PROVIDENCE – The embattled state agency charged with coastal regulation is losing one of its longtime administrative leaders, while also gaining new appointees and funding to hire more staff.
James Boyd, the deputy director of the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council, is retiring after 22 years with the agency, according to a letter shared at the council’s Thursday meeting. Boyd’s departure is the latest in a series of resignations from the troubled agency, which lost its longtime executive director, Grover Fugate, in May 2021. Months later, the chairman of the politically-appointed council, Jennifer Cervenka, also resigned.
Since then, criticism against the politically-appointed panel has mounted thanks to controversial rulings on hot-button issues like the expansion of Champlin’s Hotel, Marina & Resort on Block Island. Meanwhile, vacancies on what is supposed to be a 10-member group have created quorum problems that resulted in a string of canceled meetings and postponed decisions that left business and property owners in the lurch.
While Boyd’s departure could be seen as another blow to the problem-ridden state agency, at least one vocal critic isn’t overly worried.
“There’s no question it will be a challenge to fill his shoes,” said Topher Hamblett, advocacy and policy director for Save the Bay Inc. “But it’s not like the bottom is falling out or anything like that.”
Hamblett, who on behalf of Save the Bay has denounced the appointed council for politically-motivated decisions and lack of expertise, does not share the same cynicism for the administrative side of the agency. Rather, he and others have praised the hired staff for their expertise and nationally acclaimed accomplishments, particularly around flood mapping and coastal resilience.
Hamblett was optimistic that Boyd’s job would be filled by someone with a similar level of expertise and commitment, and that the other employees, including Executive Director Jeffrey Willis, were still up to the task.
Another major victory, in Hamblett’s eyes, is the additional funding included in state’s fiscal 2023 budget to hire more staff, including a full-time hearing officer to rule an enforcement cases.
This was among the tranche of recommendations unveiled by a state legislative panel which formed to study and suggest reforms to the troubled agency.
“That’s an important fundamental reform,” Hamblett, who also served on the House study commission, said.
However, many of the commission’s other ideas, such as imposing term limits for the council and hiring a full-time staff attorney, never made it out of committee in this legislative session. Hamblett still supported those reforms, but wasn’t surprised they failed to pass given the time crunch between when the commission finalized its proposals and the legislative session ended.
And while these policy and structure changes are still on hold, the council’s quorum problems may be resolved thanks to two new members appointed by Gov. Daniel J. McKee.
Catherine Hall, an environmental attorney and marine policy professor at the Williams College-Mystic Seaport Maritime Studies Program, fills the open seat left by Cervenka, according to the resume submitted to the Senate which confirmed her nomination.
Meanwhile, Stephen Izzi, also an attorney who specializes in real estate, financing and land use, was appointed to fill the seat of outgoing council member Joy Montanaro, according to his resume.
Hamblett supported both these appointments which he said filled a hole for legal expertise on the council, which in the past has been a source of concern when it comes to making sure the panel follows its own rules, he said.
The Senate also confirmed the reappointment of longtime council member Donald Gomez, whose existing appointment was scrutinized because it appeared he did not meet the eligibility requirements of a council member who also serves on as a town elected or appointed official. That ineligibility has since been rectified, with Gomez appointed to a new committee – the Wilbour Woods Stakeholder Committee- in his hometown of Little Compton, he confirmed to PBN on Friday.
The CRMC did not respond to inquiries for comment about Boyd’s retirement or the newly confirmed council members. Boyd could not be reached for comment.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.
