Pittsfield Has Allocated Almost All ARPA Funds

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city has allocated $40.4 million of its $40.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds and the rest must be committed by the end of the year.

More than $24 million of the funds went toward addressing the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes housing initiatives, assistance to small businesses, work on Site 9 in the William Stanley Business Park, a three-year marketing campaign, and funding to 37 nonprofit organizations.

"You'll see that we really focus in on those four areas to stabilize local government operations, households, small businesses, and economic sectors, particularly in local tourism and cultural industry," Special Project Manager Gina Armstrong told the City Council on Tuesday.

"It also positions communities on a path to economic recovery from the pandemic."

Mayor Peter Marchetti pointed to an agenda item from Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren requesting that the city reinstitute the quarterly ARPA status reports, explaining that his office never said it would discontinue them but he understands Warren's reasoning because one of the reports was missed in the last administration.

He said his office will be committed to continuing the updates.

"I think now more than ever is the important time because basically all the money has been allocated and it's now our job to be doing the due diligence and ensuring the money is being spent in the proper ways in the proper timeframe," he said.

"And we'll also be working with all of the organizations to ensure that that money will be spent before the deadline of June 30, 2026, and we will ensure if that money is not that it is reallocated to another cause to be able to maximize all the benefits."

Pittsfield received nearly $41 million in two allocations in 2020 and 2021 and it has supported around 70 different initiatives.

Some $5.3 million was allocated for public health, $3.5 million of which has been expanded for contact tracing, COVID-19 vaccination and testing, mental health and substance use resources, and several HVAC and ventilation system upgrades in city buildings.

Of the $6.5 million allocated for infrastructure, $6 million has been spent, a majority going toward upgrades at the water treatment facility.

Warren doesn't agree with spending the funds on public relations, as he "doesn't think we need to spend money to tell the public where we are spending this money."

"We got this money because of a pandemic. A pandemic where people died, a pandemic where people got sick, a pandemic that brought this country to its knees," he said.

"The reason that communities got these monies is to put money back into the community to recover from this pandemic and those expenses."

Armstrong also highlighted the $510,000 marketing campaign that brought 70 media representatives and social influencers to the city over the last two years.

"We have involved experts from a national marketing firm and regional marketing consultants," she explained.

"This focuses on cultural and tourism sectors and this really targets the New York City and Boston areas to get the word out on all the wonderful assets here in Pittsfield."

This has resulted in 928 quotes published in 68 sources for a total of 124 articles, posts, satires, and reels.

Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi is not sure that this is money well spent, as her searches for the city don't come up with favorable results.

"When I search Pittsfield on social media or the most popular apps now, it's either our local agencies that come up the most or Pittsfielders with not very positive things to post where they are hashtagging," she said.

"And if I am being completely frank I have to dig really hard to find any of these positive influencer posts and when I get there, there are some from this year that have 300 likes and they go back to I think (2022,) a majority of them though are more like 30 likes and there is no unifying hashtag."

She asked if more influencers were coming and if there were guardrails that could be put on for the project.

Armstrong reported that there is one that will happen in the winter or the spring but no further funding is going toward the marketing firm.

"I hope we don't go down this road again. I don't know that it is useful," Lampiasi said. "But I understand why we did."

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.