PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council went through thirteen agenda items in just under two hours on Tuesday.  These included appointments, financial items, and the installation of electric infrastructure.

 

Ward 2 Councilor Charles Kronick raised several concerns with appointments to the Charter Review Committee appointments, inciting a larger conversation.  

 

Yamila Badui, Michael McCarthy, Leah Reed, Brendan Sheran, William Travis, Catherine VanBramer, and Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi were voted into the committee.

 

Kronick asked that each appointment be taken separately, claiming that there are conflicts of interest with others.  He voted against the appointment of McCarthy because he was on the prior committee, VanBramer because she works in the mayor's office, and Lampiasi because she is a city councilor.

 

Councilor At Large Earl Persip III said Kronick's claim that the committee needs a fresh set of eyes and no bias from the former panel is a reason to have McCarthy serve.

 

"I think those are the reasons why he should be out of committee," he said. "The committee shouldn't be full of all new members, all people who didn't look at the prior charter.  We need a mix of new, fresh faces and somebody who was there the first time for experience.  It's beneficial for the charter commission."

 

Ward 3 Councilor Kevin Sherman served on the original charter committee and highlighted the importance of having people with experience on committees.

 

"When we're appointing an individual to a board it's really a crapshoot, frankly," he said.

 

"We have a good idea of who these individuals are, we have experience with them in some cases, we have a resume, but some of these folks have never been on a board before, certainly not on television before, so there is a learning curve that happens there and it can be beneficial to have someone who has been through the wringer, who has been a part of the process, who has institutional knowledge, who can say why a fence was put up before we can kick it down."

 

Kronick said that Mayor Linda Tyer appointing her Director of Administrative Services and Public Information Officer does not appear to be free of bias.

 

"I hear the point about perception, but I disagree that there is a perception in propriety here," Lampiasi said, listing VanBramer's many positions within the city that go back over ten years.

 

She said that the candidate is favorable because of her breadth of experience within the city.

 

"Mayors come and go," Lampiasi said. "None of us can say for certain if Miss VanBramer will be in the same position in the future and I don't really think it matters if she is."

 

Kronick used the same argument for Lampiasi's appointment.  It was pointed out that the ordinance requires a council member to serve on the board.

 

Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren, who served as a council liaison in the 1980s and said there is nothing wrong with this practice.

 

"We have more of a role in the city government than we take advantage of but we're the backstop," he said.

 

Kronick asked to speak for a third time on the matter and the council allowed him.  He said he respects the appointees for their accomplishments but has a "logical concern about the presentation of those applications."

 

Warren raised concerns about an order to transfer and appropriate $219,914.70 from the fire department uniformed budget to the unclassified budget.  Despite the concerns, it passed unanimously.

 

The transfer was needed to address deficits in three employee benefit-related line items within the unclassified budget: medicare coverage, unemployment insurance, and benefits conversion.

 

Warren said that he has no concern about the transfer and that it is a valid city obligation but expressed general concern for "unfitted transfers without City Council oversight.

 

"It is because it calls into question, once again, as been raised by others, that the city's transparency and communication is not what it should be," he said.

 

"Keeping us informed and up to date prevents part-time public officials from having to scramble on short notice to do their own research. That might take the sting out of last-minute items."

 

Finance Director Matthew Kerwood explained that the roughly $48,000 in encumbrances in question are holdovers for next year and cannot be touched.

 

The council also approved the installation of six conduits on Linden Street from Francis Avenue to Center and Seymour Streets; four conduits on Linden Street from Center and Seymour Streets and across North Street to the beginning of Maplewood Avenue; and one new precast manhole on Linden Street near Hayes Place for the transmission of electricity.

 

A condition was added that Eversource works with Barrington Stage to ensure that the work does not impede its operations.

 

Branden Huldeen, Artistic Producer/Director of New Works, voiced concerns about the operation during open mic.

 

"We're here to endorse the work that Eversource is doing on Linden Street but we do ask there are considerations taking place on the jackhammering happening outside of businesses," he said.

"We, for one, operate a theatre at Linden Street and Center/Seymour.  It is an old VFW hall and we've done all the noise mitigation you can do but if there is any form of drilling or jackhammering during performance we will need to cease operations in cancel performances on an already tight season so we're just asking that is taken into consideration."

 

A representative from Eversource took Huldeen's contact information and said they will be in communication.