Claremont
Scott Osgood said he will begin working in the Planning & Development Department on Dec. 26. He’ll replace Mike McCrory, who resigned several weeks ago.
Osgood said on Tuesday that Claremont was an attractive position to him for a number of reasons, including the staff in the office at the visitors’ center on North Street.
“The people I will be working with like (Planning and Development Director) Nancy Merrill are forward-thinking,” Osgood said.
He also noted some assets the city has that he believes can enhance development opportunities.
“You have the airport, the train, areas to expand business — everything you want is there,” Osgood said. “There are also the old buildings, the river and a vibrant spirit. There is a lot of potential in the city.”
Osgood said he sought out the planner position because it offered greater challenges.
“That is one of the things that drew me to Claremont. I wanted a bigger job,” he said.
The duties of the city planner include enforcing land use laws and ordinances, assisting the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Planning Board with review of agenda items and input at meetings on applications, working on the city’s Master Plan and other long-term planning projects, ensuring compliance of regulations, and researching available grant funding.
“I think he is a very strong candidate for Claremont,” Merrill said on Wednesday. “He has solid planning experience and also has an understanding of the public sector in Enfield and as a civil engineer for the state. So he has experience and qualifications, and I think will be a great fit for our team.”
In Enfield, Osgood, 66, handled zoning and land use issues and updated town codes.
Mike Diehn, chairman of the Enfield Zoning Board of Adjustment for the last three years, said Osgood began as planning administrator and then added the role of zoning administrator.
“He is professional and competent,” Diehn said. “He came to zoning with not a lot of background and was able to quickly pick up the duties and go forward. He really helped us as a board. He is a good guy.”
Osgood said most of his career has been in construction management for both the private and public sectors, including the state of New Hampshire. One of the projects he managed in Claremont was repairs to the foundation wall of the state office building on Water Street along the Sugar River. He also worked for Trumbull-Nelson Construction and Bechtel Corp.
Before the Enfield job, Osgood was the zoning administrator in Weathersfield for eight months. He will earn $67,000 a year, according to city administration officials.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
