57coastie, my point was that what I found with a quick search on Houston Ship Channel and "security," was that the HSCSD appears to be a state, not a federal entity and the USCG was listed (last) as a "partner", and that the security of the area pretty much seemed to reside with the Harris County Sheriff -- not any federal agency. Note I made allowance for the fact that I did not know what the MTSA really was, or that I might be wrong entirely. Sorry if that offended your sense of the Coast Guard's rightful place in the scheme of things.
Frankly, anyone who would entirely bet their job and legal safety on a single internet post probably shouldn't be totin' guns any way.
Search found 2 matches
Return to “Parking Lot Bill and sites on the Ship Channel”
- Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:22 pm
- Forum: 2011 Texas Legislative Session
- Topic: Parking Lot Bill and sites on the Ship Channel
- Replies: 17
- Views: 12707
- Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:37 pm
- Forum: 2011 Texas Legislative Session
- Topic: Parking Lot Bill and sites on the Ship Channel
- Replies: 17
- Views: 12707
Re: Parking Lot Bill and sites on the Ship Channel
I will be interested to see what Mr. Cotton thinks, but I just took a quick stroll through the Houston Ship Channel Security District website (http://www.hscsd.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). Some things jumped out at me:
- It was created by the Harris County commissioners, using powers set out in an act passed by the 2007 Texas State Legislature (I believe that would be the 79th).
- "Members" of the District seem to be the petrochemical companies/associations of the area, to include East Harris County Manufacturers Association plant facilities; Maritime company facilities regulated by MTSA (Maritime Transportation Security Act); Port of Houston Authority; and Harris County.
- "Partners" are listed as including the following: Harris County Judge’s Office; Harris County Precinct 2; Harris County Sheriff’s Office; TranStar partners – TxDOT, METRO and City of Houston; Houston Ship Channel Security Council; University of Houston; U.S. Coast Guard. I don't know for sure, but in my bureaucratic experience lists like this put the most influential/powerful entities first, and the least last.
- The District is governed by an 11 member board that includes eight directors elected by the Members of the District and three appointed ones. The appointed ones are the Exec Director of the Port of Houston Authority, one appointed by the Harris County commissioners, and one appointed by the Harris County Mayors and Councils Association. Sounds like all locals to me, no feds.
- DHS grants were/are used to find security infrastructure stuff like surveillance equipment, communications, and so forth, but actual security seems to be provided by " ...specially trained Harris County Sheriffs Office personnel, marked patrol cars and patrol boats to provide rapid response times and improved communication with security district facilities. Harris County is a partner in the security district through in-kind services."
Thus it seems the Houston Ship Channel Security District is created and governed by the State of Texas. There may be some pre-emptive federal law or power given to the Coasties to make some rules (via the MTSA?), but otherwise it doesn't seem to me that anything about the Houston Ship Channel Security District should interfere with the Parking Lot bill. But I don't know if the Houston Ship Channel and the HSC Security District are completely congruent... Seems like this would have come up during one of the last two or three legislatures as an issue if it did....
But I have been wrong before...
- It was created by the Harris County commissioners, using powers set out in an act passed by the 2007 Texas State Legislature (I believe that would be the 79th).
- "Members" of the District seem to be the petrochemical companies/associations of the area, to include East Harris County Manufacturers Association plant facilities; Maritime company facilities regulated by MTSA (Maritime Transportation Security Act); Port of Houston Authority; and Harris County.
- "Partners" are listed as including the following: Harris County Judge’s Office; Harris County Precinct 2; Harris County Sheriff’s Office; TranStar partners – TxDOT, METRO and City of Houston; Houston Ship Channel Security Council; University of Houston; U.S. Coast Guard. I don't know for sure, but in my bureaucratic experience lists like this put the most influential/powerful entities first, and the least last.
- The District is governed by an 11 member board that includes eight directors elected by the Members of the District and three appointed ones. The appointed ones are the Exec Director of the Port of Houston Authority, one appointed by the Harris County commissioners, and one appointed by the Harris County Mayors and Councils Association. Sounds like all locals to me, no feds.
- DHS grants were/are used to find security infrastructure stuff like surveillance equipment, communications, and so forth, but actual security seems to be provided by " ...specially trained Harris County Sheriffs Office personnel, marked patrol cars and patrol boats to provide rapid response times and improved communication with security district facilities. Harris County is a partner in the security district through in-kind services."
Thus it seems the Houston Ship Channel Security District is created and governed by the State of Texas. There may be some pre-emptive federal law or power given to the Coasties to make some rules (via the MTSA?), but otherwise it doesn't seem to me that anything about the Houston Ship Channel Security District should interfere with the Parking Lot bill. But I don't know if the Houston Ship Channel and the HSC Security District are completely congruent... Seems like this would have come up during one of the last two or three legislatures as an issue if it did....
But I have been wrong before...