Bill Shein v. Pittsfield, City of - City Clerk (SPR 20252502)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records September 5, 2025 SPR25/2502 Michele M. Benjamin City Clerk City of Pittsfield 70 Allen Street Pittsfield, MA 01201 Dear Ms. Benjamin: I have received the petition of Bill Shein, of The Berkshire Argus, appealing the response of the City of Pittsfield (City) to a request for public records. See G. L. c. 66, § 10A; see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). On August 6, 2025, Mr. Shein requested the following: [C]opies of any and all records and documents between the Mayor of Pittsfield and/or the Mayor’s Office staff and representatives, employees, or agents of the following companies and any subsidiaries: • General Dynamics (including but not limited to its Pittsfield-based operations) • RTX/Raytheon Technologies (including but not limited to its Pittsfield-based operations) • Draper Laboratory/Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. (including but not limited to its Pittsfield-based operations) This request includes but is not limited to any records referencing the companies listed above, their operations in Pittsfield, or any city-related business or interaction with them. To assist in fulfilling this request, I am dividing it into two timeframes based on mayoral terms: 1. January 1, 2022 – January 1, 2024 (Mayor Linda Tyer) 2. January 2, 2024 – August 6, 2025 (Mayor Peter Marchetti) I am requesting access to any and all responsive records, including but not limited to: • Email (internal and external) • Letters, memos, or written correspondence • Meeting agendas, minutes, notes, or summaries • Contracts, agreements, MOUs • Reports, proposals, spreadsheets, slide presentations • Photographs, maps, diagrams, or other visual material One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 • (617) 727-2832 • Fax: (617) 727-5914 sec.state.ma.us/pre • pre@sec.state.ma.us

Michele M. Benjamin SPR25/2502 Page 2 September 5, 2025 • Audio or video recordings • Calendar entries and invitations referencing meetings or communications with the above companies • Any records related to site visits, funding requests, or public-private partnerships involving these companies The City responded on August 6, 2025, and assigned reference number 25-369 to this request. Unsatisfied with the City’s response, Mr. Shein petitioned this office, and this appeal, SPR25/2502, was opened as a result. Subsequent to the opening of this appeal, I learned that the City provided supplemental responses to Mr. Shein and this office on August 25, and August 29, 2025. As this appeal was opened based on the City’s August 6th response, I will now consider this administrative appeal closed. This office encourages Mr. Shein and the City to continue to communicate directly in order to facilitate providing records more efficiently and affordably. If unresolved issues remain, Mr. Shein may further appeal the substantive nature of the City’s responses within ninety (90) days. See 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). Sincerely, Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records cc: Bill Shein