Have you ever tried doing somebody a favor and then have it backfire on you? Oh yeah, everyone has done it…
You really are trying to be helpful, courteous and thoughtful, but then something happens and the people you were trying to help are upset at you.
Being a Code Enforcement Office in a smaller town can be challenging.
The Town of Webb is a relatively small town, at least in our year-round population.
Our summer residents, which are about 85 percent of property owners, generally do not know you unless they have done business in the code office at one time or another.
But the “locals,” those who live here year round, know each other. Our kids share teachers, we see each other in the grocery store, at the post office, out to dinner and often belong to the same social organizations.
As a code officer, these relationships can be challenging… depending on the people involved and the situation.
When applications come into the office, no matter from whom or for whatever type of project, we try to make the process as painless and understandable as possible.
If there are issues that might require special permits or variances we try to offer suggestions that may minimize, or even eliminate that process.
That’s what the boards would do anyway: look for reasonable alternatives that would minimize the variance.
It is amazing how many applications we handle, where we are able to help the applicant avoid going to a board meeting.
Now, go out to dinner or breakfast, go to a movie at 9 p.m., pick up your mail at the post office on Saturday or go walk around the Farmers’ Market after work on Friday and have two or three different people come up to you and describe their project and ask for advice as to how to proceed.
Although the requests may be generally simple—certainly not complicated—they can none-the-less require a special permit after review and approval by the Planning Board.
A lengthy discussion is had about the many, many details they have been working on for a long time, but all is new to you.
After all the listening and some dialog back and forth, they should have been told to go the office and file an application. But no!!!!!…trying to be a nice guy they are told when the meetings are and what to expect…
But more importantly, they were not given the application which actually starts the process. Poor communication.
Now… go back to the office later that day, or the next day or after the weekend is over. Walk in the office and before sitting down you are handed seven phones messages.
And there are at least three new large, complicated applications waiting on the desk.
So you start making calls, answering people’s questions and offering advice. Some are easy, some require research… but all are very important to the people involved.
Just as important as the people who you talked to at the Farmers’ Market three days before… but now have forgotten about. Every good deed doesn’t go unpunished.
There is no doubt that when someone comes up and starts asking questions, unless we are in the office or on a scheduled on-site visit, it is always best to say “please make an appointment so we can discuss your project in a manner and place that is appropriate.”
That’s not meant to be rude, it’s meant to eliminate the possibility of trying to be a nice guy, then messing up.