Federal housing help was offered, but Pittsfield agency says it had to pass berkshireeagle.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from berkshireeagle.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The posters were found across the street, some piled up by the church, some stuck back into the ground. PITTSFIELD, Mass. A strange act of vandalism occurred on Tuesday around noon when the Berkshire Domestic and Sexual Violence Task Force s art installation in Park Square that calls attention to street harassment was taken down and moved. It is not clear whether this was a prank or an act of harassment. Somebody thought it would be amusing to take down all our signs and move them across the street and put them on the church and the bank lawns, planning committee co-chair Susan Birns said, who went immediately to the scene when notified by a task force member around 4 on Tuesday.
The Homelessness Advisory Committee on Wednesday voted to include a 15-minute open microphone at the beginning of their sessions, allowing members of the public to speak for three minutes each. This was brought to the panel by Ward 7 Councilor Anthony Maffuccio and passed 8-5 with Berkshire Department of Mental Health Site Director Christine Haley, Chairwoman Kim Borden, Community Development & Housing Program Manager Justine Dodds, Christian Center Food Director Karen Ryan, and re-entry facilitator at Berkshire County Sheriff s Office Michael McMahon voting in opposition. Committee member Edward Carmel, who was not present at this meeting, has previously spoken in support of having an open microphone at meetings.
By Amanda Burke, The Berkshire Eagle
The U.S. Senate narrowly passed the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill on Saturday, sending it back to the House then President Joseph Biden for final approval. The bill provides direct relief payments to many Berkshires residents, as well as aid for cities, which will no doubt prove to be a boon to Pittsfield as finance officials keep working on the budget for next fiscal year.
And at its Zoom meeting on Wednesday, the School Committee will dive into Pittsfield Public Schools finances at its first public budget presentation of this year.
But before that happens, the City Council on Tuesday will take up a set of mayoral orders requesting approval to add three new positions to the cityâs payroll, and to raise compensation to non-union, non-management municipal workers, whose pay the administration says hasnât kept pace with their union counterparts.
The Department of Community Development is sponsoring a public hearing and input session at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 10, as part of the preparation of its 2022 Annual Action Plan.
The purpose of the public hearing is to obtain public comments and suggestions on how the city’s federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds should be used to improve quality of life in the community. Information gathered from these sessions will contribute to the preparation of the city’s Annual Action Plan.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that the city prepare an Annual Action Plan each year. Funded projects included in the plan are required to benefit low- and moderate-income residents, eliminate slums and blight, or address an urgent need.