531.

So let's go ahead and get caucus started.

Overall, we have a very short agenda for tonight's meeting to go over.

We actually have nothing for first reading this time.

So we will enjoy, we'll enjoy that there was no study session this month and then nothing for first readings to prepare our brains for the next several months as we go into the PFM reports and start gearing up for the budget.

Okay.

You want me to wait till a little business?

Yeah.

Yeah.

And I should have I should have started with this.

So tonight um the mayor is traveling back from a conference or summit that they were at.

And so we have Chief of Staff, Lori Radder Spicer with us tonight.

And I did ask Laurie to come present uh on the one bay front, but we'll get to that after this.

So I say that for not for for us to be gentle, but to still whatever questions we may have, Lori Laurie's well equipped to answer.

Do we have any questions?

If they're not on the final passage, do we have any on old business?

For the one item I did want to bring up, sorry, Laura, I know you you're being so patient.

Um that we did receive a response from Matthew Falcone for the item that we had tabled, so we pulled it back.

Uh and that being uh item number one under old business regarding um just some questions that Councillor Horton had asked, and we wanted to get some clarification on, and I just wanted to make sure that everyone received that email from Matthew Falcone, or if anybody had any other follow-up questions.

Um if you didn't get a chance to read it, I could explain it very quickly.

No, I appreciate thank you all.

That this house is affiliated with.

Uh but anything, there are quite a few designations coming forward.

There are quite a few designations coming forward.

I I can't sometime I can't chew bubblegum and walk at the same time.

ADHD I'm very easily distracted.

Yeah, hold my attention or I'll uh yeah, I'll be daydreaming or something.

So case in point, um what was I saying?

So um there are several designations coming forward.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you.

Yeah.

Um I I would appreciate it, and uh, I think I mentioned that to Mr.

Falcon that any of those ancient 1800 things come down.

I appreciate it if you would they would include that in the dossier or whatever they're presenting so that we don't have to inquire.

Uh I don't think that's an unreasonable request, uh, particularly in the space and time we find ourselves in.

Um I would much rather have it done and have it be more seamlessly than to have it discussed out here and we could just do that.

That would go a long way for me.

Uh and with that said, I see that we have a lot of historical designations coming uh down of late.

Uh there are some things associated with that.

Could you try again?

Series very rude.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And so uh, yeah, if we if they would just include that information uh in on the front end of it, and then again there's a lot coming down.

And so there I do understand that there's money associated or grant opportunities associated with all of that stuff too, uh, but they seem to be coming pretty rapidly, and just as a new member.

Uh maybe it's just me, I'm slow.

I I like a little bit more time to kind of digest some of that stuff.

Um because it it's not the big foxes, it's the little ones for me.

Uh I don't want to do anything that uh set some precedence for somewhere else where it shouldn't be.

Uh and and uh I know that um he he really does a really good job of putting that stuff forward.

But quite frankly, the um uh trying to keep up with all of that stuff for part-time job.

I'm not a planning commissioner.

Uh and uh I I do attend some of the lighted properties on the boards and that type of thing.

But it's a lot to digest sometimes.

And and uh I don't want to just rubber stamp anything.

I'm wondering could if that could be part of the actual application process when we're looking just to see um, especially when it falls within a certain date or a time frame that we're making sure that we're also putting that in there.

And then maybe that could also be some of that work could be done by those submitting the applications and not falling all on on Matthew as well.

Great.

I'll happily talk with him about that.

I don't want to be approving stuff on the front end and then find out that that requires the city to do something on the back end.

And uh you you all might be a little bit more versed in it or comfortable with it than me, but I uh I I don't I'm not I don't know.

Uh and I would rather know uh up front than to find out oh your your designation uh uh spring loaded this.

And you now you're required to do that.

So that's just me.

Yeah, and I think transparently um this this is I think the most forward-facing process that I mean, since I've been on council, that we've kind of gone through where we've got to see the whole process and get the whole packet layout.

Not that we haven't done historical designations, but I think that there's just a bit more information that we're receiving as council.

So I think that that is important and absolutely should be.

I think in light of some of the other things that have gotten going on, I think more information and it just uh nothing should be of that uh urgent of those type things that we can't slow down and take and take our time.

I think that uh just from an outsider looking in and even from over at the county when those things come down.

Uh here I'll give you a big I'll give you a big four instance uh the library lease.

It came down and it did kind of what it did, and first reading people didn't even understand it.

They tried to overturn it and it wound up being litigated.

And that's just something that someone should a simple thing, someone should have understood that it was not only that they were leasing it uh uh to Gannon, but that they were in fact giving it to him for seven dollars a square foot.

And and uh yeah, I'm ashamed to say that I didn't know that.

You know.

Well, I think these are all very valid points.

Of course, I voted no anyway.

Council, Council President.

Yes.

Um I think just to go along with uh Counselor Horton's um point.

I guess it will be it makes sense to have the information up front.

Because if you pass something and then someone comes up and says, hey, I was doing some research on my own, and did you guys know this?

But you've already passed it.

You know what I mean?

So I think it just makes sense.

Um so that someone else from the public might not come and say, hey, I didn't know if here's did you see this?

I don't know if you guys knew this or you know what I mean?

So I agree.

Um and I'm not sure if you all saw this is not on old business, but that um since we're on the topic of historic designations, that city hall is going through the process, but also that uh Matthew is gonna be doing some tours and that we were all invited to one of the tours so that we can also come in.

I think it's the inaugural one.

I think he's gonna do like a run through.

And so that if we have some feedback and stuff, just to kind of learn more about just the history of City Hall.

Um and so that was in the email, just make sure um that that you check and respond, let him know.

That's pretty cool.

Yeah.

I do enjoy his presentations.

He's he's a good storyteller.

He is a good storyteller.

He has a very good storyteller.

Any questions, then I'll pull us back here with the other item that is on um old business.

I was just gonna explain, but Chief Trott is here.

This came before council in April of 2025, and it was passed.

But it ended up that that was for fire engine 11.

And then they found out that fire engine 10 was worse.

So they changed the scope of the work and made this the priority.

