<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0J7ewl_1FN8B7T600" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0J7ewl_1FN8B7T600" width="1111" height="1106" ></figure>ROCKPORT — The Aransas County Navigation District presented a revised Port Improvement Master Plan during its regular meeting on Sept. 21, hoping to answer questions amid pushback from residents and officials over transparency and industrial expansion concerns.The agenda item came about two weeks after a contentious meeting where about 50 people attended as the commission eventually postponed any action. During the Sept. 21 meeting, no action was scheduled to be taken on the plan as it was presented as an informational session and discussion.Along with having hard copies of the draft plan available at the meeting, the district presented about a 3-minute video outlining the plan. District officials said they would post the plan on the district’s website. Written public comment forms were also made available to offer questions about the plan; commission chair Judith Vlasek said they would answer at a later date.Why was the plan needed?The plan’s purpose was partially clarified during a discussion as the process to create one started in March, and the plan was needed to help bolster the possibilities of the district receiving grants from the Texas Department of Transportation or TxDOT to complete infrastructure and other improvements for the district.The revised plan presented targets infrastructure improvements across four waterfront areas the Navigation District manages: recreational and tourism upgrades at Rockport Harbor, navigation dredging at Fulton Harbor, commercial and wastewater expansion at Cove Harbor and water circulation management in Little Bay.The plan is essentially a “wishlist” of projects, and the video stated any project must go through multiple levels of approvals before they can be started or completed.Victor Martinez, who works with engineering consulting firm LJA Inc., said the master plan will be entered with the surveys, or questionnaires, district officials filled out and submitted to the Texas Department of Transportation, adding having a plan helps to bolster chances of receiving grant money. Surveys from the Navigation District were due to TxDOT by June 29.Martinez and district officials also said the plan is a “working planning tool” and “roadmap” and can be revised. Martinez added the projects presented to TxDOT also go through a Port Authority Advisory Committee and an independent reviewer, and they score the projects based on specific criteria.“So, to clarify something that was also said earlier, too: The master plan is not required for the surveys. However, they are strongly encouraged,” Martinez said in the meeting.After the meeting, Martinez said no money has specifically been earmarked for port improvements along the Texas coast by the legislature yet, and the Navigation District will be competing against ports, large and small, all along the Texas coast for potential grant money.During public comment on the item, Aransas County Commissioner Pat Rousseau and other community members that spoke cautioned against rushing to adopt the plan before new commissioners could take office in January. The commission will have two, and possibly three, new commissioners after the Nov. 3 election.Current commissioners Tommy Moore and Long Nguyen will not run for re-election, and a third commission seat is also up for election as current commissioner Martin Diaz Del Leon is running against Gerilyn Hibbeler.Resident John Jackson asked if the board with new commissioners could rescind any decision made, and commission chair Judith Vlasek said yes.“The only issue here is if we miss the deadline for this legislative session, then everything can be changed, but it’s postponed for two years,” commissioner Jack Wright added.Rockport resident Kristie Rutledge raised questions regarding transparency and governance, pointing to the legality of LJA Engineering’s contract and questioning why filings were submitted to the Texas Department of Transportation prior to public or board review.“Where is the contract for LJA for this master plan? How much did it cost, and who voted on it after March 2? Chapter 2254 (Professional Services Procurement Act) requires a qualifications-based selection and a fair price,” Rutledge said. “Water Code 60.412 binds this district to that law. An arrangement that skips it is void. Has ACND paid LJA/CD&amp;P anything for this plan or the TxDOT packet? Tell us how much.”Scarlett Embrey, a Rockport resident who is also working on developing the Rockport harbor front, said the language used in TxDOT grant filings heavily emphasizes freight, cargo handling, and industrial petroleum uses — a framing she contends misrepresents Rockport’s historic heritage, vibrant cultural arts district, and tourism-driven economy. Later in the meeting, Embrey asked commissioners if they would hold another public workshop before the plan was finalized.“On the paperwork that TxDOT has, Aransas County looks like it's just an industrial petroleum port. And so that's not part of who we are,” Embrey said. “So, please take the time to get this right and collaborate.”Resident Josh Wilson read a letter from Rockport City Manager Vanessa A. Shrauner to TxDOT clarifying that the city explicitly denied authorizing the Aransas County Navigation District to claim city support for its grant application and master plan.“We see this as a document for the whole community to work on,” Vlasek said. “We serve all of you.”</div></body>

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ROCKPORT — The Aransas County Navigation District presented a revised Port Improvement Master Plan during its regular meeting on Sept. 21, hoping to answer questions amid pushback from residents and officials over transparency and industrial expansion concerns. The agenda item came about two weeks after a contentious meeting where...

Navigation District fields community concerns on revised master plan

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ROCKPORT — The Aransas County Navigation District presented a revised Port Improvement Master Plan during its regular meeting on Sept. 21, hoping to answer

Navigation District fields community concerns on revised master plan

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