Allegheny County Council Meeting — August 18, 2026

The Allegheny County Council held its regular meeting on August 18, 2026, beginning at 5:09 p.m. with 13 members present. Council opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silent prayer, remembering Michelle Futuris, the recently deceased wife of Councilmember Nick Futulis. Members heard a presentation honoring the Sheriff's Office, read multiple proclamations into the record, heard extensive public comment on housing and environmental concerns, entered executive session on litigation concerning the term-limits ordinance, and voted to appeal the court ruling.

Proclamations & Recognitions

• Council adopted Proclamation 14025-26 recognizing the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office for its leadership and dedication during Sojourn 250, a National Flag Foundation initiative commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The proclamation states the National Flag Foundation was founded in Pittsburgh on March 26, 1968, originally as the Flag Plaza Foundation, by scout executive George Cahill and philanthropist Vivian Leehan Lehman. A 5-by-8-foot flag traveled to 26 American military cemeteries in 10 nations and through all 50 states and U.S. territories before its final stop in Allegheny County. The Sheriff's Office served as custodian of the flag and transported it to 13 commemorative stops, including the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, United Steelworkers Headquarters, and Point State Park. Chief Deputy Richard Manning accepted the honor on behalf of Sheriff Kevin Krause, who was unavailable. Volunteer Bill Flanagan thanked the county and said the flag is spending the summer at the White House Visitors Center before moving to the National Archives or Smithsonian. The proclamation described the journey as year-long; Flanagan described it as an 18-month journey.
• The remaining proclamations, items 14026-26 through 14032-26, were read into the record: recognizing summer interns Abigail Daffner and Theodore Tolliver; recognizing Barrel and Flow as America's favorite brew festival; celebrating Peter C. Drummond's 90th birthday; commending Pleasant Hills on its 2026 Community Day; recognizing Rocco's restaurant on its first anniversary; and celebrating Tony Rust's 70th birthday.

Consent Calendar / Routine Approvals

• Minutes of the June 9, 2026, June 23, 2026, and July 7, 2026, regular council meetings were approved by unanimous voice vote as items 14033-26, 14034-26, and 14035-26.
• Communication 14039-26, summarizing approved executive actions for July 2026, was approved by voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

Agenda-item comments:

• Matthew Rubin, organizer with One Pennsylvania, described MBA Affordable's 2023 purchase of 1,300 affordable housing units from Arco, the 2024 conviction of its vice president and CEO for $120 million in mortgage fraud, and continuing lack of repairs despite receivers and new property managers. He urged the county to target the worst violators, consider public ownership of such properties, and take urgent action before winter.
• Paulette Campbell, speaking with One PA for Tenants United, said tenants pay rent for safe, healthy homes but landlords put money in their pockets instead of making repairs. She said landlords made 'over eight hundred billion' on poor property and asked for help for tenants.
• Madeline Mellander, a tenant for 28 years, described a 'big hole in the floor' that lets her look into her basement. She asked that landlords receiving public dollars or taxpayer-supported subsidies be held to a higher standard and not collect while tenants live in unacceptable conditions.
• Sarita Milligan, a resident of Montreal Heights for almost three years and a One PA tenant organizer, described ceiling collapse, unsafe kitchen floors, bathroom leaks, rodent problems, and asked for healthy living conditions and better environments for children.

General comments:

