An Enforcement Uptick

New initiatives and an increased focus at Town Hall on ordinance enforcement and reducing the quality-of-life problems that result from chronic violation of East Hampton’s zoning, safety, and other codes appear to have had an impact in 2014, according to a recent annual report on the work of the  town’s Ordinance Enforcement Department.

The number of investigative cases opened last year was 1,590 — almost 30 percent more than in 2014, Betsy Bambrick, the director of code enforcement, said at a Jan. 20 town board meeting. There was an effort, she said, to have ordinance officers “go out in the field and be more proactive,” which resulted in 22 percent more cases opened last year pursuant to a patrol, versus cases driven by a citizen’s complaint.

Officers’ use of laptops in the field, affording them access to property records and the like, and a “real-time” online complaint-logging system launched in May helped create a “marked increase” in cases dealing with housing, parking, contractor licensing, and permits, Ms. Bambrick said.

And, she said, there was a huge increase in the number of cases regarding illegal signs — from two cases opened in 2013 to 137 last year.

The number of cases involving alleged violations of the town’s housing code jumped by 57 percent, from 121 in 2013 to 190 last year.

While housing code violations occur year round, due to the proliferation of online sites such as Airbnb advertising short-term vacation rentals, alleged violations of the town’s laws against “excessive turnover” at rental houses became a big issue for the ordinance department. “Housing is always a priority for the department,” Ms. Bambrick said. 

Also on the increase was enforcement of alleged noise violations, after ordinance enforcement officers were issued and trained to use noise meters, which were previously operated primarily by the police. In 2013, there were three noise complaints investigated stemming from commercial establishments and six at residences. Last year, the department investigated 17 complaints of excessive noise at commercial sites, and 21 complaints of noise at residences.

In April of last year, Ms. Bambrick said, the department pursued an “unlicensed contractor initiative,” checkingo see if contractors required to have town home improvement contractor licenses had obtained them. Six unlicensed contractors were ticketed, she said, and 21 notices of violation were issued for various infractions at job sites, such as for zoning violations or a lack of safety fencing or required permits.

There was total compliance, Ms. Bambrick said, with all of the offenders notified of violations correcting the issues without tickets having to be issued, part of the reason the department issues notices before writing citations.

Overall in 2014, offenders in 595 ordinance enforcement cases rectified situations voluntarily, without being formally charged.

Of town or zoning code violation cases that went before the justice court last year, Ms. Bambrick said, 388 resulted in charges, a 45-percent increase over 2013.

The Ordinance Enforcement Department is now cataloging its efforts and issuing public reports weekly. Year-to-date, as of Jan. 15, 53 cases have been opened, and 20 notices of violation issued.

“I think we’re making some progress here,” Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell said at the Jan. 20 meeting. But, he said, “we’re always striving for better.” With increases in staffing and training for Ordinance Department personnel, he said that he expects similar strides this year, and Ms. Bambrick agreed.