Thousands work at new GTP plant site

Nearly 4,500 people are now working at the site for the new $8.5 billion Golden Triangle Polymers plant on Highway 87 South. The

Heather Betancourth with the company told Orange County Commissioners Court that on Tuesday during a quarterly report on local hiring and purchases.

The Chevron/Phillips/Qatar Energy project was officially announced two years ago. The county spent a few years negotiating a tax abatement contract for the plant. The contract included the corporation adopting a Local First program to help people in the region get jobs and for local businesses of all sizes to get the plant's purchases. The quarterly reports are part of the contract.

Betancourth gave a grand total of local employment at 1,803. However, County Judge John Gothia said "there's more. I see them every day."

Betancourth said the total employment including people from outside the nine-county region considered local, is a 4,500.

Gothia made the quip because he lives in Bridge City. The main thoroughfare from Orange to Bridge City is past the plant's construction site. Traffic between the two cities during rush hours is getting to be notoriously slow with all the work.

The latest report covers the third quarter from July 1 through September 30. During the quarter, the company added another 36 qualified local vendors or suppliers for a total off 132.

The local region is considered Orange, Jefferson, Newton, Jasper, Hardin, Tyler, and Chambers counties, plus the Bolivar Penisula area of Galveston County.

During the quarter, another 17 approved engineering, procurement, and construction companies drew in $8 million from the project. GTP spent $8.7 million with local companies previously contracted.

Since the project was announced two years ago, a grand total of $355.5 million has been spent on local contracted work, not including the small vendors and businesses.

A total of nearly $1.3 million were spent during the quarter on small purchases with local vendors and businesses. Lists of the local businesses include a wide variety of restaurants, printing, pest control, plumbing, printing, appliances, photographers, and rental companies.

Bethancourth said GTP will be hosting a holiday mixer exclusively for Orange County businesses on the approved vendor list so then can meet the company's new procurement official.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Johnny Trahan was back at his first meeting after being hospitalized getting an internal infection that required surgery. He thanked everyone for the calls, texts, cards, and emails he has received during his recuperation.

Business included the presentation of the Sheriff's Office's retiring K-9 Phoenix, who was injured. Deputy Brandon Mojica, the dog's handler, is now his official owner.

Judge Gothia reported the tax assessor-collector's office receied $2.29 million in back taxes last month with the county's share as $298,876. The county office contracts to handle tax property collections for all local entities. The 2025 taxes will be due January 31.

County Maintenance Director Kurt Guidry reported the county is going to save about $50,000 by taking donation of a generator from the McLewis Volunteer Fire Department, which is part of OC Emergency Services District 4.

He said the county has been looking to get a generator for the elections administration office. The one being donated was purchased with grant money in 2010 and has been used only 69 hours. The generator has been sitting inside a building and not outside.

The project will cost the county the expense of getting the generator hooked up to natural gas. Guidry said natural gas lines run along the streets near the elections office and should not be a problem for connection.

Judge Gothia praised Guidry's maintenance office. He said when the weather forecast for the November 5 general election showed thunderstorms and rain in the forecast, he asked the maintenance department to make a cover for the walkway from the parking lot to the election building.

The county crew completed the task. Gothia said it rained that night and the cover helped. Poll workers are required to bring all the voting equipment and returns back to the elections office to report in.