Town: Embattled Groveland fire chief to step down

Feb. 14--GROVELAND -- Suspended Fire Chief Robert Lay has agreed to step down at the end of March following a meeting with selectmen Monday night, according to a release issued by the town.

Lay was placed on paid administrative leave Jan. 18 following a unanimous vote by selectmen at a special meeting. The meeting was listed as an executive session to discuss personnel issues but Lay opted to have it held publicly. That allowed him to hire someone to videotape the meeting and get his side of the story before the public.

"Between now and March 30, Chief Lay will continue on a paid leave status as the board voted on Jan. 18, 2018," the release said. "The terms of Chief Lay's administrative leave shall remain unchanged during this additional leave period."

Since Lay's suspension, Assistant Fire Chief Kurt Ruchala has been handing day-to-day operations.

"At this time the board has made no decisions about the process or timeline to look for a successor," the release reads.

A phone call to Lay seeking comment was not immediately returned Tuesday.

In a previous interview in late January, Lay said he was placed on paid administrative leave based on claims of insubordination and mismanagement during the special meeting.

Lay said much of the disagreement stemmed from a misunderstanding regarding health insurance costs.

For years, Lay has been enrolled in Groveland's health insurance program. The town was supposed to deduct $1,200 each month from his paycheck but the deduction was not made for more than two years.

Selectmen accused Lay of knowingly not paying but the chief claimed he only caught the mistake recently.

The health insurance mixup has left Lay $24,000 in debt and soured the relationship between selectmen and the chief as he accused the board of not believing him.

He also said selectmen accused him of mismanaging the department's budget and what he called a laundry list of smaller items.

The town operates a call firefighting department, meaning that the fire chief is its only permanent member. When an emergency is reported, firefighters are called to report to the station or to the scene.

Lay, 63, worked 19 hours per week and earned an annual salary of $28,700. The lifelong Groveland resident joined the department in 1973 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1990.

Three years later, Lay was promoted to captain and named deputy chief in 2011. He spent 38 years in the private sector with SuperMedia LLC before retiring in 2011.

Staff writer Dave Rogers can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.

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