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| By Lori O'Brien Correspondent CHICOPEE-Most days Mayor Michael Bissonnette can be heard talking about Team Chicopee initiatives but he has another ambitious plan to make the city an attractive place for an internship. Bissonnette knows the importance of internships and how it can have a lasting impact on one's career, since his first experience with city government was in 1985 when he worked in Chicopee's Law Department while in law school. During an interview with Reminder Publications, Bissonnette said he welcomes talented individuals to consider sharing their expertise with city departments, either through volunteering one's time or gaining college credit for students attending an area college. At press time, Bissonnette said he has been talking with representatives from the Elms College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst to see if interns can earn college credit while helping out the city. He also stressed that area colleges interested in pursuing similar internship opportunities are welcome to call his office. Bissonnette's first challenge is fast approaching as an intern from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard is expected to spend a minimum of three months this summer working on the city charter and ordinance review. Bissonnette recently had the opportunity to attend a two-day "Mayors School" at the Kennedy School on "Transition and Leadership For Newly Elected Mayors" which included discussions ranging from ethics and management initiatives to finances and dealing with a city in a time of crisis. That experience reinforced what he already knew that the type of intern from the Kennedy School would be invaluable to City Hall departments. "I'm smart enough to know I don't know everything," he quipped. During the interview, Bissonnette showcased a 500-plus page binder that requires some serious updating, including ordinances that date back to the 1890's. Bissonnette said the charter and many of the ordinances have never been revised and were appropriate when the city's budget was less than $5 million. In contrast, this year's budget is $130 million with 2,400 employees. "The rules were designed for a mom and pop store," he said, adding they are an "antique set of rules that no longer serve the city's purpose." Bissonnette said he is always "open to new ideas" and welcomes the Kennedy School intern who he hopes will take a fresh approach and think outside of the box when ultimately making recommendations at the end of the internship. "Interns can provide new eyes on how to look at a problem," he said. "We need someone to take a systematic approach to determine what needs to be changed, consolidated or eliminated." Each day, Kennedy School students are exposed to the latest management techniques used in government, and Bissonnette eagerly awaits the professional skill level that the intern will provide to the city. Even though the process may sound boring and tedious, Bissonnette said that the right person who enjoys how government works and wants to help make a difference in a community will find the assignment challenging and rewarding. In addition to reviewing the city's charter and ordinances, time will also be spent attending neighborhood and regulatory meetings representing the mayor to see firsthand how government functions, according to Bissonnette. "There is so much muck to clean up," he said, referring to all he has uncovered during his first three months on the job. In addition to the valuable services an intern can provide to the city, "we can help them mature as individuals," added Bissonnette. In addition to the Kennedy School intern, Bissonnette said he hopes in the coming months to match interns from area colleges with their goals, objectives and fields of study that will complement what the city needs. He gave as an example a student studying gerontology could benefit from an internship with the Chicopee Council on Aging. As the intern program is broaden, Bissonnette feels confident that interested individuals will find "meaningful work" that will also help the city and its residents. Bissonnette also announced that he is exploring the idea of having high school students in the city who are interested in a career in government to participate on boards and committees in their senior year. He said he will be asking principals in May to market the initiative to juniors so that one's interest can be matched with an appropriate department in their senior year. "It will be a good resume enhancer," he added. Bissonnette said he is also finding a great deal of interest from business leaders, as well as civic and fraternal organizations, to be included in projects and he welcomes the forward thinking fresh ideas that these individuals are bringing to the table. As Bissonnette continues to keep his options open, city residents can expect promising results out of City Hall for months to come. For more information on interning or volunteering through the mayor's office, call (413) 594-1500. Individuals may also mail resumes and letters of intent for volunteering purposes to his office. |