The City Council voted 7-4 to cap meetings at four hours and to start an hour earlier. The votes followed about an hour of debate and a number of amendments. Ward 2 Councilor Kevin Morandi, Ward 4 Councilor Chris Connell, Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey, and Ward 7 Councilor Anthony Maffuccio voted against the time limit. Council President Peter Marchetti, Morandi, Connell, and Ward 1 Councilor Helen Moon voted against starting meetings at 6 p.m. The four-hour limit will go into effect at the next meeting on Feb. 23 and 6 p.m. schedule will begin April 1 to give the public and council members time to prepare for the modification.
PITTSFIELD Following more than two hours of discussion Monday night, a City Council subcommittee voted narrowly to reject a measure to change new traffic patterns on lower North Street
PITTSFIELD â The cityâs leadership this week will delve into a traffic project and waste management proposal that are already generating strong opinions in the community.
The city has for years been looking for ways to rein in curbside waste disposal costs, and the newest proposal aimed at achieving just that will be outlined and no doubt scrutinized at Wednesdayâs 7 p.m. Committee of the Whole meeting.
At-Large Councilors Peter Marchetti, Earl Persip III and Pete White proposed a bag-based âpay-as-you-throwâ system for curbside waste disposal that subsidizes what shakes out to two 15 gallon bags per week and compliments a recycling incentive program, which the councilors estimate would produce around a half-million in savings and increase rates of recycling. The proposal has already drawn criticism.
PITTSFIELD â What works for Springfield city councilors might not work in Pittsfield.
That was the ruling of the City Councilâs Ordinances and Rules committee, which voted 3-1 against a proposal Monday to cap council meetings at four hours. But, the committee firmly was behind another proposal â to start meetings one hour earlier.
City Clerk Michele Benjamin proposed the four-hour cap, modeled after a recent rule change of the Springfield City Council, after several Pittsfield councilors expressed a desire to make meetings more efficient.
Members agreed that holding meetings via Zoom might be contributing to the problem, and Benjamin said those participating from home tend to be more at ease and speak longer.