No rush in replacing T’s general manager

THE HEAD OF THE MBTA’S oversight board declined to say on Monday whether the transit authority is looking to hire a new general manager.

Joseph Aiello, the chairman of the T’s Fiscal Management and Control Board, dodged questions after the board’s weekly meeting on whether the agency is in the process of hiring or planning to hire a new general manager. As he walked away to attend an executive session of the board, Aiello indicated some decision on the general manager’s position would probably be made soon.

Frank DePaola stepped down as T general manager last June because of health concerns. Brian Shortsleeve, the agency’s chief administrator, took on the added title of acting general manager. Since then, there has been almost no discussion at board meetings about finding a replacement for DePaola.

At meetings of the Fiscal Management and Control Board, Jeffrey Gonneville, the T’s chief operating officer, has assumed the role once played by DePaola, reporting on ongoing operational issues.

Shortsleeve is widely believed to be planning a return to the private sector, but the timing of that move is unclear. There has also been some speculation by transportation advocates that Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack might be interested in the T general manager’s job, but one aide ruled that out.

The Fiscal Management and Control Board is actively involved in developing a long-term strategic plan for the agency. The plan is expected to address the management structure as well as what type of board should oversee the T once the Fiscal Management and Control Board finishes its work (its original mandate was three to five years).

The salary structure of the agency may also need to be adjusted. Shortsleeve currently earns $175,000 a year while Gonneville is paid an annual rate of $210,000. Pollack is paid $161,522. In June, the T hired John Dalton as manager of the Green Line Extension into Somerville and Medford; Dalton, who reports to Shortsleeve, received a base salary of $280,000 that rises to $382,577 a year if the project meets its annual milestones.