Allegheny County Council Meeting Summary – February 25, 2025

Allegheny County Council held its regular meeting on February 25, 2025, at 10:15 AM. The agenda included multiple proclamations, the approval of previous meeting minutes, the referral of several appointments, and second-reading votes on ordinances related to park uses. Public comment focused on air quality funding, the restraint chair at the jail, and a sovereign citizen statement. All business was conducted with 15 members present.

Consent Calendar

• None presented; all items were handled individually or via committee reports.

Public Comments & Testimony

• John Kent Switz (Pittsburgh, 15206) – Urged council to reinstate the restraint chair at the county jail. He offered to arrange a Zoom meeting with correctional officers to discuss resident and officer safety. Cited Department of Health recognition that the restraint chair allows upright positioning at eye level with medical/mental health staff, facilitating de-escalation and clinical procedures.
• Tom Bailey (Penn Hills) – Addressed three topics: (1) the 2018 U.S. EPA evaluation of the Allegheny County Health Department, which found it short-staffed and 12–18 months delayed in completing Title V permits; (2) his wife’s asthma, exacerbated by pollution from U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works (the largest local emitter of particulate matter, benzene, and greenhouse gases); (3) the Health Department’s December 2024 proposal to increase Title V permit fees by 700% – which lacked council support. He argued that underfunding enforcement weakens air quality protections and urged council to increase Title V fees to fully fund the Health Department and force polluters to comply.
• Dr. Gabriel Cisneros (Children’s Community Pediatrics, Medical Director at Children’s Express Care, Secretary-Treasurer of PA AAP) – Speaking as an individual pediatrician, he described the health harms of air pollution on children (prematurity, asthma, cancer, etc.) and noted that Black, Hispanic, and Asian American children are disproportionately affected. He asked council to vote yes on the Health Department’s plan to fully fund its air quality program through a revised permit fee schedule.
• Roslyn Daly (Monroeville, Allegheny County Assembly) – Offered a blessing and read a lengthy declaration asserting that “we the people” have reclaimed dominion and transferred power from the County of Allegheny Corporation back to a “Republic.” The statement invoked natural law, the Declaration of Independence, and the Pennsylvania Constitution.
• Nora Johnson (Squirrel Hill South) – Supported full funding of the Health Department’s air quality program. She described personal exposure to emissions from Clairton Coke Works and Parkway East tailpipe pollution, noted health risks (stroke, heart disease, cancer, declining fertility), and argued that polluters should bear the cost of regulation rather than passing it to the public.

Discussion Items

• Proclamations (four items, read into the record):
  • 13401-25 – Women in Construction Week (March 2–8, 2025), sponsored by Councilmember Hallam. Joelle Salerno (Vice President, NAWIC Pittsburgh) accepted, highlighting the organization’s 6,000+ members in 120 chapters and the third annual NAWIC Girls in Construction Camp for grades 8–12.
  • (Second proclamation added by motion) – Recognizing Sir Pizza for 50 years in the North Hills (founded March 1975 by the Filiaggi family). Councilmember Filiaggi accepted, noting the family history and the pizza’s signature no-crust style.
  • 13402-25 – Proclamation for Angela Mike (30 years with Pittsburgh Public Schools), sponsored by Councilmember Walton. Certificates cited her leadership of CTE programs serving 4,000+ students annually, 22 programs, expanded cooperative education, virtual/augmented reality labs, and millions in grants. Angela Mike spoke about being a former CTE student and her mission to rebrand vocational education.
  • 13403-25 – Proclamation declaring February 2025 as Career and Technical Education Month in Allegheny County, also sponsored by Councilmember Walton. Representatives from Pittsburgh Public Schools, Steel Center CTE, and others spoke about the value of CTE, with Steel Center undergoing a $35 million renovation.
• Approval of Minutes – Minutes of the January 28, 2025 regular meeting (13410-25) were approved by voice vote.
• Appointments Presented (referred to Committee on Appointment Review):
  • Six appointments to the Juvenile Detention Board of Advisors, Friends of Hartwood Acres, and others.
  • Also, a proclamation congratulating Katie Floor on retirement from the Court of Common Pleas (read but not voted).
• Unfinished Business – Committee on Appointment Review (second-reading votes):
  • 13370-25 – Appointment of Grant Gitlin to the Allegheny County Housing Authority (term through Dec 31, 2029) – approved by voice vote.
  • 13390-25 – Appointment of Alan Chakrow to the Accountability Conduct and Ethics Commission (term through Feb 11, 2030) – approved by voice vote.
  • Appointments to Friends of Parks (11 reappointments/appointments to Harrison Hills, Hartwood Acres, South Park, Boyce Park, North Park) – motion made by Councilmember Nakarati-Chapkis to approve en bloc based on the committee’s affirmative recommendation; passed by voice vote.
• Unfinished Business – Committee on Parks (second-reading ordinances, all roll call votes):
  • 13383-25 – Authorizing amateur astronomers from Pittsburgh to use Deer Lakes Park for astronomy programs – passed 15-0.
  • 13384-25 – Authorizing Family Links Incorporated to use Boyce Park for human services programs – passed 15-0.
  • 13385-25 – Authorizing North Hills Council of Governments to use North Park as a leaf compost site – passed 15-0.
• New Business – Ordinance 13411-25 authorizing donation/conveyance of a 5,983 sq ft parcel on Western Avenue, Emsworth, to the Department of Public Works; referred to Committee on Public Works.

Key Outcomes

• Proclamations – Four proclamations were presented and accepted; no vote required.
• Minutes Approved – January 28, 2025 regular meeting minutes were approved.
• Appointments Approved – Two single appointments (Gitlin, Chakrow) and 11 park-related appointments (en bloc) were approved by voice vote.
• Park Use Ordinances – Three ordinances (13383-25, 13384-25, 13385-25) passed unanimously (15-0 each).
• New Ordinance Referred – 13411-25 sent to the Committee on Public Works.
• Public Comment – No formal action taken on public comments; the council heard testimony but did not deliberate or vote on the issues raised.