After spending what will be nine years as executive director, Jim Patton will soon call it a day.

The commissioners for the Port of Coupeville recently approved a contract that keeps Patton employed until the end of 2013. After that, he is planning to retire and spend more time with family.

“I have five kids and 10 grandkids,” Patton said.

Patton has been the executive director of the Port of Coupeville, which operates the Coupeville Wharf and the Greenbank Farm, since 2004.

The 18-month window gives time for several important projects to be completed before Patton retires. The next year-and-a-half will be a busy time for the Port of Coupeville. Officials are currently negotiating a conservation easement to add an additional layer of protection to the agriculture, recreational and environmentally sensitive land at the farm.

In addition, work is beginning on a transition plan to decide how the Greenbank Farm will be operated once the management group’s contract expires at the end of 2013.

A committee recently formed to explore possibilities.

Patton also noted that the port will begin its three-year review of its comprehensive plan and he will be working through two budget cycles and a regularly scheduled state audit.

He also hoped he would be able to find a way to fix a problematic structure at the end of the Coupeville Wharf.

“If I’m lucky, I’ll find a way to replace those concrete fuel piers,” Patton said. Those two fuel piers have been a headache for Patton. During severe winter weather, the piers have broken away from the wharf, posing an environmental danger.

During the summer of 2013, he anticipates the commissioners will appoint a search committee to look for a replacement.