ORANGE — The town’s building inspector resigned abruptly last week, effective immediately.
Town Administrator Matthew Fortier, speaking during the Nov. 12 Selectboard meeting, advised that Brian Mitchell had submitted a resignation letter earlier in the day to announce his departure.
“I’ve had a conversation with him on the phone,” Fortier told Selectboard members, noting that he had spent much of that morning handling the situation. “This is something that he has to do right now, and he just wanted to thank everybody in town — the boards, the committees, his coworkers — but, unfortunately, he has to resign from the job as building inspector.”
No reason was given for the resignation, and Selectboard members reacted with surprise.
“Oh, dear,” Selectboard Jane Peirce commented when told the news.
Fortier said Jeffrey Cooke, the town’s building commissioner since 2021, has agreed to fulfill the responsibilities on a per-diem basis two days a week at $65 per hour, which Fortier said is much less than Cooke charges Gardner for the same services.
He recommended advertising the building inspector’s position with an annual salary of $80,000 to $100,000.
“Currently, it’s budgeted at $70,000, so we would have to do some financial gymnastics in the spring,” Fortier said.
The Selectboard voted unanimously to establish a five-member screening committee for job applicants.
Vice Chair Julie Davis thanked Mitchell for his hard work and for passing all necessary exams and working the hours given to him.
“But I think this makes total sense,” she said of Fortier’s recommendations.
Mitchell’s resignation comes not long after Orange lost an accountant, assistant treasurer, airport manager, wastewater superintendent, treasurer, human resources director and town clerk following a rash of resignations and retirements over the summer.
