Letters

Thank you for organizing an important Press Sessions forum on the Town of East Hampton Airport [“Press Sessions Discussion Explores The Future Of The East Hampton Airport,” 27east.com, February 6]. As your article points out: “At the top of the list of analyses the town needs to do before it can seriously begin discussing the possibility of closing the airport is an economic impact assessment that tallies the total economic benefit the airport brings to the town, from the hourly salaries of Sound’s staff to the impact on eight-figure values of oceanfront estates, and everything in between.”

In the years 2014 and 2015, good discussions began on financial research by the town’s Budget and Finance Advisory Committee and its Airport Management Advisory Committee (AMAC). The town and AMAC did form an AMAC subcommittee to do serious economic analysis of the airport.

The committee participants were Arthur Malman (chair of AMAC), David Gruber, Peter Wadsworth and myself. We had strong backgrounds, including advanced education in financial and legal work.

For several reasons, that subcommittee only held about three meetings, as it became clear that there was not serious interest in the advanced work. Around the same time, the town eliminated its Budget and Finance Advisory Committee.

The town should establish a small and serious economic committee that could do moderately high levels of analyses needed for important town decisions. The committee members would not be paid, but the town must be willing to have its Budget Office provide the basic numbers or hire a bookkeeper for that.

As well as the airport, there are many important town existing conditions and possible future situations that have not received good town analysis, because they lacked economic review. Optimally, this new committee would review not only the airport but many other topics. Analyses should include not just dollar analysis but also the existing and future effects on the people who live in, work in and visit East Hampton.

I would be happy to help form and be on this new committee.

Zachary Cohen

Springs

Mr. Cohen is a member of the East Hampton Democratic Committee — Ed.