The airport is under an Oct. 15 deadline to correct several deficiencies in airport operations or face potential sanctions, including loss of its status as a commercial airport. The airport manager has taken an unscheduled vacation.
The Martha’s Vineyard Airport is under an Oct. 15 deadline to correct several deficiencies in airport operations or face potential sanctions that could include the loss of millions of dollars in federal funds and its status as a commercial airport.
In a meeting with the chairman and vice chairman of the airport commission Tuesday, officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation detailed four areas of concern including an incomplete building construction project, wildlife management plan, poor employee performance and inadequate runway markings, commission chairman Myron Garfinkle said. Two of the four areas, the runway markings and a wildlife management plan, “present significant areas of noncompliance,” he said.
Mr. Garfinkle described the FAA’s findings Thursday when airport commissioners met at the West Tisbury Library.
“[The FAA] made it plain that we have not made a material effort to correct these noncompliance issues for a significant period of time, in some cases well over a year,” Mr. Garfinkle said in a prepared statement that was read into the record of the meeting. “It is our firm understanding that if we do not take these issues very seriously and respond to our licensing, funding and enabling agencies in a forthright and prompt manner, we will be putting any future funding at risk,” he said. An $8 million federal grant is potentially at risk, Mr. Garfinkle said.
Airport manager Sean Flynn did not attend the commission meeting, and Mr. Garfinkle said he was on an unscheduled two-week vacation that began Monday, August 10. Asked if Mr. Flynn was expected to return, he replied, “No comment.” Last Friday, airport commissioners had met in executive session to discuss a non-union employee management issue.
FAA has set an Oct. 15 deadline for deficiencies to be corrected.
FAA has set an Oct. 15 deadline for deficiencies to be corrected.
Mr. Garfinkle said assistant manager Deborah Potter is in charge of operations and management “until we have a full-time manager again.”
The FAA’s findings follow an annual inspection conducted in May.
“This was highly unusual from the standpoint of not necessarily that airports are in noncompliance but the FAA’s experience is when these are pointed out there is a high priority and due diligence to correct them,” vice chairman Robert Rosenbaum said. “Their feeling is that the Vineyard has been very difficult to get these issues resolved.”
One area of concern cited by the FAA was the lack of any action on a new aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) building. The airport originally received $850,000 in 2011 to draw up plans and permits for the ARFF building, with the expectation that the FAA would have a complete design drawn within one year. No action has been taken on the project, Mr. Garfinkle said.
“After four years, there has been limited communication from the airport to the FAA regarding our progress on this project,” Mr. Garfinkle said. That communication should have come from management, he later added.
He continued: “Any delay of the ARFF building plans, permits and approval will certainly put our funding into jeopardy. It is forecast that the next fiscal period the FAA will be shifting funding focus towards” other projects.
The deficiencies cited ultimately put in jeopardy is the airport’s 139 status, which allows use by commercial airliners.
“We have to be 139 compliant to have scheduled service,” Mr. Garfinkle said.
The airport is under a strict Oct. 15 deadline to come up with an acceptable wildlife management plan and to correct the problems with airport runways.
Commissioner Christine Todd, speaking via phone remotely, asked if the deadline could be met.
“Can we with full and unquestionable confidence know that these matters are being dealt with in an efficient matter with the time frame they have set for us?” she asked.
“I can only answer with the commitment that we will give you our best efforts,” Mr. Garfinkle said. “There’s a lot of work to be done to be brought into compliance.”
Comments
What a mismanaged airport.
William NYCWhat a mismanaged airport. Truly a joke!
So they have a meeting to
Smitty West tisburySo they have a meeting to discuss how poorly managed the airport is, and the airport manager is not there because he is on a two week vacation not previously scheduled? Wow. Fire this guy immediately and hire someone who am actually manage the place.
It must be a union contract
Bob EdgartownIt must be a union contract thing that he has not been fired. Having read about Mr. Flynn's past antics with time off and the such in the real world he would of been fired. Unions served their purpose years ago but are bringing the country down now. Teachers unions are the worst. Try getting anyone fired from a union job. Look at the Edgartown Post office and how that is run.
The Airport Manager job is
Cam BostonThe Airport Manager job is non-union
Go Bob! worst post office i
Dee OBGo Bob! worst post office i have ever had to deal with
The article clearly states
Jane Norton ChilmarkThe article clearly states the manager is not a union member - "airport commissioners had met in executive session to discuss a non-union employee management issue."
