0001
 1   
 2                   STATE OF LOUISIANA
 3                BOARD OF EXAMINERS FOR THE
 4         NEW ORLEANS-BATON ROUGE STEAMSHIP PILOTS
 5                FOR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
 6   
     .......................................................
 7   
 8                    QUARTERLY MEETING
 9                  MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2026
10   
11   .......................................................
12   
13   
14             Quarterly meeting held at the Offices of
15   The New Orleans-Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots
16   Association, 2805 Harvard Avenue, Suite 101,
17   Metairie, Louisiana 70006, commencing at 10:00 a.m.
18   
19   
20   
21   
22   
23   REPORTED BY:
24   TANIS WHITESTONE
     CERTIFIED COURT REPORTER
25   LOUISIANA LICENSE #99009
0002
 1   
 2                       APPEARANCES:
 3   
     MEMBERS OF THE BOARD:
 4   
          CAPTAIN LEE JACKSON
 5   
          CAPTAIN CHRIS RITTINER
 6   
          CAPTAIN JEREMY WHITTEMORE
 7   
 8   
 9   
     COUNSEL FOR THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS FOR THE
10   NEW ORLEANS-BATON ROUGE STEAMSHIP PILOTS FOR THE
     MISSISSIPPI RIVER:
11   
          RICK WARD, ESQ.
12   
          MICHAEL THOMAS, ESQ.
13   
14   
15   
     ALSO PRESENT:
16   
          BRIAN EISELEN, ESQ.
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19   
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24   
25   
0003
 1   
 2                        I N D E X
 3   
 4   TITLE..........................................1
 5   APPEARANCES....................................2
 6   INDEX..........................................3
 7   CALL TO ORDER..................................4
 8   ROLL CALL......................................4
 9   ADOPTION OF MINUTES............................5
10   PUBLIC COMMENTS................................5
11   ITEM 5 -  NEW BUSINESS:
12             a) MPI Contract ratification.........5
13             b) Sexual Harassment Training........7
14             c) Deputy Pilot Vessel Restrictions..8
15   ITEM 6 -  OLD BUSINESS:
16             a) Pilot incident/accident review....17
17             b) Investigation into Capt. Greg
                  Solar's Violation of Title 46.....19
18   
     OTHER DISCUSSIONS..............................22
19   
     ADJOURNMENT....................................24
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0004
 1   Tanis T. Whitestone, a Certified Court Reporter in
 2     and for the State of Louisiana, did report the
 3                        following:
 4             CAPT. JACKSON:
 5                  Call meeting to order for the New
 6             Orleans-Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots for
 7             the Mississippi River.  We'll start with
 8             roll call.
 9                  Lee Jackson, commissioner.
10             CAPT. WHITTEMORE:
11                  Jeremy Whittemore, commissioner.
12             CAPT. RITTINER:
13                  Chris Rittiner, commissioner.
14             CAPT. JACKSON:
15                  Over the weekend, I sent you-all the
16             minutes from our prior meeting on February
17             11th for preread in hopes that everything
18             was in order and we'll need a motion to
19             adopt those minutes.
20             CAPT. RITTINER:
21                  I read them as well.  I present the
22             motion to adopt the minutes.
23             CAPT. JACKSON:
24                  Can I get a second?
25             CAPT. WHITTEMORE:
0005
 1                  I second.
 2             CAPT. JACKSON:
 3                  Let's do a roll call.  Lee Jackson,
 4             aye.
 5             CAPT. WHITTEMORE:
 6                  Jeremy Whittemore, aye.
 7             CAPT. RITTINER:
 8                  Chris Rittiner, aye.
 9             CAPT. JACKSON:
10                  That passes.
11                  Onto the next item on the agenda,
12             public comments.  Anyone in the public?
13             Seeing none.
14                  Moving on to No. 5, new business.  In
15             your packet, you-all will see the
16             Locus-MPI contract that I executed.  I'll
17             give you a little backdrop on that.  Locus
18             has had an ongoing contract with the
19             organizations from 2015 to 2025.  That
20             contract was for 119 pilots.  It had no
21             escalations whatsoever.  So it came by to
22             propose a new contract obviously because
23             of the increasing manning.
24                  The new contract would be subject to
25             them being compensated for 144 pilots and
0006
 1             some contract escalations in there, CPI,
 2             sort of like everyone has in a contract.
 3             This contract has been ran through the
 4             board of directors for NOBRA to make sure
 5             they were in alignment with these fees and
 6             they're in agreement to pay the stated
 7             rate so the contract was executed.  That's
 8             the nuts and bolts of it.
 9                  You can see there's a three percent
10             annual escalation on it.  Any questions?
