Bissonnette appointed to committee
Date: 9/21/2011
Sept. 21, 2011CHICOPEE By G. Michael Dobbs
Managing Editor
CHICOPEE — Mayor Michael Bissonnette received an unexpected honor recently. The United States Conference of mayors has appointed him the vice chair of the Environment Standing Committee.
The committee is charged to develop a proactive strategic agenda on environmental issues, according to the letter from the president of the conference, Antonio Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles, Calif.
Bissonnette called the appointment “not something I asked for but not something I’m turning down.”
Bissonnette believes the reason for his appointment is his administration’s work on the Uniroyal/Facemate project. He gave a presentation on the project at a meeting of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design.
What the mayor is hoping to come from the appointment is more attention from federal officials for the city’s efforts to clean up brownfields and redevelop them.
