With inflation continuing and more activities taking place at the Greenbank Farm, the group tasked with managing the publicly-owned property is getting a raise.

The commissioners for the Port of Coupeville unanimously approved an 11 percent increase for the Greenbank Farm Management Group, bringing its yearly fee to $49,950. That fee will be paid each year beginning in April 2008 for the next two years.

Mike Stansbury, treasurer for the management group, said the process and the negotiations to establish the new fee have gone well.

He highlighted several factors that justified the fee increase. He said inflation is a factor and the fee should recognize the equipment the farm has and continues to upgrade or replace.

There are also plans to develop a larger volunteer organization. That would require funding to pay for such items as a database and a volunteer coordinator. However, the volunteer work more than pays for the money invested.

“Because it is a volunteer organization, you get much, much more than you put into the organization,” Stansbury said during Wednesday’s Port of Coupeville meeting.

He said the Greenbank Farm is also becoming more of a magnet for activity.

Once the two-year period of the new fee is up, then the sides would negotiate a new, four-year fee.

The Port of Coupeville and the management group went through a contentious period in 2006 over the group’s accounting for the management fee, which comes from public funds. Port officials wanted more detail on how the management group spends its money.

The next two years will allow officials to gather more information about how much it costs the management group to manage the farm.

“It provides an excellent foundation for future negotiations,” said Commissioner Benye Weber.

Along with increasing the management group’s fee, the commissioners also approved a draft of the port’s 2008 budget.

Early figures show the port’s budget at $377,455, which is down slightly from the current $381,290.

Officials will make some adjustments to their budget before the final adoption. In addition to the management fee increase, they will shift $12,000 earmarked for improvements on the Coupeville Wharf to infrastructure improvements at the Greenbank Farm.

Another addition to the port’s budget is $25,000 set aside to pay for someone to help put together the Greenbank Farm master site plan.

The port will hold a special meeting Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 3:30 p.m. to adopt its final budget for 2008. That meeting takes place in the port office at 24 Front Street in Coupeville.