11             Any comments?
12             CAPT. RITTINER:
13                  Listed here is what in addition to
14             provisions, this is everything Locus is
15             going to do?
16             CAPT. JACKSON:
17                  Yes, that is correct.  And there's
18             some -- I think there's some broad strokes
19             there for some wriggle room for us if we
20             needed something in particular for a
21             particular situation, special
22             circumstances, yada yada yada.
23                  I think at a 30,000 feet level, I
24             don't think we should expect them to train
25             144 pilots at 119 fees, so that was the
0007
 1             thought behind it.
 2                  So are there anymore questions?  I
 3             would ask for a motion to ratify the
 4             contract that has been executed.
 5             CAPT. WHITTEMORE:
 6                  I second the motion.
 7             CAPT. JACKSON:
 8                  All right.  We'll do a roll call.
 9                  Lee Jackson, aye.
10             CAPT. WHITTEMORE:
11                  Jeremy Whittemore, aye.
12             CAPT. RITTINER:
13                  Chris Rittiner, aye.
14             CAPT. JACKSON:
15                  All in favor and that motion is
16             passed so that contract is ratified by the
17             board.
18                  Next thing, just as an update, the
19             annual sexual harassment training for all
20             pilots was completed before December 31st,
21             so we're up to date there.  It seems like
22             it goes by.  We don't have any issues with
23             folks getting their training.  MPI kind of
24             manages it and sends out -- you-all know
25             this, they send out a video and you have
0008
 1             to go through it.
 2                  So the state also has one and I know
 3             that we all have done ours on the board.
 4             We have to do that as well.  So as a
 5             system, we're up to date.
 6                  Next item for discussion is the
 7             Deputy Pilot Vessel Restrictions.  As
 8             you-all know, the next phase for the
 9             deputy pilots should begin June 1.  So as
10             a result, we're going to have to, as a
11             board, decide how we want to make that
12             next phase move.
13                  I think this is an opportunity for us
14             to have a discussion about it and talk
15             through it and get you-all's thoughts,
16             what you think.
17                  As it currently stands, there's 656
18             in 39 feet.  It's been going smoothly,
19             although you'll get one little hiccup here
20             and there where the agent is not given the
21             right draft and the restricted pilot gets
22             there.  The rules are the rules, right,
23             and I think dispatch downstairs gives them
24             a pretty clear understanding that you are
25             getting a restricted pilot, it's important
0009
 1             that you get it correct.
 2                  I've had to intervene a few times and
 3             also I've called Exxon to let them know
 4             what the issue was and they seem pretty
 5             accommodating.  I've asked the board of
 6             directors to get a pilot out quickly.
 7                  I'm a little hesitant to move even on
 8             one inch because where does it stop, you
 9             know?  We have a clear policy, clear
10             rules.  So it hasn't been bad.  So I say
11             all that so that you-all can consider what
12             the next phase looks like, right.  We
13             can't get it perfect.  We cannot.  But
14             wherever we land, we have to stand by it.
15                  So I'll open it up to discussion.
16             CAPT. RITTINER:
17                  Working in and around them, I don't
18             think there's been an issue.  The rotation
19             keeps moving forward.  Everybody keeps
20             getting new work.  There's not many
21             complaints.  From time to time, like you
22             said, you get those complaints of being an
23             inch over or bring dispatch in for
24             discharge.
25                  For the most part, I think whatever
0010
 1             makes them better pilots at the end of the
 2             day is what the goal is and I think we've
 3             accomplished that in the first and I would
 4             like to just keep moving them forward for
 5             the second.  I haven't looked at the river
 6             gauge so I'm not sure if it's projected to
 7             go much higher, but we'll be in that phase
 8             or at least past that phase for the next
 9             restriction bump.
10             CAPT. JACKSON:
11                  Yeah.  I don't anticipate we're going
12             to have an extremely high river.  But
13             again, we can get a whole lot of rain
14             toward the end of May and all of a sudden
15             that goes to the sideline.  But it's
16             something to consider, you know, when we
17             think about the next phase.
18                  As you-all are aware, there's three
19             phases to the restricted period.
20             Historically, what you've done is you've
21             done the first phase that kind of captures
22             50 percent of the market, meaning
23             movements, and then you would move to the
24             next phase would be somewhere around 70,
25             75 percent of the total work that's done,
0011
 1             and finally there's 90 percent.
 2                  You always want to kind of leave
 3             yourself some room for the last phase
 4             because that's a critical phase where they
 5             get to the really big ships and a lot of
 6             draft.  So that's the approach we've done.
 7             With water coming down, it does add some
 8             complexities to some of the younger ones.
