Brenda Medcoff says the the code enforcement officer’s hours need to be increased.
By Noreen Coolidge
Special to the Sun Journal

WILTON – Planners agreed Thursday to amend the conditions of a permit to operate a day-care facility they granted last month.

Rebecca Anne Kelleher asked for a permit to operate a day-care center from her home at 684A Main St. for eight to 12 children of various ages. The home sits next to Norm’s Redemption Center. Kelleher rents half of the building.

Code Enforcement Officer Brenda Medcoff told the board her biggest concern is that people will back out of the driveway onto Main Street. When planners granted the permit they specified that there would need to be access to Curve Street.

Medcoff said the driveway is big enough to allow three cars to turn around safely. Kelleher agreed to ask the board to change the original condition to state that traffic will not back onto Main Street.

Medcoff said Kelleher will be responsible for notifying anyone utilizing the day-care center that they cannot back onto the main highway. If the code officer receives complaints that this is being done the issue will come back before the board. Medcoff said that could mean a revocation of the permit.

Medcoff recently gave her resignation, which was accepted by the town’s board of selectmen this week. She will be taking on more hours working as code officer for Chesterville. Her resignation is effective April 1. She has been code officer in Wilton for about three years.

In her annual report Medcoff said she still thinks the code officer’s hours in Wilton should be increased. Voters will decide whether the question at the annual town meeting in June.

Medcoff said 20 hours a week is not enough to take care of all of the duties. In addition, she said the town is “a low paying municipality.” Medcoff said while it may be difficult to justify increasing the hours while the town is interested in trying to cut taxes and cut other budgets, officials should keep in mind that the code officer receives no benefits, vacations or sick pay.

“By increasing the hours it will encourage a code enforcement officer to stay with the town of Wilton,” she said.

The same issue arose when David Giroux was code officer about three years ago. Former Wilton Town Manager Richard Davis said then that he thought the code officer should figure out how to better utilize his time rather than ask for more hours.

The Planning Board supports adding eight hours to the position.

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