And that is why it is under old business.

And um did I say that right?

Do you want to would you be comfortable just kind of giving a little bit of I guess updating because we've got we do have some new council members, but also you have my brain that has I don't really remember, to be honest.

I think Laurie explained it pretty well.

We started out with engine 11, and then it turned out that engine Ted had started having a lot worse problems, and that needed to be done first.

So we got engine 11 done.

Then there was ended up being a change order for some hidden damage underneath the old roof.

And so uh I think this is just like a procedural thing to pull back the other one and make sure it's all stated clearly and properly moving forward.

Remind me again, I know that we are in the process of doing, I think some just like uh building audits, so to speak.

I believe that's that's actually occurring right now.

Just to is there when was the last time we kind of went through?

Do you have a kind of a status on just where some of the other ones might be?

Um, or is that something that we're in the process of doing?

Just so if yeah, just kind of a hand.

We did uh I'll say a roof audit probably four or five years ago because all of the roofs were done in a short period of time and now they're 40 years old.

So uh we've been replacing the roofs, trying to do one a year.

So this year engine 11 will get done.

Next year engine 13 will be done, and then all the roofs will have been replaced.

Uh we do building upgrades all last year we did new windows and doors at three of the firehouses that had windows and doors from the 50s.

So uh the building maintenance and upgrades are ongoing.

It was you know, one, you know, it they last quite a while, but two, when things aren't or kicked down the road, then we end up with a lot all at once.

And we've been working through these things for I would say good six to ten years, and we're getting caught up uh as far as building maintenance goes, but you're always gonna have that.

Yeah.

So the audits that are going on now.

There's uh an audit for everything that the city owns going on.

Uh there's a uh secure uh physical security audit going on.

There's a cyber security audit going on.

So there's a there's a lot going on right now.

Okay.

So as we approach into this budget, and this won't be a hot seat for you more, so a hot seat for you.

Uh I would love for us to kind of yes, thank you, get um some updates just on on those audits, especially when we're looking to get the the PFM report because we're gonna have we'll have some big decisions to make just as a council um, yeah, that's that's not a problem because we're actually going through a list right now of needs for the firehouses, prioritizing them and seeing what we can do in-house, what needs to be bid out, and how quickly it needs to be done.

Thank you.

I really appreciate that.

And we just put this on for the sake of transparency.

Um the award for the first one was 87,936.

It only went up almost 2,000.

But if there's ever something that's less than in a quote, we can just change it on an ordinance or a resolution.

If there's an additional amount of funds, then we have to put it through again on a new resolution and a new order.

So we'd have to amend the ordinance.

Gotcha.

Go ahead.

Hi, everybody.

I'm sorry, I came in late.

Um, and I didn't want to disrupt you all.

But I did uh I I just want to second what Chief Chat spoke about.

Um the re the original amount really was the 87, 936.

So that change order was small.

Um it the original uh resolution drafted made it look like a much larger change order.

So we I worked with Isaiah up in finance to draft the language to make sure that it looked appropriate to pull back correctly to reflect correctly the change order and and the change from 10 to 11.

So I I feel comfortable with this.

I'm happy with it.

Uh we worked on it uh together and so I signed off on it before it came to you all.

So is it totally separate of uh resolution or ordinance, or is it just an amendment?

Can we just amend it?

I think because it it's an increase, it has to be a new resolution.

A new resolution.

Plus it's explaining it.

There's one other thing just you know, so everybody understands the reason it was more expensive for engine 10 is it's a totally different roof.

It's a larger roof than engine 11.

So that's one other reason why it went up.

Yeah.

Thank you.

And having it be a different roof, having it go up in less than 2,000.

That's that's pretty good.

Especially with today's economy.

Um we look down then any other questions on old business?

Are we comfortable moving into the new business?

Any questions then on new business that we see?

Is there uh an I know I'm putting maybe this would be one for for Jason Sayers, even though I told him that I was going to leave him alone.

Um looking at number one, any major changes when we look at that winter maintenance contract that as we go to sign this new one from maybe the the ones previous.

Hello, council.

You're asking about the pendul agreement.

Number one.

Yeah, number one.

Number one.

Just if there were any major changes to kind of highlight or no, that is simply um pretty much a renewal of the uh the pendulum maintenance, winter maintenance agreement that we've had in place for many years.

Um it was simply up for renewal again, and uh what that covers is about a hundred and twenty-five miles of the state routes that are located in the city of Erie for um winter maintenance, and then we get uh reimbursement for those accordingly.

Um I believe there was a fee schedule or reimbursement schedule, I should say, attached to your packet.

So um I believe the amounts are range between 400,000 and 500,000 annually.

Okay.

Thank you.

Well, Mr.

Sayers.

Thank you.

Um that includes the um connector.

That yeah, that would so that would include all the state routes like you know, Wall Street, 26th Street, Pine Avenue, Old French Road, et cetera.

Um that are all throughout the city, actually.

38th is another one.

Any more questions?

I had told you when you had asked me if there was any other questions, and I said, yeah, this might come up, and now I can't remember even what I said might come up.

And then it will probably wait till you sit down and get really comfortable and be like, oh yeah, this was what I had said that I had wanted to ask about the contract that is being awarded for the Miller Brothers.

Or phase two.

Okay.

Um the architectural services?

Yes.

Okay.

Let me pull that one out.

So that's number five under contracts.

Any any particular overview or wanted council to be aware that that item number five.

So we are we've already we are going into that phase two.

But this is the contract that has been awarded for us to go in or to start this next phase two.

So if there were any questions, comments, anything that anybody wanted to bring up right now as we start to enter into this.

Um this is the front end of the.

I mean, we've already got the design, we've got the layout, but now is the time to kind of bring some of those things forward.

If nobody has any questions, that's okay, but I just wanted to draw our attention to that.

We did give a pretty thorough uh presentation to council.

I think it was back in February of this year on uh on phase two.

So and the project as a whole.

Yeah.

And there was a bid?

There there was uh for for this particular item number five, there was an RFP request for proposals.

So we did uh a publicly uh request those proposals.

