Roll call for the City Council meeting of Wednesday November 5th, 2025 at 9 a.m.

Members Witherspoon, Brzezinski, Flores, Nelson, Schaff, Titus, and Troop.

I'd like to ask everyone to please stand for a moment of silence and the pledge of allegiance.

One nation under God with liberty and justice hurried.

Motion to approve the minutes from the October 15th, 2025 City Council meeting and bills for payment on November 7th and 14th.

Members Brzezinski, Flores, Nelson Schaff, Titus Troop, and Witherspoon.

Okay, this morning we have a presentation of the Jason Belton Award.

Chief.

Good morning.

Thank you, Council, and especially President Witherspoon.

Several years ago, it was your vision to create this award in memory of Jason Belton, the former officer who uh died untimely on the job uh during the COVID uh term.

So this morning it's my honor and privilege to present a Jason Belton Community Policing Award, an award that stands as a lasting tribute to Officer Belton's commitment to the Erie community, his dedication to service, his belief that policing is best when it's rooted in trust, compassion, and partnership.

Jason was a fixture in the downtown area riding his bicycle, interacting with everyone he came in contact with.

We learned that after his uh departure, unfortunately.

The Jason Belton Community Policing Award recognizes an officer who goes above and beyond the call of duty to build a meaningful relationship with the citizens we serve.

This award honors those who exemplify Officer Belton's legacy through proactive engagement, mentorship, and a genuine desire to make our neighborhoods better and safer.

Previous award winners are here today, include Sergeant Mel Soric, Sergeant David Smith, and Patrolman Max Burzel.

This year's recipient has demonstrated outstanding initiative in fostering positive community relations, supporting local outreach programs, and embodying the principles, fairness, respect, and integrity in to find true community policing.

This year's recipient began his career with the Pittsburgh Police Department before returning to his hometown, where he has served for over seven years.

Recently assigned as a full-time saturation unit, he continues on the same path as Jason, riding a bike and making a difference in the downtown.

On behalf of the Erie Police Department and the Belton family who are here, it gives me great pride to present the Jason Belton Community Policing Award to Patrolman Matthew Velud.

Again, is whenever you're done.

What's that?

A couple of words.

Whenever we're done.

Oh, sure.

Well, let's hear it from them.

Thank you, guys.

I'm truly honored to receive this award.

Having had the privilege, privilege of knowing Jason before he passed, I saw firsthand how he approached community policing.

He set the standard high, treating everyone with genuine care and respect.

Every day I strive to live up to the example he set, and I believe we all should.

To Jason's family, thank you for being here today.

Your strength and compassion reminds us all how great a man Jason was.

And his legacy continues to inspire all of us every day.

Thank you to the previous award winners for carrying on Jason's example and to the command staff, the saturation unit, and to Deputy Chief Russo.

Your guidance and support mean everything.

Community policing isn't just a program.

Community policing isn't just a program, it's a mindset.

It's about knowing the people we serve, understanding their needs, and building trust, one conversation at a time.

That connection is what keeps our neighborhood safe and makes this job so meaningful.

To all my fellow officers, thank you for the work you do every day, your sacrifices you make, for the compassion you show to this community.

This award represents all of us who believe in what community policing truly means.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

I didn't know feeling.

Good morning, everyone.

I'm very happy to be here.

Can you hear me okay?

I have my mic on.

So I'm very happy to be here with you this morning to present the city's 2026 budget and also the five-year forecast, which goes through 2030.

Our approach to doing the budget was very similar to what we've done in the past.

Finance Director Lisa Gomersal who's here with me, assistant finance director Melissa Rizzo, Chief of Staff, Renee Lamus, and I met with each department director at least once to discuss every line on their budget.

Once we completed all the meetings, we made some cuts and drafted the 110 million 112,599 preliminary budget that you have received.

The budget present represents an increase of approximately 2.4 million dollars, which is a two and a quarter percent increase over 2025.

Considering the inflation alone is on average around 3%, and given the salaries and benefits are approximately 90% of the budget, with increases already factored in due to union contracts.

I am proud of how the process unfolded and the thoughtfulness of each director as they looked ahead to priorities and needs, but held the line on expenses.

Now I will briefly highlight some of the major elements of this budget.

As you already know, we have been able to hold steady on the city's budget with no property tax increases for the last six years.

We did this in an in an effort to help residents recover from COVID.

In order to cover the structural deficits, you will recall that we set aside 15.5 million dollars from the prepayment of the water lease.

To this date, we have used about 8.8 million dollars as follows.

Three and a half million we used in 2020, 2 million in 2021, 3.3 million in 2022, and nothing in 2023 or 2024.

In 2025, we anticipate using about four, we anticipated using about three point four, excuse me, four point three million dollars.

However, we believe we'll only need about one point seven million dollars.

This will leave four million nine hundred and sixty-four thousand three hundred and ninety-nine dollars leaves it with us or with all of you.

