Mar 10, 2026 Port of Galveston Meetings - Wharves Board Special

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BOARD TRUSTEES, THE GALVESTON BOARDS.

TUESDAY, MARCH 10TH.

UH, AND CAN I HAVE A ALL CALL, PLEASE? YES, SIR.

CHAIRMAN JUDGE PATTERSON.

HERE.

VICE CHAIRMAN WILLIE GONZALEZ.

HERE.

TRUSTEE MAYOR CRAIG BROWN.

HERE.

TRUSTEE SHEILA LID DOWN HERE.

TRUSTEE RICHARD MOORE.

HERE.

TRUSTEE DICK PEARSON.

HERE.

TRUSTEE.

EXCUSE ME.

ERIC STR.

HE'S ABSENT TODAY.

ROGER REESE AND ANTHONY BROWN.

ALRIGHT, SO DECLARE WE HAVE A CORE, UH, STAND, I BELIEVE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

AND TWO, THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

ALL.

ARE THERE ANY DECLARATIONS OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST BY TRUSTEE? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE.

[B. PUBLIC COMMENTS]

UH, FIRST I HAVE IS RYAN MALCOLM, TAKE MORNING BOARD.

UH, YOU WELCOME.

STEP UP THE PODIUM THERE.

MR. MALCOLM.

UH, TOPIC TODAY IS THE VEHICLE BRIDGE AND THE LAND BRIDGE.

I JUST WANTED TO COME AND ANSWER ANY OPERATIONAL QUESTIONS THE BOARD MAY HAVE ABOUT LIMITED OPERATING WINDOWS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN GALSON.

MAY I, MAY I GO UP TO THE PICTURE OVER? I I THINK THAT, IS THAT OKAY? YEAH, SURE, SURE.

YEAH.

SO PROPOSED VEHICLE BRIDGE COMES AROUND, GOES AROUND GALVESTON.

UH, THE CONCEPT OF THE LANDBRIDGE WITH HAD THE SAME ROUTE.

OKAY.

UM, CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH GALVESTON, THROUGH HERE AND THEN BACK AND FORTH.

AND THEN OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS WHERE WE HAVE TO BACK INTO SLIPS.

WE HAVE LIMITED OPERATING WINDOWS, SIX TO EIGHT HOURS A DAY THAT WE COULD MOVE SHIFTS TRAFFIC.

AND THAT, THOSE FIRSTS ONCE TIT, IT USED TO BE THE PORT OF GALVESTON, BUT WE TOOK CARE OF THAT 'CAUSE WE BARRICADED THAT OFF AND NOW IT'S GONNA BE LINEAR SQUARE FEET.

AND THEN THE OTHER INDUSTRY PARTNER IS GOLF COPPER.

SO WE CAN ONLY OPERATE IN THOSE, IN THAT, IN THESE AREAS WHEN WE HAVE HALF A KNOT OF GROUND OR LESS.

SO THAT HAPPENS SIX TO EIGHT HOURS A DAY.

WELL, LANDBRIDGE WOULD STOP THE CURRENT FLOW AND THEN THAT WOULD MAKE THE PORT OF GALVESTON OR GALVESTON CHANNEL AND THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS ON THE CHANNEL AND 24 7 OPERATIONAL, UM, INDUSTRY PARTNERS.

SO IT'S A BIG DEAL FOR OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS THAT ARE ON THE CHANNEL CURRENTLY.

ANOTHER THING, IT WOULD STOP SEDIMENTATION FROM, UH, OR SILTATION FROM GOING IN AND OUT OF OUR GALVESTON CHANNEL, WHICH IS A BIG DEAL.

AND SAVE, UM, 20, $30 MILLION ANNUALLY.

UM, WHICH IS A BIG DEAL.

UM, THERE'S ONE OTHER THING, THE RED LOW TRANSPORTATION MODE THAT I THINK WE ALL COULD AGREE THAT PELICAN ISLANDS ALWAYS NEEDED FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON PELICAN ISLAND.

AND IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT HASN'T DEVELOPED MORE THAN WHAT IT HAS SINCE I'VE BEEN A KID.

I MEAN, BEEN A MUD PIT SINCE I'VE BEEN A KID AND STILL BEEN TODAY.

IT'S BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE ONE TRANSFER.

WELL, TWO, YOU GOT VEHICLE AND THEN YOU HAVE BARGE OR SHIP.

BUT, UH, I THINK WE ALL ALL AGREE THAT THE LOW TRANSPORTATION OR THE LOWER COST TRANSPORTATION MODE RAIL IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I HAVE IT DEVELOPED.

