East Hampton Village Laws Spark Backlash Over Impact on Latino Workers
- Jack Motz
- Jul 9
- 4 min read
Organización Latino Americana of Eastern Long Island Executive Director Minerva Perez joined a chorus of voices pushing back on three new laws that critics say East Hampton Village officials didn’t properly communicate to the Latino population — the group most affected by the changes.
The laws were aimed at reducing noise, but those pushing back say a lack of communication has burdened East Hampton Town Justice Court.
The first law adopted earlier this year established a registry that requires each contractor to pay $250 annually to register, plus $10 per vehicle. The registry expires at the end of each year. The second law establishes a similar registry for landscapers, who have to pay to enroll at the same rate as contractors.
Additionally, the village government took aim at noise by limiting the times at which construction and repair work can be done. The fines increase from a starting point of $250, up to a maximum of $5,000 for multiple offenses.
Between January 1 and May 14, and from September 16 through December 31, work is permitted on Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. In that span, work is prohibited on Sundays and federal holidays.
From May 15 through September 15, work is permitted Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. only. During that time frame, work is prohibited on weekends and federal holidays.
Despite the criticism, village officials agreed that more has been done to spread the word about the three laws than any other in the past five years, when Mayor Jerry Larsen took office.
Critics, though, have argued the opposite, saying the Village Board didn’t provide enough notice, particularly to the Spanish-speaking community.
Further, attorney Susan Menu took to the lectern at the July 2 Village Board meeting to say East Hampton Town Justice Court has been overwhelmed on Mondays, the day the court sees the three citations.
The Village Board countered, saying that the village spent a month issuing warnings in the lead-up to the laws taking effect. Beyond that, its members said, the village posted about the laws on Instagram.
For critics, though, the issues extend beyond the roll-out. Menu asked the Village Board: “This law impacts the poorest people in this town. How can you be insensitive to this?”
According to numbers provided by Village Administrator Marcos Baladron that cover May and June, Village Police issued 151 warnings from April 1 to May 15. Since then, the data shows, police have ticketed 18 for failing to enroll in the contractor’s registry and 24 for not registering as a landscaper. The village government handles its citations in East Hampton Town Justice Court.
Perez also sent a chart, which went into July, that showed 62 total tickets for failure to register. Of those, 55 of the people ticketed were Latino. Police have also issued 97 noise tickets since the laws took effect, according to the chart, with 82 going to Latinos.
Village officials have maintained that the roll-out began in February. For some time, police gave warnings to those in violation of the three laws and placed fliers on work trucks. The mayor openly wondered how long the village government should have issued warnings before it started giving citations.
When Perez stood up during the public comment portion at the Village Board meeting, she criticized the Village Board for failing to give proper notice about the changes.
“If the noise situation is what we really want to control, why not get adequate information out?” Perez asked.
Those cited for failing to comply with the new law are compelled to go to court, where pretty much all plead guilty and pay the fine without a fight, she said.
Inside court, it can be an unfortunate experience, she said, as many come directly from their work day and are not properly dressed for the occasion. Many of those affected are Spanish-speaking, she said.
“First of all, this is not about Hispanics,” Larsen said. “Our board is probably one of the most liberal boards you’ve ever seen out here on the East End.”
At one point, Larsen said the critics didn’t have the facts. The mayor asked Village Attorney Lisa Perillo what the legal requirement is for providing notice about a law.
Perillo said the village government went above and beyond with its notice, as it looked to get the word out on social media. Outside ensuring passage occurs in a public meeting, municipal governments have no requirement to publicize code changes. Baladron echoed Perillo’s comments, stating that the village government has done more to promote this set of laws than any others in the past five years.
“We don’t have to do that, but we did that on our own,” he said. “We’re enforcing these laws because people want peace and quiet.”
Perez pushed back on a pitch by village officials to hold the conversation in a more private space by saying that the Village Board meeting is an open forum and the back-and-forth is an important one to have in public.
“I need to be able to have a conversation about the concerns we’re seeing,” she said. “We’re talking about our community.”
While Village Board member Carrie Doyle argued it is not the board’s onus to teach people the law, Perez responded to that notion by saying the intent should be to inform the community of changes.
Both local newspapers published the changes, Larsen said. Perez, though, pointed out that the Spanish-speaking population doesn’t read those publications. Tu Prensa Local — an online only Spanish-language news outlet — would be a better option to reach the Spanish-speaking community, she said.
Village Board member Sarah Amaden offered to help Perez get the word out in Spanish as a means of alleviating her concerns.
Menu, a private attorney, told the Village Board that East Hampton Town Justice Court has been packed with people on Mondays who police cited for violating the new laws.
“I was in court, and the entire courtroom was filled with Latinos,” Menu said. “Come, one day, to a Monday.”
Village Board member Sandra Melendez said the village government always has its doors open for people with questions, but the burden falls on business owners to know the laws.
“Our population of Latinos is very high,” she said later of the busy Mondays at court. “No matter what day you go, there’s going to be a lot of Latinos.”
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