At hearing, officials address charges that led to planning administrator’s suspension last month

Riverhead Town’s building and planning administrator, Jefferson Murphree, is facing disciplinary charges of “insubordination, neglect of duty and incompetence” that could cost him his job. 

The administrative charges were aired publicly for the first time during Monday’s disciplinary hearing. Such hearings are typically held behind closed doors, but this one was opened to the public at Mr. Murphree’s request.

Mr. Murphree, who will get the opportunity to defend himself at a second hearing in June, directed questions to his attorney, Gerard Glass, who could not be reached for comment Monday after the hearing and has yet to make his opening statement. The June hearing is also expected to be open to the public. 

The Riverhead Town Board voted on March 21 to suspend Mr. Murphree for up to 30 days without pay pending the results of a final report from hearing officer Robert Draffin. 

The charges allege mismanagement of the town’s long delayed comprehensive plan update and building and planning applications, including State Environmental Quality Review Act reviews. 

At issue are comments apparently made by Mr. Murphree in Feb. 2022, during a Zoom call with the Greater Jamesport Civic Association, in which he is alleged to have made comments that appeared disdainful of issues key to the community. 

Mr. Murphree is alleged to have said he never personally experienced the heavy traffic on Sound Avenue on a fall weekend, and didn’t want to experience it either, according to a written charging document.

Mr. Murphree is also alleged to have told the group that he almost never visits Riverhead’s beaches during the summer and that he has never visited a Riverhead winery “because they were overflowed and crowded with a bunch of drunk people … and/or it wasn’t [his] idea of a fun time,” according to the charges. 

A second incident is alleged to have taken place just two days later, on Feb. 20, 2022. 

In the charging document, Supervisor Yvette Aguiar alleges that Mr. Murphree “recommended that the Town Board push back completion of the update of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan by approximately seven months — to the spring of 2023, due to what was represented to have been — in words or in substance — COVID-related delays, even though [Mr. Murphree] knew or should have known, that the delays were attributable, at least in part, to [Mr. Murphree’s] own actions and inactions.”

Ms. Aguiar also contends that by June 23, 2022, only 50% of the comprehensive plan’s work had been delivered and that no progress had been made regarding changes to the rules regarding transfer of development rights or the public outreach section of the plan.

Ms. Aguiar also testified to the charge of insubordination, citing a Feb. 2022 exchange in which she said she directed Mr. Murphree to apologize to the Greater Jamesport Civic Association for his comments. Mr. Murphree allegedly “failed and/or refused to do so” on each workday through March 14, 2022. 

On March 14, 2022, Mr. Murphree said he was conferring with his attorney about an apology and that he’d give Ms. Aguiar a response shortly, but he never did, according to the supervisor. 

The final allegation says that “on one or more workdays commencing Sept. 20, 2021, through and including March 10, 2023, [Mr. Murphree] refused and/or failed to commence actions or implement actions to resolve building inspection/planning related issues on one of more projects.”

These projects include State Environmental Quality Review Act reviews, according to the charges, as well as projects at Island Water Park, 203-213 East Main Street and Peconic Hockey Foundation. 

If Mr. Murphree is found guilty of any of these charges, the penalty or punishment imposed can be dismissal from the service, demotion in grade or title, suspension without pay, a fine or a reprimand, according to the charging document. 

The hearing will continue June 13 at 10 a.m.