Gloria Washington

The meeting commenced with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a quorum confirmation. Unfinished business included the approval of the minutes for the Special Board Meeting and the Regular Board Meeting held on December 8, 2025. Key discussions under New Business involved the formal adoption of the Certification of the 2026 General Fund and Capital Operations Fund Budgets, as required by the Louisiana Local Government Budget Act. Furthermore, the slate of officers for 2026 was nominated and approved, naming Joshua Williams as President, Stephen Callaway as Vice President, and Brian Crawford as Secretary-Treasurer. The Port Director provided a report on ongoing activities, including clarification regarding DOTD curb cuts on Flournoy Lucas, and the meeting concluded with recognition of the Port Director's 30 years of service.

The primary discussion during this special meeting was an update on projects affecting adjacent landowners, as required by legislative mandate. Key projects reviewed included the proposed Rail project, for which a Development Concept for a two-mile rail site (capable of handling 100+ car unit trains) was submitted to Union Pacific, requiring careful engineering to avoid levy servitudes and existing gas wells, including the potential abandonment of a Heritage Energy well. Another major project discussed was the I-69 Service Road, an approximately 10-mile connection from I-49 to the Port complex, which has secured an INFRA grant, bringing the estimated construction cost to $80 million. Furthermore, updates were provided on the Flournoy Lucas development, including ongoing gas well pad construction by Apex (17 wells) and forthcoming stakeholder meetings for the master plan. Finally, the Tim James Roadway project, which will necessitate an overpass and traverse near existing neighborhoods and the 14 Oaks property, was reviewed.

The meeting began with the opening remarks, Pledge of Allegiance, and roll call. A public hearing was held for the 2026 General Fund and Capital Operations Budgets, where no public comments were offered. Under unfinished business, the minutes for the Special Board Meeting-Budget of November 10, 2025, and the Regular Board Meeting Minutes of November 10, 2025, were approved. The financial report for October 2025 was also approved. New business included the appointment of the 2026 Nominating Committee, composed of Commissioners Bigby, Griggs, and Prescott, with reporting scheduled for January 2026. The 2026 Meeting Calendar was approved. Additionally, Ordinance No. 4 of 2025, adopting the 2026 General Fund Budget, and Ordinance No. 5 of 2025, adopting the 2026 Capital Operations Fund Budget, were adopted. Ordinance No. 5 included an amendment to increase the contribution for the Fire District No. 5 fire truck purchase to $1.089 million. The Port Director provided updates on various activities, including the 2026 Port Night and the approval for the purchase of a front-end loader.

The agenda for the Regular Board Meeting includes an opening by the President, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a public comment period on agenda items. Unfinished business consists of reviewing the minutes for the Special Board Meeting of December 12, 2022, the Regular Board Meeting minutes of December 12, 2022, and the November 2022 Financials. New business items feature a resolution to ratify the Executive Port Director's execution of a certain lease agreement, the certification of the 2023 General Fund and Capital Operations Budgets, the Nominating Committee Report, and the Port Director's Report.

The meeting addressed several key items under Unfinished Business, including the approval of the September 2022 Financial Report. New Business comprised several resolutions, notably Resolution No. 23 authorizing advertisement for competitive bids for the 40,000 square feet heavy multimodal warehouse project. Resolution No. 24 authorized the submission of a pre-application to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality for the Bossier City Water and Sewer Line Project funding. Resolution No. 25 authorized the Executive Port Director to execute necessary agreements for the Bossier City Water and Sewer Line Project right-of-way acquisition. Resolution No. 26 amended a prior bond resolution to increase the total amount to $47 million to incorporate funding for the warehouse project. Additionally, resolutions were approved for leasing land to Self Creek Investments, LLC (Resolution No. 27), approving the reappointment of Eric England as Director to the Louisiana Local Government Environmental Facilities and Community Development Authority Board (Resolution No. 28), and authorizing the lease of land to TG Mercer Consulting Services, Inc. (Resolution No. 29). The Port Director provided updates on various activities and projects.