PROJECT TEAM

Steering Committee

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Make sure the needs and perspectives of all different types of people in the Chicopee community are considered in the Comprehensive Plan process.
Review the Baseline Report – do we have our facts and figures correct? Is there any information we are missing?
Guide the public outreach process – review strategies for public meetings, surveys, and events. Are we reaching the right audiences? How can we engage people where they already are? What are the best ways to share information and hear what the public has to say?
Guide the format of the Comprehensive Plan – The plan can look however the community wants it to. Help us determine a format that everyone can understand and relate to.
Review the plan as it is written – Help us make sure that everything we have learned and heard is reflected in the plan. What are the actions the City needs to take to implement the plan?
Present a complete draft to the Planning Board and City Council that those bodies can review and potentially edit.
Recruit members of the public to take part in the Comprehensive Plan process.

Lee Pouliot, Director, Planning Department

Phone: (413) 594-1515 E-mail: lpouliot@chicopeema.gov

Work with the consultant team to make sure the project is running on budget, on time, and on scope.
Manage communications between the consultant team and the Steering Committee.
Manage communications with the public.
Work with other City offices, elected leaders, community groups, boards, and commissions to make sure we have all the information we need. Also make sure that all these groups are committed to implementing the plan when it’s ready.
Coordinate logistics for public engagement (finding meeting venues, etc.).
Occasionally assist with staffing public events.

Horsley Witten Group - Lead Consultant

Camoin 310 - Economic Development

McMahon Associates - Transportation

First and foremost, the consultant team is here to serve the City. Its role is to help capture the needs and ideas of the community and translate that into a plan.
Compile data and research and prepare the Baseline Report, the Comprehensive Plan, and an Implementation Plan.
Listen to staff, the Steering Committee, and the public, and learn as much about Chicopee as possible.
Based on experience with other communities, advise staff and the Steering Committee about common pitfalls or mistakes that could occur if certain ideas are pursued.
Report on successful practices in other communities that may be applicable to Chicopee.
Provide options and guidance for ways to address the issues brought up by the community.
Provide technical expertise on topics like transportation, economic development, housing, etc.