This spring, Mayor Peter Marchetti put forward a controversial plan that would have criminalized camping in Pittsfield in an effort to dislodge unhoused residents from the city’s downtown following complaints by business owners. After months of community outcry that framed the law as draconian, unenforceable, and cruel, the city council sanded down the proposal’s edges, sending it through a series of subcommittees for further discussion and modification. After a Tuesday night vote, the plan will now go to the city’s board of health.
“They came to me after listening to a presentation that was provided to the Homeless Advisory Committee that had produced some information from our point-and-time count back in January. There was some data in that report that discussed the percentage of increases of substance use within Pittsfield and its rise, and also the mental health problems," said Marchetti. “One, there may be stuff that they can do outside the realm of the city council and the mayor to assist with some of these issues. And two, since they're the ones that are going to be creating the enforcement mechanism and what needs to take place, to have an ability to have that conversation.”
The move comes amid parallel efforts from members of the council to recenter discussion of the city’s unhoused around public health measures and housing solutions.
“So, we're going to take a review of what has already been amended, and build the questions that we have, and again, communicate to the city councilor, to the mayor's office, about how we, what our initial perception of it [is], what we see as far as needing some clearance on as, and then we'll make those modifications as it pertains to the health department's role, and then look for assistance where we need from other departments or agencies,” explained Director of Public Health Andy Cambi.
With the board of health next meeting October 8th, Cambi said the matter would likely not return before the city council until its October 28th meeting.
While Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi joined a unanimous vote to send the camping ban to the board of health, she did so with a caveat to the next body to get its hands on the long-discussed ordinance.
“Research has shown that punitive approaches for enforcement, like camping sweeps and arrests and fines that restrict the basic needs of people, lead to worse outcomes," she said. "It doesn't help to improve the conditions that we're trying to fight right now.”
The council amended the referral to include a requirement for the board of health to provide regular updates on discussion of the ban moving forward.
Audio is provided by Pittsfield Community Television.
