Nome’s ability to attract investors and secure its role in offshore Arctic activities continues to be the main focus of the city’s Port Commission.
At this month’s meeting, the commission shared concern over its inability to attract big business and even bigger visitors to Nome this summer. Along with Shell running its summer drilling operations out of Kotzebue, the White House’s decision to skip over Nome and visit Kotzebue instead during the President’s upcoming visit to Alaska means even less business for the city.
The consensus among commissioners is that constructing a deep draft port is their best bet increase traffic and investment in Nome. At their meeting last week, they debated dredging to just 28 feet or committing to the 35-foot depth required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a deep-draft Arctic port.
Commissioner Rolland Trowbridge encouraged the group to commit to 35 feet. “If we’re going to do it, let’s build it down to -35 [feet] so we’ll always be in the game from that point on now on,” Trowbridge urged, adding, “No one will look back in 20 years and say, “Boy that was crazy,” but if we build it to 28 [feet] I guarantee they will.”
Other commissioners voiced their support for dredging to the deeper depth required by the Army Corps of Engineers. Commissioner Bryant Hammond emphasized that a deep draft port would help attract investors to Nome.
“If we do really want Shell and the other bigger players in,” Hammond said, “getting to negative 35 feet is going to be pivotal.”
Commissioner Charlie Lean suggested that, along with bringing big players to Nome, a deep-draft port would have widespread benefits.
“It’s not just Nome that would benefit from, say tankers or container ships,” Lean said, “the entire region, including Nana region and the lower Yukon would see freight rates reduced if large loads like that came less expensively to Nome and then were lightered out of Nome.”
At their meeting, the commission also reviewed ongoing projects such as the expansion of the middle dock, with the sheet pile installation nearly complete. They also renewed their contract with the city’s lobbyist Lawrence Markley. For a fee of $60,000, Markley represents Nome at the state and federal level on issues including Arctic development and port improvements.