So we ran several scenarios to the 2030 to balance the budget.

I'll tell you about those.

The 2026 primary draft budget is based on a scenario in which we recommended increasing the property taxes by one mil this year.

This equates to a tax increase of approximately 100 dollars per 100,000 home value.

We expect that the revenue will be generated by one mil increase will uh be approximately 2,870,572, and that is 91% of what we bill.

One mil is the actual value of 3,154,475.

This scenario splits the remaining water lease prepayment funding between 2026 and 2027, using approximately 2.2 million to cover the 2026 deficit and about 2.8 million to cover the 2027 deficit.

This will smooth out the increase needed to balance the budget in future years.

These increases are shown on the five-year projection page for the general fund, and that's page 91.

We look at a scenario a second scenario in which we would recommend no property increases in 2026 and balance the budget using all the remaining water release prepayment money.

However, this scenario would result in in need for nearly three mills of tax increase in 2027.

That would equate to $294 tax increase per $100,000.

In our estimation, we thought it would be easier for taxpayers if we evened out the increases so that we increase approximately $100 per 100,000 property in both 26 and 2027.

We also forecasted a third scenario that this that depends on whether the state legislator increases the local service tax or LST ceiling.

The LST has not been increased since 2007.

This scenario, the LST, which is paid by everyone who works for the city, would increase from $52 a year to $156 a year.

Given that 60% of those who work in the city live outside the city but use our city streets, resources, and services day in and day out, this increase would help to take the tax burden off residents and would enable the city to smooth out the property tax increase to less than one mil per year needed to balance the budget in the future.

Here are a few other highlights that I will touch on.

First is the general fund debt service was scheduled to increase from 209,000 to 1.7 million in 2026.

But due to the 20 million 20.9 million dollar bond issue from the public safety complex at 2011 State Street in 2025, general fund debt service will be $1.8 million.

Four contracts for purchase one of the four contracts for purchase, one has been bid out and awarded, and we are working on the RFP for phase two.

The bond must be spent within three years, as you probably know.

By capitalizing interests, we were able to move $1,081,572.88 of the bond proceeds into the debt service fund, which will be used for the repayment of debt service on the bonds in May and November of 2026 and May of 2027.

We are in the second year of the police contract with Exxon Enterprises Increase Incorporated, which includes tasers, body cameras, radios, digital stores, and many other things.

We saved over $400,000 on the 2025 payment due to grant dollars received in 2025, as well as restructuring of the contract.

We have additional grant funds for future years as well.

The capital budget includes a fire truck that was ordered in 2023 and will be arriving in September of 2026 next year in order to pay for the fire truck as well as a small percentage of our routine, but much needed capital improvements.

It is imperative that we resume taking the distribution of 4 percent of the September 30 balance in the Water Reserve Fund as well as requesting the amounts that the Capital Fund did not receive in 2022 and 2023.

You will notice that we added three Teamsters to the Bureau of Parks as a result of the comprehensive parks, recreation, and open spaces plan.

As part of the benchmarking analysis of comparable municipalities conducted by our consultant design works, the analysis clearly indicates that the city's Bureau of Parks is severely understaffed and has been since the since the Bureau was cut from 30 FTEs down to 11, where it was where it has stayed since.

Today, the city has seven staff who are responsible for specifically maintaining our 50 parks.

Comparatively, five other communities outside our area in this analysis that are maintaining anywhere from 30 to 71 parks, they range from 40 to 113 employees doing that.

It is critical to add staff in order to begin to build up the city's capacity to not only maintain but develop our parks and rec system and implement the citywide parks and rec plan, which will be completed in the spring of 2026.

The Erie Zoo insurance and gas expenses are still in the budget at 100 percent because although City Council voted to sign over the land to Erie events, we have not we do not have a final contract in place yet and don't know when this will be completed.

Golf and picnic area services are budgeted as normal as we expect to continue operating with these public acts assets for our residents.

Sewer lease payments have increased due to the $5.5 million bond issue by the Erie Sewer Authority.

As you know, the sewer increases follow the ordinance passed in 2024 detailing the rates for 2025 through 2029 to cover the costs of the infrastructure bond issue.

The expected revenue resulting from the sewer increases amounts to $2,342,500.

Refuse is budgeting to increase by approximately $4.08 per quarter or 16.32 per year, and that now will now yield $541,834.

The stormwater management fee will not be increased from its current rates of 12, 24 or $36 per year for small, medium, and large tier homes based on the amount of impervious surface or the current rate of $24 per 236 2,136 square feet of impervious surface for businesses, nonprofits, and for public entities.

My team and I look forward to working with you on the 2026 budget to give you a good understanding of what we are proposing.

Budget sessions will department are already scheduled, as you know, and will begin this Thursday, November 6th.

Additional sessions are also scheduled for November 11th, November 13th, and November 20th.

