The North Hempstead Town Council on Tuesday passed a law authorizing the building commissioner to appoint a second deputy — a position that will not be in this year’s budget.
The law was passed with a 7-0 vote. The position must be approved by the Nassau County Civil Service Commission.
John Niewender, the town building commissioner, said that although the position is unbudgeted this year, funds for it are available due to vacancies in the Building Department.
The position will be budgeted in 2018, town Supervisor Judi Bosworth said.
“We do have funds to cover it now, but it will certainly be budgeted for in 2018,” Bosworth said.
The second deputy commissioner would allow the department to have an additional person to oversee illegal housing, rental registrations and public assembly at restaurants, Carole Trottere, a town spokeswoman, said.
The current deputy commissioner makes $101,972 a year.
“This new deputy position is part of the town’s long-range initiative that continues to upgrade and expand the services provided by the Building Department,” Bosworth has said. “Our goal is to have the department run as efficiently and effectively as possible.”
Niewender said he has not yet discussed the second deputy’s salary.
Many town departments, especially the bigger ones, have two deputy commissioners, Trottere said.
The Building Department has 43 full-time employees, four part-time employees and one seasonal employee.
The Town Council also adopted a resolution to authorize the issuance of a $9 million bond for the Clinton G. Martin Park pool in New Hyde Park, which is in addition to a $14 million bond.
The bonds are for extensive upgrades at the swimming pool, including the installation of a water slide, as well as renovating the surface of the pool deck and the locker rooms, expanding the kiddie pool, resurfacing the park’s tennis courts and overhauling the 55-year-old pool’s aging infrastructure.
When the town sought bids for the project in April, they came in at around $19 million, making the total cost about $23 million, up from an estimated $14.1 million.
The town also voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Isma Chaudhry, the first female president of the Islamic Center of Long Island, to the Board of Ethics.
Chaudhry, a Manhasset resident, is the first resident to be added to the board since the town overhauled its ethics code this year.
“She is an interfaith activist and strongly believes in building bridges of interfaith harmony,” Bosworth said.
Reach reporter Stephen Romano by e-mail at sromano@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516.307.1045 x214. Also follow us on Twitter @stephenromano13 and Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow.
