Common Ground E-Newsletter
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A Newsletter for Community Planning in the Berkshires
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| | Our Sincere Thanks to Laura Kittross | | |
A Much-Deserved Retirement: Celebrating Laura Kittross
Not many public health professionals can say they have coordinated a pandemic response—let alone two. Over the course of her career, Laura Kittross, JD, MPH, helped guide Berkshire County through H1N1 in 2009, COVID-19 a decade later, along with numerous outbreaks, emerging threats and funding challenges in between. Her steady leadership during moments of uncertainty has left a lasting mark on public health in the region.
Laura began her local career as the Director of the Pittsfield Health Department before being tapped in 2008 to serve as the Berkshire Public Health Planner at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC). In 2013, she joined BPRC as a full-time employee, where she transformed that role into what is now BRPC’s largest program—the Public Health Program—built largely from the ground up through vision, persistence and collaboration.
Throughout her tenure, Laura focused on strengthening public health capacity across Berkshire County by identifying structural gaps in services and thoughtfully leveraging partnerships, funding opportunities, community outreach, and professional expertise to address them. Not only did Laura have a lasting influence on Berkshire County, but statewide as she was often requested to be involved in state committees including the Massachusetts Special Commission on Local and Regional Public Health and the Coalition of Local Public Health. By the time of her retirement in February 2026, Laura can proudly reflect on an extraordinary list of accomplishments, including:
- The creation of the 24-member Berkshire Public Health Alliance
- The 19-member Public Health Excellence Shared Service Arrangement
- Expansion to 11 Alliance Full-Service municipalities
- The development of a robust Public Health Nursing Program to cover 19 communities
- Administration of more than 90,000 COVID-19 vaccinations
- Leadership and support of BOAPC
- Grey to Green initiatives
- Age Friendly Berkshires
- The Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)
The program Laura built has grown so substantially that it will now be led by two Program Managers: Jaymie Zapata, who will oversee the Public Health Planning Program, and Lydia Shulman, who will lead the Public Health Services Program -- a testament to the strength and scale of the foundation Laura leaves behind.
Laura’s legacy is one of innovation, resilience, and deep commitment to the health of Berkshire County. Her impact will be felt for years to come, and she leaves behind a program - and a community - stronger because of her leadership.
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Berkshire Municipal Officials Networking
Join us on March 26 from 5 to 7 pm
The Berkshire Selectmen's Association, Berkshire Municipal Managers, and BRPC invite you to an evening of networking with colleagues from neighboring communities throughout Berkshire County. This event is for any municipal officials (elected or appointed) who are interested in attending.
Register in advance on Eventbrite or email lbrennan@berkshireplanning.org prior to March 20th to reserve tickets and request an invoice.
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Green School Works Grants | MassCEC
Up to $19 million will be available to K-12 public schools statewide for the second round of Green School Works grants to implement projects that improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, or mitigate the impacts of climate change. Up to 15% of an award's total funds can be used for project “soft costs,” such as design or project management.
Applications are due February 13, 2026.
Learn more about Green School Works Grants.
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Point32 Health Foundation
Point32 offers multi-year, general operating grants to nonprofits doing work in aging that addresses equity, especially in communities that have experienced disinvestment and are most affected by systemic barriers.
Applications are due February 20, 2026.
Learn more about Point32 Health Foundation and their grant funding process.
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Sincere Foundation Grants
Eligible non-profits who provide services aligned with Sincere Foundation priorities - Food Security, Housing Stability, Safe Spaces - are encouraged to discuss their needs with foundation staff prior to submitting proposals.
Grant proposals are due March 2, 2026.
Have questions? Contact Sincere Foundation.
| | | | Overwhelmed? Reach out to your BFF (Berkshire Funding Focus) for help navigating grant applications! Take a look at additional grant opportunities and resources on our website: www.berkshirefundingfocus.org. | |
Berkshire Gas Rate Case
The current Berkshire Gas rate case could impact gas bills for residential customers in your service regions. As listed on the Department of Public Utilities website, if the rate case is approved, customers may expect the following bill impacts:
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A residential heating customer receiving service under Rate R-3 that uses on average 121 therms of gas per month during the winter season will experience a monthly bill increase of $53.96 (23.0 percent)
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A residential non-heating customer receiving service under Rate R-1 that uses on average 15 therms of gas per month during the winter season will experience a monthly bill increase of $12.01 (25.2 percent)
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A residential low-income heating customer receiving service under Rate R-4 that uses on average 113 therms of gas per month during the winter season will experience a monthly bill increase of $37.79 (22.9 percent)
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A residential low-income non-heating customer receiving service under Rate R-2 that uses on average 16 therms of gas per month during the winter season will experience monthly bill increase of $9.59 (25.6 percent)
Public awareness and participation are important in these cases. Below are opportunities for public comment at public hearings or through written comments.
