City Council Subcommittee Endorses Bilingual Compensation

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Ordinance and Rules subcommittee has unanimously approved Mayor Linda Tyer's proposed ordinance to compensate city employees for being bilingual and biliterate.

Director of Human Resources Michael Taylor explained the proposal to the council subcommittee on Monday. 

"I feel this is quite overdue, I am excited this is finally being taken up," Taylor said. "Aside from the obvious of having a method to provide additional pay to our employees, we really just feel this alliance with our organizational pulls to best meet the needs of the community we are serving."

Taylor said this will additionally benefit city employees and encourage more employees to seek out becoming bilingual or biliterate.

Additional rates an employee may be eligible for are $125 a month for either oral or reading/written fluence, or $175 for both oral and written fluency.

These rates would be available to all city departments except for Public Safety, as this department already has language contained in its employment agreements. Additionally, a city employee who does not engage with the public may not qualify for these benefits.  

An example Taylor gave of such a position is a senior accountant clerk whose primary duties are to process vouchers. This individual would not be eligible for bilingual benefits because he or she would have little to no interaction with the public as the office is more of an internal services department.

"Just a thought, I like the idea of all of this and I'm glad we're doing it, but I would like to see it expanded for all of the city because if someone takes time to learn another language it might be very valuable for those few people that speak that language in our city that may need help in City Hall or may run into a city worker on the streets."

The policy will be in effect after the next City Council meeting on Oct. 13 if it is passed at the meeting.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.