Pittsfield Community Input Sought12:00AM / Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Pittsfield - Community matters including housing, public facilities, employment options, crime, substance abuse, domestic violence, childcare issues, elderly issues and more are the planned focus of two upcoming public input sessions.
The first public comment session is scheuled for Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Conte Community School, 200 West Union Street. The second and final session is scheduled for Wed. March 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Morningside Community School community room. The school is located at 100 Burbank St..
The sessions will be preceded by West Side Neighborhood Initiative Steering Committee and Morningside Neighborhood Initiative Steering Committee meetings. The public is encouraged to attend those meetings, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m..
The public input sessions are being offered by the city Department of Community Development and are a component of the creation of a 2008 Consolidated Annual Action Plan.
All those who attend the sessions will be afforded some time to speak, according to information provided by city officials, and comments and opinions gathered are destined to be considered during decisions about how to best spend an anticipated federal Community Development Block Grant.
Those who are unable to attend either session may submit written or verbal comments to the Pittsfield department of Community development, City Hall, 70 Allen St., Room 205, Pittsfield [written] or 413-499-9368 or TTY 413-499-9340 [verbal].
Those with special needs are urged to contact the city Department of Community Development. Every effort will be made to accommodate a person's requests, according to information provided by city officials.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] require the city to assemble a CAAP on a yearly basis. Funded projects included in the plan must include initiatives that benefit low-income and moderate-income families and individuals or eliminate slum and blighted conditions.
A CAAP report draft is expected to be available in mid-April for a public review and comment process as well as a subsequent formal adoption process preceded by a publicly advertised public hearing. The plan should be approved in May and is scheduled to be delivered to HUD offices before the end of Fiscal Year 2007.
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