While Governor Albert Bryan contemplates his next steps following actions by the 34th Legislature to bring about change to the governance of WAPA, members of the embattled utility’s governing board and the authority’s top management were reportedly planning various board meetings, despite the fact that recent actions of the Legislature made sweeping changes to the board’s composition.
Government insiders familiar with the authority’s plans have told the Consortium that a meeting of the board’s Finance and Audit Committee and even an emergency board meeting was being planned for today, however those plans were abruptly scrubbed at the last minute.
Meetings of two committees are usually held prior to the board monthly meeting to vet various items. Earlier this week, the authority’s top management, led by Interim Director Noel Hodge, was seeking the board’s hosting of an emergency meeting today to take final action on all items scheduled to be considered by the committee. The action would have fast-tracked approval and bypass committee consideration of the authority’s annual operating and capital budgets, amendments to a contract with auditing firm BDO, and a health insurance package for the authority’s employees and retirees.
The insiders, who requested anonymity to speak freely, said it has become apparent that WAPA’s management is uncertain about the future given the legislatively mandated changes to the board, and was seeking to use the old board structure to render a quick approval to the budgets and other items.
Under the previous board chairman, Property and Procurement Commissioner Anthony D. Thomas who held the position for two years, WAPA’s management faced little resistance. More times than not, the board acquiesced to proposals from management and the few board members who questioned or raised objections to the recommendations of management were branded as naysayers or critics, said the insiders. On many occasions, Mr. Thomas clashed openly with then-board vice chairman Jed JohnHope during discussions with WAPA’s management team as the Crucian businessman and economics powerhouse drilled down on what he termed questionable financial and management decisions the authority had arrived at.
Late Wednesday afternoon, plans for either a committee or emergency board meeting today were scrapped, reportedly at the urging of the board’s counsel. It is a widely held belief that the provisions of Bill 34-0026, which changed the makeup of the governing board took effect immediately once the Senate voted to override Mr. Bryan’s veto. The previous board ceases to exist and cannot act. Two emails circulated by the board secretary to various WAPA personnel noted that the Finance and Audit Committee meeting was postponed and that the emergency board meeting that was scheduled for today, but not announced publicly, was postponed until further notice.
On Tuesday morning, Mr. Bryan huddled with WAPA top management, legal eagles from Government House and the Justice Department, Energy Office Director Kyle Fleming and others to discuss options available to the governor following the Senate's veto override of Bill No. 34-0026.