The Whatcom Transportation Authority will start looking for a replacement for the transit agency's general manager, who will retire in early 2014.

A committee comprised of Bellingham Mayor Kelli Linville, Whatcom County Executive Jack Louws and Ferndale City Council member Mel Hansen may hire an outside firm to conduct the search.

Hansen, the WTA Board of Director's chairman, said this is just one of the approaches to be considered by the committee, which he announced at the board meeting Thursday, March 21.

The process will be conducted in public, with some of the directions taken by the committee decided by the full board.

General Manager Richard Walsh gave WTA plenty of notice of his retirement. When he last renewed with the agency for another three years, he told officials that would be his final contract as manager. Walsh said Thursday he would stay in the post until Feb. 1, 2014.

Walsh took the title of interim general manager in May 1997. He was recently honored for 35 years of service at WTA; he started at what was then called the Bellingham Transit Department in February 1978.

The committee hopes to select Walsh's replacement by late October or early November, Hansen said.

Reach Ralph Schwartz at 360-715-2289 or ralph.schwartz@bellinghamherald.com. Read his politics blog at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/politics or follow him on Twitter at @bhamheraldpolitics.