PORT OF ILWACO – Sharon Saunders, who manages the Saturday Market at the Port of Ilwaco, gave a glowing report on the popular event during the port’s commission meeting Monday.

The largest market in its history is expected Saturday with about 88 vendors and more coming, Saunders said. New vendors will include an elephant ear booth and a “bounce house” for the kids.

The market’s profit is up $5,900 over last year, to date, Saunders said, and she has spent nothing on advertising. Vendor fees are 183 percent of projections. “We’ve been incredibly busy,” she said. “The support received by the port staff is immensely important to the success of the market.”

Saunders said she has purchased tent canopies for vendors to rent. The tents were used by the Long Beach Visitors Bureau during the Ocean in View nickel release at Cape Disappointment generating $600 for the market.

Saunders also manages the Ilwaco Charter Association Fishing Derby where she said she promotes the market and the port and has placed free ads in magazines, newspapers and fishing news reports throughout the West and fliers at lodging establishments.

A group of Yakima fruit growers has been contacted, Saunders said, and will be supplying fresh fruit at next year’s market.

Also at Monday’s commission meeting, Bob Stacklie, representing a group of sports fishermen who moor their boats at the port, presented research the group has done on a fish-cleaning station at the port. He said the group has said the best site for the station is near the boat ramp and could be constructed at a maximum cost of $200,000 to $250,000. “It could be done for less,” he said, “we think it’s a sound investment that will enhance the port and draw more sport fishermen to the area.”

The owner of Sportsmen’s Cannery, Tina Ward, objected to the proposal, saying it’s in direct conflict with their business. “It’s what we do every day,” she said, and added that if a fisherman comes in to port after business hours, “all it takes is a phone call for us to be at the cannery to clean your fish.”

Port commissioners discussed the proposal at length. Port manager Mack Funk said he has received more than 20 e-mails urging approval of the station. He warned that hooking up to the city of Ilwaco’s waste treatment plant to dispose of the waste fish would be expensive.

The commission is beginning work on the 2006 budget and the cost of constructing the station would have to be added in. “We can’t consider this without getting a grant,” commissioner Dick Watrous said. “We don’t have the money. We have dock repairs to do and other projects.”

Commissioner Frank Unfred asked if a port employee would be needed to maintain the station and if there would be a charge for using it. “The cost of gasoline will increase the cost of everything,” he said. “We’re committed to replacing pilings at the port. I don’t see any extra money to do this right now.”

Stacklie suggested raising the launch fee to pay for the facility.

Watrous said there are “a lot of negatives from the city. It will affect Sportsmen’s Cannery, no doubt. We see lots of people violating the law and tossing their fish waste into the water, but there are too many things we have to do with the budget that have to come first.” He said those things included new electrical wiring at the docks, the expense of the port’s recent purchase of a pile driver and finding somewhere to dispose of dredge material.

“A fish-cleaning station is a luxury,” Watrous said. “It’s not our top priority. Maybe you could find us a rich sugar-daddy to pay for it.”

Next on the commissioners’ agenda, John Price of Bayfront Wireless said wireless internet service is live at the port, although it’s still in test mode. Antennas have been placed at C and M docks and on top of the port office at no cost to the port, Price said. “In a month we’ll know if it’s going to be profitable,” he said. “We only need 10 or 15 customers a month. We want to tie into other ports with information about fishing locations, water temperatures and other help for fishermen.” He said future uses of the service could be devices on individual boats to automatically report bilge malfunction and motion detectors to deter thieves.

Next, Funk reported that although the port has shown a 3 percent rise in income over last year, “we may be hurting. Boats are staying away because of high fuel prices and the economy in general.”

The 2006 draft preliminary budget includes funds for improvements to the boat yard, additional electrical receptacles, new electrical feeds and outlets at M dock and rebuilding some 30 fingers as well as stringers, decking and water improvements, a new building on Waterfront Way and a “face lift” at the port office. The budget also will reflect a 4 percent increase in payroll and cuts in employee benefits which, he said, have increased 79 percent.

“This is our first take on the budget,” Funk said. “I expect income to go down in 2006.”

A budget workshop is tentatively scheduled for the first commission meeting in September and a public hearing Oct. 3.