 9                  I must say, they all have been doing
10             a really great job.  They really have
11             been.  Maybe a phone call here or there
12             reminding them about speed kills and
13             things like that.  But for the most part,
14             they've been doing a good job.
15                  So any thoughts on -- this is just
16             discussion so that we can have a clear
17             understanding on where we're going.  I can
18             throw out to you-all that just having some
19             conversations with a few people coming in,
20             some of the pilots and actually talking to
21             some of the deputy pilots what do they
22             think is a next good phase for them.
23             Obviously, they all want it all, but
24             that's not where we are.
25                  So I think, you know, looking at the
0012
 1             numbers, look, 750, 43 or 45 feet.  I
 2             mean, I don't know.  I'm trying to -- the
 3             Post-Panamaxes, that's something we need
 4             to think about as well as what draft makes
 5             sense, and of course dead weight of all
 6             things.  That's just something that I've
 7             thought through.  I'm not married to it,
 8             but it's just looking at the data and
 9             trying to understand what would make sense
10             and we can feel comfortable about it.
11             CAPT. RITTINER:
12                  I like the way that sounds.  The
13             classification of vessels is increasing,
14             you're getting a bigger class, draft is
15             increasing.
16             CAPT. JACKSON:
17                  We don't want to get into the
18             quagmire because we are -- there was one
19             school of thought just eliminate the
20             draft, but then you think about it for a
21             second, we're getting 49, 50 feet.  You
22             put that on, say, a 800-foot ship or 750,
23             just say 46 feet, 47, that's a dog.  It's
24             a dog that you're handling and we don't
25             want to put those deputy pilots -- not at
0013
 1             this stage of the game anyway.  So we're
 2             just spitballing here.  But it would be
 3             great if we could give it some thought.
 4                  Jeremy, any consideration or thoughts
 5             to both the draft or the --
 6             CAPT. WHITTEMORE:
 7                  If we can tweak it enough to where we
 8             avoid those cases where the navigators
 9             order the wrong draft, we can kind of
10             still better serve industry but still let
11             them develop further.  It's quite a jump
12             between 656 and 750s.  But if we tweak it
13             enough to where 656.1 issue and then the
14             39.2 or 40 feet or where we can still have
15             them develop more but yet serve our
16             customers.
17             CAPT. JACKSON:
18                  So what do you think a next phase
19             would look like?
20             CAPT. WHITTEMORE:
21                  Maybe initially like 700 phase where
22             if we get like a weird ship that's 66.1 or
23             occasionally the 699s and the draft maybe
24             increase it a few feet, maybe 42.  Look at
25             the numbers and see, or you can go up to
0014
 1             44 or 45 feet.
 2             CAPT. JACKSON:
 3                  What I'll do is I'll circulate --
 4             I'll request some data from the
 5             association and then we'll circulate it
 6             and we all can see where we would fall
 7             let's say 700 to 750, let's look at it and
 8             see where it would fall out and how we can
 9             do both as we move forward through the
10             process.  Because one school of thought is
11             you don't want to jump too much and the
12             other thing is you don't jump enough,
13             they're going to be hit with a ton.
14                  The other thing I would like to find
15             out from the association is how often are
16             they being skipped.  I think that's a
17             critical piece for service in the
18             industry, the business side of it.  So
19             there's a couple things there we can talk
20             about, but I'll commit to getting the data
21             to provide to you-all and maybe we'll have
22             to have another meeting before June 1 to
23             come up with it.
24                  Or I don't know, I'll ask the
25             lawyers, if we all can agree via e-mail on
0015
 1             what the next phase is, is that something
 2             we can do?  Is there a way we can do it
 3             instead of holding a meeting just for
 4             that?
 5             MR. WARD:
 6                  I think there would be a mechanism
 7             where everyone agrees via e-mail and
 8             operate that way and then when we come in
 9             in June, make it ratified.
10             CAPT. JACKSON:
11                  Well, good.  I'll commit to you guys
12             with getting you the information so we can
13             make a sound decision and give you-all
14             some suggestions and hopefully we'll land
15             on a good place for both industry, them,
16             and the organization as well.
17             CAPT. RITTINER:
18                  We're still keeping some of the rules
19             intact about no riders?
20             CAPT. JACKSON:
21                  I think it's important for now,
22             particularly the riders side of it, right,
23             because they're young, some of them, and
24             you want them to remain focused and not
25             paying attention to someone that's riding
0016
 1             with them, right.  So I would suggest that
 2             we keep that in for now for sure.
