Former Pittsfield Mayor Honored With Housing Public Service Award

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Linda Tyer Clairmont
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Linda Clairmont, former mayor of Pittsfield, has received the Canon Brian S. Kelley Public Service Award from the Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance.
 
Clairmont accepted the award at MHSA's annual Home for Good fundraiser and award ceremony on May 16 in Boston.
 
She joined fellow award winners Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch and Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan. The three were recognized for being "steadfast in their commitment to ending homelessness."
 
During her eight-year tenure as mayor, Clairmont sought to find effective ways to support those experiencing chronic homelessness, often partnering with social services agencies in the Berkshires. She targeted some $8.6 million dollars in American Rescue Plan Act to address housing insecurity and homelessness, including $750,000 toward rehabilitation of a historic building on North Street into affordable units. In a November 2022 editorial board meeting with The Berkshire Eagle, Clairmont said combating homelessness means being flexible and working at it constantly. 
 
Clairmont is currently executive director of workforce development and community education at Berkshire Community College, which she joined in February. 
 
She served as a public official for nearly 20 years. Before being elected mayor of Pittsfield in 2016 (as Linda Tyer), she was city clerk from 2009-2016 and city councilor for Ward 3 from 2004-2009. She is a graduate of Bay Path Junior College in Longmeadow.

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Hinsdale OKs Police Department Audit After Fatal Shooting

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

HINSDALE, Mass. — The town has approved $25,000 for an administrative review of the police department, more than two months after police fatally shot 27-year-old Biagio Kauvil during a mental health crisis. 

Town Administrator Robert Graves said the shooting on Jan. 7 is not the only focus of the audit, and it will be several months before the Select Board receives a final report. 

During a special town meeting on March 11, an article appropriating $25,000 from free cash for an independent consultant to conduct a professional evaluation and audit of the Town's Police Department was approved. The audit includes a review of the department's policies, protocols, operations, and procedures, and concludes with a written report. 

"The Berkshire County District Attorney's Office and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the shooting, and we await their conclusions.  As we look to move forward, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, our insurance company (MIIA/Cabot Risk), and our legal counsel have recommended that the town hire an independent law enforcement consultant or firm to conduct a comprehensive administrative review of our police operation," Graves wrote in an email to iBerkshires on Friday. 

"This event is not their focus; they will assess the overall operation. We want a written assessment of our police operation's strengths and weaknesses to help Hinsdale make future changes and improvements." 

He said after completing the procurement process and signing a contract with a reputable consultant or business, it will most likely be several months before the Select Board receives the final report. 

"Still, it will help the town and police department move forward," Graves wrote. 

Last weekend, family and friends of Kauvil stood in Park Square asking for justice. A flier for the standout reads "Biagio was killed by police while experiencing a mental health crisis. Now, over seven weeks later, authorities have not yet provided any updates.

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