The manager of the Martha’s Vineyard Airport has been granted an eight-week medical leave of absence, the chairman of the airport commission said this week.

Commission chairman Norman Perry said Wednesday afternoon that he had granted the leave request to manager Sean Flynn earlier this week, before meeting in executive session with his board.

The closed-door meeting of the airport commission on Wednesday was held to discuss “certain personal information regarding the airport manager, Sean Flynn,” according to a statement released after the meeting. Mr. Flynn and his attorney attended the executive session, along with two Boston attorneys who represent the airport commission.

The statement also announced that assistant airport manager Deborah Potter will assume responsibility for airport operations during the leave of absence.

“The Martha’s Vineyard Airport Commission has tremendous confidence in Ms. Potter and the entire airport staff in their ability to run the airport,” the statement read in part.

Earlier this week, Mr. Perry declined to specify the duration of Mr. Flynn’s requested leave. He told the Gazette Friday that Mr. Flynn was taking an eight-week medical leave. He said the leave is technically unpaid but Mr. Flynn will be paid using his accumulated vacation and personal time.

“The leave does definitely have a timeline to it with checkpoints,” Mr. Perry said earlier in the week. “It is not being taken lightly.”

Last week Mr. Flynn was involved in a domestic disturbance that resulted in the arrest of his wife and dual restraining orders at the request of both. A detailed police report about the incident recounted allegations of prescription drug abuse by Mr. Flynn. The airport commission subsequently called an executive session for this week, attaching a copy of the police report to an email that went out to commissioners.

The airport statement was read aloud at a special meeting of the county commission late Wednesday afternoon, called to discuss the recent conduct of the airport commission at their public meetings.

County commissioners denounced in strong terms the behavior of the airport governing board, and decided to ask airport commissioners to consider stepping down from their duties.

The county commission appoints the members of the airport commission.

“It is sad when you see your appointees not performing in the manner you had hoped,” said county commission chairman Leonard Jason Jr.

In a strongly worded letter sent to the airport commisision the following day, Mr. Jason asked the airport commission to seriously evaluate its own performance.

“The county commissioners believe the time has come for the airport commissioners to re-examine their behavior, their actions and their conduct in their meetings,” Mr. Jason wrote.

“A public body that is in charge of the greatest asset of the county has an obligation to conduct their business publicly, politely and respectfully not only to the public but also to its members.”

A response is requested by July 1.

At the meeting Wednesday, Mr. Jason also had strong criticism of the airport commission. “I guess for me it is important that the airport commission function like a public body and that is what it’s failed to do in my view,” he said. “It’s almost like the inmates running the asylum. The last meeting was disgraceful. That is not the type of government Thomas Jefferson had in mind, and I think we have no alternative but to ask the airport to resign.”

Earlier this year, the county commissioners ousted two of the incumbent airport commissioners in favor of new appointees.

At the time, Mr. Jason cited the poor management of a personnel hearing held in public and televised on Martha’s Vineyard Community Television.

In the months since, the airport commission has filed a lawsuit against the county, asking a judge to declare its legal autonomy in managing and administering airport affairs. The airport has also been the subject of a tangled workplace dispute involving a former employee and Mr. Flynn.

County commissioner Tristan Israel said at the Wednesday meeting that the county is not trying to meddle in airport affairs.

“This is not about our board trying to take over the airport, it absolutely has nothing to do with that,” Mr. Israel said. "We want to see a good process and a safe airport.”

Mr. Perry and one other member of the airport commission attended the meeting. Christine Todd, a county commissioner and new appointee to the airport commission, expressed her own frustration.

“My experience so far, having been two months on the airport commission, has been quite a frustrating one for me,” Ms. Todd said. “It has been quite difficult to get just some basic information, like executive session minutes, and procedural questions answered at times . . . so I am concerned about the existing body, I am concerned about being able to impart any positive real change.”

Toward the end of the meeting, county commissioners agreed to soften their language and ask the airport commissioners to reevaluate their recent conduct in public meetings.

“And if you think that your first motivation is to self-justify your stance, that should be a red flag internally,” said commissioner Thomas Hallahan. “Because just looking at the tapes, I know it’s hard to see the picture when you are in the frame, if you just go watch the tapes and listen to the audio, it’s just disturbing, to put it lightly.”

When asked at the meeting’s close if he would step down from the airport commission, Mr. Perry, the chairman, answered definitively.

“No, of course not,” he said.