SO THAT'S WHY I CAME THIS MORNING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU'ALL HAD AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT FROM THE PILOTS AND WHY, UH, WHAT HAPPENS WITH CURRENT AND AND WHATNOT ON THE GALVESTON CHAPEL.

ALRIGHT, .

THANK YOU, YOU HONOR.

THANKS.

ALRIGHT, NEXT UP WE HAVE CHRIS , BOARD, CHAIRMAN BOARD.

UH, MY NAME'S CHRIS ADA.

UM, I'M A GALVESTON RESIDENT.

I LIVE DOWN HERE ON CHURCH STREET AND MY BACKGROUND IS I SPENT 26 YEARS WORKING FOR THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

11 YEARS WITH THE, UH, WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA DISTRICT.

AND, UH, 15 YEARS HERE WITH THE GALVESTON DISTRICT.

AND I RECENTLY RETIRED, SO I RETIRED BACK IN MAY OF, OF LAST YEAR AND TOOK THE SUMMER OFF, SPENT SOME TIME HERE ON GALVESTON WITH MY KIDS AND, AND WENT TO WORK FOR TEXAS INTERNATIONAL TERMINALS AFTER THAT.

SO THAT'S MY KIND OF AFFILIATION WITH THE PROPOSED TO NAVIGATION STRUCTURE AND LAND BRIDGE AND, UH, LITTLE INTERSECTION ALSO BETWEEN, UH, MYSELF, AND THIS IS MY FIRST COUPLE JOBS WITH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS IS I BUILT SOME BRIDGES.

SO I'VE BUILT THREE BRIDGES OVER WATER, SIMILAR LENGTH TO THE PROPOSED BRIDGE COMING UP.

AND ALSO OVER MY YEARS WITH THE GALVESTON DISTRICT, I, UH,

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SO IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE, UH, WITH ALL THE SILTATION AND OCCURRENCE HERE IN GALVESTON TO KEEP THIS CHANNEL MAINTAINED.

WE'VE RECENTLY GOT A COUPLE OF, UH, REALLY GOOD FUNDING YEARS AND WE'RE WE'RE SET TO DREDGE IT FOR REALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME TO ITS FULL DIMENSIONS SINCE IT WAS DEEPENED BACK IN 2011.

BUT I'M, THAT'S KIND OF MY BACKGROUND.

I KNOW THAT, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON THIS.

I'M HERE, UH, AVAILABLE FOR YOU IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON IT.

I WILL ECHO IT.

CAPTAIN MALCOLM SAID ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CLOSING OFF THIS CHANNEL AND CREATING WHAT I WOULD CALL A STILL WATER CHANNEL WOULD, UH, VERY SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE FACILITATION, WHICH IN THE CHANNEL, UM, MAKE THE, UH, THE FUNCTIONALITY AND THE NAVIGATION OF THAT CHANNEL INCREASE IT SIGNIFICANTLY AND ALSO PUT SOME, SOME, UH, INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION OUT TO PELICAN ISLAND OR LAND THAT'S UNDERDEVELOPED OR UNDERDEVELOPED.

WHAT I WOULD SAY, UM, THE, THE LAST PIECE OF IT IS THIS, GOING AT A NAVIGATION STRUCTURE SLASH LAND BRIDGE AND USING A CORPS OF ENGINEERS AUTHORITY TO DO SO WOULD HELP IN THE COST SHARING OF THE CONSTRUCTION.

SO SOMEBODY COULD GO OUT THE COUNTY, THE CITY, WHOMEVER, AND LOOK TO BUILD JUST A BRIDGE.

WHAT THIS STUDY IS PROPOSING IS TO LOOK AT THE NAVIGATION CHANNEL ITSELF, TO BUILD A STRUCTURE AT THE END, SIMILAR TO THE TEXAS CITY D**E AND WHAT THE TEXAS CITY D**E DOES FOR THE TEXAS CITY SHIP CHANNEL.

BUILD A NAVIGATION STRUCTURE HERE AT GALVESTON, REDUCE THE, THE CURRENT, REDUCE THE SEDIMENTATION, AND THEN A LOCALLY PREFERRED PLAN MAYBE, AND COULD VERY WELL BE BILL PUTTING A ROAD ON TOP OF IT.

SO USING THIS AUTHORITY, USING THIS AUTHORITY, IF IT ALLOWS YOU TO, TO COST SHARE IT WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

THANK YOU.