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Public Health Planning
Program Manager Jaymie Zapata
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‘Berkshire Matters’ – Topic: Overdose & Addiction Prevention Collaborative
On January 12th, 2026, BRPC Senior Planner Andy Ottoson & North County Community Coordinator Anna Youngmann were guests of host Bob Dean on "Berkshire Matters" to discuss Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative (BOAPC).
Watch here: https://pittsfieldtv.org/program/?id=55262
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Into Light
Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and the North Berkshire HEAL Coalition are bringing Into Light, a national art activism exhibition, to the Berkshires. Into Light pairs portraits and narratives of lives lost to overdose to raise awareness of the opioid epidemic and reduce harms from substance use in our community. This Berkshire installation includes ten new portraits of county residents we have lost to overdose.
The display honors the losses our community continues to experience. While we are pleased to have seen a decrease in fatal overdoses last year, Berkshire County continues to have the highest fatality ratio in the state. Into Light highlights hope, the services available, and the role that community leaders, friends, families and providers share to support all those in our community affected by substances.
The exhibition is open from March 13th through June 30th at Hotel Downstreet (40 Main Street, North Adams, MA).
We bring Into Light to our community in collaboration with the Northern Berkshire Opioid Abatement Collaborative, (Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Florida, New Ashford, North Adams, Savoy and Williamstown) the HEAL Coalition and Berkshire Health Systems/ North Adams Regional Hospital.
A series of forums and education events are planned in conjunction with the exhibit. Reach out to North County Community Coordinator Anna Youngmann to discuss scheduling a facilitated gallery walk through and discussion for your group.
Email Anna Youngmann at AYoungmann@berkshireplanning.org or call 413-664-5605.
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Public Health Services
Program Manager Lydia Shulman
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The Public Health Services Program
The Public Health Services Program is designed to support communities across Berkshire County by providing essential public health services and helping local Boards of Health meet their wide-ranging responsibilities. Many communities face capacity challenges that make it difficult to deliver these services on their own, and this program exists to fill those gaps while strengthening local public health systems.
Through the Alliance, communities can access contracted Environmental Health Inspectors and Public Health Nurses who carry out the duties of the local Board of Health Agent. Services currently include inspections, MAVEN reporting and disease follow-up, public health nursing support, and mentoring for Board of Health members and staff. The program is further supported by the Public Health Training Hub, which is staffed by fully trained public health trainers who mentor and train local staff in a state-standardized manner across all areas of public health practice, ensuring consistency, quality, and long-term capacity building at the local level. The Alliance currently provides Public Health Nursing services to 19 communities and Environmental Health Agents in 11 communities. The Training Hub serves all Berkshire County and Hampden County Municipalities with our training services.
In a state where every municipality is required to maintain a Board of Health—each with an extensive and complex scope of responsibility—we provide trained, certified, and experienced public health professionals to help reduce that burden. Just as importantly, we work closely with communities to understand their unique needs, allowing us to adapt services and develop new programs that respond to emerging challenges.
Our goal is to build a strong, connected network of public health support that keeps all Berkshire County communities safe, informed and protected. We believe lasting success comes from partnership, education and a clear understanding of the communities we serve.
For more information about Public Health Services or recent program changes, please contact Lydia Shulman—Public Health Services Program Manager.
Visit our Training Hub website for upcoming opportunities and check out TRAIN, the Massachusetts online learning platform where anyone can make an account and learn more about Public health!
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Transportation Planning
Program Manager Clete Kus
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Bike Share System Funding Pursued
As part of BRPC’s continuing efforts to expand mobility options and increase active transportation, we are pleased to inform Common Ground readers about recent efforts to initiate a bike share program. Transportation Planning staff have been working with our regional partners on a bike share program plan, which has resulted in the submission of a Shared Streets and Spaces grant application by the town of Lee earlier this month.
