and Trident submarines.

4) In the near future the port will have to replace the vertical breakwater with a floating breakwater. I would like to see the design of the floating breakwater made to accommodate additional boats and larger yachts. To implement this change we will seek grants to minimize our cost.

5) As I have stated before, I am currently one of the port commissioners and I feel that I have a lot of expertise and experience to contribute to the Port of Poulsbo. I have been part of the boating community since I purchased my first boat in 1959 and I enjoy boating, being around boats and talking to other boaters. We are very fortunate to live in such a beautiful area and have a great marina like the Port of Poulsbo. I want to continue to keep the Port of Poulsbo in top condition and keep it as a preferred destination spot.

Position 2

Glenn Gilbert,

Poulsbo

1) The biggest problem facing the port at this time is the sloughing of Anderson Park into the marina. The port commissioners are working with the city and have submitted the paperwork in hopes of securing a federal grant for funds, to completely rebuild the bulkhead in a manner that should have a more useful life in the area of 50-60 years and be environmentally friendly while substantially protecting the park and the nearside marina. If the grant fails to materialize, the port has the option of doing maintenance dredging to halt the sloughing back into the marina.

2) I am presently a commissioner for the port and as such, am involved and knowledgeable about the on-going affairs and operations of the port. I have had a boat in the marina for the last fifteen years and have a good relationship with many of the boat owners and maintenance staff. I am a hands-on, walk-the-docks commissioner.

3) I have enjoyed 27 years with the City of Seattle in the executive division and municipal Courts. I was with the Census Bureau in 2000 and have served the City of Poulsbo for five years on the board of adjustments and appeals. I have worked in the public sector most of my life, working with citizens and interpreting the law to protect and help the public. I have an Associate of Arts from Shoreline Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in public administration from the University of Puget Sound. I am presently a port commissioner.

4) The port is operating exceedingly well at this time, although the commissioners are checking into the possibility of providing moorage for larger boats i.e. tour boats and mega yachts, in hopes of bringing more tourism to the area. Rebuilding and expanding the breakwater walls to a more ecological standard would provide this moorage. The problems with this outlook are in the permitting process. Hopefully through diligence and working cooperatively with national, state, and local agencies, this can be overcome.

5) I have been involved in boating since I was 12 years old. I am knowledgeable, experienced, dedicated, and interested in the port and the city. I am a boat owner and a marina slip holder; I want the best for the port and the city.

Richard Nutter,

Poulsbo

1) The biggest problem to me is not doing business in public. As the county commissioners will relate, it is not handy to do business with a three-person commission when they virtually can’t talk business to each other without a public meeting. However, the law is the law and inconvenient or not it must be followed. A legal opinion might help convince the commissioners how they must do business and the port association can help.

2) My background is business and my opponent’s is law enforcement.

3) As a port manager, I have helped draft environmental statements and managed a million dollar marina expansion project. I have been a member of the Washington Public Port Association’s marina committee and ad hoc committee on port accounting. I have been a bank trust officer, Coast Guard reservist, owned a yacht sales company and been a board member of the Edmonds Yacht Club, Poulsbo Library and Poulsbo Port.

4) I feel that the services of the port are being handled well. New things such as the Mosquito Fleet would be exciting to work on.

5) My purpose in running for port commissioner is stewardship and my goal is having the best port possible.