No new RIOC President ever starts work here with a completely clean slate. Each inherits an assemblage of seemingly intractable problems and roiling controversies, as well as a status quo ratcheted to some point of no return by the last CEO.

It’s not all that surprising, therefore, that some residents have greeted last week’s news of the Governor’s appointment of Steve Shane, a 69-year-old real-estate attorney, with a mix of hope and skepticism, flavored with just a dash of wait-and-see.

But we think Steve Shane has started out right. In the past week, he has declared his intent to be transparent, available, and communicative, and he’s met with Island leaders and has granted an extended interview to The Main Street WIRE – an interview that dominates the content of this issue.

More important, he has demonstrated a grasp of Island issues that is broad, deep, and open-minded. It’s an understanding that comes with a background of past involvement with Roosevelt Island that clearly infected him with the dream – and with a realistic understanding of how the dream must be played out in a practical world of finance and politics.

By beginning his new relationship with Roosevelt Island by meeting with resident groups – even before being introduced to RIOC Board members – Shane has shown that he shares Governor Eliot Spitzer’s orientation to the constituency. Be reading ten years of past WIREs on line (nyc10044.com), he’s shown a commendable hunger for data and the pulse of this place.

The WIRE continues to believe that a RIOC Board made up mostly of elected residents – a Board empowered to hire and fire the President of RIOC – presents the best path for making RIOC a better manager of our Island home. But that is a matter for legislation.

In the meantime, we must work with what we have – and what Governor Eliot Spitzer has sent us is a highly intelligent, eager, open-minded – perhaps even open-hearted – administrator for whom Roosevelt Island isn’t just a job. For Steve Shane, it’s a kind of return home.

We think he’s started out right. We hope he stays on this path. We believe he will but, as always we watch with an open mind and a ready pen – ready to report the successes we hope for, as well as the failures we dread.

Welcome, Steve Shane.

Resident leaders have advised Shane to get immediate traction with the community by addressing a handful of problems immediately – and, added to that, we would suggest addressing them with the aid, advice, and consent of those same resident leaders.

He might start with street lights, the Red Bus routing and schedule (including finding the budget to drop the bus fare in favor of speedier service), the Motorgate mess, and immediate progress on resident plans for Island House, Westview, and Rivercross.

DL