NEXT WE HAVE MR. RO.

GOOD MORNING.

UH, HARD TO FOLLOW MR TWO PROFESSIONALS AND THEY ARE TWO OF THE BEST GUYS THAT, THAT, THAT WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR PORT.

I THINK THE PILOTS AND, AND CHRIS'S KNOWLEDGE IS JUST, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S JUST, YOU CAN'T REALLY MATCH IT.

HE'S BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT.

UH, I WILL SAY I'VE, I'VE ENVISIONED THIS FOR A LONG TIME.

I, I THINK IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL.

I GOT A MESSAGE BACK THE OTHER DAY FROM THE BOARD DIRECTOR FROM HOUSTON.

GLAD THAT SAYS, GLAD TO SEE THIS MOVING FORWARD AT THE EVALUATION STAGE.

I KNOW IT'S JUST AT THE VALUATION STAGE, BUT WE GOTTA ALSO REALIZE THE PORT OF HOUSTON OWNS 1200 ACRES ON PELICAN ISLAND AND IF WE'RE EVER GONNA REALLY GET THAT RAIL OVER THERE AND WORK, AND I KNOW THAT ROGER'S WORKING FOR HOUSTON, UM, THAT WILL BE ABLE TO DEVELOP THAT INTO SOME TYPE OF AN INDUSTRY AREA.

THE OTHER ONE CONCERN THAT I DID HAVE IS I KEEP GETTING MIXED MESSAGES ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO DO A HARD LAND BRIDGE TO HELP THE FACILITATION OR WHETHER TO APPEASE THE ENVIRONMENT TO DO SOMETHING.

STILL WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE NOW.

I LIKE THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO DO IT AND SAVE THE DOLLARS BY HAVING A HARD LAND BRIDGE.

BUT IN ESSENCE, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THE STUDY THAT SOMEONE, SUPPOSEDLY THERE WAS A STUDY THAT'S BEEN DONE THAT I'VE BEEN WAITING TO GET THAT SHOWS THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE, THE SHIP CHANNEL GOING UP TO HOUSTON.

'CAUSE IF IT HAS AN IMPACT ON THAT, BY PUSHING STUFF INTO THAT CHANNEL, THAT'S A GRAVE CONCERN FOR THEM.

SO THIS, THE STUDIES THAT NEED TO BE DONE AND I'M JUST GLAD Y'ALL ARE GOING FORWARD WITH IT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING OTHER, IN MY OPINION, THAT SPEND THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT TO BUILD THIS GIGANTIC BRIDGE AROUND TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAMPUS TO TO, UH, IT'S JUST NOT, I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S THE BEST PATH TO GO DOWN.

AND I COMMEND YOU FOR TAKING THIS ON AND IT'S, I MEAN, I WON'T BE HERE TO PROPERLY SEE IT AND, BUT I THINK IN THE LONG RUN IT'S GOING TO REALLY HELP IF WE HAVE FOUR LANES GOING ACROSS AND A RAIL, YOU CAN REALLY SEE INDUSTRY PICK UP.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, NEXT WE HAVE MR. JOE ROSER.

WELCOME.

GOOD MORNING.

SORRY I WAS A FEW MINUTES LATE.

UH, I JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT I WAS IN FAVOR OF DOING THE, SENDING THE LETTER UH, TO DO A STUDY IN TANDEM WITH THE VEHICULAR BRIDGE THAT'S ALREADY IN FROM GALVESTON ISLAND TO PELICAN

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UM, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NAVIGATION QUESTIONS WILL BECOME ONCE THE STUDY IS REVIEWED.

UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT YESTERDAY IN A MEETING, UM, WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE TEXAS CITY AREA HAS AN ENCLOSED AREA WHERE THEY COME IN AND IT'S A 24 7 OPERATION.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BEEN SPOKE ABOUT HERE BEFORE I CAME IN, BUT WHAT I'VE HEARD IS THAT THE GALVESTON PILOTS CAN ONLY WORK FOR EIGHT HOURS A DAY.

SO WE'RE WAY UNDER THE BAR IN TERMS OF OUR COMPETITORS WHO CAN WORK 24 7 A DAY AND JUST UP AT TEXAS CITY, THEY'VE GOT THE SAME KIND OF DEAD END KIND OF SPACE WHERE YOU CAN COME IN.

THERE'S NO CURRENT, THEY CAN WORK 24 7.

