Thursday, January 14, 2016

WHY IS ROBERT MITTERMAIER RETIRING AFTER 32 YEARS? AND WHY DOES IT AFFECT YOU?

Robert Mittermaier
If you've lived in Maplewood for any length of time, chances are that Bob Mittermaier has been part of your life. 

If you built a fence, added a room, tore down a wall, put up a sign, dug a trench, added a roof, or just bought, sold or rented a home, his office knew about it – or should have.

As code enforcement officer and construction official for the past 32 years, Mittermaier’s office oversees building approvals, permits, and inspections, as well as enforcement of township codes – from sign locations to swimming pools.

But after more than three decades on the job, he’s hanging it up, retiring at the end of June.

“It’s time to let somebody else to take over and do what’s necessary,” said Mittermaier, 66, a married father of three. “I am leaving at a time when it would be nice to see all of these projects come to completion.”

Mittermaier recently told the Township of his plans and the governing body has approved hiring his replacement in February so that he can help the new man ease into the job.

“They wanted to take advantage of it and give him a head start at it,” Mittermaier recalled. “He is a code official in another municipality, he is not a neophyte.”

Asked how much things have changed since he first took the helm back in late 1983, Mittermaier said, “People are doing more to their houses, caring of their houses, some people need to be nudged, but not too many. We have had transitions.”

He added, “I am glad to say that Springfield Avenue is coming back.”

His department is also bigger. Mittermaier said when he started he had a three-person department: himself, another official and a secretary. Now he boasts 10 full-time employees and two part-timers.

“When I came here, my predecessor did 300 permits his last year, the next year they did 500,” Mittermaier said. “Last year we had more than 2,000. It has been growing tremendously.”

As we reported Sunday, the township had a record revenue of more than $1 million from Mittermaier’s offices last year.

“Just about every piece of land in town has been developed,” he said. “And now we are working on the redevelopment.”

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