Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business - May 2020

May 2020 Volume 19 | Issue 5

Teamsters target Tyson plant after COVID-19 spreads

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Transportation

Aviation community perplexed

by CARES Act airport funds Page A11

Environment

Colorado firm plans 600-megawatt wind farm in Benton County Page A23

Real Estate & Construction

Vista Field looking less like airfield, more like a neighborhood Page B1

NOTEWORTHY “We have to adapt to a new way of doing things.”

-Rick Snyder, owner and general manager, U.S. Linen and Uniform Page A33

A local union hopes the 1,450 workers at the Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Wallula will rethink collective bargaining after coronavirus spread through the workforce and killed at least one man.

Teamsters Local 839 is “absolutely” interested in representing Tyson’s beef plant workers, said Russell Shjerven, secretary, treasurer and business agent.

The union represents 55 bargaining groups, including local law enforcement and UPS workers, and has about 2,100 members. It serves Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Columbia and parts of Umatilla counties.

Shjerven said current members are reaching out to family and friends who work for Tyson to start a process that could culminate in a union ratification vote supervised by the National Labor Relations Board.

The NLRB conducts elections if at least 30 percent of workers sign union cards.

Teamsters typically requires 70 to 75 percent of workers sign a card before it presses for a vote, he said.

If the effort leads to an election, a simple majority of votes cast will decide if workers unionize. Shjerven said he hopes workers will see the benefit of having an advocate in the contrast between how Tyson handled COVID-19 in Wallula to how Lamb Weston Inc. handled it at a nearby french fry plant in Pasco, where workers are union members.

Lamb Weston enacted protective measures at the outset. When a worker tested positive for COVID-19 in late March, it shut the plant down. The company sent workers home with pay and brought in a contractor to sanitize it. It reopened in April and shut down a second time, for about four days, when a second worker tested positive.

The virus that causes COVID-19 spread further at Tyson, affecting at least 17 percent of workers and inspiring a petition to close the plant. Wallula closed for 12 days beginning in late April, after a worker had died. uTYSON, Page A5

Photo by Scott Butner Some construction work that can be performed at a six-foot distance resumed in Washington as the state moved to lift the severest restrictions of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order. Permit activity appears healthy but looks may be deceiving.

Tri-City construction numbers appear normal, but looks may be deceiving

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Homebuilders and homebuyers appear undaunted by the COVID-19 crisis that has sidelined construction and much of the economy since March.

Building permit activity dipped in April, but it is still solid for the year to date, according to new figures released May 7 by the Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities.

Local agencies authorized 437 single-family homes in the first four months of 2020, only eight fewer than the same period in 2019.

The value was identical, $131 million in both years.

Buyers bought more homes in March than they did a year earlier, 463 versus 411, according to the Tri-Cities Association of Realtors.

The local Realtors reported 1,391 home sales in the first three months of the year, 31 more than the same period in 2019.

Don’t be takRead more about en in by reassurstate’s construction ing statistics, said restart plan.

Jeff Losey, execPage B1 utive director of the homebuilders association.

Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order shuttered most construction sites and even as the industry reopens, it won’t be the same under the state’s strict new rules.

“The permit numbers are not telling the whole story of what’s going on,” Losey said.

Builders may be pulling permits, but coronavirus measures may preclude them from being built for the time being.

Only projects in motion before the March 23 stay-home order may go ahead as the state reopens construction work in phases.

“There’s a lot of permits out there but if they don’t meet the criteria of pre-March 23

uCONSTRUCTION, Page A38

Tri-City hoteliers think outside the box as pandemic empties rooms

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Tri-City hoteliers found creative and unexpected ways to stay relevant after a wave of cancellations washed over the industry on what one owner called Black Friday in March.

“People are definitely thinking outside the box,” said Michael Novakovich, president and chief executive officer of Visit Tri-Cities, the region’s tourism marketing agency. He’s heard of only five hotels in the area closing after Gov. Jay Inslee issued the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order to slow the spread of coronavirus.

The rest remained open as best they could, with skeletal staffs.

They have adapted by welcoming health care workers and first responders, by serving contract customers such as railroad crews, and

in one case, by sending staff to help a local nonprofit get off the ground.

“Travel and tourism were at the front end of this. People just stopped moving around,” Novakovich said. More than 6,000 local jobs are tied to hospitality, including lodging and dining. As the pandemic emptied rooms, the industry and operators looked for fresh ways to preserve their business so they can ramp up quickly when travel and tourism resumes.

A-1 Hospitality Group, a Kennewick-based hotel chain with 300 rooms locally, stayed open. It welcomed first responders and health care workers who did not want to go home to their families by offering steep discounts, said Taran Patel, managing partner for the family-owned company.

In Richland, The Lodge at Columbia Point rehired workers after it secured a PayuHOTELIERS, Page A6

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

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Walkabouts restore , calm in crazy world ries lead to new discove

By Wendy Culverwell & Kristina Lord

The week of May 18 marks our ninth week working from our home offices for the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business. It also marks more than 45 days of walks.

Our daily WFH (working from home) routine included a walk around the Tri-Cities—paved paths, sandy trails, bike routes, river edges and alley ways, through mud, rain, wind and a change of seasons.

We started these walks to stay connected while our team had to be physically disconnected. It also was a way to maintain normalcy, when the world felt like it was teetering out of control in the early days of the pandemic.

Before the pandemic, lapping the neighborhood near our offices off Grandridge Boulevard was a typical part of our daily lunch-hour schedule to get our bodies moving, to talk through stories and ideas, to recharge.

When we started our WFH meetups on March 16, the weather was a chilly 54 degrees. We frequently shrugged on heavy jackets and gloves—but not masks. Not then.

Children ordered home from school and day care accompanied us in the beginning, though they were cautioned repeatedly to steer clear of others, to mind the six-foot rule. They enjoyed getting out into the world with us, too.

By March 30, we were too scared to bring them along. That’s also when we rigged up masks from old T-shirts, following a YouTube how-to video featured in a Washington Post story. Three days later we looped two hair ties over our ears to hold in place colorful folded bandannas and cloth napkins.

By the following week, we were wearing more comfortable and safer face masks. The publisher found her box of hospital face masks decorated with Hello Kitty left over from chemotherapy treat-

ments, and the editor’s brother discovered an open package of N95 masks in his shop that he sent her. It took another week or so before we saw anyone else in the Tri-Cities wearing them regularly.

In early March when we started, most of our walking conversations centered around coronavirus and wrapping our heads around what it meant, how it would affect us.

We talked about our very real fears for our aging parents, our families, ourselves.

These walk-and-talks also included a lot of conversations about stories for the Journal (we even found a couple along the way), challenges and successes of working from home, the latest news about coronavirus, what stores were stocking toilet paper, when we’d see our stimulus checks.

But the coolest and most unexpected part has been discovering places we’ve never explored on foot.

There’s scarcely a walkable park in the Tri-Cities we haven’t trekked.

We’ve meandered around the perimeter of the Hanford Reach museum, musing about the vacant land to the southeast and how it could be developed someday, the imposing architecture of the building and why a sidewalk ended in the middle of nowhere. We explored the abandoned and overgrown KOA campground in Columbia Park, noting the old barbecue grills standing sentry in tall weeds, the chill disc golfers we passed and an unexpected bridge over a rushing stream.

As we strolled past the huge houses along the Pasco side of the Columbia River, we wondered who lived in them. When we got back to our respective offices, we looked them up on the Franklin County Assessor’s website. Pasco has its very own Millionaires’ Row, home to farmers, developers and more.

We also discovered a hidden private drive featuring three huge homes that could have been along Millionaires’ Row

Sacajawea State Park

and several undeveloped parcels owned by prominent Tri-City families tucked near Highland Grange Park behind the Kennewick branch of Mid-Columbia Libraries.

We loved exploring Richland’s Urban Greenbelt Trail. We envisioned a slog along city sidewalks.

Instead it is a delightful trek along

secret trails, wetlands, pocket parks and bridges. The path took us through a busy construction site, along the Columbia River and back by Kadlec Regional Medical Center and its helipad. Along the way, we stopped for photos behind the Richland Players Theatre, posing in front of the uWALKABOUTS, Page A4

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Tri-City entrepreneurs are a scrappy bunch These are challenging times. Uncertain and troubling times. (Fill in your favorite adjective here) times.

More than a quarter of a million people across our planet, including nearly a thousand in our state as of press time, have died from COVID-19, the deadly disease caused by the coronavirus.

Our national, state and local economies are taking a beating after stay-athome orders forced many companies to close their doors to slow the spread of this highly contagious virus.

But trying times can bring out the best in people as they strive to find meaning or make peace with a situation beyond their control.

We see Tri-Citians doing amazing things.

Our local businesses continue to come up with creative ways to serve their customers while shifting their business models: restaurants delivering rolls of toilet paper along with meal deliveries, or giving the option for customers to pay forward meals to feed first responders and medical professionals; others are offering curbside and contactless pickups, bottling hand sanitizers instead

of alcohol, and offering online ordering or meetings.

Our generous business community has organized drives to raise money for nonprofits or to collect donations of personal protection equipment. They’ve sponsored graduating seniors, senior citizens and nonprofits.

Their ingenuity and compassion are astounding and inspirational.

Tri-City entrepreneurs are scrappy folks who love our community and are determined to see it thrive.

We’re no different here at the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business. We’re a small, locally owned company with six employees.

As hundreds of newspapers around the nation lay off staff, furlough workers and reduce print production, we’re happy to report we’re all still working hard from our homes.

Our 19-year-old paper survived the 2008 Great Recession.

It’ll survive a COVID-19 downturn, too.

We know our publication matters to our business community because we hear from you all that time that it does.

Our advertisers—our fellow business community members—continue to support the local news we provide as you can tell from this hefty 56-page edition you hold in your hands or are reading on your favorite digital device.

And if you look on pages A28, A38, B4 and B14 you’ll see tangible signs of this support with logos of companies that have advertised with us this year. They didn’t pay to be included. We simply wanted to thank them and to encourage you, dear readers, to support them in turn.

Community connection is more important than ever, and newspapers play a vital role in helping to establish and maintain these relationships.

Thank you, advertisers. Thank you, subscribers.

No matter when or where we return or resume our “normal” work, let’s all pledge to do it safely.

Be well. Be safe. We’ll continue to be here for you. #ReadLocal #ShopLocal #StayConnected

WALKABOUTS, From page A4 angelic wings painted there.

We visited Chamna Natural Preserve.

For a river delta park, the Yakima River was surprisingly elusive. But we returned, drawn by the natural setting so in contrast to our suburban neighborhoods.

From Chamna, we walked north out of the parking lot, under Interstate 182 and along the Bypass Highway to check out the Duportail Bridge construction site.

A flash of color in the roadside trash caught our attention. It was our very own—and painstakingly prepared—Hanford special edition, discarded along with the April issue of the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business. We noted the name on the mailing label!

We met up at various points along Richland’s Leslie Groves Park. In the shadow of the city’s Water Treatment Plant on Saint Street, Pete Rogalsky, Richland’s public works director, chose that moment to call to field questions about the project to replace its blue and yellow façade. (See story on Page B1). We watched dozens of fuzzy yellow goslings trailing their aloof parents at the water’s edge.

We’ve met at the USS Triton Sail Park near the Port of Benton and walked through fancy condos with furtive construction workers beavering away in garages. On a lovely spring day, we had the trail and river vistas mostly to ourselves.

Kennewick’s Zintel Canyon Trail caught our attention. It was the first week of irrigation season and the Seventh Street trailhead was swamped with water overflowing the channel. Ducks paddled across drowned grass. It’s a sweet hike but our shoes got muddy and a sneaky branch smacked an unsuspecting head. Yogi, our trusty trail dog companion, wasn’t keen on

Photo by Kristina Lord Editor Wendy Culverwell pauses her daily work walk to conduct an interview at Leslie Groves Park in Richland.

crossing the unsteady footbridges—and neither were we.

Pasco beckoned. Osprey Pointe, home to the Port of Pasco, features a parklike campus on the area’s only low-bank waterfront. We studied the port’s quiet barge terminal and imagined transforming a lonely office building perched on piers into the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business World Headquarters. We’d take care of the trees sprouting from the docks. We’d also enjoy taking care of business while enjoying the spectacular Columbia River views.

We strolled by Zen Noh Hay and wondered at the vast amount of hay stacked in east Pasco. We brazenly walked past the gate barring cars from Sacajawea State Park, emboldened by the bicyclist we saw do the same thing.

We found him a few minutes later, relaxing at a picnic table near the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers, not far from where Lewis and Clark spent a night.

We learned he was a retired pharmacist who regularly cycles from Horn Rapids in

Richland to the park—close to 50 miles in all, a route he completes about three times a week.

We got lost in W.E. Johnson Park off Van Giesen Street in Richland. Standing water covered part of the loop trail and we had to retrace our steps to pick up the path after trying unsuccessfully to find a way around it using our phones and sense of direction, neither successfully. Don’t worry, we made it back before deadline.

While our WFH walks proved good for our souls and work focus, they also were a remarkable and surprising reminder about the many undiscovered and beautiful areas in the Tri-Cities that can’t be seen or experienced from behind a windshield, even for a pair of journalists who have covered the community for decades and thought they’d seen it all. Wendy Culverwell is the editor and Kristina Lord is the publisher at the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020 TYSON, From page A1 As of May 12, there were 250 positive tests at Tyson, said the Benton-Franklin Health District. Only long-term and senior-care facilities had more—285 confirmed cases.

“That just shows the difference,” Shjerven said. “They just need a union.”

Lamb Weston downplayed the union’s role.

“Our response to the positive cases in Pasco was based on company protocols we put in place in early March, and although we did notify the union of our plans, the protocols were not influenced by the union,” said Shelby Stoolman, spokeswoman for the Eagle, Idaho, potato giant. “We’ve used consistent protocols to respond to cases at other facilities, both union and non-union, as well.”

Shjerven said the pandemic highlights the value of collective bargaining. Union leaders worked with employers such as UPS and law enforcement to ensure workers had masks and other protective gear and could keep six-foot distances between colleagues.

He hopes nonunion workers will see the benefit.

“I think we’re getting to the ‘The Jungle,’ ” he said, referring to the influential Upton Sinclair exposé of working conditions faced by voiceless immigrants in the meatpacking industry released in 1905-06.

“Without a union to make their employer do the right thing, many workers in essential industries in Washington are stuck relying on the goodwill of their bosses to keep them safe. Many are finding that goodwill to be in extremely short supply,” Shjerven said in a blistering April message comparing Tyson and Lamb Weston.

Tyson, based in Springdale, Arkansas, did not respond by deadline. However, it issued a letter to companywide employees on its website in which it promised to keep feeding Americans.

“At Tyson, we are proud of you, our team members, and the work you are doing to help feed America. And, we want you to know that your safety is our top priority during this national crisis,” it said.

It also discussed safety measures in its May 4 quarterly earnings report, in which it disclosed quarterly net income of $367 million on $10.9 billion in sales, compared to $430 million and $10.5 billion in sales the prior year.

Beef sales accounted for $3.9 billion of sales for the quarter that ended March 28.

“We have instituted safeguards that meet or exceed CDC and OSHA guidelines at all our facilities to protect our teams and keep our workers, families and communities safe,” wrote Chief Executive Officer Noel White.

The company forecast 2 to 4 percent revenue growth in 2020 over its $42.4 billion sales in fiscal 2019. It also announced bonuses for frontline workers.

The beef plant in Wallula plant has an on-and-off-again relationship with organized labor that predates Tyson Foods’ ownership.

Beginning in the 1980s, Walla Walla-based Teamsters Local 556 represent-

ed workers at what was then an Iowa Beef Processing, or IBP plant. Workers decertified their union of 25 years in 2005, four years after Tyson bought out IBP. The loss of such a large shop prompted Teamsters International to merge the Walla Walla union into Pasco’s Local 839.

The plant unionized again in 2009 under the banner of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1439, a move prompted by massive layoffs two years earlier.

Tyson workers tossed UFCW in a 2015 election conducted by the labor relations board. They have been without representation since election results were certified in early 2016.

Teamsters and UFCW have a “neutrality” agreement that precludes both from

trying to organize workers after a decertification vote by the other.

The neutrality phase is over, freeing Teamsters to explore how to regain its old territory in the new era of social distancing and fear of a virus that causes the deadly COVID-19.

Shjerven said it is reaching out through personal connections instead of its old strategy of knocking on doors.

“How do you do an organizing campaign when you can’t go door to door,” he asked.

The Wallula plant is one of a dozen Tyson beef facilities that collectively process 155,000 head of cattle a week. It controls 22 percent of the U.S. beef market. It is the sole Tyson facility of any kind in the Pacific Northwest.

Thank you for supporting local journalism. #ReadLocal #ShopLocal #StayConnected

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

HOTELIERS, From page A1 check Protection Program loan through the CARES (Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security) Act. Rather than keep idle workers at the hotel, it paid staff to work at Grace Kitchen, a new nonprofit that is transforming the former Union Gospel Mission men’s shelter in Pasco into a center where struggling women learn skills to support themselves.

A-1’s Patel said fallout from the coronavirus pandemic arrived with crushing severity. Phones rang with cancellations in mid-March as the stay-home order took hold. He called it Black Friday.

The company furloughed workers but stopped short of closing its doors. Business travel continued at a much-reduced level.

Leisure travel evaporated, save for the Canadian winter birds racing home before the international boundary closed.

Guests may be scarce, but A-1 wanted its properties in ready-to-go form.

“What we’re trying to do is keep the doors open to set the stage for a quicker recovery,” Patel said.

The pandemic timing was a big challenge. A-1 opened the Courtyard by Marriott at the Tri-Cities Airport in February.

The company spent four years working to ensure the Courtyard opened ahead of the busy spring sports tournament season.

“We nailed it,” Patel joked.

“Everyone prepares for a rainy day. No one prepares for an 80 percent drop in occupancy overnight.”

The Lodge at Columbia Point had its own Black Friday, said Wendy Higgins, general manager for the 82-room boutique hotel overlooking the Columbia River.

Photo by Wendy Culverwell A vacant parking lot surrounds the Courtyard by Marriott at Columbia Point in Richland in April.

Bookings dropped to four or fewer rooms a night, she said.

It closed both Drumheller’s and Vine, its dine-in restaurant and lobby bar, respectively. It closed the pool and spa. It locked the doors to the patio and its steps to the Richland waterfront walkway.

It had to stop letting the public use its lobby bathrooms. It could not devote staff to sanitize the facilities after each visitor, Higgins said.

The Lodge is privately owned and managed by Escape Lodging of Portland. The Portland operator applied for Paycheck Protection Program loans for all its properties. The Lodge is one of the three that received it.

The money let Higgins bring back furloughed staffers, but it did not fill rooms with paying guests.

An employee suggested partnering with a nonprofit. Intrigued, she asked her church, Columbia Community Church, to suggest organizations that might need an extra hand from a seasoned hotel crew.

It suggested Grace Kitchen, led by ex-

ecutive director Amanda Lorraine. Higgins was intrigued and the hotel’s Photo by Vanessa Guzmán owners were too.

Wendy Higgins, general manager of The Lodge at Higgins emailed LorColumbia Point, sent idled workers to help set up the raine. A few minutes nonprofit Grace Kitchen in Pasco’s old Union Gospel later, Higgins heard a Mission. The hotel rehired its furloughed workers woman checking into the after it received a Paycheck Protection Program loan hotel with her husband but had little work for them in Richland. remark on the lobby floor. “That would look assist from the Lodge, one of many organigood at Grace Kitchen,” the woman said. zations that stepped up, she noted.

It was Lorraine.

Higgins shared the idea with staff. No “We call it our grace moment,” Higgins one thought it was a bad one. Twenty-seven said. workers headed to Grace Kitchen the first The Union Gospel Mission gave its for- day, armed with donated masks. Higgins mer men’s shelter in Pasco to the Lorraines had ordered masks for workers, but they in March for the nominal sum of $10, a were misdelivered to Texas. show of support for their goal. They faced Higgins and Amanda Lorraine say it has the daunting task of clearing it out, painting been a positive experience for everyone. and repairing the impacts of heavy use over The Lodge crew regularly shows up its decades as a men’s shelter. with items to donate, even when Amanda Progress was good and before the pan- Lorraine tells them they do not need to. demic, Amanda Lorraine expected to bring Higgins predicts it is the start of a long three women on full time by late April. relationship between her hotel and Grace That was delayed and she welcomed the Kitchen, which will eventually offer catering services and a full restaurant.

