PITTSFIELD, Mass. - With the weather warming up again, the Pittsfield Parks Commission is concerned about a potential rise in the number of homeless individuals in unauthorized camps at Springside Park and other city parks.

The commission is planning to put up new signage throughout the parks, reminding people overnight camping and open fires are prohibited.

They also plan on leaving notices at campsites, giving people who live there a date by which they must leave.

The notices, along with a billboard at the park's southern edge, will have a list of shelters, free meal sites, and other resources.

At this week's Homelessness Advisory Committee meeting, Karen Ryan of the Pittsfield Christian Center, which works with the city's homeless, said they should also explore other solutions for individuals who don't want to go to a shelter.

Ryan said,"If people want to stay outside, that's their right. Maybe we can work with some campsites, and maybe we can come up with some funding for them and have someone monitor them weekly in a campsite, wherever, somewhere in Pittsfield, where they can actually stay there."

The Parks Commission is planning to visit with those living in the parks over the coming weeks to get a better idea of how many people are there and what resources they are seeking before determining a best course of action.