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Councilor Donna Todd Rivers has opted not to run for re-election.

Pittsfield Councilor Rivers Opts Out of Re-election Bid

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Ward 5 Councilor Donna Todd Rivers will not seek re-election.
 
Rivers served two terms on the council after barely squeaking by Rick Scapin in 2015 to fill the seat vacated by Jonathan Lothrop. She was unopposed in 2017 and had taken out nomination papers to run again in 2019 but this weekend opted to bow out.
 
"It is with much thought and soul searching that has led me to make the decision to announce that I will not be seeking re-election as your Ward 5 City Councilor," Rivers wrote announcing her decision on Facebook.
 
"As I begin to experience an increase in demand for my time and energy addressing family concerns and professional obligations I fear in time these would lead to a decrease in the level of service and responsiveness that you have come to expect and deserve. As I look into the future with these concerns I believe that the Ward 5 residents should have the opportunity to continue to receive the level of service they have come to expect with new representation."
 
Rivers said that while she is not seeking re-election, she does plan to remain involved in the community. 
 
"There are still many issues both the ward and the city need to deal with and I will be there for the remainder of the year to continue to engage with the ward constituents and Pittsfield citizens to do my part to fulfill the remainder of my term with vigor and dedication. I will continue the monthly ward meetings and the many neighborhood group meetings that have become a hallmark of my tenure as the ward 5 city councilor," Rivers wrote.
 
"Although I will not be seeking re-election as an elected official, I plan to remain involved in many arenas of public life as my responsibilities allow."
 
Rivers is the third sitting councilor to decide against not to run. Ward 7 Councilor Anthony Simonelli is going to "retire" from the council after four terms and Ward 6 Councilor John Krol took a job in the eastern part of the state and won't be seeking re-election after five terms.
 
The vacancies of Simonelli and Krol has drawn interest from a few potential candidates who drew nomination papers. Jeffrey Ferrin, John Daniels, and Anthony Maffuccio have taken out nomination papers for the Ward 7 seat and Craig Gaetani, Edward Carmel, Joseph Nichols, and Dina Guiel Lampiasi have all taken out nomination papers for Ward 6. As of Friday, only Carmel had returned nomination papers and been certified to be on the ballot.
 
Rivers currently didn't have any potential challengers but her announcement will likely spur interest in that seat. Update on Monday at 4 p.m.: Two potential candidates took out papers on Monday for the seats - Lothrop and Patrick Kavey,
 
There are a number of potential races. Mayor Linda Tyer is seeking re-election and has been certified to be on the ballot. Karen Kalinowksy is certified to be on the ballot as a challenger. Gaetani, Scott Graves, and Melissa Mazzeo have drawn nomination papers for a possible run but haven't returned them.
 
Mazzeo's potential bid for mayor would leave another vacancy on the council, on which serves in one of the four at-large seats. Incumbents Earl Persip, Peter Marchetti, and Peter White are all seeking re-election and have returned nomination papers to be on the ballot. Jay Hamling is also certified to be on the ballot. Gaetani, Alexander Blumin, and Auron Stark have all taken out nomination papers for at-large seats but are not yet certified for the ballot.
 
Ward 4 Councilor Christopher Connell could have a challenger, or two. Connell is certified to be on the ballot for re-election but Drew Herzig and Michael Merriam have both taken out papers to potentially challenge him.
 
Incumbents Helen Moon, Kevin Morandi, and Nicholas Caccamo are the only ones to have taken out papers for their respective wards -- 1,2 and 3 -- but so far only Morandi has been certified to be on the ballot.
 
Eight people have taken out papers to run for School Committee but none have been certified for the ballot yet. Incumbents Daniel Elias, Joshua Cutler, William Cameron, Katherine Yon, and Dennis Powell have all taken out nomination papers. Only Cynthia Taylor has not taken out papers for re-election. Newcomers Mark Brazeau, Ocean Sutton, and Thomas Perrea have all taken out papers for possible runs for the committee.
 
City Clerk Michele Benjamin is seeking re-election and has been certified for the ballot. Graves drew nomination papers for that office as well but hasn't returned them.

Tags: city election,   election 2019,   


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Pittsfield CPA Committee Funds Half of FY24 Requests

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A few projects are not getting funded by the Community Preservation Committee because of a tight budget.

The projects not making the cut were in the historic preservation and open space and recreation categories and though they were seen as interesting and valuable projects, the urgency was not prevalent enough for this cycle.

"It's a tough year," Chair Danielle Steinmann said.

The panel made its recommendations on Monday after several meetings of presentations from applications. They will advance to the City Council for final approval.  

Two cemetery projects were scored low by the committee and not funded: A $9,500 request from the city for fencing at the West Part Cemetery as outlined in a preservation plan created in 2021 and a $39,500 request from the St. Joseph Cemetery Commission for tombstone restorations.

"I feel personally that they could be pushed back a year," Elizabeth Herland said. "And I think they're both good projects but they don't have the urgency."

It was also decided that George B. Crane Memorial Center's $73,465 application for the creation of a recreational space would not be funded. Herland said the main reason she scored the project low was because it didn't appear to benefit the larger community as much as other projects do.

There was conversation about not funding The Christian Center's $34,100 request for heating system repairs but the committee ended up voting to give it $21,341 when monies were left over.

The total funding request was more than $1.6 million for FY24 and with a budget of $808,547, only about half could be funded. The panel allocated all of the available monies, breaking down into $107,206 for open space and recreation, $276,341 for historic preservation, and $425,000 for community housing.

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