By Hank Russell
The Town of East Hampton has allocated $1.1 million from its Host Community Agreement with South Fork Wind, which the town supervisor said was needed to fill a federal funding gap and ensure the dredging of Montauk Inlet moves forward. But a local congressman said the funding was delivered and it was the supervisor who held up the dredging project.
“Montauk’s fishing families depend on this inlet,” Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said. “Their livelihoods should not be jeopardized by broken promises. When Congressman [Nick] LaLota confirmed we were still $1.1 million short just days before the deadline, the entire project risked being canceled. The East Hampton Town Board refused to let that happen.”
The federal government committed $9.5 million, and the town had already invested $1.5 million under its 2022 Project Partnership Agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), according to Burke-Gonzalez. But when bids came in higher than expected, the ACOE informed the town that an additional $1.1 million was required. Federal officials set September 10 as the deadline to secure those funds in order for preliminary work to move forward. The window for dredging is from October 15, 2025 to January 15, 2026.
“This was our one shot,” Burke-Gonzalez emphasized. “If we had missed this, I had no confidence the project would ever get done.”
According to Burke-Gonzalez, LaLota had previously assured the community, telling them, “The dredge will return in the fall to dredge the inlet to a depth of 17 feet.” He also told fishermen that the project’s funding was secure, saying the dredge’s funding was intact despite the continued cuts to critical projects coming from Washington. But Burke-Gonzalez said that wasn’t the case.
“Congressman LaLota promised Montauk this dredge would be done and fully funded. When that promise fell short, it put our fishermen, our small businesses, and every recreational mariner who depends on this harbor at risk. East Hampton made sure this community was not left to pay the price for Washington’s failure.” said Burke-Gonzalez.
Long Island Life & Politics reached out to LaLota’s office. In a statement, the congressman said, “The $10 million federal commitment to Montauk Inlet has changed and the $1.1 million gap was not due to broken promises from Washington but the reality of receiving only one high bid, which federal law prevents from simply covering mid-contract. When that shortfall emerged, I immediately began working with the Army Corps and the Town to keep the project on track.”
The project at stake this fall is the long-planned ACOE Lake Montauk Harbor Navigation Improvement Project, which will deepen the channel to 17 feet. This larger project is critical not only to Montauk’s long-term maritime economy and coastal protection, but also to public safety. Montauk Harbor is the only deep-draft port between New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Cape May, New Jersey. It serves as a critical port of refuge for commercial and recreational vessels and supports Coast Guard operations that protect the entire region. Without regular dredging, access to this harbor of refuge is compromised, putting lives, commerce, and coastal resilience at risk.
Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez said that the town was able to act quickly because of the Host Community Agreement (HCA) with South Fork Wind, a 25-year partnership that will provide nearly $29 million in direct payments to East Hampton for community projects and improvements. The town has already received over $1 million in HCA funds to date, separate from the “Wainscott Fund.”
“This agreement was designed to provide lasting benefits for our community,” Burke-Gonzalez said. “Today we see exactly what that means when federal funding fell short, we had the resources to protect public safety, our economy, and our fishing families.”
In response, LaLota stated, “Rather than misleading the public by pointing fingers at Washington, Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez should acknowledge her earlier failure to secure easements that delayed this project and put fishermen at risk. I commend Councilman Lys and the Town Board for ultimately closing the gap, because $2.6 million to unlock $10 million in federal resources is a very good deal for East Hampton taxpayers and ensures Montauk’s fishing families are protected.”