HOUSTON, Nov. 28, 2005 (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, November 28, 2005 at the PHA Executive Office Building. Chairman Jim Edmonds presided over the meeting with Vice Chairman Kase Lawal, Commissioner Steve Phelps, Commissioner Jim Fonteno, Commissioner Jimmy Burke, Commissioner Cheryl Thompson-Draper, and Commissioner Janiece Longoria.
BAYPORT MATTERS
(Agenda item G3) The commission authorized the PHA to award an estimated $21.96 million construction contract to Morganti Texas, Inc. for the office building at the first phase of the Bayport cruise terminal.
(Agenda item G4) The commission awarded an estimated $40.4 million construction contract to Orion Construction, LP for wharf and dredging for the first phase of the Bayport cruise terminal.
(Agenda item G5) The commission also awarded a nearly $15.28 million construction contract to Zachry Construction Corporation to develop the site and utilities for the first phase of the Bayport cruise terminal complex.
(Agenda item G6) The commission awarded an estimated $1.4 million professional services contract to Terracon Consultants, Inc. for material testing for the first phase of the Bayport cruise terminal.
(Agenda item G7) The commission awarded an estimated $243,233 contract to LXE, Inc. for the purchase and installation of a radio data terminal computer system for Bayport.
(Agenda item L1) The commission also evaluated and ranked qualifications and authorized the PHA to negotiate a potential professional services contract to provide air quality consulting and to monitor and maintain particulate samplers at the Bayport terminal construction project at an estimated cost range of $180,000 to $220,000. TRC Environmental Corporation received the commission's top ranking followed by Weston Solutions, Inc.
SECURITY MATTERS
(Agenda item K2) The commission evaluated and ranked competitive sealed proposals (CSPs) and authorized the PHA to negotiate a potential contract for unarmed, uniformed security gate officer services at PHA terminal gates and the cruise terminal parking lot at the estimated cost range of $6 million to $7.1 million. Smith Protective Services received the commission's top ranking followed by Initial Security.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT MATTERS
(Agenda items G9) The commission authorized the PHA to award an estimated $1.78 million construction contract to Orion Construction LP for repair of slope failure at Manchester Wharf No. 1 and drainage improvements at wharves 1, 2 and 3.
(Agenda item G2) The commission also authorized the PHA to award an estimated $2.7 million construction contract to RLB Contracting, Inc. for the decommissioning of the Greens Bayou Dredge Disposal Area.
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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