East Hampton Town officials have discussed tentative steps toward a resumption of activity calibrated to avoid subsequent waves of Covid-19 infection, a particular challenge in a town dependent on tourism and second-home owners.
“We will have to gauge this very carefully as we move forward,” Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said at a Tuesday town board meeting.
A case in point was Saturday’s announcement from the town that New York State Police and State Park Police would be deployed in Montauk, enforcing social distancing in parks and closing ones that reach social distancing capacity.
Shadmoor and Camp Hero, both in the easternmost hamlet, have drawn crowds, to the concern of residents. “There’s a lot of day-tripping,” Mr. Van Scoyoc said, “which is all well and good but obviously can have the potential for overloading our parks.”
An April 8 Newsday feature on Long Island’s trails highlighted Camp Hero. The attention and publicity given to open spaces and state parks “have caused our largest influx of gathering of people within the township,” Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo said.
Chief Sarlo said that the police have received numerous complaints related to social distancing, particularly in Montauk, including on its beaches and in its parks. Additional police and Marine Patrol officers are assigned there on weekends, he said, targeting beaches and deterring noncompliance.
The town announced yesterday that it would begin enforcing summer beach parking regulations on Friday, weeks earlier than the regulations usually take effect to forestall overcrowding at town peaches and parks. The town has suspended the sale of nonresident parking permits, beach driving permits, and launch ramp permits, effective immediately. Permits issued already will be in effect until their expiration, but will not be extended afterward. Resident-only and permit-only restrictions will be strictly enforced, the town said.
“Social distancing is the rule of the land right now and for the foreseeable future,” Mr. Van Scoyoc said on Tuesday, referring to signs urging that practice “so we don’t get in a position where we have to close beaches and parks.” A balance must be struck, he said, and adjusted based on conditions and data. In the longer term, “The basic question is, will we be able to have our beaches open? Will we allow swimming in a safe setting?” He wondered aloud about some kind of grid on the beach, with squares allotted to beachgoers to maintain distance and “corridors” for walking.
Open beaches raise the question of safety not only for beachgoers but for lifeguards, the supervisor said. “If beaches are closed with no lifeguards and swimming, it would be naive to think people aren’t going to swim in the ocean,” he said, calling that scenario the “greatest concern” of John Ryan Jr., the chief lifeguard. “They’ve worked so hard for so many years to keep the public safe. That will be an additional challenge this year, especially if we don’t have the ability to have guarded beaches.”
Councilman David Lys said that Mr. Ryan and Marine Patrol personnel are discussing patrolling and lifeguarding, with any new protocols coordinated with the Suffolk Health Department. “To have a public swimming beach, you have to provide bathroom facilities,” he said. “Will we be opening our comfort stations? If so, how, in a way that is sanitary and safe and prevents the spread of disease?” The discussion is ongoing, he said, “but we need to be out ahead of this.”
Warning of a wave of pent-up energy and desire to be outdoors as the weather warms, Mr. Van Scoyoc said that “we need to be somewhat nimble, having foresight to try and consider the various options and impacts.”
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced a Reimagine New York Task Force on Monday, a downstate coalition of regional leaders including Suffolk Executive Steve Bellone, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, and Westchester County Executive George Latimer, responsible for coordinating new approaches once the height of the pandemic has passed. Deputy County Executive Peter Scully (who has recovered from Covid-19 himself) will chair an additional summer planning task force with supervisors and mayors, particularly those on the East End, which is to communicate with the regional task force.
Mr. Van Scoyoc referred to that group on Tuesday. “I want to make sure East Hampton’s voice is heard loud and clear about our approach to summer,” he said, and “the crowds that could potentially come.”
Also on Tuesday, Len Bernard, the town’s budget officer, told the board that revenues through the first quarter of 2020 were approximately in line with past years, but the next six to eight weeks, including the Memorial Day weekend, will be informative as to the town’s longer-term fiscal wellness.
“We were pretty much on par with what we normally gather in nontax revenues through the first three months,” he said. “In April, we’ve seen that slack off,” primarily because expired permits remain valid during the pandemic, building permits are not needed while the governor’s New York State on Pause executive order deems construction nonessential, and Town Hall, where permits are obtained and fees are paid, is closed to the public.
“The big question,” Mr. Bernard said, “is when do we reopen as a town, and as a seasonal town, and will we have a summer season where we can expect non-tax revenue to pick up?”
To date, the rate of property tax collection is normal, he said, but “if we fall short, we would have to make adjustments.” By the end of June, “we’ll know where we are with taxes, with the summer season, with permit fees. We will know more about where we are with building permits, and also have ideas as to mortgage tax revenues.” Should revenues fall short of what is anticipated, “we may have to take action in July, probably related to spending,” he said.
“We should be identifying those line items now, figuring out what they amount to monetarily, so we’re ahead of it,” Mr. Van Scoyoc said.
The pandemic, Mr. Bernard said, “has illustrated how important it is to have a buffer in our finances.” The town has ample surpluses, he said, including in the general fund that pays for most government operation. “We always thought we’d probably need it as a result of a hurricane or other weather disaster. . . . This is exactly why we have a surplus.”
Chief Sarlo said that residents should take a mask when they leave home, even if going to the beach or a trail alone, in the event of unanticipated proximity to others. The Police Department, he said, is inspecting construction sites to ensure no nonessential work is being done. “We still see a lot of laborers not wearing masks,” he said.
He asked that the public “do the right thing” and comply with social distancing and hygiene protocols. “For the most part,” he said, “our local citizens have been very compliant.”
“We’re going to get through this together,” Mr. Van Scoyoc said, “so let’s work together.”