Pittsfield Council Accepts $8M in GE Rest of River Funds

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city now has $8 million in PCB pollution settlement funds to support economic development.

The City Council on Tuesday accepted the payment of $8,000,000 from General Electric Corp. per the Rest of River settlement agreement on the cleanup of the Housatonic River. The funds will be put into the city's Economic Development Fund which supports growing businesses in the community.

Mayor Peter Marchetti explained that the cleanup has been making its way south for years.

"Once all the communities in the Berkshires agreed, Pittsfield’s payment was $8 million along with some other items that we've accepted previously including some of the land by GE," he said.

Some of the Economic Development Fund appropriations over the last few years include $960,000 for the extension of water and sewer lines along Dan Fox Drive connecting the lines immediately to Bousquet Mountain, $140,000 for Hot Plate Brewing Co., and $250,000 for Electro Magnetic Applications Inc. to develop a characterization testing chamber.

In February 2020, the Rest of River settlement agreement that outlines the continued cleanup of the Housatonic River from Pittsfield to the Connecticut border was signed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, General Electric, the state, the city of Pittsfield, the towns of Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, and Sheffield, and other interested parties.

As part of the agreement, GE was to give $8 million to the city. Formerly called the GE Fund, the account was established in 2000 with $10 million from GE as part of the consent decree for the cleanup of the company's Pittsfield facility and surrounding areas. It also created the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority and conveyed what is now the William Stanley Business Park to the city.

According to the agreement, GE is to pay a total of $55 million to Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, and Sheffield to distribute among themselves. In addition to Pittsfield’s $8 million, GE donated the land and building that it owns on Woodlawn Avenue to the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority which is now the William Stanley Business Park.

The council also re-accepted state funds for the revitalization of Pontoosuc Lake Park and received clarification on the process.

"We're coming forward with a borrowing for $500,000 so that we have the money to be able to pay that. I do believe that the order specifically says that when we receive reimbursements we're going to pay off the borrowing."

Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren asked what the cost of the borrowing is and Finance Director Matthew Kerwood explained that it is zero.

"We're receiving a $500,000 grant for the project so therefore, this borrowing will not even take place," he said.

He added that the program requires the legislative body to appropriate the money for the project upfront with the idea that it's then reimbursed.

"If I don't have the borrowing authorization and I don't have the cash flow, then I can't continue the project," Marchetti explained. "So it is there purely as a mechanism to allow us the opportunity if we need to if we don't have cash flow to be able to pay the bills to get reimbursed."

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.