 3                  The restriction side, obviously it's
 4             going to move up to whatever we decide
 5             even on a two-pilot job for now.  I don't
 6             think we should be ready to give them the
 7             rein at this point.  I think that will
 8             leave us some flexibility in that final
 9             phase.  So we can go from there.
10             CAPT. RITTINER:
11                  With the two-pilot, I think before it
12             was conning and resource, now as team
13             piloting, maybe we should put in just --
14             I'm not sure if we had it, by saying
15             conning and resources could be only one of
16             them but now we just want to make sure I
17             guess maybe two of them cannot be
18             dispatched to the same ship.
19             CAPT. JACKSON:
20                  Yeah.  That's a good point.  So we
21             need to clarify that even now, right,
22             maybe because the association has changed
23             into the two teams.  So we'll address that
24             also in the next phase two as well.
25                  Thoughts, Jeremy?
0017
 1             CAPT. WHITTEMORE:
 2                  I was going to bring up the two-pilot
 3             teams.
 4             CAPT. JACKSON:
 5                  I think we can look at it simply if
 6             it's in the restriction with giving them
 7             another bump, we can address that.
 8             They'll be eight months out in June and
 9             maybe that's something we can think about
10             too.  Again, I'm not married to it.  I
11             think we just have to figure out what's
12             best for them at this point.  There's
13             something to be said for the real older
14             guy looking over you and saying why you
15             did that, but we can get through that.
16                  I'll commit to getting you-all some
17             additional information so we can make a
18             sound decision.
19                  Old business:  In your packet is the
20             pilot incident/accident review.  Really
21             and truly, guys, the pilots have done a
22             really great job of managing incidents and
23             accidents.  I don't have any new things to
24             report on that.  That's not to say we
25             haven't had drug tests and all of that,
0018
 1             but those thing have been non-reportable,
 2             a little bump in the river and things like
 3             that.  So it hasn't been anything of
 4             substance.
 5                  The only one that is still -- I would
 6             say we can look at some of these and
 7             remove up to, where are we now, say 3/11.
 8             It's been a year from 12/29/24 to 3/11/25,
 9             we've had zero follow-up with any agency
10             about these vessels and these incidents.
11             So if the board is okay, I think we can
12             remove those.
13                  I will say 10/24/25 is ongoing.
14             There's multiple strings of investigations
15             going there.  So I think we're just going
16             to stay put and kind of watch that kind of
17             materialize.  But if I can get a motion
18             from the board to remove vessels dated
19             12/29/24 to 3/11/25 off the roster of
20             incidents, that will be appreciated.
21             CAPT. RITTINER:
22                  I will present a motion to remove
23             vessels from 12/29/24 to 3/11/25.
24             CAPT. JACKSON:
25                  Can I get a second on that?
0019
 1             CAPT. WHITTEMORE:
 2                  I second the motion.
 3             CAPT. JACKSON:
 4                  Let's do a roll call on that.  All in
 5             favor?
 6                  Lee Jackson, aye.
 7             CAPT. WHITTEMORE:
 8                  Jeremy Whittemore, aye.
 9             CAPT. RITTINER:
10                  Chris Rittiner, aye.
11             CAPT. JACKSON:
12                  That motion passes.  I'll make sure
13             to remove those from the incident roster
14             sheet in preparation for our next meeting.
15                  Final item for old business is 6(b).
16             I'm going to turn it over to Rick to give
17             us an update on where this is.
18             MR. WARD:
19                  Until a few minutes ago, I didn't
20             have an update, but Mr. Hebert, who is
21             Mr. Solar's attorney, just gave me a call
22             and also sent over, which I'll be sending
23             over to each of you, a picture of the log
24             where it shows that he did or completed 26
25             turns.
0020
 1             CAPT. JACKSON:
 2                  Okay.
 3             MR. WARD:
 4                  I guess it's unofficial, but from
 5             what I can tell in the picture, it
 6             seems --
 7             CAPT. JACKSON:
 8                  We can validate that.  If you forward
 9             that on, or maybe you can reach out to the
10             association and get them to validate that
11             for us.  If, in fact, those 26 turns are
12             completed, I think that concludes our
13             business with Mr. Solar.  I would then
14             notify the association that, look, he's
15             done with the board.  He's recent.
16             MR. WARD:
17                  Perfect.  I'll forward this to each
18             of you and I'll also make contact with the
19             association for them to validate.
20             CAPT. JACKSON:
21                  Will we need to -- as a board, will
22             we need to do something to preemptively
23             agree so that it's in the record we all
24             agree that if he's recent, he can --
25             MR. WARD:
0021
 1                  Yeah, I think --
 2             CAPT. JACKSON:
 3                  Will there be a preemptive motion?
 4             MR. THOMAS:
 5                  You mean subject to the validation
 6             of?