All will be held at 5 30 p.m.

here in City Council Chambers with the final meeting anticipated after the City Council meeting on Wednesday, December 3rd.

Thank you all.

Thank all seven of you for working so hard.

You're doing great things on the city's finances.

Renee and I will be happy to take any uh questions you might have now on the proposed budget.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mayor.

Any questions from Council at this time?

I just want to note that I appreciate in the five-year projections having uh picture what the millage would be over the next five years for the for the previous years of your administration, we've just let the deficit that would build without any increases hang out there.

And I think it I think this gives it a much more accurate projection.

Um, and I appreciate being able to see that.

Any other questions?

Any further questions?

Look forward to working with you on this.

Thank you very much, Mayor.

Okay.

Uh repository sales.

Are there any repository sales?

Are there any repository sales?

Are there any repository sales?

Hearing none.

Glory.

Sorry.

Public comments if you want to come up to the mic, you have five minutes.

Good morning.

One minute.

Good morning.

Ladies and gentlemen.

My name is Kenneth Bounds.

I live on Colorado Drive in Erie.

On Thursday, the 23rd of October in the morning, we discovered that we discovered water with sewage entering our basement from the sewer drain.

Even though we have a backflow preventive installed, like many other houses in our area, we were inundated with unpleasant water.

This is not the only time this has happened, but now I want the council to do something.

Nothing was done before.

And I'm it's not sufficient for me to be told that you can make a claim for your deductible to the council should the council be found to be the term um at fault.

Should the council be found to be um the term um uh uh at fault?

So I'm requesting two simple things.

I would like the city to provide an engineering report on the causes of the backup and the drains on South Shore Drive, and two um ask the city to make such improvements that this to the drainage system uh on South Shore Drive, together with Milk Creek Township, uh, to ensure that this will not happen again.

I'm sure you're all aware of what happened on that Thursday morning.

It rained a lot, but it's disgusting to have sewage coming back into your house.

It's not pleasant at all.

Do you have any questions for me?

Will anything be done?

No.

Uh administration, could you have our engineering department take a look at this place?

Uh I I will say that um since that date, the uh city sewer department has been extremely active in the area, investigating what's going on.

But that's all we know.

We know they're there and that they're very active.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Are there any other citizens to be heard?

Good morning.

My name is Deontay Coley, lifelong Erie resident.

Uh, first and foremost, I want to say congratulations to Miss Flores and Mr.

Troop on your re-election.

Um, you guys will have an opportunity for more years to serve, which is great.

Um, hopefully we can work on building better relationships.

I know I've come in here and said things, and I'm gonna continue to come in here and say things, but I'm still concerned for the Erie community, so I uh the plan is to continue to engage and hopefully we can soften up the conversations and and get to some type of resolutions.

I'm also glad that uh brother Andre Horton will be coming to City Council because I already know how he's coming and how he um how he feels about the city of Erie, and I do believe that some of the things that we have been asking for and asking about um will come to fruition, will come to light.

I uh I pray to God that he's a a good God and a good mentor for the two of you.

Um because in my opinion it is needed.

Um, I would like to say I've been here, we've been here seeking Justice Fricello, um, and it was very interesting to see the police in here as well as the district attorney.

And what I will say is throughout my years in Erie, I've seen a lot of those officers in the community.

So I do believe that they uh deserve an award and recognition.

There was actually the young gentleman who was sitting second seat, like I used to see him at the Glenwood YMCA.

We used to work out together all the time.

I remember he was a kid, he was younger than me.

Um and then also to see the district attorney to be in here to watch somebody be recognized.

It was a great thing to see.

The reason why I say it was a great thing to see is because police are being recognized for their community engagement and their activity in the community, and we have been asking about a police review board for our community, and it seems as though they would be interested in engaging with us unless they were just willing to come down here to receive awards.

I know this was something that has been presented before in the past.

Um I just read through the agenda a little bit before I came up here to see if maybe you guys have thought to consider to put it on the agenda or start to discuss it.

I've had some conversations with uh different individuals.

As a matter of fact, Mr.

Brian Harrington, who was a retired state trooper, said he would love to see something like that happen, and he said he would be the first person to sign up to be a citizen on our review board as well as uh Mr.

Cleet Collins, who is a retired uh principal from the Erie Public Schools.

I see those guys every single day, and they both said, hey, if that's something that's possible, I would love to be a part of that.

So this is not just me speaking from a young man's perspective or from an angry individual's spec uh perspective.

There are concerned people in the city of Erie with credentials in the background who would be interested in seeing a citizen police review board.

I want to see it because I would like to have a better off uh relationship with these officers who come into our community and who receive awards for being involved in our communities.

And I that officer who received the word, I've never seen him before.

I didn't know his name until today.

