For the Port of South Whidbey, it’s all a question of timing.

Commissioners held a special workshop meeting Monday morning to discuss engineering details on the breakwater pontoons the port is buying from Bremerton for $290,000.

But the port is also in the middle of discussions with the city of Langley about assuming ownership of the marina. Last year, Langley Mayor Neil Colburn offered to sell the city’s harbor for an undisclosed price.

Taking control of the city marina is important on two levels: It meets the port’s official mantra of providing the South End with recreation facilities and economic development, but it may also be crucial in determining whether or not the port will keep or resell Bremerton’s breakwater pontoons.

Commissioner Rolf Seitle is the port’s point man for the talks. At the port’s meeting early this week, he hinted that the port is at the fish-or-cut-bait point.

“We must have a binding agreement with the city by March 1,” Seitle said.

“If things don’t work out, we will be forced to re-sell the floats or let the Port of Bremerton find another buyer. There are no other realistic locations for them on South Whidbey. Buying them was a pretty gutsy decision, but we need to move forward or lose this opportunity,” he said.

The four docks are roughly 115 feet long, and would dramatically increase both the number and size of boats that can be berthed in Langley’s marina.

The current plans are to have the 15-year-old floats towed to a staging area somewhere on Whidbey Island in June.

Rob Henry, vice-president for the engineering firm Art Anderson Associates, made a pitch this week for his company’s services on the float project. Henry, Seitle and port manager Ed Field toured the marina earlier Monday morning.

“There’s some terrific real estate there with a lot of opportunities,” Henry said. “You need to tell me the scope of the project including financing, engineering and timing.”

Henry explained there are several other considerations; planning, pre-design, the permitting process, scheduling and budget issues.

“Our company understands the process at each step,” Henry said.

As an example, he pointed to the Port of Kingston passenger ferry terminal his company designed. There were a number of complex social issues to be resolved on top of the technical ones, he said. “We fully understand the nature of community shoreline concerns and the environmental aspects.”

Commissioner Geoff Tapert brought up the temporary uncertainty surrounding the dock.

“I’m fearful if we move forward and there’s a hang-up with Langley, we’ll have at least two moorage options,” he said.

Commission president Lynae Slinden tried to pin down the potential costs of using Henry’s services.

“Can we get an estimate of the billable hours involved and hourly rates?” Slinden asked.

Henry said the cost depends on the scope of the project — which can’t be determined yet — and the absolute requirement of providing a safe installation. He also noted that the pontoons have a specific capacity to withstand the “fetch” of wind, waves and currents unique to the marina’s southeast Langley location. Environmental issues such as removal of creosote-soaked piers and the preservation of eelgrass also add to the bill.

In the end, commissioners were interested in what Henry had to say, but could not make a decision on getting his company on board until more was heard from the port/Langley talks underway. Port officials were scheduled to talk with city representatives after The Record went to press.

“It’s all a matter of timing,” Tapert said.

The port’s regular January meeting is 7:30 p.m. tonight at Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeland.

Jeff VanDerford can be reached at 221-5300 or jvanderford@southwhidbeyrecord.com.