“To come off unemployment and give back to the community, it’s been very rewarding,” she said.

Bookings also have begun to pick up after dipping to one or four rooms rented a night.

By late April, 40 rooms were occupied.

The parking lot began to fill.

Higgins said guests are Tri-Citians taking a mini break from home and children.

They can order food and beverages in their rooms and recharge on their balconies.

Who is minding the kids?

“I don’t ask,” she said.

Patel said local demand will drive the recovery. It is not clear when Washington’s economy will return to normal.

“What we’re hoping for is when things open up, there will be severe cabin fever,” he said. “Consumers will have the means to support hotels and restaurants and barbers.”

The Visit Tri-Cities team is building a marketing campaign around the idea that people will want to drive to rural areas to recreate after being cooped up for months, Novakovich said.

Business travel is not expected to resume soon, but the tourism industry expects leisure and sports will come back first.

The Tri-Cities can draw from Seattle, Portland, Spokane and Boise, Novakovich said.

It is within reasonable driving distance, small enough to register as rural and big enough to boast city amenities and strong hospitals. It is not hard to keep a six-foot distance between people.

“We have wide open spaces. There’s something here for everybody,” he said.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

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COVID-19 brings daunting challenge to Tri-City economy An oft-used description of economics has been the “dismal science.”

Most of us economists soundly dislike that nickname. After all, recent Nobel prize winners in economics have been rewarded for their insights into poverty alleviation (2019) and technological change (2018).

But this month, I present some definitely dismal numbers.

In a departure from prior columns, there is no graph from Benton-Franklin Trends.

Instead, the numbers and graph will draw from a recent analysis I’ve done on the likely extent of job losses in the two counties through the beginning of May in the wake of state-mandated shutdown orders to slow the spread of the coronavirus and the deadly COVID-19 disease.

I looked at those jobs in the greater Tri-Cities that are part of the traditional unemployment insurance pool and have been, in the short-term, lost.

The analysis was done on an industry basis, looking at about 100 separate industries in the two counties.

The governor’s “essential businesses” list provided the basis for the estimate of job losses. Those government-driven losses were then supplemented by my reading of market conditions, by the ability of firms to work remotely and by data on initial claims for unemployment insurance released by the Washington Department of Employment Security.

My projections point to a job loss by the end of April slightly more than 22,000.

As a share of the workforce registered in the unemployment system, that’s 18 percent. That’s more than one out of every six workers unemployed at the beginning of May. The Tri-Cities hasn’t experienced this high a percentage since the Great Depression.

The graph depicts what sectors have contributed the most to the total.

Clearly, the hospitality sector (restaurants, bars, cafes, caterers, hotels and motels) leads the tally. This should come as no surprise.

Any industry that relies on faceto-face encounters with customers has been severely challenged by the pandemic. As everyone knows, travel has screeched to a halt, by government decree and consumer choice.

No one should be surprised retail recorded the second-highest estimated losses.

By decree as well as customer choice, most stores remain shut.

Moderating the decline are grocery

stores, big box stores that also sell food, and drugstores.

My analysis assumes that these categories have been hiring. AdditionalD. Patrick Jones ly, to the extent Eastern that the Tri-CitWashington ies has (some) University employment GUEST COLUMN in “electronic retail,” total sector job losses have been softened.

Construction is third for estimated job losses.

This covers three subsectors—general contractors, heavy construction (roads and physical infrastructure), and the specialty building trades.

This is relatively large sector (ranked 8th) with a high percentage of jobs shut out by state order. By the time of this issue’s publication that order lifting restrictions will be in place and a good portion of the trades should be back at work.

Health care and social assistance had the fourth highest job losses, which might come as a surprise.

One would think that the pandemic has called for an “all hands-on-deck” response from every corner of this large sector. This has not been the case for those practicing ambulatory medicine —that is outside of a hospital.

Many specialty offices that depend on hospitals for access to a significant part of their services simply have not been able to access the facilities. Most dentistry offices have been shuttered by state decree.

The large subsector of social assistance covers primarily child and youth service organizations, as well as day care sites. Many of these organizations have had to shut down.

On a relative basis, the greater TriCity economy hasn’t been as ravaged as other Eastern Washington metro areas. I forecast a 23 percent decline in jobs in Spokane. The Tri-Cities can thank the large presence of agriculture, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Hanford cleanup work—all on the essential services list—for that.

Where does the local economy go from here?

In a future column, I will explore the impact of relaxing employment rules for certain industries.

For now, expect unemployment numbers to get worse before they get better.

That’s largely because the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security

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(CARES) Act sends unemployment benefits to thousands of workers who haven’t before qualified for traditional benefits—sole proprietors, independent contractors and workers with low earnings.

In 2017, the Census counted about 12,750 sole proprietors in the two counties. Not all will have applied for benefits under the CARES Act, but many will.

How soon these tens of thousands of unemployed in the greater Tri-Cities get back to work depends on, in Dr. Anthony Fauci’s terms, “the virus.”

In particular, when the virus faces powerful therapeutics and a vaccine.

Until then, the economy will not be firing on all cylinders. D. Patrick Jones is the executive director for Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis. Benton-Franklin Trends, the institute’s project, uses local, state and federal data to measure the local economic, educational and civic life of Benton and Franklin counties.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

uBUSINESS BRIEFS

Most business insurance won’t cover pandemic

Most Washington businesses will get little or no relief from their business insurance coverage.

Most policies in Washington exclude pandemic and virus coverage, according to a poll conducted by Mike Kreidler, the state insurance commissioner. Only two listed pandemics in basic coverage, while 15 offered limited coverage through endorsements.

Business interruption coverage is offered alongside a commercial property insurance policy and is triggered when the property incurs physical damage. Most specifically exclude a virus or pandemic.

Kreidler’s office reviewed 226 sample notices to policy holders from 84 individual companies doing business in Washington. The two insurers from FM Global Insurance Group that provide pandemic coverage through their base policies are focused on large companies with complex supply chains.

Virtual happy hour offers look at Tri-City future

The Washington Policy Center will hold a virtual happy hour to discuss the economic outlook and future of the Tri-Cities and Hanford.

The online event is from 7-8 p.m.

May 20.

The program includes Ajsa Suljic, regional labor economist for the state

Employment Security Department, David Reeploeg, vice president of federal programs for Tri-Cities Development Council and Jason Mercier, director for government reform at the Washington Policy Center.

Register at washingtonpolicy.org/ events/detail/tri-cities-virtual-happy-hour.

Chamber wins contract to lead L&I sessions

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce will offer 21 workshops to help small businesses and nonprofits in the Mid-Columbia learn about workplace rules and regulations enforced by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

The courses will be open to employers with 50 or fewer employees operating in Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Columbia, Grant, Yakima and Klickitat counties. Workshops are free and topics will be tailored to individual counties.

They will be held in-person or via Zoom.

For more details, go to tricityregionalchamber.com or call 509-736-0510.

Washington: 272,900 lost health coverage in first weeks of pandemic

Stay-home orders to curtail the spread of coronavirus sent Washington’s uninsured rate soaring in the five-week period between March 15 and April 18, according to the Office of Financial Management.

More than 700,000 workers filed unemployment insurance claims after “non-essential” businesses were ordered to close temporarily or have employees work from home The uninsured rate rose to 10.2 percent, from 6.7 percent at the start of the year, according to OFM. That represents 272,900 newly uncovered residents, it said.

Uninsured rates range from a low of 3.9 percent in Wahkiakum County to 16.3 percent in Yakima County.

Benton County’s uninsured rate rose to 8.1 percent from 5.3 percent. Franklin County’s uninsured rate rose to 17 percent from 15.8 percent.

Go to bit.ly/2020WashingtonUninsuredRate for more information.

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uBUSINESS BRIEFS

Hanford cleanup agreement updated

The Tri-Party Agreement governing the Hanford cleanup has been updated.

Following an extensive round of negotiations and public comment, the U.S. Department of Ecology, Washington State Department of Ecology and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency negotiated revisions to the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, known as the Tri-Party Agreement.

The updates change four sections of the TPA related to coordinated closure and aligned milestones to reduce redundancy.

The final changes and comments are

posted at pdw.hanford.gov/document/ AR-03683.

New fund supports CBC students affected by pandemic

STCU will match the first $25,000 donated before June 1 to a new fund created to support Columbia Basin College students facing financial hardship because of the pandemic Columbia Basin College and STCU created the CBC Cares Emergency Fund after hearing from students who have lost jobs, are struggling with child care and are uncertain how to pay rent.

Applications to the Student Emergency Fund have dramatically increased since the coronavirus pandemic inspired Wash-

ington’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order.

“In this time of unprecedented need, we’re confident the Tri-Cities community will provide additional help to these students and their families,” said Ezra Eckhardt, STCU president and chief executive officer. “A CBC education opens doors for graduates. Ultimately, that benefits the entire community.”

Donate at bit.ly/CBCCaresFund.

Boys and Girls Clubs go virtual with free activities

Virtual Club is a new offering from Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties to help families stay active and engaged during the coronavirus pandemic.

Virtual Club is free for all families and

offers classes, educational tutorials, projects, meaningful challenges and other activities curated by Boys and Girls Club instructors. The site offers information, reviews and recommendations for other resources of use to families.

Weekly challenges include a recent challenge to make chalk sidewalk drawings to spread positive messages in the Tri-Cities. Go to greatclubs.org/ virtualclub.

Social Security report shows depletion dates

The Social Security Board of Trustees released its annual report on the long-term financial status of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Funds in late April.

The report does not reflect potential impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

The report indicates the combined trust funds are projected to become depleted in 2035, with 79 percent of benefits payable after that time. The projected depletion date is unchanged from the 2019 report.

The DI Trust Fund is estimated to become depleted in 2065, with 92 percent of benefits still payable.

Total income to the combined fund was $1.06 trillion in 2019, including $944.5 billion from net payroll tax contributions and $81 billion in interest.

Social Security paid $1.04 trillion to 64 million beneficiaries in 2019.

The board is led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

For more information, go to sa.gov/ news/press/releases.

Costco raises quarterly dividend by a nickel

Issaquah-based Costco Wholesale Corporation (Nasdaq: COST) will pay a quarterly dividend of 60 cents per share on May 14 to shareholders of record on May 1.

The board voted to increase the dividend from 65 cents to an annualized $2.80 per share.

Costco operates 787 warehouse locations, including 547 in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Relief fund supports Tri-City artists

The Arts Center Task Force has established a relief fund to support artists and organizations which have seen their income devastated by efforts to control the spread of coronavirus.

The ACTF COVID-19 Artist Relief Fund will provide unrestricted grants to offer short-term relief.

Donate or apply at bit.ly/ArtsCenterReliefFund.

Sunset Garden to celebrate Memorial Day

Sunset Gardens will conduct its annual Memorial Day event as a drive-thru.

The Richland cemetery at 915 Bypass Highway will place more than 1,000 U.S. flags on the grounds. The 11 a.m. event on May 25 includes an address by former Secretary of Defense James Mattis, which will be broadcast on KORD 102.7 FM. Go to SunsetGardensTriCities.com for up to date information.

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TRANSPORTATION Aviation community perplexed by CARES Act airport funds

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Port of Pasco officials are delighted and perplexed by the $5.9 million they received from the $2.2 trillion CARES Act to support the Tri-Cities Airport during the coronavirus pandemic.

Airport traffic is down more than 95 percent, casting its ability to pay the bills into chaos.

The government money from the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act will cover the Pasco airport’s $2.1 million debt payment, which is normally paid with passenger fees, and cover seven months of operating expenses, which take between $500,000 and $550,000 a month.

The port, which owns the airport, is grateful for the support. Or it was, before it saw what its less busy neighbors received.

The Walla Walla and Pendleton, Oregon, airports received $18 million and $17 million, respectively. The Wenatchee and Pullman airports also received $18 million, the same amount headed to King County International, aka Boeing Field.

Marion Sweet Field in Eugene, Oregon, landed $22 million.

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Empty parking lots are the new normal at the Tri-Cities Airport, which received $5.9 million from the $2.2 trillion CARES Act after the coronavirus pandemic caused travel to plummet. The federal money covers the airport’s $2.1 million debt payment and seven months of operating expenses. The Port of Pasco would like to repave the parking lot while it is mostly empty, but said the future is too uncertain to risk spending the $700,000 it will cost.

“I don’t think anyone felt they got shortchanged until they saw the list,” said Buck Taft, the airport’s manager.

While they are grateful for the money, the Port of Pasco is joining a national chorus protesting what they see as “terrible” discrepancies in how distributions were calculated.

“It’s certainly not done right, the way it’s done,” said Pasco Commissioner Jim Klindworth during the commission’s regular business session on April 25, held via Zoom.

The pattern was repeated across the region and the country, drawing the attention of U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennes-

see. Cohen asked the FAA administrator to suspend payments until a more “equitable” distribution is developed.

Klindworth supported the move.

Taft said it appears the payments were based on the debt and budget reserves of uAIRPORTS, Page A12

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

AIRPORTS, From page A11 individual airports. The healthier the facility, the less money it received.

Taft is not complaining though. The $5.9 million is at the top end of what he expected. It provides breathing room for an organization whose business model has collapsed, if temporarily, because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Passenger boardings dropped by 60 percent in March. It will be down by 95 percent or more in April, he said. Airlines are canceling flights or taking off with few passengers. Fifteen is a full load.

Four is common.

No passengers mean no passenger fees to pay the airport’s debt. Fewer departures and arrivals mean fewer landing fees. Taft said the CARES Act money can be used

for operations or capital. He prefers the former, saying it is too uncertain what the future holds to launch a capital project.

He would love to repave the airport parking lot while it is mostly empty.

But Taft does not know when traffic will return. If it does not, the airport may need the $700,000 the parking lot project would cost to pay its day-to-day bills.

The CARES Act also supplied money to support airlines. In exchange, airlines had to keep semi-regular flight schedules to their airports.

All four airlines serving Pasco took CARES Act funding, which compels them to deliver at least nominal services.

Alaska, Delta and United Airlines must schedule at least five flights a day from Pasco. Allegiant Air must schedule three.

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Transportation other. Taft said flights appear to get canceled at random. Those that do go out have few passengers and may fly winding routes. Pasco records about seven flights a day.

And the routes they are flying have gotten creative.

One airline is flying a Wenatchee-Yakima-Pasco-Seattle route to maintain its commitment to serve airports.

Taft said it is not clear who is still flying. He is maintaining social distancing in his office on the airport’s second floor. The busy terminal is a ghost town.

Even the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint is deserted between planes with officers sent home.

Anecdotally, passengers dress for leisure.

“You don’t see the suit and tie in here

very often,” he said.

The Richland and Prosser airports, both run by the Port of Benton, received $69,000 and $30,000, respectively.

As it stands, the FAA awarded grants to 64 Washington airports, ranging from token amounts such as $1,000 for Cle Elum Municipal, to $192 million for Seattle-Tacoma International, a global hub.

Those receiving $1 million or more were: Bellingham International ($5 million), Wenatchee’s Pangborn Memorial ($18.1 million), Orcas Island ($1 million), Pullman/Moscow Regional ($18.1 million), Boeing Field/King County International ($18 million), Spokane International ($29.6 million), Walla Walla Regional ($18 million) and Yakima Air Terminal/McAllister Field ($1.3 million).

Transportation

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

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Ben Franklin Transit, Via offer new on-demand service

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Ben Franklin Transit has launched a new on-demand transit service to connect riders to the places they need to travel to most during the COVID-19 crisis.

The new service—called BFT Connect—is powered by Via, a New York City-based company that provides an app, drivers and vans in cities across the world, under a $6.6 million, three-year contract approved by the Ben Franklin Transit Board of Directors earlier this year. The contract includes two one-year extensions.

Originally scheduled to launch in early April as a first-and-last mile service that would extend access to public transit, it’s been temporarily transformed to support residents and essential workers during the pandemic.

Under normal operations, connections will include major bus stops and transit centers for a $3 fee.

But normal operations have been anything but as the pandemic hit.

The Richland-based transit agency is offering free BFT Connect service to pharmacies, grocery stores and health clinics with front door drop-off and pickup at selected locations.

Free fares will be in place during the state of emergency until future notice.

Here’s how the new service works: Riders within service zones can request a ride directly through the free Via mobile app, which will direct passengers to a nearby corner for pickup.

It’s similar to Uber in that the Via app allows customers to see in real time their available trip options, how far away their driver is, and the estimated time of arrival.

Customers without smartphones can call to request rides.

Ongoing safety measures To protect Ben Franklin Transit passengers and drivers, all vehicles and facilities are disinfected daily and social distancing measures are in place, including no fare collection and rear-door bus entry until further notice.

BFT offers these reminders for riders: Courtesy Ben Franklin Transit Ben Franklin Transit’s new BFT Connect program features 12 vans to take riders from designated service zones that can be requested through the Via mobile app, which will direct passengers to a nearby corner for pickup. BFT is offering free fares for this service during the pandemic.

Via provides the branded vans, hired the contracted drivers and developed the technology embedded in app to match rides and to transit points. The Via app can coordinate rides in any city or country where it operates.

Tri-City Via vans will take passengers to or from designated transit connections within the same zone.

Service to central Kennewick, Finley, Columbia Center, south and central Richland and east Pasco began May 11; service to West Richland and Badger Mountain began May 4; and service to west Pasco began April 20.

Right now only one passenger is allowed in each van per trip, though the service is intended to and will eventually be a shared ride service, with Via’s advanced algorithms allowing multiple riders to share a vehicle.

A second passenger will be allowed only as a companion traveling to and from the same destinations, and riders must sit in the back row of the vehicle to maintain proper social distancing from

the driver.

Transit officials say it was necessary to offer the BFT service earlier than planned after it suspended five regular bus routes in Pasco and replaced them with two new interim routes on April 13. It was a necessary step as the agency works to maintain a balance between maximizing connectivity to essential services, adjusting for significantly decreased demand in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order, and managing changes in staffing availability.

“We have realized bringing it online now represents a value-added community service during this time of emergency and hardship for so many. It will allow us to help better meet the mobility needs of our riders and community at this critical time, give us flexibility to adapt to changes in staffing availability at BFT, and fill service gaps as they arise,” said BFT General Manager Gloria Boyce.

Once normal fare collection resumes, fares will be collected for BFT Connect

• Passengers are encouraged to wear face coverings.

• If you are not feeling well, do not take public transportation. Call your health care provider before you leave your home and follow their guidance.

• Public transportation should only be used for essential trips, including for food/grocery needs, medical appointments, pharmacy and work.

rides through the Via app, cash or BFT tickets and passes.

The new service replaces the former Tri-City Feeder program, which halted in fall 2018 after its longtime contracted service provider unexpectedly announced it was closing its doors, and eventually will replace the General Demand program, which was put in place after the feeder program ceased.

The General Demand program will be phased out as BFT Connect grows but will continue in Prosser and Benton City.

For details about the service, including how it works during and after the state of emergency, go to: bft.org/ConnectOnDemand.

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Transportation

Transportation

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Courtesy Kickstand Tours Andy Zissermann and his wife plan to launch Kickstand Tours, an e-bike wine country touring business once the state’s stay-home orders are lifted.

Kickstand Tours wants to put wineries in reach of ordinary cyclists

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Andy Zissermann worked in western Washington as a mechanical engineer for more than 20 years before his career ran its course. In 2019, he had fun—spending much of the growing season riding an electric bike among the wineries of Walla Walla and the Yakima Valley.

The Edmonds resident wasn’t merely enjoying Washington’s wine country.

The now-former engineer was developing a Kickstand Tours, an e-bike touring business with a focus on wineries. During his tours, he introduced himself to dozens of wineries and secured partnerships with some of the best-known tasting rooms in

the region.

“We didn’t run into too many people who weren’t interested,” he said.

Zissermann completed his business plan and bought a van, all with an eye toward a soft launch in April. He ordered e-bikes and a trailer to haul them. He was preparing to lease a Tri-City apartment—with garage—to house the business during the active months.

May 1 was supposed to be the public kickoff.

“We were literally weeks away from launching,” he said.

As of April, Zissermann was hopeful Kickstand Tours would launch this summer. But that depends on when the economy revives after Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay

Home, Stay Healthy order limiting activity to slow the spread of coronavirus lifts at the end of May and life returns to something approaching normal.