In 2021, a feasibility study was undertaken by the City of Pittsfield and BRPC with participation from Lenox and Great Barrington to determine if such a system would benefit the region. With a favorable report supporting the launch of a bike share program, public outreach began in earnest in 2024, encompassing much stakeholder engagement and public outreach.
Lee planning staff, with assistance from BRPC’s Transportation team, worked diligently to prepare a competitive grant application to launch a bike share program – a product of collaboration and financial evaluation as well as positive support from the town’s select board. Submitted on January 9th, it is anticipated the town of Lee will receive an official response on the status of their application in the next few months.
As part of developing this application, many stakeholders, community members, and organizations provided letters of support to the project application. We would like to extend our gratitude to them, as well as to Senator Paul Mark and Representative Leigh Davis. Should the town of Lee be selected for this grant, it will serve as the starting point to expand into a regional bike share program.
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Community Development & Housing
Program Manager CJ Hoss
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Community One Stop for Growth EOI is Open!
Community One Stop FY27 Expression of Interest period is open now until June 3. Visit here for One Stop Program information and key dates.
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Community One Stop will be providing information sessions through the month of February that are intended for staff and/or representatives from any Massachusetts municipality or public entity, community non-profit, and private entities that may be interested in seeking grant support for an eligible project(s) through the Community One Stop for Growth.
Learn more about the One Stop and how to register for the webinars.
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Community Planning
Program Manager CJ Hoss
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Municipal ADA Planning and Implementation Projects
This Spring, the Massachusetts Office of Disability will release the FY27 Municipal Improvement Grant (MOD) Program to create Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Self-Evaluation and Transition Plans and to improve municipal properties.
Over the past several years, BRPC assisted communities in receiving funding and developing plans in Adams, Alford, Cheshire, Great Barrington, Lanesborough, North Adams, Pittsfield and Williamstown. BRPC has also assisted communities with the implementation of their plans, including: $23,000 for the town of Lanesborough to install new service counters, renovate the bathroom, and install push buttons on the front doors at Town Hall; obtained $50,000 to put toward the city of Pittsfield’s funding stack to build a new playground at one of its elementary schools; and $30,000 for the town of Clarksburg to renovate the restrooms in its elementary school.
For planning work, the process is simple. BRPC works with the municipality to request funding from the Massachusetts Office on Disability. If awarded, BRPC evaluates all municipal properties based on the 2010 ADA Standards and 521 CMR (the state’s Architectural Access Board Rules and Regulations). We also assess the town’s existing policies and review its website for WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) compliance. The resulting plan identifies and prioritizes improvements that address accessibility needs and enable the community to apply for project implementation funds through MOD’s grant program.
If your town is interested in applying for planning or implementation funds, please get in touch with BRPC Community Planner Andrew McKeever at amckeever@berkshireplanning.org.
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Data & Information Services
Program Manager Mark Maloy
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Public School Enrollment
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) recently released school enrollment numbers for the 2025-2026 school year. The total enrollment at the public schools in Berkshire County is 13,970 students. This enrollment is down 464 students from the 2024-2025 school year, a 3.2% decline. This trend shows a continued decline beyond one year, with the county losing almost 14% of its students from the 2015-2016 school year (2,246 fewer students). At the district level, Clarksburg was the only district to gain students (7), and Richmond stayed even. All other districts lost students, ranging from 2 in Savoy to 191 in Pittsfield. The percentage decline ranged from 0.5% at Central Berkshire to 18.1% in Florida. The Commonwealth lost 15,442 students, for a decline of 1.7%.
For more information, check out Berkshire Benchmarks.
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Economic Development Planning
Program Manager Laura Brennan
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Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) - NEW Priority Projects
The CEDS Committee is accepting submissions of NEW Priority Projects for potential inclusion in the 2026 Annual Report. Submissions are due by March 13, 2026. What's a CEDS Priority Project? Work that will have a significant positive impact on the region (construction, programmatic, or both) and help us pursue one or more of our regional goals.
Please use this form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CEDSfy26
Please contact Laura Brennan with any questions at lbrennan@berkshireplanning.org.
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