  
|
Craig Pettinger - Troy's Community Participation Specialist by Patricia Dumas "It's getting easier and easier to accentuate the positive." That's Craig Pettinger's assessment of Troy, after nearly a year's experience as the city's Community Participation Specialist. Pettinger was appointed to the salaried position in September, 1997. Created the previous spring as part of Mayor Mark Pattison's efforts to involve citizens in community development, the position was previously held for three months by Monica Simon who left for a position in the private sector. Pettinger applied for the post soon after it became available because of the opportunity it presented for working directly with people. "When you meet people face to face and talk with them about their need for city intervention, it is much more gratifying than dealing with them over the telephone and when you get their response and feedback on a situation that you have helped with, it is good to know that you are making a difference", Pettinger points out. As Community Participation Specialist, Pettinger is a liaison between the community and the various divisions of city government. The involvement, he explains, "is a two-way street" with citizens being urged to make their concerns known to city officials and with city officials looking into what needs to be done. Pettinger earned a degree in Public Service from Hudson Valley Community College and a degree in political science from the College of St. Rose. He also attended Albany's Political Communication Program and worked for a semester as a paid intern in the New York State Senate on the Staff of Senator Connor of the Senate Majority Program Office. There he researched bills and advised senate staffers on the progress of legislation. The experience whetted his interest in working with government for the benefit of citizens. Although listening to citizen concerns and steering people toward the agencies best suited to help them is an integral part of his job, the Community Specialist notes that he also has the opportunity to come up with ideas to improve Troy' s image. Toward that end, one of the projects he is trying to initiate would make the month of JUNE each year associated with TROY in the way that August is associated with the city of Saratoga. Just as Saratoga capitalizes on events that take place there during August, so too, Pettinger believes, could Troy become widely known for activities during the first month of summer. He notes that June in Troy is annually marked on the first week by the opening of The Farmer's Market, on the second week by the Flag Day Parade, and on the third week by the River Fest. "Something is needed for the fourth week, perhaps some sort of activity that would promote the city's waterfront presence", Pettinger states. He invites suggestions for a fourth week attention-getter. Before any serious planning for city-wide activities could be done, Pettinger cautions, he would have to look into the possibility of time conflicts with other Capital District events. That sort of research is one of many aspects of his position which covers what he terms " a hodge podge of everything." He clearly likes the hodgepodge which has ranged from helping a resident rid her yard of a dain-building beaver to working on the preparations for First Lady Hilary Clinton's visit to Troy. One of the events which Pettinger is pleased to have inaugurated is the September health fair at City Hall which offered senior citizens the opportunity for free health screening tests. Plans for that grew out of the regular meetings with senior citizen groups which the city administration schedules. Pettinger is especially pleased with the response senior citizens have given to such meetings. As liaison person, Pettinger accompanies Mayor Pattison and other officials to meetings of the senior groups, of neighborhood watch groups, and of Troy Housing Authority residents. The officials make themselves available to the groups even if the meetings are evening sessions. "When I interviewed for this position," Pettinger remarks, "I understood that I was to be available seven days a week, twenty four hours a day if needed and I willingly agreed to that." Another part of the liaison position is helping non-profit groups organize fimctions such as the Science Fair which the Rensselaer County Junior Museum recently held at City Hall. The liaison office also will help coordinate the new 1998 Paint Program under which the city shares house painting costs with qualified home owners. According to Pettinger, the city administration encourages residents who have suggestions for improving the community to organize with a planned agenda and timetable on what they want accomplished. Pettinger would like "to give government a face and a name." To do that, he will seek media help in profiling from time to time various city employees. The publicity, he explains, would provide residents with a better understanding of how government works. Matching volunteers with organizations and groups that need help is one of the parts of his job the Community Participation specialist especially likes. One such match-up resulted in Russell Sage students working on the Community Gardens project. Pettinger acknowledges that Troy's work force is limited under the city's $45 million budget, but in spite of that he points to progress. "We are achieving stronger code enforcement to deal with landlords and to deal with crime and we are beginning to see progress. We are trying to better the city in order to encourage home ownership", he states. Craig Pettinger works out of a small office near Mayor Mark Pattison's office in City Hall but his duties take him wherever citizens want to be heard. In cooperation with Troy United Ink Corp., a not-for-profit corporation 
|
|||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
