Jan 09, 2023 Joint City and Harris County Session for Port Commission Chairman Appointment

THE RULES THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL VOTE.

UM, UH, JUDGE ALGO CANNOT BE HERE TODAY.

AND, UH, ALL OF US WILL SHARE.

AND OUR FAMILY, UH, WELL, WE HAVE THEM IN OUR PRAYERS.

I SENT HER A TEXT EARLIER ON THE WAY OVER HERE.

MAYOR TURNER, IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE SOME

[

V. Opening Comments

• Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner
• Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 1, Rodney Ellis

]

OPENING COMMENTS.

YEAH, IF YOU WILL.

I, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT.

IF SO, IF YOU'RE INDU ME FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES.

UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, S IS PRESIDING TODAY AND TO CERTAINLY TO ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT, TO THE MEMBERS OF, UH, THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL.

LOOK, IT, IT IS A, IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE.

UM, AGAIN, UH, I THINK WE DO THIS EVERY ART NUMBER OF YEARS, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, AND LOOK, AND THE PORT IS A ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR THE ENTIRE REGION, UH, WITH AN IMPACT, UH, NATIONALLY AND EVEN, AND EVEN BEYOND.

UM, CERTAINLY THEY'RE DOING OUR, SOME OUTSTANDING THINGS.

I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UM, UH, CHAIRMAN REGIONAL MCCAMEY ON HOUSTON PILOT BOARD.

AND, UH, IF THERE ARE OTHERS WHO ARE HERE AS WELL, CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM.

AND ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS FROM THE, UH, HARRIS COUNTY, HOUSTON PORT, WHO ARE, WHO ARE HERE, AND, AND THE STAFF, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND EVERYONE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE.

UM, BUT LOOK, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THE PORT AND BEING THE NUMBER ONE PORT, UH, EVEN IN TERMS OF TONNAGE, UH, IN THE UNITED STATES, WE ARE ALL PROUD OF THAT, UH, THE, UH, ECONOMIC ENGINE, UH, WHAT THEY'RE DOING, UH, WIDENING AND DEEPENING THE PORT TO KEEP US EVEN MORE COMPETITIVE.

CERTAINLY PROUD OF THAT, UH, THE MWBE COMPONENT, UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, AND THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING.

SO I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK THEM, UH, FOR THEIR EFFORTS ON, ON THAT FRONT.

AND LOOK, AND EVERYWHERE WE GO, UH, INTERNATIONALLY, UH, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TRAVELED, YOU KNOW, UH, WITH ME WHEN WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE PARTNERSHIP AND OTHERS, UH, THE PORT COMES UP IN ALMOST ALL OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

SO JUST VERY PROUD OF WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.

LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THEM, ESPECIALLY IN MY REMAINING, UH, UH, YEAR AS, UH, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON.

WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, AS THEY SAY IN CONGRESS, I YIELD BACK .

THANK, THANK YOU, MAYOR.

AND, UH, YOU, YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT PARTNER FOR ALL OF US AT HARRIS COUNTY.

SO HAVE ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL.

IT'S BEEN FAR TOO LONG.

FOUR YEARS SINCE WE HAVE ALL BEEN TOGETHER AT A TABLE.

YOU KNOW, I KNOW DURING THE PANDEMIC FROM TIME TO TIME, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW IN SOME REGIONS PEOPLE WERE MEETING JOINTLY.

WE OUGHT TO THINK ABOUT THAT AGAIN, MAYOR, SERIOUSLY, BUT BEFORE YOU OUT, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SO MANY ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WORKED ON TOGETHER, AND WE WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT WE WORK TOGETHER.

UH, AGAIN, I, I DO WANNA SAY THAT, UH, WE SHOULD ALL KEEP JUDGE DOGGO IN OUR PRAYERS.

UH, YOU NOTICE ON THE, UH, UH, AGENDA THIS MORNING, I SKIPPED A PLEDGE.

I DID IT EARLIER.

I SKIPPED A PRAYER.

I DID THAT EARLIER.

UH, I SAW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAME AND PASSING OUT BREAKFAST, AND I RECALL WE HAD LUNCH.

WE MAY HAVE TAKEN A BREAK FOUR YEARS AGO.

I HOPE WE DON'T DO THAT TODAY.

A QUORUM HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.

I AM TOLD UNDER

[00:05:01]

AGAIN.

WE CAN AND PERSON STANDING IN FOR THE JUDGE.

IF ANYBODY WANTS AN INDIVIDUAL VOTE WHEN WE GET THE VOTES, WE'LL DO THAT.

UH, BUT IF WE DO IT, IF THE DECISION OF THE BODY IS TO DO IT BY ACCLIMATION WHEN WE OPEN IT UP FOR NOMINATIONS, UH, IF THERE'S ONLY ONE NAME AND SOMEBODY WILL CLOSE IT AT SOME POINT, IF THERE'S A MOTION TO DO THAT, WE'LL DO IT BY ONE VOTE.

BUT WHATEVER YOU PREFER.

'CAUSE WE ALL WANNA GET ALONG.

COMMISSIONER GARCIA, THANK YOU.

UM, MR. COMMISSIONER ELLIS, FIRST, I, I JUST WANNA OFFER, UH, FIRST, UH, MY WELCOME TO PRECINCT TWO, UH, WHICH IS THE QUARTER OF HOUSTON.

UM, AND I WANT, THANK YOU, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AS WELL, FOR YOUR RESPECTIVE LEADERSHIP.

UH, BUT I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE, UH, BECAUSE I HAVE WATCHED THE PROGRESS AND THE FORWARD MOTION OF THIS, UH, INCREDIBLE PORT, AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

UH, BUT THE ONLY WAY IT HAPPENS IS WHEN YOU HAVE GOOD COMMISSIONERS AROUND THE TABLE.

UH, AND I SEE COMMISSIONER NAN AND I, I THINK I SAW THE DEAN AND CLYDE AND OTHERS.

UH, SO I JUST WANT TO APPLAUD THEM ALL AS WELL AS THE COLLABORATION WITH THE PILOTS, UH, COMMISSION AS WELL.

UH, BUT IF, UH, IF THERE'S NO PUBLIC OH, PUBLIC, UH, THAT'S RIGHT.

AND IF I, IF I CAN ADD SOMETHING TOO, UH, TO WHAT, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA SAID, WE TALKED ABOUT THE, THE HARRIS HOUSTON PORT IN GENERAL.

UH, AND I KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE NOMINATIONS, BUT I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, AND THANK RICK CAMP FOR HIS, FOR HIS, UH, LEADERSHIP.

UH, BECAUSE I WILL TELL YOU, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, UH, WE'VE HAD OUR CHALLENGES, UH, WITH THE TRAFFIC GOING TO AND FRO, THAT WAS A HUGE, HUGE ISSUE.

WE'VE GONE THROUGH ONE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, PREPARING TO GO THROUGH ANOTHER LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UM, AND THEN WITH, UH, WITH COVID THAT SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING AND THE IMPACT, UH, THE PORT HAD.

UH, SO I DO WANT TO, WHERE IS RICK PUTTING HIS, I I THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE TIPPED OUT AND PUT HIS TIE.

