[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6107932,"mediaKeyId","2772436-a93c719da5605d08ef4e6a95106df701","parentId",2772436,"title","Pittsfield council unanimously backs House bill to criminalize sexual conduct by adults in positions of trust","audioSeconds",502,"startMs",2435000,"endMs",2937000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772436-a93c719da5605d08ef4e6a95106df701&start=2435&end=2937","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772436-a93c719da5605d08ef4e6a95106df701/thumbnail_2435000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6107932/Pittsfield-City/Berkshire-County/Massachusetts/Pittsfield-council-unanimously-backs-House-bill-to-criminalize-sexual-conduct-by-adults-in-positions-of-trust","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107932-a9ee255fcc5726e8704687fda6dd3390/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203109&Signature=fzGEFRs34y~ihvlpTMGEjX9h3wo1ktvIH-AKkSgzPCCUz48zv2MseiivEx~b~-yH50Lyltfq0TKw4dYUyH~tHU157mWcNEJVwgkpRyaVKlkCkwJd1qh~LQ10lBEBeaUoOrPwu5t0yJ4Nr6Iq-AthvCgYTczV7k8RLmfLOiESjak2hg-3xA3nyRXBZTSrIcw-QYldfM6ywZcTBqPJsXIIlA3ndGhxxzG1xpks6qAEwrqbk07l5AHC-Tn3BBEospO3paJI9KZuGUpKj3C3k6ZehV0C-KCAd1-QYAIiCIvzlpfcgmT7tDxW~uT-a7LE8F7sMb5jyt00Ng4znpVwGuwVHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pittsfield City, MA","date","2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","article","The Pittsfield City Council on March 25 voted unanimously to support a House bill aimed at criminalizing sexual conduct between adults in positions of trust and minors under their supervision and to ask the council president to send letters urging legislative action.

Councilor Lampiazzi introduced the petition as a companion to a Senate bill the council previously supported. He described the proposal as creating a statutory carve-out to address the “incoherent power imbalance” when teachers, coaches or clergy engage in sexual conduct with students under their supervision. Lampiazzi cited state and national statistics during his remarks, and said he received a letter of support from the district attorney.

Councilors across the chamber endorsed the motion emphatically. Councilor Wren called the vote “probably the easiest vote any of us could probably make,” citing concerns for children in schools and sports. Councilor Percip sharply criticized state lawmakers who have delayed similar bills and urged persistent pressure from cities and towns.

The council also adopted two amendments during the meeting: one asking Council President White to send letters to Senate Chair Lydia Edwards and House Chair Mike Day urging support for the bill, and a second amendment requesting that Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier be asked to sponsor the legislation in the House if possible. Both amendments passed unanimously before the main motion was approved.

Public comment earlier in the meeting included a request from a resident who said a related joint bill was stalled at the state level; the resident urged local officials to take action and offered to circulate petitions. The council recorded unanimous passage by voice vote.

