NAHANT — Going forward, the towns of Nahant and Swampscott will be sharing the services of new Building Commissioner Richard Baldacci.
Interim Town Administrator and Finance Director Alison Nieto then spoke on the matter, elaborating on the background of the incentive.
“This was something that (immediate past Town Administrator) Tony Barletta negotiated prior to leaving the position, and the board had already voted to appoint Rich Baldacci to this position, but a contract was not yet in place,” Nieto said.
Nieto added that the contract was drafted by KP Law and signed by the Swampscott Select Board last week.
“So, now we’re bringing it before our board for your (Select Board’s) vote to sign off on it as well,” Nieto said. “It’s a shared Building Commissioner between the two municipalities, and Rich brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of building code. … He’s a huge asset to the town.”
Select Board Chair Rob Tibbo then shared his excitement for the new development.
“I just want to add that I’ve been very excited about this proposal since it was first starting to be developed,” Tibbo said. “This is a major step in the regionalization of our inspectional services, and I can’t think of a better way for Nahant to get the resources that it needs than to have something moving in this direction.”
Tibbo said he thinks it was “long overdue, and I’m very grateful to Swampscott for working directly with us to make this happen.”
Nieto clarified that Baldacci will still be an employee for the town of Swampscott and that the town will be paying for an assessment of services. This means Baldacci won’t receive benefits through Nahant, but solely through the town he’s employed in.
“It’s been a great collaboration,” Select Board member Pat O’Reilly added.
Nieto expanded her thoughts on the matter Friday morning, when she talked further about how the project first came to be.
“We had our Local Building Inspector Wayne Wilson retire in December, and while Tony (Barletta) was here, we were looking at how we could build up the department,” Nieto explained. “He talked with Interim Town Administrator Gino Cresta, and they came up with this idea for a Building Commissioner. … It’s just to have somebody on staff that has more knowledge and experience with all the various building codes.”
Nieto continued, saying she thinks it will “work out great for the town.”
Swampscott Interim Town Administrator and Director of the Department of Public Works Gino Cresta also commented on the development.
“Both Swampscott and Nahant were in need of a Building Commissioner. I worked with former Nahant Town Administrator Tony Barletta to share the duties and funding of the Building Commissioner vacancy. I believe that both communities are extremely happy with the partnership,” Cresta said.
