By Cindy Sturlin
Long Island Owners’ Association (LIOA) met with Dawson and Associates (D&A/D.C. lobbying firm) on July 28, 2023. They reported that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Galveston District, at the request of Major Roberts, has named Andrew Weber to be Project Manager. Weber will lead a project team to have an initial survey to start the process for a Section 216 study, which would investigate issues with the Gulf Intracoastal Water Way near Long Island (LI). LIOA has established talk/text contact with Weber.
D&A also reported on the status of water way appropriations requests in our U.S. Congress. The House requests money to be appropriated, and the Senate approves money to be appropriated. Therefore, our continued open communication with the offices of Representative Vincente Gonzalez, and Senator John Cornyn is essential and valued. Our LIOA 216 study request is in committee in both Houses of Congress. However, Senator Cornyn has put in $500,000 in additional funding for navigation projects. If this were appropriated to the LIOA 216 study request, it would fund one year of the three-year study. What legislation gets passed out of committee remains to be seen when Congress establishes their conference committee in the fall, after they return to D.C. in September. We then have to survive the USACE work plan, and we believe we will.
In a recent contact with Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT), Alex Meade asked if LIOA would consider entering into discussions to help TXDOT decide if they want to take over the S. Garcia St. Swing Bridge. We are interested in these discussions, and to this end, LIOA President Mike Farrell sent Meade a letter outlining our position concerning TXDOT taking over the bridge. This is the letter in part:
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