BCC and Partners to Present Berkshire State of Work Summit

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC), in partnership with 1Berkshire, MassHire, the Berkshire Innovation Center and the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, will hold "From Hiring to Thriving: A New Era of Workplace Culture," a Berkshire State of Work Summit, on Wednesday, June 18 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at BCC's main campus, located at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield. 
 
Tickets are $75 and are available for purchase at www.berkshirecc.edu/worksummit
 
Designed to address the workforce challenges facing all Berkshire employers, the State of Work Summit one-day conference will focus on the process of attracting the talent to ensure employees flourish in a supportive and dynamic work environment, stated a press release. 
 
For more information, contact Stephen Warley, coordinator of the summit, at stephen@lifeskillsthatmatter.com.  

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Dalton Police Facility Report Complete; Station Future Still Uncertain

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee's final report is complete but the future of the station remains uncertain. 
 
Several members of the committee attended the Select Board meeting last week, as co-Chair Craig Wilbur presented four options delineated in the presentation — build on town-owned land, build on private land, renovate or repurpose the existing buildings, and do nothing. The full report can be found here
 
According to the report, addressing the station's needs coincides with the town facing significant financial challenges, with rising fixed costs and declining state aid straining its budget. 
 
These financial pressures restrict the town's ability to fund major capital projects and a new police station has to compete with a backlog of deferred infrastructure needs like water, sewer, roads, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
 
In June 2024, Police Chief Deanna Strout informed the board of the station's dire condition — including issues with plumbing, mold, ventilation, mice, water damage, heating, and damaged cells — prompting the board to take action on two fronts. 
 
The board set aside American Rescue Plan Act funds to address the immediately dire issues, including the ventilation, and established the Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee to navigate long-term options
 
Very early on it was determined that the current facility is not adequate enough to meet the needs of a 21st-century Police Facility. This determination was backed up following a space needs assessment by Jacunski Humes Architects LLC
 
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