Pittsfield's Affordable Housing Trust Housing Listening Session

08:09AM / Thursday, June 15, 2023Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield's Affordable Housing Trust is holding a community meeting to hear from residents about current housing needs.

The Affordable Housing Trust is a seven-member board that was formed to provide for the creation and preservation of affordable housing within the City of Pittsfield for the benefit of low to moderate income households and for the funding of community housing.

Information gathered from this listening session will be used to guide the work of the Affordable Housing Trust as they look to address the housing needs of Pittsfield residents.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. at Conte Community School at 200 West Union Street in Pittsfield.

Those attending will be given the opportunity to speak about the housing issues that are important to them and their community.

Childcare and light refreshments will be available. Spanish translation services will also be provided.

RSVP to (413) 499-9368 or (413) 442-3181 so a headcount can be calculated for food and childcare.

If residents are unable to attend the session, they are welcome to submit their comments to the Pittsfield Department of Community Development, City Hall, 70 Allen Street, Room 205, Pittsfield, MA at (413) 499-9358 or by TTY at (413) 499-9340. Residents may also e-mail your public comments at jdodds@cityofpittsfield.org.

Persons with special needs should contact the Pittsfield Department of Community Development and every effort will be made to accommodate their requests.

Tags: housing,

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Dalton Fire District Seeks State OK for Permanent Chief

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
03:26PM / Wednesday, March 11, 2026

DALTON, Mass. — The Fire District is considering interim Fire Chief Christopher Francis Cachat for the permanent chief position, pending required state approval.

Cachat has been serving as chief since January 2025, with the duties being split between himself, Administrative Deputy Chief Charlotte Crane, and Capt. Dennis Tinker.

However, one challenge to making his appointment permanent is that Cachat is older than 65, the mandatory retirement age for firefighters in Massachusetts.

In 1987, the state eliminated the maximum age and mandatory retirement requirements for most public employees, but firefighters were exempt from this ruling.

The law requires the personnel administrator to study whether a firefighter can serve past the mandatory retirement age, considering job risks, physical demands, and the costs of injuries for older personnel.

Towns and cities can seek a home-rule petition from the state Legislature and governor to allow an individual to continue serving in a position past the age of 65, and the Fire District is in the process of doing just that.

State Rep. Leigh Davis filed a home-rule bill last March on the district's behalf to allow Cachat, who has been with the department for four decades, to continue serving until age 70, provided he remains physically and mentally capable of fulfilling the role’s duties.

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