Abatelli to retire, new village administrator will oversee utilities department
Greenport village administrator David Abatelli is retiring from his longtime position within the next year and Mayor David Nyce is looking to hire his replacement as soon as possible.
During the closing moments of the Village Board work session Monday, the mayor announced that Mr. Abatelli would be stepping down from his appointed position within the next year.
“Dave has been a great asset to this village,” Mr. Nyce said after the meeting. “He has spent a lot of years at the village and we greatly appreciate his service, but he is not going anywhere yet.”
Mr. Nyce said he plans to advertise the position immediately in order for Mr. Abatelli to train the new administrator as long as possible, while he is still on the job.
Unlike Mr. Abatelli, the new administrator will also be responsible for overseeing Greenport’s utilities department, which includes the village’s sewer district, electric plant and roads. Mr. Nyce said the restructuring eliminates the need to replace former utilities department director Jack Naylor, who resigned in September with an $80,000 exit package after being placed on administrative leave a month earlier.
Since Mr. Naylor’s departure, all three of the respective department heads have been overseeing day-to-day operations and reporting directly to the mayor, Mr. Abatelli, Village Clark Sylvia Pirillo and Village Treasurer Charlene Kagel, Mr. Nyce said.
Mr. Abatelli, who has been employed by the village for more than 25 years, declined to comment after the meeting, simply stating “I’m not going anywhere yet.”
