Salem City Manager Annette Sola is excited about the hiring of a new code enforcement, building and planning officer.
Jacob Washburn who recently returned to Salem for family reasons has accepted the position and will begin work on Monday.
Sola says the newly combined position will also have different goals.
“We’re looking at taking a little bit of a different approach and how we can help some folks that need some assistance in getting some things done to try to clean up our town,” Sola said. “It’s not only about code enforcement per se as much as helping people get back on the right track with things around their house. He had a lot of good ideas with ways that we can incentivize some of those things.”
Sola says Washburn will try to match those in need to community organizations that want to help low-income residents.
Sola says the goal is to also train Washburn to be a building inspector.
“On the building permit and planning/zoning portion of it, that will require a license through the state of Illinois. We’ll get some of that stuff started, then he’ll be able to actually go into buildings and do some inspections for us and things of that nature.”
Sola says the city has never before had a building inspector.
Sola notes Washburn will have quite a bit of training he’ll need to complete before working extensively in the community. He will be housed at city hall and will work with both the Economic Development and Public Works Departments.