I believe there were five that were um that were submitted.

And this doesn't have to be on our agenda uh presentation.

Um but as we kind of wrap up that phase one and go into that phase two, if we could just get a little bit of that cost breakdown just for as a as like a summary of like here's what we had projected, here's what we ended up spending, because I knew that there were some change orders that came through at that point, we just had to shift around.

Just so we can kind of see like if were we trending in a certain direction or things coming in more expensive or less expensive?

Uh just as an overview.

Just like a cost update.

Yeah, that would be great.

Sure, we could do that.

Thank you.

And while you're up here, so uh you know, we have people that come and talk about the berms in the snow days that we have and how they block pedestrian um sidewalks at times.

Does that contract mention how they plow?

Under new business, winter maintenance resolution one.

Oh, let me pull up too.

I follow Kathy's brain there.

It's okay.

No, you're good.

You said contracts or under number one winter maintenance services.

When they're doing the highways like 38th Street, for instance.

Like so they're plowing, and as they plow they're blocking at the intersections that person who wants to get across.

So who does are they in charge of scooping the snow aside?

Or they like 38th and old French value home center.

So is value home center the person that has to do the cleaning of the sidewalk there on 38th and French, or does the person who's plowing do it a different way?

That's correct.

Value home center.

Um it gets a little complicated because, like, get into specific properties, but a lot of the higher uh private plow companies to plow their parking lots.

Sometimes those uh private plow companies push that snow in maybe some places where they shouldn't.

But in many cases, or try to do the best they can.

Um, but ultimately it falls back to that property owner to uh make sure those sidewalk areas are open.

Right.

At the corners, and and across the frontage as well.

Even on the streets that Pendot does.

Well, the highways.

Correct, but these streets are actually ones in the city because this agreement is actually the city's going to do those streets.

Okay.

Essentially for Penn Dot.

Okay.

So our plow, our plow drivers do those roads.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Any other questions from Mr.

Sayers?

All right.

No, I think we really will do it.

Thank you.

Yes, thank you.

All right.

We do have uh two appointments.

If we look under committee reports, this is something that we had um requested that the administration do and that we are doing as counsel that we are putting any appointments that are typically that we're not voting on as counsel, but we're putting here for transparency reasons so that uh the public can see, and if they were to search, they can see who's being appointed.

Um we have Sarah Morrison and we have uh Janae Alexander being appointed both to CAFE.

Just wanted to draw our attention there.

All right.

Well, if we don't have any other questions on agenda items, I would like for us to go ahead and get an update on the one bay front from Lori, if that is okay with everyone.

Great.

Thanks for having me tonight, everybody.

It's good to be here with you.

Um I am delighted to be here on behalf of the facilitating team for the one bayfront planning process.

So I'm gonna just kind of walk through an overview of what this process is, why it's so important, um, and in particular, I really want to focus in for your benefit and the benefit of the community who are attending and and watching later on the community engagement component of this process because that really is key to the whole thing.

So um wanna step back, and I will say I'm gonna do kind of high-level uh we can do questions at the end.

So if there are specifics that you want to dig into, we can do that.

How did we get here?

Um so I'm you may recall the mayor before being elected was talking a lot about the importance of uh master plan for our waterfront.

Um you know better than anyone that the momentum for new investment along our waterfront um is alive and well.

It's very there's there's a lot of opportunity and investment happening right now, and what we do not have is a unified plan and vision, and not just a unified plan and vision, but one that is shaped and informed by the community.

So there are many, many plans that have been put together that impact and shape our waterfront, but most of those have those have been almost exclusively led by individual organizations or companies.

And um this is a unique case where we have brought together a number of partners.

You have outlined their their logos representing infinite eerie, the city, the county, the chamber, Erie Insurance, and then the three property owners on the waterfront, which include the Port Authority, Erie Events, and Scott Enterprises.

And then WSP is the consultant that the facilitating team has hired to um to work this process.

So this is an opportunity for for not only the facilitating team, but really the community to develop a shared and collective vision so that the next time, particularly for you all, you see a development come across your desks that is a waterfront development.

You don't have to look at each other and and ask what do we think you can come to this blueprint to the one bayfront plan that we're putting together together and have your um got guardrail and guide for what the community has said the bayfront should look like and whether or not any such development maps back alliance to that.

So we do have one shot to get this right.

We already have a lot of wonderful and beautiful things at our Bayfront.

It's a it's a shared asset and a gem, and um what is left to be developed, we need to get right.

So that makes a community driven process essential.

We cannot have a vision for the Bayfront that is not everyone's that land and uh how we use it, it has to benefit every single neighbor and resident in our community.

So that brings us to the One Bayfront initiative.

So this is uh it's called One Bayfront, a community-driven blueprint for our waterfront.

This is a community-driven planning process.

Um we really want to make sure that residents have genuine voice in shaping the future of the waterfront, that it's collaborative, not just amongst the parties that I mentioned who are the facilitating team, but truly every resident who's willing to put their voice out as part of this process, and ultimately come out with a shared vision that reflects our values, our creativity, Erie's uniqueness, and our pride for generations to come.

So you can see all of this on the website.

There's a QR code later for you or anyone else who may be watching if you want to scan that to get to the website and look at this more closely.

But that is the study area outlined there.

You can see it goes just west of Cranberry and then over just west of the Erie Land Lighthouse with Third Street being that southern border.

And the project timeline, so the way that this planning process is working, is um there are a few phases, and uh I want to kind of speak to what we had planned and then speak to what the community has told and taught us already, and how that has reshaped some of the community engagement plans we we have.

So, as you can see, we're in we're in July now, which is uh an overlap between existing conditions analysis and draft vision and goals.

So the consultant has been reviewing every plan that has ever been made related to our waterfront.

Um, maybe not every plan, I heard that there was one from uh 50 plus years ago, and uh we probably won't be factoring that one in, but more recent plans, more relevant plans.

They'll be doing um, they're in the midst of a market analysis right now.

They're doing all of that work for us in the background while also helping to facilitate the community engagement process where we together define the vision for this process and the plan that it will produce and the goals.

