Have You Met Portsmouth's Official 'Fence Inspector?'

Did you know the town of Portsmouth has an official "fence inspector?" 

"It's one of those old Colonial things where there's no real ordinance telling you what to do," laughs Philip Driscoll, while holding up his official "Portsmouth fence inspector" ID.

"I've had two phone calls since 2008. One I handled on the phone. One I went to someone's house."

Driscoll, while holding many other positions in town, laughs at this unpaid title of fence inspector. He's held the position since 2008, which is not as long as some of his other more recognizable roles in town. 

Driscoll, a native of Fall River, MA, moved to Portsmouth in 1972. His mother's family were "islanders." "That's what got me back here," he said. 

A Navy veteran, Driscoll served for three and half years active duty and 18 years of reserve duty before working in financial management and serving as a controller for Pearson Yachts.

His career led him to Newport Oil (later Newport Harbor Corp.), where he served as general manager from 1963 to 1977 and later as executive vice president, retiring in 1995. He then served as manager for several other oil companies for the next few years, refusing to rest. 

He also kept a close watch over the town for about 10 years, when he served on and off as town sergeant. "The nice thing about that job was you got $400 a year and, most years, you did nothing. That's one job I worked hard to eliminate," Driscoll said, referring to the position as wasteful spending. 

Driscoll also served as a member of the Portsmouth School Committee from 1978 to 1982 and as a member of the Housing Authority. 

Today, Driscoll continues to serve his community as clerk for the Portsmouth Water and Fire District, an elected position he's held for 25 years. 

"My involvement with the water district has been one of the most personally satisfying work of my entire life," Driscoll says. 

He also serves as chairman of the Portsmouth Water and Fire District Administrative board; chairman, Wastewater Commission; and chairman of the Wastewater Commission Appeals Board.

The Wastewater Commission began after the Department of Environmental Management issued a . 

"Right now, the Wastewater Commission is doing nothing," Driscoll says. "The town is probably over $1.5 million in engineering and legal fees…We also found out that the ordinance was filled with disfunctionalism and ineptitude. I was someone who supported the ordinance, naively."

Driscoll, a member of the Portsmouth Concerned Citizens, says the Wastewater Commission has not met since September and have no intention of meeting until hearing more from the council. 

"Right now, I'm trying to ferret out information and talk with council members to make sure we're going in the right direction," Driscoll says. "...We're in limbo." 

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