Port Commissioner Position 3 Candidate Questions and Answers
Engage reached out to the contested Port Commissioner, position 3 race asking both candidates the same three questions. Please see their responses below:
The community recognizes the replacement of the Hood River interstate bridge as a top priority. What do you think you can bring to the commission to support this project?
Mike Fox:
My background as a degreed engineer with a 45-year career in heavy construction working for a major engineering /construction company prepares me well for this challenge. My career developed from an individual contributor on a single project to being a Vice President responsible for Project Control, Project Management processes, procedures, training, performance assessments, and employee deployment for all projects worldwide.
These projects included roads and bridges in Albania and Romania; Airports in Doha Qatar; Muscat Oman; and Los Vegas Nevada, a world class Seaport for containerized cargo in Abu Dhabi UAE along with many other mining, power, and petrol chemical related projects all over the world.
I have experience working in the government environments for the US Department of Energy, as well as, the United Kingdoms Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Ministry of Defense. I also have experienced working with various regulatory bodies such as the Federal EPA, Washington Department of Ecology, Idaho Department of Ecology, and the UK Nuclear Authority.
Attracting funding for a new bridge is a challenge. We must create a story that is truthful and compelling. We are competing with other bridge replacement projects that have higher priority and serve many more citizens than does ours. On one of my assignments, we did just this. We were in competition for funding with other remediation sites across the United States. We developed a closure strategy that allowed for the remediation of huge areas of land adjacent to the Columbia River. We worked closely with the regulatory community. Together we presented to the Department of Energy the plan and gained their support which led to stable funding levels equal to hundred of millions of dollars.
I am familiar with different contracting mechanisms from Public, Private, Partnerships to Lump Sum as and all versions of Time and Material. In addition, carefully structured tender documents along with professionally written contracts increase probabilities of having successful projects.
I have been unofficially mentoring the current contracted bridge Project Manager for the past 2 to 3 years so I understand the status of bridge replacement thus far. I have developed 8 individual strategies, we will have to implement to have a safe, modern bridge. These were shared earlier this year with the Port who has adopted most of them. There is an in-depth discussion on these strategies documented on my campaign website at mikefoxhoodriver.com.
I believe we must accelerate execution of these 8 strategies with a sense of urgency. My biggest fear is that someone will get hurt or killed on the existing bridge and a new one is not ready should or when the existing one must be shut down.
Lach Litwer:
Replacing the Hood River bridge is a complicated project finance challenge, but a relatively straightforward one from a bridge engineering and construction standpoint. There are numerous professional engineering and construction firms that build bridges all over the world… and we will contract these firms to build our bridge too when the time comes.
What makes our project uniquely challenging to build is securing the funding and managing the dozen plus agencies that will need to permit it. Currently, we are working to secure federal infrastructure funding that would allow the bridge replacement to move forward without further delay, and could eliminate the need to charge a toll for crossing! If federal funding is not secured however, we cannot sit back and let the current bridge slowly fail. We will need to seek funding partners to finance construction of the replacement bridge.
Prior to returning to Oregon, I oversaw a joint military team that worked with congress to secure hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for major programs and military infrastructure projects. Through this work I learned how federal money gets allocated and how to successfully amplify community voices in educating congressional staff and members of state congressional delegations. As a Port Commissioner, I will be well prepared to help Hood River secure funding by convincing Senators and Representatives from Oregon and Washington that replacing our bridge matters to their voters, will create and sustain local jobs, and is aligned with federal agency and state government priorities.
After working in legislative affairs, I served as a presidential appointee to the Department of Defense. There, I oversaw the expansion of private financing for public infrastructure including water purification plants, office buildings, utility conduit, and more, on Air Force installations. These projects were very similar in structure to how private financing could secure the bridge replacement project if federal funding does not materialize. As a Port Commissioner, my experience with public-private infrastructure finance will help us negotiate the best deal - and the lowest tolls, for our community!
Finally, having built a small rural telecommunication utility that operates in public rights of way, I’ve dealt with the friction caused by permitting requirements from multiple agencies with overlapping jurisdictions. There are well over a dozen local, state (OR and WA), and federal agencies that will need to approve and permit construction of our new bridge. My experience dealing with these agencies and relationships with their staff can help our project navigate the paperwork maze to a successful approval as quickly as possible.
Aside from the bridge, what do you see as the most pressing issue facing the port?
Mike Fox:
I believe a major challenge facing the Port, excluding replacement of the bridge, is how to fund the balance of activities the Port undertakes. Much of these activities have been funded through bridge tolls. This continues today. With a new replacement bridge, it is highly unlikely that this past practice can be maintained. Other revenue streams must be developed or Port activities will have to be rightsized. Currently there is no viable transition plan in place. This must be rectified and quickly.
Managing scope, schedule, and budgets on multi-billion-dollar projects prepares me well in tackling this challenge. I very much understand the need to balance funding (through revenues), scopes and budgets, along with schedules.
Lach Litwer:
The Port of Hood River is responsible for many community benefit and economic growth programs, most of which are funded by bridge tolls. Our waterfront recreation area is a great example of a port run, toll funded, community benefit that receives no direct tax dollars, and is one of our most visited parks for residents and tourists who spend money at local businesses! When our new bridge is built, the Port will probably no longer have toll revenue to apply to programs like the waterfront recreation area.
If elected, I’ll work with stakeholders throughout our community to identify opportunities for the Port to create community value and economic development dollars supporting and expanding important programs like the waterfront recreation area. Less visible, but equally important programs that we need to continue to fund include the many light industrial business spaces the port owns and leases to new companies at a discount to facilitate the growth of new Hood River businesses.
With toll dollars likely to disappear from the Port budget, it is more important than ever to implement disciplined business management at Port activities. Programs like the marina, where so many kids learn to sail in the summer, and the airport which serves local businesses and recreational aviators alike, will need to take a close look at expenses and opportunities to create business opportunities to ensure their long term viability without toll dollar subsidies.
The loss of toll monies is a real challenge to the Port and it’s programs- but through disciplined operations and entrepreneurship we can not only maintain, but grow these great spaces and programs to support Hood River County residents for generations to come.
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