LIVERMORE FALLS – Paula Coombs has spent the last couple of weeks going through files and organizing them, making templates for applications and checking out complaints.
Coombs, the new Livermore Falls code enforcement officer, is settling into her new career.
Coombs has a year to earn her certification for the job, which became vacant in August after Brenda Medcoff resigned to take another job. Coombs’ first class toward certification is Dec. 13. It will be on legal issues.
The 42-year-old Livermore Falls woman grew up in Jay and graduated from that high school in 1981.
She previously worked for International Paper as a technical writer and then started her own technical writing business. She has also written children’s and adults’ books and is looking for the right publisher for her work.
Coombs has also renovated Victorian houses around the state, which helped her feel comfortable with this job, she said, since she had worked with construction trades and learned the related standards and legal issues.
Initially, she didn’t seek the code officer’s position, she said. Instead, she’d gone to the town office to see if she could help out.
“I volunteered to help anyone walk through the site plan review,” since she had done it for her own business, she said Monday.
Later, selectmen Chairman Ken Jacques asked if she were interested in the position, she said, and asked her what she could offer the town.
The town has been short-staffed since late July, when former Town Manager Alan Gove resigned, followed by Medcoff, then Sewer Clerk Faith Nichols this month. Selectmen had previously advertised for the code position but wanted to wait to hire a town manager first.
But with all the work falling on the two remaining office staff members, Selectman Russell Flagg said last week, selectmen agreed to hire Coombs to ease the burden.
Selectmen gave approval for her to work 40 hours a week for the next couple of weeks so she could get caught up, Coombs said. Then her hours will most likely drop to 20 a week.
On her first day as code officer, she said, she started getting calls about code violations. She has already worked with the Department of Environmental Protection to check a business’s propane tanks.
“I do have goals,” Coombs said.
She plans to monitor rental units more closely to get owners to bring them up to code.
“My objective is not to harass apartment owners/landlords, just to raise the quality of living for citizens,” she said.
She also plans to work with people in violation of codes to help them come into compliance.
“It’s really comfortable,” Coombs said of her new office. “I think I’m going to like it here. I was a little apprehensive at first to tell people things they don’t like to hear, but I have teenagers and I do that all day long.”
Coombs has five children: Jason, 21; Misty, 19; Chris, 17; Joey, 15; and Kyle, 6. She and her husband, Corey Coombs, live on Bridge Street.
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