Mosquito control took up much of Tuesday night’s Pittsfield City Council meeting.
Early in the nearly five-hour meeting, Mayor Linda Tyer’s budget for 2019 was brought before the council.
City Clerk Michele Cetti introduced the proposal:
“Honorable members of the city council, submitted herewith for your consideration is an order raising and appropriated $159,996,645 to fund the city’s operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018.”
While the order was moved to committee at the meeting, a public hearing was set for May 16th at 7 p.m. at Pittsfield High School. Subsequent hearings are set for the 17th, 21st, 29th, 31st, and June 5th.
The first of the night’s two main discussions began with another introduction from Cetti:
“A petition from Councilor Moon and President Marchetti requesting the Berkshire County Mosquito Control Project discontinue the use of adulticide spraying on Pittsfield properties.”
Earlier in the evening, Pittsfield’s director of public health Gina Armstrong had addressed the spraying’s ability to curb mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
“We have a densely populated city among extensive wetlands, and we have a higher percentage of elderly residents who are more susceptible to serious illness from these viruses," said Armstrong. "We need this program to control disease risk factors.”
Others noted that while preventative measures might kill mosquito larvae, only spraying can control adult mosquito populations.
Councilor Helen Moon, citing a citizen petition with 110 signatures to end the spraying, was not convinced.
“According to what I found on the CDC," said Moon, "West Nile Virus affects about .67 percent of the population that have severe symptoms.”
She also pointed out that the worst year of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in Massachusetts – 2012 – saw only 11 cases in the state, none in the Berkshires. The county was using the services of the Berkshire County Mosquito Control Project that year.
Moon weighed the potential risk of illness against the possible side effects of the pesticides sprayed by the BCMCP.
“There’s hyperexcitablity, fine tremors, seizures, gastrointestinal symptoms,” said Moon.
She noted that the city’s own website suggests that residents go to great lengths to avoid the chemicals. Moon wants to maintain the BCMCP’s preventative measures, but end the spraying.
Council President Peter Marchetti co-sponsored the move to end spraying, attempting a compromise with advocates for the control measures by noting that it would not remove the option from the city.
“So if there is a life-threatening disease that is encroaching upon us, the department of public health is going to say, ‘Pittsfield City Council, back off — we need to spray for the protection of the citizens,’” Marchetti told the council.
Pittsfield spent approximately $7,500 on 200 gallons of adulticide in 2017.
Councilor Earl Persip III questioned BCMCP head Christopher Horton about the fact that a staff member for the project works for Clark, the company that sells the chemical BCMCP uses.
“Can you explain again — because I want to hear it — why you feel there isn’t a conflict of interest there,” said Persip.
“All product purchases are under my authority, and my commission is appointed by the state reclamation board, and they vet each candidate through the state ethics process, so any conflict of interest is examined at the state level,” responded Horton.
After much debate and discussion of council protocol, the issue was referred to the subcommittee on public health and safety.
The second major discussion centered around a move by Councilor Moon to end the city’s practice of chip sealing roads, a controversial process that had brought many residents to speak early in the meeting. Despite concerns about the cost of more substantive measures to repair roads like milling and paving, the motion to end the cheaper but unpopular road repair ultimately passed 7-4.