YEAH, .

SO I DO WANT, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THE LEADERSHIP OF CHAIRMAN RICK CAMPO.

HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC AT THIS POINT.

BECAUSE IT HAS, IT HAS BEEN, IT HAS BEEN TOUGH AND CHALLENGING.

UH, AND THEN WHEN ALL OF THE CONVERSATION ABOUT PORTS ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES, UH, THE HARRIS HOUSTON PORT HAS FARED QUITE WELL.

AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LABOR RELATIONSHIP, UH, BETWEEN, WITH THE PORT, THE BUSINESS SECTOR, UH, THE LABOR SECTOR INTERNATIONAL LONGSHOREMAN, UH, WHICH HAS, WHICH HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL AND INCREDIBLE.

AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE OF THE COLLABORATION AND THE GOODWILL THAT'S DEMONSTRATED THAT.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S NOT AN EASY TASK.

SO I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND, AND OUR EMPLOYEES AND, AND THE UNION LEADERSHIP, UH, THAT HAS HELPED TO MAKE THAT, UH, HAPPEN.

DEAN CLYDE AND ALL OF YOU.

SO THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH SO, I, I, I, I JUST DIDN'T WANT US TO OVERLOOK, OVERLOOK THAT.

SO, SO THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.

COMMISSIONER.

THANK, THANK YOU, MAYOR.

RICK.

I, I ALSO WANT TO ECHO THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS AND JUST ADD ONE THING IN PARTICULAR.

TWO REALLY.

ONE, IT MAY HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO GET HERE, BUT ALL OF US ARE GLAD THAT YOU BECAME THE CHAIR, REGARDLESS OF HOW WE VOTED FOUR YEARS AGO.

YOU'VE DONE A MAGNIFICENT JOB AND WE APPRECIATE IT.

AND THE LAST POINT, MR. MR. CHAIRMAN, UH, YOU DID IT WITHOUT COMING TO ASK US, UH, FOR ADDITIONAL BONDS IN ORDER TO DO IT.

UH, I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT.

UH, WITH MANY OF THE RESTRAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED ON THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND THE OTHER CITIES IN THIS REGION BY OUR PARTNERS ON THE STATE LEVEL, FUNDING FOR THE OTHER SERVICES WE HAVE TO PROVIDE IS A TREMENDOUS CHALLENGE.

AND WE HAVE TO RELY PRIMARILY ON PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.

SO WE APPRECIATE YOU AND THE COMMISSIONERS BEING ABLE TO DO WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, UH, WITHOUT ASKING US TO GO TO THE TAXPAYERS AND HAVE TO PICK UP THE BULK OF THE TAB TO DO THAT, WHICH HISTORICALLY WE HAVE DONE, AND THAT IS IMPORTANT.

UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THAT DOES DESERVE ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

AND I KNOW THAT YOU WILL RECOGNIZE YOUR COLLEAGUES LATER.

SO WE, WE WON'T DO THAT.

WE'RE GONNA SAVE THAT FOR YOU.

UH, WE HAVE TO

[PUBLIC SPEAKERS]

[

VI. Public Comments

• City of Houston Public Speakers
• County Public Speakers

]

WE WILL FIRST HEAR, UH, SPEAKERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP, UH, FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, UH, MR. MAYOR OF CITY SECRETARY.

I'M STILL LOOKING FOR ANNA RUSSELL SHOWS YOU HOW OLD I AM.

ISN'T THAT A SHAME? I CAME, I WAS ABOUT TO CALL OUT THE WRONG NAME.

THANK YOU.

YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.

A MAGNIFICENT JOB, BY THE WAY.

ANNA WOULD BE SO, SO VERY PROUD OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

WELL, SHE'S A, SHE'S A PROTEGE OF ANNA RUSSELL.

OF ANNA RUSSELL.

BECAUSE SHE WAS BEST.

PATTY'S BEEN THERE FOR LIKE 38, 39 YEARS.

38.

SO ANYWAY, ANY SPEAKERS FROM THE CITY SIDE? NO.

PLEASE CALL UP THE SPEAKERS IF WE HAVE ANY REGINALD COUNTY.

WE WILL NOW HEAR FROM THE SPEAKERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP FROM THE HARRIS COUNTY SIDE.

[00:10:01]

OH, I THINK THAT'S A SEPARATE ISSUE.

I'LL OBSERVE MY COMMENTS.

UH, ARE THEY ACCEPT NO ACCEPT NOMINATIONS.

ANYONE ELSE? IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO, UH, GIVE A COMMENT FROM THE PUBLIC? IF NOT, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED.

NOW THE CHAIR WILL,

[

VII. Call for Nominations

• Chairman of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority of Harris County, Texas

]

ARE THERE ANY NOMINATIONS FOR CHAIRMAN OR THE PORT COMMISSION? UH, THE PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS HAVE TO DO THAT FOR LEGAL REASONS.

MR. COMMISSIONER GARCIA? THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ELLIS.

I AM HONORED AND PROUD TO NOMINATE RICK GOPEL FOR A SECOND TERM AS CHAIR OF THE PORT OF HOUSTON COMMISSION.

NOW, MR, DO WE HAVE TO USE THIS SPECIFIC LANGUAGE, OR IS THAT OKAY? IF SOME WILL PASS IT TO HIM? THAT'S FINE.

LET'S SECOND.

AND JUST ALL IN FAVOR? A ALL OPPOSED SECOND.

FIRST OF ALL, ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE? NOMINATIONS OVER MOVED.

SECOND.

IS HE AN OBJECTION? THE NOMINATION IS CLOSED.

AND NOW THE MOTION, I WELL, YOU MOVE TO CLOSE AND NOW I'M GONNA READ THE LANGUAGE TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T RUN A FILE.

COMMISSIONER GARCIA MOVES TO NOMINATE RICK CAMPO FOR CHAIRMAN OF THE PORT COMMISSION OF THE PORT COMMISSION OF PORT OF HOUSTON, AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS.

IS THAT SECOND MAY I TO HIM? SECOND DAVE MARTIN, SECOND DAVE MARTIN SECONDS.

IT, UH, UH, THAT WAS A MOTION TO CLOSE THE NOMINATIONS.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION WILL VOTE BY ACCLAMATION.

ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS? THE MOTION IS APPROVED.

UH, AND, UH, YEAH, WELL, THAT'S THE CLOSE IT.

DID I FOLLOW EVERYTHING UNDER THE SENATOR ALVARADO STATUTE? , BUT THAT WAS TO CLOSE THE NOMINATION, RIGHT? YEAH.

SO MAY I NOT MOVE, RESTATE THE MOTION AND REPLACE THE WORD NOMINATION WITH A POINT.

GOT IT.

COMMISSIONER GARCIA, I MOVE TO APPOINT RICK GOPEL AS CHAIRMAN OF THE PORT OF HOUSTON COMMISSION OF THE PORT COMMISSION, PORT COMMISSION OF PORT OF HOUSTON, AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS.

[

VIII. Call for a Vote

SENATOR ALVARADO, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT.

