On the first day of Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor's hospitalization, as he underwent tests that ultimately found cancer, the small group of visitors allowed into his room included family members and Dennis J. Regan.

	Dennis J. Regan

In the nearly three weeks since, the city's director of intergovernmental affairs has been one of the very few staff members to spend much time at UPMC Shadyside with the mayor.

Mr. Regan's unique access to the mayor has made him city government's chief power broker in the mayor's absence, a fact that is of concern to some members of the administration and City Council.

His role has changed from one in which he carried the mayor's message to council, city-related authorities and Allegheny County, state Legislature and Washington, D.C., officials. Now, he carries the mayor's wishes to his own staff.

On Tuesday, the wish Mr. Regan carried was for policy director Yarone Zober to be appointed director of general services. That department is being phased out, so the appointment will be short-lived. But his selection, because it had to be approved by City Council, adds Mr. Zober to the department directors eligible to be named deputy mayor should Mr. O'Connor become disabled

Yarone Zober

Mr. Regan dismissed the speculation about a possible deputy mayorship, saying the general services director was needed.

"We need somebody to be in that position at this particular moment," Mr. Regan said. Mr. Yarone, 31, of Highland Park, was previously an aide to state Sen. Jim Ferlo, and an attorney with Reed Smith and Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel. "Yarone is a very articulate, capable, bright fellow."

Mr. Regan said a deputy mayor designation "is not even on the radar screen." Mr. O'Connor, he said, "is fine, he's in charge, and he's going to come back stronger than ever."

Nonetheless, the move also heightened concerns of some in city government that Mr. Regan's almost unique access to the mayor has given him an outsized say over city affairs while Mr. O'Connor is sick.

Over the last seven months, Mr. Regan has impressed some with his straightforward, get-it-done approach. Others have raised eyebrows at things like the hiring of his housemate's daughter by the Pittsburgh Housing Authority, where he is chairman of the board.

Mr. Regan objected yesterday to the idea that he has taken on a greater role in the mayor's absence.

	V.W.H. Campbell, Post-Gazette Mary Ann Crescini of Greenfield, left, and Judy Levy of South Park sign a 6-by-12-foot get-well card for Mayor Bob O'Connor in Squirrel Hill yesterday. Click photo for larger image.

"I do my job. The mayor has entrusted me to do my job for him," he said. "I'm a fair guy. I'm an honest guy."

He's unequivocally the mayor's guy.

Mr. Regan has known the O'Connor family for 30 years. His late wife was the cousin of Mr. O'Connor's wife, Judy.

That relationship has propelled the 53-year-old Wilkinsburg native's rise from owner of a home improvement company 10 years ago to his current, pivotal role. Though he was tending to his ailing wife, and had trouble paying his city taxes, he was a key volunteer for Mr. O'Connor in his failed 1997 and 2001 runs for mayor. He also worked on the mayor's successful bid last year, and then helped pick key staff.

In an administration that includes longtime O'Connor loyalists, professionals imported from outside of local government and holdovers from Tom Murphy's reign, Mr. Regan is the top-ranked loyalist. His $89,900 salary trails only Mr. O'Connor's and Chief of Staff B.J. Leber's among mayor's office staff.

Ms. Leber is technically the boss of city department heads and chairs the board of the Urban Redevelopment Authority. She is viewed as the leader of the imports and some holdovers. City government insiders say she's had very little contact with the mayor during his absence.

"Each of us have distinct and separate roles to perform," Mr. Regan said. "I don't report to B.J., and B.J. doesn't report to me."

Mr. Regan said he visits the hospital daily. The only other staff member to make such frequent trips is Marlene Cassidy, 51, the mayor's longtime aide and senior secretary.

Mr. Regan and Ms. Cassidy are crucial conduits of information. They're also close allies, and share a Point Breeze home along with her daughter, Beth, and son, Ryan, according to county voter registration records.

In February, the mayor picked Mr. Regan to chair the housing authority board. He's now picking a new executive director, working with tenant leaders.

"He ain't no 'maybe' or 'if or and' person," said Olivia Doswell, a resident leader from Homewood. "He straight out tells it."

He's also brought a new style to the board's meetings, alternately welcoming, cajoling and interrogating companies that come before him for final approval.

At board meetings, Mr. Regan has repeatedly reminded top authority staff that he has "eyes and ears everywhere." Some of his sources may report in at the dinner table.

In March, the authority hired Ryan Cassidy, 23, as a project manager for $36,000 a year.

Mr. Regan said he had no role in that decision, other than perhaps than telling Mr. Cassidy: "Hey, look at the housing authority Web site and see what's available. ... I don't do any [personnel work]. I'm the chairman of the board."

A week earlier, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority had hired Beth Cassidy, 27, to a $32,000 job as a payroll specialist. The job, said authority Executive Director Greg Tutsock, involves "processing all of the payroll information that comes in from the various divisions of the authority" before that data is sent to a private payroll vendor.

He said Beth Cassidy went through a standard interview process, was found to be qualified, and was hired with no influence from her mother or Mr. Regan.

Both the housing authority and water authority boards, though, are appointed by the mayor, and city government has buzzed with talk about the hires.

Mr. Regan's clout extends to the city planning commission, too. His longtime personal attorney, Monte Rabner, is an O'Connor appointee to that panel, which approves many development projects.

Council members say that when they run into a problem with the city bureaucracy, they call Mr. Regan.

"He is very hands-on," said Councilman William Peduto. "He gets things done, quickly."