Special-events fees in East Hampton Town are going up.
“I think it’s safe to say that in the last year, the hours we’re spending on special events, the cost is not being met by the revenues that are coming in,” Councilman Tom Flight said on Feb. 18 as he teed up a discussion on raising the fees.
He put the conversation in the context of the town’s comprehensive plan. “One of the threats we see is the commercialization of public space,” he said. “This is your town, your space. While people may want to do commercial events, that shouldn’t take away from your enjoyment of the town.”
Chelsea Winslow and Ann Marie Lamprecht, legislative secretaries who work in Town Hall and are part of the special-events committee, discussed the proposed changes.
The number of permits issued each year is roughly static, between 500 and 600 annually since 2018, minus an off-year because of Covid restrictions. Last year, the town collected $118,059 in fees. Most fees haven’t been updated since 2018.
New for 2025, existing nonrefundable application fees will increase, or, where none previously existed, there will be new ones. Most other fees seeing an increase are rising anywhere from $50 to $250, depending on the size of the event. Late applications will see the fees double.
“Regardless of the head count, anytime a late application comes in, it kind of sets us back,” Ms. Winslow said.
Refundable cleanup deposits also will see steep increases. “The very simple message here is, clean up your mess,” Mr. Flight said.
“We live in a lovely place people want to celebrate,” said Councilman Ian Calder-Piedmonte, who, with other town board members, supported the increases. “Even with the raised fees, we should all acknowledge that the town is going to lose money on this process.”
The town trustees have also seen fit to introduce a fee structure for private events and mass gatherings on trustee-controlled beaches. “The trustees have determined that the size and number of private events and mass gatherings has been steadily increasing,” read their resolution, passed unanimously at their meeting on Monday. “Therefore, to better manage these events, the issuance of permits and the collection of fees is proper.”
Fees will range from $75 for an event held by a resident on a bay beach, to $200 for an event held by a nonresident at either a bay or the ocean.