And then I believe uh I didn't have a pen to write down some of the things that Spozerny said, but when he talked about the engagement in the community and what the Erie police would like to do or what they should do, it's more or less like why can't we?

You know how those conversations, why can't we be a part of those conversations?

I didn't know if it was an opportunity for us to even pick.

Can we nominate police officers?

Can we have an award ceremony for our police?

The only way we as citizens can do that is if we know who they are, if we engage with them and not when they're in our neighborhoods pulling us over setting traps.

Again, I ride through the neighborhood all day and I see police everywhere on the east side.

You know what I mean?

So it's about that.

And then it's also like we need role models, and we need people to set examples for us as young people.

As I'm speaking, Mr.

Brzezinski is over there.

I'm not sure if he's texting, he's ordering pizza or what he's doing with his cell phone.

You know what I mean?

But it's quite rude when you know when I'm standing here speaking as a concerned citizen, and you're probably gonna tell me to, I'm out of order, but is he, Mr.

President?

Well, I don't know what his business is or what the rules are when it comes to that, but these are some of the things that we talk about.

We tired of.

So I hope when Dre come in here, y'all understand how he comes in and we're gonna keep coming and filling his room up.

A lot of people aren't here in the morning to to do that.

But this is what I'm saying.

These are the things that we talking about.

We say leadership in Erie and what it looks like, that is what it looks like.

You understand what I'm saying?

But I'm glad again, congratulations to Daria, because I feel like she she makes herself um accessible and she's gonna listen.

So some things are going to change around here.

We had a town hall meeting the other day, and it was great, it was great conversations.

Thank you to Mr.

Chuck Nelson for being present.

I wish more of your colleagues would have supported you.

Um, Dr.

Titus was there, you know, to witness it, but it would have been nice for them to at least support you as a colleague to say, hey, Chuck's putting his neck out there on the line.

Um, he he we have all been attacked.

Me and Chuck went back and forth on social media, but yeah, he still answered the call, he showed up.

And nobody up there can say that they didn't see it because everybody in Erie's seen it.

We talked about it.

We're gonna release the video to kind of talk about some of the things, but again, when you see police being recognized for a community, and then a district attorney is here, and we've been asking y'all, hey, talk to her, talk to her, talk to her.

I went out there to talk to her myself, and we had a conversation for about a good 10 minutes.

Have you all talked to her?

But my Tom is running out, and Mr.

Brzezinski wants to get back to his candy crush game or whatever, so I'm gonna have a seat.

I'll have a good one.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Hello, my name is Robert Tacus.

There are three things that come to my mind that I want to talk to you guys about, okay?

I live up on 16th and Myrtle between Myrtle and Hickory.

You know, there's a stop sign on Myrtle to turn on the 16th.

Where's a stop sign coming over 16th?

Listen, I have a seven-year-old niece that I play outside with.

You see, I'm in a wheelchair.

I play outside with my niece.

There's people that turn off 16th and SAS and they fly over 16th.

What's gonna happen one day if they hit a patch of ice and kill somebody?

There needs to be a stop sign there.

And second of all, I have been pulled over by cops 24-7 for riding on the streets in my wheelchair.

And you know what I tell them?

How can I ride on a sidewalk when all these sidewalks are all broken up?

Where if you own a home, is your job as a homeowner is to maintain your property.

If that means your sidewalk breaks, you fix it.

Where's the city on that?

They want our taxes, but they don't want to do nothing about that.

And Miss Devlin, I like to see what you can do for the city.

We appreciate you.

And second of all, but not least, I'm gonna end it with this.

This justice for cello stuff, we need your guys' help.

There's a family out there that is mourning, it's gone on for two months now.

And let me tell you, if that's one of us, if we go out there and shoot somebody, we're in handcuffs right away, we're put in Erie County prison until we have a court date.

Where are you guys to help us?

You're doing nothing to help us.

We are an organization trying to get justice for Trello.

What is taking this district attorney so long?

It is ridiculous.

We want your guys' help.

We elect you guys to help us to serve us.

And where are you guys?

Nowhere to be found.

When we need a voice a lane on, where are you guys?

Nowhere to be found.

Do you guys understand our pain?

Do you understand that the city is suffering?

But we have to continue to sit here and wait and wait and wait for a ruling from her.

It's ridiculous.

My voice is being heard today, and I hope it's heard well.

But like I said in this preacher when I first started out, listen, you know, if that's one of us citizens, we're in jail behind bars until our court date.

This guy is out in Mercer County, running three.

What's he gonna do?

Kill somebody else now?

Look at the video that's out there.

This is ridiculous.

Our judicial system is a joke.

We elect you guys to help us.

So you know what?

Be there for us.

And Jasmine, I'm glad to see you're back.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any other citizens to be heard?

Are there any other citizens to be heard?

Are there any other citizens to be heard?

Hearing none.

Ordinances for final passage.

Councilfile number 16565, official ordinance 75, 2025.

