QUESTION
Why are quarterly reports from the Port Authority not emailed to the EDC, and what are the efforts to improve communication?
0:24:50
·
3 min
Council Member Amanda Farías inquires about the transmission of quarterly reports from the Port Authority to the EDC and the efforts to improve this process.
- Jennifer Sun states the intention to have regular meetings with the Port Authority and mentions improved communications from staff changes.
- Reports are shared in advance of meetings for review, aiming for quarterly meetings.
- Mikelle Adgate highlights the unforeseen extensive engagement needs due to the JFK redevelopment and the role of the Community Advisory Council in oversight.
- Farías requests a more comprehensive format for the reports than what's available online and seeks both annual and quarterly reports.
- The EDC agrees to provide the reports shared with them, which are also available to the advisory council.
Amanda Farías
0:24:50
I mean, I guess for us here in in the council in terms of accountability and holding the port authority to what their mandate mandated to do in the lease.
0:24:59
Why are we not pushing harder one for the meetings, which I know calendars can be complicated.
0:25:04
So sometimes that's more difficult.
0:25:06
But if they're mandated to present us quarterly reports, why isn't that just being sent in an email to the EDC?
Jennifer Sun
0:25:13
So we were eager to meet with the port authority more regularly.
0:25:17
I will I think highlight that You know, this has begun to establish a more regular line of communication because of staff turnover at the EDC transportation department, you know, we're building back that capacity.
0:25:34
And establishing a set of working relationships with the Port Authority.
0:25:37
So our goal is to ramp up towards quarterly meetings this year And the reports are actually shared with us in advance of the meetings, and then we review them together at airport board meeting.
0:25:50
So there's a basis for conversation and for EDC to be able to ask questions and follow-up.
Amanda Farías
0:25:56
Okay.
0:25:57
I mean, we would and I'm sure my coach here will will go into this a bit more as well, but quarterly meetings obviously need to happen.
0:26:05
But at the very least, quarterly report should be happening to the Economic Development Corporation, especially if we're only able to schedule twice a year when we know there are four quarters.
0:26:16
In a year.
0:26:17
Chair, if
Mikelle Adgate
0:26:17
I could just follow-up on that.
0:26:19
I think one thing to keep in mind is that the 2004 lease and the creation of this airport board.
0:26:28
At the time, didn't really contemplate the massive JFK redevelopment effort.
0:26:33
That's underway.
0:26:34
Now nor did it really contemplate sort of extensive external engagement.
0:26:40
So to reiterate something that Jennifer said, Many of the all of the materials that have been shared with the airport board are also made available to the Community Advisory Council in an external setting in public meetings.
0:26:57
I believe Cheyenne Brooks Powers attends those meetings with her colleagues.
0:27:01
As well, and those materials are available on the website.
0:27:05
And so I think that with the establishment of the Community Advisory Council, It created an additional mechanism of oversight with the community directly in a way that wasn't contemplated in 2004.
0:27:18
And I think is reflective of an effort to have more robust engagement with the community on these critical topics.
Amanda Farías
0:27:28
Sure.
0:27:29
No.
0:27:29
Thank you for that.
0:27:30
I think I mean, for myself, even before this hearing, I went to the website to kind of see what the reports look like.
0:27:35
I was only really able to see a PowerPoint that had some of the data analysis and some of the data points, but didn't necessarily produce a blanketed port that maybe, I guess, in my brain, it comes out more so in a document that has all of the data that they're computing and trying to analyze to move forward.
0:27:53
On their progress or the metrics.
0:27:56
So if possible, would you folks be able to provide those reports or the report that you've been given both the annual and the quarterly?
Jennifer Sun
0:28:05
Yes.
0:28:06
We can provide the reports that have been shared with us.
0:28:08
You'll see that it's the same reports that are shared at the advisory council.
Amanda Farías
0:28:12
Okay.
0:28:12
Awesome.
0:28:13
Thank you for that.