CHICOPEE — The Finance Committee will soon meet to discuss and eventually recommend to Mayor John Vieau that the position of economic development director be added to the Planning Department.
Vieau told the City Council during a June 18 special meeting, the process to move the position to the Planning Department has been something his office has been working on for months and he has had collective conversations with the council regarding the need to fill the position.
He added the job description has been drafted and the position is a hybrid position that would also be part grant writer along with the duties in economic development. Currently, Vieau has been reporting to the city planner who is serving as the current grant writing team.
“I’ve been trying to wear that hat as economic development director, but frankly there’s just too much on my plate to do all that with all the other duties and responsibilities as mayor,” Vieau said.
The proposed job description has been submitted to the union for approval, Vieau added.
“I just wanted to make it clear that’s what we’re working on,” he said. “I was hopeful to save taxpayers money by filling those shoes, but frankly there’s just so many things going on in the city that it’s very difficult to be wearing that hat. I believe that position will be having a hybrid and also doing some grant writing will create an opportunity to pay for itself.”
The council had further discussion on the mayor’s comments and later on that night during their regular meeting.
At-Large City Councilor Timothy Wagner filed the order and said Chicopee is in “dire” need of new growth. He said he had seen the job description and that it was offering $23.62 an hour for a candidate with a bachelor’s degree and two to four years of experience.
“If that’s what the mayor wants to pay an economic development director, he’s more than welcomed to but he’s not going to get anybody and it’s not a real economic development director. So, I want to get on the mayor about this. I want somebody to come into this city and market it,” Wagner said. “Maybe I’ve been spoiled and have grown up knowing people and been related to people that actually know how to do that job and bring some economic development to the city of Chicopee, but I think its time that we get someone to actually properly and professionally do that.”
Wagner would later in the meeting clarify that the position was not listed yet and he was only citing information from a rough draft of listing.
Ward 3 City Councilor Susan Goff thanked Wagner for bringing this to their attention and that she agreed with his comments. She said from her research, it was a much more expensive position in order to attract the best candidates.
“The city of Chicopee needs to have more economic development in order to take the burden off the taxpayers,” Goff said.
Ward 9 City Councilor Mary Beth Pniak-Costello said she agreed with Wagner for bringing this to the council’s attention. She added one of the highest priorities listed on the city’s 2040 comprehensive plan is finding an economic development director.
“We need to move forward in regards to economic development. There’s a lot of opportunities out there and we can’t let those opportunities slip by,” Pniak-Costello said.
Council President Frank Laflamme said he had not been able to see the job description draft mentioned so he wanted to send this order to the Finance Committee to gather more information.
“I know the mayor has been working on this. You can look at the timetable that he was working on this. He has a job description that you were able to see, and I was not or anyone else was able to see so I want to give him credit for working on it and I do believe we should look at the job description,” Laflamme said.
He added he was not concerned about the addition of the position and was 100% behind it. He noted the Finance Committee will help get more information on the job description specifics.
The Finance Committee will take up the order at a future meeting.
