Bottom Line Blog Office of Economic Development

Bottom Line

News from Seattle's Office of Economic Development

New small business resource tool from WA Department of Commerce

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New small business resource tool from WA Department of Commerce   
Department of Commerce
The Department of Commerce has a new tool on their website that small businesses can use to search for training, technical assistance, access to capital and other services available in Washington.

Meet Columbia City’s local business owners   
Columbia City Seattle
Only In Seattle is a great platform to support local businesses and their owners. Check out what the Columbia City Business Association created to highlight all their passionate, independent and local business owners and build community support to shop locally.

How to run a brainstorming session   
Inc.
Design firm Ideo is a brainstorming powerhouse. They combine the right mix of people for the best chemistry to produce profitable ideas from their staff. Here are some tips on how a business can improve its brainstorming sessions.

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As a service to the Seattle business community, the Office of Economic Development curates a daily business news blast, Daily Digest. As a feature on Bottom Line, we’re posting a handful of stories from the Daily Digest every day.  Find the stories informative or helpful? Keep checking Bottom Line or sign up for Daily Digest to receive the full version in your inbox every day. Subscribe to the Daily Digest here.

IG Report says NOAA should have considered existing federal facilities before deciding to move from Seattle to Newport, OR

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At the end of June, The Department of Commerce Inspector General confirmed that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s solicitation process was legitimate, but agrees with Senator Cantwell, Congressman McDermott, and the City of Seattle that NOAA should have first considered existing federal facilities, and that choosing an existing federal facility could have saved taxpayer dollars.

Before deciding to move its research fleet from Seattle to Newport, Ore., NOAA failed to adequately consider the less expensive option of existing federal facilities in Seattle, says the Department of Commerce Inspector General Report. The report also explained that, “given the ground rules NOAA set for the competition, Newport would have been the likely winner, regardless of flaws in the selection process. But the report found the fundamental problems with NOAA’s analysis occurred before it set the ground rules.”

In addition to the Lake Union site and the Newport site, NOAA had analyzed the Port of Bellingham and the Port of Port Angeles. NOAA has operated out of Lake Union for at least 50 years, where the 10-vessel fleet is manned and administered by a staff of about 175.

To read Seattle Times’ coverage, please click here.

To read Senator Maria Cantwell’s full press release, please click here.

To view the Department of Commerce Inspector General Report, please click here.

Additional media resources:

“Inspector general: NOAA lease award flawed”
Puget Sound Business Journal

“Report: Process that led NOAA ships to leave Seattle flawed”
Seattle PI

“Federal watchdog questions NOAA’s move to Newport over Bellingham, Seattle”
Bellingham Herald

“Rep. McDermott Lauds Inspector General’s Findings on NOAA’s Flawed Decision to Move Marine Center from Seattle to Oregon”
U.S. House of Representatives