The current saga can be boiled down to five words: everything is open for discussion.

That included staff size, costs, the contractor, and even scrapping the plan.

The board does not want to necessarily derail this project, especially since voters said four times they want a monorail in Seattle.

The 14-mile line, if built as planned, would run from West Seattle to North Seattle's Crown Hill neighborhood.

The problem continues to be financing the line. The SMP can't afford to build the entire line with current revenue streams, so board members are considering building it in segments.

If you build one segment at a time you can collect fares sooner. But they caution that nothing is set in stone.

"All options are on the table, and all views will be considered," said Acting Monorail Chair Christina Hill. "We are welcoming constructive, respectful input and really hope it will help lead to a better solution."

But monorail critic Henry Aaronson said "Stand up to the mark and be the good public citizens that they were appointed to be and say, 'We are not going to spend any more money. We're closing the agency down. This was a dream. The dream is a nightmare. Let's shut it down.' "

Interestingly, even the monorail board admits for the first time that scrapping the plan is one option, but it's the last option.

Also at hand, the board wants to hire a new executive director, and an independent financial expert to help come up with a financing package that voters will accept.

And one more thing also on the table: should the monorail project keep its contract with Cascadia contractors -- the only bidder on the monorail?

Hill says the new action plan will challenge every past decision and assumption made by the Monorail staff -- including whether it can get a better construction contract by dumping the project's sole bidder: Cascadia Monorail Company.

"Otherwise how will be know if it is the right thing for us?" asked Hill.

But Jim Devine, Cascadia Monorail Co-Contractor is unfazed.

"I was born in the Bronx," he said. " So I'm use to frustrating things at times. We believe our proposal is sound. We spent a long time on it over two years...we think it will stand the test of time."