Mead steps down as candidate for Fire Chief Search Committee after criticism

The Select Board named Colleen Roy and Peter Carlson to the Fire Chief Search Committee after Ray Mead withdrew his candidacy over criticism of his handling of the first attempt to find a replacement for retiring Fire Chief Micky Gauthier.

“If you don’t want me, just say it. Just say it,” Mead said after Select Board members Mat Often and Doreen DeFazio expressed their hesitancy.

Back in October, the Select Board interviewed three men for fire chief, making the offer to Michael Thurz, the Glastonbury, Connecticut chief. Thurz declined the next day, leaving the town without a replacement for Gauthier, who retires at the end of the year. Rather than choose from the remaining candidates, the Select Board opted to hit re-start on the search, appointing Fire Captain Paul Cournoyer as interim chief.

Mead is a 32-year veteran of the Grafton Fire Department, served as a deputy chief, and chaired the Fire Department Study Committee. He has been outspoken about his concerns for the future of the department as it hires its first full-time strong fire chief.

Often said the town received specific commentary from the assessment center that worked on the initial search about how the Select Board handled the fire chief interviews. Concerns about possible micromanagement from the board were expressed.

“I believe that process, that original process, rolled off the rails and we rolled right with it,” Mead said.

DeFazio added that she received feedback that Mead was perhaps too close to the process to collaborate with other committee members.

Carlson said he would, as Select Board chair, step up and “volunteer as tribute” if Mead withdrew. Mead promptly did so.

 “I’ll tell you, if I had feelings, I’d be hurt,” Mead said. “But I don’t.”

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