Pittsfield Councilor Requests Dept. of Public Services Restructuring
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayor Peter Marchetti said his administration is working to improve the structure of the Department of Public Services and Utilities.
At the last City Council meeting, Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey presented a petition requesting that Marchetti and Commissioner Ricardo Morales restructure the department.
Specifically, he would like to see the highway division and traffic division merged and update the standard operating procedures to streamline efficiency and improve outcomes in the city.
"As you know from previous documents, we are working to make improvements to the structuring of the department," Marchetti wrote in advance of Tuesday's council meeting.
"While we are not certain that the merging of the two divisions is the answer, we are committed to making the necessary enhancements to ensure efficiency and improve outcomes across the city and will keep you informed of our next steps."
In July, the Personnel Review Board supported the creation of a deputy commissioner in the department that would assist Morales. The full-time position, if approved by the City Council, will have a Grade M-8 pay scale with a yearly salary ranging from $89,247 to $116,021.
Marchetti engaged with a former commissioner shortly after taking office in January and asked for him to offer suggestions about how the department could be run more efficiently. This position was recommended and Morales agreed that changes need to be made to set the department up for success.
According to the FY25 budget, the highway division's major activities include street paving work and pothole repairs, sidewalk installation and maintenance, street sweeping, and stormwater system maintenance. The traffic division's responsibilities include compliance inspection of contractor street work, streetlights and traffic signals maintenance, contracted tree work, traffic signs, and public parking enforcement.
Also on Tuesday's agenda is a grant acceptance of $445,104.00 from the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust for lead service line inventory and replacement planning and $150,840.00 from the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration to fund a portion of the design work for the construction of a new taxi lane at the Pittsfield Municipal Airport.
Marchetti submitted an order to rescind $1,706,634.00 of authorized but yet-to-be-issued debt for projects that are complete or were never advanced.
"The rescinding of these unissued amounts on a regular basis is a critical component of our overall debt management strategy," he wrote.
This includes nearly $260,000 in sewer repairs, nearly $274,000 in water repairs, $150,000 for an elevator replacement at Conte Community School, $178,000 for IT upgrades, $220,000 for a water main replacement on Alfred Drive, and $500,000 for bike path permitting and design.
Councilors will also see a quarterly update on the city's spending of nearly $41 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, all of which must be obligated by the end of the year.
The city has met this deadline, allocating $40.6 million to public health, negative economic impacts, infrastructure, revenue replacement, and administration.
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