Pittsfield City Hall to Partially Reopen Next Week
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Municipal buildings are slated to partially reopen to the public next week.
Mayor Linda Tyer, during her COVID-19 update on Piittsfield Community Television last week, said City Hall and other public buildings are scheduled to reopen Tuesday, Sep. 1, if public health data remains favorable.
"With the public health data continuing to trend in the right direction, City Hall and municipal buildings will be open to the public," she said.
The Berkshires are among the regions with the lowest transmission rates; Pittsfield is categorized "Green" for having four or fewer positive cases daily per 100,000. According to the state Department of Public Health, there have been eight positive cases over a two-week period and 212 cases total, as of Aug. 19.
Tyer said the city will continue to monitor public health control measures that have implemented in public buildings.
City Hall hours will be limited at first to Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or by appointment. The Berkshire Athenaeum, which has already reopened, and the Council on Aging will remain on their own reopening schedules.
The mayor also touched on the homeless encampments at Springside Park and said the city's position has not changed.
"It is on the hearts and minds of many in our community," she said. "The city’' position continues to be one of compassion and respect, and our work is focused on how to best serve the homeless."
She said Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority has taken the lead on weekly calls involving an array of different services that work with the homeless.
Tyer did reiterate that donations that have been left at the park pavilion will be moved to local service providers for a more streamlined distribution.
Donations should not be left at the park but rather made at Barton's Crossing homeless shelter, the Christian Center, and the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community for redistribution starting Monday, Aug. 24.
Early voting began taking place at City Hall over the weekend and will continue from Monday, Aug. 24 to Friday, Aug. 28, in the city clerk's office.
Tyer said she was happy to announce that design work continues on the redevelopment of three former GE parking lots on the north side of the Tyler Street extension. She said they will be turned into green space.
"As part of the settlement agreement that the city entered into with General Electric over the Rest fo the River cleanup process," she said. "We were able to secure a commitment that these parking lots would be removed, and the areas restored to green space."
Tyer also congratulated Police Chief Michael Wynn, who has joined the national leadership council for the organization Fight Crime: Invest in Kids.
She also congratulated Berkshire County fire and emergency medical service agencies who were awarded a COVID-19 assistance reimbursement grant of $140,000 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency..
The mayor also recognized former Mayor Gerald S. Doyle Jr., who died earlier this month at the age of 62.
She said the funeral was Tuesday, and that the former mayor made one final stop at City Hall.
"His procession included one last stop at City Hall and the Fire Department Headquarters," Tyer said. "Both city staff and firefighters paid our final respects. He was truly one of a kind, and I will miss him dearly."
Tags: COVID-19,
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