Erie City Council Meeting - December 3, 2025
Erie City Council Meeting - December 3, 2025
The Erie City Council convened on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. to address a range of routine administrative matters, zoning changes, and capital investments. The meeting was marked by extensive public testimony focused primarily on the death of Marcello Woodard, which occurred on July 2, 2025, with citizens demanding transparency, accountability, and policy reform. Council members also honored community leaders and acknowledged the recent deaths of local residents, including Mr. James Sherrod and Michael Mindrella.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes and Bills: Motion to approve the minutes from the November 19th City Council meeting and bills for payment on December 5th and 12th. The motion passed with members Brzezinski, Flores, Nelson, Schaff, Titus, Troop, and Witherspoon voting "aye."
Public Comments & Testimony
- Kenneth Bounds: Expressed strong opposition to the city's denial of liability regarding sewage backflow incidents in the Frontier and Mill Creek area, arguing the city had prior knowledge since 2017. He requested action on inadequate storm drains and questioned why residents face recurring flooding.
- Michelle Dovershaw: Delivered an emotional tribute and song for Marcello Woodard, expressing full support for justice for his family. She condemned the city's lack of action and criticized the silence from leadership.
- Jared Stasheski: Expressed support for the resolution seeking transparency in the Marcello Woodard case. He urged the city to follow up on a letter sent to Governor Shapiro in July and emphasized the need for a response.
- Jennifer Kennedy: Expressed full support for the resolution, stating that a "yes" vote is essential for justice and accountability. She highlighted the urgent need for the District Attorney's office to provide public updates and structural assurances.
- Unidentified Speaker: Expressed full support for naming a street after Mr. James Sherrod. He criticized the lack of advocacy from council members on social media regarding the Woodard case compared to other issues, calling for consistent advocacy for the entire city.
- Unidentified Speaker: Stated full support for the Justice for Marcello resolution, acknowledging the tragedy and emphasizing that community members will not leave until justice is served. He praised Councilmember Witherspoon for a civil conversation.
- Mimi O'Connor: Expressed full support for the resolution and the demand for transparency. She argued that withholding respect for human life constitutes moral cowardice and called for identifying the source of the injustice.
- Unidentified Speaker: Warned that failure to address the Woodard case and police brutality could lead to civil unrest and riots reminiscent of historical events in Harlem, Los Angeles, and Miami. He urged council members to act immediately to prevent Erie from suffering economic and social devastation.
- Shataria Franklin: Expressed deep emotional urgency for the resolution, speaking as Marcello Woodard's mother. She urged the council to understand the impact on families and to enact policies that prevent future tragedies, acknowledging systemic racism.
- Michael Woodard (Marcello's son): Expressed full support for an independent investigation, citing a conflict of interest involving the District Attorney and the parole agent meeting on a podcast. He presented a petition demanding transparency.
- Martha Watuku: Expressed full support for the resolution, stating that the community must take action to prevent systemic racism from claiming more lives, noting that the city's inaction risks national attention.
- Unidentified Speaker: Urged the passage of the resolution to ensure future safety and equality. He criticized the lack of action over 154 days and called for a review committee and DA recusal.
- Kathy G.D. Mitchell: Expressed full support for the resolution, highlighting the heartbreak of realizing "liberty and justice for all" does not apply to people of color. She prayed for council members to feel the community's anguish.
- Savannah Wilson: Expressed solidarity with Major Woodard and full support for the resolution, citing personal trauma from witnessing the death of Michael Mandrella. She demanded an end to the cycle of violence.
- Cindy Triver: Expressed full support for the resolution and emphasized the emotional impact on Marcello's son, Major. She cited Pennsylvania law regarding the appearance of impropriety due to the District Attorney's relationship with the parole agent.
- Fred A. Tepford: Expressed full support for the resolution. He also raised concerns about snow plowing accessibility, the impact of the President's attacks on Somali immigrants, and the potential targeting of nonprofits under NSPM-7.
- Susanna Faulkner: Expressed full support for the resolution but argued it is the "bare minimum." She strongly recommended that the city travel to Harrisburg to demand state policy changes and that the resolution be sent to state offices.
- Brenda Spears: Expressed support for the resolution but argued the council must go further to demand answers, not just symbolic gestures.
- Lori (Council Staff): Explained the procedural context of the agenda items, noting that items were not pulled for individual votes due to the likelihood of a unanimous passage.
Discussion Items
- Street Renaming (James C. Shira): Councilwoman Flores sponsored a resolution to rename Chestnut Street (between West 3rd and 4th) as James C. Shira Way to honor his contributions to the community. Councilmember Titus supported the motion. The council approved the resolution unanimously.
- Community Solar Legislation: A resolution was passed urging the Pennsylvania legislature to pass House Bill 504 (Community Energy Act). The environmental caucus recommended the measure, and members discussed its potential economic and environmental benefits. The resolution passed unanimously.
- Marcello Woodard Resolution (Resolution 7): Councilmember Titus proposed a resolution requesting transparency from the District Attorney and Probation and Parole boards regarding the death of Marcello Woodard. Amendments were successfully moved to include the Coroner and to request the release of the death certificate. The resolution was voted on by voice vote and passed unanimously.
- Repository Sale (Resolutions 9 & 10): Council members Brzezinski and Flores opposed the sale of two vacant lots for $250 to an out-of-state entity (J & M International Holding Group), arguing it prioritizes personal financial gain over community benefit and does not serve local residents. Consequently, a motion to table both resolutions passed unanimously.
