Pittsfield Council Preview: DEI Office Rename, Playground Grants, and City Audit

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
11:46AM / Monday, August 10, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Tuesday, the City Council will see a request to rename the DEI office, $80,000 in grants for Williams Elementary School's playground renovation, and a proposal for the city audit.

The agenda includes a request to amend Chapter 2 of the City Code, renaming the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion the "Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity."

"The proposed changes reflect the City's approach to advancing equitable access to municipal programs and services," it reads.

"The updated name more accurately represents the Office's commitment to removing systemic barriers, promoting opportunity, and ensuring fair treatment of all employees and residents."

During fiscal year 2027 budget hearings, $5,800 was reduced from the DEI Office: $4,800 from the DEI ambassador line and $1,000 from travel and dues.

Ward 7 Councilor Kathy Moody asked Mayor Peter Marchetti to consider merging the department with Human Resources, and other councilors supported exploring restructuring the department, though not during budget season.

The proposed ordinance also establishes the Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission to replace the current Human Rights Commission.

The Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity, through the chief equity officer and supporting staff, would develop and implement the policies, programs, and initiatives of the city and Pittsfield Public Schools related to equity, access, and opportunity.

Belonging, equity, fairness, and variety are defined as:

Belonging: The creation of a welcoming environment where any person can feel respected, supported, and valued, empowering them to engage and contribute to their fullest potential.
Equity: The fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups.
Fairness: The impartial and just treatment of all individuals, ensuring access to opportunities and pathways to advancement. This involves proactively identifying and dismantling obstacles that have impeded the progress of any group of people.
Variety: The full spectrum of human attributes, backgrounds, and experiences, recognizing the distinct characteristics that make each person or group of people unique.

The chief equity officer would be responsible for posting equal employment opportunity and nondiscrimination law information to employees and prospective employees, as well as acting as a liaison with employment sources and organizations serving "protected groups."

The DEI Office was established in 2021, and Michael Obasohan was appointed as chief diversity officer a couple of months later.

"We foster a welcoming community by encouraging respectful dialogue among all city employees and those with our community partners," the department's page reads.

"Our work includes advocacy for human and civil rights by eradicating barriers that perpetuate inequality and injustice. Additionally, through our initiatives, we promote community awareness, understanding, and the celebration of cultural differences."

The council will also see $79,978 in grants from the Feigenbaum Foundation, Williams Elementary School PTO, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Pittsfield Rotary Foundation, and Lee Bank.

The nearly $80,000 in grants will be used for Williams' new playground. PTO members launched the effort a few years ago to replace the school's aging and inaccessible play equipment.

The Feigenbaum Foundation contributed $50,000.

There is also a recommendation from the Audit Services Evaluation Committee to hire Scanlon & Associates for the independent city audit.

The committee recently voted to advance Scanlon to the City Council for an independent audit. CliftonLarsonAllen also responded to the bid, but came in costing $120,000 more.

This process was prompted by Rule 40 of the council rules and the City Charter, where in any year the City Council votes to hold a procurement process for an independent certified public accountant or firm to audit Pittsfield's books and accounts, the city must, through its Finance Committee with the assistance of the purchasing department, solicit requests for proposals or invitations for bids before June 1.

The council in March recommended that the purchasing agent draft a request for proposals and put it out to bid.

Tags: council preview,

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.

BRTA Sees Highest Ridership to Date

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
01:46PM / Monday, August 10, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority has recorded its highest ridership in the history of the authority.

The BRTA recorded 731,444 for fiscal 2026 year, with fixed-route ridership at 666,000 passengers, paratransit (ADA) ridership at 65,000 passengers, and Link 413 ridership at 952 rides since it started earlier this year.

Administrator Kathleen Lambert and Operations Manager Benjamin Hansen said the higher ridership is likely thanks to the free fare. Free fare was first introduced to the BRTA in late 2024, this was the first full fiscal year and it won't be the last.

Lambert said she feels very good about the new number and while it's in part because of the fare free initiative, it's great to just be a service to the community.

"The point is, transit keeps more money in people's pockets if they're not paying for gas and transportation," she said. "I know there are improvements to be made, especially around frequency and different forms of opportunities to travel, and I want that to be the situation. But right now, we're kind of getting everything into shape, getting prepared for new service, and prepared for the next iteration of the RTA."

The high ridership also comes at a time of high route cancellations because of a lack of drivers. Lambert said the authority currently has 26 drivers with a goal of attaining 33 to 35. The new operating company, Keolis, is still looking for more hires. This past fiscal year, the BRTA saw 3,457 trips cancelled but hopes to have no cancellations by the end of September.

Hansen gave the ridership data at the July meeting, also showing off the new data that will be easily available on the website for anyone to view in an effort to be more transparent with the public.

The most affected routes were Route 1, the Pittsfield to North Adams Connector, and Route 2, the Pittsfield to Lee, which had more than 750 cancellations.

Although Route 1 had some of the most cancellations it still remained the most popular route with 176,123 riders through 9,729 trips. Route 34, the North Adams Loop, came in second with 127,147 riders also through 9,729 trips. Again, even though Route 2 had some of the most cancellations it came in third with 76,305 riders with 8,597 trips.

The Link413 service has also grown in ridership. Some on the board contested the start of the Link413 service, worried that the start of the service took drivers away and didn't see ridership high enough. The new data shows that the ridership almost doubled from the previous month from 179 in May to 313 in June.

Lambert also noted it was not possible to cut the service as it was properly approved and if they had to cut, they would have to give back their portion of the grant money, which would be impossible. She mentioned this to the group since former board member Rene Wood and others had asked to see what was possible with the service and when it was accepted and if it should still be running.

"We took the money, we ordered the vehicles. We took the vehicles. We've been running the service. To abandon the service is against the MassDOT contract. We do have a contract for the funds. We accepted all the money. If we rescind the contract, then we rescind the funds, and that means paying back a couple of million dollars, which we don't really have, and our portion would be at least one third of that, probably more because we run 50 percent of the service," Lambert said.

The Link413 service is a partnership between the BRTA and the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA), and Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA). The most popular route is the Pittsfield to Northampton with over 60 percent of ridership.

View Full Story