But Jed Thorp, director of advocacy for Save the Bay, said Reuter’s nomination underscores the need to replace the appointed council with a state agency run by professionals who have relevant experience.
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“Regardless of whether a podiatrist or dental hygienist or whatever else, we should not have a volunteer council making regulatory decisions about our coastline,” Thorp told the Globe.
Thorp testified before the Senate Environment and Agriculture Committee on Wednesday, saying Save the Bay wasn’t supporting or opposing Reuter’s nomination. He said he first learned of the nomination on Friday and the environmental group hasn’t had enough time to review Reuter’s qualifications.
Thorp said he appreciates Reuter’s willingness to serve since only six of the council’s 10 seats are now filled — the minimum for a quorum. The council hasn’t had all 10 seats filled since 2019, and meetings often get canceled because of the lack of a quorum, he said. “This is bad for the state, bad for the environment, bad for business.”
But Thorp said the Coastal Resources Management Council is operating with “a fundamentally flawed structure.”
“There’s a danger in having volunteers, regardless of their experience or qualifications, making day-to-day regulatory decisions and interpretations of state law,” he said. “That work should really be left to the expert staff of scientists, geologists, and engineers.”
Volunteer council members often have full-time jobs and are given little time to review complex cases before rendering decisions, he said.
Over the years, the politically appointed council has repeatedly ignored the recommendations of its professional staff, and courts have overturned decisions, saying the council failed to follow its own rules in considering a proposal to expand a Block Island marina and a proposed marina expansion and dredging project in Jamestown, Thorp said.
So Save the Bay is backing a bill that would eliminate the appointed council and place coastal decision-making in the hands of experts in an agency called the Department of Coastal Resources. That bill has been introduced by Representative Terri Cortvriend, a Portsmouth Democrat, at the request of Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.
A separate bill, sponsored by Representative John G. “Jay” Edwards, a Tiverton Democrat, would replace the council with a newly created division of coastal resources management within the state Department of Environmental Management.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Senate Environment and Agriculture Committee Chairwoman V. Susan Sosnowski told Reuter, “You do realize what you’re stepping into — and sorry to use the pun, I know you’re a podiatrist — but it has been very controversial.”
Sosnowski, a South Kingstown Democrat, said the Department of Administration has studied the different pieces of legislation proposing new structures for the Coastal Resources Management Council. But in the meantime, she said, “We have to continue to move forward and give the council and the staff what they need to continue to function.”
Senator Victoria Gu, a Westerly Democrat, noted council members have been criticized for lacking relevant experience, and she asked Reuter to discuss his expertise.
Reuter said that as a member of the Barrington Harbor Commission, he dealt with issues regarding new docks, new waterfront structures, and rights of way.
“ During that time, about three years ago, my wife and I purchased our dream home on the water, which was great,” he said. But about six months later the house “sustained an internal flood,” he said, and that forced him to become “a self-educated expert in building rules around the water.”
The permit for work on his house went before the Coastal Resources Management Council and was held up for four to six months, he said.
“That was very frustrating, not only personally, but also financially,” Reuter said. “Given these experiences, I really want to help my fellow Rhode Islanders so we can keep everything going forward, legislation-wise and also permitting-wise.”
Senator Meghan E. Kallman, a Pawtucket Democrat, asked Reuter to address the criticism that has been leveled against the council for ignoring staff recommendations.
“External forces should be kept outside,” Reuter replied. “I’m a man of science. I’m a doctor. I look at data all day long. If the data is coming to me from a reputable source and from science, I always listen to it.”
The committee voted 8 to 0 to recommend that Reuter be confirmed. The full Senate is expected to vote on his nomination on March 20.
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
