Pittsfield Launches a New Municipal Website

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield has partnered with CivicPlus, a provider of integrated technology solutions exclusively for local governments, to launch a new, mobile- responsive, user-friendly municipal website.
 
Beginning on Monday, July 7, the new city website, www.pittsfieldma.gov will be live and available for use. Visitors to the old website will be redirected to the new website to view the most up to date content and resources. The city encourages the public to update their saved bookmarks to the new web address.
 
Looking forward, Mayor Marchetti says that its new CivicPlus website will be a tool that will continue to grow and evolve to meet the needs of the community.
 
"This new website will allow Pittsfield to increase in resident engagement by offering fresh content with a layout that is easier to navigate," said Mayor Peter Marchetti.
 
"Working with CivicPlus, we were able to create a more accessible and mobile-friendly user experience that should make it easier for visitors to find relevant information quickly," said Kevin Zawistowski, chief information officer. "The dot gov (.gov) address change helps the city build trust and legitimacy in a time where it is very easy to imitate or spoof public government websites
and email."
 
Residents can sign up to receive press releases, agendas, page updates, alerts and more by using the Notify Me function on the new website. To sign up, click Stay Connected on the homepage and follow the steps on the Notify Me page.
 
In addition to the launch of a new municipal website, all email addresses for city employees will also have a new domain starting later this month. More information will be shared once this process is finalized.

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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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