Despite concerned murmurs in the community about the fate of the Greenbank Farm, the Port of Coupeville and management group continue negotiations on a new contract with the focus now on budgets.

The Greenbank Farm Management Group was the only applicant to submit a proposal last fall to manage the publicly owned property.

A new contract needs to be renewed by June.

The previous contract includes a $50,000 annual fee paid to the management group by the port.

During the port’s regular meeting last week several community members involved in Greenbank Farm activities questioned what the longterm management plan is.

Port Commissioner Marshall Bronson assured the public that the port would maintain ongoing programs and contracts.

The issue at hand is the port budget.

Commissioners discussed at length last Wednesday where they could possibly cut from the budget.

“If we keep going this course, we are going to facing bankruptcy,” said newly appointed commissioner John Carr. “The 7,000 or so people who support the port would like to see a certain level of fiscal responsibility.

“Certain cuts have to be made, and we have a responsibility to make it.”

Bronson threw out a suggestion to take the $50,000 proposed management group fee and apply it to covering the cost of needed maintenance at the Greenbank Farm.

This suggestion was not supported by Commissioner Mike Diamanti, who also serves as the Greenbank Farm liaison.

Michael Stansbury, president of the Greenbank Farm Management Group, said going from $50,000 to nothing would be unacceptable.

He suggested the port look at cutting port handyman hours or other hourly cuts.

Bronson asked to see a breakdown of how the management group uses the $50,000 it receives and how fundraisers and other revenue opportunities at the farm figure into the group’s budget.

He noted that in the last several years, the port has born the brunt of budget constraints, while the management group maintains the same fiscal support from the public port district.

“The squeezing has always been on the port’s side,” Bronson said. “It’s time to look at the other side.”

Stansbury and port Executive Director David Day were instructed to work out plan to see where budgets can be trimmed.

“It’s a process to see if we can find some common ground,” Stansbury said. “We’re prepared to sit down and look at the details and see if it’s something we can do.”