CHARTER REFERENCES
Ordinances and other measures — See Sec. 2-9.
Executive powers; enforcement of ordinances — See Sec. 3-2.
Elections — See Article 8.
Periodic review of ordinances — See Sec. 10-4.
GENERAL REFERENCES
City Clerk as keeper of City Seal — See Sec. 2-5.
Duties of City Solicitor — See Sec. 2-10.
Duty of City Solicitor to attend meetings of committee on claims and licenses — See Sec. 2-11.
Licenses generally — See Ch. 11.
Disposition of fines and forfeitures under the provisions of Chapter 13 — See Sec. 13-9.
STATE LAW REFERENCES
City seals generally — See MGL c. 40, § 47.
[R. O. 1947, ch. 43, § 2]
The ordinances contained in this chapter and the following chapters and sections shall constitute and be designated "The Code of the City of Pittsfield, Massachusetts," and may be so cited. Such ordinances may also be cited as "Pittsfield City Code."
[R. O. 1947, ch. 43, § 2]
A. 
So far as the provisions of this Code are the same in effect as those of the Revised Ordinances of 1947, amendments thereto and other previously existing ordinances, they shall be construed as continuations thereof. All other ordinances of the City now in force and effect are hereby repealed at the moment of the taking effect of this Code; subject, however, to the aforesaid limitation and to the other provisions of this section, but this repeal shall not apply to or affect any ordinance heretofore adopted accepting or adopting the provisions of any statute of the commonwealth.
B. 
The provisions of this Code and the repeal of all other ordinances now in force and effect shall not affect any act done, any right accrued, any penalty or liability incurred, or any pending suit, prosecution or proceeding. Such repeal, in so far as it includes any ordinance creating or establishing an office or position of employment, shall not be construed, unless otherwise indicated by the context, in and of itself, as abolishing such office or position, nor shall the repeal of any ordinance have the effect of reviving any ordinance heretofore repealed or superseded. Any person holding any office or position of employment at the time when this Code takes effect shall, unless otherwise expressly provided, continue to hold the same for the time for which they were appointed or elected, or until removed or suspended or another person shall have been appointed or elected in their stead. Mere change of designation of an office or employment, without substantial change of duties or powers connected therewith, shall not be considered as changing, by way of increase or decrease, the rights or powers of the holder of such office or employment.
A. 
The catchlines of the several sections of this Code printed in blackface type are intended as mere catchwords to indicate the contents of the section and shall not be deemed or taken to be titles of such sections, nor as any part of the section, nor, unless expressly so provided, shall they be so deemed when any of such sections, including the catchlines, are amended or reenacted.
B. 
The City's codifier has authority to make nonsubstantive changes to the numbering of amendments to this Code in order that they be in compliance with the numbering format of the Code of the City of Pittsfield.
[Ord. No. 1332, 11-13-2025]
[R. O. 1947, ch. 43, § 5; Ord. No. 1139, § II, 9-29-2015; Ord. No. 1332, 11-13-2025]
In computing time, the day of the act or event after which the designated period of time begins to run shall not be included. The last day of the period shall be included, unless it is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, in which event the period shall be extended to the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. When the period of time designated is less than seven days, intermediate Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays shall not be included; when the period of time is seven days or more, then Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays shall be included.
CHARTER
The word "Charter" or "City Charter" shall mean the Charter established by Chapter 72 of the Acts of 2013, as amended.
CITY
The word "City" shall mean the City of Pittsfield, in the County of Berkshire and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
CITY COUNCIL
The words "City Council" or "Council" shall mean the entire authorized membership of the City Council, notwithstanding a vacancy which might exist.
COMMONWEALTH
The word "commonwealth" shall mean the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
GENERAL LAWS, GL
The words "General Laws" or "GL" shall mean and refer to the General Laws of Massachusetts, Tercentenary Edition, and as amended.
JOINT AUTHORITY
Words purporting to give a joint authority to three or more officers or other persons shall be construed as giving such authority to a majority of such officers or persons.
JOINT LIABILITY
Whenever any act is prohibited, the agent or employer, as well as the person actually doing such prohibited act, shall be liable to the prescribed penalty.
MONTH
The word "month" shall mean a calendar month.
