Select Board Affirms New Building Commissioner

HARWICH - The select board on Monday night affirmed the appointment made by Town Administrator Joseph Powers of Randy Spears as the new building commissioner. Spears, a Florida resident, will start work on Sept. 23, but he has been given the option to work remotely until Oct. 18, as he transitions from his present residence to Harwich.

Spears has been a building inspector for more than seven years and has been confirmed by the Commonwealth’s Board of Building Regulations as exceeding the qualifications for building commissioner, Powers wrote in his memo to the select board. Upon hiring, Spears will be eligible to take the necessary examinations to finalize his Massachusetts certification.

Select Board member Peter Piekarski wanted to know if this was a conditional offer based on Spears receiving the necessary certification. Powers said there are mechanisms in place in the agreement to address that situation.

“Randy has the requisite experience and background to keep the positive momentum in the building department going. I am confident he will make an immediate, positive impact in this role and will be an integral part of our team going forward,” Powers wrote in his memo.

Spears has worked the past two years for SAFEbuilt, a community development and community infrastructure services company founded to support local communities and developers, according to his LinkedIn post. He worked for nearly four years as a building inspector in Hillsborough County, Fla., and he has owned a construction company and consulting group, according to his profile.

The appointment is subject to a successful background check and Spears will have a six-month probationary period.

The town also reserves the right to extend the probationary period for an additional three months, if necessary.

Spears’ starting annual salary is $103,187.

Spears will be replacing Building Commissioner Jack Mee, who was hired 2022, and who retired in early July. The town has had a series of short-tenured building commissioners in recent years. After building commissioner Raymond Chesley left abruptly in July of 2021, commissioner Robert Piccirilli was appointed six months later and served in that capacity for only six months.

Select Board member Donald Howell said the town has not been getting competitive offers from employee candidates, and needs to develop a strategy to attract those candidates.