Galveston City Council today met in workshop with transportation consultant Barry Goodman to discuss The Goodman Corporation’s current and past grant activities, as well as future opportunities.  Listen (Note: the audio is below par.)

“We have a variety of fixed bus routes in a network throughout the island, we have maintenance facilities that have just been renovated, an intermodal downtown terminal that is being developed in partnership with the port, the Livable Communities Imitative program was begun some years ago – it has focused on downtown and the area between downtown and UTMB, Seawall Boulevard enhancements, a very important program, New Freedom gives us funding for sidewalks and ADA accessible improvements, we’re in the early stages of restoration of the trolley tracks and vehicles,” Goodman said, noting that this afternoon’s regular meeting agenda includes submission of projects for consideration in the Houston-Galveston Area Council Transportation Improvement Program for FY 2013-FY2016 and a proposed interlocal agreement with the Galveton County Transit District which will enable the city to receive direct federal and state funding for its transit operations despite the loss of population following Hurricane Ike.

“Well, if we quit shipping people from the mainland over here to work we might (poor audio quality),” Mayor Rosen said, implying that the Victory Lakes Park & Ride is discouraging people from returning to the island.

The city council met with Lee Otis Zapp, Henry Freudenberg and Don Mafrige of the Coastal Windstorm Insurance Coalition to discuss potential windstorm insurance rate increases.  Listen

The city council met with attorney Mark Ciavaglia of Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson about delinquent tax collections. Listen

The formal meeting of the city council will begin at 4 p.m.