Allegheny County Council Regular Meeting - April 8, 2025

The Allegheny County Council held its regular meeting on April 8, 2025, with 12 members present and one member participating by telephone. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, a moment of silent prayer or reflection, and a roll call. It included multiple proclamations, approval of minutes, appointments to county boards, referral of a health department ordinance, passage of a resolution related to emergency dispatchers, and public comment focused heavily on air quality permit fees and jail safety interventions.

Proclamations & Presentations

• 13462-25 - Allegheny County Emergency Services (ACES): Council recognized ACES for assistance to the U.S. Secret Service during the 2024 election cycle, which included coordinating 22 presidential, vice presidential, and former presidential visits. Chief Brown accepted the proclamation and thanked ACES staff, volunteer hazardous materials teams, and regional partners.
• 13483-25 - Child Abuse Prevention Month: Council proclaimed April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Joanne Witkowski Smith, a survivor of child sexual abuse and a 30-year advocate, spoke strongly in favor of prevention, child welfare funding, and community-based services.
• 13484-25 - 412 Thrive Day: Council declared Saturday, April 12, 2025 as 412 Thrive Day. Mary Claire Reynolds accepted on behalf of the organization, which supports breast cancer survivors and people with genetic cancer mutations. The proclamation noted the group grew from 11 thrivers to more than 800, with nearly 550 of over 860 thrivers living in Allegheny County.
• 13482-25 - National Public Health Week: Council proclaimed April 7-13, 2025 as National Public Health Week. Councilmember Klein noted public health gains since 1994, including smoking rates dropping from 25.5% to 11.4% and childhood mortality falling from 13.8 to 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births. Dr. Julia Vann, Public Health Director, accepted the proclamation.
• Remaining proclamations read into the record: 13485-25 recognizing the 2024-2025 Chartiers Valley Boys Basketball team; 13486-25 recognizing Community Life on its 25th anniversary; 13487-25 celebrating Gloria Jones's 80th birthday; 13488-25 declaring April 5, 2025 as Happy Days in Allegheny County; 13489-25 recognizing Henry Joseph Ruskin's Eagle Scout Award; 13490-25 recognizing Judge Mary Jane Bowes; and 13491-25 recognizing Judge Robert J. Colville.

Consent Calendar & Routine Approvals

• 13492-25 - Minutes: The council approved the minutes of the March 11, 2025 regular meeting by voice vote.
• Appointments: A group of appointments was referred to the Committee on Appointment Review and then approved by voice vote after the committee reported an affirmative recommendation on April 3, 2025. The first group included 13477-25 Jay Costa Jr., 13478-25 Elizabeth Fishbeck, 13479-25 Guillermo Vasquez, and 13480-25 Doralee E. Brooks, all with terms effective through April 22, 2031. The second group, appointments to the Mental Health/Intellectual Disability Advisory Board, included 13419-25 Dr. Yulia Vann, 13420-25 Vanessa Dodds, 13421-25 Deborah Glover Josweak, 13423-25 Dr. Denisha Slider, 13424-25 Imperatrice Dice, 13425-25 David Forsyth, 13426-25 Kirsten Parham, 13427-25 Aisha Carter, 13428-25 Kennetta Fawkes, 13429-25 Rachel Flinner, and 13430-25 Gineverra Jones.
• 13493-25 - Executive Actions: The council received and filed the communication summarizing approved executive actions for March 2025.

Discussion Items

• Councilmember Macy's Mon Valley Report: Councilmember Macy described a report he prepared based on his 19 years of service in the Mon Valley, covering mental health, housing security, food insecurity, air quality, police and emergency services, and care for aging loved ones. He asked that a copy of the report be placed on the record and stressed the continuing need for volunteer firefighters across Allegheny County.
• 13494-25 - Health Department Fee Ordinance: An ordinance ratifying revisions to the Allegheny County Health Department Rules and Regulations, Article 19, related to medical service fees, was introduced and referred to the Health and Human Services Committee.
• 13495-25 - House Bill 453 Resolution: A motion urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pass House Bill 453, which would add emergency call takers, dispatchers, and supervisors to the definition of emergency responders, was approved by voice vote. Every council member was added as a co-sponsor.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Air Quality Permit Fee Increase: Multiple speakers asked the council to act on the Allegheny County Health Department's proposed air quality permit fee increase.
  • Edward Wren, a physician, spoke in favor of the fee increase and asked Councilmember Ambrazia for a meeting. He also alleged that two Democratic council members have conflicts of interest due to ties to U.S. Steel and the United Steel Workers.
  • Patrick Campbell, executive director of the Group Against Smog and Pollution, demanded action, saying the proposal has been before the council since June 2024. He stated that 23 facilities in Allegheny County require Title V permits and that inaction diverts nearly half a million dollars from the Clean Air Fund.
  • Karen Sloan spoke in favor of fully funding the county air quality program, emphasizing that clean air is essential for children and families.
  • A young speaker identified as Girl Carlton asked the council to approve air quality program funds to protect air for children and animals.
  • Kat Marquez, Allegheny County Civic Engagement Mobilizer with PennFuture, supported the fee increase as required by state and federal law and the Pennsylvania Environmental Rights Amendment. She described developing asthma and said the next council meeting falls on Earth Day, April 22, 2025.
  • Jay Ting Walker, a community organizer with Clean Air Council, said the fee increases follow EPA audit recommendations and urged the council to vote yes so polluters are held accountable and the Clean Air Fund can be used appropriately.
  • Matt Nameth asked the Human and Health Services Committee, chaired by Councilmember Paul Klein, to vote on the air permit fees so the full council can consider them.
• Jail Interventions: John Kentowitz provided an update on the initiative to reinstate certain safety interventions at the county jail. He introduced OC spray, or pepper spray, as a proposed third intervention alongside the restraint chair and leg shackles for hospital runs. He said the warden wants employees to carry pepper spray, that three separate petitions will be circulated, and that position papers will be provided. He disputed claims that the warden and jail oversight board oppose the restraint chair, saying the deputy warden and warden are neutral.

The council reported no public comment on agenda items, but took the general public comments listed above.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the March 11, 2025 meeting minutes by voice vote.
• Approved the recommended appointments by voice vote.
• Passed motion 13495-25 urging passage of House Bill 453 to recognize emergency call takers and dispatchers as emergency responders.
• Referred ordinance 13494-25, ratifying Health Department medical service fee revisions, to the Health and Human Services Committee.
• Received and filed the March 2025 executive actions communication.
• Took no immediate vote on the air quality permit fee increase; however, multiple public speakers urged the council and the Human and Health Services Committee to move it forward.