DID I GET THAT RIGHT? DID I GET IT RIGHT? ARE YOU TALKING TO ME OR YOU TALKING? YEAH, YOU THE COUNTY ATTORNEY.

YOU SAID SENATOR ALVARADO.

I THOUGHT SHE WAS SITTING, SITTING HERE BEHIND.

NO, NO.

THIS IS HER STATUTE THAT MAKES US DO ALL THESE MAGIC WORDS.

WE WE'RE TROUBLE.

YOU'RE GOOD, COMMISSIONER.

AND, UH, MARTIN SECOND NOMINATION HAS BEEN CLOSED.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.

ANY OBJECTIONS PASSES? GOOD.

27.60.

MR. CHAIRMAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADDRESS US NOW? I, I WOULD THANK YOU.

AND I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE YOUR COLLEAGUES.

I KNEW YOU WOULD.

ABSOLUTELY.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

I KNOW IT'S STATE LAW REQUIRES YOU TO BE HERE, BUT, BUT , BUT YOU ARE HERE.

I, I, I, UH, I, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE COLLABORATION, UH, WITH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.

UH, IT, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE, WE ARE A TEAM AND, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY ARE A TEAM AT PORT HOUSTON.

UM, I WEAR THIS SHIRT WHENEVER I GET IN, IN FRONT OF CAMERAS OR, OR A GROUP OF PEOPLE LIKE THIS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S REALLY ABOUT.

BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC ENGINES, WE TALK ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE, WE TALK ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS.

AND YET, IT COMES DOWN TO, TO, TO THE FIRST REALLY MOST IMPORTANT THING.

AND THAT IS YOU HAVE TO HAVE A JOB TO IMPROVE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE.

IN HOUSTON, UH, HARRIS COUNTY, THE PORT IS ALL ABOUT JOBS.

IT'S ALL ABOUT CREATING VALUE FOR PEOPLE, UPLIFTING COMMUNITIES, AND, AND GIVING PEOPLE OPPORTUNITY IN THE FUTURE.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS WE CAN SAY, WE'RE NUMBER ONE IN THIS AND NUMBER ONE IN THAT.

AND WE HAVE THIS DEEP AND, AND WIDE AND ALL THAT.

IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE IS CREATE MORE JOBS AND CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYBODY IN OUR REGION.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE HERE AND THE COMMISSIONERS THAT AREN'T HERE, BECAUSE THIS IS A TEAM.

AND IT STARTS WITH, WITH OUR ELECTED FOLKS, STARTS, THEN IT GOES TO OUR COMMISSION.

AND OUR COMMISSION IS REALLY VERY TEAM ORIENTED.

WE'RE VERY FOCUSED.

AND THEN IT MOVES ON TO THE BROADER TEAM, WHICH IS THE COAST GUARD, THE, THE, UM, UH, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, UH, THE PILOTS, UH, THE ILA, THE SEAFARERS FOLKS.

UH, AND YOU MENTIONED MAYOR, ABOUT OUR, OUR LABOR RELATIONS.

I MEAN, IT, IT'S THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY BECAUSE OF THIS COLLABORATION AND THIS TEAM EFFORT AND OUR VIEW THAT EVERYBODY HAS A PLACE AT THE TABLE, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP THE TABLE GETTING BIGGER.

SO E EVERYBODY STILL HAS THAT PLACE.

UM, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT 2022, JUST IN RETROSPECT, IT WAS THE BEST YEAR THAT PORT HOUSTON HAS EVER HAD.

AND WHEN, WHEN I SAY BEST, THAT MEANS WE CREATED MORE JOBS, WE'VE MOVED MORE CARGO, WE CREATED MORE VALUE FOR PEOPLE IN OUR REGION BECAUSE OF OUR TEAMS. AND WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO THE TEAMS IN THE FIELD, WE HAVE 700 PLUS WORKERS THAT MOVE, THAT MOVE, UM, UH, CARGO EVERY DAY.

WE HAVE, UH, A,

[00:15:01]

A WHOLE LOT, UH, MORE, UM, ILA AND SEAFARER FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING THAT AS WELL.

AND SO, 2022 IS THE BEST EVER, BUT THE BEST IS YET TO COME.

WHEN YOU START THINKING ABOUT THE INVESTMENTS WE'RE MAKING THE PROJECT 11, THE DEEPEN AND WIDENING, WHICH WILL, WE'LL HAVE THE BAY REACH PART OF THAT DONE, WHICH IS THE MOST IMPART IMPORTANT PART FOR TWO-WAY TRAFFIC.

UH, BY THE END OF 2024, WE'LL HAVE THE BO THE THE, UH, ALL THE WAY UP TO HERE IN THE TURNING BASIN DONE BY 2025.

NOW, WE DO HAVE SOME NEEDS.

WE STILL, WE'RE ONLY 82% FINANCED ON THIS, SO WE NEED SOME FEDERAL MONEY.

UH, WE'LL NEED YOUR SUPPORT, UH, BOTH FROM THE COUNTY AND THE CITY TO GET THAT ADDITIONAL FEDERAL DOLLARS.

UM, GENERALLY A A A PROJECT LIKE THIS, PROJECT 11 TAKES 15 YEARS TO GET DONE.

WE'RE GONNA GET IT DONE IN, IN A LITTLE LESS THAN 10.

UH, AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS IT'S GONNA INCREASE OUR OPPORTUNITY.

UH, USUALLY THOSE PROJECTS ARE FUNDED 65% BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, 40 AND 35% BY THE LOCAL, UH, LOCAL ENTITY, WHICH WOULD BE THE PORT IN THIS CASE.

IN ORDER TO GET THAT FIVE YEARS CUT OFF, AND IN ORDER TO GET THE CHANNEL BUILT THE WAY WE WANT IT, WE'RE GONNA, THE, THE PORT OF HOUSTON IS GONNA PUT 72% OF THE MONEY IN, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S GONNA PUT 28.

SO WE FLIPPED IT IN A MAJOR WAY IN ORDER TO CREATE E ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, UH, FOR OUR, UH, FOR OUR REGION QUICKER.

UH, AND AS COMMISSIONER ELLIS POINTS OUT, WE ARE NOT DOING THIS WITH ANY, ANY PUBLIC FUNDS OTHER THAN, UH, BONDS THAT WE, THAT WE ISSUED, UH, BASED ON THE PORT AUTHORITY'S FINANCIAL STRENGTH.

SO WE, WE HAVEN'T BEEN BACK FOR, UH, GO BONDS FROM THE COUNTY OR, OR ASKING TAXPAYERS TO DO THAT AT ALL.

JUST BIG.

IN ADDITION TO PROJECT 11, WE HAVE $1.1 BILLION OF, OF LANDSIDE INVESTMENTS GOING ON.

SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WE'RE ADD THE ARC AND ATTRIBUTION TO PROJECT 11 AND OUR LANDSIDE INVESTMENTS, WHICH INCLUDES EXPANDING WARS, EXPANDING DOCKS, UH, BRINGING NEW CRANES IN, UH, AND THOSE, THAT TOTAL AMOUNTS A LITTLE OVER $2 BILLION.

AND WE'RE FUNDING IT WITH INTERNALLY GENERATED CA GENERATED CASH FLOW THAT PORT MAKES.