Zissermann said he’s fortunate. The shutdown came in time to shelve his order for the e-bikes and trailer. He called off his hunt for a local apartment to call home too.

“We were in a good place to put on the brakes and pause and see how this was going to pan out,” he said.

Zissermann said he’s ready to complete his bike and trailer order when the stayhome requirements are lifted. Kickstand Tours won’t launch until wineries reopen their tasting rooms.

When that happens, he’s confident e-bike touring will offer wine enthusiasts

a social distancing-friendly way to reconnect with wineries.

“As soon as we can, we want to be out there and available. I think this is something people will be craving when they can get out of their house,” he said. “I think it’s going to grow after this epidemic.”

Looking for a change Zissermann is originally from Alabama but spent most of his adult life in the Seattle area. He’s a University of Washington graduate who grew tired of mechanical engineering and was looking for something new.

A career counselor planted the idea of creating his own business. uKICKSTAND, Page A22

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

Transportation

Port of Kennewick renews railcar company’s lease without rent increase

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

A Portland railcar company will continue operating another five years at the Port of Kennewick’s Twin Tracks Industrial Park in Finley.

Greenbrier Rail Services, a tenant since the park opened in the 1990s, exercised the second of its six original options to renew the lease for its 40-acre railcar maintenance center. The move preserves 32 jobs, though employment there has gone as high as 90.

Twin Tracks Industrial Park, 228919 E. Cochran Road, is one of the few sites in Washington to offer access to both Union

Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail lines, customers for the Greenbrier’s railcar maintenance and repair services.

The port commission voted 3-0 during an April 14 business session to renew Greenbrier’s lease at the old rate of $5,000 a month plus $642 in leasehold taxes. It was a reluctant concession on the part of one commissioner. Chairman Don Barns only agreed to help a valued tenant when the economy is faltering because of the coronavirus crisis.

“If not for the pandemic, I do not think I would approve keeping this rent flat for the next five years,” he said.

Pacific Rail Car, a predecessor to Greenbrier, first leased the site in 1993

for $4,000 a month.

After Pacific Rail was sold to Gunderson Northwest, later Greenbrier, the port secured a state Community Economic Revitalization Board grant for $475,000 to link the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern lines. The CERB loan was repaid in 2015 with proceeds from lease payments.

The original lease included language allowing it to extend the original 20 years by another 30 years, in five-year increments.

The rent rose to $5,000 when Greenbrier exercised its first option.

Greenbrier subleases a portion of the property to U.S. Cellular for a communi-

cations tower.

The tower supports wireless service in eastern Benton County. The port signed off on the agreement in 1996. It estimates U.S. Cellular rents the site for about $7,500 a year, though the exact amount is not known.

Greenbrier is a good tenant that pays on time and makes few if any demands for maintenance, said Amber Hanchette, the port’s real estate director.

However, it “strongly” resisted a proposed 3 percent rent increase, citing an industry slowdown, she said.

A Greenbrier vice president said a quarter of all railcars are in storage in a March 3 letter requesting no increase.

“Although the economy appears to be doing well, the (r)ailcar industry in general including railcar repair services is in a down cycle,” wrote Robert Hatfield.

Greenbrier, which reported $3.3 billion in revenue for fiscal 2019, provided added detail in its second quarter 2020 earnings report, which was released April 7.

Its parent, Greenbrier Companies (NYSE: GBX), reported net earnings of $13.6 million, or 41 cents per diluted share on revenue of nearly $624 million and declared a quarterly dividend of 27 cents per share.

First half earnings approached $1.4 billion. It said it booked orders for 8,500 railcars valued at more than $815 million during the quarter, bringing its backlog to 30,800 with a combined value of $3.2 billion on Feb. 29.

However, it also announced it reduced its global workforce by 3,500 employees, or 20 percent of its total, and was taking aggressive steps to reduce costs in anticipation of lower demand for its railcars.

Most of the layoffs were in Mexico and the chief executive officer and board took pay cuts. It idled railcar manufacturing at its flagship facility, the Gunderson site in Portland.

In another nod to the uncertain times, it eliminated fiscal guidance, meaning it won’t offer investors insight into revenue expectations for 2020. It cited the pandemic for the uncertainty.

Greenbrier derives most of its revenue from manufacturing. Leasing and services represent about 5 percent of its business.

A spokesman said the Finley facility is a separate entity from the manufacturing side. Leasing and services have been in a slump for several years.

The Finley shop is dedicated to railcar repair. Its other Washington facilities include a repair facility in Chehalis and a wheel and parts center in Tacoma.

Please recycle your publication when you are finished reading it, or pass it on to a coworker, family member or friend.

Transportation

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

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Bergstrom Aviation ponders its bills as fuel business collapses, flight school stays shuttered

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

As Malin Bergstrom ponders the future of the aviation business her father Karl started in 1971, she is worried.

The coronavirus pandemic all but froze travel, which hammered the Pasco business. It reported a 90 percent drop in fuel sales to airlines.

It closed its flight school when Gov. Jay Inslee issued the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order to slow the spread of the new virus that causes the deadly COVID-19. Demand for maintenance services fell too.

Bergstrom Aviation is open, considered an essential business under the stay-home order. But “essential” does not pay the bills.

The loss of business is dramatic, Bergstrom said. The company employed 33 in 2016, the year she took over and the first year its payroll topped $1 million.

The company contracts to fuel commercial planes. That means keeping employees at work to handle the task when asked.

“If you only fuel one airplane a day and you have people from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m., it’s not going to pay the bills,” she said.

Buck Taft, the airport’s manager, confirmed flying schedules are off. Alaska,

Delta and United must keep five flights a day on their schedule after taking CARES (Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security) Act funding. But flights get canceled. Allegiant Air must keep three flights on its schedule.

Few planes are taking off and when they do, it is with four to 15 passengers, Taft said.

Bergstrom reduced her payroll, putting employees on standby so they could qualify for unemployment insurance benefits while being available to work if necessary.

She hoped to restart the flight school on May 5—a day after the governor’s order was set to expire, but Inslee extended the order through the end of May. Her application for a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program was approved.

The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act program is supposed to support small business with forgivable loans if they retain employees after the pandemic.

She knows she is fortunate.

In Washington, 88,570 PPP loans have been approved from the $660 billion authorized by Congress in the $2.2 trillion CARES Act. “I’m trying to be humble and sensitive to the other small businesses out there that did the exact same thing we did and did

File photo Bergstrom Aviation provides fueling and maintenance services as well as a flight school at the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco. The pandemic forced it to furlough workers, close the flight school and endure a 90 percent drop in refueling. The Port of Pasco is deferring rent for tenants, but Malin Bergstrom, president, said it is little help when there’s little business coming in.

not get funding,” she said.

The Port of Pasco acknowledged the financial challenges its airport tenants, including Bergstrom Aviation, are facing. In April, it agreed to defer up to three months of rent payments to the end of the year.

The Port of Kennewick agreed to defer rent for hospitality-related tenants. The Port of Benton considered deferring rent for one of its Prosser tenants when it met May 13, after the deadline for this publication.

Bergstrom helped start the discussion when she asked the port to consider waiv-

ing rent. Following fellow ports who opted to defer rather than waive rent, Pasco chose only to delay payment, not forgive it.

Bergstrom understood the reasoning behind the move. It is against Washington law to make a gift of public funds. But it would have been the right thing to do in an emergency, she said.

“I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but that doesn’t do any good. We don’t have the revenue coming in,” she said. “Deferral is a Band-Aid that isn’t going to solve our problems.”

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

Transportation

Growing ag demand for propane prompts Christensen to invest in Pasco terminal

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Christensen Inc. is installing a modern propane terminal at the Port of Pasco to support growing demand for fuel to agricultural drying operations.

Propane fuels dryers for onions, hops, mint, corn and even hemp grown in the Mid-Columbia, said Marci Ballard, general manager for Christensen’s Eastern Washington operations.

The company, formerly Powell Christensen, will add two 60,000-gallon double-walled tanks and a tower at its transloading facility east of Big Pasco Industrial Park.

The first tank and tower will be in place

by September, in time for the busy harvest.

The company is negotiating a long-term lease with the port, which will fence the project to follow federal energy security regulations.

“It allows us to move more gallons. To sell more propane gallons,” she said.

James Hajek, propane operations manager, is overseeing the $730,000 project.

Christensen, based in Richland, is a regional energy company that sells gas, diesel, lubricants and propane across Washington and in Portland.

The propane business receives gas produced in Canada, Texas and Eastern Europe and shipped to the Mid-Columbia by rail. In Pasco, trains offload their cargo directly onto trucks, which deliver it to customers.

Agriculture is the primary customer for propane, but Christensen sells to residential customers as well.

The tank project will double the speed of pumping and supply storage, which will cut bottlenecks that occur when trains are unloaded. Christensen will retire the inefficient equipment that moves propane from train to truck. The industry term is “transloading.”

uBUSINESS BRIEFS

McCurley loves Second Harvest, Communities in Schools

McCurley Integrity Subaru in Pasco supported Second Harvest food bank and Communities in Schools through the Subaru Love Promise campaign.

Subaru retailers are part of the national effort to provide 50 million meals through Feeding America. McCurley donated 82,763 meals to the food bank in the Tri-Cities.

It is also helping lead Communities in Schools’ Spring into Action fundraiser.

Originally planned as a breakfast, Spring into Action is now a monthlong online fundraiser to help the nonprofit provide food, social and emotional support and other resources to students and families.

Give at bit.ly/CISSpringIntoAction

Instead, trucks will be able to drive onto the property, tap the tower and drive off on their rounds. The company has its own truck fleet. It also delivers on behalf of competitors who pay a throughput fee for the service.

The approach reduces bottlenecks and cuts turnaround time, Ballard said.

Christensen will consolidate storage in Pasco, though it will keep satellite storage in Yakima and elsewhere in its network, she said.

“It’s helpful to have satellite tanks further from primary storage,” she said.

Three are several factors behind the increasing demand for propane.

Orchards that once heated with diesel-powered smudge pots transitioned to propane to run wind machines. Cold nights in March and April led to a spike in demand as fruit growers turn on heaters.

Hemp, the industrial version of cannabis, is a growing industry in the region.

Hops is growing in popularity too as small breweries ramp up.

“Those are some of the reasons we’re seeing more need,” Ballard said.

As of early May, the coronavirus pandemic had not affected Christensen or the project, Ballard said. Work will begin in August.

Washington state consumed 160 million gallons of propane in 2015, the most recent figures available from the National Propane Gas Association. Nearly 22 million were used in agriculture, the industry association said in a study on the impact of propane on state and national economies.

Randy Powell established the company as R.E. Powell Distributing in 1935. The Christensen family took over in 1980 and expanded through a series of partnerships and acquisitions. It shortened its name to Christensen in 2017.

It is a distributor for most brand-name fuel companies, including 76, Chevron, Conoco, Exxon, Mobil, Shell and Texaco.

Annual Labor Day Picnic is canceled

The Tri-Cities Labor Day Picnic set for Sept. 7 in Kennewick’s Columbia Park has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The picnic is organized by labor unions of Southeastern Washington.

Foundation’s emergency fund applications are available Three Rivers Community Foundation has posted an application for local nonprofits to apply for grants from its COVID-19 Response Fund.

The fund is chiefly focused on organizations working to provide food, housing, health, child care and mental health services to families affected by the pandemic, and to organizations who need support to carry out their missions.

Go to 3rcf.org for grant and donation details.

Transportation

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

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Three businesses, one pandemic add up to juggling act for Tri-City entrepreneurs

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

When Rachel and Tom Ammerman took over A-Plus Transportation, a Yakima medical transporter, they had big plans to expand to a new line of business.

A-Plus focuses on long-distance transport for Medicaid patients. It is a low margin business, so the Tri-City couple added a small-group charter business to fill what they saw as a gap in the market.

They set up Eastern Washington Transportation last year to focus on groups of 14 people of less.

In the background, the Ammermans are the local representatives for Go USA, which makes logo-branded apparel and other items for schools and businesses.

They run the three businesses from a small Richland office on Swift Boulevard.

They have spent much of the spring adapting to the shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order hammered demand for logo wear and charter services and to a large degree, rides to medical appointments.

They have gotten creative to stay in business.

The charter business is on hold. Their insurance company offered the option to suspend coverage on the 14-seat Mercedes Sprinters they bought for the launch. They took it up and stashed the vehicles in secure storage until business revives.

They helped reinvent Go USA as a per-

sonal protective equipment business. No one needs branded sweatshirts and keychains, but people need masks and related gear. The company leveraged relationships with its many producers to procure N95 masks and more.

Ammerman would not disclose specifics, but one order could eclipse a normal year’s revenue.

A-Plus, the medical transport business, is running at a much-reduced level. Most appointments have been canceled, though not all.

Tom Ammerman applied for and received a forgivable loan through the $660 billion Paycheck Protection Program, part of the $2.2+ trillion federal CARES Act. It may well save the enterprise.

“Without Paycheck Protection, it would have put us in a tough position” he said.

The Ammermans are serial entrepreneurs who owned and operated the Hansen Park and Broadmoor fitness centers. They ran the businesses, which are in Kennewick and Pasco, for 14 years before selling them about 18 months ago.

“Thank God,” Tom Ammerman said.

After the sale and before they took on the transportation business, the couple focused on Go USA, which had been a vendor to the fitness centers. They worked to build the Tri-City market, providing logo-branded items to local high schools and businesses.

They signed onto the transportation business about a year ago. Tom Ammerman’s father, Randy, wanted to retire.

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Tom Ammerman and his wife, Rachel, run medical and transport businesses from a small Richland office that doubles as a showroom for their side business, Go USA, a logo-branding company. All three businesses have had to adapt since the coronavirus pandemic triggered Washington’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order.

Randy Ammerman sold A&A Motor coach to a Seattle-area firm that did not want the Eastern Washington territory.

Rachel and Tom took over, running it as A-Plus.

With a fleet of about 30 vehicles and 26 full- and part-time drivers, A-Plus specializes in long-distance transport.

It ferries clients who live in the Tri-Cities and Yakima Valley to doctor’s appointments in Seattle and Spokane and to a methadone clinic in Hermiston. Medicaid and Department of Labor and Industries patients are its chief source of business.

While many medical appointments canceled because of the pandemic, the medical transport business isn’t closed.

“We are still working. Dialysis patients have to go to the clinic,” Tom Ammerman said.

Most drivers are retirees who work as a hobby or for part-time income, or younger workers who drive as a second job.

Some volunteered to step back as hours fell off. Others saw their weekly hours fall from 40 to 25, which drove the Ammermans to apply for the federal loan program.

It is unclear when area residents will again feel safe about mingling in public and driving to medical appointments, but when they do, Tom Ammerman expects crushing demand as clients reschedule missed appointments.

uAMMERMAN, Page A22

7820 W. 6th Avenue • Kennewick, WA

(509) 734-9773 www.Parkviewslc.com

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

AMMERMAN From page A19 “It’s going to be chaos,” he said.

The couple is hanging its recovery dreams on the charter business.

Eastern Washington Transportation aims to serve groups that are too big for a passenger vehicle and too small for a motor coach.

“Who do you call when you have a group of eight or 12?” Tom Ammerman asked.

The Sprinters seat 14. Eastern Washington Transportation is limiting itself to 14 passengers—ideal for wine tasting and other small parties and small enough to avoid the stepped-up regulations that apply to larger vehicles.

Tom Ammerman said he never had KICKSTAND From page A15 He toyed with engineering-related ideas, such as installing solar panels or offering construction site drone services. He mentioned e-bike tours to a friend, and the enthusiastic response sealed the deal.

“That’s the only one that sounds like fun,” the friend told him.

A bike commuter who loved visiting Chelan with his wife and her family, Zissermann said that’s when the idea of an e-bike touring company based in Eastern Washington began to form.

He spent a year developing a business plan. He worked through a Washington Employment Security Department program that waives job-searching requirements for those who are creating new businesses.

a chance to promote it as a wine-touring business or wedding shuttle before the pandemic hit.

“School districts were keeping us so busy I haven’t had time to go get that (wine) business,” Tom Ammerman said.

Before the pandemic, state tournaments kept its small fleet busy.

The company drove athletes to the Special Olympics Winter Games and took wrestling teams from Hanford, Pasco and Chiawana high schools to the state tournament in Tacoma, before the shutdown order.

Chiawana took a team title and several of the local students did well at the tournament.

His wife, Katie, teaches special education in Seattle schools. Her income kept the ship afloat while he planned. She’ll join the business in summer when school is officially in recess.

Small group rides Kickstand Tours will start small, with groups of up to six. Zissermann and guests will work out a tour, either preset or custom, and meet at the last winery on the tour. They’ll ride a circuit, concluding at the spot where they parked.

Groups can choose pre-set tours or arrange their own, as long as they form a reasonable riding circuit. Kickstand Tours provides the e-bikes, helmets and a guide who can carry items.

A support van will collect purchases, so clients do not have to carry them on bikes.

uBUSINESS BRIEFS

Grant to match United Way donations

Auto insurance may not cover your delivery gig

The Northwest Insurance Council is alerting Washington drivers working as Donations to the United Way of home delivery drivers that standard auto Benton and Franklin Counties COVID-19 insurance policies may not extend to relief fund will be matched through a work-related driving. grant from a national foundation.

Insurers are stepping forward to The one-to-one match will double local bridge the gap but coverage may not gifts. be automatic. The insurance council United Way established the COVID-19 cautions drivers to contact their insurer Community Response Fund to support to confirm they have the correct covernonprofits straining to serve the commuage if they are delivering food or other nity with an emphasis on providing food goods for money. and child care as well as those providing While some may automatically exmental and behavioral health services. tend coverage, it could be limited to the Contribute at give.uwbfco.org/givenow. duration of the coronavirus crisis.

Zissermann said the guide bike will be set up to carry personal items such as backpacks. Zissermann counsels riders not to carry personal items during the tour.

Zissermann said e-bikes give even non-cyclists a good way to explore wine country on two wheels. Heavier that traditional bikes, battery-powered motors extend the rider’s range.

“When you’re riding an e-bike, hills just aren’t an issue. Heavy winds—it just doesn’t matter anymore,” he said. “They’re a lot of fun.”

They’re even comfortable on warm days, up to a point. He concedes there may be a few Eastern Washington summer weeks where it’s too hot to operate.

Zissermann said it will cost about $30,000 to launch the business, including buying Rally e-bikes and a trailer. He al-

ready bought the van. Once set up, he’ll add a second batch of bikes, offering up to two tours a day. The cost will be $120 per rider in the spring and fall shoulder seasons and $150 at the top of the season.

Prosser and Red Mountain partners include Airfield Estates, Davenlore, Jade’s British Girl Treats, Milbrandt Vineyards, Ryan Patrick Wines, Terra Blanca Winery and Tucannon Cellars.

While he’s hopeful Kickstand Tours will be able to launch this summer, he plans to be thoughtful.

“I want to be smart about it as well.

Even if we’re legally able to get back, I want to make sure it’s the right thing to do,” he said.

Follow Kickstand Tours on Facebook or go to kickstandtours.com.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

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ENVIRONMENT Colorado firm plans 600-megawatt Horse Heaven Wind Farm

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A 600-megawatt wind farm south of Kennewick will employ 300 during construction and help cement the region’s status as Washington’s center for wind energy.

Scout Clean Energy of Boulder, Colorado, will apply for a conditional use permit from Benton County for its Horse Heaven Wind Farm project later this year.

Pat Landess, spokesman for Scout, said the project is on schedule although it has had to change its public outreach strategy because of the coronavirus pandemic and Washington’s continuing stay-home orders. It is communicating updates via a Facebook page.

The wind farm will be developed in phases on 60,000 acres in the Jump Off Joe area south of the Tri-Cities. Demand will drive the construction schedule.

Work begins in 2021, with commercial operations beginning in 2022.

“The ridges here have abundant wind resources that make the location ideal for a wind energy development,” Landess said.

There are more than 3,000 megawatts of wind energy in Washington, or 1,725 turbines that represent 7.3 percent of all in-state power production, according to the American Wind Energy Association.

The Mid-Columbia has long been a critical player in renewable wind energy in Washington. The Stateline Wind Project, which debuted in 2001, straddles the Washington-Oregon border at Wallula Junction. It was one of the first and largest wind installations in the region.

