image description — The Board of Health will vote on the program at a special meeting the day after the City Council receives a report.

Pittsfield Health Officials Wait for Council Comments on Needle Exchange

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
03:58AM / Friday, December 09, 2016Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It is very unlikely the City Council will change the mind of the Board of Health when it comes to opening a needle exchange. But, the board does want to wait until the council has a chance to weigh in before making its decision.

Board on Wednesday decided to delay a decision on whether to give the authority for a needle exchange to open. The program is intended to help combat a growing number of hepatitis and HIV cases. Tapestry Health currently runs two programs in Western Massachusetts and is in the process of opening ones in North Adams and in Greenfield. The nonprofit has presented multiple times to city officials, with the latest appearance last month.

"I've only received positive endorsement from the people I've spoken to," Board of Health member Jay Green said, but cautioned about being presumptuous about what the City Council members are thinking.

The board is mostly in favor of signing the documents allowing qualified organizations to pursue opening an exchange. Member Cynthia Geyer said the statistics show that the programs reduce the sharing of needles and spread of disease.

"It is not just about providing clean needles, it is a touchpoint to access other services," Geyer said.

Tapestry has already presented to the City Council's Public Health and Safety subcommittee, which will file a report with the full council on Dec. 13. Then the Board of Health members will listen to the council's input and make a decision the following day during a special meeting.

"The process needs to move forward. I think it is clear throughout the state that the jurisdiction for this is the Boards of Health," said member Dominica D'Avella.

And that thought was echoed by nearly every member of the board. Member Steve Smith recently visited the exchange in Holyoke and said, "that gave me such a comfort level with opening the same kind of service to the folks here in Pittsfield. I am ready to sign whatever it takes to get the ball rolling."

Yet, the Board of Health doesn't mind waiting a week to hear what the council has to say. The board is losing three members by the end of the month though, so will call a special meeting to take the vote before a new board is formed in January.

The authorization doesn't put a timeline on the opening, it just allows Tapestry to start the process with the Department of Public Health, which funds the program. The funding is still questionable. Gov. Charlie Baker has issued mid-year budget cuts, which reduced Tapestry's funding by 10 percent.

"We are in negotiation with figuring out how much we are able to get for the North Adams program and the Greenfield program, which we are starting up soon," Liz Whynott, director of the Syringe Access Program for Tapestry Health, said. Tapestry will appear before the North Adams Redevelopment Authority on Monday on the use of a city-owned building.

The state Department of Public Health prioritizes the opening of needle exchanges, so Whynott believes there is still state support to open one in Pittsfield.

"This is a regionwide issue and just opening one up in North Adams won't solve the problem at all," Whynott said.

Health Director Gina Armstrong told the board that the city's administration wants a public outreach effort to engage the public. D'Avella said public engagement is "incredibly important" and can be done as the plans for one evolves.

Whynott said Tapestry does its own round of public outreach when looking to open any needle exchange and Pittsfield wouldn't be different.

Tags: board of health, needles, tapestry,

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PEDA Site 9 Preparation, Member Retirement

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
03:40PM / Thursday, December 18, 2025

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The redevelopment of Site 9 for mixed-use in the William Stanley Business Park is set to take off.

Edward Weagle, principal geologist at Roux Associates, gave an update on the yearlong work to the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority last week.

"It's been a real pleasure for me to work on a project like this," he said. "This is kind of like a project of a career of a lifetime for me, and I'm very pleased to see that we're just at the finish line right now. My understanding is that all the documents are in front of the commissioner, waiting for her to sign off."

Mill Town Capital is planning to develop a mixed-use building that includes housing on the site. Roux, headquartered in Islandia, N.Y., was hired assist with obtaining grant financing, regulatory permitting, and regulatory approvals to aid in preparing the 16.5-acre site for redevelopment. Approximately 25,000 cubic yards of concrete slabs, foundations, and pavements were removed from the former GE site.

Once the documents are signed off, PEDA can begin the work of transferring 4.7 acres to Mill Town. Weagle said the closing on this project will make it easier to work on the other parcels and that he's looking forward to working on Sites 7 and 8.

PEDA received a $500,000 Site Readiness Program grant last year from MassDevelopment for Sites 7 and Site 8. The approximately 3-acre sites are across Woodlawn Avenue from Site 9 and border Kellogg Street.

In other news, the state Department of Transportation has rented the east side of the parking lot for CDL (Commercial Driver's License) training. This is an annual lease that began in September and will bring in $37,200 in revenue.

Lastly, the meeting concluded with congratulations to Maurice "Mick" Callahan Jr. on his retirement.

Callahan is a former chair and a founding member of PEDA, dating back to when the board was established in the 1990s. He has also served on a number of civic and community boards and has volunteered for many organizations in the Berkshires. He is the president of M. Callahan Inc.

"The one thing that's been a common denominator back is that you've always put others before yourself. You've served others well. You've been a mentor to two generations of Denmarks, and I'm sure many generations of other families and people within this city," said board Chair Jonathan Denmark. "We can never say thank you enough, but thank you for your services, for the creation of this board, your service to the city of Pittsfield, and to all the communities that you've represented and enjoy retirement."

"It wasn't always easy to be in the position that you were in Mick, but you handled it with so much grace, always respecting this community, bringing pride to our community," member Linda Clairmont said. "I could not have accomplished many of the things I did, especially here for this business part, without you all of the Economic Development discussions that we had really informed my thinking, and I'm so grateful."

Callahan left the team with a message as this was his final meeting, but said he is always reachable if needed.

"I also have to say that a lot of great people sat around this table and other tables before the current board, and the time that I had with Pam [Green] and Mike [Filpi] sticking around, the leadership of this mayor [board member Linda Tyer], and it really, it was always great synergy," he said.

"So don't be afraid to embrace change. And you know, you got a business model. It's been around long time. Shake it up. Take a good look at it, figure out where it needs to go, and you're lucky to have leadership that you have here."

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