AND, AND, UH, AND THESE, UH, REVENUE BONDS THAT WE SOLD THAT, THAT ARE NOT BACKED BY ANYTHING EX EXCEPT THE PORT.

SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, ABOUT THE, THE PORT HOUSTON BEING OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD, AND IT'S BEEN CONTROLLED, UH, BY THE PORT COMMISSIONER FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME, THROUGH YOUR APPOINTMENTS AND, AND PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS, UH, THE, THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO USE GEO BONDS TO CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PORT TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT.

WELL, I CAN TELL YOU TODAY WITH TWO OVER $2 BILLION OF PROJECTS GOING ON, NOT USING ANY, UH, GEO BONDS, WE ARE SELF-SUFFICIENT, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE, UH, SELF-SUFFICIENT FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

UM, I THINK A COUPLE OTHER KEY POINTS.

UH, WE WERE COMMITTED TO OUR ES SQUARED G PROGRAMS, WHICH IS, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL SAFETY AND GOVERNANCE.

UH, WE WEREN'T GETTING HIGH MARKS FROM, FROM OUR ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDS ON HOW WE DEALT WITH, UH, WITH OUR DREDGING CONTRACTS AND KEEPING THE, THE KNOCKS AND THE SMALL PARTICULATES AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL RELATIVE TO WHAT, WHAT THE, THE CONTRACTS SAID WE HAD TO DO.

UH, WE CONTINUE TO, TO, UM, TO PUSH ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS AT THE PORT.

UM, MAYOR, YOU, ME, MENTIONED MWBE.

UH, WHILE WE HAVE A 30% GOAL AND WE'RE BUILDING CAPACITY TODAY, ALL OF OUR PARTNERS AT THE PORT KNOW WE NEED TO DO BETTER.

AND WE'RE, WE'RE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF INTO IT, AND WE'RE GONNA DO, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO EXPAND THOSE PROGRAMS. UM, UNDER THE ES SQUARE G WE ALSO HAVE DEI, UH, THE, THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.

UH, WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD OUR CULTURE AT THE PORT.

WE'RE, WE'RE CONTINUING ON THAT, ON THIS JOURNEY.

DEI AND ESG IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION.

AND ULTIMATELY, UH, I FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT OUR DEI AND OUR, AND OUR, UM, OUR, UH, DIVERSITY WITHIN THE PORT AND BUILDING CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO PROMOTE FOLKS FORWARD.

UH, COMMUNITY IS A BIG ISSUE TOO.

AND WE, WE ARE, UM, INVESTING IN THE COMMUNITIES AND HELPING COMMUNITIES THAT WE IMPACT THE MOST THROUGH GREEN SPACES AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. UH, WE'VE INVESTED OVER $2 MILLION IN PARKS FOR HARRIS COUNTY AND HOUSTON.

UH, WE HAVE A 325, UH, THOUSAND DOLLARS GRANT PROGRAM THAT COMMUNITY LEADERS CAN COME IN AND GET GRANTS FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS IN THEIR, IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

SO IT REALLY IS ABOUT JOBS LONG TERM, AND THEN HELPING QUALITY OF LIFE IN HOUSTON.

ALL THE, THE THINGS THAT WE USE EVERY DAY COME THROUGH THE PORT, AND WE JUST MAKE SURE THAT IT'S RESILIENT LONG TERM, AND IT'S ADDING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.

UH, IT RIGHT NOW UNDER MY, UNDER MY, AT LEAST MY VIEW OF THAT WITH OUR TEAM IN PLACE, UH, THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN THAN WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

UH, AND WE WILL, THE BEST IS YET TO COME, UH, FOR THE PORT.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I APPRECIATE THE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU SHOW IN OUR TEAM, UH, UH, COMMISSIONERS AND THE CONFIDENCE YOU PLACE IN ME PERSONALLY.

SO, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND MR. CHAIRMAN, DO YOU WANNA RECOGNIZE YOUR COLLEAGUES? YOU WANNA RECOGNIZE YOUR COLLEAGUES, THE COMMISSIONERS? OH, YES, ABSOLUTELY.

WE HAVE COMMISSIONER, UH, CLO HERE.

WE HAVE COMMISSIONER ZO, COMMISSIONER FITZGERALD,

[00:20:01]

AND, UH, COMMISSIONER CORGI.

UH, ARE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE HERE STAND UP THAT CHERYL, SO WE CAN SEE ALL YOU, COMMISSIONER, CLONE, STAND UP.

SO THERE YOU, WE DON'T SEE YOU YET.

WE, WE ARE PROUD OF ALL OF YOU.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR FEARLESS LEADER, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ROGER GUNTHER.

YES.

STAND UP THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

ANYBODY ELSE? YOU THINK I, WE GOT SOME, WE HAVE FEW OF OUR STAFF HERE.

ERIC'S HERE AND S HERE, SO THANK THEM FOR WHAT THEY DO AS WELL.

THANK YOU ALL.

THANKS.

THANK YOU ALL.

ANYTHING ELSE? DID I FORGET ANYTHING ELSE? NO, THINK I'M GOOD.

ONE, IF YOU CAN JUST HIGHLIGHT ONE MORE TIME.

SURE.

WHEN YOU SAID THE 2022, NUMBER ONE, HOW OLD IS THE PORT RIGHT NOW? HOW OLD THE PORT WAS? UH, THE, THE SORT OF OFFICIAL START DATE WAS, UH, IT WAS 1914.

SO, UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 118 YEARS MM-HMM .

RIGHT.

AND, AND, AND, AND YOU INDICATED THAT 2022 WAS THE BEST YEAR EVER, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THE PORT OF HOUSTON.

ABSOLUTELY.

MORE THE MOST CARGO, THE MORE THE MOST GOODS COME, UH, RUNNING THROUGH OUR CHANNEL.

UH, ABSOLUTELY 2022 IS THE BEST YEAR EVER.

AND THEN, SO IF YOU TAKE, IF YOU TAKE THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, WOULD IT PROBABLY BE THE LAST SEVEN YEARS WITH THE BEST YEARS EVER? UH, YOU COULD SAY THAT EVERY YEAR PROBABLY.

YOU SHOULD, SHOULD BEEN.

WE SHOULD.

I WOULD SAY, I WOULD SAY ELECTION, I WOULD SAY THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE END OF 2023, WHICH WOULD BE EIGHT YEARS TOTAL.

IT WILL BE THE BEST IN THE HISTORY OF THE PORT.

I, UH, LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT.

AND, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE HAVE SAID BEFORE, REDUCE THAT TO WRITING AND PUT THAT IN THE RECORD.

AND THEN LA LAST IN ME SESSION, IN TERMS OF THE WIDENING AND, AND DEEPENING OF THE PORT.

I KNOW YOU MENTIONED 25.

HOW MUCH OF THIS, OR WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE WORK DO YOU THINK MR. CHAIRMAN WILL BE COMPLETED? UH, BY THE END OF 2023? BY THE END OF 2023, WE'LL PROBABLY BE ABOUT HALF DONE, MAYBE MAYBE 60%.

