I’m pleased to present to you the Port of Seattle’s 2007-2008 Report to the Community. This report is one of many ways we make Port business transparent, and it holds particular significance in a year when much of our focus has been responding to last year’s performance audit by the State Auditor’s Office (SAO).
As of July 1, we submitted our first annual audit report to the SAO, recapping six months of intensive efforts to:
- Revise the Commission's oversight protocols,
- Tighten the Port's contracting and project management systems and procedures, and
- Investigate the potential for fraudulent activities.
We also have made several key appointments, bringing respected members of the public aboard to advise or serve on our Ethics, Audit and Delegation of Authority committees. The Commission’s Special Investigatory Committee has hired independent counsel to investigate areas in Port operations identified by the performance audit as susceptible to fraud. At the same time, we have given the CEO the space to make needed management changes.
On a regular basis we receive an update in the Commission meeting on an ambitious Action Plan that the CEO has implemented. The updates check off performance audit recommendations as they are accomplished by Port staff, and are posted on the Port Web site. We are determined to walk our talk—in plain sight of all our constituents.
Meanwhile, the Port continues to operate a busy airport and seaport, make progress on the environmental front and improve roadways around our facilities. In these pages, you’ll find updates on the Port’s core businesses that support the most trade-dependent state in the nation, create economic growth across the region and generate more than 200,000 jobs for our community.
John Creighton
President, Port of Seattle Commission
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