So, for those of you who attended or saw we had an open house on June 25th, really grateful to the hundreds of neighbors and residents who came out and participated there.

We had a lot of boards, like the one that you'll see in our lobby, where folks could put pins and stickers and post-it notes and really share their vision, their the ways they interact with our waterfront, their hopes and dreams for it, the things they would change tomorrow if they could.

And all of that then is going to be fed back into that plus a survey that was completed by over 700 residents, um, will help to reshape and finalize our vision and goals.

Um, I have more information that I can email to you all later around the specific vision and goals.

I didn't want to get into the weeds tonight.

And um, I'll show you a slide in a second.

There's a virtual version of this open house that is currently live.

Um, you can go online and basically experience the open house online as if you were there and do all of the same activities that those who attended in person did.

So if you do that, you'll get a better sense of what some of those goals and the vision statement are.

And then as we close out the vision and goals process, we're moving into August, where we will be shifting to kind of develop the criteria for what are some of the possibilities of what could happen on our bayfront.

How do we evaluate those?

And then what can those preferred alternatives, those those possibilities for like what are our dreams?

Do we want to see housing?

Do we want to see more food and restaurants?

Do we want to see entertainment?

All of the possible priorities that we could have for our waterfront, those will start to clarify later into the fall, ultimately resulting in a final plan by the end of this calendar year.

So it is a fairly quick and condensed planning process, which is why we have to be very purposeful about meeting the community where they are.

Which brings me to again, I mentioned 700 plus survey participants.

Thank you to everyone who may be here who participated in that.

So we had after the June open house, we had a follow-up meeting the next day with we sent an invite out to over 70 organizations and had over 20 attend a lunch upstairs in room 500 to just kind of debrief how did the open house go, who was there, who was missing, what do we need to be sure this planning process incorporates to make sure we particularly hear the voices of those who are often not heard during planning processes.

Um, and so we got some incredible feedback and ideas and also commitments from neighborhood organizations from local nonprofits and partners to be part of this process to get the surveys and the virtual open houses and this information to their people to get either to get them in the room or to get us in the room with the folks we need to hear from.

So we're already scheduling, we have a partner working on scheduling a youth focus group with 30 plus youth, because um Mr.

T had come with a handful of youth who very quickly recognize that there were only a handful of them in the room.

And um, so they are organizing their own focus group as part of this process.

We'll be going to other organizations to um actually attend their meetings and ensure that we're hearing from them where they are.

So in addition to that, we'll have more, two more open houses as we had in June, one in the summer and one in the fall, and we will be tabling at events.

So we'll be at the Blues and Jazz Fest at Celebrate Erie and the consultants are coming to do that as well, and um this weekend at a Mary Masala.

And at each of those, we'll have either a virtual open house or a survey option for folks to participate in based on where we are in the process.

But again, just wanted to really communicate to you how important it is on behalf of the mayor's office, but really all the partners involved, that everyone who wants to be part of this process has an on ramp, and that that on ramp is accessible and clear and easy to access.

So with that, I will pause there again, very high level.

Any any questions about anything I shared or or anything else you might be wondering?

So, one question I have is so as we enter in every new phase, there will essentially be in like here's what we've discovered so far.

Give us feedback on that.

Yes.

Okay.

Exactly.

So right now the consultants are um taking the 700 plus survey responses in addition to the many uh stickers and post-its and pins on those boards to synthesize that and recreate essentially the vision statement, which again I'll email all of this to you.

I didn't want to inundate you, but it looks like this.

There's a vision statement, and then there are these specific goals that we um as a facilitating team had drafted to say, let's hand these to the community and say, did these feel right?

Like is this is this what we think the goals of this plan need to need to be?

And the community had a lot to say.

Like I was in the room as the consultant was facilitating these conversations, and it was a dynamic conversation, and we are refining these based on not just what we heard in the room, but what everyone's contributed since.

So each step of the way, there will be sort of a let's hand back to you based on your feedback, what we think is the final version, you tell us, okay, now let's close that out, let's move on to the next section and next phase, ultimately resulting in a final plan.

I think it's really important, just and I I know I keep like hammering on it, but for the public to understand is you've done a like yes, you did one surveyor, maybe you came to one open house, but that we still need you to keep participating because it's gonna come back and re that we're in that reiteration phase.

Uh, and so this this is super important to stay engaged.

This this process is a very fast moving plan, and so just that first point of contact, and it's gonna keep going very quickly.

So, to please stay engaged.

Um, I know there's a lot to be engaged on right now.

Um, but to reiterate what you said, this is like our our we got one shot here.

Uh, and so this is this is that opportunity to make sure all those voices are heard.

There is a lot uh to be engaged on too because just the last meeting we had the planning come in and do the parks future thing, which was pretty ambitious and aggressive and was looking for citizen participation and uh I don't know how much participation they uh uh with the feedback is on that, but these are two pretty big fast moving.

I don't want to move too fast without just you just get okay.

We had a cutoff date uh when we wanted to do things, we want to do this thing at the end of the year, but we're we're still a city of a hundred thousand.

You know, I'm not sure 700 responses gets us where we want to be.

And at the same time, I know it's a fluid document and uh and it has to keep moving because we do only have one time to get this particular one uh uh going.

Um you'll send us the dates of the next open house.

I think you said August and Yes, they're not set yet.

So as soon as they are set, we'll make sure we communicate all of that to you, and as we get kind of mid phase um updates from the consultant, we can absolutely be sharing that with you.

Thank you.

Awesome.

So let's say I'm a carousel entrepreneur, and I am looking for a city to do the best biggest carousel ever, where family-friendly people can ride the carousel, and I want to put it next to Smuggler's Wharf.

But I don't know about it yet.

How does that information reach me?

Like how can I figure out where to put it?

Are we outreaching?

How are we outreaching?

Yeah, thank you for the question.

I also just love that vision.

Um could be a future for you, Kathy.

That's really lovely.

I I think that um I would actually take a step back and say that's that comes later, what you've just described, right?

So the community first has to say they want a carousel before we have any interest in going and finding someone who deals in carousels.

