Pittsfield Cooperative Bank Appoints VP OfCommercial Banking

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Cooperative Bank has announced that Matthew P. Lauro has joined the bank as Vice President/ Commercial Banking.
 
Matthew's 10 plus years of industry experience is wide ranging and comprehensive, working for Fidelity Management and Research as a Credit Research Associate, Longfellow Investment Management as a Senior Credit Analyst and State Street Bank as Vice President, Credit Analyst for Leveraged Lending. Most recently, Matt held the title of Vice President of Emerging Markets. In this role he ran a foreign exchange and rates product specializing in the Latin American region of behalf of State Street Bank.
 
Matthew recently moved to Berkshire County with his wife Susanna, an attorney, and their dog Tony. He earned his degree at RPI, where he was a member of the football team, 2 years as Captain.
 
"Matthew brings a much-needed high level of expertise in the area of industrial and commercial real estate financing to the Berkshires and we are proud to welcome Matthew and his wife to the Berkshires as we
believe in local talent," said J. Jay Anderson, President and CEO of the Pittsfield Cooperative Bank.
 
In this position, Matthew will be responsible for managing and growing the bank's commercial loan portfolio.
 
"Banking is a personal business. Matthew is an experienced lender who will help make our community a better place to live, work and play and he joins a team that – as a whole- is truly invested in our little niche in the Berkshires," said  Anderson.
 
Matthew is located in the South Street Main Office at 70 South St., Pittsfield and may be reached at 413.629.1644.
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Dalton Police Facility Report Complete; Station Future Still Uncertain

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee's final report is complete but the future of the station remains uncertain. 
 
Several members of the committee attended the Select Board meeting last week, as co-Chair Craig Wilbur presented four options delineated in the presentation — build on town-owned land, build on private land, renovate or repurpose the existing buildings, and do nothing. The full report can be found here
 
According to the report, addressing the station's needs coincides with the town facing significant financial challenges, with rising fixed costs and declining state aid straining its budget. 
 
These financial pressures restrict the town's ability to fund major capital projects and a new police station has to compete with a backlog of deferred infrastructure needs like water, sewer, roads, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
 
In June 2024, Police Chief Deanna Strout informed the board of the station's dire condition — including issues with plumbing, mold, ventilation, mice, water damage, heating, and damaged cells — prompting the board to take action on two fronts. 
 
The board set aside American Rescue Plan Act funds to address the immediately dire issues, including the ventilation, and established the Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee to navigate long-term options
 
Very early on it was determined that the current facility is not adequate enough to meet the needs of a 21st-century Police Facility. This determination was backed up following a space needs assessment by Jacunski Humes Architects LLC
 
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