Pittsfield Council Tackles 14 Items in Just Over an Hour
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council went through 14 petitions in just over an hour on Tuesday.
These included retiree cost-of-living adjustments from 3 percent to a maximum of 5 percent, a deed of lieu of foreclosure for three properties on Robbins Avenue, and a couple of referrals.
By approving the COLA order, the council accepted Chapter 269 of the Acts of 2022,
"An Act Relative to Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Retirees," which was signed into law by former Gov. Charlie Baker in November.
This allows for an increase in the fiscal year 2023 COLA on the base amount of a retiree's pension of $16,000. The board of the Pittsfield Contributory Retirement System voted in favor of the act and in the increase in December.
Ward 2 Councilor Charles Kronick queried Finance Director Matthew Kerwood on whether this will affect other postemployment benefits, or OPEB, health insurance benefits. Kerwood assured the councilor that this money comes out of the retirement system and will have no effect on it.
Kronick found an issue in the council accepting a deed in lieu of foreclosure on three Robbins Avenue properties that have been in tax title for at least five years without payment.
Sylvester Eason owed about $125,000 between the three parcels, which includes two vacant lots and a property with a home that is in disrepair. He wished to forfeit the properties to end the Land Court foreclosure process and there are plans for the city to partner with Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity to redevelop it.
The councilor said he cannot understand how the city can "just take" something and give the owner nothing for it.
Kerwood explained that these circumstances only happen if a person is in tax title and they could continue to move through Land Court but it is rather slow.
"I'm going to vote no I don't like it, it doesn't smell right," Kronick said.
The council referred a petition requesting $250,000 in Pittsfield Economic Development Funds to Electro Magnetic Applications Inc. for a characterization testing chamber and other equipment to the subcommittee on economic development and three free cash orders from Mayor Linda Tyer to the Finance subcommittee.
The orders were to transfer and appropriate from certified free cash $2 million each to the general stabilization account, the public works stabilization account, and the OPEB trust account.
Kronick also opposed the economic development funds referral.
"Since 2019, EMA has operated a Space Environment and Radiation Effects (SERE) laboratory with great success at the Berkshire Innovation Center. The laboratory is the only third-party commercial facility of its kind in the world and has established the City and BIC as a hub in the space industry," the order reads.
"EMA is now poised to replicate this success in the emerging metalens industry with plans to expand the SERE laboratory at the BIC to include a metalens characterization chamber. This augments the expertise EMA has in test, measurement, and simulation capabilities,"
"In a unique partnership with the University of Massachusetts [at] Amherst, who will manufacture and design for integrated optics, EMA will evaluate the designs in a real world environment at their laboratory at the BIC. An important part of this expansion is the collaboration with the BIC, UMass, Berkshire Community College, and Springfield Technical Community College to create a pipeline of faculty expertise and skilled workers to support this emerging new industry."
The funds are expected to result in the creation of eight additional full-time jobs with minimum salaries of $65,000.
During open microphone, a resident spoke against the request, pointing out that the city offered a $140,000 incentives package to the company in 2019.
"This is a private company based in Denver, Colo. They appear to be growing in Pittsfield and have also applied for $6 million in funding from the state of Massachusetts. They have reported gross revenues of $7 million in 2021," she said.
"I don't think the city should be purchasing equipment for private companies. The commonsense place for a loan of this size would be a bank. If I were running a small private business such as a restaurant and needed a new commercial oven and funds to support extra help to run the restaurant, would the city fork over a generous gift to help me run a profitable trading business? The answer would most likely be no."
The council also voted to revoke inflammable fluid licenses at two properties, 97 Appleton Ave. and 129 Francis Ave., due to failure to submit certificates for 2022.
City Clerk Michele Benjamin explained that this is a general procedure that is done every year. No comment was generated during the public hearing for the licenses.
The pre-Christmas storm that resulted in poor road conditions generated the most conversation during the meeting, with Kronick filing a petition to block the possible purchase of magnesium chloride (used by the state to pre-treat roads) and Councilor at Large Earl Persip III filing a petition to have a cost analysis of purchasing the chemical and necessary equipment.
Both the cost analysis and a full report of the storm will be given to the council at a later date and councilors felt that it was premature to take any action until they have all of the information.
All agreed that the road conditions had been appalling.
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