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Record of Proceedings

Allegheny County Council Regular Meeting - August 25, 2026

County Council — Tuesday, August 25, 2026
BodyAllegheny County, Pennsylvania
SessionCounty Council
DateTuesday, August 25, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 43:50

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0:00

Today's Tuesday, August 25th, 2026.

0:03

The time is now 501.

0:05

It's a regular meeting of Allegheny County Council calling the meeting to order.

0:11

May we rise for the Pledge of Allegiance, please, and then remain standing for a moment of silent prayer or reflection.

0:17

Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

0:42

Thank you.

0:43

May I have a roll call, please?

0:47

Mr.

0:48

Adams.

0:50

Here, Mr.

0:52

Botta.

0:54

Here, Mr.

0:55

Katena, Ms.

0:58

Villiagi.

1:01

Here, Mr.

1:03

Fatolis.

1:07

Mr.

1:07

Grisbeck.

1:08

Here.

1:08

Ms.

1:09

Tallum.

1:10

Here.

1:10

Mr.

1:10

Klein.

1:11

Here.

1:11

Ms.

1:11

Madonna Emmerling.

1:12

Here.

1:13

Mr.

1:13

Palmary.

1:15

Here.

1:16

Mr.

1:16

Palmasina.

1:18

Here.

1:19

Mr.

1:20

Rose.

1:21

Here.

1:21

Ms.

1:22

Geiger Schulman?

1:23

Here.

1:23

Mr.

1:24

Walton.

1:24

Here.

1:25

President Akarati Chapis.

1:26

Here.

1:27

13 members present, one way or another.

1:30

Okay, thank you.

1:32

First item, a proclamations and certificates.

1:35

14042-26.

1:38

A proclamation proclaiming September 2026 is Hunger Action Month in Allegheny County, sponsored by Councilmember Madonna Emmerling.

1:53

Come on up.

1:59

Hi, thank you for being here tonight.

2:03

Proclamation recognizing Hunger Action Month.

2:05

Whereas hunger is a vital concern in Allegheny County, in which 12.6% of residents experience food insecurity affecting individuals and families of all ages and backgrounds and creating barriers to health, stability, education, and opportunity.

2:20

And whereas every person deserves access to the food and resources they need to live a full and healthy life, yet every year, millions of people in the United States experience food insecurity, which impacts the overall health, well-being, education levels, and future opportunities of each person.

2:36

And whereas Allegheny County is committed to taking steps to combat hunger in every part of our community and to provide additional resources that are needed.

2:46

Food insecurity is a complex community challenge influenced by economic hardship, access to resources, transportation, health, and other circumstances, and addressing hunger requires not only providing food in times of immediate need, but also working toward long-term solutions that help individuals and families achieve greater stability.

3:07

And whereas Allegheny County is committed to working with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, feeding Pennsylvania, Feeding America, and all anti-hunger organizations nationwide to educate the community about the continued existence of hunger and to ensure neighbors facing hunger have access to the food and resources they need to thrive.

3:28

And whereas the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank distributes more than 48 million meals to households across Southwestern PA each year through a network of agency partners, food pantries, meal programs, and other community organizations, including distribution to many families in Allegheny County, and whereas the month of September has been designated Hunger Action Month to bring communities together to elevate the voices of people who experience food insecurity and inspire everyone to make renewed action in the fight to end hunger.

3:58

And whereas, therefore, and whereas food banks across the country, including the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, will host numerous events throughout the month of September to bring awareness and help end hunger in their local community.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural███████████████████████████████████35%
Maternal Health████████████████████████████28%
Public Engagement█████████████████17%
Affordable Housing███████████11%
Public Safety█████5%
Miscellaneous████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Allegheny County Council Regular Meeting - August 25, 2026

The Allegheny County Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at 5:01 PM. The meeting included a proclamation for Hunger Action Month, several ordinance referrals, and votes to schedule public hearings on housing challenges and paid parental leave. Thirteen members were present. Public comment focused overwhelmingly on the proposed paid parental leave policy.

