BETHEL – Selectmen determined Monday night that they need more time to review a complaint by the police chief against the town manager.

Police Chief Alan Carr requested that the board investigate alleged misappropriation of the police budget by Town Manager Scott Cole as well as statements about alleged misconduct on Cole’s part.

“During my tenure with the Bethel Police Department, Mr. Cole has systematically worked to undermine my authority as Chief of Police, which continues to affect the quality of services that the department can provide to our community,” Carr wrote in a grievance filed with the board on Feb. 28.

Cole disagreed with the assessment, and submitted a written response to the complaint to the board on Monday.

“Basically, the complaint is groundless,” Cole said.

According to Cole’s response, several concerns about Carr’s performance surfaced during a settlement process for back wages for Lt. S.R. White.

“I stated that the process could result in termination of employment but that any specific outcome was far from certain at the time,” Cole writes.

Cole states that Carr “expressed surprise that he wasn’t being fired” after reviewing a formal letter of concern with Cole on Feb. 29.

Carr’s grievance states that Cole told White that Carr was likely to be fired, and that Cole planned to promote White to chief upon Carr’s termination.

Carr’s allegations of misconduct arise from that conversation, in which Cole is said to have alluded to personal conduct “that would not be appropriate for his position as town manager.”

“Because of his position and the circumstances, as a minimum, Mr. Cole’s disclosure about personal misconduct raises concerns that should be addressed by the Select Board,” Carr wrote.

Cole replied that Carr had no part in the conversation, but that White did stop by his office in late February and mentioned that Carr had said he expected to be fired.

“My response was that it may, or may not happen,” Cole states. “I went on to say that if it did happen, White would be expected to assume interim command and that such an assignment would come without advance notice.”

Cole also states that during his discussion with White, he made recommendations where he “was speaking from hard lessons learned through personal experience.”

Carr’s complaint also accuses Cole of mismanagement of police funds. Carr states that after an officer resigned from the Bethel force to join the Bridgton Police Department, approximately $27,000 in training costs that was to be reimbursed to the Bethel Police Department was instead placed in the town’s general fund. Carr also accuses Cole of refusing to make White a salaried employee after he was promoted to lieutenant, resulting in a $27,000 settlement for overtime hours.

Cole replies that the training funds were properly recorded as police service reimbursable fees, and that the police chief is responsible for scheduling decisions.

Carr also accuses Cole of undermining the Police Department by supporting a regional police force and telling officers that the Bethel department is not a “long-term position.”

Cole states that he supports “professional self-development” of officers, and that Carr was aware of Cole’s support of a regional system when he was hired.

Cole stated that he chose to have the complaint reviewed in public due to its “serious, but absolutely baseless, allegations that would damage my reputation if released through incomplete whispers that typically, and inevitably, circulate in the community following any executive session.”

The matter was heard before the selectmen in a short presentation in which only Carr and Cole were allowed to speak. Chairman Stan Howe announced the decision to further review the matter after a 15-minute executive session.