UH, THE, THE KEY IS GOING TO BE GETTING THE BAY REACH DONE, AND, AND THE BAY REACH DOES GET COMPLETED BY THE END OF 2024.

SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT BY 2023, I WOULD SAY IT'S GONNA BE IN THE, IN THE 60 TO 65%.

THE ECONOMIC ENGINE, NOT JUST FOR THIS REGION, BUT THE IMPACT ON THE, ON THE COUNTRY AND BEYOND.

AND THEN LASTLY, FOR ME, UM, OUT OF ALL THE PORTS IN THE UNITED STATES, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WHAT MAKES THE HARRIS COUNTY HOUSTON PORT STAND OUT THOUGH OF ALL OF THE ONES THAT EXIST? WHAT, WHAT MAKES US SO DIFFERENT? I THINK THE, UM, WHAT WHAT REALLY MAKES US DIFFERENT IS, UH, IS OUR CAN-DO OUR, CAN-DO SORT OF SPIRIT, OUR WORKING, OUR COOPERATION THAT WE HAVE BETWEEN LABOR AND THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THE EQUATION.

UH, AND JUST THAT ENERGY THAT, THAT HOUSTONIANS HAVE, RIGHT? IF YOU BELIEVE IT, YOU CAN DO IT.

IF YOU WORK HARD, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, GET THE RIGHT FOLKS IN YOUR CAMP, YOU CAN GET THINGS DONE.

UH, IF YOU THINK ABOUT, UH, JUST GIVE YOU SOME, A COUPLE OF STATS THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT.

SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT, UH, ASIAN, UM, UH, CARGO SHIPS COMING OVER, IT'S EASIER JUST TO GO STRAIGHT ACROSS THE PACIFIC AND GO TO THE WEST COAST.

UH, THE WEST COAST BUSINESS IN CARGO HAS DROPPED BY 10 PERCENTAGE POINTS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS FROM FIF OVER 50% DOWN TO THE LOW FORTIES.

AND THE REASON BEING IS IT'S HARD TO DO BUSINESS THERE.

AND IT'S WITH THE OPENING OF THE WIDENING OF THE, OF THE, UH, PANAMA CANAL, UH, IT TAKES ABOUT 14 DAYS LONGER TO GET, UM, THROUGH THE CANAL THAN IT DOES TO GO TO THE WEST COAST.

YET, BECAUSE OF THE WEST COAST SORT OF ANTI-BUSINESS ATTITUDE VERSUS OUR PRO-BUSINESS ATTITUDE, UH, THEY'RE DECIDING TO GO THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL AND COME TO PORT HOUSTON AND OTHER PORTS ON THE EAST COAST.

SO I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH OUR, JUST OUR, OUR SPIRIT AND OUR VIEW OF THE WORLD THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE A JOB AND YOU SHOULDN'T, UH, YOU SHOULDN'T, UH, CREATE IMPEDIMENTS FOR, FOR GROWTH.

AND, UH, AND THAT'S KIND OF, BUT YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE HANDLING THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF IT AND MWB ASPECTS OF IT.

BUT WE ARE JUST BETTER THAN THE WEST COAST AND BETTER THAN, UH, YOU KNOW, SORT OF HIGHLY REGULATED EAST COAST PORTS AS WELL.

AND THEN LAST THING, AND 1904, UM, CHAIRMAN, COMMISSIONERS, EXECUTIVE STAFF, AND NOW IN 2023, IN TERMS OF THE WORK ACTIVITY, FOR EXAMPLE, OF LET'S SAY THE COMMISSIONERS, HOW HAS THE, HAS THE WORK LEVEL CHANGED? BECAUSE WE ARE, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FAIRLY NICE SIZED CORPORATION, SO TO SPEAK.

SO IN TERMS OF, UM, YOURSELF AND THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO.

'CAUSE IT'S A VOL RIGHT NOW.

IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S IT VOLUNTEER.

IT IS VOLUNTEER, RIGHT, RIGHT.

BUT I'M HEARING YOU TALKING ABOUT THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS MM-HMM .

AND, AND THE GROWING NEEDS, UH, AND

[00:25:01]

HOW HAS THE WORKLOAD CHANGED? OR IS IT, WELL, CLEARLY, AS YOUR BUSINESS GROWS AND THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES GROWS AND, AND THE REVENUES GROW, THE REQUIREMENT FOR STRATEGY AND PLANNING AND, AND OVERSIGHT GROWS AS WELL.

JUST TO GIVE YOU AN, AND A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH STATE LAW AS WELL.

UM, YOU KNOW, STATE LAW REQUIRES MOST ENTITIES, INCLUDING THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, UH, MOST GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES TO, UH, WHERE, WHERE THE, UH, COMMISSION OR THE, OR THE COUNCIL OR THE COMMISSIONERS ON HARRIS COUNTY HAVE TO APPROVE EVERY CONTRACT OVER $50,000.

UH, SO THAT WE, WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE TEAM LED BY ROGER GUNTHER, AND HE HAS TO COME TO, UH, TO THIS ROOM EVERY SINGLE MONTH TO DO WHAT WE CALL MOTHER MAY EYES, WHICH ARE RELATE TO, UH, 50,000 CONTRACTS, SO TO SAY.

AND THE PORT IS A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR OPERATION.

UH, SO IT, IT, IT IS, IT REQUIRES A LOT OF WORK FROM THE COMMISSIONERS.

UH, AND, UH, JUST TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, UH, I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU, UH, AN EXAMPLE OF THE COMPANY.

MY, MY DAY JOB, WHICH IS CAMDEN PROPERTY TRUST, GREAT STARTUP COMPANY IN HOUSTON.

IT'S A GREAT STORY ABOUT STARTING WITH NOTHING AND CREATING A GREAT VALUE.

WE'RE ABOUT A $17 BILLION COMPANY.

WE HAVE A 10 MEMBER BOARD.

UH, WE HAVE A SEVEN MEMBER COMMISSION HERE.

AND COMPARED TO CAMDEN, UH, OUR BOARD MEETS ABOUT TWICE AS MANY TIMES AS CAMDEN.

AND I WOULD SAY THAT THE COM PORT COMMISSIONERS SPEND AT LEAST, UH, DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND EFFORT, UH, WORKING AT THE PORT VERSUS IF THEY WERE A BOARD MEMBER AT CAMDEN, I THINK THEY PAID AT CAMDEN.

AT CAMDEN, OUR BOARD MEMBERS MAKE ON AVERAGE $300,000 A YEAR.

SO YES, IT IS, IT IS A, THAT'S MORNING THAN THE MAYOR.

IT IS A, IT IS A, UH, A, UH, SERVICE FOR, YEAH, THERE YOU GO.

AND BY THE WAY, WE'RE A KIND OF A MIDDLE SIZE, LARGE COMPANY, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT EVEN THE BIGGEST COMPANIES, WHICH PAY A LOT MORE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, I THINK MAYBE YOUR QUESTION IS KIND OF CENTERED AROUND TRYING TO RECRUIT THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST BECAUSE THE PORT, AND, AND WE FUNDAMENTALLY BELIEVE AS A COMMISSION THAT THE PORT NEEDS TO HIRE THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST OF OUR, OF OUR STAFF THAT GETS PAID.