So that's what this process is.

This process is saying, what do you want?

What's going to be good for us?

What what fits the cult the culture, the identity, the feel and the needs for our waterfront for our community?

And if it's a carousel, then once we have this, um once we have this blueprint in place.

There are a lot of other things that different players here are gonna have to go do.

One of the things the city's gonna have to do is probably change its zoning, right?

So there's gonna be homework across the board.

Another piece of homework will be probably the chamber.

Did I forget to say the chamber?

They are one of the facilitating team, I apologize.

No, you didn't mention that.

So the chamber and uh maybe some other partners are gonna have to go and start recruiting the businesses, the developers, the folks that we don't have locally to manifest the community's vision.

Does that make sense and answer your question?

Okay.

When we say um waterfront, what can you what are we saying?

Like from this point, this spot to this spot is our waterfront we're talking about.

Yes.

It's really not a great map from here.

And so I do encourage you to go online.

I'm sorry, I can't zoom in, I don't think.

Um but it it is the the red dotted area.

So it's not just waterfront, right?

It it is also the neighboring um like the bluff communities.

Okay so the OW apportion of OWB and best, like that those are in the map.

Okay.

So and and I should say, like, those are a couple of the partners who we were really grateful to have in the room on June 26th, because they have really clear, concrete ideas for how we need to align this with their strategic planning and and the conversations they're having with their neighbors because all the development that we do on our waterfront is gonna have pretty significant impact on those neighbors and neighborhoods.

So it is that whole zone, um, roughly Cranberry to I'm sorry, I don't know what the east, but it's right where the land lighthouse is.

So and then third.

So like over to like East Avenue.

Yeah, actually further.

Yeah.

Lighthouse.

And actually that's kind of outlined in the zoning code.

There's a definition of like what is the waterfront.

And it's it really what she just described, it's literally the middle of Cranberry Street to East Avenue where the land lighthouse is.

So the land that's past East Avenue, we get towards like the old hammer mill site.

That's technically not really the waterfront anymore, because it's not on the bayfront.

It's strictly on Lake Erie, although there's probably some questions about the development because the bluffs are over there as well.

So that's from our current zone card.

So come right past the done brickyard down to where the lighthouse is.

Yeah, you can actually see Wayne Park in the lower right corner there.

So East Ave is a few blocks.

It's a few blocks east of there.

Yeah, it looks like it comes up to third.

At least that's what my eyes from this angle are telling me.

Okay.

All right.

Great questions.

I I think I don't know.

Our weather is another thing that I think we have to consider whenever we're, you know, because we do have a winter timer, so like we don't use the maybe maybe have things that can still generate you know, even when the weather's, you know, in the winter time.

I think Kathy has a vision.

Yeah, I like that.

Yeah, that would be more of the seasonal revenue.

Yeah, I think Kathy's Kathy's been talking to somebody.

Gotta be more the seasonal revolution.

Absolutely.

And that was a that was that came up on the boards that came up in a lot of folks.

And I should also say, you know, the consultant we've hired, they they've done this other places, right?

So they've they factored, they're factoring in all of the experience and insights that they bring.

And the market analysis will hold some of that as well.

All right, thank you very much.

Is there any other questions for Lori on on this one or anything else that we might go over tonight?

Um we've got about 20 minutes before we go into our full meeting.

Um I just want to kind of open up our microphone.

So I won't open up into a full thing on the committee reports, but we were able to.

Kathy and I did attend the park and authority meeting.

Okay.

Yeah, it's some interesting dialogue and uh I believe they're committing to uh working towards some type of resolution.

Okay, okay.

That's great to hear.

Yeah.

Uh the new appointee, but kind of introduced ourselves to the current board as current composition.

Talk briefly with attorney marsh.

Uh his dad actually was my parents' attorney.

Okay.

So uh I was pretty direct, but very kind.

And there was no I left little room for ambiguity.

And it was kind of I even had the opportunity to use some of the public's comments here.

I don't think they can hear you.

I'm getting waved at back here.

I even had the opportunity to use some of the I didn't want to hear.

Yeah.

I had the I realized you're trying to I I had the opportunity to use some of their comments.

Namely, uh I wish I I wish you all could see the look on your face right now.

Is what I told them.

And uh we had a little smile about it.

I know Tom, I know Ken Gamble and I know John Violi.

I reminded them that we're team members, and I reminded them that although there was no MOU, you still were collecting on behalf of the citizens of Erie providing the service and surely.

I know you want to make that right.

And so study session we're gonna talk about.

They went into executive session.

Okay.

We were able to give them some compliments about some of the things I thought they were doing well.

We talked about some of the security issues they have.

We were I made some suggestions about the Department of Justice and Camp, possibly seeking more interactive cameras.

Uh I won't speak for Kathy's report, but uh I was a few minutes late and I walked in and she already had two or three pages of stuff that she was talking to them about.

That's Ken, yeah.

So but yeah, we had we breached the subject and we spoke with the mayor on our way out of town.

Uh she alerted us that she had in fact sent the MOU.

Uh and they in fact received it, and I I believe that's some of the discussion they had.

Um so we're anxiously awaiting to get back.

But thank you.

Thank you both for for doing that.

That's very appreciated.

All right.

Any other um topics that anybody wants to bring up here in in caucus?

Anything that's on the agenda or anything we would like to see on the agenda.

I'll give two updates.

Um we've got Article 112 that is with the solicitor and we'll have by the end of this week, and then um also have a few ordinances regarding SBCP and Citizens Review Board over to the solicitor to review.

Being that we are a preemption state, um there are a lot of rules that we have to follow, and I don't want anyone to trip up on anything and to not create something um that's a letdown for for the community as a whole.

So this has been a long, long, long process.

Um, but things are moving in that direction.

And I'll report out more than that, but just to give you all a heads up that those will be in your inboxes soon to start reviewing.

Well, um, go ahead.

No, I differ.

No.

Uh I just want to say um thank you for your support about the post office.

I wrote the letter, asked you all got unanimous support.

So um it's being sent out to the concerned parties.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for taking the initiative on that one too, Kathy.