The company will install up to 212

General Electric wind turbines, each costing about $4 million, or $850 million in 2020 dollars at full buildout.

Construction will require 300 workers. The project will employ 12 to 14 at full operations.

Mid-Columbia businessCourtesy Scout Clean Energy es are encouraged to contact Scout Energy about doing Scout Clean Energy will apply for a permit to develop a 600-megawatt wind farm on 60,000 business with the project. acres in the Jump Off Joe area south of the Tri-Cities this year. Construction will employ up The contractor will buy lo- to 300 people. cal materials and services, neville Power Administration system pre-project status at the end of the projLandess said. ect lifespan.

The wind farm will produce power to through an interconnection agreement.

The project will generate an estimated Horse Heaven Wind Farm combines support up to 140,000 homes. More im$27 million in taxes over the its expected two prior projects that date to 2016. portantly, it will help Washington pursue 25-year lifespan.

Scout Clean Energy bought the assets of a 2019 goal of carbon-neutral power by The company said that it has commitWpd, a wind energy producer.

2040.

Tri-Citian Dave Kobus is the lead ments to landowners to remove and salThe company is marketing the projproject manager. vage wind turbines and restore the site to ect’s power output but has not identified customers.

Horse Heaven Wind Farm is subject to review under the Washington State Environmental Policy Act and consultation with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The review includes impacts on the environment, humans and wildlife, as well as the cultural and aesthetic effects.

You worked hard on your home during the state’s Most of the project will occupy cultiStay Home, Stay Healthy order. Now let us do your chores vated farmland. Each turbine takes about half an acre out of production. for you, so you can enjoy some “me time” — all while The turbines are linked by an uneliminating your electric bill too! derground electric “collection” system as well as communications lines, two Enjoy $1,000 worth of chores paid by us! Choose services from: substations with operations and maintenance shops. ✷ Landscape maintenance/lawn care by Swanky Lawn Care It expects to send power via the Bon-

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

Environment

New nonprofit wants to speed up Hanford cleanup, shift mission to energy

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A new Tri-City nonprofit has formed to push for a faster cleanup at Hanford and transition to energy research and development.

Bob Ferguson, Bill Lampson and Gary Petersen established Northwest Energy Associates with the twin missions of advocating for a faster cleanup and for a long-term focus on energy research.

Ferguson, former U.S. Department of Energy executive and chief executive officer of the Washington Public Power Supply System, will chair the organization with Lampson, CEO of Lampson International Crane Service in Kennewick.

Petersen, retired vice president of federal programs for the Tri-City Development Council, will serve as volunteer president.

The group said the current plan to vitrify the 56 million gallons of radioactive waste contained in 177 underground tanks will transform Hanford into a defacto long-term storage site given the lack of progress on developing storage at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.

Ferguson, Lampson and Petersen previously teamed up to sue President Barack Obama and his administration for shutting down the Yucca Mountain Project, which was the destination for Hanford’s high-level nuclear waste disposal.

The case led to an August 2013 D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals order requiring the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to resume its review of Yucca Mountain, which it completed in 2015, according to a background report published on its website.

Northwest Energy Associates “will vigorously support the demonstration of tank waste treatment and immobilization methods recommended in recent reports by the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the National Academy of Sciences that are safer, faster, and one-fifth the cost of vitrification. The DOE is not actively supporting this initiative and the Washington State Department of Ecol-

ogy has threatened to use its regulatory authority to block DOE’s effort to permit necessary site activities.”

The group’s second initiative is to convert Hanford into a center for clean energy development and research with the goal of promoting jobs and educational opportunities in the region.

Kathy Balcom, a Tri-City advertising executive, and Kate Lampson, of Lampson International, also sit on the NEA Board. Science writer Sallie Ortiz serves as website/newsletter editor and administrator. Coke Roth, Tri-City attorney, serves as its counsel.

Go to cleanuphanfordnow.org for more information.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

Environment

Q&A Number of employees you oversee: 3 You have a unique role in Benton County government. What do you oversee and how did your job come to cover such diverse areas?

I primarily manage our economic development, natural resources, intergovernmental affairs, Hanford-related and parks functions. While the county as a whole has around 700 employees, most of those reside in the law and justice departments.

Administration is actually a very small organization, so there are a few of us with broad managerial portfolios.

How did you come to this kind of work?

Sometimes things just work out.

When I left college in 1994, I had neither direction nor a plan. All I could rally to was that I felt most called to some form of public service. My circumstances at the county over the past quarter-century have been fortuitous. I found my way into a position that suits my personality well, allowing me a lot of freedom to work on a variety of projects to the benefit of the public good.

How has your approach evolved?

While I have always generally been a practical person, over time I have certainly become more pragmatic in regard to problem solving and management.

I’ve learned how to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good, that there can be multiple ways to calculate what a winning outcome looks like, and how to play the long game where a war is made up of many battles. Accommodation and compromise are not bad, and a rising tide really can lift all boats. Now that I am working around and with people that are half my age, it’s interesting to observe how the arc plays out over the course of a career.

If you could wave a magic wand, what project or program would you institute in Benton County?

A backyard astronomer, nature-lover, and someone who just likes nighttime, if

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ADAM J. FYALL

Benton County Sustainable Development Manager I had a magic wand, I would blanket all of Eastern Washington with a “dark sky” ordinance with the hope of reversing the light pollution that allows you to see the Tri-Cities from Vantage on a clear night.

But since I’ve been given magic, I don’t want to do it with a heavy-handed ordinance. I’ll change the culture instead.

What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?

There are some key differences between bosses and leaders. The former manages people while the latter inspires them. To this end, an essential quality of good leaders is empathy. Real empathy not only allows but requires you to see things from the perspectives of others and to care about what it is that you see. Show others that you are invested in them and their outcomes, and then you will be able to motivate and inspire.

What is the biggest challenge facing managers in the public sector today?

This is pretty mundane, but for us in local governments it really comes down to making sure the revenues and the expenditures balance. It is increasingly difficult, even in the relatively good economic times that we have enjoyed in recent years, to deliver the first class levels of service our public deserves with the revenue constraints local governments operate within. Fortunately at Benton County, we have some great people working every day to solve this enigma wrapped inside a riddle disguised as a puzzle.

Who are your role models or mentors?

Professionally, former Benton County senior land use planner Phil Mees comes to mind. Phil was instrumental in hiring me in the first place and was my supervisor at the county for the first four years. I admired how Phil had an interesting and varied professional life before he came to the county that informed his work perspectives to our collective benefit. He also had a rich and active life outside of work that I think further influenced my value for a healthy work-life balance.

Phil is now retired in Hawaii, so he’s still

role modeling.

How do you keep your employees motivated?

It’s no secret that work in the public sector can grind slowly and with a great deal of friction. It can be frustrating and can wear on morale and resolve, especially with some of the younger folks. I think it’s important to imbue your team and its members with agency and purpose so that they know they are valued.

One of the concepts that has emerged in recent years and especially now during COVID that I bristle at is the idea of “essential” versus “non-essential” employees.

I tell all of my employees from day one that they’re essential to my team. I also tell them that essentiality isn’t free, and that it requires maintenance. Whatever the endeavor—whether it’s your career, your marriage your church, or your beer league softball team—put in the work to make yourself essential and you will be valued as such.

How do you balance work and family life?

It’s not something that I have much trouble with, but I understand why it is difficult for a lot of people in similar lines of work. The phone, with its balland-chain of voicemails and emails is never far away, and often times the best thinking on a topic comes happen when you’re on a bike ride or pulling weeds. It can be a challenge to not be “on” all the time. I compartmentalize well and can set boundaries when I need to, but I also appreciate that I am fortunate to have the job that I do, and one cost of that good fortune is occasionally being inconvenienced on my own time.

Do you have a favorite project in Benton County?

One thing that immediately comes to mind is my satisfaction with the preservation of Hanford’s B Reactor and the

Adam J. Fyall

associated creation of the Manhattan Project National Historic Park. While my role in that effort has been minuscule and insignificant, Benton County has been a frontline cheerleader from the beginning.

I have watched this grassroots campaign to save, interpret and share this piece of world history span the entire arc of my career, and the work continues today. It has been a lesson in patience, fortitude and incrementalism that has paid off for this community and for history itself.

What’s your best time management strategy?

Hard deadlines. “The gallows doth beautifully concentrate the mind.”

What is your favorite podcast? Why was it meaningful to you?

I’m new to podcasts, but I found one that I really like right out of the gate.

It’s called “History of English” and it is about the origins and development of the English language across time and place. Now at over 130 episodes it is an exhaustive survey that can get a bit dense and tedious at times, but if thorough and comprehensive are your thing, then this is for you. I particularly like that the creator is neither a historian nor linguist by profession or training. He’s a contracts lawyer and this is his hobby. I love the topic but I also like him. I like seeing people pursue and excel in their passions.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

Environment uBUSINESS BRIEFS

Franklin PUD offering free hot spots in four areas

Franklin PUD Broadband is offering free Wi-Fi hot spots so teachers and students can have access to high speed internet.

“The goal is to reach kids and families who may not have internet access or who don’t have fast enough internet speeds needed to complete homework during the COVID-19 distance learning. “We hope to continue expanding hot spots across the county. The signal can travel up to an 800-foot radius. It’s a very strong signal so you can stream video and perform most tasks you would at home,” said Ben Hooper, Franklin PUD’s broadband manager.

The hot spots are located in Pasco, Connell, Kahlotus and Mesa. They are available every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Users can log on from their mobile device or laptop computer. A password is not required. The hot spots will stay in place.

Here are the locations: Pasco: Memorial Park, 350 N. 14th Ave.; Wireless Network Name: FBB_Public_WiFi Connell: Connell Community Center, 211 E. Elm St., Wireless Network Name: PUD_Connell_Public_WiFi Kahlotus: Intersection of Durham Avenue and West Martin Street, near the community pool. Wireless Network Name: PUD_Public_WiFi Mesa: Bailie Land and Cattle Co., 205 First Ave. Wireless Network Name: PUD_Mesa_Public_WiFi.

Regulators expand aid for Cascade Natural Gas customers

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved temporary changes to Cascade Natural Gas’s Washington Energy Assistance Fund (WEAF) to provide aid to customers who have lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residential natural gas customers having trouble paying their bills will be able to apply for hardship grants of up to $400 from current WEAF funds, and the existing cap of $500 per program year per household has been lifted.

Additionally, the low-income verification requirement to qualify for Cascade’s WEAF program has been relaxed so that customers experiencing a sudden loss of income can receive aid quickly.

WEAF funds are administered by local community action agencies. Customers who need to apply for the hardship grant should reach out to the agency in their area. Customers also can call Cascade at 888-522-1130 to discuss bill payment options.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cascade had already voluntarily suspended disconnections for nonpayment.

Kennewick-based Cascade Natural Gas Corporation serves almost 220,000 residential and business customers in 68 communities throughout the state.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

Environment

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Oil and mineral rights difficult to profit from, complicate estate planning

Courtesy American Lung Association

American Lung Association: Washington air quality is worsening

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Wildfires and wintertime wood fires helped drive Yakima, Spokane and the Seattle area to the top of the nation’s worst cities for air pollution, according to the American Lung Association’s 2020 State of Air report.

The Tri-Cities was not on the list, but Benton County received a failing grade for air quality in the report. Franklin County has no monitor collecting data in the county, the report said.

The association’s annual air quality report tracks Americans’ exposure to unhealthy levels of particle pollution and ozone during a three-year period.

Yakima ranked fifth in the nation for short-term particle pollution, its worst-ever ranking and 10 spots ahead of its 2019

ranking. Yakima is 27th most polluted for year-round particle pollution, up more than 50 spots from a year earlier.

“Trends of increasing wildfires in Washington and neighboring states are consistent with a warming climate,” said Season Oltmann, the lung association’s Washington state director. “Exposure to wildfire smoke place our health and our lives at risk.”

The Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d’Alene metro area’s air quality ranked 14th most-polluted for short-term particle pollution, its worst ever recorded.

The Seattle-Tacoma area improved from the ninth to 14th most polluted area for short-term particle pollution.

Bellingham is tied for seventh as the cleanest city for annual particle pollution.

Read the full report at lung.org/sota.

Support your community Support local business

Property rights are often considered a “bundle of sticks” where a person can own varying interests in land.

The person can own the entire bundle—called “fee simple.”

Or a person can own distinct and specific interests in a piece of property. One form of ownership is the ownership of only the oil and mineral rights found in or under a piece of land.

This “asset” is typical of states such as North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming, among others.

Though less common here in the Pacific Northwest, many individuals in all parts of the county own oil and mineral rights. They might acquire them on their own or they might acquire ownership through inheritance or from their family members.

The ownership of this asset presents complexities that both potential and existing owners should understand.

Unlike the ownership of a stock or bond, the ownership of oil and mineral rights is the ownership of real property —i.e., land.

That means that the ownership of oil and mineral rights will subject that asset to probate in the state where the

right exists.

Most people try to limit the reach and expense of probate.

The ownership of oil Beau Ruff and mineral Cornerstone Wealth Strategies rights increases the GUEST COLUMN likelihood of multiple probates and the associated expenses.

Owners should consider this when putting together their estate plan by utilizing specific tools to deal with the assets. It might be a living trust that holds solely the oil and mineral rights.

It might be a transfer on death deed.

It might be a gift of the asset prior to death. In any event the continued ownership adds complexity to the estate plan, the resulting probate and the fractionalization of ownership of the asset as it is split among heirs.

The returns from the ownership of oil and mineral and gas interests uRUFF, Page A30

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

uBUSINESS BRIEFS

Washington offers relief for student loans

Several private student loan servicers are offering extended relief to borrowers struggling to make payments because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions and a coalition of eight other states and Washington, D.C. secured reliefs that expand on protections included in the federal CARES Act program, which suspended monthly payments, interest and involuntary collection activity until Sept. 30.

The CARES Act relief excluded student borrowers with federal loans not owned by the government as well as loans

made by private lenders.

Under the new initiative, Washington residents with commercially owned Federal Family Education Protection Loans or privately held student loans may be eligible for relief. Borrowers should contact their loan servicer to learn about their options.

Loan servicers providing relief include: Aspire Resources Inc., College Ave Student Loan Servicing, Earnest Operations, Edfinancial, Kentucky Higher Education Student Loan Corp., Lendkey Technologies Inc., MOHELA, Navient, Nelnet, SoFil Lending Corp., Tuition Options, United Guaranty Services Inc., Upstart Network Inc., Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority and Vermont Student Assistance Corp.

Environment Trios Southridge renews trauma designation

Trios Southridge Hospital has been awarded Level III trauma designation for adult and pediatric services from the Washington State Department of Health.

The designation continues Trios’ current Level III designation, which is renewed every three years. Trios is also the only Tri-Cities area hospital with a pediatric trauma designation. The state offers a limited number of pediatric trauma designations per region.

The designation entitles Trios to use the trauma service designation level title, receive trauma patients from the prehospital agencies and referring facilities in the state, and receive annual Trauma Fund grants.

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Feds overrule Washington crude oil transport rule

The U.S. Department of Transportation has determined that Federal Hazardous Material Transportation Law preempts the state of Washington’s vapor pressure requirement for the transportation of crude oil by rail.

Gov. Jay Inslee signed the rule, which banned the loading and unloading of crude oil unless vapor requirement were met, into law in 2019.

The states of North Dakota and Montana asked the federal government to overrule. They were later joined by the attorneys general for Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Lower Snake River Dams

Economic crash makes dams more critical We are learning many painful lessons during the coronavirus shutdown. A key lesson that if a policy isn’t economically sustainable, it isn’t environmentally sustainable. This is a particularly important lesson to remember when considering how to promote recovery of salmon and steelhead populations on the Snake River.

Earlier this year, the federal agencies finished the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Columbia and Snake rivers, focusing on what to do with the four dams on the Lower Snake River.

Their research concluded that when balancing the environmental and economic factors, leaving the dams in place while improving fish passage is the best strategy. Just a couple months after the EIS was released, that conclusion is proving to be even more sound.

Estimates of the cost to destroy the dams vary, but even those who advocate removal admit it will cost $1 billion.

Estimates from the Army Corps of Engineers are higher. Add to that the annual cost of replacing the electrical generation that would be lost if the dams are destroyed. That could amount to another $1 billion a year for ratepayers.

Even the Northwest Energy Coalition, which favors destroying the dams, admits electricity costs will go up significantly.

Those are just the direct costs. The cost to the regional economy would also be significant.

The dams were originally constructed to facilitate shipment of goods down the Snake. The loss of that transporta-

tion would impact farmers who would have to shift to more expensive modes of transportation.

Todd Myers Washington The draft Policy Center EIS estimates destroying GUEST COLUMN the dams could increase transportation costs by up to 33 percent on average.

The economic costs, however, are only part of the equation. The EIS found there would be increased environmental damage.

Removing the dams would increase CO2 emissions by about 10 percent across the Northwest because the hydro power would have to be replaced in part by natural gas generation.

The dams produce electricity in the morning and at dinner time when it is needed to meet the highest levels of demand.

Solar, by comparison, generates electricity in the middle of the day, but not when demand is highest in the evening.

Wind generates most of its electricity at night and in the very early morning, when demand is low.

Simply replacing the electricity from the dams with wind or solar is not possible.

Those who support destroying the dams argue it is necessary to help salmuCRITICAL, Page A31

1304 E. Hillsboro St., Pasco, WA (509) 545-8420 • skoneirrigation.com

Let’s work to find a new path forward

Several federal agencies just released a massive court-ordered federal study (called an EnvironmenBrett VandenHuevel tal Impact Columbia Statement, or Riverkeeper EIS) about GUEST COLUMN the Snake and Columbia river dams.

If you had other things on your mind last month, that’s more than understandable. Also, you didn’t miss much: the EIS is just another federal study aimed at propping up the status quo—while Northwest salmon and fisheries slide toward oblivion, and cheap solar and wind make Bonneville Power Administration’s hydropower less and less competitive.

We believe that Northwest-elected leaders should develop a solution that saves salmon by removing the Lower Snake River dams and reinvests in agriculture, transportation and river communities.

Effective leaders will make this happen—not a bloated government study short on solutions.

The EIS is so inadequate, in fact, that it appears to have cemented the belief among Northwest leaders that the federal agencies are not capable of providing solutions.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has taken a strong stand.

She calls for Lower Snake River dam

A29 Ice Harbor Dam/Army Corps of Engineers

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

Environment

removal and “propos(es) a path forward that can lead the region to an achievable and workable solution for future Julian Matthews operation of Nimiipuu Protecting the Columbia the Environment System, one GUEST COLUMN that protects salmon and steelhead while assuring sustained economic growth for the region.” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s response is less robust, but strikes a similar chord.

Keeping Lower Snake River dam removal on the table, Gov. Inslee explained that he is “heartened by recent calls for, and steps toward, a regional collaboration about how to do more for salmon in a manner consistent with the energy, transportation, and irrigation …”

We agree the Northwest needs a new path forward.

Despite past rhetoric on both sides, this issue is more complex than removing four dams on the Lower Snake to save salmon and orcas.

The system of dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers touches many aspects of life in the Northwest, from agriculture to electricity to fisheries.

The hydrosystem was imagined nearly 100 years ago and largely constructed during the middle of the last century.

We are not trying to destroy that system; we are trying to improve it. For

uNEW PATH, Page A31

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

RUFF, From page A27 typically come from the lease of those interests to companies trying to extract the resources. The lease payments are subject the actual content of the land, the ability of the company to extract the contents and the global market for the oil, minerals or other valuable resources.

The asset is not readily marketable.

That is, it is not easy to sell.

If you want to sell your house or land, it is easy to contact a local Realtor and get it listed on the multiple listing service immediately.

And the proposed selling price is relatively easy to ascertain based on the mountains of available data. Selling stocks, bonds and mutual funds is even easier. The sale price is published every

second (for stocks) on the stock exchanges, and the sale can happen in less than a second with the click of a button.

In contrast, the value of oil and mineral rights can be difficult to ascertain.

It might require the use of an appraiser local to the area and specializing in those rights. Then, the sale of the asset does not occur on any publicly available market like houses and stocks do, complicating efforts to sell.

It is rare that a person owns oil and mineral rights sufficient to deal directly with a major gas or oil or mining company.

Rather, most people own a small piece (or a fraction of a small piece) of the total area that a big company might be interested in leasing. This means that

Environment to enter a successful leasing arrangement, the owner of the oil and mineral rights needs other owners to be committed to the leasing arrangement and its terms.

