Economic development: County cuts Port out as ADO middle man

Whitman County commissioners last week re-assigned the county’s Associate Development Officer for economic development projects from the Port of Whitman to the Southeast Washington Economic Development Alliance (SEWEDA).

The move eliminates the Port of Whitman County as what County Commissioner Greg Partch called the “middle man” role in the county’s economic development efforts.

Each year the county is allotted money from the state to spur business growth.

For the past two years, the county assigned that contract to the port, which has sub-contracted with SEWEDA for economic development agent Dick Watters.

Watters works out of an office in the port’s innovation zone building. For now, the port will continue to provide the office to Watters for no charge.

The state Department of Commerce reduced 2010 funding to the county by $8,000 last month, cutting the county annual sum from $56,000 two years ago to less than $35,000 now.

Eliminating the port’s administration makes that cash more easily funneled to projects, said Partch.

“If we take you guys out of the middle, then Dick can still have a job and there’d be enough money to do stuff,” Partch told port commissioners in a joint meeting Monday.

Port officials requested their agency act as the development lead in 2007 to prevent conflicts with their efforts to draw in a state grant to develop high-tech industries in Pullman.

Partch said SEWEDA, formerly Palouse Economic Development Council, as it was called then, was “malfunctioning” and the port wanted to ensure the agency would not interfere with its grant quest.

Partch and port commissioners Monday praised the work of new SEWEDA director Duane Wollmuth, saying he has taken an active role in making sure the agency is effective in bringing business to the region. Wollmuth works out of the Clarkston office.

SEWEDA is made up of representatives from Whitman, Asotin, Garfield and Columbia counties. Watters said SEWEDA is also in a better position than the port to access federal economic development grants.