An ordinance appropriating the sum of $25,000 from unappropriated and unanticipated revenue to be received from a community partnershipships program grant administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which is the DCNR, and providing for the expenditure thereof.

Sponsored by Councilmember Flores, seconded by Councilmember Titus, the Councilfile Ordinance Bill number 16565, and now known as official file ordinance 75-2025, be finally passed by City Council.

Members Brzezinski, Flores, Nelson, Schoff, Titus Troop, and Witherspoon.

City Council pass official file ordinance 75-2025, finally by Yay 7-NAZO.

Ordinances for first reading.

Council file number 1656.

An ordinance appropriating the sum of $34,268 of program income generated through the home program for the following home M18 projects.

Mostly city housing rehab.

Seconded by Councilmember Flores.

The Councilfile Ordinance 1656 haven't been read is hereby adopted on first reading by City Council.

Members Brzezinski Flores Nelson Schoff, Titus, Troop, and Witherspoon.

City Council Red and Adopt.

Councilfile Ordinance 1656 by Yay 7.0 on first reading.

Councilfile number 16567.

An ordinance appropriating the sum of $1,000 from appropriated and anticipated revenue from a donations made by McDonald's 911 fundraiser.

Sponsored by Councilmember Schoff.

Seconded by Councilmember Brzezinski.

The Councilfile Ordinance number 16567 haven't been read is hereby adopted on first reading by City Council.

Members Brzezinski, Flores, Nelson, Schaaf, Titus, Troop, and Witherspoon.

City Council read and adopt Councilfile Ordinance 16567 by Yay 70 on first reading.

Council file number 16568.

An ordinance appropriating the sum of $1,000 from appropriated and anticipated revenue from a donation made by the Irish Wolfhound Association of Lake Erie.

Sponsored by Councilmember Schoff, seconded by Councilmember Brzezinski.

The Councilfile Ordinance number 16568.

And having been read is hereby adopted on first reading by City Council.

Members Brzezinski, Flores, Nelson, Schaff, Titus Troop, and Witherspoon.

City Council Rennet adopt Council File Ordinance 16568 by Yay 7, Nay Zero on first reading.

Council file number 1657.

Of the City Council of the City of Erie, the city determining to incur lease rental debt evidenced by the guaranteed revenue note in the maximum principal amount of 12 million dollars to be authorized and issued by the City Water Authority in connection with the construction alterations and improvements to the public water distribution facilities in and about the city, including but not limited to the Sigsby RSW Pump Station, Sigsby Valve Vault and Line Replacement Project, and paying related costs, fees, and expenses, specifying the realistic useful life of the project, authorizing and directing appropriate officers of the city to take certain actions and to execute certain documents, including a guarantee agreement between the city, the get as guarantor, and the Erie City Water Authority, and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, approving the form maximum guaranteed amounts and sources of payment of the guarantee agreement, creating a sinking fund in connection with such guarantee obligations, and appointing a sick sinking fund depository and providing for the repeal of all inconsistent ordinances or parts of ordinances.

Sponsored by Councilmember Schoff, seconded by Councilmember Brzezinski.

The council file ordinance number 16571 haven't been read is hereby adopted on first reading by City Council.

Members Brzezinski, Flores, Nelson, Schaff, Titus, Troop, and Witherspoon.

City Council rent it adopt council file ordinance 16571 by Yay 70 on first reading.

Council file number 16572.

The City Council of the City of Erie, the city determining to incur lease rental debt evidenced by the guaranteed revenue bond and the maximum principal amount of 3 million 32,000 32,351 dollars to be authorized and issued by Erie City Water Authority in connection with the construction alteration and improvements to the public water distribution facilities in and about the city, including but not limited to the customer side, galvanized service line replacement project phase three and paying related costs, fees, and expenses, specifying the realistic useful life of the project, authorizing and directing appropriate officers of the city to take certain actions and to execute certain documents, including a guarantee agreement between the city as guarantor and the Erie City Water Authority and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, approving the form maximum guaranteed amounts and sources of payment of the guarantee agreement, creating a sinking fund in connection with such guarantee obligations and appointing a sinking fund depository and providing for the repeal of all inconsistent ordinances or parts of ordinances.

Sponsored by Councilmember Schaft, seconded by Councilmember Brzezinski, the Council File Ordinance 16572 haven't been read is hereby adopted on first reading by City Council.

Members Brzezinski Flores Nelson Schaaf Titus Troop Witherspoon City Council read and adopt council file ordinance 16572 by yay seven on first reading and finally 16,573.

An ordinance appropriating a sum of 1,000 dollars from unappropriated and unanticipated revenue for the expenditure thereof for canine training sponsored by councilmember Schaff, seconded by councilmember Brzezinski.

The council file ordinance number 16573 having been read is hereby adopted on first reading by City Council, members Brzezinski, Flores, Nelson, Schaaf, Titus, Troop, and Witherspoon.