This weakens each individual owner’s position.

In effect, it makes the owner a minority interest owner because his or her decisions can rarely be made in isolation.

Notably, this column avoids the discussion of the actual returns obtained from oil and mineral rights leases.

They may be quite lucrative. Or they might be abysmal.

To determine the value of lease terms, it is essential to know the value of selling the asset. If you sold the asset and invested elsewhere, could you beat

uBUSINESS BRIEFS

The Hispanic Academic Achievers Program is proud to celebrate academic excellence!

Reclamation updates Yakima water outlook

Although we were not able to have our ceremony this year, HAAP is proud to recognize 7,400 4th - 12th grade students earning 3.0+ GPA’s.

HAAP awarded $85,500 in scholarships to 20 area High School Seniors!

Visit Facebook.com/HAAP.org for more details.

Thank you to our Sponsors and Supporters

Platinum Medallion

Gold Medallion

Media Sponsors Tri-City Herald Tri-Cities Journal of Business Tu’Decides

Sue & Dan Frost Silver Medallion

Legacy Sponsors

Mission Support Alliance

Broadmoor RV SuperStore Tri-Cities Latin American Association

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Anonymous Donor Brad & Esther Bailie/ Lenwood Farms GESA Credit Union Key Bank STCU Credit Union Tri-Cities Engineering PLLC

Armijo Family Chvatal King Law Heritage University HFG Trust/Community First Bank Lockheed Martin Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Abadan Battelle CH2M Hill PRC Lampson Inc. Ledesma Law Roach Bishop

We would like to thank all the HAAP sponsors for their support. The dedication to our children and our community’s future is important for us to recognize. Please make sure whenever possible, to support these businesses and organizations.

Queremos darles las gracias por todo su apoyo a los patrocinadores de HAAP. Es importante para nosotros reconocer su dedicacion a nuestros niños y al futuro de nuestra comunidad. Por favor apoyen a estos negocios y organizaciones cuando les sea posible.

the lease terms you are contemplating receiving?

And, because a valuation is so difficult and there is no broad market for selling, it is difficult to glean the information necessary to determine if the lease payments are good.

And the complexities of ownership outlined in this column should be considered along with the returns to really determine whether it is a good investment. All things being equal, perhaps a simpler asset is preferable to one that is complex. Beau Ruff, a licensed attorney, is the director of planning at Cornerstone Wealth Strategies, a full-service independent investment management and financial planning firm in Kennewick.

Proud to be associated and supported by Bethlehem Lutheran Calvary Christian School Central Washington University Christ the King School Columbia Basin College Finley School District Heritage University Kennewick School District Kingspoint

Liberty Christian North Franklin School District Pasco School District Richland School District Saint Joseph School Saint Patrick School Tri-Cities Prep Washington State University

Volunteers HAAP is a 100% volunteer-based organization with many individuals that give their time, talent, and resources to support academic excellence in our community.

Thank you to all HAAP volunteers, you make a difference!

The Yakima basin water supply will be sufficient to fully satisfy senior water rights, according to the Bureau of Reclamation’s May forecast.

Junior water rights will be limited to an estimated 91 percent of their full entitlements this irrigation season.

“March and April were very dry throughout the basin, with only 45 percent of average system precipitation, the fourth lowest in the 109 years of record,” said Chuck Garner, Yakima Project River Operations supervisor.

The Yakima basin reservoir storage is 72 percent full, which is 98 percent of average. The snowpack is 76 percent of average.

For more information, go to usbr.gov/ pn/hydromet/yakima.

UW web series to offer business advice sessions

The University of Washington Foster School of Business will hold a series of web sessions featuring advice on how to adapt businesses as the state reopens from the coronavirus stay-home orders.

Sessions meet from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Wednesdays through June 24.

• May 20: Emer Dooley, lecturer on entrepreneurship, and Reggie Brown, owner of Nutress Hair, discuss how to serve customers in new ways.

• May 27: Associate Professor Thomas Gilbert, finance, addresses cash and debt after the precipitous drop in demand.

• June 3: Associate Professor Elizabeth Umphress, management, discusses negotiating with employees, vendors and other business partners.

• June 10: Assistant Professor Shi Chen, operations management, discusses inventory and supply change management in volatile times.

• June 17: Christina Fong, principal lecturer of management, discusses decision-making under circumstances no one anticipated.

• June 24: Shaosong Ou, senior lecturer in information systems, discusses how to use technology while keeping social distancing.

Register by 11 a.m. each Wednesday for a link to the Zoom sessions at bit.ly/ UWPivotSeries.

Environment CRITICAL, From page A29 on recovery and provide additional forage for the Southern Resident Killer Orca Whales in Puget Sound. Dam removal, however, is an extremely poor way to achieve that goal.

First, as the economic downturn is reminding us, money is precious and should be put where it can make the most difference.

Spending billions on just one project would put all our eggs into one salmon-recovery basket. The total state budget for salmon recovery in Puget Sound and along the Washington coast is about $50 million a year.

The cost to remove the dams would be as much as 20 years of salmon recovery NEW PATH, From page A29 everyone.

In truth, the system is not working for many people.

Snake River salmon and steelhead runs are collapsing; tribal, commercial and sport fisheries are being decimated; and electrical utilities are wondering if they can keep paying for BPA’s costly hydropower.

As these problems intensify, they threaten the reliability of the remaining benefits of the Lower Snake River dams, namely transportation and agriculture.

Instead of continuing to fight each other, people and interests throughout the Northwest should come together and decide on a new path forward. Otherwise, the fate of our region, its resources, and its cultures will be decided by default, litigation, or chance.

We need to move beyond east-versus-west and liberal-versus-conservative narratives.

Those labels are too simplistic and don’t track reality.

For instance, U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, has shown the most appetite

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

A31

in the state. The additional cost to replace the electricity is on top of that. Arguing we can just find more money to do both is either oblivious or irresponsible.

Second, although recovery is slow on the Snake River, the population of Chinook salmon is increasing.

Despite a cyclical downturn in the last few years, the average number of Chinook passing Lower Granite Dam over the last 10 years was the highest of the last five decades. According to the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, Fall Chinook on the Snake are already above the recovery target.

That is not the case in Puget Sound, where Chinook populations are declining.

Of the 22 populations of Chinook in Puget Sound, none are meeting the recovery

goal. None.

What’s more, the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife says Puget Sound Chinook are the most important source of forage for the Southern Resident orca. The Snake, by way of comparison, is barely in the top 10.

Putting our limited resources to use where they are most needed and will do the most good should be obvious.

Some people, however, want to wish these important tradeoffs away.

I asked Deborah Giles, an orca researcher at the University of Washington who favors destroying the dams, where we would get the money. She responded that she believes in the “old saying, from each according to their ability, to each according to their need.”

The quotation comes from Karl Marx.

The fact that she would cite one of the founders of communism is strange. The belief that we can just find more money somewhere is foolish.

The federal agencies are now going through public comments and will provide responses in the near future. Let’s hope they stick to the science and economics that guided their original good decision.

Preserving the dams provides the resources to keep our economy strong and provides the funding to help salmon and steelhead recover across our region.

among Northwest leaders for exploring Lower Snake River dam removal.

And many “east-side” tribes and fishing guides want dam removal, while some “west-side” electrical utilities would rather keep the dams in place. On this issue, east-west divisions are an illusion. In the Northwest, we are all part of the same watershed, transportation system, electrical grid and ecosystem.

We are all in this together. We need to find solutions that work pretty well for everyone.

Let’s talk about agriculture.

Farmers in Eastern Washington need water for crops and reliable ways to get those crops to market.

Removing the four Lower Snake dams would not reduce the amount of irrigation water. And farmers who improve their irrigation intakes to accommodate changing water levels should not have to foot the bill.

Also, some wheat growers still ship their product on barges down the Lower Snake.

Dam removal would make this impossible, but dam removal advocates are also pushing for much-needed investments in

rail and other transportation infrastructure.

This is not about leaving people, especially farmers, behind.

It’s time to envision the Northwest in 20, 50 or 100 years. We all want our children to be able to catch and eat salmon. We all want them to inherit modern transportation infrastructure and a truly clean, cheap, and reliable energy system.

It’s time to come together around common causes.

The federal agencies that run the Lower Snake River dams are clearly not interested in changing the status quo, even though it’s not working for many people in the Northwest.

Despite—and perhaps even because of —the EIS’ shortcomings, conversations are happening across the Northwest that

might lead to real progress.

It won’t be easy or simple. The ecosystem and the economy of the Northwest are deeply entwined with the Columbia and Snake rivers. The regional politics also are complex, and the issues don’t fit neatly into westside-vs-eastside or red-vs-blue narratives.

But we must succeed. The future of salmon, sustainable fisheries, affordable power and agriculture in the Northwest all depend on our ability to come together and solve these challenges before it’s too late.

Todd Myers is environmental director for the Washington Policy Center.

Brett VandenHuevel is the executive director of Columbia Riverkeeper, and Julian Matthews is a board member of Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

BUSINESS PROFILE

Physical therapy clinic expands to telehealth services

By Jeff Morrow

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

For years, Mindi Irvine had the idea of offering a video-type health care service as part of the Oasis Physical Therapy daily routine.

But it just never happened, thanks to the busy, day-to-day operations of her five clinics in the Tri-Cities and, most recently, in Walla Walla.

“We’d been talking about this for a while,” Irvine said.

And then the coronavirus pandemic hit, along with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order.

“It started around March 23, so we were on that pretty quickly,” she said.

Oasis’ clinics have been open during the lockdown. But telehealth became a priority for patients who couldn’t come to the clinic for traditional services.

“Physical therapy was designated from the beginning as essential,” Irvine said.

“Our therapists are six feet from patients, they wear masks. We adhere to all of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines.”

But for those patients with health problems who are concerned about coming into a clinic, “we do telehealth sessions.”

According to Oasis’ website, the option ensures those experiencing pain, injuries, delayed orthopedic surgeries, or haven’t yet completed their full course of care, can directly access a physical therapist.

Courtesy Oasis Physical Therapy Oasis Physical Therapy, which has five clinics in the Tri-Cities and recently opened a new one in Walla Walla, is offering telehealth physical therapy sessions to patients.

During the visit, patients can discuss treatments or progress, assess function, review rehabilitation exercises and modify home exercise programs.

To do a telehealth appointment, a patient might need: • To find enough space to move around; • Wear comfortable clothes in case the therapist wants them to demonstrate exercises; • Answering questions from the therapist;

• And open their mind to this new way of physical therapy.

Telehealth is not the same as telemedicine.

According to the website HealthIT.gov, “Telehealth is different from telemedicine because it refers to a broader scope of remote health care services than telemedicine. While telemedicine refers specifically to remote clinical services, telehealth can refer to remote nonclinical services, such as provider training, administrative

meetings and continuing medical education, in addition to clinical services.”

Irvine said it is going well.

“Things have generally imMindi Irvine proved with the (telehealth) product,” she said. “You are relying on what the patient has at home. We’re putting together some products for them, things such as exercise bands. We can help them be creative.”

Irvine said Oasis offers an exercise program that protects patients’ privacy rights, as well as the software.

It began by assigning two therapists to run its first telehealth sessions with clients.

“They’re still able to watch what the clients do,” Irvine said.

By mid-April, 50 to 75 clients were logging in.

“We want people to know there are options,” she said.

Despite being an essential business, the pandemic has affected Oasis too.

“Our numbers (as of mid-April) have us at 40 percent of what we usually do,” Irvine said. “We normally get 1,000 visits a week. We’re down to 400. Once the stay-at-home started, we dropped a ton of visits.” uOASIS, Page A34

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

BUSINESS PROFILE

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Richland company continues to evolve to best serve customers

By Jeff Morrow

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

When your company has been in business for 76 years, you’ve been doing something right.

You can expand and thrive during the best of economic times, and you adapt and become more flexible during the rough times.

With the coronavirus pandemic hindering almost all business, U.S. Linen and Uniform in Richland is finding ways to adapt.

“We’re in there delivering every week to businesses,” said Rick Snyder, owner and general manager for the family-owned business. “We’ve just got to have good communication with our customers. We are selling more janitorial supplies. On a lot of stuff, we just have to wait and get with the customer, see what they want.”

Snyder’s grandfather, Harvey Stoller, started the business. Then it was called Richland Laundry and Dry Cleaners Inc., with its first day of business on Aug. 14, 1944. It marked its 75th anniversary in 2019.

Stoller landed the federal contract to supply laundry services to the government town of Richland during World War II. In 1958, Richland Laundry bought U.S. Laundry.

In 2007, the company’s corporate name changed to U.S. Linen and Laundry Inc. And in 2016, it bought a second production plant in Portland.

The company also has a retail embroidery and screen-printing store in Richland, called Sun West Sportswear.

Today, Stoller’s company is owned and managed by his family—daughter Pat Snyder and her husband Dan, grandchildren Debi Caldwell and Rick Snyder, and great-grandson Drew Snyder.

“We’ve had five generations in the business,” Rick Snyder said.

And technically, the family has been in the laundry business for 119 years.

Snyder’s great-grandfather started a laundry service in Walla Walla in 1901.

“We’re one of only five independent companies in this business in the entire state,” he said.

U.S. Linen and Uniform owns and rents out linens and uniforms to many businesses.

The company services the automotive, hospitality, food and food manufacturing, service, and medical industries.

Here’s some services U.S. Linen and Uniform provides: • Plenty of options for work shirts, including dress and polo.

• Name and company logo plates.

• Work pants, jeans and shorts.

• Coveralls, coats and outerwear.

• Clothing that is flame resistant or has enhanced visibility.

• Patient gowns, hospital scrubs and lab coats.

• Towels and sheets.

• Chef garb, including shirts, coats and pants.

• Aprons, bagged towels and linens.

• Floor mats.

• Napkins and tablecloths.

• Mops, various types of paper towels, gloves and cleaning products.

U.S. Linen and Uniform has six distribution warehouses throughout the Northwest.

Besides the home base of Richland, it has locations in Yakima, Moses Lake, Spokane, Pendleton and Portland.

The pandemic has touched U.S. Linen, Snyder said.

“We bought a plant in Portland and we were building it up,” he said. “We’ve had to shut it down, and 50 of our 175 employees were laid off.”

And other parts of the business are down.

“All table linen business is pretty much gone,” Snyder said. “The bar towel and aprons business is down about 50 percent.”

U.S. Linen and Uniform also has dropped its policy of not handling customer-owned goods, such as uniforms and lab coats.

Normally, U.S. Linen and Uniform’s system tracks each garment because each piece has a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip in it.

With its Star Tracking System, U.S. Linen and Uniform can always find the garment. It does so through the process of cleaning, sorting, inspecting and mending (if needed) so the customer’s order is always correct.

It also has an app for quicker services.

By cleaning other customers’ uniforms not rented from U.S. Linen, there is a chance something could get lost since it doesn’t have the tracking technology.

“We didn’t want to process a company’s coats because it’s hard to keep track without the chips,” Snyder said.

But Snyder said he knew his company had to make that change to keep business going.

It is also looking at other potential sources for revenue, such as supplying cleaning supplies to industries paying more attention to the surfaces people touch.

“We’re taking care of linen,” he said. uU.S. LINEN, Page A34

Courtesy U.S. Linen and Uniform U.S. Linen and Uniform’s management team includes Drew Snyder, assistant general manager; his father Rick Snyder, general manager; John Rains, director of operations, and Tim Armstrong, production manager.

A34

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020 U.S. LINEN, From page A33

Courtesy U.S. Linen and Uniform Rick Snyder, general manager of U.S. Linen and Uniform, said customers will be changing the way they do business in the future. “It is really about how our customers are going to giving their customers ‘peace of mind.’ The way everyone does business is going to be changing,” he said.

“We have been working on a hygienically clean certification. We’re meeting all the standards for that. In the soil room when the dirty clothes are there, we’ve been more careful handling things. Don’t shake things.”

He adds that a lot of what’s happened in the industry is going to be changing.

He used a car dealership as an example. A customer pointed out employees weren’t using masks or gloves and were touching the steering wheel of a vehicle without disinfecting it.

Snyder shared the observation with the dealership’s manager, prompting it to clean the surfaces employees touch.

“With the customer’s perception now, everything you touch you’re going to have to clean,” Snyder said. “Renting towels to car dealers and auto mechanics, I can see us selling them disinfectant also.”

Disinfectant and other cleaning products are going to likely be a bigger part of U.S. Linen’s service in the foreseeable future.

When restaurants eventually open for sit-down service, “they will start with

OASIS, From page A32 Meanwhile, Irvine opened a Walla Walla clinic on March 1.

It’s the company’s fifth location. The other four are in the Tri-Cities: one each in Kennewick and Pasco, and two in Richland (George Washington Way and the newest in the Queensgate area).

“It was not good timing at all,” said Irvine about the opening of the Walla Walla clinic. “But we’ve actually seen more patients there. It was always in the plans to have something there. About three years ago, we started talking about it.”

That may be it for a while, though.

“We did have a plan for a sixth clinic in the Tri-Cities, but with everything the way

half the tables. Those tables and seats will have to be extremely clean.”

But now, Snyder says, there is going to be a new way of looking at things.

“Tablecloths will be making a comeback. No one wants to touch a bare table now,” he said. “It shouldn’t already be on the table when they arrive. Silverware will probably have to be wrapped in a napkin. Plus, the salt and pepper shakers.

That’s a big concern to many customers because they’ve been touched so much.

Customers are going to want to know that everything is clean and sanitary.

“Disposable menus will be a thing.

And lemon wedges are a concern.”

Lemon wedges? It’s true. Sometimes those sit out for people to use in their tea.

It’s Snyder’s job to think down the road of what is needed to keep this 76-year-old company going strong.

“We have to adapt to a new way of doing things,” he said. “And you have to take that to every business. The idea is giving the customer peace of mind. We deal business to business. But we’ve got to help provide that customer with that peace of mind.”

it is, I think we might hunker down and recover before that happens,” Irvine said.

Regardless, Irvine sees physical therapy as a much-needed practice that isn’t going to go away anytime soon.

“Physical therapy is needed because our population is getting older and living longer,” she said. “Our plan by the end of June is extending telehealth across the state. We need to offer clients options.

“But I also think we’ll get back to physical therapy in person.”

So while business maybe down, she’s still staying positive.

“It could be better, but we’re all in this together,” Irvine said. “A lot of people are in worse shape.”

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Economic challenge requires resourcefulness, resolve Reopening Washington’s economy while fighting the coronavirus will be an incredible challenge, but there is a way forward.

We’ll get through this.

The path forward requires sober assessment of what we’re up against: A crisis that has put us on a path toward 1 million unemployed, with one in five Washington workers out of a job as of early May. Going into this year, we already had concerns about unemployment rising in more counties than not. The COVID-19 pandemic magnifies those concerns exponentially, and it will change our economy and our lives for years to come.

It’s clear we won’t return to a preCOVID “normal” any time soon, and in some ways our lives and economy will be permanently changed. Many businesses have closed forever. Hundreds of thousands of families have lost work and are scrambling to survive economically. At the same time, we know that trials often lead to innovation.

Here in Washington, thousands of people have fallen ill to the disease, and tragically hundreds have lost their lives.

As we reflect in our new normal of isolation and quarantine, it’s important to remember those who have passed on.

One of the ways we can honor their

memory is by building a safe and secure economic future for our state.

This means getting back to work, safely, keeping Kris Johnson the health of Association of employees Washington Business and customers paramount. To GUEST COLUMN this end, AWB has created a Rebound and Recovery Task Force and supports the Western States Pact with other business associations from Oregon and California. We’ve offered to help the Washington, Oregon and California governors reopen the region safely.

Employers will have to adapt to new safety standards and ways of doing business, giving confidence to our customers, employees and communities alike. This move will be easier for some than others. Employers will have to navigate social distancing, personal protective equipment, frequent cleaning and sanitizing, working in shifts and more.

The economic challenges also will require creativity and resourcefulness.

Many employers have already adapted to curbside pickup, home delivery, home visits, online services and other measures to defeat the challenges posed by the virus.

Browsers Bookshop in Olympia is offering home deliveries and sending books by mail. Heritage Distilling, Sandstone Distillery and others have quickly added hand sanitizer to their product offerings. Duncan Produce in Eastern Washington began selling directly to consumers with drivethrough service after its restaurant sales dropped.

