Several Norwich community members expressed concern about the lack of code enforcement and safety at the City of Norwich Common Council meeting on June 18. (Photo by Sarah Genter)

NORWICH – At the June 18 City of Norwich Common Council meeting, several city residents members discussed issues they have witnessed within the community.

Individuals came to the podium during the public comment portion of the meeting and shared their experiences. First was Christine Carnrike, the former mayor of Norwich from 2016 to 2019. Carnrike called attention to code enforcement issues she has witnessed. She initially expressed her concerns at a common council meeting in January and said that the five months of inaction since then had been “quite unsettling.”

Carnrike mentioned an upcoming opening in a position with no succession plan that the public is aware of, noting a “lack of transparency” with the process.

“My belief is that these small issues become big issues very quickly, and if one doesn’t perform the duties of the job with the small matters, are they really doing their job with the larger ones?” Carnrike said.

Carnrike suggested to rectify these issues, the city should work with an experienced and unbiased code inspector, properly advertise job openings for city positions and work with other municipalities.