City Council read and adopt Council File Ordinance 16573 by Yay 7, Nay Zero on first reading.

Council President, this takes us to new business as we have no old business.

Okay, thank you very much.

Second motion from it's been moved and seconded.

Any separations?

Three, please.

Any other separations.

Hearing none, moving the balance of the agenda.

Members Brzezinski, Flores, Nelson, Schaaf, Titus, Troop, and Witherspoon.

Number three.

Resolved by the City Council of the City of Erie, receiving the communication from Mayor Joe Shember and confirmed by Erie City Council that Carl Anderson of Parade Boulevard is hereby appointed to the Erie Planning Commission with a term ending December 31st, 2028.

He's filling the remaining term of a member who has resigned and complete her term ending December 2028, and that would make him currently serving as an alternate to now be to a permanent position.

Mr.

President.

Yes, sir.

I just wanted to indicate we also appointed Mr.

Anderson to the land bank, so this would be putting him in two positions that oversee a great deal of development and design.

So that's why I will be voting now.

Thank you.

Any other comments?

Voting on the resolution, members Brzezinski, Flores, no Nelson, Schaff, Titus, no Troop, Witherspoon.

Resolution passes Ya's five, nays two.

Council President, I believe we are at committee reports.

We'll start with Councilwoman Shaw.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

First, I would like to congratulate our mayoral electria Devlin.

Thank you for coming to the meeting today.

And our new council people that we will have on board, Marilyn Pohl and Andre Horton.

And I'm looking forward to working with them.

And a congratulations to all of the other winners in our city and county that were elected last night.

So I attended the water authority meeting, and people who want to speak are able to speak at their meetings as well.

I think theirs is three minutes long.

And I am thankful to Mr.

Tim Sennett, who will be retiring as their solicitor for the water and the sewer in the years that I have been the liaison to both water and sewer.

And as you can see, we passed the issues in front of us today, and I wish him a happy retirement and hope he has a wonderful life in the next step of his retired journey.

I attended the MPO County Transportation Long-Term Plan with Mayor Joe.

Thank you for that.

And I attended the planning meeting.

Talk the people right there directly as to what the city is doing.

And we'll be forever grateful to neighborhood watches because that is where it starts, right?

In your neighborhood.

So I will continue to always be thankful for the people who are committed to neighborhood watches.

And we had a study session for uh the Renaissance that area on parade street.

Attended the solicitors meeting.

The Veterans Day Parade, I believe is this Saturday, and I'm sure there's going to be information forthcoming.

And uh it's in a new March location down uh town.

The Mill Creek Mall is having a 50th anniversary celebration coming up, and uh I wanted to walk the other day when it was raining and went for a walk up there, and I have so many good memories of taking the bus when I was 14 years old to the Milk Creek Mall.

And boy, has it changed in its 50 years, that's for sure.

Um the Jason Belton Award will always uh hold something near and dear to my heart.

Um there are many officers who are unseen heroes out there.

I see it uh and uh I am thankful that Mr.

Witherspoon um started that award.

Um near and dear to all the people in our city who uh really need uplifting uh encouragement um on a daily basis out in the streets.

So congratulations to the officer who uh received that award.

And I got to see Neil de Grasse uh Tyson, the astrophysicist, and I'm thankful to the Jefferson Society for bringing world class people to our fair city.

I think it's a wonderful thing that um people from Ohio and New York and other uh areas um come to our city for these lectures, and am so grateful to uh the Erie events as um it was very well um handled.

There were people that I really didn't think could accommodate um in that building, and it it was done excellent.

So and attended the Erie Philharmonic, and uh was so excited about that event that I went and I bought Christmas concert tickets because um I know someone singing in it, so that um the Erie Philharmonic is absolutely wonderful too.

Um, and I was blessed.

Um, a friend of mine was sick and gave me the ticket, and that was like awesome.

Uh want to thank thank you for all the organizations that uh donate money to our city.

Um it's really uh important that uh we can carry on um and have a little extra for um different things that are needed that um you know may not be uh in the budget to have a wonderful donation.

I thank you to all the citizens who um have it within their heart to love Erie so much to contribute.

So um thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Troop.

Good luck.

Uh thank you, Mr.

President.

Um just wanted to just a brief few words today.

Um thank the citizens who came out to vote last night.

Um it's really appreciated.

I'm sure by all the people who ran for offices.

Um happy to see our um incoming mayor here today, Daria Dublin.

Um we walked through the same high school hallways at one point.

Um also taught her son when he was in sixth grade.

And um, you know, I've always felt like when I talked to Darry, you can just feel the leadership.

You can feel it, it comes through.

So you know, looking forward to working with you.

Umgratulations to um Andre Horton and Marilyn, you know, Andre's family, the Horton family, and Gary have been friends of my family for a long time and also um mentors to me, so really looking forward to working with them with Andre, um Maryland.

