Town Passes Law Requiring Montauk Bar, Restaurant, Nightclub Owners to Count Patrons

East Hampton Town Board passed a law during Tuesday’s work session that would require Montauk’s bar, restaurant and nightclub owners count the number of patrons.

The law was first proposed back in July after the suggestion was made by local safety inspector David Betts in order to solve the issue of overcrowding which is one of the major concerns of local citizens.

In July, Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell said that the law would require the manager or person in charge of any bar, tavern or restaurant with a maximum occupancy of over 100 persons to have some sort of mechanical system in place in order to count the number of patrons.

The method of counting patrons is ”up to the owner,” which can be as sophisticated as a multiple camera system, but must be available upon inspections, Cantwell said.

The citizens became fed up after the Fourth of July weekend, stating that Montauk has gained a reputation as a “party town,” and created problems in the small hamlet including public urination, noise, parking problems, and overcrowding of rental homes and bars.

While Cantwell said that the problem has been building up for the past five to six years, but the “pot boiled over” on the Fourth of July.

He said that over the years, more of the businesses in the area have begun to catering to the nightlife-style, attracting more people, which the 19.8 square mile hamlet can’t handle, according to Cantwell.