NORTON - The town's new part-time assistant building inspector will focus on lodging houses and seasonal issues, Town Manager James Purcell says.

New Local Inspector Scott Barbato also is assistant building inspector in Mansfield, where his hours were reduced this year, Purcell told selectmen. Local inspector is the equivalent of an assistant building inspector, Purcell said.

Barbato, who is certified, will cover vacations and fill in for Building Inspector Bryan Butler, Purcell said. Barbato, of Foxboro, succeeds Dylan Ribeiro, who resigned after a couple of years. Norton has budgeted 490 hours over the year for the post.

Selectmen Vice Chairman Robert Kimball Jr. said "it's time for the town to react" to its lodging house issue.

"I think what we're looking for is a clear recognition of any home that has more than five unrelated people in it," Kimball said. In some homes near Wheaton College, for example, "we don't know if there's three, six or nine people living there," Kimball said. "This isn't to stop in anyway or to discourage" them, he said.

But, he added, such homes "need to be licensed, and it needs to be safe."

Hiring Barbato is "another example of how neighboring towns can use this regionalization approach," Kimball said.

Town officials have discussed regionalizing the veterans' agent, he added.