New Pittsfield Council To Tackle Funds, Committee Assignments At First MeetingBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:40AM / Monday, January 08, 2024 | |
 The new City Council takes up its first agenda on Tuesday. The new government was sworn in last week in a ceremony attended by Gov. Maura Healey. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The first City Council meeting of this term includes the acceptance of funds and appointment to boards and commissions.
Mayor Peter Marchetti and the new City Council were sworn in on Jan. 2. This council includes five new members: Ward 2 Councilor Brittany Bandani, Ward 3 Councilor Matthew Wrinn, Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre, and at-Large Councilors Alisa Costa and Kathy Amuso, who is returning after some years away.
Marchetti submitted an order to accept $8 million from General Electric Corp. for the Rest of River settlement agreement. The funds will be put into the city's Economic Development Fund, which supports growing businesses in the community.
In February 2020, the Rest of River settlement agreement that outlines the continued cleanup of the Housatonic River from Pittsfield to the Connecticut border was signed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, General Electric, the state, the City of Pittsfield, the towns of Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington and Sheffield, and other interested parties.
As part of the agreement, GE was to gift $8 million to the city. Formerly called the GE Fund, the account was established in 2000 with $10 million from GE as part of the consent decree for cleanup of the company's Pittsfield facility and surrounding areas. It also created the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority and conveyed what is now the William Stanley Business Park to the city.
Marchetti also submitted three orders for the reacceptance of grant funds from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs for the Pontoosuc Lake Park Project: Order 1 rescinding Order 120 of the series of 2023; Order 2 authorizing to borrow a sum not to exceed $500,000 for the lake project; and Order 3 to expend funds for the project.
In November, it was announced that the state fully funded a grant request for the revisioning of Pontoosuc Lake Park, a well-loved gem for sightseeing and recreation.
The $500,000 boost is being matched by city funds, totaling $1 million, and construction is expected to begin next summer.
The city completed a master plan for the park in 2020 and in 2021, began a public engagement process to hear what residents value about the park. The location's "iconic" white pine trees were highlighted as a positive attribute and accessibility as an area that could be improved.
Berkshire Design Group has been hired to undertake a survey and a complete design of the park and there will be an abundance of involvement from the Parks Commission, neighborhood, and other stakeholders.
Construction is set to begin in year two of the grant next summer.
The council will also tackle a communication from Council President Peter White with the assignment of the subcommittees.
These include assignments to the Ordinances and Rules, Finance, Community and Economic Development, Public Health and Safety, Buildings and Maintenance, and Public Works committees. Each has five council members.
Marchetti also requested to transfer and appropriate $510,711.79 from free cash to the newly established special review account.
In July 2021, the attorney general entered into an agreement with the major distributors of opioids. This includes payments to communities to address issues associated with opioid addiction and prevention and the city expects to receive $2,221,991.49 over its term.
Amuso submitted three petitions that were referred under Rule 27: requesting an update on the cost for street and sidewalk work for the past three years and what is budgeted for 2024; requesting an update on the Red Carpet progress and the William Stanley Business Park's Site 9 redevelopment project; and requesting to establish a committee to review the needs of downtown.
Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren requested to refer the new task force to investigate and incorporate an addiction recovery program. He would like the city to investigate and incorporate an addiction recovery program established by the city of Everett that designates a city staff person to coordinate and incorporate the Health Department and the Fire Department in partnership with area agencies and stakeholders as a possible model for Pittsfield.
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