East Hampton Airport Manager Terminated

The East Hampton Town Board on Thursday changed up the management of the town airport, terminating Jemille Charlton and returning Jim Brundige to the position he left two years ago.

East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell on Friday declined to discuss Mr. Charlton's departure other than to say he was "let go."

Mr. Cantwell said Mr. Brundige was brought back because of "his availability and experience to act as interim airport manager." The appointment is effective Nov. 1 and runs through Dec. 31, 2017, while the town searches for a permanent airport manager.

Mr. Charlton had been named to the post in September of 2014 after having served as an attendant there for about a year. At that time, he was appointed as the replacement for Mr. Brundige, who had announced his retirement after a decade at the post.

The East Hampton Town Airport came under fire in September from a group of citizens who had formed an autonomous committee on airport noise and visited the airport during Labor Day weekend. They alleged having witnessed unsafe practices there, including children who ran unaccompanied onto the tarmac and helicopters that were refueled at the terminal rather than away from it. In August, after an airplane made a rough landing at the airport that the Federal Aviation Administration was called in to investigate, the East Hampton Police and Fire Departments were not informed of the situation, which is standard protocol.

Mr. Charlton could not immediately be reached for comment.