Reforms at the Port?

This post originally appeared on Orphan Road.

in an open letter to the community, Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani is adamant that the Port hadn’t actually wasted $97M. Here’s an excerpt:

First, I want to clarify one of the biggest concerns raised in this audit – wasted money. The Port did not waste $97.2 million in taxpayer money. Here’s where I’m coming from:

$60 million of that number relates to the Port hiring a national contractor, instead of hiring more Port staff, to manage the redevelopment of SeaTac’s terminals. This contractor has to date been paid $120 million over the past 10 years.

…

The auditor states that we wasted $32 million because the construction contract for a portion of the third runway exceeded our initial cost estimate by $32 million. Bids often vary from estimates – particularly when the construction market is booming, as it was at the time. People involved in construction – whether public or private agencies or homeowners contemplating a remodel – understand that even thoroughly researched cost estimates can change as the project nears. Ultimately, the market dictates the cost to build something.

But at the same time, despite Yoshitani’s protestations of innocence, the Port is offering a slate of reforms in the wake of the audit. It’s a fine line to walk, since Yoshitani is new and needs to get the respect of the staff — staff that have been themselves implicated in the audit. And with the feds about to come to town, it’s only going to get trickier.

I bet this isn’t what Yoshitani had in mind when he took the gig!!