Proclamations and Ceremonial Items

  • Proclamation 14042-26 recognized September 2026 as Hunger Action Month in Allegheny County, sponsored by Councilmember Madonna Emmerling. Colleen Young, Director of Government Affairs at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, accepted the proclamation. She noted that 12.6% of Allegheny County residents experience food insecurity, and across Southwestern Pennsylvania one in four people are food insecure. The Food Bank distributes more than 48 million meals annually. She urged support for SNAP and directed residents to PittsburghFoodbank.org/advocate.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes Approval: Motion 14043-26 approving the minutes of the July 14, 2026 regular meeting passed by voice vote (all ayes, no nays).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comment on agenda items was made.
  • Public comment on non-agenda items (all relating to paid parental leave):
    • Casper Borowitz (Regent Square, District 5) expressed strong support for paid parental leave, criticizing the current federal unpaid FMLA standard. He cited UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital giving nurses only two weeks of paid leave and noted his success winning 18 weeks for Starbucks baristas.
    • Tony Watkins (community health advocate, Healthy Start) supported 18 weeks of paid parental leave to improve breastfeeding, infant bonding, and reduce disparities, especially for Black families.
    • Dr. Alice Pinchback (Executive Director, Black Women for a Better Education) argued that paid leave improves educational outcomes by strengthening early childhood foundations. She cited higher maternal morbidity and infant mortality rates for Black families in Allegheny County.
    • Jean Stone (Magee Women’s Hospital nurse for 12 years, mother of three) shared personal experience with five months of leave and stressed that Allegheny County has higher preterm birth and low birthweight rates than the state average. Severe maternal morbidity rose 55% from 2016 to 2022. She urged passage of 18 weeks of paid leave.
    • Harry Liller (Mount Washington) proposed a plan: mothers receive workers’ compensation and fathers temporary unemployment during parental leave. He also expressed grievances about how he has been treated by the council and criticized past county leaders.
    • Brendan Wisinger (Forest Hills) cited multiple studies showing paid leave reduces postpartum depression, improves maternal mental health, lowers infant mortality, and provides net social benefits of $7,000–$29,000 per $1,000 invested. He called the policy common sense.
    • Rosalind Tosh (Pittsburgh) demanded Councilmember Katina resign and strongly supported paid parental leave as essential for the region’s healthcare and labor history.
    • Catherine Dickey (Pittsburgh) spoke about moral injury among council members and argued for full-time council with better support. She also noted the fast pace of recent policy changes and referenced the Trump administration’s 2025 executive order on “ending crime and disorder.”

Discussion Items

  • Appointment Referral: The appointment of Michael Sully to the Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review (through September 2029) was referred to the Committee on Appointment Review without discussion.
  • New Ordinances Referred to Committees:
    • Ordinance 14044-26 (prohibiting county-owned property for data centers) – referred to Sustainability and Green Initiatives.
    • Ordinances 14045-26, 14046-26, 14047-26 (authorizing continued use of South Park property for martial arts, drum and bugle corps, and theatrical productions) – all referred to the Committee on Parks.
  • Public Hearing on Housing Challenges (Motion 14048-26): Councilmember Walton explained the need for a public hearing to address issues in HUD-assisted housing facilities (200 facilities, over 10,000 units) including safety and management problems. He set the hearing for September 24, 2026 at 5:00 PM in the Gold Room. Discussion clarified that the housing is not limited to seniors and that multiple government levels must collaborate. The motion passed.
  • Public Hearing on Paid Parental Leave: Councilmember Klein introduced a motion to amend the agenda to schedule a public hearing on the paid parental leave proposal from the Board of Health. The amendment passed 13-0. The subsequent motion to authorize the hearing set the date for September 10, 2026 at 5:00 PM in the Gold Room, with written comments open until September 18, 2026. Some discussion occurred about aligning the comment period with the Board of Health meeting on September 16, but the date was kept as September 18 to allow Council to consider later input. The motion passed by voice vote.

Key Outcomes

  • Approval of minutes (July 14, 2026) – voice vote, unanimous.
  • Motion to schedule public hearing on housing challenges – voice vote, carried.
  • Motion to amend agenda to include paid parental leave public hearing – roll call vote: 13-0.
  • Motion to authorize public hearing on paid parental leave – voice vote, carried. Hearing set for September 10, 2026; written comments due September 18, 2026.
  • Meeting adjourned – voice vote, carried.

Meeting Transcript

Today's Tuesday, August 25th, 2026. The time is now 501. It's a regular meeting of Allegheny County Council calling the meeting to order. May we rise for the Pledge of Allegiance, please, and then remain standing for a moment of silent prayer or reflection. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Thank you. May I have a roll call, please? Mr. Adams. Here, Mr. Botta. Here, Mr. Katena, Ms. Villiagi. Here, Mr. Fatolis. Mr. Grisbeck. Here. Ms. Tallum. Here. Mr. Klein. Here. Ms. Madonna Emmerling. Here. Mr. Palmary. Here. Mr. Palmasina. Here. Mr. Rose. Here. Ms. Geiger Schulman? Here. Mr. Walton. Here. President Akarati Chapis. Here. 13 members present, one way or another. Okay, thank you. First item, a proclamations and certificates. 14042-26. A proclamation proclaiming September 2026 is Hunger Action Month in Allegheny County, sponsored by Councilmember Madonna Emmerling.

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