NORWICH – Filling the Ordinance Inspection Officer position in the City of Norwich Codes Department has been an ongoing issue for the city council, and with the departure of retired police officer Murray Roach, the city is taking a different approach in re-filling the position.

In January, Roach announced he would be leaving the Code Enforcement Department for another position, and since that time, the City of Norwich has been trying to determine if and how they should fill the position.

The Finance/Personnel Committee originally decided that due to the high work load the department sees, filling the position was in their best interest. However, they were concerned about the retirement and benefit costs associated with keeping the position open at 36 hours a week.

Last week, the committee approved the provisional appointment of current police officer Dale Smith to the position. Instead of working 36 hours a week, Smith, an assistant chief at the Norwich Police Department, will be working 16 hours a week as a code enforcement officer, in addition to his regular hours at the police department.