East Hampton Town code enforcement director Martin Culloton fired
Martin Cullotin is shown in this image from the Town of East Hampton website. Credit: Town of East Hampton
The East Hampton Town code enforcement director has been fired after five months on the job.
The town board voted 5-0 Tuesday to fire Martin Culloton, who had taken the job in April. No reason was given for Culloton's termination.
"As this is a personnel matter, we have no further comment," town spokesman Patrick Derenze said Thursday in an email to Newsday.
Attempts to reach Culloton were unsuccessful.
In April, a town news release said Culloton’s appointment was a “significant step toward strengthening the town’s administrative team and addressing the needs of the community.”
Culloton's termination follows the resignations earlier this year of four East Hampton town department heads: then-Code Enforcement Director Kevin Cooper, Town Attorney Rob Connelly, Chief Building Inspector Joe Palermo and Housing Director Eric Schantz. Planning Director Jeremy Samuelson resigned last year.
Cooper resigned to become code enforcement supervisor for the Village of Port Jefferson.
East Hampton officials named Jacob Turner town attorney in April to replace Connelly.
Before joining East Hampton, Culloton had been an investigator in Southampton Town's code enforcement department, according to an East Hampton news release announcing his hiring.
In the news release, Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said Culloton "brings strong experience and a deep understanding of the unique challenges our community faces when it comes to protecting our neighborhoods and natural resources."
"We’re thrilled to welcome him to the team and look forward to the improvements in responsiveness, coordination, and transparency he’ll bring to this vital department," she said.
Culloton's firing was not on the East Hampton Town Board agenda prior to its meeting.
Deputy Supervisor Cate Rogers made a motion to terminate an unidentified “provisionary employee.” The motion was unanimously approved.
Derenze confirmed Thursday the employee was Culloton.
Burke-Gonzalez and Rogers did not return messages seeking comment.
Newsday's Tara Smith contributed to this story.
Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.
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