The Edgartown Post Office is
Beth EdgartownThe Edgartown Post Office is the worst Post Office I have been in, a certain postal workman is very rude to on island and off island customer's all the time, I have witnessed it on multiple occasions and when you complain no one listens, if he doesn't like his job, go find one elsewhere, but make sure it is not in customer service because that's where his mannerism's are lacking. I go to Vineyard Haven when I send packages because of him!
this "unscheduled" vacation
sadie benson ithaca, NYthis "unscheduled" vacation and "no comment" about when he'd be back, leads me to believe he has already been fired. I'm sure there is a lot going on behind the scenes that we, the public does not know. Hard and not fair to judge what is truly going on without all the TRUE facts!
Perhaps if the manager wasn't
concerned tisburyPerhaps if the manager wasn't spending all his time on stupid lawsuits he could've accomplished some of these things but this is a huge issue between that and not getting the year end financials done till almost a year late spells one word. Unemployment.
And the DOT was mad the
sue tisburyAnd the DOT was mad the County Commissioners did not reappoint some of those airport commissioners? It's obvious they were just sitting at that table for looks. Connie T., Denys Peter, Ben and John, you wonder why u were not reappointed? Shameful!
Does this surprise anyone? As
Martin Hale ChilmarkDoes this surprise anyone? As I wrote this past spring, MVY's general appearance is a disgrace to our island, not presenting a pretty picture to visitors. Apparently, no one else cares. Do you?
appearance
Will someone please interpret
George Thomas West TisburyWill someone please interpret the comments of vice chairman Robert Rosenbaum. They are pure gibberish.
Mr. Thomas, the comments are
Truthteller CAMr. Thomas, the comments are bureaucratize speak for I do not know, I do not intend to know and I do not want responsibility. Certainly not an isolated case, internationally, nationally, locally.
All the time Sean Flynn was
Barry WeymouthAll the time Sean Flynn was beingr tough guy... He pulled the wool over a lot of eyes.
If this airport loses 139
Huh? EdgartownIf this airport loses 139 status many of us that depend on it for our jobs will be in a deep trouble. I'm also going to take a guess that the safety of people utilizing air service in and out of this airport is at a higher degree of risk because of this malfeasance.
An unscheduled vacation during August on Martha's Vineyard should more accurately called job abandonment. It is quite obvious that the management and the group overseeing the airport have been remiss in their duties and should be replaced as quickly as possible. We should also wonder why employees at the airport that knew of these problems didn't make them public.
This is a disgrace!
You really know nothing!!!
JuneYou really know nothing!!! Employees spoke out and where fired. Know what your saying before speaking!
this is what I have also
sara NYthis is what I have also heard from reliable sources.
Employees tried to speak up
Cam BostonEmployees tried to speak up but feared retaliation, those who did were severely punished. This goes much deeper than the public knows, the sad part is how many officials in our community have known the inefficiencies and antics of the Airport for YEARS and haven't done a thing; it's called politics.
And those officials that do
Peg EdgartownAnd those officials that do try to bring things forward are sued and the courts side with the airport! Shame on the former airport commissions for wasting all that money...then they give him another contract..wow.
http://vineyardgazette.com
Reread thishttp://vineyardgazette.com/news/2014/11/25/airport-commission-gets-back…
If there were employees
Huh? EdgartownIf there were employees coming forward on these problems it really wasn't making either of the two papers in town. I believe Massachusetts and the Federal Government both have whistle blower laws to protect against retailiation.
But to be clear, I wasn't calling the employees a disgrace. It's the management and oversight of the airport that deserves that tag. I've always found the employees at the airport to be efficient and courteous. If they did go public with issues like we're reading about and the local papers didn't give them full coverage and an investigation than we really do have some deep problems here.
I am very happy to see we
paul adler west tisburyI am very happy to see we finally have a diligent commissioner at the helm. Thank you Myron for finally bringing these important issues to light. As a regular pilot it is nice to show someone is following through on the safety issues.
Time to rip up the runways,
Tom Hodgson WT`Time to rip up the runways, plant native grasses, and turn the place into a heath hen restoration facility. There's already a nice fence, and the terminal, once it's fixed up, would make a good hatchery.
I don't know the specific
Mark, N250BT Washington, DCI don't know the specific traffic statistics during the summer months, but I have always been impressed with the efficiency of the operations team at MVY, including a most recent trip this August. I'm sure the FAA issues with be addressed. In the mean time, kudos to the team on the ground that efficiently manage hundreds of aircraft and thousands of passenger movements!