Appreciate it.

I'm continuing to uh I continue to receive calls and inquiries as to the status of the uh and I I haven't spoken with Rick uh with Chief Laura about it.

Uh I I just believe in letting people giving them the space to can conduct their investigation, but I I continue to receive calls about the young man who was uh hit by uh the cruiser on the bike uh in the way that that was handled.

Um duly noted.

Thank you.

All right.

Um well we have 15 minutes.

We don't have to take up that full 15 minutes because we can reset, give everybody a moment to stretch because I think we will have a very busy um evening.

Um and then uh just for for individuals who are coming in, and I'll say this again when we get there, because we have lifted the to make more more space, just know that noise carries uh and it's really it gets really loud up here really fast.

So as people are coming in, if we're talking in the audience, it makes it really hard for us to actually hear up here.

And if our so you won't hear us and we won't hear you, we'll just hear everything because it's really bad acoustics.

But I'll say that again once we start to get more fooled, but just so everybody knows it's it's these aren't great acoustics in this room.

So thank you.

Roll call for the city council meeting of Wednesday July 17th at 2026 at 6:30 p.m.

Councilmember Titus Present Brzezinski Flores is absent, Horton Poll.

Yes.

Shaw here, Troop.

At this point, we will stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

And um first uh led by a moment of silence.

As we stand, I would like for us to I'm gonna mic pass here in a second, but to also acknowledge Miss Snowy Crosby who passed away this week.

Um thanks, Council President.

Just want to say as you're in the moment of silence, think about our entire community because you see some of the things that are going on in our community.

Um there's a famous song that talks about how people have a smile on their face, but you never know what they're going through inside.

So just remember our community.

One nation and team as well.

I have a motion to accept the minutes from the Wednesday, July 1st City Council meeting and bills for payment on July 17th, 24th, and 31st.

Councilmember Brzezinski, yes.

Horton, poll, yes, Shaw, yes, Troop, Titus.

Yes.

At this point, we do not have any presentations.

Um this I'm sorry, we have two presentations this evening, uh, and I will go ahead and and pass it over to the councils who will be presenting.

I'm going to start with the Mercy Hearst Prep Baseball team, and um honored to do this as a retired school elementary teacher at St.

James.

Many students have gone up there, and I have attended many events.

It's a great school.

By council member Ed Brzezinski, seconded by Councilmember Flores, Horton, Paul, Schoff, Troop, and Titus on July 15th, 2026, resolved by the council of the City of Erie, that whereas the City Council of the City of Erie wishes to pay a special tribute to the Mercy Hearst Preparatory School Boys Baseball Team, coaches and staff on their remarkable season, culminating in a PI double A class 2A state runner up.

Finish representing the City of Erie and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with honor, integrity, and determination.

Whereas the Mercy Hearst Prep men's Lakers demonstrated exceptional athletic achievement, teamwork, perseverance, and sportsmanship throughout the 2026 season, and compiled an outstanding 22 to 3 overall record, captured the District 10 class double A championship, and advanced through the PIAA state tournament with victories over Riverview, Fort Cherry, and Nashanach to earn the first appearance in the PI double A baseball state championship game in program history.

And whereas the team's remarkable season culminated in a PI double A class 2A state runner up Finnish representing the city of Erie and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with honor, integrity, and determination, and whereas the accomplishments of the student athletes reflect countless hours of dedication, discipline, and hard work, supported by outstanding coaches, parents, school administrators, faculty, alumni, and loyal fans.

The 2026 Mercy Herb's Prep Boys Baseball team has inspired young athletes throughout the Erie community and demonstrated the values of leadership, commitment, resilience, and excellence, both on and off the field.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the City Council proudly recognizes and congratulates the 2026 Mercy Hearst Prep School Boys Baseball Team for its historic season and for bringing distinction to Mercy Hearst Prep Preparatory School and the Erie community.

We extend our sincere appreciation to whose dedication contributed to this extraordinary achievement.

And we commend the team for setting a lasting standard of excellence for future generations of Lakers.

Sure.

Who can I have?

We have uh separate uh certificates for all the ball players, if they would line up over this way, and as a treat, uh Mr.

Crosby, would you come up here?

I think boys would like to meet you.

Then we'll honor you next.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

How much time do I have?

Well, first I would like to uh thank everybody here.

This is uh excellent.

Um we're very proud of that.

Um our team had an outstanding season, obviously this year.

Um I've been sorry, I started coaching Merciers in 1996, and this is definitely the best team that I ever coached.

Um they went uh as you stated all the way to the final game.

We did that through outstanding leadership from our seniors.

If those guys can stand up right now, be recognized, great group of seniors here.

Truly remarkable the leadership and and and their skills on the field and uh off the field, just uh tremendous people and just a great team all around.

Um couldn't be happier.

Our coaches were outstanding, all the hard work that they put in, everybody that it took to get this far.

It's not easy to do in baseball, and and they were able to overcome a lot of adversity, and like you said, they persevered through this to get to the final game.

So again, congratulations to them on what they did.

Um we've had a lot of guys reach first team all region honors.

We had some players, all state honors.

Um that would be Hunter Cray and Zach Khrushchevsky.

They reached the all state.

If Zach Khrushchevski could stand up right now, he was voted the all district player of the year.

I don't I don't believe anybody's ever achieved that from Urshiers.

I don't recall one trying to get the final answer on that with uh Tom Risenweber.

He was going to be here tonight to present him that award, but he couldn't make it, so we'll get it to him another time.

But uh fantastic all around effort from everybody.

Um thank you all for having me appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good luck next season.

By Councilmember Ed Brzezinski, seconded by Council Members Flores, Horton, Paul Schoff Troop, and Titus on July 15th, 2026, resolved by the Council of the City of Erie that whereas Cliff Crosby, a native of Erie, Pennsylvania, has distinguished himself through excellence in athletics, education, public service, and community leadership.

Cliff earned a full football scholarship to the University of Maryland, where he became the first member of his family to graduate from both high school and college, earning a degree in family studies.

And whereas Cliff achieved the highest levels of professional football as a defensive back for the St.

