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The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Commission recently recommended "sweeping changes" in the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Co.’s (NOPB) governance structure.

The railroad should be governed by a smaller nine-member commission, with Mayor Mitchell Landrieu serving as president, commission members believe. In addition, commission members should serve four- instead of 16-year terms, the commission recommends.

The recommendations will be incorporated into the city’s legislative agenda, Landrieu said in a prepared statement. Last year, a Louisiana legislative audit determined the railroad's management made "misappropriate" decisions, leading to governance reform efforts.

“As I made clear last year … we will ask the state legislature to reform the governance of the NOPB, the appointment process and term length,” said Landrieu. “It is unheard of to have 16-year terms for a public body. It also makes sense for appointments to come from recommendations of organizations that currently exist rather than a public agency board self-appointing members.”