CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales says county is applying for a $90 million Living Breakwaters Project grant, in collaboration with the Port of Corpus Christi and other jurisdictions to create a coastal ecosystem that would mitigate the impact of storm surges from coastal hurricanes and storms.
The application is being made to the Texas General Land Office for funds through the Community Development Block Grant – Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program.
Judge Canales (pictured above) was just one of several participants in a November 10 virtual town hall meeting hosted by State Rep. Terry Canales. The two Canales’ are not related. The discussion centered on the economic impact of the Port of Corpus Christi.
Other speakers included state Sen. Juan Hinojosa, state Reps. Todd Hunter and Abel Herrero, CEO of the Port of Corpus Christi Sean Strawbridge, and Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil and Gas Association and former commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture.
“Our Texas ports, whether seaports or land ports between Texas and Mexico, are incredibly powerful economic engines for the State,” said Rep. Canales, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation.
“Texas transportation is often overshadowed by highways and bridges—which are of course essential to Texas’s economy—but I think it’s time to shine the spotlight on our ports for a moment to showcase just how impressive yet bottlenecked they are.”
Rep. Canales represents District 40 in the Texas House. This district is based in the Rio Grande Valley. However, Rep. Canales hails from Alice, Texas, and knows the Coastal Bend area well. In fact, Rep. Hunter said he considers Canales part of the Coastal Bend delegation.
Rep. Canales pointed out that in 2017, the Port of Corpus Christi was the second fastest growing seaport in the United States in terms of exports, growing by $4.69 billion.
”Texas is stifling the growth of its seaports by not having a dedicated maritime funding source to ensure that the state’s ports can keep up,” Rep. Canales said.
He said he viewed the virtual town hall meeting as an opportunity to hear about a great Texas asset and how important it is the daily lives of Texas residents.
Here is a podcast of the town hall meeting:
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