These are just a few examples of small business creativity in Washington.

For others, though, it’s a real challenge and there may not be creative options.

Different regions and different sectors are impacted in different ways.

AWB encourages our lawmakers to embrace creativity as well.

Congress and the Washington Legislature can help us get to a faster economic recovery. This is a historic challenge by any measure—and our lawmakers should rise to the challenge by supporting bigger and bolder solutions than they ever have before. We’re fighting now to keep our Main Street small businesses alive—the lifeblood of our communities in each of the state’s

39 counties.

Our businesses need tax relief, access to state and federal grants, personal protective equipment, safety training and testing. We need investments in critical infrastructure, aiding in the immediate recovery and setting the building blocks of tomorrow’s economy.

Rebuilding the economy will take an everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach.

Our current experience reminds me of the lessons from the Greatest Generation that survived the Great Depression and World War II. The Great Depression lasted from 1929-39. American’s involvement in World War II lasted from 1941-45.

These were long, hard fights before victory.

The Americans who emerged from these trials created the strongest economy in the history of the world. Their values of hard work, community involvement, teamwork and public service are still with us today.

It’s in this spirit that we should rebuild a better Washington. Kris Johnson is president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s chamber of commerce and manufacturers association.

Online access to Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business content is free –no paywall. Go to tcjournal.biz

A36

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020 uNEW HIRES • Joel Ockey has joined Cornerstone Wealth Strategies Inc., a full-service independent financial planning firm based in Kennewick, as a wealth advisor. Ockey Joel Ockey has been in the financial industry since 2002. After graduating from the University of Saint Mary in 2002, he became a financial advisor at Waddell & Reed in Portland, Oregon. In 2005, he moved to Kennewick to become the managing principal of the divisional Waddell & Reed office. In 2014, Ockey became the regional vice president with the company.

• Trios Health has hired Dr. Jennifer Brindle as a family medicine provider.

Brindle, who previously practiced at Trios, is seeing patients at the Trios Care Dr. Jennifer Brindle Center at deBit, 320 W. 10th Ave. in Kennewick. She can help patients with adult care, pediatric care, well-child exams, preventive care, immunizations, women’s health, annual exams, minor procedures, sports physicals, and more. Brindle attended medical school at University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, and completed her internship and residency at the University of Saskatchewan,

Regina Campus, in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

• Knutzen Engineering of Kennewick has hired two new employees. Dalton Walker will provide project management and civil engineering design support.

He has worked in the local A-E industry for the past four years. Gavin Gervais, engineer in training (EIT), graduated from Whitworth University in 2019 magna cum laude with a bachelor’s in applied physics and then graduated this year from Washington State University in Pullman with a bachelor of science in civil engineering, graduating summa cum laude. He previously interned at Knutzen Engineering for the past three years.

uFELLOWSHIP • Chris Meiers, vice chancellor for student affairs and deputy Title IX officer at Washington State University Tri-Cities, recently was selected as one of 38 fellows for the Chris Meiers American Council on Education where he will have the opportunity to be temporarily placed at a university to learn and grow his executive leadership skillset.

His placement process begins this summer.

Meiers said his project will involve implementing cooperative education programs with practical work experiences with community partners. Additionally, he will visit universities with strong industry partners.

At the conclusion of the fellowship year, Meiers will return to WSU Tri-Cities and

work with the campus and WSU system leadership teams on implementing an academic cooperative program that integrates practical work experiences while attending school.

uDONATIONS • The Bechtel Group Foundation donated $100,000 to the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties for its COVID-19 Community Response Fund to help local nonprofits address food insecurity and mental and behavioral health impacts of the pandemic. The donation comes as part of the foundation’s new $3 million COVID-19 Relief Fund set up to support urgent human needs in communities across the world where Bechtel employees live and work. As home to one of Bechtel’s larger projects, the Tri-City community is one of four receiving a gift of this size from among 10 locations the foundation is supporting across the United States. Bechtel holds the contract to design, build and commission the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant at the Hanford site for the U.S. Department of Energy.

• STCU donated $25,000 to the WSU Tri-Cities chancellor’s excellence fund to support students experiencing hardship in light of COVID-19 and to coincide with Giving Tuesday Now on May 5. The money will be used to help students and their families who have lost jobs, are experiencing furloughs, those who are having difficulties meeting their daily living experiences and other related hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic began, 37 percent of WSU Tri-Cities students reported it was difficult for them to meet their daily living ex-

A37

penses and 7 percent indicated they were at-risk of homelessness.

• YMCA of the Greater Tri-Cities has received a $10,000 grant to assist in its efforts to provide child care in the coronavirus lockdown. They will receive $5,000 in May and the other half in July. This grant is provided by the Pasco-Kennewick Rotary Club.

• Tri-City Association of Realtors donated $5,000 to the Tri-Cities Food Bank.

The association’s contribution is being made on behalf of its 1,000-plus members and affiliates. The money will go toward providing emergency food to the needy residents of Benton City, Kennewick, Finley, Richland, and West Richland.

• Dutch Bros Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dutch Bros Coffee, donated $9,000 to United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties’ COVID-19 Community Response Fund, local nonprofit organizations can fill critical gaps in services, providing food and mental health services to people in our community who need assistance. The donation is part of a larger $1 million commitment made by the foundation to assist organizations in its seven operating states.

• The Wells Fargo Foundation donated $115,500 to nine nonprofits in Central Washington to support their community response efforts to COVID-19. The funding will help deliver critical relief and support to vulnerable communities. Recipients are: Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties, Central Washington University Foundation, Community Foundation of North Central Washington, La Casa Hogar, Next Step Housing, Omak Food Bank, Washington Apple Education Foundation, Yakima Valley Community Foundation and YMCA Wenatchee.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

CONSTRUCTION, From page A1 you’re not going to be able to go,” Losey said.

Washington, unlike its neighbors, considered most private construction nonessential.

Amid backlash from the industry and pressure from U.S. Reps. Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, both Eastern Washington Republicans, the governor relaxed the construction rules.

In the first phase, projects that were started prior to March 23 may resume with strict rules governing workplace safety. Activities that can’t be done while keeping a six-foot distance between workers aren’t allowed. Think shower doors, mirrors, counters and cabinets.

And job sites with seven or more workers must have a dedicated safety supervisor.

Newly authorized construction will be allowed in the second phase, possibly around June 1. The industry hopes that happens earlier.

Regardless, Losey said construction won’t look the same as it did before.

It traditionally takes roughly 90 to 100 days to build a “production” home, which are homes built from a pre-set collection of floor plans in new subdivisions. Custom homes take longer.

Losey said builders want to avoid the cost of an extra supervisor, so they’re keeping crews to six people per work site or less. That means the extra time to build houses could add to the expense.

“It’s going to take longer to build them,” he said. “What I’ve heard most is they’re all trying to coordinate to have fewer people.”

Kennewick reports permitting activity remained consistent during the stay-home closure but its neighbors said it petered out before roaring back amid word work could restart. The city issued 98 permits between January and April, compared to 84 a year ago.

Pasco saw a lull in April, but it proved temporary, said Rick White, the city’s community and economic development director.

Permit staff worked through the weekend after construction restrictions were lifted to get the backlog of approved but unissued permits out the door. They processed about 200 requests over a Saturday and Sunday.

“We’re pretty much back to normal, maybe 80 percent,” White said. Well, almost normal. With city hall closed, the

permit staff is using a makeshift walk-up window to help contractors who need assistance in person.

Pasco authorized 141, compared to 166 a year earlier.

In Richland, the end of the restrictions was measured in the request for building inspections.

“The inspection numbers increased dramatically the very next day,” said Kerwin Jensen, director of community development. “We’re not to where we were pre-pandemic, but as far as residential permits and inspections, we are at 75 percent to 80 percent.”

Richland issued 113 single-family permits in the first four months, five fewer than the same period in 2019.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020 uAWARDS & HONORS • The Kennewick Police Department Foundation announced the following 2019 awards: Jerry Ainsworth and Dave Kraal, reserve officers, 2019 Chief’s Awards of Excellence; Steve Thatsana, Officer of the Year; Kim Hathaway, Employee of the Year; Ryan Kelly, Supervisor of the Year; Josh Riley, Detective of the Year; Becca Henry, Partner of the Year; Rick Wessley, Volunteer of the Year.

• The Washington Department of Corrections announced the winners of its annual agency awards to recognize employees for their continuous, outstanding work to improve public safety by positively changing lives as demonstrated by their accomplishments throughout the previous year. Eight employees from Connell’s Coyote Ridge Corrections Center received awards.

They are: Ronald A. Thompson, correctional captain, leadership award; Carlos F. Sabala, corrections/custody officer, Correctional Officer of the Year; Lt. Daniel E. Hollibaugh, Outstanding Performer; Mikiya J. Stowe, classification counselor, prison command C, Classification Counselor of the Year; and Kendra R. Mullins, secretary lead, Excellence in Service. Three staffers received the Team Excellence—Department Incident Management Team award: Benjamin H. Boucher, classification counselor, Jeffrey, A. Kinne, investigator, Jeremy H. Long, correctional captain.

• Two Tri-City-area Banner Bank employees received Banner’s Best award. This award represents the highest level of recognition within the company and the recipients are considered Banner’s best. The winners were Berta Gabbard, senior vice president and commercial banking center manager; and Ruben Garcia, residential loan officer. They were honored for surpassing their individual professional goals in 2019, demonstrating excellence within their respective professions, and exemplifying outstanding service to clients, community and their fellow colleagues.

• The Washington Winegrowers Association recognized four industry leaders in early March for their achievements during the annual Convention and Trade Show in Kennewick. Dave Minick, Willow Crest, was honored as the Erick Hanson Memorial Grower of the Year for demonstrated viticultural skills that provide impact in the vineyard and in the bottle; Kent Waliser, Sagemoor, received the Industry Service award for a lifetime of service impacting the grape and wine industry; Mike Sauer, Red Willow, received the Lifetime Achievement honor to recognize nearly 50 years of extraordinary contributions to Washington wine industry history; and Gordy Hill, Coventry Vale, received the Grand Vin for making a significant impact in the winery, on wine and branding.

• Peoples Company, a provider of land brokerage, land management, land investment and appraisal services in

22 states and which has worked in the Tri-City region, has received national awards. For the third year in a row, Peoples Company won the Auction Marketing Campaign of the Year at the National Auctioneering Association Marketing Competition, presented in partnership with USA Today. Peoples Company President Steve Bruere received the Realtors Land Institute’s APEX Award for Broker of the Year 2019 in the Auction Land Sales category. Bruere and Peoples Company’s Andrew Zellmer also were recognized as APEX 2019 Top 20 National Producers, which recognizes the top 20

uBUSINESS BRIEFS

Auction of Washington Wines goes online

The 2020 Auction of Washington Wines and related activities will be conducted online because of the coronavirus.

The Winemaker Picnic and Barrel Auction, Private Barrel Auction, the Gala Live Auctions and other events benefit the state’s wine industry and Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Now in its 33rd year, the program will be Aug. 15, with details to be released closer to the date. The program includes bidding online as well as a digital raise the paddle.

Go to auctionofwawines.org for more information.

A39

highest-producing agents in the country based on qualifying production volume.

• The state’s Public Affairs Television Network, TVW, was named Washington Policy Center’s Summit Award recipient for 2020. The Summit Award is presented annually at WPC’s Solutions Summit statewide policy conference to people or organizations that exemplify a solution to a policy problem. TVW was recognized for bringing every resident of the state easy, unfiltered access to state government and public policy, regardless of geographic distance.

Health officials report statewide drop in immunization rates

Immunization rates among children appear to be dropping during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving children and communities at risk, according to state health officials.

Providers in Washington’s Childhood Vaccine Program reported they administered 30 percent fewer vaccines to 0-18-year-olds in March compared with the same month in previous years. In April, they reported seeing a 42-percent decrease, but that number may change as April data continues to be reported.

The amount of vaccine ordered by providers in March also fell both in Washington state and nationwide.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION Pandemic stops school project, spares others

Page B3

Richland waits for bids on second phase of Duportail Bridge

Page B5

May 2020 Volume 19 | Issue 5 | B1

Governor authorizes restart of ‘low risk’ construction

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Some $100 million in residential construction and other “low risk” construction is reviving across the Tri-Cities.

Gov. Jay Inslee nudged the door open to an industry he controversially sidelined in the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

Under pressure from homebuilders and two Eastern Washington congressional representatives, Inslee announced April 25 that existing, low-risk construction such as homebuilding could restart under limited circumstances. The shutdown itself was continued See 12 FAQs about to the end contractors returning of May. to job sites.

T h e Page B5 move is not a signal that Washington can put the pandemic behind it.

“The day of reopening is not today. If we did it today, this virus would return with a vengeance,” he said.

At the recommendation of a working group consisting of construction industry experts, the governor is allowing activities that can be performed if social

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Gov. Jay Inslee authorized limited restart of construction projects on April 25. Avote Construction crews work April 15 at Park Place, 650 George Washington Way, Richland. The project by Crown Group and its local partner, Boost Builds, will install about 100 apartments as well as retail space near the entrance to Howard Amon Park.

distancing can be kept between workers.

Employers must file a coronavirus plan with regulators, provide masks, sanitizer and other personal protective gear, as well

as plans to manage coronavirus if it is detected at work sites.

Sites that do not comply can be shut down.

Inslee convened a panel of industry experts who recommended a limited reopening. The approach will guide other uRESTART, Page B2

Richland’s iconic water plant is getting a facelift

Vista Field looking less like an airfield, more like future neighborhood

By Wendy Culverwell

By Wendy Culverwell

A familiar midcentury piece of the Richland waterfront is about to disappear.

The city of Richland is updating the façade of its aging water treatment plant on Saint Street. The eye-catching blue and yellow panels will be swapped for a modern, neutral-colored exterior that’s more energy efficient.

The city awarded a $400,000 contract to Pasco-based Vincent Brothers LLC on April 6 to replace the façade. Work will begin soon, said Pete Rogalsky, Richland’s public works director.

The vivid blue and yellow panels stood sentry over the Columbia River shoreline since the building was constructed in the early 1960s. Along the way, they garnered a small but loyal following among design fans who appreciated the colorful mid-

The stage is almost set at Kennewick’s Vista Field for builders to install residential and commercial structures.

Total Site Services is close to wrapping up construction of roads, utilities, a water feature and decorative streetlamps at the former municipal airfield in central Kennewick, east of Columbia Center.

The Richland contractor was able to complete the $4.9 million job after the Port of Kennewick, which owns the project, classified the work as “essential” under Washington’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order, which restricts nonessential activity to curtail the spread of coronavirus.

The order initially treated residential construction as nonessential, though government-led projects could go ahead.

Total Site Services asked for guid-

editor@tcjournal.biz

uWATER PLANT, Page B2

editor@tcjournal.biz

ance and the port concluded work could go ahead.

A state electrical inspector concurred with its decision, said Tim Arntzen, executive director.

Arntzen said Total Site Services was about 95 percent through the project when the crisis hit. It didn’t make sense to demobilize then return later to wrap up the balance of the work.

Coronavirus may not have stopped the project, but it slowed it a bit.

The contractor installed 62, 16-foot decorative blue streetlamps to light the future neighborhood. They remained dark in mid-April.

The Benton Public Utility District was running with a skeletal staff and hadn’t set the transformer needed to energize the system by April 14, when the port’s commissioners got an update on the status of their signature economic development effort.

A linear water feature will be the defining feature of the future Vista neighborhood. It’s ready for water, save for a pump, said Larry Peterson, director of planning and development.

Peterson expects a two-week delay in securing the electrical cabinet to support a tree-lighting system. The manufacturer had to shut down after a worker tested positive for COVID-19, he said.

Total Site Services won the fourpart contract to turn the closed runway into developable land in early 2019 and broke ground a few months later.

Its work readies the first phase for eventual sale to private developers willing to build the residential, retail, office and commercial structures the port wants.

It is unclear if the original timeline will hold after the coronavirus pandemic and stop-work orders blew through uVISTA FIELD, Page B10

B2

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

RESTART, From page B1

industries, he said.

The construction panel consisted of Greg Lane, executive vice president, Building Industry Association of Washington; Mark Riker, executive secretary, Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council; Mike Ennis, government affairs director, Association of Washington Business; Josh Swanson, political and communications representative, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302; Dave D’Hondt, executive vice president, Associated General Contractors; and Matt Swanson, political director, Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters.

Home Builders Association of the Tri-Cities and its peers across the state lobbied the governor to reconsider if residential construction should have been included in the stay-home order.

Washington was one of just a few states that did not treat home building as essential.

Reps. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, and Cathy McMorris Rogers, R-Spokane, urged the governor to reverse the decision as well.

Newhouse praised the governor’s move but said including it in the shutdown order cost the state $690 million in lost wages.

“I am glad to see Gov. Inslee finally do what is right. The need to bring parity between public and private construction has been long overdue,” Newhouse said in a written statement. “Not only

will reopening private construction ensure thousands of Washingtonians can earn a paycheck, but it will provide relief to families who have been displaced from their homes during this pandemic and will increase access to housing across our state.”

The HBA posted a sample job site safety plan to help members get back to work as quickly as possible.

It is unclear just how many local projects were idled by the Stay Home, Stay Healthy Order. The HBA reports Tri-City area building agencies issued 437 permits for single-family homes in the first four months of the year with a joint value of $131 million.

Commercial and public sector projects pushed the total authorized to more than $255 million.

The governor’s order allowed municipal projects and some emergency work to go ahead. School construction, road work and public utility projects were able to go ahead.

Coronavirus is a serious threat to work sites with potential long-term consequences.

The Richland School District’s Tapteal Elementary School project was shut down after a positive test for coronavirus. The school will not open as expected this fall and the district said it will not advertise for bids for the new Badger Mountain Elementary as planned. See related story on page B3.

Real Estate & Construction BEFORE

AFTER

Courtesy city of Richland The city of Richland awarded a $400,000 contract to Vincent Brothers LLC to replace the failing blue and yellow façade of the city-owned Water Treatment building on Saint Street. The new façade will extend the life of the 1960s-era building and boost energy efficiency.

WATER PLANT, From page B1

and will extend the life of the building where Richland treats water for city consumption, its most important civic function.

The new exterior wall will give the water building a more sedate, though modern, appearance.

The blue and yellow panels won’t disappear entirely.

Rogalsky said the contract with Vincent Brothers includes removing the panels, but the city will salvage samples for the art commission in case it chooses to incorporate them in future art at the site.

The commission discussed the project at its February meeting, but has not met since then because of the coronavirus pandemic and Washington’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order.

uBUSINESS BRIEFS

Kadlec expansion earns national construction award

century flourish.

Michael Houser, the state architectural historian, called out the color-blocked wall as a local gem in January.

The Richland Arts Commission is considering installing public art at the site to celebrate the history, although details have not been released.

Rogalsky said the façade has simply outlived its purpose. At 60 years old, the panels are failing and make no pretense of being energy efficient.

The panels are about an inch and a half thick with no insulation. Joints and other pieces have failed. During a building inspection, one nearly came off in an architect’s hands, he said.

The new exterior will be more efficient

Incyte open new lab, plans to offer COVID-19 testing

Incyte Diagnostics, which has a laboratory in Richland, has launched a new clinical testing lab in Spokane Valley to serve hospitals and clinics throughout the northwestern U.S., the Spokane Journal of Business reported.

The clinical lab tests for everything from allergies and bloodwork to cancer and expects to have antibody testing available for COVID-19 in mid-May. The lab expects to be able to run 600 antibody tests an hour, the Spokane Journal of Business reported.

The $3.2 million remodel took about 10 months to complete, the Spokane Journal of Business reported.

The new 13,000-square-foot lab will serve five states: Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Alaska.

The tallest building in the Tri-Cities also has earned prestigious national recognition in the construction industry.

The four-floor Kadlec River Pavilion expansion project in Richland was named winner of a 2020 Vista Award from the American Society for Health Care Engineering.

The River Pavilion project at Kadlec Regional Medical Center was recognized in the renovation category, which is presented to “an organization that has altered existing conditions or added new space to existing structures. The original building envelope must remain essentially intact.”

The original River Pavilion opened in 2008 as a six-story patient care tower. The four-floor expansion completed in 2016 provides more than 90 private patient rooms.

