Town of Southwick Building Inspector Art Lawler is retiring this year. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS FILE PHOTO)
SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Select Board is expected to make a decision April 28 on hiring a new town building inspector.
The board April 21 remotely interviewed three candidates for the position. Longtime inspector Arthur Lawler is retiring and the search for his replacement began late in 2019. The three finalists were previously interviewed in-person. Board members did not want to postpone hiring an inspector and all candidates agreed to the public interview via Zoom.
Candidates were asked the same six questions and board members agreed following the interviews to table a decision until the April 28 Select Board meeting.
Lesley Brunelle, Kyle Scott and Robert Sullivan were interviewed Tuesday.
Brunelle, an inspector in Holyoke, said she was interested in the Southwick position because it is a smaller community and would have a “different set of dynamics” than her current position.
When asked about her experience with zoning bylaws, Brunelle said zoning and building go hand-in-hand.
“It’s not anything that’s new to me,” she said.
Brunelle was asked how she would handle a contractor who consistently starts work in town without pursuing the proper permits.
Brunelle said in that scenario, “consistently” is the key word,
She said there are procedures legally in place to deal with such a contractor and she would start with a conversation. If the practice continued, Brunelle said she would impose fines in accordance with town ordinances.
If the behavior continues, I would be forced to put a stop work order on the job,” she said, noting that “public safety is the main goal” in any construction project.
Brunelle noted she did not have experience in electronic permitting, but she did have experience working with elected and appointed boards, such as conservation commissions and zoning boards.
Brunelle said one of the things that attracted her to Southwick after her initial interview was the emphasis on collaboration.
“It comes naturally to me and I feel [collaboration] is very valuable – it makes the job easier for everyone,” she said.
Scott, who is an inspector in another community currently and previously worked for the City of Northampton, said Lawler encouraged him to apply for the position.
“He always spoke very highly of the town,” Scott said, adding that after the first interview he was “encouraged that this was a good group of people to work with.”
As a building code officer in Northampton, Scott interacted with other boards and committees and handled any city court issues that stemmed from the building department.
When asked about a contractor who consistently starts work without a permit, Scott said he would follow the guidelines available to him, including issuing a stop work order. He said filing a complaint in Boston would be a last resort because in his experience, the contractors get a slap on the wrist and the process is a waste of resources when other options are available.
Scott said he has some experience with e-permitting and said if selected he would “do my best to do an excellent job.”
Sullivan is no stranger to Southwick. As Granville resident, Sullivan has performed work for Southwick in Lawler’s absence in the past and said he likes the community.
“I’ve been in Granville 48 years and I’ve done building work in Southwick – it’s a great town,” he said.
Sullivan said if presented with the problem of a contractor consistently working without a permit he would delve into the situation and “stop it before it gets into a legal situation.”
He said he would give fines and if he had to, he would bring the contractor to Boston.
“I have only done that two times,” Sullivan said, “and it’s really difficult.”
As far as electronic permits, Sullivan said he has not had experience in that area, bt he would welcome training.
“I look forward to it,” he said. “It’s the way of the future and I’d be excited to learn it.”
When given the opportunity to ask questions, Sullivan wondered how Southwick was dealing with building inspections during the coronavirus pandemic. Sullivan said he would be very happy if selected and added that he would be “an asset” to the town.