Background: councilors referenced Senate bill SD1163 and the companion House measure during discussion and said Massachusetts is the only New England state without a statutory prohibition of this conduct in positions of trust, according to statements made at the meeting. The motion as amended directs the council president to send advocacy letters to legislative chairs and to request local House representation for sponsorship.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Pittsfield City Council Meeting - March 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Pittsfield City Council on March 25 voted unanimously to support a House bill to criminalize sexual conduct between adults in positions of trust and minors under their supervision and to send advocacy letters to legislative leaders.","taxTitle","Pittsfield City, Berkshire County , Massachusetts","taxId",56310,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6107938,"Pittsfield council refers proposal to study school committee pay to personnel review board after heated debate",459,1717000,2176000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772436-a93c719da5605d08ef4e6a95106df701&start=1717&end=2176","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772436-a93c719da5605d08ef4e6a95106df701/thumbnail_1717000.jpg","/articles/6107938/Pittsfield-City/Berkshire-County/Massachusetts/Pittsfield-council-refers-proposal-to-study-school-committee-pay-to-personnel-review-board-after-heated-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107938-056a6197e70ed7dc098ce4114477d233/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203109&Signature=iIpAaP3nZLPOHfnb4k1C2mKnxHRePD5jiMlj5Q81z0np3VhaK2l7avP9xJRiSKm9flodne2HpbVLipHZjG-6aRE6qF0xWhLNkEdH0D4Pqg9Ud47nHmgFte87NHznTfxsc~Zp0UnyP9VNqgBAKqhom5Nyjnn-g76ntmwQknjkRb7-4SdRa26ZeM7m~V4QZ4V3mpmtGO0~NkK3zUwsLxduHiahvqr7d9U9e7qI2O-HL9NIbPycCfuSV2007Znx0Q2Zp0SpEYajLqe2nfztqXHxkf7eT0QhkHF5jywVnziLRAWLc4TWxBw4pZ1~BYtpzLWge7nN2Xbm4zm~HZDhGeyeKA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pittsfield City Council on March 25 voted unanimously to refer a petition asking that the city review and consider increasing compensation for school committee members to the Personnel Review Board.

Proponents, including Councilor Warren, said the move is intended to encourage more candidates to run for school committee seats and to reflect the substantial workload the committee faces. Warren said the pay has not changed meaningfully since it was introduced and that increasing compensation could help attract a broader pool of candidates ahead of a charter review and upcoming school governance decisions.

\"You get what you pay for,\" Warren said during an extended floor speech explaining why the matter should go to the personnel review board for comparative study. Several other councilors — including Councilor Acosta, Councilor Lucretia, Councilor Olympiase and Councilor Kavy — voiced agreement that modest compensation could make it feasible for working parents and others to serve.

Opponents stressed that money should not be the primary motivation for running for office. Councilor Wren said she supported hearings on the question but said compensation alone should not be the incentive to serve.

Council discussion noted a practical deadline: Warren said the city must consider the change before July to affect pay timing; otherwise, any change would be delayed for two years. The council referred the petition by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Background: the item came to the council from the Ordinance and Rules Committee, which recommended not to approve the petition as drafted and to refer compensation matters to the Charter Review Committee; Warren moved referral to the Personnel Review Board for a focused study on appropriate compensation levels. Several councilors repeatedly cited recent difficulties filling school committee seats as a motivating factor for review.","Councilors voted unanimously to send a petition seeking increased compensation for school committee members to the Personnel Review Board for study. Proponents said higher pay would broaden applicant pools; opponents cautioned about using pay as primary motivation.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6107943,"Pittsfield council approves easements to close out Ashwaltacook Trail extension project",68,1469000,1537000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772436-a93c719da5605d08ef4e6a95106df701&start=1469&end=1537","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772436-a93c719da5605d08ef4e6a95106df701/thumbnail_1469000.jpg","/articles/6107943/Pittsfield-City/Berkshire-County/Massachusetts/Pittsfield-council-approves-easements-to-close-out-Ashwaltacook-Trail-extension-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107943-a7ffff2cd8292288e22fe51a1718376a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203109&Signature=UBq6q2HW3X5r0WRJHvidABiWXV-OLOWrQ4KzM1II~OcmfUHgodCDR-HJZM-NNhfQhBwXZwEpp5qu4CiR~dmO-CTk1XHtRj6GbUcRHnCF-ODemqmjO8iHTTV~eVlCiWpdShdFjAMeFY2neOkK~QPStcimEuWDUQfN~S4-8f~ZmpYWysKKJhOY8jdPAkkCdy4IivvEpPjmTr3QzNHaqosDP1Fy9fAOGWWk7pw8bIUz5-u7WsxOQTAHC~WDFprLIgvPGL6s4LQB58d0U4SSdW2VUFjqjYgOmmICWAJrWclUo~XWIxW8J3fvy7elmms0K78Nj3NyaZK5UQJRcXidY2fwzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pittsfield City Council voted unanimously March 25 to accept easements tied to the Ashwaltacook Trail extension project, city officials said, closing outstanding property matters so the public-works project can be finalized.

