A selectman called attention Tuesday night to the town's potentially flawed and confusing policies and procedures, which might come into play in deciding the fate of the town's fire chief, who has been on paid administrative leave for over a month.
On Jan. 10, the selectmen alleged Fire Chief Peter Martell did not have the authority or the selectmen's approval to spend $33,814 of town money for a 2017 Ford Expedition. Although the disciplinary session focused on the SUV purchase, the selectmen said that Chief Martell was placed on paid administrative leave for submitting a home electric bill along with departmental bills (which Chief Martell said was an honest mistake) and would be on leave until a "forensic audit" is completed by the town account.