NUMBER, GENDER
Words importing the singular number only shall extend to and be applied to the plural number, and words importing the masculine gender only shall extend and apply to the feminine and the neuter, if applicable.
OWNER, OCCUPANT
The words "owner" or "occupant," when used with reference to a building or land, shall be construed as including any sole owner or occupant, and any joint tenant, tenant by the entirety and tenant in common of the whole or a part of the building or land.
PERSON, WHOEVER
The words "person" and "whoever" shall be construed as including corporations, firms, societies, associations and partnerships, as well as individuals.
PRECEDING, FOLLOWING
The words "preceding" and "following" shall mean next before and next after, respectively.
STREET, HIGHWAY
The words "street" and "highway" shall be construed as including avenues, courts, lanes, alleys, squares, places, sidewalks, and all other public ways in the City, and each of these words includes every other of them.
TIME
Words used in the past or present tense include the future as well as the past and present.
WEEK
The word "week" shall mean a period of seven days, beginning with Sunday and ending with the Saturday next following.
WRITTEN or IN WRITING
Shall be construed to include any representation of words, letters or figures, whether by printing or otherwise.
[R. O. 1947, ch. 43, § 7]
When any ordinance repealing a former ordinance, chapter, clause or provision shall be repealed, such repeal shall not revive such former ordinance, chapter, clause or provision, unless it expressly so provides.
It is hereby declared to be the intention of the Council that the sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this Code are severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section of this Code shall be declared unconstitutional or otherwise invalid by the valid judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality or invalidity shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections of this Code.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Sec. 1-7, General penalty, R.O. 1947, Ch. 43, § 4, as amended, was repealed 11-13-2025 by Ord. No. 1332.
[R. O. 1947, Ch. 43, § 5]
All references in this Code and other ordinances of the City to chapters and sections of the General Laws of the commonwealth and other acts of the legislature shall be deemed to apply to such chapters and sections as now or hereafter amended.
[R. O. 1947, Ch. 1, § 1]
The following shall be the device of the corporate seal of the City of Pittsfield:
Seal_new.tif
A. 
Within a circle bearing at the top, PITTSFIELD, at the bottom, MASSACHUSETTS, at the left, TOWN 1761, and at the right, CITY, 1891, another circle, concentric with the first, containing a design of a part of the coat of arms of William Pitt, to wit, a shield, marked to denote sable, displaying a fess chequy, indicating argent and azure, between three bezants (two honor and one nombril), a coronet, embattled, above the shield, and a scroll below the shield, inscribed with the motto "Benigno Numine," all surrounded by a circular border.
B. 
Such device shall be arranged according to the illustration shown in this section, but color shall not be an essential part of such seal.
[Ord. No. 50, §§ 1, 2]
A. 
Except as hereinafter provided, all deeds and other legal instruments made, given or entered into by the City requiring a seal shall be sealed with the City Seal and shall be signed and, if need be, acknowledged in behalf of the City by the Mayor. This section shall not apply to any instruments for the transfer of property under the provisions of MGL c. 60, § 77B.
B. 
If and insofar as any deeds heretofore executed and delivered by the City Treasurer on behalf of the City under MGL c. 60, § 77B, are or may be insufficient because or by reason of the absence therefrom of the signature or acknowledgment of the Mayor, such deeds hereby are ratified, confirmed and adopted to the extent necessary or permitted by law, as the lawful deeds of the City notwithstanding the absence therefrom of the signature or acknowledgment of the Mayor.
[R. O. 1947, ch. 2, § 1; Ord. No. 1139, § III, 9-29-2015]
The form of warrants or notices for calling elections by the voters in the several wards shall be substantially as follows:
CITY OF PITTSFIELD
(Seal)
In accordance with the provisions of law, notice is hereby given that elections by the voters of the City of Pittsfield will be held on _____ the _____ day of A.D., 20 _____, in the following places, to wit:—
The polls shall be opened at _____ o'clock _____M., and shall be closed at _____ o'clock _____M.
The voters in all the wards shall, in their respective precincts, between said hours, give in their votes for the following officers:—
And in each ward or in the several wards as follows:—
They will also give in their votes for or against the following questions, to wit:—
(Any proposed amendment to the constitution or other question submitted to the people to be stated in the form in which it will appear on the ballot.)
