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Pittsfield city council approves police jujitsu program, hears cell tower concerns at second meeting

A stone building with a colonnade lit by lights sits in front of a brick churck and a street lamp
Josh Landes
/
WAMC

The Pittsfield, Massachusetts city council held its second meeting of the term Tuesday night.

During the open mic portion, there was a strong showing from the almost two-year-old protest against the Verizon cell tower perched above the Shack Town neighborhood. Charlie Herzig, a resident of Plum Street, was one of five who spoke on the topic.

“First, I'd like to state a fact that people in our neighborhood did become sick after the tower was turned on," he said to the council. "I don't understand- does the city not believe our doctors that these people are sick? Or is the cell tower more important than human health and the city just doesn't care? Or have you not been able to help us with this problem because are the other forces won't let you? Try to look at this problem as if someone you love lived in our neighborhood.”

Retired educator Marietta Rapetti Cawse spoke in support of election workers for this fall’s contest.

“Our election workers are dedicated to everyone who is registered to vote and who follows the election laws and procedures," she said. "Our workers are committed to our elections and the right to vote. Please condemn threats of violence against our public servants. Please do everything to protect our election workers and the integrity of our elections. Please support the election workers to help us to keep the election routines in an organized, planful way to protect the integrity of our right to vote.”

During the grants approval segment of the meeting, City Clerk Michele Benjamin presented a funding source for an interesting Pittsfield Police Department program.

“Honorable members of the city council, submitted here with your consideration is an order to accept a grant of funds in the amount of $10,000 from the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association for the Pittsfield Police Department's pilot jujitsu program for law enforcement," read Benjamin. "Respectfully submitted, Mayor Linda M. Tyer.”

The motion was approved without debate or discussion.

Council newcomer Charles Kronick, who won a seat representing Ward 2 in November, questioned city Park, Open Space and Natural Resource Program Manager Jim McGrath about an almost $15,000 state grant for work on the Mill Street Dam.

“My question, ultimate question is that we're spending, potentially spending city funds- It’s not there, but it could go over, and then we'd have to go into our own budget, general funds I supposed, to account for it, to accommodate. This is private property, which to me seems strange," said Kronick. "So is it strange, or am I-“

“Well, let's take a step back," responded McGrath. "Your line of questioning is that we're spending city funds, this is- What you have in front of you is a grant award from the Commonwealth.”

“I meant potentially, I'm sorry," said Kronick. "They make that clear, it could go, we, there's language there talking, addressing potential overrun, which sort of caught my eye.”

“So, all that's left, councilor, in the project is one more season of monitoring," said McGrath. "So that’s just is simply visual inspection of the plants and the establishment of the restoration work. This project will conclude on June 30th of 2022. Complete conclusion of the project. Final reporting to the Pittsfield Conservation Commission and the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Mill Street dam project books are closed.”

McGrath said he does not believe any city funds had gone into removing the privately-owned dam, which the city first sought state funding for in 2017.

“The liability belonged not only to the dam owner, but the liability belonged to everyone downstream because if that dam, in its unsafe condition, were have to have let go, you know, there could have been serious consequences for downstream property owners," said McGrath. "There's a lot of reasons why we partnered closely with the Commonwealth to remove this dam.”

The meeting also saw a petition from Ward 7 Councilor Anthony Maffuccio about a review of the city’s controversial downtown bike lanes referred to Commissioner of Public Works Ricardo Morales and the city solicitor.

Josh Landes has been WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief since February 2018, following stints at WBGO Newark and WFMU East Orange. A passionate advocate for Western Massachusetts, Landes was raised in Pittsfield and attended Hampshire College in Amherst, receiving his bachelor's in Ethnomusicology and Radio Production. His free time is spent with his cat Harry, experimental electronic music, and exploring the woods.
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