Ted Flanders, the Town’s Building Inspector, will be retiring after 27 years of service on July 5. He’s seen many changes in town since he started, including 1,270 new homes, work on the building of the new high school, the library renovations and the Academy building projects, to name a few.
It can be a challenging job dealing with various building related problems as well as the many changes in the building codes over the years. Running the Building Department during COVID was especially challenging, because many inspections are inside. Some of the problem-solving involved using Zoom, doing what they could outside and requesting that the inspectors do their work without people in the houses. But according to Flanders, it’s a satisfying job too, because the people he has worked with over the years have been so supportive. He has worked with nine First Selectmen over his 27 years on the job and has had a good team to work with. He’s enjoyed his time in Suffield and the friends he’s made here.
Flanders started framing houses for Elzear Roy in 1983, and then became a builder. He has built at least eight homes in town. In retirement, he hopes to complete several projects around the house, get out on his boat off Cape Cod to check his lobster pots more often, do more fishing and golfing. We wish him the best of luck in his retirement.