On Tuesday, September 26, the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority convened its regular monthly meeting after an August break. During his opening comments, Port Commission Chairman Ric Campo applauded Commissioner Roy Mease, who is stepping down at month end as Port Commissioner representing the City of Pasadena, Texas.
Chairman Campo commended Commissioner Mease’s years of service and dedication to Port Houston, and added that the Pasadena City Council had appointed International Longshoremen Association Union leader Alan A. Robb to succeed Commissioner Mease, effective October 1.
- Promotional Ads -
In attendance at the public meeting were community members, non-profit groups, and representatives from industry and maritime partners including the Houston Pilots and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – but a meeting highlight was the appearance of Congressman Wesley Hunt.
Congressman Hunt shared that he was there to personally express his sincere appreciation and support for Port Houston and the Houston Ship Channel, underscoring that he and the members of the local Congress delegation “all work together doing things for the benefit of our community and the greater good of the Houston region.”
Chairman Campo thanked Congressman Hunt for his leadership of recent bipartisan efforts to provide for $24 million Community Funded Project funding, to support the ongoing work of the Houston Ship Channel expansion – Project 11.
In his staff report that followed, Executive Director Roger Guenther remarked that Project 11 continues to move forward: work on the Bayport Channel will be finished later this year, and the 27 miles of ship channel improvements through Galveston Bay should be fully completed by the end of 2024. “This project is vital for commerce, jobs, and – overall – for the future of our region,” Guenther stressed.
Chairman Campo emphasized Port Houston’s mission to create jobs and economic prosperity, remarking that “The most important job is that one job a person gets to support his or her family.”
During his staff report, Guenther updated progress on the community outreach work supporting Project 11. As first noted earlier to the Port Commission, Port Houston staff was looking forward to meeting with scientists and engineers representing the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, and community members, with the shared goal of alignment on the facts of dredged material handling and the other work done in the Channel.
Guenther said, “The Port Houston team has been working with our Federal partners, is ready for that meeting, and welcomes the opportunity to have continued dialogue.”
Other highlights of Guenther’s report included a review of Port Houston’s recent business success, and its progress on landside and waterside investments, that continue to keep up with the growth in container and multi-purpose cargo calling the region.
Source: Port Houston
