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Joint Transportation Committee approves two Port Priority applications for Terrebonne and Caddo‑Bossier ports
Summary
The Joint Transportation Committee approved two Port Priority Q1 applications — one from the Port of Terrebonne for property and tenant acquisition and one from the Caddo‑Bossier Port to expand rail service for two warehouses — after a short presentation by the Office of Multimodal Commerce.
Julia Fisher Cormier, Commissioner of the Office of Multimodal Commerce, told the Joint Transportation Committee that two Q1 Port Priority applications required committee action before the end of Q2. "Port Priority serves our 41 Louisiana ports. We've got approximately $40,000,000 annually to fund the port infrastructure and improvements," Cormier said, and she summarized the two applications in members' folders.
Cormier described the Port of Terrebonne application as an acquisition of property and an acquisition of a tenant. She said the Caddo‑Bossier Port application would improve and increase rail service to two warehouse rail cargo facilities and estimated the project would create three new jobs and generate additional commerce. She also told the committee that Louisiana Economic Development provided an economic analysis included in members' materials and cited benefit‑cost ratios listed on the packet: 48 for Terrebonne and 4.8 for Caddo‑Bossier.
Representative Phelps moved to approve "the recommended port priority applications received through March 1." The chair asked, "Are there any objections?" and, after no objections were raised on the record, the chair announced the projects were approved.
The committee recorded supporters present but not speaking, including David Robblett, Michael Noblach, and Jennifer Marusak, and noted Craig Romero and Senator Romero were present in support. No further committee action or budget detail was requested during the brief discussion; Cormier said the two projects will be included in the full Port Priority program the department plans to present later this year.
Members of the committee did not debate the individual project budgets during the floor discussion; the approval was limited to advancing the two Q1 applications as described in the materials provided to members.
The committee did not identify any statutory citations in the discussion beyond program rules requiring Q1 applications be heard before the end of Q2. The Office of Multimodal Commerce and LED analysis in the packet are the primary documentary sources cited by presenters.
