The Select Board will meet Wednesday evening in an executive (private) session to discuss recommendations regarding a police officer who has been on paid leave for two-and-a-half years amid accusations of misconduct.
The closed-door meeting, scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. in Abbot Hall, comes after repeated delays in the case of Officer Christopher Gallo. He is accused of spending over 100 hours at home during work shifts.
Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer, serving as the disciplinary hearing officer, said his report is more than 550 pages long.
“In the upcoming executive session, neither the employee in question nor their attorney will have a role,” Kezer told the Marblehead Current.
“The meeting is exclusively for the Select Board to review my report and decide on the appropriate action.”
Kezer said Select Board members “may ask questions and may determine whether to move forward based on the report’s contents. If my report indicates no cause for action, the Select Board may decide not to proceed.”
Police Chief Dennis King has recommended that Gallo be fired.
The Select Board will issue notice to Gallo on what it decides. Kezer has said there will be a public meeting where the determination and supporting information become public record.
“However, the contents of the report will remain confidential for now,” Kezer added.
Gallo has continued to receive his salary, approximately $5,400 a month, through multiple delays in this case.
