1Berkshire and BRPC Launch Business Needs Survey

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — 1Berkshire and Berkshire Regional Planning Commission have launched a survey to ask businesses about the technical assistance they would benefit from in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and building resiliency for the future. 

All businesses and non-profits in the Berkshires are encouraged to provide their feedback to this short survey, which will help inform a comprehensive technical assistance program being organized by the two agencies. 
 
Businesses should share their feedback by completing the survey as soon as possible. It can be accessed here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BERPsurvey2
 
This program will in turn identify subject matter experts to provide no-cost technical assistance to help businesses improve their capacities around needs identified through the survey. Ben Lamb, Director of Economic Development at 1Berkshire, explained 
 
"This survey will provide us the ability to identify specific help businesses and organizations need to regain the momentum they had prior to the pandemic, and to make themselves more resilient for the future," Ben Lamb, Director of Economic Development at 1Berkshire, said. "We will use this feedback to build a network of experts who will provide key technical assistance to help our region's businesses rebuild stronger than ever."
 
The technical assistance effort is a component of the Berkshire Economic Recovery Project plan, funded by a grant awarded to Berkshire Regional Planning Commission by the U.S. Economic Development Administration under the CARES Act Recovery Assistance program. This funding will be used to coordinate short- and long-term economic recovery efforts in the region.
 
"We're pleased to be partnering with 1Berkshire on this project, and I'm confident that the for- and non-profit businesses of our region will benefit greatly from the assistance provided," Laura Brennan, Economic Development Program Manager at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, said. 

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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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