Braintree officials seek to boost building-inspection staff as large projects loom

Director Mary Beth McGrath, director of the Department of Municipal Licenses and Inspections, told the Town Council on May 7 that the department has shifted some line-item funding and is pursuing a reclassification to make inspector salaries more competitive.

The department’s staffing shortfall is longstanding. Russ Forsberg, building commissioner for the Town of Braintree, said the department has been operating with a single local inspector since 2022 and that the field is “very competitive” and aging. "We are in a, I won't call it a bidding war, but we are trying to be very competitive with other comparable communities," Forsberg said. He added that surrounding towns are facing the same shortage and that state certification requirements have narrowed the candidate pool.

Why it matters: McGrath and Forsberg told councilors the staffing gap constrains routine code-enforcement work — for example, proactive sweeps for unpermitted work and more timely follow-up on complaints — and could worsen as multiple large residential developments come online. Forsberg estimated the town typically has about 1,500 projects in various stages and said roughly eight major residential…