Louis Rams and Indianapolis Colts, earning the title of Super Bowl champion following his retirement from professional football in 2004.

Inspiring and empowering young people by becoming a nationally recognized motivational speaker, young advocate and mentor using his personal experience to encourage students to make positive choices, set meaningful goals, and overcome adversity.

And whereas through his actions, create your tomorrow ACT program, Cliff Crosby has positively impacted elementary, middle, and high school students throughout the East Coast, promoting accountability, academic achievement, leadership, and community involvement.

Cliff Crosby has continued his commitment to public service by earning a master's level degree in psychology with a concentration in behavioral health and serving as an intelligence analyst, a captain for the trust powered by the NFL Players Association, a motivational speaker for Care On Treatment Centers, and a dedicated advocate for the undeserved underserved, I'm sorry, underserved communities.

And now, therefore, be it proclaimed that we hereby recognize and honor Cliff Crosby for his exceptional achievements, steadfast commitment to empowering youth, and lifelong service to communities throughout the nation.

And if I may say something, I attended uh PAL's event a year or two ago, and you were the speaker, and you really had shared your story personally with everyone there, and it was so inspiring.

Thank you for all that you are doing.

Your seat?

Yeah.

Um I start.

I had no idea why I was coming here.

So I was driving here, and I was like, where are we going?

This is the police station.

Why am I going here?

Like, what is going on?

Um, so I didn't know where I was going.

But I'm glad this moment happens, right?

In in our lifetime, you don't get a chance to get your flowers and get people honoring you and thanking you for your service and things you've done, right?

Um, I've done a lot.

I'm exhausted.

51 years old, I've been in the trenches.

I've been working with young people across the country.

Just trying to inspire them, right?

And one of the things you left out was drug and alcohol prevention.

It's just so near and dear to me because it's it's my story.

It's where I come from, it's my community.

It's everything that I see around my people and my family and what they struggle with, and when I drive up and down the streets of Erie, I always tell people when I when I visit Erie, it impacts me so hard that up until I reach Grove City on 79 is when I snap back into my normal self because I'm so emotional when I leave because I see my friends, I see family and people I grew up with, and they're still struggling or in need, and it's so I'm one person, right?

I can't fix everything.

I have my lane and I stay in it, and that's young people.

If I can do something, say something, inspire them, give them a quote, give them some type of hope.

It's that's the change, right?

That's the change for me because I didn't have that person.

I didn't have those people.

Um I had people, but I ain't have a lot of people pouring into me.

Um, some of those people are no longer here.

Um, Bobby Harrison from the JFK Center, man, he poured into me.

First person that poured into me, told me about college, told me about how to select the college, told me why should I go to this college versus that call.

And I was like, bro, I'm just going to play football.

And he was going deeper than I wanted to go, but I now that I'm older, I understand why.

Mr.

Collins, who was my um English teacher, hated Mr.

Collins.

He always made me use the proper words whenever I asked for raising my hand or anything.

If I said bathroom, he said no, it's a restroom, it's a bathroom at your house.

In school, it's a restroom.

And he would not let you go to the restroom if you didn't say it.

And so now I get it, right?

And that's the thing I'm trying to help young people understand.

You might not understand it right now, but it's gonna come a time where everything your mom said, everything your dad said, it's gonna all make sense.

And today, this all makes sense, man.

I'm here for a football camp, and it's way more than football.

It's way more than football.

I don't promise them kids they're gonna make it to the NFL.

I don't promise them they're gonna make it to college.

I promise them that if they make it out of Erie, they can make it anywhere.

And that's that's the promise.

The promise is keep your head on straight, keep drugs out of your system until your brain is fully developed, and you got a chance at life.

You got a chance at a great life.

Um, and that's what I teach young people.

If you're ever wondering what I'm saying to them, that's what I'm saying.

Until you're 26, don't put this in your system because your brain is not developed.

And for me, I'm I'm elated with learning, right?

Deontay Cooley is in the front row, man.

One thing I can say about that guy, that's a smart man.

I know me and him similar in a lot of ways because I see it.

You can give him a book right now, he'll be able to recite it by tomorrow because I know how his brain works.

He's the he's elated with learning, and man, as long as you want to learn, you got a chance.

Long as you're interested in learning, you got a chance.

And I tell young people all the time, YouTube University.

I don't care how much money you got.

You got YouTube, don't you?

I I changed my my sync orator the other day by YouTube.

I didn't need to go to school for that.

I'm not calling another man to come fix something that I can fix.

And so for me, I just believe in learning and teaching yourself what you don't get from the world.

That's how you get ahead.

You gotta pour into yourself.

And it's one book that I want my city to read.

And it's the art of war.

When you learn the art of war, you can get things done.

Because being the loudest in the room don't always get it done.

Being the quietest in the room don't always get it done.

But strategy and being strategic and partnering with the right people gets a lot of things done.

So City Council, man, thank y'all for having me today.

I watch you guys a lot of times more than y'all know.

And y'all got a hard job.

Y'all got a hard job.

And Mr.

and Ms.

Dr.

Titus and Mr.

Brzezinski, man.

I love this guy.

And I was disappointed too, right?

When I saw that, man, because I look up to that man.

That man taught me a lot.

That man taught me college.

That man taught me how to how to come to school and put my guard down.

He taught me how to come to school and learn.

I learned a lot from Mr.

Brzezinski, man.

And Mr.

Brzezinski, you don't know that impact, right?

But I just want you to know that it's there.

That that impact was there and you made it.

And you made it because you you got time to learn me and understand who I was and what type of community I came from.

I thought you was black for a long time.

Right?

And so he helped me, man.

And I'll never ever forget that.

I'll never forget that.

And I just want to let y'all know, man.

Anything I ever did, 8-1-4 was in my blood.

It was in my blood.

There was nothing I was gonna do to embarrass this city.

There was nothing I was gonna do to embarrass this city.

I felt like I had the whole neighborhood on my back when I left here.

I felt like everybody was counting on me, looking to me, and they didn't want me to mess it up.

And I said, I ain't gonna mess it up for my city.