SO I WOULD APPRECIATE YOU GUYS APPROVING THIS SO THAT WE CAN IN TANDEM, I KNOW THAT WE WOULD HAVE DOLLARS ALLOCATED FOR THE VEHICULAR BRIDGE AND I DON'T WANT TO SACRIFICE THOSE DOLLARS BECAUSE IF THIS STUDY COMES BACK AND IT'S NOT IN FAVOR OR WE HAVE ISSUES WITH IT, WE STILL NEED TO HAVE THAT MONEY IN PLACE.

I DON'T WANNA JEOPARDIZE THAT MONEY.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SIR.

ALRIGHT, WITH

[C. RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION]

CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY 5 5 1 0 7 2 REAL ESTATE 5 5 1 0 8 7.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATION AT 10 41.

WE GOOD JOHN? ALRIGHT, SO, UH, RECONVENE THIS A REGULAR MEETING OR THE REGULAR SPECIAL MEETING AT THE 1141.

UH, ITEM D

[D.1. Discuss and Consider Action, if any, On Specific Matters Discussed in Executive Session Which Were Listed on the Agenda in Sufficient Detail to Provide Notice to the Public as Required by the Texas Open Meetings Act.]

AND I THINK NONE BECAUSE WE HAVE, UH, ITEM I IS OR ITEM E IS THE BUSINESS ITEM.

DISCUSS,

[E.1 Discuss and Consider Approval of authorizing Port Director/CEO to Submit Letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Federal Authorization of a Feasibility Study undertaken by a non-Federal Interest, pursuant to Section 203(a)(l)(A) of the Federal Water Resources Development Act.]

THIS SHOULD BE 2 0 3 A ONE B, A ONE B, THE TECHNIC CORRECT AREA OF THE FEDERAL WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT.

DID YOU WANT TO ADD THAT? THE LANGUAGE? WELL, SO THAT'S THE, THE ITEM.

SO NOW WE NEED A MOTION, RIGHT? SO, RIGHT.

I JUST HAD A MOTION , THAT'S THE MOTION.

SO THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE OR TO APPROVE, UH, AUTHORIZE, UH, PORT DIRECTOR CEO TO SUBMIT THE LETTER, UH, FOR THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, UH, WITH ANY MODIFICATIONS NEEDED TO ENSURE ACCURACY FROM THE DRAFT THAT WE RECEIVED.

I'LL SECOND SECOND.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.

UH, ALONG WITH THE SECOND, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A BETTER, ALTHOUGH ERIC STR IS NOT HERE TODAY, HE WANTED TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR THE MOTIONS.

YEAH, ERIC, ERIC WAS IN SUPPORT.

SO WITH THAT, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALRIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.

ANY OPPOSED? NO.

MOTION CARRIES SIX ZEROS.

ANY, ANY UNANIM? SO WITH THAT,

[F. COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES]

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD ABOUT THAT, AND 400 PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN HALL.

SO IT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED.

UTM B'S GONNA BE A PARTNER IN THAT AND THEY'RE GONNA HIRE A LOCAL GROUP TO KIND OF HEAD IT OFF IN GALVESTON.

UH, BUT THE NATIONAL GROUP WILL BE WORKING WITH THEM FOR LIKE NINE MONTHS.

UH, AND THEN THEY'RE OUT.

SO THE LOCAL GROUP TAKES OVER.

UM, IT WAS A LONG PRESENTATION AND THEY ASKED FOR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS AND I DID SPEAK UP AND THEY GAVE ME THE MICROPHONE.

I JUST LET THEM KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, PART OF LIVING HEALTHY IS THE AIR WE BREATHE.

AND I LET THEM KNOW THAT THE PORT DOES DO A LOT OF AIR MONITORING AND WE DO HAVE TWO LEAD CERTIFIED TERMINALS.

SO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE'RE DOING, PLAYING OUR ROLE.

AND I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR MAKING TIME ON A SPRING BREAK, UH, WEEK TO COME IN.

AND I THINK A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC FOR PORT, FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR THE CITY.

AND SO I THINK THIS GIVES US A, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PARALLEL PATHS HERE, BUT IT'S, THIS GIVES THAT ONE, UH, LEG OF THAT PATH OF, OF PATH FORWARD HERE.

AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE WORKING THIS AND CONTINUE PUSHING THE, THE BRIDGE AS DESIGNED AND WE'LL SEE, SEE WHERE WE END UP, UH, WHEN WE COME TO THE NEXT FORK IN THE ROAD HERE.

SO

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AND, UH, WITH THAT I DECLARE US ADJOURNED AT 1144.