Allegheny County Council Meeting – April 18, 2023

The Allegheny County Council met on April 18, 2023, with 14 members present. The meeting featured multiple proclamations, approval of several appointments, and public testimony on juvenile detention, opioid settlement funds, and homelessness. New ordinances and motions were introduced and referred to committees.

Proclamations and Recognitions

• Chartiers Valley High School Unified Bocce Team – Recognized for being named 2023 Southwest Division Champions and finishing as seventh runner-up in state finals.
• National Donate Life Month – Honored Langston Moses for becoming a living liver donor to his father Darnell. Langston’s last words before surgery were “let’s go.”
• National Library Week (April 23–29, 2023) – Proclamation sponsored by Councilmember DeMarco, highlighting libraries as cornerstones of democracy and their expanded services.
• Astrobotic Technology – Recognized for its lunar landers (Griffin and Peregrine) and upcoming historic commercial mission to the moon. The Peregrine spacecraft is expected to launch in 2023, carrying 11 NASA payloads.
• National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (April 9–15, 2023) – Honored 911 dispatchers. Michael Steimler noted that one in three dispatchers have less than one year of experience and that 60% have less than five years. He urged support for House Bill 349 to classify dispatchers as first responders and address PTSD.
• Workers Memorial Day (April 28, 2023) – Recognized by Councilmember Walton. Joe DeLailey spoke, noting that on average 15 workers die each day and that occupational diseases cause 120,000 deaths per year.
• Additional proclamations (Fair Housing Month, President’s Volunteer Service Award recipients, Eagle Scout projects) were read into the record.

Appointments and Votes

• Phyllis J. Anderson – Appointed to the Allegheny County Conservation District Board (term to 2026). Approved by unanimous voice vote.
• James Kuhn – Appointed to Friends of the Park for Boyce Park. Voice vote passed.
• Kelly Ware, Esquire – Appointed to the Human Relations Commission. Roll call vote: 13 yes, 1 no (Councilmember Hallum dissented).
• Alan Shepard – Appointed to CCAC Board of Trustees. Roll call: 13 yes, 1 no (Hallum).
• Timothy E. Chesley – Appointed to CCAC Board of Trustees. Roll call: 13 yes, 1 no (Hallum). Councilmember Hallum stated her opposition due to concern about binding the next county executive.

Liaison Reports and New Business

• Board of Elections Update – President Katina reported that mail ballots would begin arriving in mailboxes starting Friday, April 21.
• Allegheny League of Municipalities Conference – Katina thanked members who attended the panel discussion in Seven Springs.
• CCAC Graduation – Announced for May 17 at Acrisure Stadium.
• New Ordinances and Motions – Introduced: an ordinance regulating coordinated campaign expenditures (sponsored by Councilmember Dewar) referred to Government Reform committee; a motion to establish timely committee review of bills (Dewar and Filiaggi) referred to Executive Committee; a motion to require minority party representation on committees (Dewar and Filiaggi) referred to Executive Committee.
• Executive Actions Summary – Communication summarizing approved actions for March 2023 received and approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Craig Campbell (President, Allegheny County Chiefs of Police Association) – Urged immediate temporary reopening of Shuman Center or use of a pod in the county jail to detain violent juvenile offenders. Cited multiple examples of juveniles reoffending after release. Requested law enforcement representation on the joint juvenile justice study group.
• Rachel Radke (District 11 resident, in recovery) – Raised concerns about transparency in the management of opioid settlement funds. Noted that Allegheny County has received $8.4 million so far and is scheduled to receive $82 million over 15 years. Asked how spending decisions are made, as the dashboard shows zero dollars spent.
• Lori Moran (East Liberty Chamber of Commerce) – Described retailer distress due to large groups of juveniles engaging in violence, carjackings, and store attacks. Noted that Target has brought in trauma counselors and specialized security. Called for immediate reopening of Shuman Center as a short-term solution and a new long-term facility with programming.
• Pastor Philip Battle (non‑timely sign‑up) – Advocated for homeless families, particularly school‑aged children. Suggested reallocating funding to create shelters in every school district, citing models in Houston and Los Angeles. Noted that McKinney‑Vento transportation requirements force children to travel long distances.

Key Outcomes

• All five appointments were approved; four received roll‑call votes with 13 yes and 1 no (Councilmember Hallum dissenting on three).
• The new ordinance and two motions were referred to the appropriate committees for further review.
• The executive actions summary for March 2023 was received and approved.
• Public comments were heard; no council action taken on the issues raised.
• Meeting adjourned after the final public comment.