We on a norm work a minimum
Michelle M Mvy towerWe on a norm work a minimum 350 ops, Thursday , Friday and Sunday's . Unless there a holiday and well over 500 a night. I feel we have a great group of operational personnel.
He would never go on vacation
Sheri colby WtHe would never go on vacation when the VIP is here.....
Finally! It's nice to see
Cam BostonFinally! It's nice to see some of this stuff come out, hopefully the reign of Sean Flynn is over. If he is truly not returning, there is much more to be exposed.
I do believe that with the
AB WTI do believe that with the long-running feud between the airport and the county commissioners over, the airport commissioners are hard at work trying to fix years of mismanagement. It takes time. Let's give Garfinkle, Rosenbaum and company the necessary breathing room to fix this thing. It starts at the top though. They have to get rid of the incompetent tyrant who has been running the show for years. "Unscheduled two-week vacation that began Monday, August 10" and "met in executive session to discuss a non-union employee management issue" reads to me like the commissioners have got the matter in hand. We live in an age where you cant just fire someone willy-nilly. Hopefully, it will happen soon after all the legalities have been considered. We dont need yet another employee lawsuit.
Who approved his taking 2
Joe EdgartownWho approved his taking 2 weeks unscheduled vacation during the month of August?
Hats off to Chairman Myron
Frequent Flyer West TisburyHats off to Chairman Myron Garfinkle and his team for taking on the task of restoring credibility and accountability to our aviation facility. It would be great to see Assistant Manager Deborah Potter promoted to Manager, a role she is well qualified and prepared for.
Oh no she isn't !!! She was
JuneOh no she isn't !!! She was one that was whistle blower went to and she looked away!!! Please read court documents she followed his lead!
Or if you prefer not to read
concerned tisburyOr if you prefer not to read the court documents try watching the railroading on mvtv when the lady at the airport brought her concerns to the Airport Commissioners which at that time included John Alley, Connie Teixiera, Peter Bettencourt, Norman Perry, Ben Hall, Jim Coyne and denys wortman. Deb Potter was rude and controlling. They would not even take the complaint seriously. Now they are in court with that lawsuit. John A. Even told this girl's lawyer he couldn't take notes at an open meeting. The county commissioners replaced all but Norm Perry recently otherwise this madness would've been swept under the rug. And where is "flyboy" comments he always stuck up for the airport and the airport commissioners. I'm so happy the County had enough sense to put people in there that actually do what they were appointed to do. Thank you Myron for not backing down from a couple of bullies. The old group of airport commissioners pushed a contract through for Flynn before Clarence, Bob and Myron were appointed. It's all on mvtv and the internet if a person takes the time to look.
I don't know why you would
WowI don't know why you would post something like this here. Deb Potter is great at what she does, and one of the only people at the airport that supports the employees the way they need. Everything she has done and will do is by the book. Do not blame her for previous administrations failings, and educate yourself before painting such a negative picture.
I have professionally dealt
ColleenI have professionally dealt with Deb Potter for several years now. She has always been on top of her job. I found her to be honest, conscientious and very capable. Her management skills and meeting deadlines impressed me the most. I do believe there is alot more to be known on this situation. However, I know Deb Potter is an extreme asset to the airport, hope we do not lose her among the politics and blindness that may occur.
As a frequent visitor through
Oldtimer chilmarkAs a frequent visitor through the airport on a year round basis I have seen and heard the issues not just from employees but other users and tenants about the mismanagement and secret society that was the managers rule. I know that employees have gone to airport commissioners from the former regime and their concerns fell on deaf ears and they have also gone to the "other" island paper which also only reported managements spin. Kudos to the new airport commission and the hope they can right all the wrongs at the airport.
Time to ditch the
Mr. B ChilmarkTime to ditch the personalities and "I told you so" discussions.
The long and short of it is this: They are negligent on four issues, two of which need immediate attention under a clear eight-week deadline. The commissioners need to ride Ms. Potter 24/7 to show clear, documented movement on these. She needs to accept that responsibility or depart, immediately. Business as usual will not cut it. The Commissioners should be insisting on a daily report from Ms. Potter on specific progress and hours devoted to getting movement here; and both island newspapers should be pressing the Commissioners, each week, for a clear update on what has been done. Time for a prize for investigative journalism not just pretty pictures and the like.
The only wrong that needs to
Dear Lord Martha's VineyardThe only wrong that needs to be righted is management needs to go.
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