It took a tie-breaker vote from Mayor Ben Winkelman to break a City Council deadlock, but the City of Hoquiam will contract with Greater Grays Harbor Inc. in 2020.

The council vote was a 6-6 tie. Winkelman, without comment, entered his yes vote, and the city approved the $5,500 contract with the regional chamber of commerce and economic development organization.

Winkelman was on the City Council last year when the council rejected Greater Grays Harbor’s contract proposal, and was one of only four “yes” votes then.

Voting yes this year were Ward 1 Councilman Dave Wilson, Ward 2 Councilmen Steven Puvogel and Jim George, Ward 3 Councilman Bill Nelson, and Ward 4 Councilmen Greg Grun and Al Dick. Voting no were Ward 1 Councilman Paul McMillan, Ward 3 Councilwoman Shannon Patterson, Ward 5 Councilwomen Denise Anderson and Brenda Carlstrom, and Ward 6’s Councilwoman Elizabeth Reid and Councilman Dave Hinchen.

Puvogel voted against last year’s contract but was satisfied with Greater Grays Harbor Inc. CEO Dru Garson’s 2020 proposal. He did say before the vote he felt the contract didn’t provide enough quantifiable benefits to the City of Hoquiam itself, and suggested future contracts should include Hoquiam-specific benefits, but voted in favor of the contract.

Winkelman said prior to the vote that how often the council would get reports from Greater Grays Harbor was a sticking point last year, but this year’s contract states that basically any time the council wants an update on Greater Grays Harbor’s activities it can ask for one.

Before the vote, McMillan said the city already has an asset in City Administrator Brian Shay that fills the role of business recruitment, and voted no on the contract, as he did last year.

At the beginning of Monday’s City Council meeting, Garson made a presentation on the work Greater Grays Harbor did throughout the county to promote business development, support small businesses, and other activities across the county and in Hoquiam specifically. Despite the lack of a contract in 2019, Garson said Greater Grays Harbor continued to promote properties for large-scale potential industrial projects in Hoquiam, and has worked with Winkelman on a potential affordable housing pilot project.

Garson told the council he felt it was important for the municipalities in the county to provide a united, collaborative front by working together through Greater Grays Harbor to promote tourism, business and development across the region.

Not commenting on the contract but there in support of it at the meeting Monday were Grays Harbor PUD General Manager Dave Ward and Port of Grays Harbor Commissioner Tom Quigg, both of whom are on the Greater Grays Harbor Inc. board of directors.

The $5,500 for the contract was not in the city’s budget, and will require a supplemental budget entry. The money will come out of reserves, said Finance Director Corri Schmid. When asked how solid the city’s reserves were before the council vote, she said they were above the state-required amount, but not by much.

Last year, the amount for the 2019 Greater Grays Harbor contract had been in the city’s budget, but the council voted against the contract and instead rolled that money into the Hoquiam Beautification Committee, formed in 2019 to spruce up the appearance of downtown Hoquiam.