Port Authority Board to Tighten WTC Leash

[B]eginning in September, the Board will hold special monthly meetings near the WTC site, in addition to its regularly scheduled monthly meetings, to consider issues regarding the WTC rebuilding effort. At each special meeting, the Board will discuss status reports from the Executive Director on WTC construction timelines and the Chief Financial Officer on WTC budget issues (the status reports will be sent to the Board in advance of the special meeting) and will consider WTC-related action items, including but not limited to construction contracts requiring Board authorization.

The special meetings will create an opportunity for the Board to give staff more policy direction regarding the rebuilding effort, provide an additional layer of Board oversight, and ensure that the Board is able to take action on WTC-related items at a pace consistent with the desire for an accelerated construction schedule. They will also provide a forum in which Commissioners may focus solely on WTC issues, without having to consider the broad variety of other topics typically raised at a regular monthly meeting. Finally, the special meetings will enhance the transparency of Board's decision-making as it relates to the agency's role in the rebuilding process.