HOUSTON, Oct. 25, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Port of Houston Authority (PHA) commission approved several recommendations involving contract awards, bids and proposals, professional services and general administrative and operational matters during its public meeting on Monday, October 25, 2004. Chairman Jim Edmonds and Vice Chairman Kase Lawal presided over the meeting attended by Commissioner Steve Phelps, Commissioner Jim Fonteno, Commissioner Jimmy Burke, Commissioner Cheryl Thompson-Draper, and Commissioner Janiece Longoria.
BAYPORT MATTERS
(Agenda item L2) The commission evaluated and ranked qualifications for professional services to monitor and maintain particulate samplers at the Bayport terminal construction project to comply with the federal permit granted earlier this year by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. TRC Environmental Corporation received the commission's top ranking followed by Merit Environmental.
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS
(Agenda item G1) The commission approved a recommendation to award two-year professional services contracts to e-Lab Analytical and Xenco Laboratories at an estimated cost not to exceed $300,000. The two companies will provide all services, labor, supervision, installed and consumable materials, equipment, tools, and other items necessary for performing environmental analyses for PHA.
FINANCIAL MATTERS
The commission approved a recommendation to adopt a resolution finding the necessity for the issuance of up to $9 million in PHA Unlimited Tax Refunding Bonds, Series 2004A (AMT). The resolution provides certification to the Harris County Commissioner's Court and allows the PHA to appoint professionals to provide services related to the issuance of the bonds. The present value of the savings in interest expense over the remaining life of the bonds will be approximately $1.4 million.
(Agenda item G19) The commission approved a recommendation to award a contract for professional bond counsel for the issuance of up to $9 million in PHA Unlimited Tax Refunding Bonds, Series 2004A (AMT). Andrews Kurth, L.L.P. will be retained as bond counsel and will be paid $35,000 for services.
LEGISLATIVE CONSULTANTS
(Agenda items G9 - G15) The commission approved the following seven firms and individuals for one-year contract awards in the amounts of $72,000 and $126,000, respectively, to provide legislative consulting services at the state and federal government levels:
-- Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. (state) -- Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P. (federal) -- Loeffler, Jonas & Tuggey, L.L.P. (federal) -- Baker Botts, L.L.P. (state) -- Albert "Al" Luna III (state) -- Texas Lobby Group (state) -- J.E. "Buster" Brown (state)
"The legislative consultants for the port authority bring diverse background experience and expertise to their roles," stated Chairman Edmonds. "Our consultants provide information and tools needed for sound decision-making by our very capable Harris County delegations of elected officials. Their support is crucial to the port authority's progress, prosperity, and accountability to taxpayers and other stakeholders."
Over the past nine years, the PHA has invested approximately $4.5 million in the services of federal and state legislative consultants. To date, the investments have yielded approximately $344,709,860 for the Houston Ship Channel deepening and widening project, ship channel operation and management, port security grants, and inter-modal transportation projects. Additionally, federal and state legislation has been enacted to support economic development at Houston's port. "That's not a bad return on our investment," Edmonds said.
The Port of Houston Authority owns and operates the public facilities located along the Port of Houston, the 25-mile long complex of diversified public and private facilities designed for handling general cargo, containers, grain and other dry bulk materials, project and heavy lift cargo, and other types of cargo. Each year, more than 6,600 vessels call at the port, which ranks first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage, second in overall total tonnage, and sixth largest in the world. The Port Authority plays a vital role in ensuring navigational safety along the Houston Ship Channel, which has been instrumental in Houston's development as a center of international trade. The Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Central Maintenance Facility are the first of any U.S. port facilities to develop and implement an innovative Environmental Management System that meets the rigorous standards of ISO 14001. Additionally, the port is an approved delivery point for Coffee "C" futures contracts traded on the New York Board of Trade's Coffee, Sugar & Cocoa Exchange. For more information, please visit www.portofhouston.com
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