The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is amending its by-laws to be more transparent after being attacked last year as “dysfunctional” by some Virginia leaders.
Local and state leaders criticized the authority for what they called a lack of transparency, frequent use of closed-door sessions and blatant disregard for the wishes of local elected officials.
Former MWAA Chairman Charles Snelling promised the Virginia House of Delegates transportation committee last summer that the airports authority would reexamine its bylaws and be more transparent.
The proposed new by-laws, which were approved by the governance committee on Wednesday and go before the full board next month, mandate that the authority post “schedules, agendas and non-privileged documents” to its website “after they have been provided to the Directors.” The by-laws also require the board to start its meetings at the advertised time — something it has not always done — and to schedule closed-door sessions at the beginning or end of committee meetings so as not to inconvience the public who come to watch the proceedings. The board will also discuss only the “earliest stages” of the budget in closed-door session, according to the new by-laws.
