The Barrington Town Council has made its decision.

Members of the council announced on Thursday, Nov. 4, that they selected current Town Planner Phil Hervey to replace Jim Cunha when he steps down at the end of the year. 

Barrington Town Council President Michael Carroll said dozens of people applied for the town manager’s job, and the council was able to whittle down the list of finalists to eight. 

“There were a lot of good people that we interviewed,” Mr. Carroll said, adding that Mr. Hervey eventually separated himself from the others. 

“I’ll speak for myself — we all felt good about Phil. He knew the department heads and he has really good working relationships with them.” 

Mr. Carroll said Mr. Hervey’s extensive work in resiliency was also a key factor in the decision. 

“We’re facing a huge challenge from climate change in the future… and Phil understands that,” Mr. Carroll said. 

In a press release, Mr. Carroll added: “His 16 years of experience working for the Town of Barrington demonstrate that he knows and loves this community that he calls home. He is also the right person for this time. Because we are surrounded by water, Barrington faces enormous challenges from climate change and sea level rise, and these are where his extensive planning experience will serve us well as we prepare for the future.”

During his tenure as town planner, Mr. Hervey helped secure approximately 50 grants totaling more than $6.4 million for Barrington. The grants included funds from the National Park Service and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

Mr. Hervey has received several awards from the Rhode Island Chapter of American Planning Association — his 2020 Bay Spring Neighborhood Resilience Plan was named Excellent Comprehensive Plan, while his Barrington Comprehensive Community Plan was awarded Outstanding Comprehensive Plan in 2015.

Mr. Hervey said he was very excited about the opportunity to serve as Barrington’s next town manager.

“Over the past 15 years, I have enjoyed serving as Barrington’s Town Planner and Director of Planning, Building and Resiliency,” Mr. Hervey said. “I am honored to continue to serve the community as town manager, and look forward to continuing to work closely with the council and hard-working staff to provide essential services, maintain a fiscally responsible budget and prepare for the challenges of the future.”