Preview: First Pittsfield City Council Meeting of the Term

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
02:06PM / Monday, January 12, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council will handle grants, subcommittee assignments, and a local historic district effort during its first meeting of the new term on Tuesday.

On the agenda is a $50,000 donation from the Feigenbaum Foundation Inc. for the Wahconah Park ice rink, a $66,826.52 Violence Against Women's Act STOP state grant for the Police Department, and a petition to establish a Local Historic District Study Committee for the Park Square area.

New and returning City Council and School Committee members were inaugurated on Jan. 5 at City Hall. Councilor at Large Earl Persip III was elected president, and Councilor at Large Peter White vice president.

White previously served as the president, and Persip as vice president.

"I know firsthand the complexities of opposition and how important it is to work together to provide the best and most efficient services to residents, businesses, and our community. I look forward to working with you in this new capacity," Mayor Peter Marchetti said to Persip during the swearing-in ceremony.

"Vice President White, you have a vital role on the council, and your previous work will be helpful. I know when you served as my vice president, you were the best parliamentarian that anyone could ask for, and I’m sure you will continue that work."

The $50,000 grant from the Feigenbaum Foundation will go toward Pittsfield’s effort to bring outdoor public ice skating back with a portable rink in front of Wahconah Park. The city is working on its plan for the historic baseball park after the deteriorated grandstand is demolished, and wants to bring life to the property in the meantime.

The funds will be directed at programming activities on the ice rink, preferably for a skate rental and community access program.

The Pittsfield Police Department was awarded $66,826.52 from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security for the STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Grant, which supports law enforcement strategies to combat violent crimes against women and develop services for victims. It is matched by $22,275 from the PPD.

Earlier in 2025, the Historical Commission began discussions about a possible historic district around Park Square. In early December, the commission became the petitioner to amend the City Code and create the study committee that fleshes out the details.

"The committee shall investigate the need for such a district and provide as a conclusion of its role a final report, draft map, and a draft ordinance regarding the district to City Council for review. The role of the Historic District Study Committee will be to study and justify the need for a Local Historic District. This process will take around one year to complete," Chair John Dickson explained in a letter to the council.

"Following this, the City Council will have the final decision on whether a Local Historic District is established."

The area around Park Square is eyed for a historical district. The Park Square Local Historic District would establish standards for regulations for the preservation of historic properties.

Park Square is already on the National Historic District register, but the designation is "very limited" in its ability to preserve historic resources. A new district could review any changes to exterior architectural features and prevent the demolition of buildings within the district in an effort to protect them.

The approximately 18-month process begins with establishing the study committee to complete a report on every building and property that would be included. The committee would then create an ordinance, design guidelines, and an official map, and a copy of the final report is sent to the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the Pittsfield Community Development Board for review before it goes to the City Council.

2026-2027 subcommittee assignments are also on the agenda for Tuesday. Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi will serve as chair of Ordinances and Rules, and Councilor at Large Kathleen Amuso will chair the Finance Subcommittee.

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

Greylock Youth SummerFest

Come join in on the wealth building fun! August 3-8. Click for event details. Insured by NCUA.

www.greylock.org

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Fenton: Governor's Council Must Deliver for the Berkshires

Community submissionGuest Column
10:22AM / Friday, August 28, 2026

I am a Springfield lawyer running for Governor's Council and I am asking for Berkshire County residents to support me over an incumbent from North Adams.

Here's why: Last year I learned about staffing issues in our regional courts that I could not ignore. In 2025, it was reported that four of Western Massachusetts' 11 Superior Court judgeships were vacant, all at the same time. A few weeks later, that grew to five vacancies. This meant there were only six Superior Court judges serving all of Western Mass at a time when Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties had more than 100 pending homicide cases.

Those numbers were alarming to me, so I started to engage with leaders in the community who work most closely with the court system and I came to learn that these vacancies were only the tip of the iceberg here in Berkshire County.

I learned that no Superior Court or District Court judge had been appointed from the Berkshires since the current incumbent took office. As a result, there is not a single Superior Court judge who lives in the Berkshires today, and several of the District Court judges drive in from other counties to support Berkshire courts in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, and North Adams. Court staff also informed me about severe staffing shortages at the Berkshire Clerk of Courts office resulting in other counties needing to loan staff to the Berkshires just so hardworking employees can take a brief and planned summer vacation. This is not normal. These issues are a reflection of genuine problems with the Berkshire County court system and show a lack of proactive attention from our Governor's Councilor.

Instead of focusing on regional equity, I watched as the current incumbent celebrated that she has voted against the governor's nominees more than any other councilor, without much explanation as to why. Most recently, she voted against two extremely qualified former prosecutors for the Parole Board. This was despite an in-person plea from the governor and a letter of support from all the three of the district attorney's from Western Mass. Those votes do not show independence or standing up for principles, they demonstrate naivete, and an unwillingness to work with the key stakeholders.

I had seen and heard enough. I decided to jump in the race and challenge the incumbent to address these problems head-on.

I am a partner of a regional law firm. I understand our courts and the importance of having qualified, fair and hardworking judges. And I know how important it is to have judges from the Berkshires serving the Berkshires. To achieve that, you need strong relationships with the legal community and local stakeholders. You need to know how to use the power of the Governor's Council to fight forcefully for our region. And you need to be laser focused on identifying vacancies before they occur so that they can be filled quickly with local candidates.

View Full Story