By order of the City Council, approved by the Mayor on _____ this _____ day of __________ A.D., 20_____.
City Clerk.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Sec. 1-13, Same—form of warrant or notice for calling general meetings, R.O. 1947, ch. 2, § 2; as amended by Ord. No. 1139, § IV, 9-29-2015, was repealed 11-13-2025 by Ord. No. 1332.
[R. O. 1947, Ch. 43, §§ 5, 6; Ord. No. 592, § 1]
A. 
When no other provision is made by the provisions of this Code, other City ordinances or any law of the commonwealth, the City Council, subject to the provisions of the City Charter, as amended, may grant licenses upon such terms and under such restrictions as it may prescribe and may revoke the same at pleasure.
[Ord. No. 1332, 11-13-2025]
B. 
Whenever anything is prohibited from being done without the permission of some officer, board or department, such officer, board or department shall have power to permit or license such thing to be done.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Sec. 1-16, Contractual stipulations relative to employment of residents, etc., R.O. 1947, Ch. 43, § 10; as amended by Ord. No. 273, § 1, 2-11-1977, was repealed 11-13-2025 by Ord. No. 1332.
[R. O. Ch. 43, § 8; Ord. No. 1139, § V, 9-29-2015; Ord. No. 1332, 11-13-2025]
In accordance with Article 2, Section 2-9(a), of the City Charter, every adopted measure shall become effective at the expiration of 10 days after adoption or upon the signature of the Mayor, whichever occurs first.
[Ord. No. 470, § 1, 11-18-1983]
No real estate owned by the City of Pittsfield shall be sold unless proposals for the sale of said real estate have been invited by the City Clerk, or other officer in charge of the undertaking, by advertisement in a newspaper published in the City once a week for at least two consecutive weeks, the last publication to be at least one week before the time specified for the opening of said proposals.
[Ord. No. 1264, 5-9-2023]
A. 
Regular meetings of the Council shall be held in the City Council Chambers, unless changed by vote of the City Council, at the designated time on the second Tuesday of each month, and on the fourth Tuesday of each month except July, August and December; provided, however, if the date of a regular meeting shall fall on a holiday, or a day observed as a holiday, such regular meeting shall be held on the following day.
B. 
In the event of an unexpected occurrence or an emergency that prevents a City Council meeting from being held as scheduled, the City Council President shall reschedule and/or relocate the meeting as soon as possible.
C. 
Notwithstanding the above, when a City Council meeting would fall on the date scheduled for a primary or general election, the meeting shall be scheduled for the following Tuesday.
[Ord. No. 1332, 11-13-2025]
The ordinances of the City of Pittsfield of a general and permanent nature adopted by the City Council of the City of Pittsfield, as revised and codified and consisting of Chapters 1 through 27, are hereby approved, adopted, ordained and enacted as the Code of the City of Pittsfield, hereinafter referred to as the "Code." The provisions of the Code, insofar as they are substantively the same as those of the ordinances in force immediately prior to the enactment of the Code by this ordinance, are intended as a continuation of such ordinances and not as new enactments. This ordinance and the Code adopted hereby shall supersede and replace the existing Code of the City of Pittsfield, as amended and supplemented.
[Ord. No. 1332, 11-13-2025]
A. 
A copy of the Code has been filed in the office of the City Clerk and shall remain there for use and examination by the public.
B. 
Additions or amendments to the Code, when adopted in such form as to indicate the intent of the City Council to make them a part thereof, shall be deemed to be incorporated into such Code so that reference to the "Code of the City of Pittsfield" shall be understood and intended to include such additions and amendments.
[Ord. No. 1332, 11-13-2025]
The filing of the Code in the office of the City Clerk as provided in Sec. 1-21 shall be deemed, held and considered to be due and legal publication of all provisions of the Code for all purposes.
[Ord. No. 1332, 11-13-2025]
All ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent with the provisions contained in the Code adopted by this ordinance are hereby repealed; provided, however, that such repeal shall only be to the extent of such inconsistency, and any valid legislation of the City of Pittsfield which is not in conflict with the provisions of the Code shall be deemed to remain in full force and effect. In addition, specifically repealed articles and sections are set forth in Schedule A attached hereto and made a part hereof.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Schedule A is on file in the office of the City Clerk.
