The monorail to West Seattle can be built if the public and the Seattle City Council support it, acting monorail board chairman Kristina Hill said last week.

Since the project originated with the people, the project is not getting a fair share of attention from the state or the city, Hill told the West Seattle Herald.

"I think they see us as different kind of project than Sound Transit, which had two years to do a turnaround," said Hill. "It's an unfortunate reality, but I have heard from many elected officials that the general thought is, if you come from an initiative you should rely on the people for funding, not government."

Nevertheless, the monorail board hopes it will be able to come up with a plan to satisfy both the City Council and the people.

Council support for the monorail has waned in the past months, and with elections nearing for four council seats, Hills said some council members seem wary to go against the public on contentious issues.

"I think a lot of council members have been scared by the headlines," said Hill. "A lot of them need to have public support to endorse things that are controversial."

After weeks of searching, an interim director was finally appointed by the monorail board last week. John Haley is a principal with Booz Allen Hamilton, a management and technology consulting firm in San Francisco. He been involved with many transit projects, including being deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Monorail hopes Haley will unsnarl the many challenges that have emerged since the $11 billion, 50 year financing plan was presented to and rejected by the board.

"He is here to help us with the turnaround and figure out the next step," said Hill. "He could be used to close up shop, but if things work out we will most likely want to hire him."

Hill said it is important to acknowledge that the board isn't sure it will be able to go ahead with the project, which is why Haley was hired on an interim basis.

"John Haley has experience in transit, in monorail, in finance and in contracting," said Cleve Stockmeyer, one of only two elected monorail directors.

"That real world transit-building experience is what we need to move forward," Stockmeyer said. "He is known as a no-nonsense executive who thrives on tackling difficult challenges and works effectively with elected leaders."

Stockmeyer chaired the board's search committee who began looking for someone to replace the original director, Joel Horn, in July.

Mayor Greg Nickels recently gave monorail a deadline of Sept. 15 to come up with a new plan for the flailing monorail project. But Hill said the board had already set a deadline for themselves for Sept.14.

"I didn't find the mayor's request particularly difficult," said Hill. "We were already hoping to come up with a feasible finance and scope plan for around that time."

Bellevue recruiting firm, Jensen and Cooper, was hired to find someone that could help put the monorail back on track and it found 16 highly qualified people from all over the country, said Hill, which monorail narrowed to Haley.

"It reflects how interested people are in this project," said Hill. "It really gives us hope. I think we'll come to a good outcome with integrity. I don't know whether we can do that without a financially responsible plan and without support from the City Council."

The board's goals are to create a credible finance proposal with the help of Kevin Phelps, their newly hired financial advisor. Hill said it is possible the finance plan could be shortened to around 30 years instead of the 50-year proposed plan earlier.

Under consideration is shortening the 14-mile Green Line by "cutting off the tails," said Hill, which would mean the monorail would go from Alaska Street in West Seattle to Market Street in Ballard, but that could mean another public vote, she said.

"We could build the Morgan Junction connection later," said Hill. "We are working hard and everyone is trying to keep their calm so they can work."

Haley has said the Seattle Monorail Project is "the most exciting transportation project in the country right now." He said in a news release there are challenges, but feels confident that "with a reasonable finance plan and project approach, this project can work and that the Monorail Green Line will be an important part of Seattle's rapid transit system."

Besides being general manager for the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, in Boston, Haley led the effort to develop and implement a plan for re-opening the Las Vegas Monorail after its shutdown and led a similar effort for the Newark Airport Monorail. He has also held executive positions with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Bay Area Rapid Transit in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Haley is scheduled to start today.

In the meantime, Hill said the board is working to answer tough questions quickly.

"If we don't build it now, it will be even more expensive later to build," said Hill. "I think the voters would push for money to go to transit."

The Seattle Monorail Project plans to start what they call Monorail Days, setting up information booths within communities, at events and grocery stores to better explain to the public the mission of the project.

Hill said monorail needs community support.

Rebekah Schilperoort can be reached at rebekah@robinsonnews.com