YOU KNOW, AND, AND ULTIMATELY, I THINK THERE IS AN ISSUE ABOUT HOW YOU RECRUIT COMMISSIONERS IN THE FUTURE, IF THEY'RE GONNA RUN MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR BUSINESSES AND THEY DON'T GET PAID THERE.

AL THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO GO BECOME A BOARD MEMBER FOR A PAID COMPANY, RIGHT? AND SO THERE IS SOME, UH, SOME DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT, UH, WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN GET THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST TO SERVE THAT MUCH WORK, NOT BEING PAID ANYTHING, OR AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, GETTING REIMBURSED FOR SOMETHING, RIGHT? SO, BUT THAT'S A, A DEBATE FOR ANOTHER DAY.

THANK YOU.

BUT I, I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTION.

THANK, THANK YOU.

UH, MAYOR CIGNA, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT APPOINTMENTS THAT WE MAKE AS A, A MAYOR, A COUNCIL PERSON, OR THE COUNTY JUDGE, OR A COMMISSIONER.

SO, UH, ANY, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS BRIEFLY? IF SO, LISA, YOU NOT GONNA BE HERE ALL DAY TODAY, BUT IF NOT, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT ITEM.

[

IX. Call for Nominations

• Chairman of the Board of Pilot Commissioners For Harris County Ports

]

UH, THIS WILL BE FOR A, UH, A VOTE TO BE CHAIR OF THE, UH, PILOT COMMISSIONERS.

ARE THERE ANY NOMINATIONS FOR CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF PILOT COMMISSIONERS FOR HARRIS COUNTY PORTS? CASTEX TATUM, MOVE TO NOMINATE REGINALD MCCAMMON.

UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE COMMISSIONER? I HAD ONE.

I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE, UH, WHO'S ALSO SERVING ON THE PILOT BOARD.

MICHELLE BECKTEL.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? OKAY.

THERE IS A SECOND.

AND, UH, SO IN THAT CASE, WE HAVE TWO NOMINATIONS.

UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE NOMINATIONS ON THESE TWO NAMES? CAN TAYLOR MOVE TO CLOSE NOMINATION? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

AND NOW WE'LL VOTE ON BOTH NAMES, STARTING WITH THE, UH, FIRST NOMINATION FROM CASTEX TATUM.

THE NOMINATION IS, IS CLOSED.

I DON'T NEED TO VOTE ON THAT.

[

X. Call for a Vote

• Texas Transportation Code, Sec. 66.0116(e) provides that each Houston City Council Member and the Mayor have one vote each and Commissioners Court members have 3.4 votes each (17 divided by 5).

]

UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, ORIGINAL EY WILL VOTE.

MICHELLE BECHTEL AND RACHEL MCKINNEY.

AS THE CLERK AND THE CITY SECRETARY CALL YOUR NAME SEPARATE, WE START WITH CITY SECRETARY.

I THINK WE'LL BE DOING IT THAT WAY BEFORE WE'LL LET YOU CALL YOUR NAMES.

COUNCIL .

REGIE MCCAMEY.

IN FACT, I COULD DO THAT.

I DON'T HAVE TO VOTE SEPARATELY.

SO WE WILL JUST, BOTH NOMINATIONS ARE ON THE TABLE.

YOU GOT BOTH NAMES? EVERYBODY GOT, CALL 'EM OUT AGAIN.

SO WE HAVE 'EM.

REGINA, MCCAMEY AND COMMISSIONER, WHAT'S THE NAME YOU HAVE? UH, MICHELLE BETEL.

SO WE'LL CALL THE ROLL.

IS THAT ALL RIGHT? NO, LET'S DO IT SEPARATELY.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, WE'LL GO BACK TO WHAT I WAS DOING.

ALRIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CASTEK TATUM'S.

MOTION FOR REGINALD MCCAMEY.

MARTHA, WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON YOURS FIRST.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO CALL THE NAME OUT, JUST VOTE FOR HER MOTION AGAINST IT IF YOU LIKE.

IF YOU WANNA CALL THE NAME OUT SECOND FOR HER AGAINST, WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL.

VOTE IF MR. MCCAMMON RECEIVES A MAJORITY OF THE VOTES, AND THAT'S THE BALL GAME.

IF HE DOESN'T, THEN YOU MOVE ON TO THE SECOND TERMINATION.

AS WE CALL YOUR NAME OUT OF, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM.

SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR

[00:30:01]

VICE MAYOR PRO TEMS CASTEK TATUMS. MOTION FOR RACHEL MCCAMEY.

YOU WILL VOTE.

ON HER MOTION.

IF YOU WANNA CALL A NAME OUT, YOU CAN, YOU CAN JUST VOTE.

UH, COUNCILMAN JACKSON? COUNCILOR JACKSON? AYE.

COUNCILOR CAMAN.

COUNCILOR EVAN SHABAZZ.

COUNCILMAN MARTIN? NO.

COUNCILOR THOMAS.

COUNCIL MEMBER CIS AYE.

COUNCILOR GALLEGOS AYE.

COUNCILMAN FOWLER? AYE.

COUNCILOR CASTEX TATUM.

COUNCILMAN ROBINSON? AYE.

COUNCILMAN KNOX? NO.

AND FROM THE COUNTY SIDE, YOU'LL CALL THE ROLL PLEASE.

COMMISSIONER ELLIS.

COMMISSIONER GARCIA? AYE.

COMMISSIONER RAMSEY? NO.

COMMISSIONER BRIONI.

TOTAL WE HAVE 10.2 FOR THE COMMISSIONERS.

FOR FINAL TOTAL OF 20.2.

SO 20.2 COMPARED TO HOW MANY VOTES IN TOTAL, JUST SO THEY KNOW.

I KNOW IT'S ENOUGH VOTES, BUT IN CASE WE FORGOT HOW OUR VOTES COUNTED.

FOR COMMISSIONERS, THERE ARE 3.4 EACH, SO TOTAL FOR COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE 10.2.

AND FROM THE CITY SIDE, 10.

SO, UH, IT'S, IT IS, IT'S NOT A MAJORITY.

MAJORITY IS 27.6 VOTES, HAS TO BE A MAJORITY OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTES, WHICH IS 34.

SO NOW WE MOVE ON TO VOTING.

NOW WE MOVE THE VOTING FOR, UH, UM, THE COMMISSIONER RAMSEY'S NOMINATION OF MICHELLE BETEL.

MICHELLE BETEL.

AND, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF MICHELLE.

WHO IS MICHELLE? HAVE THE PERSON TO STAND IF THEY'RE HERE.

MAYOR, MS. BETEL, YOU HERE? STAND UP.

MAYOR, WOULD YOU ALL LIKE TO HEAR SOMETHING FROM BOTH OF 'EM, BY THE WAY? OKAY, WE CAN DO THAT.

THAT'S OKAY.

UH, POINT OF ORDER.

WHAT IS THE AMOUNT OF VOTES NECESSARY? GIMME ALL THAT AGAIN.

SO HERE WE GO AGAIN.

DEFER TO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY.

COUNTY ATTORNEY.

