Just prior to the first regular port meeting of 2024 on Wednesday, Jan. 3, Port of Centralia Commissioner Peter Lahmann was sworn in for his second six-year term after defeating challenger Dianne Dorey during the 2023 general election.
During the meeting, port commissioners also held their annual Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) meeting and selected officer positions for both the port commission and the IDC.
Commissioner Kyle Markstrom was nominated as president of both the IDC and port commission, Lahmann vice president of both, and Commissioner Julie Shaffley as secretary and treasurer of both.
Shaffley made the motions to bring forward the nominations and Lahmann seconded them. They were approved by unanimous votes, though a brief discussion about the positions was held before voting for the port commission officer positions.
Lahmann suggested rotating the positions, as some other government entities do during officer position selection, and several public participants spoke out during public comments supporting the rotation.
“Nobody is saying Kyle Markstrom hasn’t had a good relationship with governmental agencies or with any constituents, it’s just a matter of protocol and equity to rotate,” Centralia resident Brian Dow said.
Markstrom explained there was nothing in the port’s by-laws requiring the rotation of officer positions.
“It is not a requirement of the Legislature that the seats are rotated yearly,” Markstrom added. “... Being an elected is about building relationships, building relationships with your fellow electeds, with electeds outside of this body, with community members, and building those relationships is generally what leads to nominations for positions like this.”
Shaffley stated she nominated Markstrom for president again due to his good working relationship with port staff and other electeds along with being a “positive representative” of the port. Additionally, one other public commenter spoke out in support of keeping the assignments the same with the Centralia Station project still ongoing.
Following the discussion, the officer position nominations were unanimously approved.