[Ord. No. 1332, 11-13-2025]
The adoption of this Code and the repeal of ordinances provided for in Sec. 1-23 of this ordinance shall not affect the following ordinances, rights and obligations, which are hereby expressly saved from repeal:
A. 
Any ordinance adopted subsequent to May 13, 2025.
B. 
Any right or liability established, accrued or incurred under any legislative provision prior to the effective date of this ordinance or any action or proceeding brought for the enforcement of such right or liability.
C. 
Any offense or act committed or done before the effective date of this ordinance in violation of any legislative provision or any penalty, punishment or forfeiture which may result therefrom.
D. 
Any prosecution, indictment, action, suit or other proceeding pending or any judgment rendered prior to the effective date of this ordinance brought pursuant to any legislative provision.
E. 
Any franchise, license, right, easement or privilege heretofore granted or conferred.
F. 
Any ordinance providing for the laying out, opening, altering, widening, relocating, straightening, establishing grade, changing name, improvement, acceptance or vacation of any right-of-way, easement, street, road, highway, park or other public place or any portion thereof.
G. 
Any ordinance appropriating money or transferring funds, promising or guaranteeing the payment of money or authorizing the issuance and delivery of any bond or other instruments or evidence of the City's indebtedness.
H. 
Ordinances authorizing the purchase, sale, lease or transfer of property or any lawful contract or obligation.
I. 
The levy or imposition of taxes, assessments or charges.
J. 
The annexation or dedication of property or approval of preliminary or final subdivision plats.
K. 
Ordinances providing for local improvements or assessing taxes or special assessments therefor.
L. 
Any ordinance or portion of an ordinance pertaining to the rate and manner of payment of salaries and compensation of municipal officers and employees or establishing or classifying positions or relating to a pension plan or pension fund for municipal employees.
M. 
Any ordinance or portion of an ordinance establishing traffic or parking regulations.
N. 
Any ordinance or portion of an ordinance establishing a specific fee amount for any license, permit or service obtained from the City.
O. 
Any ordinance or portion of an ordinance accepting or adopting the provisions of any General Law or Special Act of the Commonwealth.
[Ord. No. 1332, 11-13-2025]
A. 
In compiling and preparing the ordinances for publication as the Code of the City of Pittsfield, no changes in the meaning or intent of such ordinances have been made except as provided for in Subsections B, C, and D hereof. Certain grammatical changes and other minor nonsubstantive changes were made in one or more of said pieces of legislation. It is the intention of the City Council that all such changes be adopted as part of the Code as if the ordinances had been previously formally amended to read as such.
B. 
Gender-neutral language. Except where otherwise indicated, gender-specific pronouns, such as but not limited to "she," he", "his," "her," "he/she," "his/her" and "him/her," are amended to gender-neutral pronouns, "they," "their" and "them"; and the word "chairman" is amended to read "chair."
C. 
Nomenclature. The following titles and terms are updated throughout the ordinances, unless otherwise required by the context:
(1) 
References to the Massachusetts General Laws are cited in the following form: "MGL c. ___, § ___."
(2) 
The term "buildings commissioner" is amended to read “Building Commissioner."
(3) 
References to the "City Charter enacted by Chapter 72 of the Acts of 2013" and "Chapter 72 of the Acts of 2013" are amended to read "City Charter."
(4) 
Throughout Chapter 2, Administration, Article XLIV, Human Services Advisory Council, the terms "Committee" and "Commission" are amended to read "HSAC."
(5) 
Throughout Chapter 2 1/2, Animals and Fowl, references to dangerous or vicious dogs are amended to read "dangerous" or "dangerous dog," as applicable.
(6) 
Throughout Chapter 13, Motor Vehicles and Traffic, references to the "department of public works of the commonwealth" and "state department of public works" are amended to read "Massachusetts Department of Transportation."
D. 
Subsection numbering. Where applicable, all subsection material in the Code, whether numbered or unnumbered, has been designated with numbers and letters using the following style:
A.
(1)
(a)
(i)
[a]
E. 
In addition, the amendments and/or additions as set forth in Schedule A attached hereto and made a part hereof are made herewith, to become effective upon the effective date of this ordinance. (Chapter and section number references are to the ordinances as they have been renumbered and appear in the Code.)