As Montauk Sleeps, Town Thinks Summer
“While Montauk is sleeping in the winter, we’re not,” East Hampton Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo said at a town board meeting on Tuesday.
Though the temperature is frigid, town officials have turned their attention toward summer and its influx of visitors that last year turned downtown Montauk into a noisy and chaotic scene that had hundreds of residents up in arms, demanding steps be taken to rein things in.
Actions taken last year — such as new no-parking zones and a hard tack on nightclub over-occupancy, including increased enforcement of occupancy limits and a law requiring clubs to keep close count of patrons — had an impact, but the town board is examining what else needs to be done before things ramp up again this year.
Yesterday, those heading up all town departments involved in enforcing laws and codes — the police, fire marshals, ordinance enforcement officers, Marine Patrol, and the building inspector — met for a strategy discussion, and meetings will continue regularly, Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell said Tuesday. The agenda was to include “nuances of the law, and how we can apply them to solve the problems,” Mr. Cantwell said.
“We’re heavily involved in planning for the summer at this time of the year,” Chief Sarlo said Tuesday.
Among those with whom he is discussing the forthcoming season, he said, are the town attorneys and town justices. Meetings with civic groups, including the town’s citizens advisory committees, and with the managers and security staff of bars and clubs are planned “very early in the season,” he said. The objective is “to build on the momentum we had at the end of last season, to have a more compliant and safe situation on the streets.”
The Police Department’s plans to keep noise, public drunkenness, overcrowding, and other problems in Montauk in check next summer include the appointment of a new commanding officer at the Montauk police precinct, Sgt. Joe Kearney. His appointment is reported on in a separate story in today’s Star.
On the legislative front, the town board will discuss potential revisions to the town law regarding the issuance of music entertainment permits, which are required for establishments that present music.
Michael Sendlenski, the town attorney, will present a draft to the town board for review at a forthcoming work session.
In light of New York State Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s announcement that he intends to offer legislation to regulate cars for hire, such as taxis and Uber cars — another area of concern to the town — Mr. Cantwell said that he will send a letter with recommendations to the governor’s office and to East Hampton’s state representatives.
“I want them to be aware of the problems we have,” he said. Large numbers of taxis coming to work in East Hampton in the summer and a proliferating number of drivers working through Uber have been the subject of many complaints and an effort last year to tamp down what was viewed as a disorderly situation.
The town lacks the authority to enact certain taxi regulations without establishing its own taxi and limousine commission — which is “difficult and expensive,” Mr. Cantwell said this week. A taxi licensing law put into effect last summer created waves, angering Uber and Uber users when its drivers, who are independent contractors, were found to be ineligible for town licenses. The law requires taxi companies operating here to have offices in the town.
The supervisor said he would ask Governor Cuomo “to give us some flexibility in state law,” so that the town could enact targeted regulations such as designating areas where cabs can and cannot park.
Summer is also on the horizon for the Montauk Chamber of Commerce, which participated in the New York Times Travel Show held recently at the Javits Center in Manhattan. The chamber made efforts last summer to counter a rowdy portrayal of Montauk in media coverage of the backlash against summer tourism gone awry. At the show it reached out to travelers from the New York area who are within several hours of Montauk, targeting families.
According to a press release, the chamber distributed a Montauk vacation guide, gave away two getaways to Montauk, showed a video about a family vacation that the chamber produced, and distributed a tip sheet called “15 Ways Kids Can Be Kids on a Montauk Vacation.”