Engineers and construction managers at the Port of Seattle will join a Development Division aimed at preventing the kind of waste and fraud which auditors assert have plagued the Port authority for months. A recent audit concluded the Port’s construction program wasted millions of dollars, failed to rigorously negotiate with contractors, appeared to favor certain businesses and sometimes broke state law when awarding contracts. It has also spawned a federal criminal investigation. Chief Executive Tay Yoshitani said the centralized unit for new capital projects will allow for better oversight and coordination, from the bidding process to construction.
See Seattle Post Intelligencer, http://SeattlePI.nwsource.com/local/353088_Portreorg29.html