Real Estate & Construction

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

B3

Pandemic stops one school project, spares others

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

West Richland’s Tapteal Elementary will not open as planned this fall after construction stopped when a worker tested positive for the new coronavirus, which causes the deadly COVID-19.

The shutdown is sending a ripple through the Richland School District’s construction schedule.

Fowler Construction, the Richland contractor for the $20 million project, had previously informed the district the pandemic was causing delays, it said. The Tapteal shutdown means construction of a new Badger Mountain Elementary is on hold for the time being.

School construction in neighboring Kennewick and Pasco was on schedule on April 24.

The new Tapteal Elementary was supposed to open in August at 705 N. 62nd Ave., the same site of the old school. The 65,500-square-foot building will have 28 regular classrooms, three special education services rooms and other school amenities, such as a multipurpose room, library, gym and art and music places.

The shutdown is spilling into the next project on the Richland schedule: rebuilding Badger Mountain Elementary.

Tapteal students and staff will remain in their temporary quarters at Belmont Boulevard and Keene Road.

With Tapteal unable to move out, the Badger Mountain Elementary crew can-

not move in. The schools of course are closed for the balance of the school year

by Gov. Jay Inslee as part of the statewide effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

With no building available for Badger Mountain, the district opted not to invite contractors to bid on the work.

“The district remains fully committed to rebuilding Badger Mountain Elementary as affirmed by the Richland School Board this past winter. District officials will continue to work closely with the Tapteal contractor to ensure the new building is completed with a new schedule and provide updates to all of you regarding the status and any further changes,” the district said in a statement.

The COVID-19 crisis has not affected progress at three Kennewick School District construction sites and is even speeding up two others.

Spokeswoman Robyn Chastain said the rebuilds of Kennewick High School, Amistad Elementary and the Tri-Tech Skills Center are on schedule. Amistad Phase 1 and the Tri-Tech Skills Center expansion are both due to wrap up this summer.

The Kennewick High School rebuild continues through 2021.

Chastain said construction of additions at Kamiakin and Southridge high schools started earlier than expected because students and staff are not on campus.

Pasco School District construction

Courtesy Richland School District The Richland School District said the new Tapteal Elementary will not open as planned this fall after construction stopped when a worker tested positive for the new coronavirus.

projects have not experienced the issues that stopped the Tapteal project, said spokesman Shane Edinger.

The district has three active school construction projects, all funded by a bond authorized by voters in 2017 and state matching funds: The $28.5 million Columbia River Elementary project broke ground last June

and is expected to open for the 2020-21 school year.

The $39.7 million Stevens Middle School replacement began last August and is due to be complete in December.

The new $46.5 million Ray Reynolds Middle School broke ground last May and is expected to open for the 2020-21 school year.

B4

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Hermiston road project paves way for future homes

East Theater Lane soon will reopen as a fully paved road, the latest project that will unlock housing development potential in northeast Hermiston.

The paving project creates an incentive for potential private-sector developers by reducing the cost to connect to the road and sidewalks. Theater Lane also borders Hermiston School District property where a new elementary school will be built, and the extension will lower the cost of developing that property as well, according to the city.

The project, combined with water

system upgrades in the area, already has attracted private development in the Cimmaron Terrace subdivision. As a result of that private development, city staff worked to coordinate a public-private partnership between the city, developer and school district to ensure sewer services were extended at the same time as the paving.

Even with a delay caused by the coronavirus construction shutdown, the paving project was completed earlier than originally planned after the Hermiston City Council approved combining the scope of work with the nearby water tower.

Paving of the center lanes between Eighth and 10th streets was funded through franchise fees and the state gas

Real Estate & Construction tax. The wider asphalt and sidewalk on the south side of the road were paid for by the in-progress housing development.

White Shield in Pasco wins Hanford contract

CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) awarded a $3.9 million contract to stabilize waste tanks to White Shield, a small, disadvantaged company based in Pasco.

White Shield will design, engineer and install a system to stabilize three underground structures at the Hanford site’s Central Plateau on behalf of CHPRC, a U.S. Department of Energy contractor.

The structures will be filled with engineered grout.

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The three underground structures are the 216-Z-2 Crib, 216-Z-9 Crib and 241Z-361 Settling Tank. They are near the former Plutonium Finishing Plant.

The structures received liquid waste during Hanford’s plutonium production operations and contain residual radioactive and chemical contamination. A 2019 report indicates the structures are at risk of age-related failure.

The 216-Z-2 Crib will be filled with about 75 cubic yards of grout; the 241-Z361 Settling Tank will receive 125 cubic yards; and 4,000 cubic yards will be delivered to the 216-Z-9 Crib.

The grout will stabilize the structures, while not precluding future remedial actions or final closure decisions.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

Real Estate & Construction

12 questions about contractors returning to work

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The Building Industry Association of Washington has compiled a list of frequently asked questions for contractors returning to job sites after Gov. Jay Inslee amended the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order to allow some existing construction to resume if they comply with steps to hinder the spread of coronavirus.

Jackson Maynard, general counsel, provides guidance on returning to work under the governor’s Phase 1 plan.

What is allowed under Phase 1?

Construction that was in existence on March 23, 2020, when the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order was issued.

The new order Jackson Maynard allows work that is needed to fulfill a contract in effect before March 23 or was permitted by a government agency by then. Work that was allowed under the stay-home order may proceed.

What happens to my permits under Phase 1?

Contact your local city/county planning department. The governor’s proclamation neither extends nor approves permits.

Do visitors, such as inspectors, suppliers or property owners, have to have their temperature taken?

No. Only employees are required to have their temperature taken.

Do I have to have a COVID supervisor if I have less than seven workers?

The rule applies when there are seven or more people on a job site.

Can contractors use a client’s bathroom while on residential project to fulfill the requirement for a handwashing station?

Yes, but the bathroom must be close to the work being done and accessible at all times to workers.

I am confused about the requirements for handwashing stations. How many people per job site and/or size of project? Also, what about disposal of wastewater from hand-washing stations?

There must be one hand-washing station per job site. The station must have running water when available, soap and a basin. Water needs to be a tepid temperature (between 70 and 100 degrees).

We have been told that grey water can be disposed on site.

Is there a job safety document specifically for inside staff at the office or showroom?

Office staff for construction businesses are authorized to return to work under Phase 1, however the rules they follow are different. They can be found online at lni.wa.gov/forms-publications/F414-164000.pdf. uQ&A, Page B7

B5

Richland waits for bids on second phase of Duportail Bridge

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Richland is preparing to move to the next phase of its $38 million Duportail Bridge project.

The main phase—building the bridge over the Yakima River—is wrapping up.

In April, the city solicited bids for the second phase, reconstructing the intersection of Duportail Street and Highway 240 and upgrading the Port of Benton railroad crossing.

Bids were due by May 12.

The Duportail Bridge links central Richland and the city’s fast-growing south side, including the Queensgate district. It also brings a new, secure water line to serve the entire area.

The bridge is on track to open as scheduled this fall, said Pete Rogalsky, director of public works.

Rogalsky said the coronavirus pandemic and Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order restricting activity to reduce the spread of the deadly COVID-19 did not interfere with the schedule. Municipal projects were unaffected by the stay-home order.

Apollo Construction of Kennewick broke ground in February 2018. Today, it is overseeing restoration of the shoreline, where it had built a work platform,

Photo Taryn L. Harkness The main phase of the Duportail Bridge project is nearly complete with the second phase, reconstructing the intersection of Duportail Street and Highway 240, up next. This file photo was taken in July 2019.

and installing final changes on the bridge itself. The restoration work includes replanting the riverbank.

Politics, not the pandemic, prompted a slight pause in the second phase.

The governor ordered a temporary halt to all state-funded transportation projects in November, after Washington

voters approved Initiative 976, reducing vehicle registration fees that helped pay for transportation projects.

The order extended to projects such as the Duportail Bridge, which depends on gas taxes and not car tab fees.

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B6

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

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Real Estate & Construction

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Real Estate & Construction Q&A, From page B5 Are businesses allowed to go out there and now do quotes for jobs?

No. What about work that incidentally must be performed less than six feet apart? For example, lifting beams, installing shower/glass doors, installing counters, installing fireplaces using all appropriate personal protection equipment but not able to remain six feet apart.

If the work cannot be performed maintaining six feet separation, it cannot be done under Phase 1. That work will have to wait until Phase 2 is approved.

How do installers, heating, ventilation and air conditioning

workers and others who are on a job for less than a day handle COVID-19 requirements, such as hand-washing stations and posting documents?

If they are working as a subcontractor, those requirements should be coordinated with the general contractor. However, I would recommend all subs make sure that the job site is complying by the general contractor before doing any work. For standalone work being done for a private customer as the only contractor, the business is responsible for all compliance and requirements.

What if an employee is uncomfortable and wants to wait until pandemic is over to come

back to work?

Employees have that option of not returning to work under the new COVID-19 rules. You can find more about the rules at this resource from Employment Security: esd.wa.gov/ unemployment/basic-eligibility-requirements.

What do I do if my general contractor is not concerned about, or doesn’t have, a COVID-19 Phase 1 system setup to comply?

Job sites need to comply. If a general contractor isn’t compliant or isn’t cooperating, you have two options: don’t do the work or make sure the job site is complying when your company is on it. Talk to your general contractor.

uBUSINESS BRIEF Chipotle open for pickup, delivery in Richland

Chipotle Mexican Grill has opened its second Tri-City location. The newest Chipotle is open for pickup and delivery only.

Call in pickup orders to 509-396-0314.

Delivery orders must be placed online at chipotle.com or through the chain’s mobile app.

The fast-Mexican chain is at 2673 Queensgate Drive in Vintner Plaza, the Target-anchored shopping center in Richland. Chipotle took over the former Qdoba Mexican Eats following a $561,000 remodel

by Alegis Construction Inc. Browman Development Co. of Walnut Creek, California, is the property owner and manager.

Paid Advertising

Plastic Injection Molding Inc. 2695 Battelle Blvd., Richland

Plastic Injection Molding Inc., which makes custom molded plastic parts for regional and international manufacturers, including components for small tools, instrumentation, agricultural products, prosthetics, consumer products and more, expanded into a 28,000-square-foot manufacturing plant with 4,000-square-foot mezzanine at the back of its existing building.

In March, the company began moving in after receiving its occupancy permit on Feb. 28.

The business is owned by Ken Williams and serves clients such as Cadwell Labs, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Fluor Hanford, Rhino Camera Gear and Leupold.

The $3.1 million expansion at 2695 Battelle Blvd. in Richland allowed the company to add a 400-ton plastic injection machine, expanding its capabilities to manufacture larger items. It also provides added space for more tooling machines to create its own molds.

Dan Sanders of Construction Management Specialist of Richland was the contractor.

GENERAL CONTRAC TOR

BUILDING OR REMODELING? Congratulations and thank you for choosing Apollo.

(509) 396-COLD

1119 W. Columbia Drive • Kennewick www.ApolloHeatingandAir.com

B7

Your building could be featured in an upcoming issue.

CALL US 509.737.8778

B8

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

Real Estate & Construction

Paid Advertising

West Tucannon Office Building 9001 W. Tucannon Ave., Kennewick

Elite Investment GRP LLC completed a 10,716-square-foot office building near the intersection of Gage Boulevard and Steptoe Street in Kennewick.

Elite Construction & Development was general contractor for the $2.8 million project, which includes two stories with a lobby and a lower street-level suite offering sweeping views north toward the Columbia River.

Chicago Title Co. of Washington, 3 Rivers Financial Group and STCU are leasing space in the building.

GENERAL CONTRAC TOR

Honesty and integrity in everything we do.

Congratulations and thank you for choosing Superior Glass!

(509) 586-6000

www.superior-glass.com office@superior-glass.com

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Congratulations Elite Construction!

We are proud to be the designer of choice for this project.

Real Estate & Construction

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

B9

Paid Advertising

“Experience the difference” Congratulations!

Thank you for choosing our company for your landscaping.

(509) 528-8873 | greenworkstc.com Lic. #GREENL*860J3

Creative Concrete Design, Inc. & Floor Polishing Systems Quality you can count on.

Serving the Tri-Cities area for over 40 years

(509) 727-2168

Creative_Concrete@live.com creativeconcreteandpolishing.com Lic. #CREATCD026C6

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BUILDING! —Paul

Civil • Structural

509.222.0959 5401 Ridgeline Dr., Ste. 160 • Kennewick, WA 99338

knutzenengineering.com

Congrats on the new building!

It was a pleasure to be part of this project.

-Rick & Jef 509.545.5320 | absolutepowertc.com Wa License # ABSOLPI920KZ

B10

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

Real Estate & Construction VISTA FIELD, From page B1

the economy. The port expected private construction to start in 2021.

The arts theme took a hit this spring when plans for an 800-seat performing arts center and creative space fell through. The nonprofit Arts Center Task Force relinquished its hold on 2.2 acres at the heart of Vista Field, saying it would pursue a location in Richland on the hope of securing taxpayer financing there.

Courtesy Port of Kennewick

Total Site Services of Richland is wrapping up a $4.9 million project to prepare the former Vista Field in Kennewick for mixed-use development. There are 62, 16-foot blue light poles.

The Port of Kennewick shut down the airfield when it painted big white “X’s across the runway on Dec. 31, 2013. The cost to run the airport doomed it. Vista Field was not eligible for the Federal Aviation Administration grants and loans that support airports in Pasco, Richland and Prosser.

Development will happen in eight phases totaling 750,000 square feet of retail, office and entertainment spaces and 1,100 single-family homes, condominiums and apartments.

The port expects more than $450 million in private sector investment.

Follow the Vista Field project at portofkennewick.org/projects/vista-field.

uBUSINESS BRIEF G2 wins contract for Richland High Auditorium remodel

Kennewick-based G2 Commercial Construction will renovate the Richland High School Auditorium after submitting a low bid of $7.7 million. It was one of seven bidders for the work.

The project aimed at updating the facility and improving accessibility. The city of Richland approved a permit for the work April 27.

The renovation is funded by a 2017 bond approved by voters. The yearlong project begins this summer at Richland High, 920 Long Ave. The update will reconfigure aisles and install new seating, add restrooms and new vestibule areas and modernize electrical and mechanical systems. The auditorium will get a new roof, exterior guardrails and electronic readers boards as well.

G2 renovated the district’s Early Learning Center, which is in the former Jefferson Elementary building.

The auditorium will close for performances for the 2020-21 academic year.

DUPORTAIL, From page B5 The order was lifted when the 2020 Legislature approved a $10.4 billion transportation budget that relies on existing revenue.

Rogalsky said the city lost 30 to 60 days because of the order but said it did not affect the critical period when work is allowed in the river.

A King County judge removed the injunction that prevented it from taking effect in March, setting the stage for further appeal.

The Duportail Bridge budget includes $22.5 million from the 2015 Legislature’s Connecting Washington program, $9 million from the state Transportation Improvement Board, $2.7 million in federal funds and about $3.2 million in city funds. Richland’s car tab fees are supporting road maintenance and construction.

The city is installing a new water main to serve south Richland as well, retiring an aging line that sits on the bottom of the Yakima. City water customers provided about $5.3 million through utility fees and a $2 million Federal Emergency Management Agency grant covered the rest.

Real Estate & Construction

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

B11

PUBLIC RECORD

uBANKRUPTCIES Bankruptcies are filed under the following chapter headings: Chapter 7 — Straight bankruptcy: debtor gives up non-exempt property and debt is discharged.

Chapter 11 — Allows companies and individuals to restructure debts to repay them.

Chapter 12 — Allows family farmers or fishermen to restructure finances to avoid liquidation for foreclosure.

Chapter 13 — Plan is devised by the individual to pay a percentage of debt based on ability to pay. All disposable income must be used to pay debts.

Information provided by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Spokane.

CHAPTER 7 Christopher & Erin Bush, 2104 Blue Jay Lane, West Richland.

Robert & Synthia Rowett, 1026 W. Tenth Ave., Apt. B-220, Kennewick.

Victor Sanchez & Jessica Carretero, 3810 Bismarck Lane, Pasco.

Charles & Fawn Cavaiani, 6511 W. Willamette Ave., Kennewick.

Alyssa Dodson, 319 S. Johnson St., Apt. 3, Kennewick.

Robert Bailey-Whitten, 7819 Deschutes Drive, Pasco.

Mario Balderas, 4405 W. Fourth Court, Kennewick.

Jonathan Hainline & Crystal DalkeHainline, 460 N. Arthur St., Apt. E-107, Kennewick.

Tristan & Lacey Walter, 522 N. Yelm St., Kennewick.

Jose Miranda Rojas & Maria Sanchez Ortiz, 49 Atom Drive, Pasco.

Andrea Salazar, 5016 Buchanan Lane, Pasco.

Christin Young, 785 Canyon St., Apt. 310, Richland.

Tyler Cox, 1306 N. Road 36, Pasco.

Nicole Vantuyl, 203505 E. Perkins Road, Kennewick.

Coty Connell, 203505 E. Perkins Road, Kennewick.

Antonio Frias, 5212 Montague Lane, Pasco.

Gordon Zulauf, 3715 W. 15th Ave., Kennewick.

Sarah Karjola, 5516 Topeka Drive, Pasco.

Thongkham Khamphoumy, 903 Lincoln Drive, Pasco.

Nicolas Arnold, 3400 West First Place, #4, Kennewick.

Thalia Hernandez, 6512 Ebbets Drive, Pasco.

Gunnar & Rheannon Morby, 513 N. Irving Place, Kennewick.

Brandie Saint-Claire, 6211 Wrigley Drive, Pasco.

Tyler Clayton, 2730 S. Lyle St., Kennewick.

Deborah & Dennis Green, 25 Valley View Circle, Richland.

Weston Hettinger, 303 Spring St., Richland.

Annie John, 2605 S. Ledbetter St., Kennewick.

Jimmy & Michele Garcia, 51105 N. Evert Road, Benton City.

Sally Humphries, P.O. Box 6062, Kennewick.

Casey & Meghan Cooper, 1106 Karen Ave., Benton City.

Margarita Arreola, P.O. Box 274, Eltopia.

Nathan & Angela Holdren, 1116 S. Sharron St., Kennewick.

Jose & Maegen Sanchez, 6626 Chapel Hill Blvd., Apt. E-106, Pasco.

Ina Davis, P.O. Box 3284, Pasco.

Javier Solis, 710 S. Sharron St., Kennewick.

Penick. Seller: Conrad & Caroline Morrow.

5105 S. Bermuda Road, Kennewick, 2,300-square-foot residential home on 2.87 acres. Price: $536,000. Buyer: Jessie Evans & Randolph Lemmons. Seller: Tomas & Sandrine King.

FRANKLIN COUNTY 7628 Sandy Ridge Road, Pasco, 3,000-square-foot residential home with pool on 1 acre. Price: $665,000. Buyer: Celeste & Tom Nelson. Seller: Philip & Eileen Peistrup.

Undisclosed location, 315 acres of farm land on two parcels. Price: $4,534,000.

Buyer: Blueberry Joint Venture. Seller: Basin City Blueberries.

100 E. Second St., Basin City, 15,000-square-foot agricultural storage building on 2.91 acres. Price: $1,450,000.

Buyer: Boulder Canyon Organics. Seller: Basin City Storage.

6010 Sheffield Road, Basin City, Multiple

parcels of land and associated agricultural buildings on 131 acres. Price: $2,829,500.

Buyer: Boulder Canyon Organics. Seller: Opus Washington Inc. 900 E. Foster Wells Road, Pasco, Two parcels totaling 10 acres with 3,000-squarefoot residential home and 3,000-square-foot pole building. Price: $600,000. Buyer: Juan & Sally Martinez. Seller: Maurice & E’Reani Schmidli.

6836 Eagle Crest Drive, Pasco, 2,600-square-foot residential home on 0.57 acre. Price: $780,000. Buyer: Jay & Brenda Tetreault. Seller: Greg Senger Construction.

12315 Willow Creek Drive, Pasco, 2,100-square-foot residential home. Price: $529,000. Buyer: Bobby & Loraine Campbell. Seller: Howard & Toni Day. 9120 W. Richardson Road, Pasco, 2,300-square-foot residential home. Price: $525,000. Buyer: Larry & Allison Smith.

Seller: Victorine Willingham.

Undisclosed location, 15.8 acres of unde-

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B12

CHAPTER 13 Sara Moon, 502 Mercer Court, Prosser.

