Select Board taps interim fire administrator
Select Board · Meeting of September 23, 2026
Lakeville Select Board votes 5-0 to hire a retired chief as interim fire department administrator. Town Administrator Andrew Sukeforth told the board Fire Chief Michael O'Brien is on extended medical leave with the deputy chief also out, leaving no departmental leadership. The board authorized Sukeforth to negotiate a contract with Jeffrey Lynch, 65, a former chief in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and Medway, Massachusetts, at $50 an hour for up to 35 hours a week for roughly three months.
Because the role is purely administrative, Sukeforth said, the state's 15-mile residency rule for chiefs does not apply, even though Lynch lives about 35 minutes away. Vice Chair Christopher Plonka said Lynch "could probably hit the ground running." Lieutenant Ryan Sylvia will handle operational command, backed by a Plymouth-Bristol mutual-aid rotation of regional chiefs.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 1,684 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of September 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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