The council approved an easement at the trail extension near Route 8/Cheshire Road and a second easement at the extension near Dalton Avenue. City officials described the easements as standard transfers needed to allow the city to perform maintenance and repair as part of project closeout.

When Councilor Acosta asked who could answer technical questions about the easements, the mayor called the city solicitor to the lectern. The city solicitor said the easements were “to close out a project” and that the Department of Public Works indicated this was the last step before finalizing the extension.

Both easement acceptances passed by unanimous voice votes with no further debate recorded.

Background: the council packet lists the two communications from Mayor Marchetti as orders to accept easements for the Ashwaltacook Trail extension. The meeting record indicates city staff from the Department of Public Works advised the city solicitor that the easements complete the project paperwork and enable ongoing maintenance.","The council unanimously approved two easement acceptances related to the Ashwaltacook (Ashwaltook/Ashwaltacook) Trail extension to allow the city to maintain and repair the extension and to close out the project.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6107948,"Pittsfield accepts $1.915 million MEMA grant to fund emergency power upgrades at Berkshire Medical Center",208,1225000,1433000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772436-a93c719da5605d08ef4e6a95106df701&start=1225&end=1433","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772436-a93c719da5605d08ef4e6a95106df701/thumbnail_1225000.jpg","/articles/6107948/Pittsfield-City/Berkshire-County/Massachusetts/Pittsfield-accepts-1915-million-MEMA-grant-to-fund-emergency-power-upgrades-at-Berkshire-Medical-Center","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107948-70f80443e8bb144b273a0a34014798f2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203109&Signature=NVUKcdErEMXLS1Sdi8ejon3zAYYsfvWoIE2MLd770NlUWOL8XuWVSfdbOtiaQ2f6Ouz4Gvx0xqK8GtUwbfJm6WlEEdjS4exURdpQ14Zaa2xJ~QJikIro3FDbuws9Gtd-URDlhQirKPZ88c6WxLhnzqYIA5B5RCQbYD7yGmh5GKbMvlX4D6QBsp66mwnxAn7BHGg5ck~XrLRuM-wS04mXKxBc0q812TVQVOLjuPl8lJRi-QCuWSpddJ9q1fonllYaC8i8HaRVZWREy~TgDoCGCnn9YRHa7Ei163rtjTI1a9FtstNdPh5H~J0SwKyClmhyp9bHisSaKQjBv3Mz2k03sA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pittsfield City Council on March 25 approved acceptance of a $1,915,089.30 grant from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency to fund emergency power upgrades at Berkshire Medical Center.

The vote authorizes the city to receive MEMA funds that FEMA directed to municipalities for emergency energy resiliency projects and obligates the hospital to provide a 10% match to the total project cost.

City staff and hospital officials said the work will strengthen the hospital’s ability to operate during extended power outages. Jim McGrath, the city’s park and open-space program manager in the Office of Community Development, told the council the grant is a “pass-through” award available only to municipalities and that Berkshire Medical Center identified vulnerabilities to its emergency power systems during the city’s hazard mitigation planning.

“This is an important project for not only Berkshire Medical Center, but for our larger community as we look at climactic vulnerabilities,” McGrath said. He added the city will handle grant reporting through existing federal grant systems and that the hospital’s facilities team will administer the construction and implementation.

When a councilor asked whether the work is for everyday power support or only for outages, McGrath responded, “This is emergency power generation. We were gonna lose normal operating power. Yes.” Joe LaRoche, vice president of facilities for Berkshire Health Systems, was present at the meeting and will lead project implementation at the hospital.

The council approved the order by unanimous voice vote.

Background: the council packet describes the award as a MEMA allocation of FEMA funding directed to municipalities to support critical facility resilience; the transcript records a required 10% local match, which Berkshire Medical Center has committed to provide. The city’s stated administrative role is grant reporting and drawdown; construction and operations will be managed by the hospital’s facilities staff.

