As the newest member of Fairmont’s city staff, Peter Bode plans to carry out his duties as planner and code enforcement technician with common sense and integrity.

“When I have somebody come in, my thought is, ‘How can I help them make their project work for them?'” Bode said.

Making a project work, from building a new home to upgrading an existing structure, involves navigating the intricacies of the city’s building code to make sure all properties follow the rules.

“There are a lot of codes in the city. The ones that deal with zoning apply to every parcel of land, to every property owner,” Bode said. “Before I say you can or cannot do something, I ask questions. I explain why we have codes and how they apply to everybody else too. Finding an alternative solution is something that I try to do.”

And developing an option is exactly what happened last week when a property owner wanted to build a deck that did not comply with code. Bode suggested a slight reduction in size and a small shift in the location of the deck, which brought the structure into compliance.

“My goal, as I approach my work in general, is to make government as accessible as possible, balanced but realistic, with common sense and integrity,” he said.

Bode, 24, grew up in Lake Crystal and attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter where he studied political science, peace, justice and conflict studies.

He worked on the U.S. presidential campaign in 2012 and a state legislative race in 2016. After graduating from Gustavus, he was hired as assistant to the director of the Region 9 Development Commission, where he worked on transportation projects, planning issues and other areas.

When Fairmont’s former planner and code enforcement technician, Megan Boeck, left to take the city planner’s job in Albert Lea, Bode was assigned through Region 9 in August to serve Fairmont in an interim capacity.

“I liked the community so much I decided to apply for the job,” he said.

He began as a permanent city employee on Sept. 23.

“From an outsider’s perspective, I think Fairmont has a lot going for it,” he said. “There are people who live here who very much identify with the city of Fairmont as their own. There’s something great about working for a municipality where people are rightfully very concerned with the welfare of the community. It’s clear that a lot of people are really interested in the success of Fairmont.”