Sunday, April 15, 2007
Loyd Neal: i do days and hours in a role without clarifying it. Let's spell out what we are.".....yes loyd, tell us what U r ...economic adjustment?
Group changes direction, decides to advise port
Role in redeveloping Ingleside base land needs clarification
By Fanny S. Chirinos Caller-Times
April 14, 2007
A committee that had planned to ask for federal recognition to qualify for funds to redevelop Naval Station Ingleside now plans to act only in an advisory capacity to the Port of Corpus Christi, committee officials announced Friday.
When the port established the Coastal Bend Redevelopment Planning Committee in January 2006, its goal was to receive local redevelopment authority recognition from the Office of Economic Adjustment, the federal agency that disburses funds to communities affected by base closures, and act as the funnel for federal funds related to the reuse of the base.
Not receiving the desired status could mean the loss of federal dollars, which could amount to hundreds of thousands. Port commissioners have earmarked $500,000 to plan the redevelopment of the base.
Next meeting
# What: Coastal Bend Redevelopment Planning Committee
# Where: TBA
# When: 8 a.m. May 11
# Information: 885-6211
The base is scheduled to close Sept. 30, 2010, as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure round, one that also realigned Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. The changes mean the loss of 7,015 direct and indirect jobs and $364 million in annual payroll, according to the Defense Department.
Of the base's more than 1,000 acres, 912 acres revert to the port. The remaining acres do not revert to the port and are considered surplus federal property.
To receive federal funds to redevelop the surplus property, a group must have redevelopment authority status and it is unknown which group or groups will ask for that status. But San Patricio County Judge Terry Simpson believes the committee still could get funds from the Office of Economic Adjustment.
Disagreement arose last year between Nueces County commissioners and the committee over that surplus property and the makeup of the committee. The county asked for more representation by commissioners before playing a part in the group.
The county also hired a consultant to help the commissioners court receive redevelopment authority recognition to redevelop the surplus property. The county has not taken further action since it ended its agreement with the consultant in March 2006.
Nueces County Judge Loyd Neal replaced Terry Shamsie in January as a member of the committee's executive council. During Friday's meeting, he said he wanted to be a part of the committee so long as its purpose was made clear.
Neal said there was no need for the committee to have bylaws.
"The bylaws were designed when this committee had another purpose, to be an over-arching (local redevelopment authority)," Neal said. "As the bylaws are set up, it sounds as if we have authority, but we're just an advisory group. I don't think it makes sense to spend days and hours in a role without clarifying it. Let's spell out what we are."
Simpson agreed with clarifying the role of the group, but hesitates to remove its bylaws.
"The real world is that we're broke and the only money we have is what the port has allocated," Simpson said. "To strike the bylaws would be to reinvent the wheel. We have the wheel. Well, it's more like a spare tire, but we want to keep that spare tire in case we should need it in the future. But I do feel we need an amendment to the bylaws to clarify how our role has changed."
The matter will be discussed with the port's legal counsel and a possible change or clarification to the bylaws will be discussed at the next port commissioners meeting and the next committee meeting, said John LaRue, the port's executive director.
Contact Fanny S. Chirinos at 886-3759 or chirinosf@ caller.com
Role in redeveloping Ingleside base land needs clarification
By Fanny S. Chirinos Caller-Times
April 14, 2007
A committee that had planned to ask for federal recognition to qualify for funds to redevelop Naval Station Ingleside now plans to act only in an advisory capacity to the Port of Corpus Christi, committee officials announced Friday.
When the port established the Coastal Bend Redevelopment Planning Committee in January 2006, its goal was to receive local redevelopment authority recognition from the Office of Economic Adjustment, the federal agency that disburses funds to communities affected by base closures, and act as the funnel for federal funds related to the reuse of the base.
Not receiving the desired status could mean the loss of federal dollars, which could amount to hundreds of thousands. Port commissioners have earmarked $500,000 to plan the redevelopment of the base.
Next meeting
# What: Coastal Bend Redevelopment Planning Committee
# Where: TBA
# When: 8 a.m. May 11
# Information: 885-6211
The base is scheduled to close Sept. 30, 2010, as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure round, one that also realigned Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. The changes mean the loss of 7,015 direct and indirect jobs and $364 million in annual payroll, according to the Defense Department.
Of the base's more than 1,000 acres, 912 acres revert to the port. The remaining acres do not revert to the port and are considered surplus federal property.
To receive federal funds to redevelop the surplus property, a group must have redevelopment authority status and it is unknown which group or groups will ask for that status. But San Patricio County Judge Terry Simpson believes the committee still could get funds from the Office of Economic Adjustment.
Disagreement arose last year between Nueces County commissioners and the committee over that surplus property and the makeup of the committee. The county asked for more representation by commissioners before playing a part in the group.
The county also hired a consultant to help the commissioners court receive redevelopment authority recognition to redevelop the surplus property. The county has not taken further action since it ended its agreement with the consultant in March 2006.
Nueces County Judge Loyd Neal replaced Terry Shamsie in January as a member of the committee's executive council. During Friday's meeting, he said he wanted to be a part of the committee so long as its purpose was made clear.
Neal said there was no need for the committee to have bylaws.
"The bylaws were designed when this committee had another purpose, to be an over-arching (local redevelopment authority)," Neal said. "As the bylaws are set up, it sounds as if we have authority, but we're just an advisory group. I don't think it makes sense to spend days and hours in a role without clarifying it. Let's spell out what we are."
Simpson agreed with clarifying the role of the group, but hesitates to remove its bylaws.
"The real world is that we're broke and the only money we have is what the port has allocated," Simpson said. "To strike the bylaws would be to reinvent the wheel. We have the wheel. Well, it's more like a spare tire, but we want to keep that spare tire in case we should need it in the future. But I do feel we need an amendment to the bylaws to clarify how our role has changed."
The matter will be discussed with the port's legal counsel and a possible change or clarification to the bylaws will be discussed at the next port commissioners meeting and the next committee meeting, said John LaRue, the port's executive director.
Contact Fanny S. Chirinos at 886-3759 or chirinosf@ caller.com
