21 January 2022 SE Indiana Regional Port Authority Meeting
ROLL CALL:
- Aurora: Mark Drury, Benjamin Turner (Treasurer), Derek Walker (The 2 at large members need to be reappointed with the advice and consent of their Council for this year per Baudendistel)
- Dearborn County: Jim Thatcher (Chairman), Tom Palmer (Secretary), Eric Kranz
- Greendale: ABSENT: Alan Weiss (vice Chair),ABSENT: Al Abdon, E.G. McLaughlin
- Lawrenceburg: ABSENT:Kelly Mollaun, ABSENT:Lenny Fryman, ABSENT:Sarah Jordan
- Andy Baudendistel , Attorney
ELECTION OF OFFICERS – Board decided to keep the same officers in place for 2022.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: November 17th, 2021 Meeting - approved.
GUEST SPEAKERS – none
OLD BUSINESS- Follow up on status of BLN (Beam Longest Neff Consultants)- John Dimichio (sp?) presented a followup plan for moving forward on projects discussed during the workshop. $1.2 trillion infrastructure funding has been approved at the federal level. Truck rail transport money has tripled. Port development funds - a number of grants available. $1 million in maritime highway funds. $350 milli available to Dearborn County. EV grants- $5.5 million statewide. etc.
Support future grant applications.
Document current inventory of demand resources, and current conditions. IMPORTANT to identify revenue stream generating projects. Will have to identify different stakeholder groups to get engagement by first qtr 2023.
Three items to get started on- with total cost of $45,000 to prepare the plan for :Financial plan work for grants research( $15,000 cost), Rail Truck transload facility with CSX and GNW ($15,000 cost and Electric vehicle charging stations (cost $15,000) from consultant. The comprehensive plan will have another larger fee.
CRISI grants- funding for capital projects that improve passenger and rail freight systems
$582,329 existing funds in the Port fund.
There was discussion about what we are getting for the $15,000 in each category. There were some who were not completely comfortable with approving the fees without more details about what they will do beyond getting a list of possible grants. For example they will not write the grant perhaps. They will review application requirements perhaps. Many of these grants are digital applications.
Board approved moving forward on the 3 items with a more detailed service agreement proposal for amendments to the current agreement.
Port Authority Meetings were moved to monthly and the time was changed to 10 AM on the third Friday of the month. Baudendistel will notify the local media of this.
Charging stations - the cost seems to be $100,000 to set up one. It takes a lot of time to get a long term payoff.
Walmart has charging stations at their site in Aurora.
OKI has a process where they set it up and we keep the profits and they will check with them when the come to the county next week.
FINANCIAL REPORT / INVOICES- Votaw and Schwarz $1220 for Nov, Dec and part of Jan, for Baudendistel , Seitz invoices $200 for 2 bonds for Tom Palmer and Benny Turner.- Both approved.
PUBLIC COMMENT- Bill Kinsler inviting SIRPA to a CORBA meeting- atBand B Riverboats concerning container on vessel or container on barge that have been accumulating along the waterway systems here.This is due to supply chain issues with COVID etc recently. There is a 2:30 registrations with 3:00 presentations. He will exchange info after the meeting with Thatcher and the Board.
CONFIRMATION OF NEXT MEETING February 18th, 2022 at 10 AM
ADJOURNMENT - 1:45 PM
