Mayor candidate calls for firing Anchorage port director

"This comes after years and millions of dollars" wasted on the project, Honeman's campaign said in a news release Monday. "If our municipality is serious about putting the Port of Anchorage expansion back on the right track, then the first step is for new leadership at the port," Honeman said.

Construction woes and delays have plagued the port project, with the price tag for redoing the entire port now estimated at $1 billion. Supporters of Sheffield, a former Alaska governor, say the problems were largely out of his control.

Honeman sat in on Assembly port committee meetings for more than a year, toured the port and has listened to Sheffield speak, he said.

"Someone has to be accountable here," he said. "The person with the fingerprints on it since 2001 is Bill Sheffield."

Honeman is running against incumbent Mayor Dan Sullivan, who is seeking a second term in the April 3 city election.

"Mr. Honeman apparently does not understand that the expansion project is managed by the federal government under the direction of the Maritime Administration, not the port director," Sullivan said.

In a written statement, the mayor said his administration has investigated and "taken several critical steps to ensure the success of the project going forward." They include a new agreement with the Maritime Administration, more oversight and a redesign that reduces the scale of the project. He also said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is doing an independent review of the design and of construction efforts to date.

"As for the appointment and retention of executive staff, that remains the exclusive responsibility of the mayor," Sullivan said.

Honeman's view has some support on the Assembly but other members think he's out of line.

Asked what he'd do if he were mayor, Assemblyman Dick Traini said: "I would have already terminated him. There's been a problem going on there a long time."

But Assembly Chairwoman Debbie Ossiander said the Corps of Engineers is currently reviewing the port project and until the corps report comes in, "It's premature and inappropriate for Honeman to take the position he has."

The port project has been held back by lack of money and major construction problems. Steel sheets placed in 2009 were damaged during installation, adding to the expense. Estimates to complete the entire project as initially envisioned were $1 billion as of late last year. Recently, the city asked the Legislature for $350 million and Sullivan has said that's all his administration will request. That's enough to complete the most important phase, he says.

A spokesperson said Sheffield, port director since 2001, would not comment on Honeman's call for his firing.

Traini said Sheffield was effective when the late U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens was in power, and was able to steer federal dollars to the port. "In his prime, he was fine," Traini said. Now it's time for Sheffield to move on, he said.

Assembly member Elvi Gray-Jackson said constituents have been asking her to do something about replacing the port director.

"I think Gov. Sheffield has run his course," she said.

But another Assembly contingent, including Ossiander, disagrees.

Assemblyman Bill Starr said the port has performed well under challenging conditions on a day-to-day basis under Sheffield's leadership: "You never hear the fact that we're out of lettuce at the store because the barge didn't make it."

Sheffield shouldn't be "thrown under the bus" because of cost overruns on the expansion project, Starr said.

"Does Sheffield have some culpability in the oversight? Probably we all did," he said. "To ask for his head because ICRC (the project manager) hasn't done their job is probably not right."

Assemblyman Chris Birch said Honeman is "jumping the gun."

Birch noted, as did other Assembly members, that it's up to the mayor and not the Assembly to hire directors such as Sheffield. But if he were mayor, Birch said, "I would probably do what this mayor is doing: Do the research."

Two other Assembly members didn't say what they would do if they were in Sullivan's shoes.

"I haven't thought about it," said Adam Trombley.

Ernie Hall said he's not privy to all the information the mayor has but that for much of his tenure, Sheffield appeared to do a "remarkable job" managing the port.

Assembly members Jennifer Johnston, Patrick Flynn and Harriet Drummond could not be reached.

Reporter Kyle Hopkins contributed to this story. Reach Rosemary Shinohara at rshinohara@adn.com or 257-4340.