27.6 VOTES ARE NECESSARY.

WHAT WAS THAT? AND WE ARE PRESENTLY AT WHAT NUMBER? 20 POINT 20.

THERE'S 20.2 FOR THE FIRST CANDIDATE AND 27.6, THEY NOT GONNA, YEAH.

POINT OF ORDER.

SO I THINK WHERE YOU HEADED IS, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? WE GOING, COME BACK FOR LUNCH.

I GOT IT WRONG.

EXCUSE ME.

SO, UM, THE, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTES FOR THIS BODY IS 34.

SO A MAJORITY WOULD BE 17.1.

SO 20 POINT.

SO ARE MAJORITY THAT'S RIGHT.

THAT THIS IS WHY I'M A LAWYER.

AND THAT'S RIGHT.

THAT ACCOUNT DOING, THAT'S GOOD.

THAT'S A, HEY, MR. COUNTY ATTORNEY COMPARED TO FOUR YEARS AGO, THIS HAS BEEN EXCELLENT.

WE ALL IN LOVE? YEAH.

JUST, JUST LET ME RERATE IT FOR THE RECORD, SINCE I'M THE ONE WHO MESSED IT UP.

UH, A TOTAL NUMBER OF 34 VOTES BECAUSE YOU HAVE, UH, CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR THAT'S 17 AND 3.4 FOR EACH OF THE MEMBERS OF COMMISSIONER'S COURT.

THAT IS 17 DIVIDED BY FIVE.

YOU ADD ALL THAT TOGETHER, IT, IT BRINGS YOU TO A TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTES OF 34.

SO YOU NEED 50% PLUS ONE MORE.

SO YOUR 17.1 GIVES YOU A MAJORITY OF THE 34.

THE FIRST VOTE FOR MR. MCCAMEY WAS 20.2, WHICH IS GREATER THAN 17.1.

SO THE MOTION PASSES.

MOTION PASSES.

MAKE SURE I'M FOLLOWING ALL OF THE LANGUAGE.

SHOULD I READ THIS PURSUANT TO THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE, UH, SECTION 66.0116 E, UH, IS THERE A MOTION, UH, TO CALL FOR A VOTE ON THE NOMINATION OF MCKINNEY TO BE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF PILOT COMMISSIONS OF HARRIS COUNTY PORTS? IS THAT SECOND? IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND.

HAVE A CLERK PLEASE.

WELL, CAN WE DO THIS BY ACCLIMATION, OR DO I NEED TO DO THIS? SO THE, THE VOTE THAT HAS ALREADY TAKEN PLACE WAS THE VOTE TO APPOINT, HE'S APPOINTED PRE PREVIOUSLY YOU HAD ALL NOMINATIONS THAT WERE TAKEN.

HAPPENED DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION WHERE WE, UH, THINGS WERE RESTRUCTURED.

NOMINATIONS WERE CLOSED.

THE VOTE ON THAT WAS VERY CLEAR.

THERE WAS NO OPPOSITION TO CLOSE NOMINATIONS.

THE VOTE THAT WAS TAKEN WAS ON THE APPOINTMENT OF MR. MCCAMEY THAT PASSED 20.2 OUT OF THE 20 POINT 27.6.

SO, MR. MCCAMEY, YOU HAVE BEEN APPOINTED, RIGHT? AND WE FOLLOWED ALL THE MAGIC WORDS IN THE LANGUAGE, RIGHT? I I, I DO WANNA SAY TO TO, TO BOTH CANDIDATES, HOW, HOW PROUD WE ARE OF ALL OF YOU FOR BEING WILLING TO SERVE MR. MCCAINY.

WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU.

MAYOR.

DO YOU WANNA MAKE ANY COMMENTS? YEAH, LET ME, UH, LET ME, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE AGAIN, UH, UH, RESIDENT MCCAINY, UH, WHO'S, UH, MR. SERVING AS CHAIR OF THE POLLS BOARD.

AND, AND AGAIN, UH, WHEN HE CAME IN, UH, AND CHARLIE CAME IN, WE WERE HAVING A GREAT DEAL OF, UM, UM, ISSUES, UH, WITH THE TRAFFIC GOING BOTH WAYS.

UM, AND THEN IT ALSO

[00:35:01]

UM, AND, UM, CHAIRMAN MCC CAME.

HE CAME IN AS THE CHAIR OF THE POLISH BOARD.

AND IN FINALLY WITH A GREAT DEAL OF HISTORY AND EXPERIENCE ALREADY, UH, THIS IS AN AREA IN WHICH HE HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON FOR, FOR YEARS.

SO IT WAS JUST A NATURAL FOR HIM, UH, TO, TO STEP IN, UH, BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN MARITIME AND IN THIS AREA FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

SO I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, FOR COMING IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME IN WHICH THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF CHALLENGES IN CONFLICT, AND THEN WORKING WITH, UH, CHAIRMAN RICK CAMPO, UM, AND THE, AND THE PORT AS WE MOVE THINGS FORWARD.

SO THANK YOU.

LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO, TO WORK WITH YOU.

MR. MCCAIN.

I I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UH, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE'VE HAD TO MAKE THIS APPOINTMENT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE SCRAMBLING TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO.

DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE INTERESTED IN IT BEFORE.

BUT WITH YOUR BACKGROUND, YOU KNOW, UNTIL THAT PRESS STORY CAME OUT, I DIDN'T KNOW YOUR HISTORY, UH, BEING INVOLVED, GOING BACK SO FAR WITH, WITH ISSUES INVOLVING DIVERSITY, IN PARTICULAR FOR PILOTS.

UH, I THINK WE DID A GOOD JOB AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE SERVING, UH, ON THE BOARD.

BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS, YOU CAN.

AND OF COURSE YOU'LL RECOGNIZE YOUR, YOUR COLLEAGUES.

WAS THAT AN APOLOGY FOR THE VOTE COMMISSIONER? THAT WAS OFF THE RECORD.

, UH, GOOD MORNING.

I FIRST WANNA RECOGNIZE THE, UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY.

COMMISSIONER MORRISSEY, COMMISSIONER HANS, COMMISSIONER BECHTEL, COMMISSIONER BEVERLY.

AND I ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE PRESIDING OFFICER FOR THE, UH, HOUSTON POLICY ASSOCIATION, CAPTAIN WINNIER AND, UH, HIS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CAPTAIN PLUNKETT.

AND, UH, I WANNA THANK THEM FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

THIS BOARD WAS STOOD UP IN, UH, SEPTEMBER OF 2019 AS, UH, THE MAYOR HAS SAID.

AND, UH, IT'S BEEN MANY CHALLENGES, BUT THE HOUSTON PILOTS HAVE, UH, BEEN MAKING ABOUT 19,000, GIVE OR TAKE, UH, A FEW HUNDRED, UH, SAFE TRANSITS IN OUR HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL.

AND I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR, FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK.

BUT I DO WANT TO TELL YOU THAT, THAT WE'RE AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE NOW, AND IT'S GONNA TAKE MORE HARD WORK BETWEEN THE PILOT BOARD AND THE HOUSTON PILOT ASSOCIATION TODAY.

