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Women-owned business monitors federal construction projects

A business with a dozen employees who earn between $50,000 and $127,000 a year is moving to the Port of Clarkston.

Port commissioners ratified a lease Thursday for Green Water Energy. The company oversees federal construction projects to ensure they are being built according to plans, Port Manager Wanda Keefer said.

No one from the business attended the meeting, and a call to Green Water Energy on Thursday was not immediately returned.

The Washington State Department of Transportation, University of Idaho, Washington State University and U.S. Forest Service are some of the company’s clients, according to its website.

Erin Clemens is the managing member of Green Water Energy. The firm is an economically-disadvantaged, women-owned small business and native-owned prime contractor, according to its website.

Green Water Energy is paying $2,835 a month as part of the three-year, three-month port lease for a 6,000-square-foot building and 1 acre at 1397 Port Drive.

It was formerly occupied by JPI Worldwide, a company that installs telecommunications equipment in remote areas.

Green Water Energy will have its headquarters and a fabrication operation at the port site, Keefer said.

The company, which has had locations in Lewiston and Colorado, makes hard-to-find items such as specialized railings for projects it oversees, Keefer said.

Company officials have mentioned adding five positions to the Clarkston staff in the relatively near future, said Port Commissioner Mark Brigham.

“It’s an exceptional fit for the Port of Clarkston,” Brigham said. “It’s the type of jobs we’re striving to get.”

The port is bringing the building into compliance with the most recent standards for access for those with disabilities and fire safety, as well as upgrading its electrical system, Keefer said.

Those improvements are anticipated to run about $30,000, but may be offset by state money, Brigham said.

They are all projects that would benefit future tenants should Green Water Energy choose to relocate, Brigham said.

Plus, Green Water Energy is paying for remodeling such as removing walls and replacing floor coverings, Brigham said.

“We had a building that for the most part with a few changes meets their needs,” Brigham said.

Mark Brigham is the newest member of the three-person Clarkston Port Commission. Brigham was selected Monday by the other two commissioners.

Brigham, 58, is a benefits advisor for Aflac. He said his primary goal as port commissioner will be to support the growth of family-wage jobs.

Brigham has been involved in economic development in the past, serving as the president of the Lewiston Chamber of Commerce in the mid-1990s, and as the economic development director for the Port of Lewiston, city of Lewiston and Nez Perce County.

Thank you for your interest in serving the community as a member of the Port of Clarkston Commission.

This position is open until filled. The timeline for filling the Commission vacancy is as follows:

• Friday, August 3, 2018: Deadline – Applications due to the Port of Clarkston by 2:00 pm
• Monday, August 6, 2018: Candidate interviews (Special Meeting, open to the public) and potential decision
• Thursday, August 9, 2018: Regular meeting with back-up interviews, if necessary, decision possible if not determined on August 6; possible first meeting of appointed official.

To be considered, your application must be completed and received by the Port of Clarkston as listed below no later than 2:00 pm on Friday, August 3, 2018. Applications received after 2:00 pm will not be considered for the first round of interviews. Additional written information after this date will not be considered for the first round of interviews, unless requested by the Port of Clarkston Commission.

Please submit the following items to be considered for the position:

• Application (see page 3)
• A cover letter (1 page) indicating your interest and general qualifications for the position
• A resume of no more than 2 pages
• Completed answers to the Supplemental Questions of no more than 3 pages total

The application and any correspondence should be addressed to:

Wanda Keefer, Port Manager
Port of Clarkston
849 Port Way
Clarkston, WA 99403
[email protected]
Phone: 509-758-5272
Fax (acceptable for submission): 509-758-1746

Download Application Form Here

Port of Clarkston mourns the passing of Port of Clarkston Commissioner Rick Davis.

Rick passed away on Tuesday, July 10, 2018, unexpectedly at his home, at the age of 77. Rick worked construction jobs ranging from diesel mechanic to welder and heavy equipment operator. He was proud of his work on Dworshak Dam, the Alaskan pipeline and eventually owning his own backhoe andconstruction company, R & K Construction.

In the mid-1980s, Rick began his more-than-thirty-years of service to the Port of Clarkston rebuilding the crane for the Port of Clarkston. His position was elevated to first to Operations Manager and then Port Manager. He continued his work there until his retirement in 2006. He was elected as a District 1 port commissioner with his first term beginning in January 2008; he held this position until his death.

Rick served on the boards or in officer positions for the Clarkston Chamber Board, Lewiston Sunrise Rotary Club, Washington Public Ports Association, and Pacific Northwest Waterways Association. He was a proud member of the Nez Perce Masonic Blue Lodge and the Scottish Rite Bodies. He was passionate about the brotherhood of the Masonic Order and the Shrine Hospital.

Rick Davis was a true friend of the Port of Clarkston, and we are very grateful to have had the opportunity to spend time with him. As always, Rick was bursting with enthusiasm for his port, his community and the river system. We will miss him.

Entity copies Lewiston’s regulations as part of its efforts to improve experiences for cruise boat passengers

Lewiston has provided one answer for the Port of Clarkston as it seeks to upgrade the experience of cruise boat passengers.

The port adopted the city of Lewiston’s rules for taxicab drivers during its Friday meeting. Commissioners said they want to encourage taxi services with safe drivers who use vehicles in good repair and refrain from smoking in their vehicles.

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