Ex-Riverhead planning official Jefferson Murphree reaches deal in disciplinary case
Jefferson Murphree, former head of Riverhead's building and planning department, seen here in April 2016, has reached an agreement with the town in his disciplinary case. Credit: Randee Daddona
The former head of Riverhead’s building and planning department will be on leave with full pay until his retirement next year under a disciplinary settlement reached with the town board, according to records Newsday obtained.
Jefferson Murphree was reinstated in November after an eight-month suspension on disciplinary charges, including neglect of duty and insubordination.
The agreement, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, shows Murphree will be allowed to use his accrued vacation, sick and personal leave until it runs out. He will then be suspended with pay until his March 2025 retirement.
Town payroll records show Murphree was paid $148,242 last year as building and planning administrator, a role he's held since 2012.
The agreement was approved by the town board in a 5-0 vote March 5. Supervisor Tim Hubbard read a joint statement before the vote stating that “the parties have resolved their dispute and the charges have been withdrawn in exchange for Mr. Murphree’s agreement to retire within one year.”
Murphree has accrued 525 hours of vacation leave, 28 hours of personal leave and 582 hours of sick time, according to the agreement. He can use as many hours of sick time that can be justified by a doctor, the agreement said.
Murphree, 65, is required to file a letter of resignation effective March 5, 2025, according to the agreement. It also prevents him from entering town properties for employment-related functions without prior approval from the supervisor.
The agreement resolves a yearlong dispute over Murphree’s job performance.
Last March, former Supervisor Yvette Aguiar filed disciplinary charges against Murphree, alleging he mismanaged the town’s comprehensive plan update, delayed other applications and was insubordinate after he failed to apologize to a Jamesport civic group for comments he made at a 2022 forum.
A copy of the disciplinary charges said Murphree remarked he hadn't experienced heavy traffic in autumn on Sound Avenue, “didn’t want to experience it," has not visited town beaches or local wineries because they were “crowded with a bunch of drunk people.” He made the comments as a guest speaker at a Greater Jamesport Civic Association Zoom meeting in February 2022.
Aguiar alleged Murphree failed to bring concerns about the comprehensive plan project to the town board and did not resolve planning-related issues for other applications including an indoor water park and apartment project.
Manhattan-based consultants AKRF began working on the comprehensive plan in 2019 and were fired by the town board in June 2022 due to lack of progress. Riverhead is now working with BFJ Planning, also of Manhattan, which released a completed draft of the plan last month.
Aguiar did not return a phone call seeking comment Thursday.
Murphree served an initial 30-day suspension without pay and was then suspended with pay until November 2023, when he was brought back to work but stripped of his power after the town board shook up town department leadership.
The agreement comes after a series of disciplinary hearings held between April and December 2023. Proceedings were delayed for months after Murphree filed a lawsuit to force Riverhead to turn over documents he said were necessary to defend against the charges, including his personnel file, emails and other records.
Suffolk State Supreme Court Justice George Nolan dismissed the lawsuit in September, ruling that Civil Service proceedings are not subject to discovery rules — which govern the exchange of evidence — that apply to other court cases.
Hubbard declined to comment further on the separation agreement.
Murphree, current town officials and Aguiar agreed not to make statements “that in any way defames, disparages or criticizes” Murphree beyond the joint statement issued by Hubbard, per the agreement.
Murphree’s attorney, Gerard Glass of Babylon, said Thursday the outcome is fair and credited Hubbard for resolving the matter. He said Murphree had an "unblemished record" as a public servant. "We're pleased the town saw fit to withdraw the charges, which clears Mr. Murphree of any wrongdoing."
