“My job is to make sure (contractors) comply with the code and make sure they comply with minimum codes and safety, but yet not to obstruct from their progress,” said Brainard, who has worked for the city for 19 years. “Sometimes I have to instruct and teach them why the codes are this way–the purpose and reasons for them, and it’s been fun.”
That comes to an end at the end of March, when Brainard will retire from the public sector after more than 35 years. He started out as an inspector for the Cities of Lexington and Circle Pines for 16 years before moving across to Spring Lake Park.
“I’m going to miss the people…being out there doing inspections and there’s some great people that I really love talking to,” said Brainard. “You get to work with a lot of people who are do-it-yourselfers that are trying to do projects, and I really enjoyed that.”
Typical of many smaller city governments, Brainard’s role at Spring Lake Park also included fire marshal and code enforcement. That means sometimes he’s had to approach people who others in the city think may be doing something incorrectly.
“Nobody likes to be told they’re doing something wrong,” he said. “Nobody likes to be told that, and it’s frustrating on my end and on their end and that has been the most difficult aspect of this job.” Regardless, Brainard said he was able to build strong relationships with people whom he may have first approached about a nuisance or code violation over the years.
But as a building inspector, Brainard said he’s proud to have been a part of major projects in the city over the years, including a several years-long overhaul of Spring Lake Park High School and the current Hy-Vee construction project next door to City Hall.
Spring Lake Park Building Inspector Barry Brainard points out aspects of the on-going Hy-Vee grocery store construction recently. Brainard is retiring after 35 years of public sector work.
“It’s an honor. I love working for citizens. I try to prove every day their taxpayer money is going to good work,” he said. “In 19 years here, I’ve probably been in almost everybody’s house at one time or another, doing some kind of inspection.”
Brainard will take his experience to consulting roles with the private sector.
“To step out into the private service is a little scary, but I’m looking forward to it.”