THERE ARE PRESENTLY 90 PILOTS, AND ALSO TODAY THERE ARE 25 PILOTS GREATER THAN 55 YEARS OF AGE.

AND THERE IS A MANDATORY RETIREMENT AGE OF 68.

SO THAT'S SAYING, DUE TO MANDATORY RETIREMENT, 28% OF PILOTS WILL HAVE TO RETIRE WITHIN THE NEXT DECADE OR SO, 28%.

NOW, COUPLE THAT WITH THE EXPANSION OF VESSEL TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF PROJECT 11, FOR EXAMPLE, ENTERPRISE PRODUCTS AT, UH, MORGANS POINT TERMINAL EXPECTS POTENTIAL GROWTH OF 40% IN SHIP MOVEMENTS.

AND, AND COUPLE THAT WITH THE TRAFFIC COMING UP FROM THE PANAMA CANAL.

WE HAVE TO PREPARE TODAY FOR MORE MEN AND WOMEN BEING PILOTS THAN WE HAVE.

AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE EASY TO CHANGE.

WE HAVE A SYSTEM RIGHT NOW THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED SO THAT WE ARE READY FOR THE FUTURE.

WHEN THESE LARGER SHIPS COME IN.

WE CANNOT EXPECT A PILOT, A NEW PILOT.

AND IT TAKES THREE YEARS FOR A PERSON TO BECOME A PILOT, TO BE PREPARED TO BRING IN THE SHIPS THAT ARE OVER 1100 FEET LONG AFTER THAT THREE YEAR PERIOD.

THEY NEED MORE EXPERIENCE.

AND WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR THAT.

WE MUST PUT THE

[00:40:01]

SAFETY OF THE CHANNEL AND THE PROSPECT OF SIGNIFICANT PORT CONGESTION AHEAD OF PRIVATE INTERESTS.

PRESENTLY, PILOTS REVENUE IS DIVIDED AMONG PILOTS AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

SO THERE IS POSSIBLY A CONFLICT.

THE LESS PILOTS YOU HAVE, THE MORE REVENUE YOU HAVE AS AN INDIVIDUAL.

WE HAVE TO GET PAST THAT.

THIS IS NOT GONNA BE EASY.

THE PILOT ASSOCIATION THAT HAS MANY LOBBYISTS AND HAS A LOT MONEY, UH, MONEY DON'T WANNA HEAR THIS.

BUT I AM TELLING YOU THIS, AS A FORMER CAPTAIN AND AS A LAWYER THAT HANDLES MARITIME COLLISIONS AND INCIDENTS, WE HAVE TO PREPARE TODAY.

WE HAVE TO BE STRONG.

OUR TEAM OF COMMISSIONERS HAVE TO BE STRONG AND SAY, WE ARE GOING TO DO WHAT THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE TELLS US TO DO.

THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY OF OUR BOARD, THE NUMBER ONE DUTY IS TO ESTABLISH THE NUMBER OF PILOTS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE PILOT SERVICES.

WHAT IS ADEQUATE PILOT SERVICES? I SUBMIT TO YOU THAT ADEQUATE PILOT SERVICES IS THE RIGHT NUMBER OF EXPERIENCED PILOTS SO THAT EACH TRANSIT OF THOSE 18,000, 19,000 TRANSITS IS SAFE AND IT KEEPS THE PORT OPEN.

WE MUST GET THE MEN AND WOMEN IN PLACE.

NOW, WE MUST PUT INTO PLACE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES SO THAT THE PILOT SELECTION PROCESS IS TRANSPARENT.

AND WE AS A BOARD CAN TRULY SAY WE HAVE COMPLIED WITH THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE THAT SAYS THE, THE BOARD MAY NOT SANCTION ANY DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES.

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE BOARD AND WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE BOARD, AND WORKING WITH YOU AND WORKING WITH THE PILOT ASSOCIATION AND STAKEHOLDERS TO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE.

NOW, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD.

I WANNA THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE, UH, PBRC, WHICH IS THE PILOT BOARD INVESTIGATION REVIEW COMMITTEE, AND THE ARC, WHICH IS THE, UH, COMMITTEE THAT LOOKS AT THE APPLICANTS TO BECOME PILOTS.

I WANNA THANK THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CAPTAIN TYLER GAVI.

AND I WANNA THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND YOU COMMISSIONER ELLIS AND COMMISSIONER MEMBERS THAT PUT CONFIDENCE IN ME TO CHAIR THIS BOARD.

IT IS NOT AN EASY PROCESS.

THERE IS A CONFLICT THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS, AND I NEED YOU TO HELP ME ADDRESS THAT.

WE CANNOT PUT PRIVATE INTERESTS OVER THE SAFETY OF OUR SHIP CHANNEL.

AGAIN, I WANNA THANK YOU.

I LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

WORKING WITH EVERYBODY IS NOT GONNA BE EASY, BUT WE CANNOT CONTINUE AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST.

WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE IF WE'RE GONNA KEEP THIS PORT OPEN AND CONGESTION FREE.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

LET ME, LET ME, UH, LET ME CERTAINLY THANK, UH, UH, CHAIRMAN MCCAMEY FOR, UM, SOUNDING THE ALARM, UH, AND RAISING THESE ISSUES, UH, AND ALERTING US.

SO, UH, HAVING BEEN ALERTED NOW, IT'S UP TO ALL OF US, UH, TO JOIN WITH YOU WITH THE OTHER, UH, COMMISSIONERS AND ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS, UH, TO ADDRESS THE, TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION BECAUSE IT TA IT, IT IS, IT TAKES ALL OF US TO MAKE IT WORK.

OKAY? SO LOOK FORWARD, UH, TO, UM, UH, TO JOINING WITH YOU AND WORKING WITH, UH, HARRIS COUNTY ON THESE ISSUES.

SO THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

YOUR COMMENTS WERE TAKEN TO HEART.

I KNOW MY, I SAW COMMISSIONER GARCIA WRITE DOWN NOTES ON IT, AND THAT PROBABLY IS A ROLE THAT WE CAN PLAY.

I WHISPER TO THE MAYOR IF THAT'S, I KNOW YOU ALL DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING.

IF THERE'S A NEED FOR TRAINING, IF THERE'S A NEED FOR LEGISLATIVE CHANGES, UH, YOU LET US, YOU ALL COME UP WITH A, A PLAN, YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES, AND WE'LL HELP.

OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT FROM THE PORT

[00:45:01]

AUTHORITY.

NOW.

IT WAS NOT THAT WAY IN THE PAST, BUT THEY PLAY A ROLE, UH, AS WELL, BECAUSE WE OUGHT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

AND LOOK, NOT ONLY ARE YOU THE RIGHT CHAIRMAN, YOU THE RIGHT PILOT, UH, AT THIS TIME, BUT I THINK WORK WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES.

YOU WANNA BE HELPFUL, MR. COUNTY ATTORNEY AND CITY ATTORNEY, WE WERE DOING THE VOTE.

I DIDN'T CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

NOW DO I NEED TO VOTE ON HIM AGAIN? UH, OKAY.

I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T CALL.

SO I WILL ACCEPT THE PUBLIC COMMENT EARLIER.