Pittsfield Council Preview: Councilor Privacy & Halting Berkshire Gas Work Permits
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Tuesday, the City Council will see requests to protect their own safety when it comes to sensitive information, and to deny work permits from Berkshire Gas due to "substandard" conditions.
A request to remove councilors' addresses from city documents and websites and replace them with "70 Allen Street" to improve safety will be referred to the Ordinances and Rules subcommittee. Councilors' addresses, city email, and phone numbers are currently available on Pittsfield's staff directory page.
The petition was submitted by Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham, Ward 4 Councilor James Conant, and Ward 7 Councilor Katherine Moody.
The councilors explain in the meeting packet that they want elected officials to have the option to replace their home addresses on all city documents and websites, including Pittsfield Community Television, with the City Hall address.
Recently, the City Council approved Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi's request to amend City Council Rule 1C. Rule 1C requires individuals to disclose their name, address, and the subject they wish to address the council about on a sheet before the open microphone portion of meetings.
Lampiasi asked to only require a person's name and municipality.
"I don't think that submitting a street address is really appropriate," she explained to the O&R subcommittee earlier this month.
"It feels invasive, and there are some safety concerns for folks."
President Earl Persip III wants Berkshire Gas to correct safety and access issues before Pittsfield allows them to do additional work on city property.
He submitted a request that the commissioner of public services and utilities not issue any additional permits to the gas company until it presents a plan for road closures that ensures local access, proper road restoration that is not "substandard," and adequate traffic details for any permitted work, as "The current lack of enforcement and detail presence is creating unsafe conditions."
Persip feels these expectations should be met before any new permits are considered, and that holding Berkshire Gas accountable to these standards is necessary for public safety, proper infrastructure maintenance, and minimal disruption to our neighborhoods and businesses.
City Engineer Tyler Shedd referred the request to the city solicitor to determine if it is within the municipality's purview. Also on the agenda is a notification from Mayor Peter Marchetti that Pittsfield has contracted with attorney Jeffrey P. Grandchamp for professional legal services.
Shedd reported that the utility submits sketches with each permit illustrating the planned work, and said traffic control is a shared responsibility among Berkshire Gas, its contractor, and the detail officer.
He said the repairs met standards.
"Keeping roads open while maintaining a safe work area is not always possible. When a road closure is known in advance, contractors must notify the city so it can inform the public. Temporary restoration is necessary for two reasons: many jobs cannot be completed in a single day, and small-quantity asphalt work cannot always be scheduled on the same day as the excavation," he wrote.
"Final repairs have met city standards, and where repairs have failed, Berkshire Gas has returned
promptly to correct them. The same cannot be said of many other contractors who open streets in
the city."
In August of 2025, resident Patrick McLaughlin requested an updated list of future gas line work and how it aligns with the city’s improvement projects. Shedd reported that Berkshire Gas contacts Pittsfield’s engineering division annually to request a list of street paving projects for the upcoming year, and the city doesn’t have permission to share Berkshire Gas' planned work.
