May 30, 2025 Port of Galveston Meetings - Wharves Board Regular

[00:00:05]

MAY

[A. CALL TO ORDER]

CHAIRMAN DICK PEARSON.

PRESENT VICE CHAIRMAN JEFF PATTERSON.

HERE.

TRUSTEE MAYOR CRAIG BROWN.

HERE.

TRUSTEE WILLIE GONZALEZ.

HE'S NOT HERE RIGHT NOW.

TRUSTEE SHEILA LID STONE HERE.

TRUSTEE RICHARD MOORE HERE.

AND TRUSTEE JIM YARBOROUGH WILL BE ABSENT.

UM, WE HAVE ROGER ANTHONY BROWN.

OKAY.

WE HAVE FIVE TRUSTEES HERE.

WE HAVE A QUORUM.

PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.

ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE PROBLEM.

OKAY.

DECLARATIONS OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST BY A TRUSTEE.

ARE THERE ANY, I DON'T SEE ANY, ANY, NO EMPLOYEES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HERE.

ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS, ANGIE? NO, SIR.

OKAY.

WE HAVE ONE

[B.1 Discuss And Consider For Approval, A Memorandum Of Agreement Between The Board Of Trustees Of The Galveston Wharves And The U.S. Customs And Border Protection Agency For The Reimbursement Of Costs Related To Providing Communications And Information Technology Equipment Totaling $675,639.77, And The Initial Reoccurring Annual Service Fees Of $60,945.79 For Cruise Terminal No. 16.]

AND THE INITIAL REOCCURRING ANNUAL SERVICE FEES OF $60,945 AND 79 CENTS FOR CRUISE TERMINAL NUMBER 16.

BRETT, I TELL YOU WHAT, IF I COULD JUST TEE IT OFF, JUST SO EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THIS IS, YOU KNOW, BRICK CAN TALK ABOUT THIS IS REQUIRED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IF WE PLAN TO OPERATE A CRUISE TERMINAL.

IT'S PART OF THE BUDGET, BE FUNDED BY THE BOND DEBT.

THE REASON FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING IS THAT AFTER THE MEETING WE HAD ON TUESDAY, AN EMAIL CAME IN FROM CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION SAYING, HERE'S THE AGREEMENT, WE NEED THIS SIGNED AND BACK TO US BY FRIDAY, MAY 30TH.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OR ELSE IF WE DON'T, IF YOU CAN'T GET IT DONE BY THEN, THE NEXT CYCLE WILL BE IN OCTOBER.

AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE ARE SCHEDULED TO HAVE OUR FIRST CRUISE, NOVEMBER 9TH, HENCE THE REQUEST FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING.

GRATEFUL APPRECIATION THAT YOU COULD ALL BE HERE.

.

I GUESS WE HAVE 58 MINUTES TO TRY TO GET THIS DONE.

WELL, YES.

YEAH, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

NO, THAT'S PERFECT.

UM, FIRST THANK FOR ALL, YOU KNOW, SHOW UP ON LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON, UH, FOR THIS, UH, ALTHOUGH IF THIS IS, UH, EXECUTED AND APPROVED TODAY, IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE EQUIPMENT WILL BE HERE BY OCTOBER OR NOT.

ALL OF IT WILL BE RECEIVED AND INSTALLED BY OCTOBER.

UH, THERE'LL BE OTHER MEASURES THAT ARE GONNA BE PUT IN PLACE.

UH, I MET WITH THE CBP, THE AREA OF PORT DIRECTOR, UH, THEIR OFFICE OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY AS WELL AS OUR CIO, UH, OUR INTERNET PROVIDER, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THEY WILL HAVE EQUIPMENT ON HAND, MEDIATION, EQUIPMENT ON HAND, AS WELL AS BORROWING FROM OTHER CREWS TERMINALS, UH, AS NEEDED IF NEEDED, UH, TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR MISSION.

SO REGARDLESS, WE ARE GOING TO BE IN GOOD HANDS AND THEY GIMME THE PROMISE THAT, UH, IT'S NOT GONNA HAVE ANY INTERRUPTIONS.

THE KEY FOR THIS IS I DIDN'T WANT TO WAIT AND HAVE THEM START ORDERING IN OCTOBER DUE TO THEIR PROCUREMENT PERIOD, ENDING THE FISCAL YEAR, ENDING TODAY TO WAIT UNTIL OCTOBER TO START PURCHASING, BECAUSE THAT MEANS YOU EQUIPMENT WON'T START COMING IN UNTIL SECOND OR THIRD QUARTER OF 2026.

AND THEN HERE AGAIN, WE'RE NOT GUARANTEED HE'S GONNA COME IN OR PARTS OF IT, BUT THEY HAVE GUARANTEED US THAT THEY WILL, THEY WILL BRING SOME OF THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT DOWN TO OPERATE.

YEAH, I MOVE APPROVAL, GOT A MOTION, HAVE A SECOND BY TRUSTEE, VICE CHAIRMAN PATTERSON.

RICHARD, UH, IS THEY ORDER THIS STUFF, WE JUST GIVE 'EM THE MONEY.

THEY, THEY PURCHASED IT AND THEN THE PORT REIMBURSES THEM FOR THE COST.

AND THIS IS IN OUR BUDGET THAT THAT'S THE KEY PART.

IT HAPPENS TO EVERY TURN DOWN THE YEAH, THEY, THEY DETERMINE AS THE FEDERAL SECURITY ON SITE WHAT IS NEEDED.

THEY PURCHASE IT AND WE REIMBURSE THEM.

OR IF WE DON'T AGREE TO DO SO, WELL, UH, WE , WE CAN'T HAVE A CRUISE TERMINAL.

YEAH, SO, SO, UH, FOR SECURITY PURPOSES, THEY HAVE TO REACH OUT.

THEY HAVE TO BE, UH, THE CONTRACTOR TO HIRE OUT CONTRACTOR.

THEY HAVE TO BE THE SOURCE TO HIRE FROM THEIR CONTRACTORS.

THE EQUIPMENT FOR SECURITY PURPOSES, UH, AS WELL AS WHEN WE WILL, THE EQUIPMENT SHOWS UP AND IS INSTALLED, THEY BILL US AND WE DRAW IT DOWN FROM THIS.

OKAY.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL I'LL CALL THE QUESTION.

ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION.

RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.

FIVE RAISED HANDS.

ANYBODY OPPOSED? ZERO.

NO.

MOTION CARRIES COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD

[C. COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES]

SHEILA, NOTHING RIGHT NOW.

OKAY.

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO ROGER.

GRADUATING SON.

YAY,

[00:05:01]

OKAY, MAYOR, HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND.

AND MAYOR, HAVE A GREAT VACATION.

THANK.