KENNEWICK, Wash. – The Port of Kennewick is getting the attention of the Governor’s Office after it was one of 11 recipients of the Governor’s Smart Communities Award. The Port’s deputy CEO, Tana Badger-Inglima, encourages the community to attend the award ceremony on March 12 at 11:30 a.m.
According to the Washington Department of Commerce, the award recognizes communities’ efforts across the state for exceptional land use planning and development.
Bader-Inglima said they were excited to get the award and thought it had a solid case to get it. She said it’s not about the Port of Kennewick but the Kennewick community.
“The Department of Commerce collected the nominations,” she said. “They gave us notice last fall. So it kind of validates all the work we’ve done on behalf of the community over the years. We were very very happy about that.”
Bader-Inglima said the ceremony will be held at the Clover Island Lighthouse and will kick off with a blessing from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Nation. A representative of Governor Inslee’s office will then present the award.
The Port is on a mission to revitalize East Kennewick. According to the Port, the first project was to upgrade Clover Island.
According to Bader-Inglima, after 15 years of planning and construction, the Port added over 8,000 plants to the shoreline to stabilize it. She said they’ve also added over 1,200 feet of pathway from the lighthouse to Cedars Restaurant, built a functional Coast Guard-approved lighthouse, added public amenities, ten public art installations, a renovated boat launch, a restroom, paved parking, benches, a picnic area, five educational panels, and 11 scenic viewpoints.
“A lot of people focus on ROI, Return on Investment,” Bader-Inglima said. “We like to say Return on Community, ROC. What are we doing to better the community? That’s part of our mission, to create opportunities to benefit the community.”
According to Bader-Inglima, the Port of Kennewick partnered with the Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District, the State of Washington Recreation & Conservation Office, Benton County, and the City of Kennewick.
Bader-Inglima said anyone who wants to attend should arrive early to avoid the traffic.
