Mattapoisett Select Board interviews two finalists for building commissioner

MATTAPOISETT – The Mattapoisett Select Board interviewed two candidates to become the town’s next building commissioner at its Monday, Jan. 22 meeting.

The finalists interviewed were Kevin Greiner and Chris Canney. Both have served as building commissioners in Massachusetts towns. 

During the meeting, the Select Board was joined by Lakeville’s building commissioner, Nathan Darling, to serve as a third-party perspective in the search to replace outgoing commissioner David Riquinha. 

Kevin Greiner

Kevin Greiner is the Inspector of Buildings and Zoning Enforcement Officer of Easton, where he grew up. He worked as an electrician prior to becoming a building inspector.

An Acushnet resident, Greiner is also Mattapoisett’s alternate building commissioner. 

Greiner said he would like to see Mattapoisett “move to the future but remain historic and quaint.” 

“I love it down here,” Greiner said. “This is a great little town. I’d love to be a part of what you’ve got going for the future.”

There is room for improvement in Mattapoisett, Greiner said, like with town hall, which is similar to the one in Easton in being “an old house” that is not conducive to offices.

In regards to management style, Greiner likes for his employees to “have fun” and “enjoy themselves.”

“If you can do that, laugh, enjoy coming to work and still get your job done in a professional manner, then that’s what I like to see,” Greiner said. “I don’t like to be hard and fast and put my foot down on everything. I like to kind of let the guys work. They know what they’re doing. They’re qualified individuals, and I let them do their job unless they need intervention.”

Chris Canney

Currently the building commissioner of Sherborn, Chris Canney grew up in Needham in a “construction family.” He ran the family company, which built high-end custom and spec houses, until 2014, whereupon he became certified as a local inspector.

A Westport resident, Canney previously also worked as a commercial plans examiner in Framingham while serving as Sherborn’s building commissioner. He’s also worked for the towns of Holliston and Concord.

Canney said Mattapoisett is a “unique little town” similar in ways to Sherborn.

“It’s trying to retain the charm. It’s trying to retain the size. I don’t see this town shouting for growth so much, but obviously you have to have smart growth and you also have to be prepared for the 40Bs that are going to be coming,” Canney said, referring to the Massachusetts statute that permits affordable housing developments to bypass certain local zoning bylaws.

Canney said he sees the role of building commissioner as a public service, educational job.

He said he aims to instill to those who work for him that they are a team, making sure that everybody is informed and “all going in the same direction as much as we can.”

“I try to make sure that the people that I’m working with understand that I’m working too,” Canney said. “I’m not just directing them to do things. We’re doing this together.”

The Select Board will interview another two candidates for the position at its next meeting Monday, Jan. 29.