Code Enforcement Officer
Ryan Keith has a strong background in the construction industry and will be primarily responsible for inspections, including those related to building, plumbing, electrical, septic, and sign permits. He will also review permit applications for compliance with Town and State codes and ordinances. He will investigate complaints of zoning violations and will initiate procedures for correcting verified violations. He will meet with members of the public and with permit applicants to explain ordinance requirements and procedures. Finally, he will serve as staff to the Board of Zoning Appeals. This is a full-time position.
Community Development Administrator
Doug Webster was brought on in March 2007 to this new position, which is evenly split between Code Enforcement, Planning and Building Management. The Town Council authorized funding for a full time engineering position in the 2006-2007 budget due to the number of construction projects and buildings the Town is responsible for. After reviewing the Community Development and Code Enforcement needs of the Town, the decision was made to allocate those resources to a position that would provide needed back up support for Codes and Planning while taking on full responsibility for building management. The engineering component has been assigned to the individual construction projects and funding will be included in those projects.
Doug will direct the management and maintenance of all Town-owned buildings and will plan and coordinate expansion and improvement projects. He will provide back up to the Code Enforcement Officer for inspections and will use his extensive experience in Code and Zoning issues to help resolve larger and more complicated problems encountered by the new Code Officer. He will provide management oversight for the Codes, Planning, and Assessing offices. Doug will meet with members of the public on Planning-related issues and will coordinate project peer reviews and follow-up inspections of subdivisions and site plans. This is also a full-time position. He will also serve as staff to the Ordinance Review Committee.
Economic Development Director
George Thebarge is providing planning assistance on a contract basis per the Town Council decision to actively pursue implementation of the Comprehensive Plan and Village Center Master Plan. George has provided technical assistance for re-zonings, including removal of the Aquifer Overlay Zone, replacement of the Village Aquifer Overlay, and adoption of the new Business Transitional District for Hannaford. He prepared and successfully presented the CDBG application for the Clark Block revitalization on Main Street and will work with individual property owners to pursue implementation of the Village Master Plan. He will meet with prospective business owners and developers to help them explore potential sites for locating or expanding their projects. He will continue to update the Town’s ordinances to ensure that
they are consistent and in compliance with State and Federal laws. He will provide consulting assistance to the Code Enforcement Officer, Community Development Administrator, and Town Manager. George will also provide peer reviews of Planning Board applications and will serve as staff to the Planning Board for their meetings. His fees for Planning Board project reviews will be billed directly to project applicants. This is a part time position.
Team Approach to Meeting Gray’s Growth Management Needs
These three positions will work as a team to effectively manage the growth and development process in this community that is cross-roads to the region. Since starting the process of rebuilding the Codes and Planning functions, the Town has made incredible progress in changing the public perception of Gray as a place to build a new home or establish a business. The team will continue to modernize and improve these services for the benefit of Gray’s citizens.
Fiscal Responsibility
In order to be responsible to the taxpayers, this framework for staffing has been developed as the most cost-efficient means to meet the Town’s needs. Under the former staffing, the Town had two full-time positions with no back-up for either the Code Officer or Planner. The quality of services in both departments was substandard and deteriorating. The new arrangement increases staffing by a half-time position and provides qualified personnel working in a mutually supportive environment that maximizes the Town’s return on investment in community development. Town’s like Windham, Scarborough and Falmouth average three Code Enforcement positions and two full-time planning positions. Both Scarborough and Windham also have an Economic Development Director.
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