Pittsfield Christmas Tree Pickup Schedule

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Sure, it's only the day after Christmas, but you do have to figure out how long to keep that tree up. 
 
If you have an artificial one, take your time. If you have a real one, you can have it hauled away in the New Year if you live in Pittsfield. 
 
Casella will be picking up Christmas trees until the week of Jan. 26. Residents are asked to place their tree at the curbside for their designated pickup day, and Casella will collect them based on the schedule below:
 
• Week of Jan. 5: trees will be collected for Monday and Friday routes
• Week of Jan. 12: trees will be collected for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
routes
• Week of Jan. 19: trees will be collected for Monday and Friday routes
• Week of Jan. 26: trees will be collected for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday routes
 
For more information, call the Department of Public Utilities at 413-499-9330.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Restructure

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday. 

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to restructure the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.  

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection. 

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data.  Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost." 

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor. 

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