OTISFIELD – The code enforcement officer needs to follow a new policy when inspecting property, selectmen voted Wednesday.

Under the new Right to Entry Policy, the officer must either obtain permission from the landowner or the person with legal authority to grant access to the property, or obtain an administrative warrant from 11th District Court in Paris.

The policy also applies to seasonal residences or buildings used only occasionally, such as a hunting cabin.

Planning Board Chairman Rick Micklon said this has always been the procedure in Otisfield, but it was never enacted as a policy. The provisions were taken from state guidelines, he said.

With recent development, the CEO’s position is expanding, Micklon said.

“Even though he has a right (to enter the property), he needs to look favorable in people’s eyes,” he said.

Mark Cyr, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, said the policy was also necessary because in a rural, remote community, a homeowner may see someone approach his or her property unannounced and “perceive it the wrong way.”