North Adams Airport Commission Chairman Mark Morandi is resigning following a vote on a hangar lease. The mayor is trying to change his mind | North Berkshire

Maxey did not specify why exactly Morandi resigned, and he did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Eagle, which requested a copy of his resignation letter.

The mayor said she refused to accept his decision until she talked to him.

“He and his family have been away for a while, I’m still trying to get him to call me back,” she said. “I don’t pester him, I try to give him space, but that’s at the top of my list.”

Milazzo was the subject of a 2021 police report alleging that he and his partner Brian Doyle vandalized a hangar using Milazzo’s excavator. The result was a multi-year renovation of the hangar at Harriman and West Airport using $753,000 in city, state and federal funds.

The commission accepted Milazzo’s proposal for the renovated Northeast Hangar at its meeting in mid-October. The decision went against the recommendation of a city committee of two commissioners and two city officials that reviewed his proposal Oct. 2. Morandi was the only vote against, three votes in favor and one abstention.

A few weeks after this meeting, Maxey wrote a letter urging members to reverse their decision to accept Milazzo’s statement. She presented her arguments mainly on procedural grounds and on the recommendation of the General Inspectorate.

Former hangar co-owners Derek and Jackie Rougeau told North Adams police and airport officials that Doyle and Milazzo — their former business partners — were responsible for the damage to the hangar. No charges were brought against the men.

Milazzo admitted that he brought his excavator, which was used to destroy the hangar, into the hangar and then removed it. He denies responsibility for carrying out unauthorized excavations. He did not respond to The Eagle’s requests for comment.

The commission discussed a meeting this week to finalize the deal with Milazzo and sign the contract, but there can be no movement until it finds a chairman and someone to organize the meeting. This meeting also depends on whether Maxie can change Morandi’s mind.

“There is no one who could formally convene a special meeting of the commission,” the mayor said. “I didn’t bring it up because I want Mark (Morandi) to come back.”