In a special meeting of the Dukes County Commission on Wednesday,
June 18, that followed an earlier meeting of the Martha’s Vineyard
Airport Commission, county commission chairman Lenny Jason Jr. called on
the airport commissioners to resign.
Following further discussion and expressions of dissatisfaction, a
majority of commissioners prevailed on Mr. Jason to modify the outright
call for resignation.
The Martha’s Vineyard Airport commission is responsible by state
statute for the care and custody of the county-owned airport. The county
commission exercises authority over the airport through its appointing
authority.
Mr. Jason is dissatisfied with the airport commission’s stewardship
of the airport. In an unusual noon meeting on Wednesday, the airport
commission granted airport manager Sean Flynn a leave of absence to
address personal issues. Members of the county commission have been
highly critical of the airport commission for its handling of several
public disciplinary hearings involving an airport employee.
“It’s sad when you see your appointees not performing as you hoped,”
Mr. Jason said. “It seems to be a circus atmosphere. It’s not in the
best interest of the people of the county. I think we have no
alternative but to ask the airport commission to resign. It’s almost
like the inmates are running the asylum. The last meeting was
disgraceful. That’s not the kind of meeting Thomas Jefferson
envisioned.”
Mr. Jason’s fellow county commissioners also voiced withering
criticism of the airport commission. They included Christine Todd of Oak
Bluffs, who was appointed to also serve on the airport commission
earlier this year.
“The experience so far has been frustrating for me,” Ms. Todd said.
“It’s been quite difficult to get some basic information, like executive
session minutes and procedural questions. I’ve found it to be very
frustrating. I’m concerned.”
County commissioner Leon Brathwaite of Oak Bluffs said he was
concerned, after watching MVTV recordings of the airport commission
meetings. “I’ve watched the videos,” he said.
“I’m shocked and appalled.”
However, a majority of the commissioners argued to soften Mr. Jason’s
outright call for resignation and were leary of using the word
“resign.” The county commissioners acknowledged that they have no
authority to revoke their appointments, or demand a resignation
outright. They will instead send a letter.
While the letter has yet to be drafted, after the meeting Mr. Jason
summarized what the full commission agreed the letter should state.
“The letter will ask you to reexamine how you are conducting
business, if you feel it’s in the best interest of the people of this
county or not,” Mr. Jason said. “If upon reflection you feel you haven’t
been doing a good job, perhaps you should consider an alternative.”
Three airport commissioners attended part or all of the county
commission meeting.
Following the meeting, airport commission chairman
Norman Perry said he would not resign. Airport commissioner Constance
Teixeira declined any comment.
The discussion of the airport commission was the only item on the agenda for the special meeting.
The decision by the airport commission to grant a leave of absence to airport manager Sean Flynn also came in for criticism at the county commission meeting.
A short statement issued by the Airport Commission made no mention
that Mr. Flynn asked for the leave prior to the meeting, and Mr. Perry
unilaterally granted the leave, according to Ms. Todd.
Mr. Perry said he had no alternative, under the federal family leave regulations.
“Once a person asks for that, you have to give it to them,” Mr. Perry
told county commissioners. “This is something the government says you
have to give the person the time.”
Richard Michelson, also appointed to the airport commission by county
commissioners earlier this year, was unhappy with the process by which
Mr. Flynn was granted leave.
“As an airport commissioner, this and other issues are pretty
frustrating,” Mr. Michelson said. “When decisions are made by one person
and not the entire commission, members of the commission aren’t
included, given any input, communication, or notification.”
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