Officials with the city of Spanish Fort announced this week they hired a new employee to work in the building department.

Victor Platt has been hired for the dual role of city building inspector and code enforcement officer.

“He was retired and now he wants to come work with us. I am impressed with his caliber of expertise and happy to have him,” said Bruce Renkert, city building official.

Since Platt has started he has already performed some inspections throughout the city.

Being a building inspector is not something new to Platt, since he was employed as a building official for 15 years for the city of Saraland.

Before his position in Saraland he worked in a family-owned construction business all of his life. Platt has always lived in the Mobile area.

Platt was retired for 18 months before deciding to return to work.

“I was playing too much golf,” he said.

He felt he was too young to retire and didn’t like having so much free time on his hands. So when he heard about this opportunity, he applied for the position.

Platt will be inspecting all phases of building, including commercial and residential.

“Everything that is required under code has to be inspected,” he said.

The city council unanimously voted last week in favor of adopting the 2006 International Building Codes. This makes the city of Spanish Fort in complaince with neighboring coastal and Eastern Shore municipalities.

City municipal ordinances and codes have to be adhered to by all citizens and businesses in the community, Platt stated. Being a building inspector and code enforcement officer go hand in hand, he said.

Platt and his wife Sandra have been married for 31 years. They have one daughter and two grandchildren who live in Georgia.

An avid fisherman, Platt also likes to go turkey and deer hunting and is a golfer. He also enjoys officiating at high school football and baseball games.

With working full-time and participating in the other activities that he likes, Platt acknowledges that he probably won’t have much free time anymore.

Platt will be working closely with Renkert.

He said Renkert is not only well-qualified and professional, but it is also a pleasure to work with him. Platt said he is looking forward to working in Spanish Fort.

“It’s a nice little community and a nice place to work,” he said.