Business affairs at the Martha's Vineyard Airport are caught in procedural tangle.
Timothy Johnson

Airport Commission Stuck on Hold

<p>The Martha&rsquo;s Vineyard Airport Commission is in a state of limbo amid a dispute over authority to call a meeting and uncertainty about the recent seating of three new commissioners.

The Martha’s Vineyard Airport Commission remains in a state of limbo amid a procedural dispute over authority to call a meeting and ongoing uncertainty about the recent seating of three new commissioners.

A meeting scheduled for March 27 was cancelled by airport manager Sean Flynn, after a leading state aviation official questioned three new recent appointments to the airport commission.

Another meeting called for this week never made it to the public notice posting stage.

Last month the administrator for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division challenged the appointment of three new commissioners by the Dukes County Commission. In a strongly-worded letter to the county commission, Aeronautics Division administrator Christopher Willenborg said any action taken by the airport commission could be invalid. The county commission fired back with its own letter, citing its legal authority to appoint airport commissioners.

The airport commission has not met since February.

On Monday, airport commissioner Christine Todd, who also sits on the county commission, asked Mr. Flynn to post notice of a meeting she wanted to schedule for Thursday, April 9. “The commission is anxious to meet as soon as possible,” Ms. Todd told the Gazette by telephone. “It’s rather unfortunate that so much energy and money is being put into perpetuating this drama. It’s getting in the way of having the best airport we could possibly have.”

She said the first order of business for the new commission is to elect a chairman, vice chairman, and set the agenda for future business of the commission.

But after consulting with airport commission attorneys, Mr. Flynn declined to call the meeting.

“At this point there is nothing that has been presented to me that needs immediate attention,” Mr. Flynn told the Gazette. “It’s not worth the risk to unwind a bunch of decisions if we don’t truly know what the makeup of the board is.”

Mr. Flynn said only he and the airport commission chairman have the authority to call or cancel meetings. He said that authority is established in state laws and court decisions that govern the airport commission. The previous chairman, Constance Teixeira, was not reappointed following more than a year of rancor and legal action between the two commissions.

On Tuesday, Ms. Todd sent an email to Mr. Willenborg seeking clarification.

“I have tried to schedule a meeting of the commissioners and have been met with resistance by the manager of the airport who is unwilling to post a meeting, pending your response to the Dukes County Commission,” she wrote in an e-mail. “There is much work to be done at the airport and we are anxious to begin to serve the airport community in our full capacity, as we have been so appointed.

In the past year, the county commission has replaced all but one of the seven airport commission members with new appointees.

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 04/11/2015 - 15:28

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Oldtimer Chilmark

So basically what I see is the Manager has been self anointed has the be all and end all for anything related to this publicly funded airport.
Following the MVTV of their meetings in the past has shown the total disregard of a commission that can speak on its own if it is anyway in disagreement with the manager. A commission that hires the Manager can not has a whole make decisions but only the managers self chosen "subcommittees" ? The Head of MADOT should be ashamed of letting this continue, there should be open meetings not the managers choice to sue everyone that gets in his way. Yes the County has had many a misstep in the past but enough with the excuse of them trying to take control of the airport. Its time the MVAC gets their own attorney and stop being pushed around by the manager and his attorney that hides behind the "MVAC attorney". The good of the airport is being lost by all of this mess!

Bob Edgartown

I read the wisdom of an Oldtimer!!It surprised me they gave this manager a new contract from what I have read in the front page and comment page over the years about this fellow. Is he really the best person for the job? On fantasy island here you get to play an adult but not act like one.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/12/2015 - 08:31

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William Edg.

Wow! Replacing all airport commissioners but one, the county is somehow not interfering with airport operations? Does anyone believe this? It would be laughable if it was not so expensive. It is time for the state to do something about this. Either take over the airport or make the airport commissioners ELECTED officials instead of appointed by the county commissioners. Better yet, get rid of the county altogether like virtually all the other counties in the state.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/12/2015 - 17:56

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Jack A. West Tisbury

I believe one of the last acts of the old Airport Commission before this past election was to give Mr. Flynn a new three year contract and a raise. I hope the newly elected commission meets immediately in executive session and starts his 30 day notice period for poor job performance and insubordination of a newly appointed board. Demand that Flynn call a meeting of the board or accept the consequences.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 04/12/2015 - 22:55

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Really

So I can understand this straight, a power higher than the Couny (I know its hard to believe) the state says the County may have again broken the law and the Airpot is suppose to just ignore it? The commenters on the County issue are always the same and never were around until the person that got fired decided take everyone to court and when the County got taken to court by the Airport. it seems like some people use social media to give the minority a louder voice. I would bet that they have something to do with the County or that person that got fired. This Airport thing would go away if the State just came in and took over. Then everyone would see these County people for what the are.

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