Patrick Foye, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. | AP Photo Port Authority officials applaud their transparency

JERSEY CITY — After a meeting in which several members of the public said that the Port Authority does not operate transparently — with one speaker comparing it to "the Soviet Politburo" — authority leadership defended the agency's openness.

"When I first arrived here in November of 2011, I was surprised by the lack of transparency. I think the agency's come a long way," executive director Pat Foye said at a press conference after the meeting.


"I agree with what Pat said," said chairman John Degnan, who has previously disagreed with Foye on a number of issues. "Transparency's improved dramatically. The governance reforms speak for themselves. And I don't understand the criticism."

Vice chairman Steve Cohen, a former top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, went even farther, saying members of the public have questioned why the board is so transparent.

"I'll just echo that sentiment. I've been here now just two years and watched the board closely in some of my prior positions. And I think there's been a fairly dramatic change to the extent that I think we have had board meetings where people have questioned why we are so transparent," he said. "Look, we all strive toward the ideal. It's always hard to achieve. But I think that this organization has done a pretty good job of really being responsive to what I think was a valid criticism."

Cohen said a meeting in March at which Foye and Degnan openly bickered was a sign of transparency.

"There was what some have described as a raucous meeting and the notion by some was, 'We're surprised at how transparent you are being.' I think we all took some comfort in the fact that not only are we operating in an open way, we feel free to disagree with one another in an open way," he said.

Degnan indicated a list of board governance reforms.

"We don't vote on things that aren't in the agenda now. We send the agenda out a week before with supporting materials, something that never happened in the old Port Authority. We take roll call votes on every single vote now, something that didn't happen in the old Port Authority. There is no consent agenda, anymore in the Port Authority. I could go on and on with the corporate governance reform," Degnan said.

Members of the public complained at Thursday's meeting that the Port Authority was planning to put The Sphere, a sculpture which survived the attacks of September 11, at Liberty Park instead of in the memorial.

"This is what an open public meeting should be about. The executive director exercising his authority made a recommendation to the board. The board will consider public comments on it next month before we vote, and then we will vote openly and transparently in the public. I mean, what more can we do?" Degnan asked.