• Rosalind Tosh called on Councilmember Pat Katina to resign, saying he sold out trans constituents and should face his constituents. She supported paid family leave and argued that poor housing conditions and a lack of paid leave will drive young people, including CMU students, away from Allegheny County.
• Benjamin Chizar praised court rulings requiring regular property reassessments, the term-limits ballot measure, bond oversight, and the Government Review Commission, but criticized county governance on the jail, police overtime, 911 call-center suicides, deed fraud, DHS, infant mortality, a two-year-old murder in Pleasant Hills, the Area Agency on Aging budget, vaccination rates, pensions, pollution, climate change, and vector control. He called the lack of paid family leave proof that the county is not progressive.
• Mindy Kinney, a tenant in an MBA Affordable property and One PA member, described constant alarms, 19 open maintenance requests over two months with only two fixed, water damage and probable mold, a six-week pile of garbage in the hallway, and rodent risk. She asked council to expand tenant rights and pass parental leave.
• Martin Garrigan, member of Save Allegheny Valley Environment, opposed the proposed 330-megawatt hyper data center in Springdale and Cheswick, saying it could require twice the energy used by all Pittsburgh households, would have 124 diesel generators, and would cap 100 years of contamination on a 56-acre former coal plant parcel while prohibiting future residential and groundwater use. He cited 85 and 115 decibel noise limits and asked for community notification and meetings with councilmembers.
• Carol Reinert, also with Save Allegheny Valley Environment, described a corneal ulcer she said was caused by particulates from Canadian wildfire pollution. She criticized the data center's 124 backup diesel generators, up from an original 114, questioned monthly testing and power-outage operations, and asked why diesel is used instead of natural gas or solar. She said the financial backer, Davidson Kempner, has $36 billion in assets and does not care about local residents.
• Dr. Molly Kelly, a licensed psychologist certified in perinatal mental health, described a common new-parent scenario involving a $20,000 fertility loan, a complicated pregnancy, one week of partner leave, and six weeks of short-term disability that effectively amounts to four weeks. She asked council to center families over short-term profit and consider paid parental leave.
• Tom Bailey, former secretary of Valley Clean Air Now, criticized past council votes he said protected polluting businesses, praised the 2022 ban on fracking in county parks, and pressed officials to make the Springdale Data Center application process understandable for environmental justice communities. He cited the county's 2024 Environmental Justice Index and the upcoming September 9 and September 16 hearings.
• Catherine Dickey, a social worker from Wilkinsburg/Wilkins Township, described recent deaths from addiction, suicide, and untreated health needs, a lack of housing for people with mobility needs, and her own experience returning to work after major surgery. She said people should not need to be someone's success story, girlfriend, or daughter to afford safe, clean, fair housing.
• David Fisher supported solar energy garden parks at Penn and Negley in East Liberty, pollinator-friendly agrivoltaics along the I-79 corridor in southwestern Allegheny County, and a Pennsylvania ban on neonicotinoids. He noted the West Virginia Land Trust cannot participate until at least fall 2027 due to federal budget and staffing cuts.
• Council agreed to allow three late sign-ups; the transcript then shows comments from Hannah Standerford, Jen Yoon, Courtney Morgan, and Armin Samii. Hannah Standerford, a professor who had 15 weeks of paid parental leave after five IVF embryo transfers, argued paid leave is feasible and vital for workforce retention. Jen Yoon, a Magee Hospital dietitian and lactation consultant, said only 20% of mothers breastfeed to six months and that paid leave is needed for health benefits. Courtney Morgan, a breastfeeding peer support specialist, said paid parental leave lowers infant mortality and supports breastfeeding. Armin Samii, a small business owner from Friendship, supported paid parental leave and opposed carve-outs for small businesses; he proposed an RFP for insurance so businesses of any size could buy parental leave coverage, turning an unexpected replacement cost of about $35,000 into a predictable annual cost of about $500.

Discussion Items

• Council moved into executive session to review the decision in the sheriff's lawsuit on ordinance 13808-26. After returning, a motion was made and seconded to appeal the ruling in the sheriff's lawsuit on the term-limits ordinance. The motion carried by roll call vote of 7-6, with two members absent.
• Council introduced new business: Ordinance 14036-26, ratifying revisions to Article 6 of Allegheny County Health Department rules and regulations concerning houses and community environment, was referred to the Committee on Health. Ordinance 14037-26, ratifying revisions to Article 15 of the Health Department rules and regulations on plumbing and building drainage, was also referred to the Committee on Health. Resolution 14038-26, approving a Chatham University project to be financed by the Allegheny County Higher Education Building Authority through tax-exempt notes in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $11 million, was referred to the Committee on Economic Development and Job Creation.

Key Outcomes

• Council voted 7-6 to appeal the ruling in the sheriff's lawsuit on the term-limits ordinance, with two members absent.
• Council approved the minutes of the June 9, June 23, and July 7, 2026 regular meetings.
• Council approved the July 2026 executive actions summary communication.
• Council referred the two Health Department rule revision ordinances to the Committee on Health and the Chatham University financing resolution to the Committee on Economic Development and Job Creation.
• Council heard public comments on housing conditions, paid parental leave, and the proposed Springdale/Cheswick data center but took no immediate formal action on those topics.