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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield Council Preliminarily OKs Water Sewer Calculation, RatesBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:37AM / Friday, June 07, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council is amicable to a new calculation for water and sewer rates.
A formula-based approach that aims to fairly adjust rates yearly was preliminarily approved along with an eight percent water and sewer increase for fiscal year 2025. Mayor Peter Marchetti's proposed ordinance bases rates on the Consumer Price Index Factor (CPIF) and the Operational Stability Factor (OSF.)
"Any mayor would love to take the City Council out of the process, say 'Here's the formula.' Every year, bang, there's those rates. We didn't do that," Marchetti said.
"We wanted to be fair and transparent and here's our formula, you
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The Retired Investor: How Top-Down Economic Policies Pushed Country Over the EdgeBy Bill Schmick,
04:33PM / Thursday, June 06, 2024 | |
The Federal Reserve Bank's smoothing of the business cycle, which started in the 1990s, was meant to ensure price stability and the health of the labor market. It's top-down policies of reducing interest rates through the banking system and into the hands of the largest corporations was meant to benefit the whole economy. The problem is that corporations and the minority of Americans that control them are not the whole economy. What did that matter, argued supply-side economists. This group, who championed Reaganomics in the 1980s and beyond, assured us that the benefits of the Federal Reserve Bank's policies would ‘trickle-down' throughout the entirety of U.S. 0 Comments
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Westside Legends Plan $5.8M Condo Project in PittsfieldBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:54PM / Thursday, June 06, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass.-
The Westside Legends have planned a $5.8 million condo project for first-time homebuyers in the neighborhood.
The Community Development Board on Tuesday endorsed a special permit for the construction of five new buildings on 363 Columbus Avenue. The nonprofit organization aimed to uplift the west side of Pittsfield has proposed 16 one to three-bedroom townhouses on the vacant lot at the corner of Columbus Ave. and South John St.
“We are really hoping to be able to use some masonry on this project because there are units for homeownership, not rentals,” Architect Tessa Kelly explained.
“So we are really focusing on using the best quality
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June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month | 08:00AM / Thursday, June 06, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In celebration of Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, everyone who adopts a cat or kitten at Berkshire Humane Society in June will receive a door prize and a chance to win a cat-themed prize package. Also, microchips for cats will be only $15 for the month by appointment at Berkshire Humane Society locations in Pittsfield: the Dr. John Reynolds Adoption and Education Center at 214 Barker Road (413-447-7878) and Wellness Clinic at 289 Dalton Avenue (413-203-4330). "Cat adoptions were up this past year," said John Perreault, Berkshire Humane Society's Executive Director. "With two months to go in our fiscal year, we had already adopted out 86 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Council Advances Toter Contract to Final VoteBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:10AM / Thursday, June 06, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council has taken a move toward toters, preliminarily approving a five-year contract with Casella Waste Management.
After hours of deliberation, councilors on Monday gave the initial OK for an agreement that uses automated collection instead of unlimited trash pickup. A final vote will be taken next week.
"I think people are nervous of change, people don't like change, toters are a scary thing — carts as you call them. There's hills everywhere, there's one-way streets everywhere, there's snow everywhere. It gets figured out in other places. There will be hiccups, there will be problems," Councilor at Large Earl
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Pittsfield Council Preliminarily OKs Last of FY25 BudgetsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:55PM / Wednesday, June 05, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council preliminarily approved the last five departmental budgets with unanimous votes last Thursday. The final vote on the $215,955,210 spending plan — which includes a $200,000 cut to the schools — will be taken on June 11.
The FY25 budget is a 5 percent increase from the previous year. Though a January petition asking for a close-to-level-funded budget was initially a stressor for Mayor Peter Marchetti in his first month of office, he said it was a good thing.
"The Jan. 9th petition to create chaos in my world about developing a budget was actually a good thing," he said. "Because I got to go about doing the
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Thomas Dawley Appointed Pittsfield's New Police ChiefBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:15PM / Wednesday, June 05, 2024 | |
Police Chief Thomas Dawley with Sheriff Thomas Bowler, left, Mayor Peter Marchetti and District Attorney Timothy Shugrue. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police Chief Thomas Dawley II, a 22-year veteran of the Pittsfield Police Department, wants to make Pittsfield the safest city in the county and the state. Mayor Peter Marchetti announced Dawley's permanent appointment on Wednesday morning, commending their working relationship over the last six months. "Tom has shown tremendous leadership and resolve throughout his career within the department and in his prior roles. He is respected by his team and is always willing to lend a helping hand," he 0 Comments
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Police Chief: Dalton Police Station in Dire ConditionBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:40AM / Wednesday, June 05, 2024 | |
Raw sewage overflowed in the bathroom near dispatch and flooded the police station on April 17. DALTON, Mass. — Police Chief Deanna Strout told the Select Board last week about urgent needs to be addressed at the police station including plumbing, mold, ventilation, mice, water damage, heating, and damage to cells. Select Board members voted to freeze American Rescue Plan Act fund spending until the next meeting when Building and Grounds Superintendent Jeff Burch will have a better idea of the cost of repairs. They also voted to direct Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson to draft a formal letter to state representatives seeking funding from the state 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Council Preliminarily OKs 12 Departmental Budgets for FY25By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Tuesday, June 04, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council breezed through 12 departmental budgets on the third day of hearings last week for fiscal year 2025. All were preliminarily approved with a unanimous vote. During the finance and administration discussion, Councilor at Large Alisa Costa stressed the importance of livable wages for city workers. She acknowledged the city's support of raising salaries over the last few years but pointed out that a few positions are making less than $40,000 annually.
Finance Director Matthew Kerwood said all union positions are subject to collective bargaining "so what you see in terms of salaries before you are a result of the collective bargaining
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Residents Concerned About Injured Bear in Northwest PittsfieldBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:15PM / Tuesday, June 04, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Community members have rallied in concern over an injured bear wandering northwest Pittsfield into Lanesborough the last few days.
Since late last week, Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre has received several calls about what appears to be a mama bear with a broken leg traveling near St. Joseph Cemetery to outer Hancock Road and Churchill Road with her cub. Home-security camera videos have also been posted to social media depicting the duo, including footage on a Lanesborough community Facebook page.
Serre is concerned about an injured bear being in a residential neighborhood, both for the safety of residents and the bear. She noted that as kind human
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MountainOne Expands Commercial Lending Team| 12:00PM / Tuesday, June 04, 2024 | |
 NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Commercial Lending Division at MountainOne continues to grow with the recent additions of Peter Duckett and Christopher Glynn as commercial portfolio manager and associate commercial portfolio manager, respectively. Peter Ducket, Commercial Portfolio Manager In his role as commercial portfolio manager, Duckett evaluates new and existing borrower relationships; manages, implements, and develops commercial and credit related initiatives, policies, and procedures; and assists with the preparation for internal and external audits, among other responsibilities. Prior to joining MountainOne Bank, Duckett was a portfolio manager with Brookline 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Street Improvement Project: June 6-7| 10:29AM / Tuesday, June 04, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Please be advised that the city's street improvement work continues with the following schedule in place for June 6 and June 7: Milling of Third Street and Fourth Street On-street parking is prohibited during this work between the hours of 6 a.m.- 6 p.m. Please use caution when traveling on these roads. This schedule is subject to change based upon weather conditions. To stay up to date with all city news, follow us on Facebook City Hall- City of Pittsfield, Mayor Peter Marchetti and on Instagram Pittsfield Mayor's Office. 0 Comments
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