Some Gary airport directors have spotty attendance, voting

As city of Gary officials contemplate big changes for Gary's airport, a Times analysis shows some airport authority board members had spotty attendance or voting records the 21 times the board met last year.

One board member, Cornell Collins, missed nine meetings, according to authority meeting minutes. An analysis of voting patterns showed he and the Rev. Marion Johnson Jr., the board's vice president, missed 30 percent and 29 percent, respectively, of the 228 votes taken. One board member, Silas Wilkerson, abstained 35 times.

And board member Robert Poparad missed four meetings last year, causing him to miss 23 percent of votes taken.

Board members questioned about voting or attendance defended their records, with most citing scheduling conflicts with their full-time jobs.

Collins said the move from one to two meetings a month, necessitated by the $150 million airport expansion, made making meetings a challenge. The Gary attorney cited court appearances on behalf of clients as the most frequent conflict.

"I'm trying to be dedicated and make as many of the meetings as possible," Collins said.

It was a busy year for the authority, with as many as 28 votes taken during a single meeting. Those ranged from mundane items such as changing meeting dates to awarding a $6.4 million contract to Rieth-Riley, of Goshen, Ind., to construct new railway bridges.

At no meeting did the authority lack the required quorum of four to conduct business. The board has seven members. Four are appointed by the mayor of Gary, one by the Lake County commissioners, one by Porter County commissioners and one by the governor. They are not paid.

Paid or not, it is perfectly reasonable to expect members of a public body overseeing the disbursement of public funds to attend meetings, said Andy Shaw, president and CEO of the Better Government Association, an Illinois-based watchdog group promoting government accountability.

In the case of the Gary airport authority, it should have a written expectation or requirement that members be present at a certain number of meetings per year, Shaw said. There should be consequences if they are not.

"When you agree to serve on a board that protects the public and tax dollars, you've taken on the commitment to show up and take it seriously," Shaw said.

City officials led by Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson are contemplating big changes for the airport through state legislation, which may include expanding the authority board to give it more regional representation. The idea of entering into some kind of relationship with the Indianapolis International Airport Authority also has been broached.

Johnson, a local church pastor, was absent for fewer meetings than Collins, but he missed nearly as many votes because those meetings were vote-heavy.

Johnson cited his role as a board member of a national church group and events such as funerals as the main reasons for missing meetings. He also pointed out he is a member of the airport working group that meets regularly with the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority. He also serves on the Chicago/Gary Airport Authority that oversees Gary, Midway and O'Hare airports.

"I think I did a heck of job missing just four meetings for the one year," Johnson said after a recent authority meeting. "For the kind of things we do for a livelihood, we do a real good job of getting here."

Board member Silas Wilkerson had the best attendance of any authority member, missing only one meeting. However, Wilkerson abstained on 35 votes during the year and missed six more during his one absence.

Wilkerson, who owns a business dealing in school and office supplies, said he abstains from any vote that deals with a company with which he might have a business relationship.

"Any time I have any business dealings with anyone getting a contract, I abstain so people can see there's been no hanky-panky," Wilkerson said.

The authority's rules and procedures forbid board members from participating in discussions or decisions upon matters requiring official action in which the member has a direct or indirect financial interest.

Poparad was appointed to the authority just before its second meeting of 2011, and missed four out of 20 meetings held. He said the Monday morning meetings conflicted with his duties at the fuel delivery business he owns. He said he will now be able to make more meetings with the recent switch to afternoon meetings.