"Gary Calderwood is above reproach ..."

I read with interest this letter to the editor, from Steven Fram, in today's Daily News, which is in support of the building inspector/commissioner/BOCA and building codes administrator.

"Gary Calderwood is above reproach, and the City of Newburyport is better off for having him as its building inspector," Mr. Fram writes.

Then there's the obligatory nasty comment about Ward 1 City Councillor Larry McCavitt, from a reader ...

Since last Monday's City Council meeting, I have had so much 'input' about Gary Calderwood that I was, and still am, gob smacked. People have written, people have sidled up to me in public places ... no one so far has called, though.

I think that the City Council should have at least done some homework. I'm not saying that there is or was anything to be found, but given these new complaints and the ones I heard before, they should have done some homework before voting to approve the re-appointment.

They must have heard similar reports; how could they not have? (And who on the Council was it that Calderwood was signaling to while McCavitt was speaking? I was sitting next to him - is he nuts?)

OR - I am told they could have voted "present" (well, all but Donna Holaday, who voted "no," and Tom O'Brien) and thus would have gone around O'Brien's refusing to withdraw his motion to approve.

Then they could have done their homework, talked to Calderwood ... done whatever it was that obviously needed to be done.