Pacific Grove's former city manager, Ben Harvey, has found a new home in Ojai, a city about half the size of P.G. in Ventura County. The Ojai City Council voted 5-0 to hire Harvey as the city's new city manager on Tuesday, Jan. 23. He was scheduled to begin Monday, Jan. 29.
Harvey's base salary will be $250,000 a year. If Harvey moves to Ojai or within a 10-mile radius, the city will reimburse his moving and relocation expenses. If he requires temporary rental housing before purchasing a home, he will receive a housing allowance of up to $5,000 per month for up to six months beginning Feb. 1.
The contract also states that the city will loan Harvey up to $420,000 for down payment assistance.
"I look forward to working very hard to earn your respect and that of the staff and that of the community. It will be a process, it will be a lot of listening and learning," Harvey said after the vote.
Harvey left P.G. at the end of last July, after he and the P.G. City Council agreed to part ways. Harvey spent seven years in P.G., and despite having some critics, his contract was renewed in 2021.
One of Harvey's detractors, former P.G. councilmember Dan Miller, couldn't let bygones by bygones. He called into a special Ojai City Council meeting on Jan. 19 to tell the councilmembers they shouldn't hire Harvey.
On Jan. 23, at least two current P.G. employees, including P.G. Police Chief Cathy Madalone, called into the Ojai meeting to sing Harvey's praises. Madalone called him a "kind, caring and empathetic leader," with a "passion for public service." She also said one of his strongest qualities was the ability to build leadership teams.
Ojai councilmembers expressed their excitement to have Harvey join their city, followed by a unanimous vote to hire him.