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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Allegheny County Council Meeting - July 9, 2024

County Council — Tuesday, July 9, 2024
BodyAllegheny County, Pennsylvania
SessionCounty Council
DateTuesday, July 9, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — VerbatimClick a line to jump · ⧉ to share it
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For the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:02

I Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

0:15

Please remind standing for a moment of silent prayer or silent reflection.

0:23

Thank you.

0:24

Please be seated.

0:25

Jared, please take roll.

0:29

Mr.

0:30

Bekowski.

0:32

Here.

0:32

Mr.

0:33

Bonarotti.

0:34

Here.

0:34

Mr.

0:34

DeMarco.

0:35

Here.

0:35

Ms.

0:36

Filiacci?

0:37

Mr.

0:37

Fatulis.

0:38

Mr.

0:38

Grisbeck.

0:39

Here.

0:39

Ms.

0:39

Hallum.

0:42

Mr.

0:42

Klein.

0:45

Mr.

0:45

Macy.

0:46

Here.

0:46

Ms.

0:47

Nakaretti Chapkis.

0:50

Here.

0:51

Mr.

0:52

Palmery.

0:53

Here.

0:53

Mr.

0:53

Palmasina.

0:54

Here.

0:55

Ms.

0:55

Pritzio.

0:57

Mr.

0:57

Walton.

0:58

Here.

0:58

President Katina.

0:59

Here.

0:59

We have 13 members present for the moment.

1:02

Thank you.

1:02

We'll begin with the first proclamation.

1:04

Would you read it, please, Jared?

1:06

13120-24 is a proclamation congratulating Ken Rice upon the occasion of his 30 years at KDKATV, sponsored by Councilmember Katina and all other members of council.

1:15

Mr.

1:15

Rice, would you come up and join me, please?

1:20

You're very welcome.

1:23

Whereas success is no accident.

1:26

It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.

1:36

That quote depicts the true essence of Mr.

1:39

Ken Rice and his 30 years of dedicated service to KDK TV and its viewers.

1:44

He attributes the longevity of his career not only to his talents, but rather to his tireless work ethic.

1:52

Whereas, a native of Chicago, Mr.

1:55

Rice began his career in journalism while a student at the University of Wisconsin, reporting and anchoring newscasts on the statewide Wisconsin Public Radio Network.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural████████████████████████████████████████████44%
Public Comment████████████████████████████████████36%
Workforce Development█████████9%
Juvenile Justice███████7%
Education████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Allegheny County Council Meeting - July 9, 2024

The Allegheny County Council met on July 9, 2024, with President Katina presiding and 13 members present. The meeting opened with several proclamations and included a contentious vote rejecting all five appointments to the Juvenile Detention Board of Advisors, approval of a non-controversial resolution supporting a national unity day, and public comment on police, Palestine, and community outreach.

Proclamations & Recognitions

  • Ken Rice (30 years at KDKA TV): Proclamation 13120-24 congratulating the news anchor, who attended and spoke briefly.
  • William Fisher (100th birthday): Proclamation 13121-24 honoring the former Taylor Allderdice High School principal. Councilmember Klein read the proclamation and noted Fisher was not present.
  • Louise Stevens (90th birthday): Proclamation 13122-24, sponsored by Councilmember Palmasina.
  • 2024 Castle Shannon Community Day: Proclamation 13123-24, sponsored by Councilmember Palmery.
  • Kathy Decker (Golden Life status with Motor Maids): Proclamation 13124-24, sponsored by Councilmember Beikowski.
  • Linda Fisher (retirement): Proclamation 13125-24, sponsored by Councilmember Prizio.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • On agenda items: None.
  • On general items: Yas Azuni of Brookline spoke, encouraging council members to read books by Palestinian authors during the upcoming break, to understand the Palestinian struggle, and invited them to visit mosques for Friday prayers. No other public speakers were recorded in the transcript.

Discussion Items

  • Appointments to Juvenile Detention Board of Advisors (Second reading, Committee on Appointment Review): Five appointments were presented without recommendation (13084-24 through 13088-24). Councilmember Filiaggi moved to bundle them and reject all. Several members criticized the administration for a rushed and uncommunicative process, noting the board's revival came as a surprise just before summer break. Councilmember Walton voted no, stating he rejected the council's approach for not including him in discussions. The motion passed 14-1, rejecting:
    • Dr. Kathy Elliott
    • Richard Garland
    • Tiffany Sizemore
    • Christy Troutman
    • Michael Williams
  • Ordinance 13126-24: Amending Administrative Code Article 210 (Assessment Standards) to codify sales data validation for the common level ratio. Referred to the Committee on Assessment Practices.
  • Resolution 13127-24: Expressing council support for the National Flag Foundation's "Light to Unite" National Day of Unity on July 4, 2026. Sponsored by President Katina. Motion to waive second reading and approve passed by voice vote.
  • Liaison Reports:
    • Councilmember (presumably Bob) highlighted the FAR VEST program (Volunteer Emergency Services Training), offering college education or trade training for five years of volunteer fire service.
    • Another councilmember commended County Treasurer Brussels for transparent communication regarding staffing and job opportunities.

Key Outcomes

  • Rejected Appointments: All five appointments to the Juvenile Detention Board of Advisors were rejected (14-1).
  • Approved Resolution: The National Unity Day resolution (13127-24) was adopted.
  • Referred Ordinance: The assessment standards amendment (13126-24) was referred to committee.
  • No Other Business: The meeting adjourned after public comments.

Meeting Transcript

For the Pledge of Allegiance. I Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please remind standing for a moment of silent prayer or silent reflection. Thank you. Please be seated. Jared, please take roll. Mr. Bekowski. Here. Mr. Bonarotti. Here. Mr. DeMarco. Here. Ms. Filiacci? Mr. Fatulis. Mr. Grisbeck. Here. Ms. Hallum. Mr. Klein. Mr. Macy. Here. Ms. Nakaretti Chapkis. Here. Mr. Palmery. Here. Mr. Palmasina. Here. Ms. Pritzio. Mr. Walton. Here. President Katina. Here. We have 13 members present for the moment. Thank you. We'll begin with the first proclamation. Would you read it, please, Jared? 13120-24 is a proclamation congratulating Ken Rice upon the occasion of his 30 years at KDKATV, sponsored by Councilmember Katina and all other members of council.

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