Pending final approval of a contract with the City, Ben Harvey has been selected as Interim City Manager for the City of Pacific Grove. At closed session meeting Sat., Dec. 19 the City Council interviewed the remaining two of the dozens of applicants, and when they reconvened in open session, confirmed Ben Harvey as their choice.

Ben Harvey

Harvey comes to Pacific Grove from a position as city manager of Avalon, California, where he had served since September, 2013, having brought that city from a $2 million deficit to a balanced budget. He worked to reorganize that Avalon’s recreation, public works, fire and finance departments leading, according to his resume, to more effective and efficient teams. He led Avalon’s event-hosting efforts for Catalina with Annheuser-Busch and worked to successfully purchase a desalination unit and avoid a 50 percent water rationing threat but at the same time allow for increased visitor counts.

He worked as region manager for local public affairs with Southern California Edison and did a stint with American Honda and another for Toyota Financial Services.

As management analyst at the City of Newport Beach, he specialized in personnel and risk management programs and policies. He was assistant to the City Administrator for the City of Bellflower for five years, from 1992 to 1997.

Mr. Harvey’s resume points to a man with credentials and experience in problem-solving and cooperation.

Following negotiations about his contract, Mr. Harvey should be confirmed at the Jan. 6, 2016 meeting. He will shadow Tom Frutchey, who is scheduled to leave for a new position with the City of Paso Robles, on Jan. 16, 2016 and be sworn as Interim city Manager at that time.