The necessity and desirability of coordinating the administration programs and operations of all the port districts in this state is recognized and declared as a matter of legislative determination.

It shall be the duty of the port district commissions in the state to take such action to effect the coordination of the administrative programs and operations of each port district in the state and to submit to the governor and the legislature biennially a joint report or joint reports containing the recommendations for procedural changes which would increase the efficiency of the respective port districts.

Findings—Severability—1989 c 425: See notes following RCW 53.06.070.

The port district commissions in this state are empowered to designate the Washington public ports association as a coordinating agency through which the duties imposed by RCW 53.06.020 may be performed, harmonized or correlated. The purposes of the Washington public ports association shall be:

(1) To initiate and carry on the necessary studies, investigations and surveys required for the proper development and improvement of the commerce and business generally common to all port districts, and to assemble and analyze the data thus obtained and to cooperate with the state of Washington, port districts both within and without the state of Washington, and other operators of terminal and transportation facilities for this purpose, and to make such expenditures as are necessary for these purposes, including the proper promotion and advertising of all such properties, utilities and facilities;

(2) To establish coordinating and joint marketing bodies comprised of association members, including but not limited to establishment of a federation of Washington ports as described in RCW 53.06.070, as may be necessary to provide effective and efficient marketing of the state's trade, tourism, and travel resources;

(3) To exchange information relative to port construction, maintenance, operation, administration and management;

(4) To promote and encourage port development along sound economic lines;

(5) To promote and encourage the development of transportation, commerce and industry;

(6) To operate as a clearinghouse for information, public relations and liaison for the port districts of the state and to serve as a channel for cooperation among the various port districts and for the assembly and presentation of information relating to the needs and requirements of port districts to the public.

Findings—Severability—1989 c 425: See notes following RCW 53.06.070.

Each port district which designates the Washington public ports association as the agency through which the duties imposed by RCW 53.06.020 may be executed is authorized to pay dues and/or assessments to said association from port district funds in any calendar year.

Severability—Effective dates and termination dates—Construction—1973 1st ex.s. c 195: See notes following RCW 84.52.043.

The port district commissions are authorized to take such further action as they deem necessary to comply with the intent of this chapter, including the attendance at state and district meetings which may be required to formulate the reports provided for in RCW 53.06.020.

The financial records of the Washington public ports association shall be subject to audit by the state auditor. The financial records of any nonprofit corporation utilized by port districts shall be subject to audit by the state auditor to determine compliance with the contractual terms and conditions under which payments or reimbursements are received under chapter 53.06 RCW.

The Washington public ports association is authorized to create a federation of Washington ports to enable member ports to strengthen their international trading capabilities and market the region's products worldwide. Such a federation shall maintain the authority of individual ports and have the following purposes:

(1) To operate as an export trading company under the provisions enumerated in chapter 53.31 RCW;

(2) To provide a network to market the services of the members of the Washington public ports association;

(3) To provide expertise and assistance to businesses interested in export markets;

(4) To promote cooperative efforts between ports and local associate development organizations to assist local economic development efforts and build local capacity; and

(5) To assist in the efficient marketing of the state's trade, tourism, and travel resources.

Findings—1989 c 425: "The legislature finds: (1) That the continuous development of Washington's ports should be a long-term goal for the state of Washington; (2) that Washington's ports are a valuable economic development resource, whose strength as a combined, coordinated entity for the purpose of trade and tourism development would far exceed their individual strength's in those areas; and (3) that, therefore, the ports should work together as a federation, coordinating their efforts further still with other public entities as well as the private sector.

The legislature concurs with the 1989 report of the economic development board on a long-term economic development strategy for Washington state as follows: (a) Competition for tourism dollars, as well as dollars to purchase Washington's goods and services, is global in nature and to compete, the state must identify its unique market niches, and market its trade, travel, and tourism assets aggressively; (b) the ports of the state of Washington are an integral part of the technological and physical infrastructure needed to help the state compete in the international marketplace; and (c) links among public agencies, associate development organizations, including ports, universities, and industry-oriented organizations must be strengthened in an effort to improve coordination, prevent duplication, and build local capacity." [ 1989 c 425 s 1.]

Severability—1989 c 425: "If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [ 1989 c 425 s 12.]

Port districts are authorized to utilize the services of a nonprofit corporation for the purposes of providing training, education, and general improvement to the public sector management skills necessary to implement the economic development programs of port districts. Actions taken under this section must be implemented pursuant to the powers granted in chapter 39.84 RCW. Any nonprofit corporation utilized pursuant to this section must be a tax exempt nonprofit corporation, may be a nonprofit corporation created by the Washington public ports association, and must be created for the sole purposes of education and training for port district officials and employees. Port districts are authorized to transfer to a qualified nonprofit corporation utilized pursuant to this section any funds received from an industrial development corporation created by a port district under RCW 39.84.130.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the receipt of additional public or private funds by a nonprofit corporation established under this section. The coordination of these programs and the transfers and expenditures of funds shall be deemed to be for industrial development and trade promotion as provided for in Article VIII, section 8 of the Washington state Constitution.

In carrying out the purposes described in this and other chapters of this title, the legislature recognizes that any nonprofit corporation created or re-created for the purposes of this chapter, is a private nonprofit corporation contracting to provide services to which port districts may subscribe.