Westport’s Council Veteran: A Conversation with Louis Summers

For the past 16 years, Westport City Council member Louis Summers has been a steady presence in local government, advocating for the interests of the community he has called home for most of his life. His connection to Westport runs deep—he moved here as a teenager when his father retired from the Air Force, and after high school, he began a 45-year career as a crab fisherman. He spent 31 of those years as the owner of the Ethel May, a boat that, sadly, sank in the Willapa a year and a half after he sold it. Now, at 69, with four children, eight grandchildren, and a cruise planned with his wife, Donna, Louis is at a crossroads, unsure if he will seek another term on the council.

Through listening to city council meetings, one thing stands out about Louis—he is engaged and goes at his own pace. He asks thoughtful questions, shares his perspective, and takes time to recognize the contributions of others. If anyone knows the people of Westport, it’s Louis—simply by virtue of his longevity and deep ties to the community. The Drift sat down with him to talk about his years of service and his views on Westport.

*Louis Summers sits on a bench made from the Ethel May in front of his home in Westport*

How long have you served on the city council?

It’s been 16 years. I don’t know why, but I keep winning by a landslide.

How do city council members represent the voice of the community?

I can't speak for everybody else. I don't know what or how they feel. But I hope that people respect what I have to say, you know? I mean, my voice is the people's voice. I've lived here a long time. I know what the community wants. This is a small town. We are close-knit. We have fishing and canneries and tourism and families. We are not Olympia or Seattle. I want young people and families to be able to afford a home or find one to rent. We have lots of seniors here too. It’s important we keep a good quality of life for everyone in the community.

What qualities make a good city council member?

I'm just speaking for myself of course, but I think someone that is well-rounded and can look out for the city and the community. Without the community, there is no city. And without the community, there is no input. The city pays the bills, but the community pays the taxes.

How do people in the community share their thoughts, concerns, or ideas with council members?

Well, they can come to the city council meetings and voice their opinion. You only get three minutes which usually isn’t enough time, but I still want to hear what you have to say. I can voice my opinion in meetings, but the community voice is what's most important. Westport also has a Chamber of Commerce, a Planning Commission, and an LTAC committee. These are all good people for the community to engage with.

I’ve noticed that in meetings, you take the time to express gratitude toward other council members and employees. I’ve heard you ask everyone to take a moment of silence for a loss.

Yeah, I do that quite a bit. It's important because people sacrifice their time for our community. People who have given their service- we should take the time to respect and honor them.

How does the city council approach the highly contested topics, like short-term rentals and Westport Golf Links?

Well, we try to look at it from all directions- what the community wants, what the business owners want, and what’s good for the city. It’s a fine line to make everyone happy. For short-term rentals, we need to keep discussing them. My personal feeling is I’d like to see some sort of cap on STRs because I don’t want to live in a neighborhood where I have Airbnb’s on all three sides of me. But, this is going to be one of those decisions that no matter what happens, someone gets upset or angry. Ultimately, it’s not about what I want- it’s about what is best for the community.

As for the golf course, we are still waiting for the Environmental Impact Statement to be released and then there is a comment period. There are also lawsuits. I know the business people want the golf course, but is it really good for the local people? Sometimes change is good and sometimes it's bad. And in my opinion, if the golf course goes in, it’s gonna benefit some people and hurt others. Real estate prices will go up. Our senior citizens who are on fixed incomes could be forced out. I just want to make sure the people who have lived here a long time can still afford to stay.

I’m also really concerned about the wetlands. What’s going to happen when they get built on? Where will the water go? And do we as a city have enough water to supply the golf course, our residents, and the canneries?

I saw a news story on the golf course where they said fishing is a dying industry in Westport. Do you think that is true?

There is always gonna be fishing here. There will always be boats here because folks are going to make a living here. There will always be crabbers and trollers here. But it is getting tougher. There are people here that have fished their whole life. Everything is paid for. But for a young person who wants to start out and buy a boat, it’s expensive. Back in the ‘70s, we had 260 charter boats in Westport. But as limits and quotas kept getting pressed upon the fishermen, a lot of them left. We used to have motels and bunkhouses, and you would go down to the dock, and there were people everywhere and nowhere to park. The Department of Fish and Wildlife made a lot of cuts and regulations, making it harder for everyone.

Are there any projects the city is working on that you are excited about?

The community skatepark is exciting. It’s going to be a good thing for the kids-a healthy activity and a place for them to get together. I’m telling you it’s going to be a great addition to our town. We need to help the younger generation out here. I’d be excited to see a public swimming pool too.

*Westport Skate Park, concept image. Stay tuned for updates- the next Community Meeting will be held in April*

The city spends a lot of time and money on tourism. How important is that?

Without tourism we wouldn’t survive. It generates a lot of money in town. But we need our businesses to be open year-round, and families need to be able to afford to work and live here. If we can’t rely on fishing we have to rely on other businesses, but people have to support those businesses too. We are lucky to have some great events- from Pirate Days, the Art Festival, and the Corvette show- things that make it exciting for people to come visit. My hope is that when people come they feel safe, they are treated kindly, they have a good time and they look forward to coming again. I want people to see Westport as a nice family town.

Sixteen years is a long run in city government. Do you think you will seek re-election?

That’s a good question. This year my term is up, and I have to decide if I’m going to run again. If I do, it will be my last one. A lot of people want me to run. I work for the city, but also for everyone that lives in this town. My number one priority is the people who live here.

Westport City Council Meetings are held at 7pm on the second and last Mondays of the month and at 1pm on the third Thursday of each month. The public is welcome to attend. Public comments on agenda items are at the start of the meeting and general public comments are at the end of the meeting. All comments may be no longer than three minutes.