Deputy Town Attorney Amanda Abata serve as an environmental compliance officer for the Town of North Hempstead, officials said, following the town’s decision to cease its search for a new chief sustainability officer.
Abata, who will now hold a second title, will take on some of the responsibilities of the chief like overseeing and ensuring compliance with environmental mandates, town spokeswoman Carole Trottere said.
The additional role bumps Abata’s pay up from $73,913 to $80,000.
The position had been vacant since Erin Reilly left in June 2017.
Trottere said that various sustainability goals and duties have been folded into other departments.
The Solid Waste Management Authority will have projects with recycling, for example, while the Department of Planning and Environmental Protection will manage some items like new Town initiatives, as well as participation in projects spanning Long Island.
“Sustainability is one component of our overall approach to environmental stewardship,” Trottere said, adding that the town determined its “environmental efforts will be more effective” if some sustainability work is directly managed and supported in other departments.
