Letter: Tom Bernard for North Adams Mayor

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To the Editor:

Tom Bernard, the mayor of North Adams, shows up. Everywhere. And he would do more if only there were more hours in a day. In a recent Facebook post listing a dizzying number of activities which he led or joined in, Mayor Bernard wrote, "There are so many positive and exciting things happening in North Adams and throughout the Berkshires right now, and it's such a privilege to be part of them. Now if I could finally master the trick of being in three places at once."

With Tom Bernard, it's genuine. He deeply cares about all the people in North Adams — their well being, their quality of life, their opportunities. And he doesn't stop at the city's borders. He "gets it" that in Berkshire County, connections and mutual support create more opportunities for the people of North Adams, so you will see him attending events in the County seat of Pittsfield, too.

I live in Williamstown but work and attend civic events in North Adams. I've seen up close the significant difference that Tom Bernard has made in the city — and throughout North County.



Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, is coming upon us quickly. Please take a moment to put the date in your calendar to vote. Every vote matters, even in a city in which campaigns are low key. Votes matter because opportunities matter, attention to righting past city wrongs matter, and moving the city forward in a way that lifts up every single resident matters.

Not only has Mayor Tom Bernard worked hard to earn your vote. There is a slate of candidates for City Council and School Committee who are counting on your vote. Please take the time this Nov. 5 to elect the people who will continue to work as a team with Mayor Bernard to build a better tomorrow for North Adams.

Arlene Kirsch
Williamstown, Mass.

 

 


Tags: election 2019,   


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North Adams Regulating AI Use in Public Systems

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council is considering ways to control the use of so-called artificial intelligence for public services. 
 
The draft ordinance is proposed by Council President Ashley Shade, who said she has been working for more than a year on language for a new chapter in the city's code — "Safeguards for Artificial Intelligence, Fairness & Equity."
 
"The language that I proposed was from a mixture of different ordinances that other communities have adopted, but there are no ordinances like this in the commonwealth, or even in this country, that I could find," she said at Tuesday's General Government Committee meeting. "I built this so it could be built upon. The whole point of the language in here is so that it's a starting point, and that it gets continually built up. ... 
 
"The number one thing that this ordinance does, and the most important thing to me about this ordinance, is that we are protecting the civil rights of the people in our community."
 
Shade, a member of the committee, told the dozen attendees at the meeting that AI was happening; but the city could regulate it and require it be used in a responsible way. 
 
The AI Safety ordinance basically defines two types of AI: high risk and low risk. Low-risk are applications and software that hold no decision-making capabilities such as for transcription, spell checking, etc. So internal administrative, clerical, or productivity tools that "do not materially affect rights, benefits, or enforcement outcomes shall not be considered high-risk."
 
High-risk is any application being used for public services that could 1) affect someone's legal rights, benefits or access to services; 2) employment decisions such as hiring, evaluation, discipline or termination; 3) code and law enforcement; 4) surveillance, monitoring and tracking; and 5) that present a risk of discrimination or "disparate impact under applicable law."
 
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