Mass Housing and Shelter Alliance Honors Former Pittsfield Mayor

10:37AM / Tuesday, May 21, 2024Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — Former Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer was among those honored by the Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance (MHSA) at its annual Home for Good fundraiser and award ceremony on Thursday, May 16 at WBUR CitySpace in Boston.

Tyer, along with Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch and Brockton Mayor Robert F. Sullivan, received the prestigious Canon Brian S. Kelley Public Service Award from MHSA which recognizes individuals who are commited to ending homelessness.

Inaugurated as the Mayor of the City of Pittsfield for a second four-year term in January 2020, Tyer was the first mayor in Pittsfield's history to be elected to a four-year term. In January 2024, Mayor Tyer stepped down from office and now serves as the Executive Director of Workforce Development and Community Education at Berkshire Community College.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020, Mayor Tyer assembled the City of Pittsfield's COVID-19 Task Force. For more than a year, a team comprised of city and school officials, law enforcement, first responders, leadership from the Sheriff's Office, Berkshire Medical Center, and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency worked to ensure that the Pittsfield community had what it needed to remain safe during this unprecedented public health crisis.

"Mayor Tyer ably handled all the challenges associated with governing during the pandemic with skill and great sensitivity. She fully supported, embraced, and promoted the Housing First model for those experiencing chronic homelessness," said Joyce Tavon, MHSA's CEO. "Mayor Tyer has worked to find housing solutions for those living in outdoor encampments as well as the wraparound services they need to address their healthcare needs and provide much-needed stability."

The Canon Brian S. Kelley Public Servant Award is named in honor of the late Canon Brian S. Kelley, a longtime advocate to end homelessness who served as the Canon at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston. Canon Kelley played a founding role in MHSA and other initiatives to end homelessness.

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Pittsfield Subcommittee Supports $15M for Water Plants, Files Wastewater Ask

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:06AM / Friday, March 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city has subcommittee support on $15 million in borrowing for water treatment system upgrades, and will return with a refined proposal for the wastewater treatment plant.

On Monday, the Finance Subcommittee supported a request to borrow $15,000,000 for upgrades to the Ashley and Cleveland water treatment plants. Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales explained that this is the very first step in a multi-phase project. It is expected to conclude in 2033.

The subcommittee filed without prejudice a request to borrow another $15,225,000 for the construction of a new administration and laboratory building at the wastewater treatment plant. There was a robust discussion about the proposal at the last meeting, with councilors focused on ensuring it is appropriately scaled, fiscally responsible, and transparent.

Morales reported that the city will take a step back and revisit the basis of WWTP design, and return with a refined proposal that addresses concerns.

"While the current design was developed from the recommendations outlined in the 2016 Facility Plan, we did not conduct a full alternatives analysis comparison," he wrote in a communication to the subcommittee.

"That analysis, along with a deeper review of building type, footprint, and value engineering opportunities, is warranted."

Subcommittee members were invited to the water treatment plants for site visits, and, on Monday, representatives from the AECOM infrastructure consulting firm detailed the scope of work and timeline.

Councilor at Large Kathy Amuso thanked the water department for the visit, explaining that she was impressed with the number of staff and their knowledge. She said it made a big difference.