Pittsfield Committee Supports Changing Public Health Nurse Position

By Joe DurwinPittsfield Correspondent
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A move to revamp the position of public health nurse was received favorably by the City Council's Committee on Ordinance and Rules, which voted unanimously on Monday to recommend the council approve the proposed changes and salary for the new post.

Director of Public Health Gina Armstrong said the position, which plays a key role in monitoring and combating infectious diseases locally, has gone unfilled.

"In our attempts to fill the position we've had real challenges finding qualified nurses," said Armstrong, who indicated that while the job includes managerial as well as nursing duties, the compensation offered has been less than what many starting nurses are paid in the area.

Currently the position is classed at a pay rate of $23.06 to $23.52 per hour; in the revised position of "Public Health Nurse Manager" that amount would increase to anywhere from $28.03 to $32.30, which would bring the annual salary for this part-time position above $51,000 a year.

"The current rate is really not competitive to find the candidate we need," Armstrong told the committee.



"From a responsibility perspective, I certainly think it would be difficult to recruit at that salary," agreed Councilor Jonathan Lothrop.

Under the proposed revision to the personnel ordinance, the public health nurse manager has a voluminous job description that includes a variety of nursing and administrative functions. This individual would be responsible for all public nursing functions, monitoring and treating communicable disease threats, conducting data surveillance, and developing an annual action plan for public health outreach to the community.

In addition to existing functions such as overseeing immunization for city employees, the public health nurse manager would also help the director in a variety of tasks, such as inspecting camp health records, food-borne illness reports, and "oversee education and supervision to contracted per diem and volunteer nurses."

"It's the kind of thing you don't think you need, until all of a sudden you really need it," added Lothrop, who along with the rest of the committee voted unanimously to recommend the council accept the changes.


Tags: nursing,   public health,   

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Central Berkshire School Officials OK $35M Budget

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Central Berkshire Regional School Committee approved a $35 million budget for fiscal 2025 during its meeting on Thursday.
 
Much of the proposed spending plan is similar to what was predicted in the initial and tentative budget presentations, however, the district did work with the Finance subcommittee to further offset the assessments to the towns, Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis said. 
 
"What you're going see in this budget is a lower average assessment to the towns than what you saw in the other in the tentative budget that was approved," she said. 
 
The fiscal 2025 budget is $35,428,892, a 5.56 percent or $1,867,649, over this year's $33,561,243.
 
"This is using our operating funds, revolving revenue or grant revenue. So what made up the budget for the tentative budget is pretty much the same," Director of Finance and Operations Gregory Boino said.
 
"We're just moving around funds … so, we're using more of the FY25 rural aid funds instead of operating funds next year."
 
Increases the district has in the FY25 operating budget are from active employee health insurance, retiree health insurance, special education out-of-district tuition, temporary bond principal and interest payment, pupil transportation, Berkshire County Retirement contributions, and the federal payroll tax. 
 
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