Page 14 - BusinessWest May 26, 2020
P. 14

 Community Spotlight
Teamwork Leads to Optimism in Chicopee
By Mark Morris
After a year when everyone got used to pivoting — and got sick of that word — Chicopee Mayor John Vieau is happy to be pivoting in a different direction.
Specifically, he made some adjustments to a standing meeting with his staff — but this time for a more positive reason. Since the earli-
“The response from everyone in Chicopee has been exceptional. Because we’ve all pulled together, there is a very bright light at the end of the tunnel.”
est days of the pandemic, Vieau met three times a week with a COVID-19 task force made up of city department heads. He’s still meeting with the group, but their focus has now shifted from COVID to reopening Chicopee. Among the agen- da items are reinstalling basketball hoops and opening essential city buildings.
“For the last year, anyone needing services at
City Hall, the library, or the Council on Aging had to make an appointment, so we’re excited about welcoming the public again,” he said.
Vieau pointed with pride to municipal employees for all their efforts during the pan- demic, noting that the city made it through the last 14 months without having to furlough or lay off even one employee. “The response from everyone in Chicopee has been exceptional. Because we’ve all pulled together, there is a very bright light at the end of the tunnel.”
Moving forward, proper training and advance- ment of city employees is a priority for the mayor. Noting that both the fire and police
chiefs worked their way into the top jobs in their respective departments, Vieau wants the same opportunities for those who follow. “I want to make sure there is always a success ladder avail- able for employees and the right training is avail- able for them.”
Like every community, local businesses in Chicopee were hit hard by the pandemic. That’s why the city contracted with the Greater Chi- copee Chamber of Commerce to offer free grant application assistance to any Chicopee business.
Julie Copoulos, executive director of the chamber, noted that, because her organization has such a large network, it’s able to get infor-
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  14 MAY 26, 2021
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
 Chicopee at a glance
YEAR INCORPORATED: 1848
POPULATION: 55,298
AREA: 23.9 square miles
COUNTY: Hampden
RESIDENTIAL TAX RATE: $17.61 COMMERCIAL TAX RATE: $34.87
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $35,672 MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME: $44,136
TYPE OF GOVERNMENT: Mayor; City Council
LARGEST EMPLOYERS: Westover Air Reserve Base; J. Polep Distribution Services; Callaway Golf Ball Operations; Dielectrics; MicroTek
* Latest information available
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