CHICOPEE – After approving retroactive pandemic bonuses for the Police and Fire Departments, the city and School Department are gaining traction towards retention stipends for employees.

Mayor John Vieau expressed that bonuses for employees remained a central goal of his over the last year. “I wanted to find a way to recognize all of our employees’ hard work,” Vieau told Reminder Publishing.

Vieau and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Committee considered utilizing funds to supplement the bonuses, but the mayor ultimately felt the parameters of ARPA were too limiting to give employees proper recognition. ARPA funds can only be awarded to workers directly impacted by the pandemic, which would exclude some city employees.

“The guidelines of essential worker pay [under ARPA consideration] didn’t seem fair,” said Vieau.

The retention stipends would award up to $3,000 for city employees, according to Vieau. Employees who worked throughout 2020 would receive $2,000 and would earn an additional $1,000 for working throughout 2021. Employees who worked one of the years would receive a bonus for that specific year, while part-time employees would receive half of the bonus for each year, according to Vieau.

In speaking about the retention stipends, Vieau reflected on the sacrifice’s city employees made throughout the pandemic. “Chicopee is a very resilient city, everyone made sacrifices throughout the pandemic,” said Vieau.

Some examples the mayor acknowledged included skeleton sanitation crews ¬ who worked on a bi-weekly schedule to avoid a potential COVID-19 exposure of the entire staff – and the Council on Aging’s redirection of staff towards grab and go food offerings for the senior community at the RiverMills Center. Vieau also applauded the efforts of the Chicopee Public Library, who offered grab and go books and Zoom activities to educate all audiences throughout the pandemic.

The mayor said discussion around the city employee stipends are still ongoing, with his proposition still needing approval from the City Council before being enacted upon.

For the School Department, Vieau said Superintendent Lynn Clark issued approval for retention bonuses that follows a similar payment structure to the city’s proposed plan. The bonuses will be funded via the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund and will award up to $3,500 for all staff in the school district, according to Vieau.

Whether it’s city or school employees, the mayor stressed the importance of recognizing their efforts during a challenging time period. “The pandemic challenged us all in unexpected ways…the stipends have been well-deserved,” said Vieau.