Council action on the grant is intended to close a previously identified gap in the city’s hazard mitigation plan and to reduce risk to hospital operations in the event of prolonged power outages.","The City of Pittsfield voted unanimously to accept a $1,915,089.30 Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency grant to fund emergency power upgrades at Berkshire Medical Center; the hospital will provide a required 10% match and administer the project.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6107927,"Votes at a glance: Pittsfield council approves appointments, budget transfers, TIF and schedules community meeting",507,1162000,1669000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2772436-a93c719da5605d08ef4e6a95106df701&start=1162&end=1669","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2772436-a93c719da5605d08ef4e6a95106df701/thumbnail_1162000.jpg","/articles/6107927/Pittsfield-City/Berkshire-County/Massachusetts/Votes-at-a-glance-Pittsfield-council-approves-appointments-budget-transfers-TIF-and-schedules-community-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107927-297d2694bd7a567eeba8091d811642df/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203109&Signature=LuxQ0WxmNlXESwBIWvSsdmqgHjDOvahIV0CHcF7Z1Q0nNqPdpkgKqbyI-j~6wm2RZPORK3dMMHKFivCSTyfpL~eKJ25Zyo1dESWdPrhBz~INSwi6uWYyFl9kFRW7z9zof~lLCI1TmyEUEOn6rOCda5gsOlvK~ybfiNNSdiJ4YCEbJ1vWCxIf5xMZjODRzEorX0Pxw3gZwRhOoJLcrbXfP0Ekae944747YwC3R2lEoDs0WRiqYWiLBqQIbEBtDBEwhnxIyTSDRnfcwdsvGRojJGg4uCq4TSrtJRkJq3JBkVHHf0mlMSP-H1JqOf1O107LIGDa8ZdsNkUzcMjZBews2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pittsfield City Council handled multiple routine items and one economic incentive order at its March 25 meeting, approving minutes, appointments, budget transfers, a 10-year tax-increment financing agreement, and a scheduled neighborhood community meeting.

Key actions the council approved by voice vote included:

- Approval of the minutes for March 11, 2025 (unanimous).
- Reappointment of Jennifer Kerwood to the Board of Registrars (unanimous).
- Appointment of Edward O'Toole to the Sister Cities Commission (unanimous).
- Transfer and appropriation of $17,093 within the city solicitor’s FY25 budget (unanimous).
- Transfer of $26,848 from the FY25 City Council on Aging budget to the FY25 Veterans Service budget (unanimous).
- Finance Committee report recommending a 10-year tax-increment financing (TIF) agreement for Unistrust Corporation (report accepted 5–0) and the council’s subsequent approval of the 10-year TIF (unanimous).
- A motion to file and schedule a community meeting (“Coffee with a Cop”) in the St. Charles neighborhood, to be held at Reid Middle School on April 1 at 6:30 p.m., with the mayor’s office and police department participating (unanimous).

Other routine votes were handled without recorded opposition. The council frequently used voice votes during the meeting and recorded “unanimous” outcomes in the transcript. Where the packet or transcript did not list roll-call tallies, the council reported outcomes as unanimous by voice vote.","At its March 25 meeting the Pittsfield City Council approved routine minutes, appointments, budget transfers, a 10-year TIF for Unistrust Corporation, and scheduled a neighborhood \"coffee with a cop\" community meeting; all recorded votes were unanimous.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Pittsfield council unanimously backs House bill to criminalize sexual conduct by adults in positions of trust

Pittsfield council refers proposal to study school committee pay to personnel review board after heated debate

Pittsfield council approves easements to close out Ashwaltacook Trail extension project

Pittsfield accepts $1.915 million MEMA grant to fund emergency power upgrades at Berkshire Medical Center

Votes at a glance: Pittsfield council approves appointments, budget transfers, TIF and schedules community meeting