Pittsfield Briefs: Council Accepts Grant to Fight Domestic Abuse
The City Council's meeting on Tuesday was only 20 minutes and included mostly housekeeping items. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council made quick work of a light agenda Tuesday. (But we can't confirm if the 8:30 p.m. start of the Red Sox game had anything to do with it.)
During the 20 minute meeting Tuesday night the council did accept $30,500 in grants from the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to continue a partnership between the Police Department and the Elizabeth Freeman Center.
Police Chief Michael Wynn told the board that the grants have been awarded for the last six years and it allows he Police Department to subcontract with an domestic abuse advocate.
The grant is matched with in kind services from the Elizabeth Freeman Center and the Police Department.
The advocate works with domestic abuse victims and is assigned to work with the Pittsfield Police and the North Adams Police.
In other business, the council also referred a petition from School Committee member Terry Kinnas requesting that considerations be made to percentage of low income residents, cost of car ownership, a company's pay structure and the number of elderly households when making decisions on economic development to the subcommittee on Economic Development.
"It doesn't do any good to get 200 jobs at $10 an hour," Kinnas told the board during the open microphone portion. "You want jobs with good, discretionary income."
He added that more than 50 percent of the school-aged children are low income while the cost of car ownership in the state is the 8th highest in the country. Kinnas filed those numbers with the petition.
The following matters were referred to the Traffic Commission per order of the council president: a petition to place a speed limit sign on Deming Street between Dawes Avenue and East Housatonic Street indicating the lowest allowable speed; a petition to post a speed limit sign on Appleton Avenue between Dawes Avenue and East Housatonic Street indicating the same as above and a petition that a left hand turn signal be installed at the existing traffic signal at the intersection of Center Street and Columbus Avenue.
The council also did some housekeeping by filing three reports that were previously requested by petition. A petition that the Berkshire County Mosquito Control Project develop accountability standards and protocols, a report on a 2012 petition requesting bi-annual reports on the board of health activities associated with Building 71 and Hill 78 and a report on a join meeting with the Board of Health and the Committee on Public Safety and Health regarding those two properties were all placed on file.
The council also make the following appointments: Clearance Gunn as lieutenant in the Fire Department, David Keator, Chris Pedersen and Robert Malhotra to the airport commission, Councilor Christopher Connell to the mobile home rent control board, Theresa Bianchi, Richard Briggs, Paul Callahan, Kathy O'Donnell, Councilor Paul Capitanio, Bill Sturgeon and Geoffrey Doscher to the council on aging and John Dickson to the historical commission.
Tags: city council, domestic violence, state grant,