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Residents urge Pittsfield City Council to reject proposed ‘median safety’ ordinance, cite constitutional and health concerns
Summary
Two residents used the public-comment period to ask the council to disavow Chapter 14, Section 14-12.1, arguing the proposed “median safety” ordinance would criminalize panhandling and protests and that mental-health interventions, not policing, should be prioritized.
At the Pittsfield City Council meeting, held in a session recorded for public broadcast, two residents urged councilors to disavow a proposed municipal rule they identified as Chapter 14, Section 14-12.1 — described by speakers as a “median safety” ordinance that would penalize people who stand on medians to panhandle or protest.
Why it matters: Residents said the ordinance would criminalize vulnerable people and risk constitutional problems while diverting resources from mental-health responses. Both speakers asked the council to pursue alternatives such as…
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