Lincoln Dinkins, 8615 Tottenham Court, Pasco.

Jose Munoz Suarez & Barbara Lazo Gonzalez, 3418 1/2 W. Seventh Ave., Apt. D, Kennewick.

Jose Jaime Martinez, 2525 W. Fourth Ave., Kennewick.

Daniel Mendosa Arambula Jr., 209 S. Fir St., Kennewick.

uTOP PROPERTIES BENTON COUNTY 7913 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick, 2,700-square-foot commercial building and 0.58 acre of primary commercial/industrial land. Price: $750,000. Buyer: Anchorage Corporate Aircraft Center LLC. Seller: The Gerald & Spring Covington Living Trust.

1637 S. Current St., Kennewick, undisclosed home on 0.51 acre. Price: $609,000.

Buyer: Richard & Kathleen Campbell. Seller: Landmark Homes of Washington.

89003 E. Sagebrush Road, Kennewick, 2,700-square-foot residential home on 0.59 acre. Price: $550,000. Buyer: Jonathan & Laura Stephens. Seller: Bernard & Kaylie Boykin.

70305 E. 710 PR NE, Richland, 4,000-square-foot residential home on 3.88 acre. Price: $612,500. Buyer: Lee & Anya

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B12

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

veloped land. Price:$2,413,000. Buyer: EPO LLC. Seller: M2K Properties LLC. 200 Road 34, Pasco, 5,500-square-foot residential home and event location built in 1912. The Moore Mansion is considered an historical home on multiple parcels totaling 6.25 acres. Price: $2,673,000. Buyer: At the Moore LLC. Seller: Lowell & Debra Peck.

1600 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, 5,000-squarefoot office building. Price: $500,000. Buyer: Susan Carpenter et al. Seller: CBC Foundation (as trustee).

12505 Clark Fork Road, Pasco, 2,600-square-foot residential home on 0.54 acre. Price: $598,000. Buyer: Matthew Mortimer et al. Seller: Hammerstrom Construction.

6340 Glade North Road, Pasco, 1,200-square-foot residential home on 212 acres. Price: $3,400,000. Buyer: Theodore & Merideth Tschirky. Seller: R & L St. Hilarie LLC. 3012 Road 61, Pasco, 2,400-square-foot

residential home. Price: $550,000. Buyer: Lance & Michelle Bunger. Seller: Boyd & Shona Petty (Trust).

110 Terrace Drive, Pasco, 4,000-squarefoot residential home on 1.69 acres. Price: $1,135,000. Buyer: Mohamed Oudrhiri.

Seller: Carolyn Ballard.

6932 Bitterroot Ave., Pasco, 2,400-square-foot residential home. Price: $523,000. Buyer: Tracy & Nicole Morgan.

Seller: Hammerstrom Construction.

12516 Clark Fork Road, Pasco, 2,600-square-foot residential home. Price: $638,000. Buyer: Alma & David Duran.

Seller: Hammerstrom Construction.

1828 W. Lewis St., Pasco, 11,000-squarefoot commercial building on 1.0 acre. Price: $725,000. Buyer: Andrew & Susan Landram (Trust). Seller: Lewis Street Associates.

11402 Woodsman Drive, Pasco, 3,300-square-foot residential home. Price: $575,000. Buyer: Michael & Jessica Evarts II. Seller: Josue & Anica Silva.

uBUILDING PERMITS KENNEWICK Kennewick School District, 425 S. Tweedt St., $255,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Big D’s Construction of Tri-Cities.

City of Kennewick, 2204 S. Irving St., $2,504,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Rotschy Inc. Kennewick School District, 3520 Southridge Blvd., $15,112,000 for a commercial addition at Southridge High School.

Contractor: Bouten Construction Company and Apollo Mechanical Construction.

Kennewick School District, 4901 W. 20th Ave., $17,750 for a commercial addition at Lincoln Elementary School. Contractor: Pacific Mobile Structures.

Washington Securities & Investment Company, 8418 W. Gage Blvd., $38,000 for a commercial remodel at Boiada Brazilian

Grill. Contractor: Zion Restoration.

CC West Properties, 8390 W. Gage Blvd., $204,000 for a commercial remodel.

Contractor: Hot Solar Solutions.

Columbia Center, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $9,000 for a commercial remodel at Sephora. Contractor: Fulcrum Construction.

Columbia Basin Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, 512 N. Young St., $24,000 for a new commercial addition. Contractor: D&D Tri Rivers Excavation.

PASCO Tri-Cities Community Health, Parcel 113 394 300, $90,000 for a commercial addition. Contractor: To be determined.

Balcom & Moe Inc., 1315 N. First Ave., $573,000 for new commercial construction.

Contractor: Teton West of WA LLC. City of Pasco, 310 N. Oregon Ave., $577,000 for a new commercial addition at Pasco Fire Department. Contractor: To be determined Kenyon Zero Storage, 5812 Burlington Loop, $18,527,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: To be determined.

Stonegate Pasco, 6102 N. Road 68, $32,000 for a commercial remodel.

Construction: Mark Vincent Construction.

RICHLAND MK Northwest Properties, 2811 Polar Way, $3,700,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: CRF Metalworks LLC. Amil Cordic, 2461 Robertson Drive, $469,000 for new commercial construction.

Contractor: Affordable Construction.

BENTON COUNTY Agri-Northwest, 32198 State Route 14, Unit A, $2,554,000 for a new commercial building. Contractor: Teton West of WA LLC. Agri-Northwest, 32198 State Route 14, Unit C, $2,466,000 for a new commercial building. Contractor: Teton West of WA LLC. Lamb Weston, 158697 S. State Route 221, Unit A & B, $2,293,390 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Teton West of WA LLC.

uBUSINESS LICENSES KENNEWICK Payne’s Group and Associates LLC, 4678 Burton Road, Thomasville, North Carolina.

Third Eye Imaging LLC, 4309 W. 27th Place.

Goodwill Industries of the Columbia, 2618 W. Kennewick Ave. Goodwill Industries of the Columbia, 815 N. Kellogg St., Suite A. Synergistics, Inc., 1020 N. Center Parkway.

Bloomberg Holdings LLC, 1403 N. Greene St., Spokane.

Robert Duncan’s Property Clean Up & Hauling, 41 Pine Glen Court, Easton.

Kennewick Public Hospital District, 805 S. Auburn St. Mix Plumbing, 4 W. 36th Ave., no address listed.

Alexander Gow Fire Equipment, 1436 NW 53rd St., Seattle.

A.D.T. Construction, 5421 Leola St., Pasco.

Kennewick Man Lawn & Pest, 4005 S. Olympia St. Leo’s Landscaping & Lawn Care Services, 430 S. 22nd Ave., Pasco.

Pilot Electric Company LLC, 11050 Harris Road, Pasco.

Delarm’s Quality Construction, 2621 N. Road 56, Pasco.

Quality Carpentry & Associates LLC, 2105 N. Steptoe St. Firestone Complete Auto Care, 1765 N.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B13

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020 Columbia Center Blvd.

Systematic Wood Designs LLC, 909 W. Main St., Walla Walla.

Browning Homes, Inc., 78964 Country Heights Drive.

MDToolbox, 8520 W. Gage Blvd.

Northeast Electric LLC, 1780 Down River Drive, Woodland.

Felix Plastering LLC, 6702 Ahtanum Road, Yakima.

LaPierre Enterprises, Inc., 2748 LaPierre Canyon Drive.

Wren Construction, Inc., 1410 80th St. SW, Suite A, Everett.

Kendra Bork Hair Design, 1306 N. Pittsburg St. Pure Clean, 2571 Aileron Lane, Richland.

Proficiency Construction LLC, 803 S. Third Ave., Connell.

Ramsay Signs, 1124 N. Freya St., Spokane.

A&D Restorations LLC, 510 N. Louisiana St.

Miss Tamale, 701 The Parkway, Richland.

DreadKarma, 4 N. Cascade St. Rocka73 Hair Salon, 2605 S. Keller St. Remedy Urgent Mobile Medicine, 3130 S. Gum St. Coby Combs Farms LLC, 2561 Fir Road, Eltopia.

Edd Anso General Contractor LLC, 1505 S. Road 40 E., Pasco.

Madlocks, 4 N. Cascade St. Conde’s Drywall LLP, 2115 N. Seventh Ave., Pasco.

Alfonso Country Boys Lawn Care, 1107 S. Newport St. Kennewick Jr Lions, 918 W. Canal Drive.

Appleman and Sons LLC, 4107 Valencia Drive, Pasco.

Bazan Concrete LLC, 1208 E. Fourth Place.

Zook Homez LLC, 8804 W. Victoria Ave. Aguilar, Pedro, 300 E. Eighth Place.

Tony’s Fitness, 201 N. Edison St. Saloncentric Inc., 6515 W. Clearwater Ave.

Tyson’s Painting and Remodeling LLC, 1514 W. 41st Ave. Conde’s Dry Wall LLP, 2115 N. Seventh Ave., Pasco.

VM Roofing LLC, 319 N. Wehe Ave., Pasco.

Pochita’s Candy LLC, 2105 N. Steptoe St. Tri-City Orthodontics, 2611 S. Quillan Place.

Salon on 1st, 123 W. First Ave. Makers Collective, 2942 S. Grant St. Mr. Appliance of Kennewick, 6341 Copper Court, West Richland.

Roof Masters Construction, 407 W. Sylvester St., Pasco.

Ultra Construction, 2413 Famville Court, Pasco.

Pro Excavation, 20904 S Williams PR SE. Jacqueline’s Cannabis Kitchen, 1012 W. 37th Place.

The Tire Guy LLC, 4710 W. Hood Ave. Apex Inspection, 4700 W. 19th Ave. Kennewick Cleaning Services, 4306 W.

B13

35th Court.

The Beauty Bar, 3311 W Clearwater Ave. Goehle Operations LLC, 5719 W. Entiat Place.

Trendz Real Estate, Inc., 3787 S. Sherman St. Gasca Masonry LLC, 4108 Atlanta Lane.

Carmedic, 4607 Yuma Drive, Pasco.

Deluxe Details Koininia Comunion Con Dios, 5507 Texada Lane, Pasco.

Yan’s Oil Massage, 4012 W. Clearwater Ave. MKB Ink LLC, 2500 W. Kennewick Ave. HC Farm LLC, 6512 W. Hood Place.

Extreme Diaz Construction, 1514 W. Sixth Ave. Delta Turf Science, 10050 Ridgeline Drive.

Jean Street Property LLC, 3301 S. Jean St. Little Chance Construction, 200802 E. Game Farm Road.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B14

B14

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020

David Saipov, 300 N. Hawaii St. Grace Professional Services, 3820 W. Grand Ronde Ave. Dallas Road Property LLC, 3301 S. Jean St. St. Bet’s, 5 S. Dayton St. Dajago, 1727 W. 27th Ave. Badger Estimating LLC, 4510 W. 20th Ave. Sageland Homestays, 2514 W. 35th Ave. Vanity Makeup & Skin, 8390 W. Gage Blvd.

Olden Wayz New Dayz, 3311 W. Clearwater Ave. Booth Family Coffee, 1707 W. 31st Ave. Desert Wind Cottage, 8602 W. Bruneau Place.

Columbia Consulting LLC, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd.

AA Transportation LLC, 1105 W. Grand Ronde Ave. Esthetics by Madi, 5 S. Dayton St. Class A General Contractor LLC, 1408

Brooks Lane, Toppenish.

Mojave’s Maws and Paws, 5425 W. 32nd Ave. Americore Construction Inc., 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Greenland Consulting, 4008 W. Grand Ronde Ave. Levi Porto, 34303 Pacific Highway S., Federal Way. Dick Brown Insurance, 7511 W. Arrowhead Ave. Envision Contracting, 118 E. 14th Ave. Maria Nini Duran, 1326 W. Seventh Place.

Ruby’s Daycare LLC, 1012 E. Sixth Ave. Compass Pest Control, 402 E. 10th Ave. Carby Consulting LLC, 803 S. Olympia St. Mingle and Mischief Events LLC, 7218 W. 15th Ave. Popped, 3018 S. Tacoma Place.

Legacy Designs Signs, 701 S. Young Place.

11 Western Express LLC, 4508 W. Sixth Ave.

H & H Enterprises, 17 S. Lyle St. Brock’s Curry, 3103 S. Dennis St. Fit Coach 2 Go, 4005 S. Tacoma Court.

Amri & Co., 8805 W. Third Ave. Wallula Wine Company LLC, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Tri-Town Lan, 221 W. 45th Ave. Taqueria Coalcoman, 528 S. Ely St. Star Group LLC, 2526 W. 33rd Place.

Northwest Hearing Consultants, 8382 W. Gage Blvd.

Bullworker LLC, 120 S. Idaho St. Les J Cleaning Service, 3324 W. 19th Ave. Q Nails and Lounge, 4008 W. 27th Ave. Mid-Columbia Law PLLC, 1030 N. Center Parkway.

Phoenix Physical Therapy and Performance Center LLC, 10121 W. Clearwater Ave. Liberation Bike Service, 6726 W. Ninth Place.

Turnkey Consulting LLC, 501 N. Quay St. Limitless Brokerage, 4515 W. Imnaha Ave.

Faram LLC, 117 W. Kennewick Ave. 3M Investments LLC, 9312 W. 10th Ave. Zipease LLC, 1107 S. Lincoln St. Fielding Consulting, 116 Vista Way. WEST RICHLAND Pacificnorthwestwines.com, 1725 Sunshine Ave. Tech Factors LLC, 1725 Sunshine Ave. RG Guide Services, 6075 Gray St. Nickoloff, Merrie E, 5903 Norma St. Gema M Harper, 4811 Holly Way. M&M Pools and More LLC, 2341 W 22nd Ave, Kennewick.

Turf Pros LLC, 1090 Wandling Road, Mabton.

Quality Backhoe Services Inc., P.O. Box 3001, Pasco.

Vedder, Anthony, 1114 W. Tenth Ave., Kennewick.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B15

Thank You

We appreciate all our advertisers for their support.

SAGE DESIGN GROUP

#ReadLocal #ShopLocal #StayConnected

PLLC

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020 Gennarelli, Michael, 2708 S. Zillah Court, Kennewick.

Transportal, 4214 W. John Day Place, Kennewick.

River North Transit LLC, 160 Varick St., New York, New York.

Hamilton Construction Co., P.O. Box 659, Springfield, Oregon.

Energeo LLC, 2453 Morency Drive, Richland.

Walker Construction, Inc., P.O. Box 3901, Spokane.

Can Do Kids, 1950 Keene Road, Richland.

Duncan’s Property Clean Up & Hauling, P.O. Box 424, Easton.

Bernal Construction LLC, P.O. Box 3395, Pasco.

DDB LLC, 6103 Balsam Court.

WF General Contractors LLC, 62 Country Lane, Newport.

Skills Construction & Development, 4903 Antigua Drive, Pasco.

NW Erectors & Metal Bldgs, 28004 S. 887 PR SE, Kennewick.

Medvio LLC, 5780 W. Van Giesen St.

uJUDGMENTS The state can file lawsuits against people or businesses that do not pay taxes and then get a judgment against property that person or business owns. Judgments are filed in Benton-Franklin Superior Court. The following is from the Franklin County Superior Court Clerk’s Office.

Stratum Concrete, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed April 3.

Alejandro Torres, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed April 3.

Heriberto Pinto-Ramirez, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed April 3.

Anecia A. Luidahl, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed April 3.

Scott M. Hadley, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed April 3.

Felipe Olloqui, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed April 3.

Ricardo Castaneda, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed April 3.

Kylie R. Howell, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed April 3.

Patricio Madrigal, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed April 3.

Esperanza Villanueva, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed April 3.

MCS Quality Painting LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue, filed April 3.

Xpress Mart of Pasco LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue, filed April 3.

Jesus Manuel Perez et al, unpaid Department of Revenue, filed April 3.

Christine Kay Cunningham, unpaid Department of Revenue, filed April 3.

River’s Edge Trucking LLC et al, unpaid Department of Licensing taxes, filed April 3.

Angelica M. Segovia Amaya, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed April 13.

Francisco J. Gallardo, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed April 13.

Christina Reyes, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed April 13.

Alejandro Magana, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed April 13.

T4Power LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed April 13.

Alex B. Najera, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed April 24.

Alex B. Najera, MD, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed April 24.

Carniceria Los Toreros LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed April 24.

Carefree Meats LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed April 24.

uLIQUOR LICENSES BENTON COUNTY NEW APPLICATIONS Casa Mia Restaurant Tri-Cities, 2541 W.

Kennewick Ave., Kennewick. License type: Direct shipment receiver-in Washington only; beer/wine restaurant - beer/wine; off premises. Application type: added/change of class; in lieu.

Casa Mia Richland, 607 George Washington Way, Richland. License type: Direct shipment receiver-in Washington only, beer/wine restaurant – beer/wine; off premises. Application type: added/change of class; in lieu.

Miss Tamale, 701 The Parkway, Suite B, Richland. License type: beer/wine restaurant – beer/wine. Application type: new.

The Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, 1420 N. Louisiana Ave., Kennewick.

License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant/ lounge+ ; off premises sale wine.

Application type: added/change of class; in lieu.

Domanico Cellars LLC, 236 Port Ave., Suite D, Prosser. License type: domestic winery < 250,000 liters; direct shipment receiver – in Washington only; beer/wine restaurant – beer/wine. Application type: new.

Buffalo Wild Wings, 8551 W. Gage Blvd., Suite A, Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver-in Washington only; spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge +; kegs to go; off-premises sale wine. Application type: added/change of class/in lieu.

Proof Kitchen and Bar, 6627 Burden Blvd., Suite C, Pasco. License type: spirits/ beer/wine – restaurant/lounge+; kegs to go.

Application type: new.

Havana Café, 404 W. Lewis St., Pasco.

License type: spirits/beer/wine – restaurant/ lounge+. Application type: added/change of class; in lieu.

JC’s Mesa Grocery and Deli, 102 First Ave., Mesa. License type: direct shipment receiver – in Washington only; grocery store – beer/wine; spirits retailer.

uMARIJUANA LICENSES BENTON COUNTY NEW

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uBUSINESS UPDATES NEW LOCATION Grocery Outlet opened its first location in Richland at 2901 Queensgate Drive. Hours: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.

Chipotle Mexican Grill opened at 2673 Queensgate Drive in Richland. Hours: 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. Chipotle.com, 509396-0314.

MOVED Taylored Living Magazine moved to 4528 W. 26th Ave., Suite 140, Kennewick.

Alpha Computer Center has moved to 470-A Williams Blvd., Richland.

Alki Farms, 234805 E. Straightbank Road, Kennewick. License type: marijuana producer tier 2; marijuana producer.

Application type: change of location.

NAME CHANGE A Washington youth organization fighting to stop climate change has a new name.

Washington Youth Climate Strike is now Washington Youth for Climate Justice.

APPROVED

CLOSED

Pure Tran LLC, 235706 E. Legacy PR SE, Kennewick. License type: 392, marijuana producer. Application type: added fees.

FRANKLIN COUNTY N/A

Chaplaincy Health Care closed its Repeat Boutique thrift store at 22 W. Kennewick Ave. in downtown Kennewick.

Cousins’ Restaurant at 4605 N. Road 68 in Pasco has closed.

APPROVED Carniceria La Carreta, 1305 W. Fourth Ave., Suite B, Kennewick. License type: grocery store - beer/wine. Application: change of corporate officer.

Longship Cellars, 2412 Henderson Loop, Richland. License type: domestic winery < 250,000 liters. Application type: change of location.

Green Papaya Thai Restaurant, 5601 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. License type: beer/wine restaurant – beer/wine.

Application type: in lieu.

Klipsun, 318 Wellhouse Loop, Suite C, Richland. License type: domestic winery < 250,000. Application type: new.

Carniceria El Sol LLC, 623 Ninth St., Benton City. License type: grocery store – beer/wine. Application type: new.

The Draw at Coyote Canyon, 1121 Meade Ave., Prosser. License type: tavern – beer/ wine. Application type: new.

FRANKLIN COUNTY NEW APPLICATIONS

Office Furniture • Supplies Large Format Printing Space Planning • And More!

Shop online at www.brutzmans.com 509-735-0300 2501 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Richland, Washington

Modernizing Tri-City workplaces since 1946

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MAY 2020