Um wealth of experience.

So um one of my college professors says, you know, if you can get with someone who has a lot of knowledge, don't be afraid to uh uh ask them the questions and get some of the knowledge from them.

So I'm looking forward to working with Maryland.

Also um congratulations to Jasmine, it's gonna be good to serve with you.

Really congratulations.

You're an inspiration to to a lot of people, including myself.

So thank you so much.

Um and just looking forward to serve.

Thank thanks again, and um looking forward to another four four years.

Thank you.

Councilman, thank you, Mr.

Troop.

I don't have to repeat all the things he said because I agree.

Nice job, future mayor.

Good to have you here.

Laurie, nice meeting you again.

And we'll go forward with that.

Uh I don't have a whole lot to offer.

The uh zoo situation uh is going as planned.

Anytime you have a very serious negotiation, you end up with a good plan.

And right now, that's what's happening with our solicitor and the uh folks over at your events.

Uh when they're done, I'm sure we as a city will be protected and the zoo will move forward.

Uh down at the Port Authority, a couple things.

Uh, if anybody notices it walking down there, we've got a thousand, I think a thousand foot uh uh ship in there getting fixed up.

Uh one of the largest ships on the Great Lakes.

I think there's two of them that size right now and to end doc to get to get pretty dump.

Uh the other thing is that the uh it goes right into Veterans Day coming up here.

Uh let us never forget the folks that the old song said some gave some and some gave all so that we could all be free.

Uh let's not forget that.

When we looked at uh we shouldn't have Veterans Day, we should have veterans a month or year round.

Uh we are taking the bicentennial tower and we're turning it green for that reason.

Uh I think that's all that Julie made me say.

You know, uh hats off to Miss Slomsky.

She keeps uh a heartbeat on that whole waterfront there, and she's doing a great job.

And she keeps me informed too, so that I can tell you folks what it's all about.

Looking forward to the new year and the excitement of budget sessions coming up.

Have a good day, and again, don't forget Veterans Day.

Thank you, folks.

Thank you.

Dr.

T.

Thank you.

Uh so with the ERIZOO, uh they moved their meetings, so they'll be meeting today um at uh at 11.

Hopefully, I'll g get to join and make that.

EMTA where they met on 1027.

They're continuing to work on the various steps that they need to welcome Otis 12.

Additionally, they have several positions that are open, so they I'm just encouraging and they're encouraging community members to log on and take a review of those jobs.

Uh also want to use this time to again request that our district attorney please use this opportunity to create some more transparency.

We understand that there's an investigation that is happening, but the lack of communication, uh, we continue to see at at every city council meeting, rightfully so.

This this is their opportunity, this is their platform, but there is so much hurt that is happening, and it is continuing to create dangerous, and I can't emphasize this enough, this is dangerous tensions that are building in our city, and we need to address this.

Um to respond to some of the other comments that were made.

We do have an ordinance that is in with the solicitors that we are reviewing regarding um that what we could pass legally as as council uh and and implement in regards to a police and community committee.

Um the last thing that we want to do as council members is to pass something that is not legally sound because then that puts the community members in a position again where they do not feel heard.

Uh it creates tension, um, and the last thing that we want to do is to create any meet any more harm.

And in closing, I want to thank everybody who ran for office.

To put yourself out there is unlike anything else, unless you've had that experience.

Um it involves everyone you care about, it involves your family and your friends, um, and everybody's impacted.

So thank you to everybody who who ran and to our city and our county who made a resounding statement in the ballot box yesterday.

Uh but this is where the rubber meets the road.

And so I hope that all those um who are who are currently holding seats um are centering our community when we look to create an engaged transition planning.

And on that, again, please make sure we are we are creating gratitude and holding a lot of space uh for those who have served our country and and the family members who who will be mourning because of the commitments that they have made.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um as far as assignments uh at an airport authority meeting, uh the biggest thing they reported was a 5K race that was held hosted there that went very well.

Um they talked about pursuing contracts and some opportunities that they're looking forward to, but there's nothing substantial to report on that.

Um want to congratulate uh my colleagues that uh won re-election.

Um want to congratulate uh my colleagues that uh won re-election and to the oh Marilyn's gone.

Um I'm sure she's around or somewhere.

Uh and to those that won recent seats and Ms.

Stevlin and the audience um, you know, appreciate the people coming.

Um, you know, thinking back to the election we came in on, we had three brand new inexperienced council members coming in four years ago.

Um, you know, I think and we replaced some experienced people.

Uh, Kathy Schaff had been leaving office, but we also had uh Jimonarski term limited and Dave Brennan leaving.

Um really excited for you guys next year with the way the election went this year in that you got two people back with more experience.

Uh you got Andre Horton who has 12 years of county council experience.

I'm sure he'll uh find the transition to be pretty easy, and then Marilyn who has how how many decades of experience of being in our office.

