Pittsfield Council Tackles 21 Agenda Items in Under 90 Minutes

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council went through 21 agenda items in under 90 minutes on Tuesday night.

The panel accepted more than $350,000 in grants for first-responders, approved Eversource's request to relocate and install solely owned poles and wire on Valentine Road, and approved a Tax Increment Financing agreement with Interprint.

The 10-year tax increment financing agreement is expected to save the company $482,000 over the next decade on an estimated $1.9 million more in valuation.

It will provide 100 percent forgiveness of the incremental increase in property taxes resulting from the construction of a building expansion in the first and second years and decrease by 20 percent every two years. The current valuation of the property is $5,580,300.

The decor printing company announced last month that it will be investing $22 million into its Central Berkshire Boulevard facility for additional printing presses and is planning a 57,000-square-foot expansion.

The expansion will create 20 more jobs at the facility by 2025, bringing the company's staff to about 185.

Ward 3 Councilor Kevin Sherman commended the company for its expansion and the city for setting up the agreement.

• A $233,940 grant for the fiscal 2023 State 911 Support and Incentive Grant that is designed to assist public safety answering points and regional emergency communication centers in providing Enhanced-911 service.
• A $13,103.04 FY23 training grant.
• A $21,234,89 FY23 Emergency Medical Dispatch Grant.

Without discussion, the panel OK'd Eversource's request to install 11 50-foot poles, install 1,870 feet of three-phase primary overhead spacer cable, and remove nine 35-foot poles on Valentine Road. 

The purpose is to improve quality and reliability and rebuild the existing overhead poles to Lakeway Drive.

At the petitioner's request, the council also continued a special permit application for a proposed coffee shop with a drive-through at 1030 South St.

Jamasan Hotel Management intends to build a 2,700-square-foot Starbucks that maintains the existing curb cuts for entry and exit and has a drive-through with a waiting lane for 21 cars and a bypass lane after the order point.

The proposal was continued at the last council meeting because of concerns with the entry and exit points being too close to other curb cuts for abutting businesses.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.