Galveston County Board of Commissioners of Pilots Announces Rate Change Hearing
NOTICE OF HEARING advises that no less than six industry “Objectors” are officially against granting the pilots a raise in rates.
The Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Ports of Galveston County (“Board”) hereby gives notice that on June 8, 2009 at a meeting starting at 9 0'clock in the morning in the County Commissioner’s Courtroom, 722 Moody Street, Galveston, Texas, 77550, the Board will begin to conduct a hearing in the matter of the Application for Pilotage Rate Change (“Application”) by the Pilots of Galveston County, Texas (“Applicant”). The Application has been objected to by the West Gulf Maritime Association, the Carnival Corporation, the Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., the Port of Texas City, the Port of Galveston, and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (collectively, the “Objectors”).
The hearing will begin as noticed and may be continued from time to time and place to place until the Board reaches a decision with respect to the Application. If, at the conclusion of the hearing, the Board finds that any changes should be made in the pilotage rates, it will comply with the 10 days’ notice requirements contained in Section 67.021, Texas Transportation Code and, as required by Section 67.069, Texas Transportation Code, will file a copy of its order with the County Clerk not later than the 20th day after the closing date of the hearing.
At the hearing on the Application on June 8, 2009, the Board will consider and act primarily on procedural issues and preliminary matters including, but not limited to, such matters as:
• the time to be allocated to each party to put on its evidence and to rebut the evidence of others;
• procedures to be put in place to avoid unduly repetitious presentations;
• procedures to be put in place to insure that the hearing focus on the factors for Board consideration in acting on a pilotage rate change application as set out in Section 67.066, Texas Transportation Code, thus avoiding the introduction of irrelevant or extraneous materials;
• consideration of the assessment of costs among the Applicant and the Objectors pursuant to Section 67.068, Transportation Code; and
• the setting of a date when the parties will begin to present their substantive cases to the Board within certain procedural parameters.
Questions about this notice may be directed to Vandy Anderson, Chair, via email at [email protected] or by phone (409) 740-6886.
MarEx readers can review our latest article on the GALTEX Pilot’s rate increase by clicking HERE.
A more in-depth description (and previous MarEx article) and actual text of the rate increase request can be read by clicking HERE.