OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Allegheny County Council Regular Meeting - September 10, 2024

County Council — Tuesday, September 10, 2024
BodyAllegheny County, Pennsylvania
SessionCounty Council
DateTuesday, September 10, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:10:34

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

I pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under individual with liberty and justice for all.

0:12

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

0:20

Thank you.

0:20

Please be seated.

0:22

Jared, please take roll.

0:24

Mr.

0:24

Bekowski here.

0:26

Mr.

0:26

Bonarotti.

0:27

Here.

0:28

Mr.

0:28

DeMarco.

0:29

Here.

0:29

Ms.

0:29

Filiagi.

0:30

Here.

0:31

Mr.

0:31

Fatulis.

0:32

Here.

0:32

Mr.

0:32

Grisbeck.

0:33

Here.

0:33

Ms.

0:34

Hallum.

0:35

Mr.

0:36

Klein.

0:37

Here.

0:37

Mr.

0:37

Macy.

0:38

Here.

0:38

Ms.

0:39

Nakaretti Chapkas.

0:40

Mr.

0:40

Palmery.

0:42

Mr.

0:42

Palmasina.

0:43

Here.

0:43

Ms.

0:43

Prizio.

0:44

Here.

0:44

Mr.

0:45

Walton.

0:46

Here.

0:46

President Katina.

0:47

Here.

0:48

As of right now, we have 14 members present.

0:50

We'll begin with proclamations slash certificates.

0:53

13207-24.

0:56

A proclamation recognizing September as Love Your Library Month in Allegheny County, sponsored by Councilmember DeMarco and all other members of council.

1:19

One of the f one of my if I get this word.

1:22

One of my favorite proclamations to give every year is Love Our Libraries proclamation.

1:29

And that's because how much the libraries meant to me and to children all across our county, our city and county here in their growing up.

1:37

When I was a kid, uh my parents started to teach me to read even before I was in kindergarten.

1:42

So I learned early, and I became a voracious reader to the point that when I was a kid, my parents bought the World Book Encyclopedias.

1:49

And I would like when I read before going to bed at night, would like to read the dictionary and things like that just because you're looking for things to read, right?

1:56

But it really is the key to helping kids become edu get in a good education and good education is key to being um being able to succeed in life.

2:08

So can't say how much we appreciate what you folks do at both the Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny County Libraries, ACLA here, Amy, that uh to provide these services for the kids in our community for the kids, well, not just the kids, everybody in our community.

2:24

So, hey, to get with it here, the proclamation says whereas today's libraries are vibrant community centers that provide information access to residents of all ages, offering innovative resources and fueling creativity and civic engagement.

2:37

Libraries help children and families discover new and exciting worlds through collections, access to computers, digital resources, and special programming.

2:46

And whereas all libraries in Allegheny County benefit from philanthropic gifts to supplement their annual budgets that enable them to enhance services and programs that are available to all county residents.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████33%
Juvenile Justice███████████████████████████27%
Historic Preservation█████████9%
Public Safety█████████9%
Pending Litigation████████8%
Libraries And Literacy██████6%
Government Reform█████5%
Economic Development███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Allegheny County Council Regular Meeting - September 10, 2024

The Allegheny County Council convened on September 10, 2024, at 5:00 PM in the Gold Room, Fourth Floor, with 14 members initially present (15 after Council Member Hallam arrived). President Patrick Catena presided. The meeting featured proclamations, approval of numerous appointments, a land sale, a lawsuit settlement regarding the Schuman Center juvenile detention facility, and a communication of executive actions.

Proclamations & Certificates

  • 13207-24 – Proclamation recognizing September as Love Your Library Month, presented by Council Member DeMarco. Representatives from Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Library Association spoke, noting that over $9 million has been donated during the first eight years of the Love Your Library campaign.
  • 13208-24 – Proclamation recognizing the 10th Anniversary of the Odd, Mysterious and Fascinating History of Pittsburgh, sponsored by Council Members Hallam and Betkowski. Creator John Shalkowski spoke and read a poem.
  • 13209-24 through 13213-24 – Proclamations read into the record for McCandless Township Community Day, Charles E. Evans’ James R. McGregor Award, Judge Christine A. Ward’s Robert E. Dauer Award, Rainbow Kitchen Community Services’ 40th Anniversary, and Executive Director Donna Little’s 24 years of service.

