Editor,

Very late in last Wednesday’s meeting of the Port of Coupeville at Greenbank Farm the commissioners voted 2-1 to terminate negotiations with the Greenbank Farm Management Group and assume direct management of the farm beginning Jan. 1, 2016.

This question was not on the agenda. It took us, the community, and one of the port commissioners, Mike Diamanti, by complete surprise.

For the past two years, the port and the Greenbank Farm Management Group have worked on a new agreement to run the farm. Negotiations were completed and documents under final legal review. Port commissioners John Carr and Marshall Bronson have pulled out the rug from under the two-plus years process that had culminated in the agreement reached.

It would be hard not to describe the port’s actions as the parting pot shots of two lame duck commissioners. The kindergarten level of dealing with an overwhelming outcry of public support for the current management and tenants is truly astonishing.

The commissioners, who have now shown themselves to be untrustworthy partners in negotiations with the management group, want tenants to negotiate leases directly with them.

Do you think we will get a fair shake out of this? The blatant disregard of public input, public opinion, and public process seems to have reached new levels here.

We understand the port’s concerns about costs and are not opposed to paying our fair share. We are opposed to suggested rent increases which will effectively put us out of business and create the vacancies these two commissioners have been looking for to invite non-rent-paying WSU in after all.

Commissioners Bronson and Carr believe the port is subsidizing our businesses by having rents below market value. They feel we should pay as much as waterfront rents in Coupeville or Langley. Bronson even quoted an average rent per square foot figure he claimed to have gotten from the Economic Development Council, an organization which does not compile such figures.

If these two commissioners spent any time at all at Greenbank Farm during fall and winter months they would see the lack of traffic, especially on weekdays. They would understand how we have managed to hang in there during tough economic times.

They would understand how we collectively created something out of nothing over the past decade.

Being lame ducks, commissioners Carr and Bronson don’t really care about all this, they just wanted to throw in the monkey wrench and derail years of sincere work because they didn’t get 100 percent their way. We can only hope that the candidates running unopposed to replace them, William Bell and John Mishasek, can see a broader vision and will have the wisdom to undo this autocratic power grabbing move.

Our deep thanks to Commissioner Mike Diamanti for voting “no,” and for standing up and saying, “I’m going to soldier on. This is far from a done deal.”

We also hope that all of you who care about this issue will write to the local papers and let your voices be heard. This unethical power play must not be allowed to stand and succeed. We the people must speak up and protect the future of our beloved Greenbank Farm.

Please do what you can.

Rob and Victory Schouten

Rob Schouten Gallery

Greenbank Farm