She's literally the one that taught me how to do the job between her and Lori.

Uh, you know, when you get in here, there's not exactly a training mechanism for city council.

So um, you know, really appreciate you know what we have in store for us uh next year and uh and and having an easier time drop my kids off at school on Wednesday mornings when there's council meetings because I won't have to come in.

So congratulations, guys.

Thank you.

Councilwoman.

Um I just wanted to take a moment and thank all the Erie City voters and all the county voters and all the state of Pennsylvania voters who turned out last night.

It was great to see the beautiful blue wave that flashed through our state after the last 10 months of chaos we've been living through.

Um the state of Pennsylvania has elections every six months.

So if you're not allowed to register to vote, I definitely recommend that you get involved and get registered to vote because we have a primary coming up and there's some interesting characters who we do need to replace, and I'm looking forward to helping whoever wants to do that.

Um congratulations to council member Troop and our new incoming mayor, Daria Devlin.

I look forward to working with you.

Um congratulations to all the ladies who won their seats up and down the ballot box.

Women showed up, and it was great to see.

Um I also wanted to say that with it getting darker, please be very vigilant for pedestrians walking.

Some roads are very um dark, and as the individual who spoke about unsafe sidewalks, we have a lot of unsafe sidewalks in our city.

We have a lot of elderly and physically disabled people who use medical equipment who cannot actually use the sidewalk.

So for you to be pulled over or stopped while you're in the street trying to get around the city is not acceptable.

So I've been an advocate for pedestrian access, and I'm going to continue to be an advocate for pedestrian access.

And I want us to be very vigilant.

We're in vehicles, we can slow down.

And I'm hoping that you know Ms.

Devlin will work with me collaboratively to make sure that pedestrians have access the right of way in our city and our state, and also just being vigilant of all of the community members who use medical equipment.

We can't get as cross the the road as quickly as that 30-second little um timer is giving people sometimes and us right-hand turners, we're definitely in a hurry when people are crossing.

So I just want us to be aware of the community that we have here, and a lot of our community is aging and unable to get around as quickly as they once were.

So I'm gonna always be the advocate for that community because I work with that community.

Um but that's all I really wanted to say was you know, get out and vote and make sure we're doing our due dil our due diligence to protect our city, county, and state.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

I want to congratulate councilwoman Larez and Councilman Troop on your success.

And you bring back another term of experience.

Even for Mr.

Andre Horton, because County Council and City Council operates differently.

We have different issues, but he has that experience over there, and I'm sure he will bring some knowledge to council.

I'd like to congratulate Daria Devlin on her success and her team.

Looking forward to working with you from the outside.

Uh as my time windows down.

And as stated earlier, the action or lack of action or communication from the DA's office, at least with the family.

You know.

Communicate what you can.

Yeah, I understand legally.

There's some things you can't say.

But at least give them a call.

Say we still working on it.

We still investigation.

Because I know sometime investigations take quite a while.

But communication could ease the pain from time to time.

Congratulations to all the those who won.

And congratulations to those who fell short.

Even though you fell short, it's a lot of work in running for an office.

And it's more work once you get into that office.

And for those who may have won the first time.

So I just wanted to stress those those will be the Commonwealth Financing Authority local share account grants.

And those take about a year for us to hear back on those.

So we're actually a little bit stalled with the Commonwealth right now because of the budget impasse.

Usually we would have heard about the ones we applied for last November.

We would have heard in September.

And that may impact some of the grant applications we've asked you to authorize us to apply for if we get some of the ones we applied for last year.

But we usually get somewhere between two and three million dollars.

And what we what we do every um fall before they meet to consider those grants is to write the state legislators and stress what our current priorities are because a lot changes changes in a year, and there are a lot of different grant opportunities that come up throughout the year, and so sometimes we get some of the equipment through other requests that we make.

So I just wanted to make sure you're aware of those, and um well it'll be a very busy November getting those all submitted.

Thank you.

Thank you, Attorney Betts.

I have nothing to report.

Excellent report, sir.

Nothing.

I was just gonna say real quick.

The I miss shoff reference the historic review commission.

There are seven-member uh commission, but they have three openings right now.

And so they're really looking for people who have backgrounds in preservation, history, architecture, or art history, and have to be residents of the city.

Uh they meet the first Monday of the month.

If there's anyone who's interested, they should submit their name to Matthew Falcone.

He's the preservation officer for the city, or probably the Department of Planning, the mayor's office, or the City Clerk's office, because they all have to be reviewed.

So I just let the people know that there's they're seeking you know, people to help fill that commission.

Thank you.

Thank you.

If there are any other discussion, hearing none, this meeting is adjourned.

City Council adjourns at 10.04 a.m.

I think we're all gonna see each other.

Many many spoon, Brzezinski, you know, Nelson Schaff, Titus, and Troop.