Appointments & Unfinished Business

  • 13132-24 – Approval of John Fournier, MPA, as County Manager (salary $285,000, relocation up to $50,000). Council Member Hallam expressed support with reservations. Motion passed 15-0.
  • 13150-24 – Reappointment of Justin Leavitt Pearl to the Independent Police Review Board. Motion passed 14-1 (Council Member Walton opposed).
  • 13162-24 – Appointment of Qiana Buckner to the Independent Police Review Board. Approved by voice vote.
  • 13167-24 through 13177-24 – Appointments to the Community Services Advisory Council and multiple seats on the Drug and Alcohol Planning Council. All approved by voice votes.
  • 13153-24 – Ordinance approving sale of county property at Hollywood Drive, Hampton Township, for $3,300 to Ashley and Kenneth Downing. Motion passed 15-0.

New Business – Ordinances, Resolutions & Motions

  • 13214-24 – Ordinance to amend Administrative Code to create a publicly accessible database of available seats on authorities, boards, and commissions. Referred to Government Reform Committee.
  • 13215-24 – Resolution amending the Grants and Special Accounts Budget for 2024.
  • 13217-24 – Motion approving settlement of litigation County Council v. Fitzgerald, et al. (GD 23-11396) concerning the contract with Adelphoi for the Schuman Center juvenile detention facility.

Discussion Items – Settlement Debate on 13217-24

The settlement was debated at length. Council Member Macey summarized improvements gained through the settlement: council recommendation authority for one seat on the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board (executive must choose from three council recommendations), regular substantive reporting from Adelphoi, council approval required for contract extensions, and defined bylaws for the Board of Advisors including at least six public meetings per year. Council Member DeMarco argued the lawsuit was unnecessary and urged closing the matter to focus on county priorities, stating the facility provides needed detention close to home. Council Member Klein emphasized the declaratory judgment affirmed council’s authority over county property contracts, supporting the settlement as a win. Council Member Naccarati-Chapkis noted negotiated improvements in contract duration, reporting, and advisory board structure; she encouraged good-faith implementation. Council Member Grzybek asked the solicitor whether the ruling (Judge Emeory’s opinion that the contract required council approval) sets precedent; the solicitor answered yes. Grzybek supported the settlement but expressed concern that oversight remains weak, noting the $73 million, five-year contract is 40% more than prior county operation costs and termination is only available on default. Council Member Hallam strongly opposed, arguing the settlement gives no mechanism to terminate the contract for performance before 2028 (other than default), no elected body can intervene if harm occurs, and the advisory board’s recommendations are non-binding. Council Member Walton abstained, stating he believed the original lawsuit was unnecessary and council should have negotiated with the new administration. After all discussion, the settlement was approved.

Key Outcomes

  • County Manager – Appointed 15-0.
  • Independent Police Review Board – Pearl reappointed 14-1; Buckner appointed by voice.
  • Drug and Alcohol Planning Council – All appointments approved by voice.
  • Land Sale – Approved 15-0.
  • Settlement (Litigation) – Approved 13-1-1 (Hallam no, Walton abstain).
  • Executive Actions Summary – Received and filed after discussion.

Meeting Transcript

I pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under individual with liberty and justice for all. Please remain standing for a moment of silent prayer or reflection. Thank you. Please be seated. Jared, please take roll. Mr. Bekowski here. Mr. Bonarotti. Here. Mr. DeMarco. Here. Ms. Filiagi. Here. Mr. Fatulis. Here. Mr. Grisbeck. Here. Ms. Hallum. Mr. Klein. Here. Mr. Macy. Here. Ms. Nakaretti Chapkas. Mr. Palmery. Mr. Palmasina. Here. Ms. Prizio. Here. Mr. Walton. Here. President Katina. Here. As of right now, we have 14 members present. We'll begin with proclamations slash certificates. 13207-24. A proclamation recognizing September as Love Your Library Month in Allegheny County, sponsored by Councilmember DeMarco and all other members of council. One of the f one of my if I get this word.

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