 7             CAPT. JACKSON:
 8                  Yeah.  Why don't we do that.  As it
 9             relates to item B, investigation into Greg
10             Solar's violation of Title 46, based on
11             the current information that we have in
12             hand, if it is validated, this board would
13             agree to allow he is now recent for 2026.
14             That will be the motion.
15             CAPT. WHITTEMORE:
16                  I present a motion, upon validation,
17             that Captain Solar is recent again.
18             CAPT. JACKSON:
19                  Well, good.  We'll do a roll call.
20                  Lee Jackson, aye.
21             CAPT. WHITTEMORE:
22                  Jeremy Whittemore, aye.
23             CAPT. RITTINER:
24                  Chris Rittiner, aye.
25             CAPT. JACKSON:
0022
 1                  That motion passes contingent on
 2             validation of the 26 turns.
 3                  Is there anything else in front of
 4             the board?
 5             CAPT. RITTINER:
 6                  For the next meeting, if we could
 7             possible put on something for a discussion
 8             of recency just to see if we are hitting
 9             our numbers, if 60 is going to be an
10             issue.  There's been some talk from people
11             who I won't say are worried but are trying
12             to plan their 2026 to make sure they get
13             either their 60 turns or 20 miles more or
14             have enough recent trips.  I've had four
15             or five pilots reach out to try to figure
16             out if we're going to change it or if
17             there needs to be an adjustment based on
18             the new workload.
19             CAPT. JACKSON:
20                  For our next meeting, I'll also have
21             some data for you to look at as it relates
22             to where things are trending from a
23             recency average; up, down, where we're
24             going.
25                  So remember, the board has a certain
0023
 1             amount of latitude that we can do to
 2             address this issue in addition to rule
 3             changes, right.  So the next meeting,
 4             we'll absolutely have that up for
 5             discussion.
 6                  One thing I will also tell you-all,
 7             just don't forget that we have two deputy
 8             pilots that were held back for 30 days.
 9             So whatever we do, only 29 of them, right,
10             will be moved on June 1st and then the
11             other two will be moved a month later,
12             July 1st.  So that's Deputy Pilot Gage
13             Ledet and Deputy Pilot Michael Bourdelais
14             because they were behind in getting
15             commissioned.
16                  So I'll take it as an action item for
17             myself, bring some data on recency but
18             also bring some data next meeting.  We'll
19             float some data about the next restrictive
20             period for the deputy pilots.  So I'll
21             take that on.
22                  If that's it, I'll entertain a motion
23             to adjourn.
24             CAPT. RITTINER:
25                  Motion to adjourn.
0024
 1             CAPT. JACKSON:
 2                  I second that motion.  Roll call.
 3                  Lee Jackson, aye.
 4             CAPT. WHITTEMORE:
 5                  Jeremy Whittemore, aye.
 6             CAPT. RITTINER:
 7                  Chris Rittiner, aye.
 8             CAPT. JACKSON:
 9                  We are adjourned.
10                          * * *
11    (Whereupon at 10:24 a.m. the meeting adjourned.)
12                          * * *
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0025
 1                  C E R T I F I C A T E
 2             This certification is valid only for a
     transcript accompanied by my original signature and
 3   original raised seal on this page.
 4             I, Tanis Whitestone, Certified Court
     Reporter (Certificate #99009) in and for the State
 5   of Louisiana, as the officer before whom this
     testimony was taken, do hereby certify that this
 6   testimony was reported by me in the stenotype
     reporting method, was prepared and transcribed by me
 7   by means of computer-aided transcription and is a
     true and correct transcript to the best of my
 8   ability and understanding at the time of the
     production of said transcript;
 9   
               That the transcript has been prepared in
10   compliance with transcript format guidelines required
     by statute or by rules of the Board and that I am
11   informed about the complete arrangement, financial or
     otherwise, with the person or entity making
12   arrangements for deposition services;
13   That I have acted in compliance with the prohibition
     on contractual relationships, as defined by Louisiana
14   Code of Civil Procedure Article 1434 and in rules and
     advisory opinions of the Board;
15   
               That I have no actual knowledge of any
16   prohibited employment or contractual relationship,
     direct or indirect, between a court reporting firm
17   and any party litigant in this matter, nor is there
     any such relationship between myself and a party
18   litigant in this matter;
19             That I am not related to counsel or to the
     parties herein, nor am I otherwise interested in the
20   outcome of this matter.
21   
                         ______________________________
22                       TANIS WHITESTONE
                         CERTIFIED COURT REPORTER
23                       STATE OF LOUISIANA
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25