image description — The newly expanded School Building Needs Commission reviewed the first steps in bringing on an OPM for the Crosby/Conte school project.

Pittsfield Seeks OPM for Crosby/Conte Proposal

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
06:04AM / Friday, February 06, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Building Needs Commission met with some new members under a new defining ordinance on Tuesday.

"You're joining at a very exciting time for our district," interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips said.

The Pittsfield Public Schools are seeking up to 80 percent reimbursement from the Massachusetts Schools Building Authority to rebuild and consolidate the outdated John C. Crosby Elementary and Silvio O. Conte Community School on the Crosby property.

Last week, the City Council approved an ordinance for a 19-member School Building Needs Commission. The mayor appoints seven members, the superintendent appoints five, and seven are city officials.

The council also OK'd the appointment of Frank Laragione, Brendan Sheran, Judy Gitelson, Tonya Frazier, Jared LaBeau Sr., Cristina Duhamel, and William Cameron to the commission for terms between one and five years. Duhamel and LaBeau introduced themselves as new members on Tuesday.

The MSBA has invited the district to a feasibility study phase, and a selection committee is working to bring forward applicants for an owner's project manager. This hired consultant oversees a construction or design project in the owner's interest.

Duhamel, Pittsfield's deputy purchasing agent, reported that the OPM listing will be advertised on Wednesday and on Monday, and there will be a pre-bid walk-through at Crosby. Proposals are due by Feb. 18 under this timeline, and the top three will be brought forward for interviews.

Purchasing Agent Colleen Hunter-Mullett believes that the interviews will be open to the public, but said she will confirm that information.

Former and founding director of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team, Jane Winn, asked that they select an OPM that has experience with overseeing green design and build processes that use less energy, no fossil fuels, and could be a resilient center in the event of an emergency.

"Please select an OPM that has experience using the latest technology to estimate the energy cost savings of different designs. Please select an OPM who can explore whether setting up a ground source district heating system would be an option for heating and cooling not only the new school, but the surrounding neighborhood. Please select an OPM that is familiar with the sustainable building materials that have low embodied carbon and are non-toxic," she asked.

"I wish that some of this had been included in your initial request for proposals."

Tags: Crosby/Conte project, MSBA, school building committee,

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Pittsfield Council Approves 'Green' Items

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
03:48PM / Thursday, February 05, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council approved a couple of "green" items during its meeting last week.

This includes more than $20,000 from the state for recycling initiatives, as well as cell phone recycling automated machines at Cumberland Farms on First Street and in Market 32 at 555 Hubbard Ave.

Pittsfield received $21,000 from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Sustainable Materials Recovery Program, which reinvests a portion of Waste Energy Certificates into recycling programs. More than $4.2 million was distributed across the state this year.

WECs are tradable, unit-specific certificates (1 per MWh) generated by qualified waste-to-energy facilities.

"It's supposed to be this self-sustaining cycle of you bring money in, you can continue reducing trash, increasing recycling, increasing diversion from the landfill, and at the same time, you bring money in and support that effort," Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales explained.

In the last two years, the city has seen a slight increase in funds because of its categorization as an environmental justice community, and Morales would like to increase that number even more. Communities of Pittsfield’s size can see up to $50,000 based on a point system for recycling efforts.

The city received points for bulky items, curbside recycling regulation, diversity, equity, and inclusion, organics, and waste prevention outreach and education. These funds are used to purchase products such as the composting bins that Pittsfield sells to residents for half the price.

Morales reported that the city has been saving funds to start a recycling program staffed by a contractor, but that is not being presented "in any way" at this point.

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