North Hempstead deputy town attorney takes on sustainability role

North Hempstead Town has halted its search for a new chief sustainability officer and has transferred some of the job’s duties to the town’s deputy attorney.

The board voted at its Dec. 19 meeting to shift sustainability duties to Amanda Abata, who will now also hold a second title of environmental compliance officer.

Abata, whose previous annual salary was $73,913, will now be paid $80,000. The new position will include handling compliance requirements from various state and county departments, instructing town staff on how to comply with regulations and training employees, town spokeswoman Carole Trottere said.

The position was vacated by Erin Reilly in June 2017.

In a listing previously posted on the town website, the office of sustainability was described as overseeing the implementation of the town’s sustainability goals, and serving to “implement best practices and develop new programs and policies that preserve and protect our natural resources.”

These duties now have been folded into the town’s Department of Planning and Environmental Protection, along with the town attorney’s office, Trottere said. This transition comes with no decrease in services, she added.

There is one other sustainability officer who is budgeted under the Department of Planning and Environmental Protection.

“All sustainability programs and initiatives are still operating, but now they are being better supported under several departments,” Trottere said.