Marchetti’s policy announcements for the new year included the establishment of a new position in the city’s Department of Public Services and Utilities. He says a consultant recommended the creation of a new deputy commissioner.
“The deputy commissioner will manage the day-to-day operations and provide the necessary support and structure that is critically needed in this department," said Marchetti. "As a result, the department will see heightened operations, more efficiency, increased communication and community engagement, and better management of projects and execution of plans. We are actively recruiting for this position, and I hope to have it filled in the weeks ahead.”
Turning to public safety, Marchetti said he’d worked to bolster a police presence in Pittsfield’s downtown over his first year in office.
“From March through early October, the Pittsfield Police Department dedicated 211 hours among 10 officers for our downtown bike patrols," said the mayor. "These patrols are much more than just officers riding on a bike. They were dedicated efforts spent talking to both residents and business owners, and aiding wherever possible. In addition, 13 officers participated in the downtown walking beat over 147 hours from July 18th through November 5th.”
Through December, police data shows a 25% drop in crime over the past five years, with a drop of 6% over the previous year.
Marchetti highlighted the department’s Joint Diversion Response Team, a new undertaking that pairs officers with mental health professionals. It was formed after community outcry over the police killing of Pittsfielder Miguel Estrella, who was shot to death during a mental health crisis in 2022.
“This team consists of three patrol officers, one patrol supervisor, and three crisis co-responders," he said. "When active, two plainclothes officers and one co-responder go out in a four-hour block to start and then extend if necessary. Since its inception, 83 hours have been logged by this team. Through this work, the team began to develop communications and connections with social service agencies and aided these agencies with follow up with residents that they are working with. The partnership with co-responders allows the department to respond to calls or situations in which there could be a mental health component, which requires a totally different type of policing.”
The mayor said police co-responders had more than 1,000 calls for service in 2024, an increase of 255 over 2023.
“Of the 1,015 calls, about 132 of those individuals were referred to the Community Behavioral Health Center, while about 152 individuals we referred to emergency services at the hospital," he said. "In other cases, Section 12s were filed, and a small portion of arrests took place, amounting to about 1.38%. This year, I plan to expand the co-responder program by hiring additional personnel with the help of the opioid trust funds so this service is not a burden on taxpayers.”
Marchetti offered an update on the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force he established in 2024.
“It is the vision of the task force to ensure that all citizens of Pittsfield have access to proper care for both mental health and substance use disorder in a safe and judgment free environment, and to strengthen the partnerships among the social service agencies, city services, and service providers," he said. "Together, we have identified our top five challenges and are working on those dividing into three focus subcommittees- The mental health and substance use committee, the safety committee, and the life skills quality of life committee.”
The mayor announced that Pittsfield had secured $1.6 million from the United States Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Grant Program.
“Those funds will be dedicated towards a study for deconstructing urban renewal from the West Side to the downtown," said Marchetti. "The deconstructing urban renewal study will establish a comprehensive plan to remove the arterial interchange that splinters the West Side from downtown and restore the urban fabric in our city. We will start an investigation phase to examine previous work and gather critical data from the 86-acre area. We will then transition to a community-led concepts design phase to establish a vision program and preferred alternative concept design. The schematic design phase will layer complex engineering with strategic recommendations and immersive visuals for a final master plan that has high probability for long term success. This project in no way, shape, or form is finalized, and we have many years of work ahead of us before we see any potential transformation taking place.”
On the economic front, Marchetti said he’d requested the city council approve using $500,000 from the Pittsfield Economic Development Fund for the Pittsfield Small Business Fund. He says it’s already helped seven businesses create 34 jobs and preserve dozens more.
Introducing Marchetti, city council president Pete White offered full throated support for his longtime pollical ally.
“Pittsfield has experienced great success over the last year, but we have also faced adversity," he said. "In those moments of challenge, we need to rely on our leaders to listen to us and guide us through. From working with him for over 20 years on the Fourth of July parade committee, the Morningside Initiative, on the city council, and especially the past year as mayor and council president, I know that we have the right leader in place to help us overcome these struggles. But we must all work together to make Pittsfield the best it can be.”
The first-term mayor’s debut State of the City address also included Pittsfield’s investments in housing in the face of a dire shortage, ongoing work to create new resources for unhoused residents, and work to overhaul waste collection into a toter system.
