Pittsfield Board of Health OKs Updated Tobacco Ordinance

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Board of Health has concluded its seven-month process of updating the city's tobacco ordinance.

"We should be very happy about that," Chair Bobbie Orsi said.

The document was unanimously approved on Wednesday after receiving some finishing touches in November. No public comment was generated in response to the public hearing.

The ordinance had last been amended in 2019 before Gov. Charlie Baker signed an Act Modernizing Tobacco Control, which imposed new restrictions on the sale of nicotine vaping, flavored vaping, and tobacco products.

Changes effective on April 1 include a clarified definition for blunt wraps, a raised minimum price requirement for cigars, and violations that incorporate state law.

A blunt wrap is newly defined as "any product wholly or in part from a tobacco product, manufactured or packaged with loose and removable leaves or section of a leaf, or as a hollow tube, that may be used by the consumer to wrap or contain loose tobacco or other fillers."

It also considers tobacco leaf kits or roll-your-own packages as blunt wraps.

"The major changes that we did was we made an update to definitions such as the blunt wraps. We wanted to make sure it gives a very descriptive definition of that. We did also discuss the fine structure to align with the state," Director of Public Health Andy Cambi explained.

"We did not reduce the permit cap, we kept that normal and I think the last change that we made in November was that we wanted to talk about the violations where if they were issued a violation for us to have that discretion for up to 30 days, no less than one business day."

There was a previous discussion about explicitly banning smoking bars but BOH members felt that the ordinance already bans them, as smoking is not prohibited in any bars within city bounds.

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.