- Water Authority Appointment: The reappointment of Dave Pilatos to the Erie City Water Authority was discussed. Councilmember Flores expressed support based on the Water Authority's recommendation, and the resolution passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution 25-2025 Passed Unanimously: The Erie City Council adopted Resolution 25-2025 (Marcello Woodard), which formally requests transparency from the District Attorney and Probation and Parole Board, invites representatives to a public meeting, and directs the Clerk to send certified copies to the Governor, State Police, and other state officials.
- Street Renaming Approved: The renaming of Chestnut Street to James C. Shira Way was approved for installation, with hopes for dedication on Martin Luther King Day.
- Repository Sales Tabled: Resolutions regarding the sale of vacant lots to out-of-state purchasers (Resolutions 9 and 10) were tabled pending further review.
- Community Solar Resolution Approved: The call for the Pennsylvania legislature to pass the Community Energy Act was adopted by a 7-0 vote.
- Appointment Approvals: The reappointment of Dave Pilatos to the Water Authority and the appropriation of funds for the Comprehensive Housing Strategy study session were approved.
- Zoning Approvals: The waterfront conditional use for McEerie Partners (30 units) and the rezoning of a commercial parcel by D. Baldwin were approved (7-0).
- Budget and Ordinances: Several appropriations for street lighting, capital bond proceeds, and the Strategic Management Program were approved on first reading by a 7-0 vote.
- Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 11:24 a.m. Council members Witherspoon, Brzezinski, Nelson, Schaff, and Titus remained; Flores left early for a job, and Troop departed at 11:18 a.m.
Meeting Transcript
Meeting of Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025 at 9 a.m. Council members Witherspoon, Brzezinski, Flores, Nelson, Schaff, Titus, and True. I would like to ask everyone to please stand for a moment of silence and the pledge of allegiance. We also want to take a moment to, in this moment of silence, to recognize the young man that died early, early yesterday morning. He was shot just a block from my house. So we wanted to recognize the life loss there in this moment of silence as well. Underground with the liberty of justice for all. Motion to approve the minutes from the Wednesday, November 19th City Council meeting and bills for payment on December 5th and 12th. Members Brzezinski, Flores, Nelson, Schaff, Titus Troop, and Witherspoon. Is there anyone here to speak on a repository sale? Anyone here to speak on a repository sale? Anyone here to speak on a repository sale? Hearing none, public comments. Each individual has five minutes. Please give us your name and your municipality. So good morning. My name's Kenneth Bounds. I live in on Colorado Drive in the city of Erie. This is my second visit to council. I'm going to read a letter first of all, and then going to give you some comments if that's okay. Thank you for your correspondence denying that the city has any responsibility for the backflow of water and sewage into the basements of our houses on October the 23rd. The grounds for the quote for the grounds quoted for your denial were that you had no prior knowledge of the rain event and hence could not have taken any corrective or proactive actions. On June the 19th, 2017, very many houses in the area of Frontier and Mill Creek were flooded extensively. And you were certainly prior warned that this could happen. Many of the houses in that area discharge storm water to the sewer because they were built in the 1920s when this was actually not against building regulations. So on November the 5th, I came here to ask for two things. If the city drains are inadequate for the expected rainfall, then something needs to be done. Mill Creek supervisor, Miss Clear, uh, has publicly laid the blame on the of the flooding and back up in the city's jurisdiction. What is the city planning on doing and we the the uh below signed wish that you take some action and I'd like to give this to the official record. I'd like to briefly speak on um two matters first of all it's our understanding that the reasons given for not taking responsibility do not stand up secondly um we haven't seen any real action thirdly I did get a response to the from the CRC from Mr Stephen Jenks the assistant superintendent who who quite simply said there was such an influx of water from the storm that day that the systems were overloaded. Well does this mean that in the future when we get a lot of rain we the people who live there can expect to have our basements flooded again it's not a pleasant prop uh um situation to be in if you don't live in a potentially floodable area then please come and visit me next time my space my basement's got some nasty stuff in it I'd be delighted to show you how unpleasant it is so finally um I would like to ask the council not the engineers we haven't really heard from the engineers that the real reason in my opinion as an engineer about why the storm the the sewer drain floods is the second mentioned thing in the letter from council uh from council say uh uh legal people and that is that people's storm drains from their roofs feed into the sewer and and there's a lot of people's houses in that area that do that I wouldn't imagine I can imagine okay I imagine it happens all over the city and I'll be very quick and say it is my wish that the council take action deary me uh take action is up take action on the storm drains of people's houses thank you very much for listening to me I look forward to hearing from you good morning council um my name is Michelle Dovershaw I live in the city of Erie um and I'm here to speak on cello um I tried long and hard to come up with words that nobody has said before um maybe people would listen more if they were different words but my niece said it best and if you allow me I would like to play something darkness silent key shatter back gunshot three times a man lives on rabble like a follow me on chill his name is forest time he was two weeks away should be here today to be now full of sorrow it's family fine letter feels so hollow alive taken in the blink of an eye one must be innocent always die chill Feels so hollow. Alive taken in the blink of an eye. One must be innocent. Always die. Say his name. Justice for his stolen time. He was two weeks away. A family fight for a one twenty-five days till Justice Not Bone. Hello. Justice for his soul's time. Hello. He was two weeks away. Should be here to do in a salon. Taking in the blank of a love. Why did Shello have to do? He is why. Thank you very much. We are here. Every week.
openpublica.com