PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In the 1960s and 1970s, the city had close to 60,000 residents. It's now closer to 40,000.

 

That's led Ward 4 Councilor Christopher Connell to toss out the idea of shrinking the size of the City Council. Connell filed a petition asking to start a process to reduce two of the four at-large seats on the council. He says that could save the city some $50,000 and still provide adequate representation. 

 

"We would still have a ward council representing each area of the city and two backup councilors at large," Connell said.

 

The council would be composed of the seven ward seats and two at-large councilors. Between the stipends of about $8,000 each for councilors plus the benefits offered, that could cut costs on the council by $50,000. He said all departments are looking at shrinking and the council should do the same.

 

Former City Councilor Barry Clairmont spoke during the open microphone period of Tuesday's meeting to suggest even greater savings could be had by opting out of giving councilors health insurance. He estimates some $200,000 could be saved that way.

 

"If the reason is cost savings, I would suggest there is a bigger savings to be had and it wouldn't need to go to a vote would be if the City Council cut its health insurance," Clairmont said.

 

Clairmont said the city should wait 5 1/2 years for the entire charter to be reviewed instead of trying to change the representation right now. The charter has to be reviewed after 10 years, which will begin again in 2023.

 

City Solicitor Richard Dohoney, however, put a halt to both lines of thought. By state law, the City Council can't make such a change. He said the only way to reduce the composition of the council would be for a citizen to file a petition calling for an "elected charter review commission." There would have to be an election of those members, and then those members would need to bring a new charter to a citywide vote.

 

"It has to come from an elected charter commission, that is not what you had a few years ago," Dohoney said of the city's recent appointed commission that recrafted the entire charter. 

 

Connell ultimately filed his petition. 

 

In other business, Greylock Federal Credit Union donated $5,000 toward the city's contract with ShotSpotter. The company will install gunshot detection systems in a portion of the city to alert police immediately when weapons are discharged. Berkshire Health Systems is funding half of the contract to the tune of $300,000 and Lee Bank donated $5,000. 

 

"We still have a ways to go. This will bring us to $310,000 altogether," Mayor Linda Tyer said, adding that state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier is seeking another $100,000 in state funds to help fund it.