BCAC Offers Free Tax Preparation Services for Eligible Residents

03:29PM / Wednesday, February 12, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Community Action Council (BCAC) is offering free tax preparation services through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for individuals living or working in Massachusetts with a gross income of $67,000 or less.

The program prioritizes seniors, people with disabilities, and those with limited English proficiency.

The VITA program will operate from Feb. 1, 2025, to April 15, 2025, with in-person tax preparation available by appointment only at multiple locations, including BCAC offices in Pittsfield and North Adams.

Participants must bring essential documents such as photo identification, Social Security cards, and relevant tax forms. The program will not accept original documents, but copiers are available at BCAC offices.

For appointments and more information, residents can call 413-418-3668 or 413-418-3685 for South and Central Berkshire County and 413-663-3014 for Northern Berkshire County.

More details are available at www.bcacinc.org.

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Pittsfield Council to See Borrow Request for Water Treatment Upgrades

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:59PM / Monday, February 23, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city plans to complete upgrades to the Cleveland and Ashley Water Treatment Plants by 2033.

On the agenda is a request to borrow up to $15 million for upgrades to the city's two water treatment plants, the Cleveland and Ashley Water Treatment Plants. This would fund the final design and permitting for Phases 1-3, phase 1 of interim updates, allowances, and contingency.

The total water treatment plant program is estimated to be $165 million over the next 8 years, with $150 million for long-term construction and $15 million for near-term needs "to keep the plants operational and
advance the program through design and permitting," the project's cover letter explains.

The city does not anticipate water rate increases outside of the established new system based on the Consumer Price Index Factor (CPIF) and the Operational Stability Factor (OSF).

"This borrowing, and subsequent authorizations anticipated over the multi-year WTP program, has
been integrated into the Water Enterprise Fund's rate structure so that future debt service is absorbed
within the Council's established formula," the cover letter reads.

The $15,000,000 borrowing would support:

Final Design & Permitting (Phases 1–3): $9.2M
Phase 1 Construction (incl. bidding & engineering during construction): $2.4M
Land Acquisition/Misc. Engineering/Legal/Contingency: $1.4M
WTP Equipment Replacement/Maintenance to Plant Operations: $2.0M

Starting this year, two finished water storage tanks would be designed and constructed, chemical improvements would be made at the Cleveland WTP, and the East New Lenox Road flow control station would receive a new pump station to allow the Ashley WTP to be offline during the third phase.

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