Nope, you couldn't pay me to get in trouble.

Because I said, nope, my whole city and my neighborhood is looking at me.

People were inspired by me when I played.

My family was a better unit when I played.

So all those athletes back there, man, you don't know what you're doing to your family by being a part of sports and being in sports.

It really does bring a community together.

It brings a family together.

Um I see people in the audience, Malcolm Pullium.

I just went up to him and I said, Man, bless your heart, man.

You doing the you're doing God's work, right?

Because I don't want that job.

I don't want your job.

I don't want to do what you do, but I respect what you do.

And somebody has to do it.

Somebody has to do it, and you the right person.

And and to Matthias, a guy that I I saw at my football camp seven years ago.

Matthias, stand up.

He went to one of the, he went to Erie Cathedral prep graduating.

But that kid right there is the reason I do my camp.

I remember the first time I met his mom, and she said to me, he wants to quit.

He does not want to stay at the camp.

It's the second day.

He doesn't want to come back.

And I went and had a conversation with him.

And from listening to his mom, it changed how his perspective, right?

It changed his perspective, and I told him to see it through.

You start what you finish.

If you don't got the strength to start it, don't to finish it, don't start it.

You start what you finish.

And my family is going through a lot right now.

I'll be remiss if I didn't mention that.

And everything in me wanted to be like, give up on this camp.

But I was like, nah, I gotta start what I finish because it's bigger than me.

It's always bigger than us.

And we gotta understand that the young people are watching, and we all have a legacy.

So just continue to remember what you want your legacy to be.

All right.

So with that, I'm gonna end because I can talk all day, Miss Shape.

I can talk all day.

You know that.

Mr.

Horton, I pray I I respect you and I got a lot of respect for the work you're doing in the community.

And Mo True, a quarterback that I played with at Erie Central High School.

I hated this guy when he played football.

He was the big strong quarterback.

He was the best quarterback in the league.

And so, Mo, I got a lot of respect for you and the work that you do.

Keep posing the tough questions on social media and getting people to think.

And just understand, I'm quiet these days.

I'm quiet.

I stay in my lane, but I see a lot and I'm working behind the scenes to make things better for a lot of people.

So thank y'all again for having me in this honor to be here.

Thank you.

Appreciate y'all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Sorry for disrupting the meat, the normal meet.

Council President, do you mind if I should just save something real quick?

Go for it.

Um, I just want to say to the baseball team, um, congratulations.

Because you know, playing sports myself.

I realize how hard it is to just to win one game.

You know what I mean?

Um, so to get all the way to the state title, um, I realize how hard that is.

My senior year in high school.

Um, we got to the Western final as a football team.

And we played against LeVar Errington.

His team was North Hills.

Play for the Washington Commanders and the Dallas Cowboys, different teams.

They beat us by seven points.

And we got down to the two-yard line and couldn't get in.

And they won the state title the next week.

And I'm taking my ACT test the next week, thinking about them playing in a state title game.

So I I congratulate you for going.

And also, it was special to me to see one of my former players on the staff too, Tom Danius.

Um, when I was a young coach, JV coach, I was a fireball.

And sometimes things would happen, and I'd be so crazy.

And he'd be like, Coach, calm down.

This is a high school kid.

Do this, do that, coach.

This is what you should call.

And I'll call it on work, so I know you got a good guy on your stuff with Tom Danius.

Congratulations, guys.

Thank you.

I get the distinct pleasure of being um the person to bring us back to very abrupt.

Is there anybody here for a repository sale?

Is there anybody here for a repository sale?

Is there anybody here for a repository sale?

Okay.

Seeing none.

Um we will go ahead and move into public comment.

And as we start to line up, we're gonna have public comment.

You line up uh be my our left, your right.

Uh, make sure you're signing in on the front up here.

Um before we we get in, I am gonna use a bit of a point of privilege.

I know that we've we've had a lot, but we've done a lot of talking, but I just want to say that um I'm here I'm listening and we're we're listening and we're hearing, and we can see the frustration, and we're we're very aware of the disappointment and the distrust that's been voiced, and that we agree with a lot that we've heard.

And I just want to tell you plainly what's being done, so hopefully we can speak to a couple of the things.

I spoke to this in caucus, but currently there are a few ordinances that are under review right now with the city solicitor and will make their way back to council.

That first being the Article 112, our rules of counsel that are setting clear standards of the quorum for conduct that is expected from any elected official and how they carry out those duties, uh, and making sure that that follows with state statute.

And the second being we've heard many concerns, and we have for several years around the Citizen Review Board and the potential of codifying the SPCP through an ordinance and accountability that many, not only of you, that many of us here as members of council have asked for as well, and that that there is work being done on that, um, and not just with the solicitor but also with the administration.

And so before we go into public comment, I just wanted to be clear on those two points that we do hear you.

Um I know sometimes people leave before we get to the liaison reports.

I wanted to make sure I said those two things out loud.

So as we now open up, you will have five minutes.

Please make sure you write your name, steer clearly state your name and your municipality, and then when we hear that timer, um please just be respectful so that everybody has the opportunity to get through.

And the the echo is gonna be very loud, so when we're in here, if we could just be mindful of of how much the noise carries.

And then the the mic is yours.

Hi, my name is Michelle Dovishaw from the city of Erie.

Um you brought up the SPCP.

Um I feel um kind of sideswiped about that.

Because I received an email saying it was put to the side and put on hold, then I hear about a meeting.

So that makes me feel like the transparency that's being talked about is not there no more.

Because you can't tell one person, I'm gonna put you on hold.

And then hey, we're having a meeting over here.

What are you trying to say?

What is that saying to the people that actually want to make change within the city of Erie?

The people that sit up till two o'clock in the morning, reviewing video.

Um, getting phone calls from family members of people at two o'clock in the morning.

But that being said, when we talk about police equity, we are not talking about giving special treatment to anyone.

We are talking about ensuring that every person receives the same protection, the same respect, and the same justice, regardless of the color of their skin, the neighborhood they live in, their income or who they are.

That badge they wear represents a promise.

It is a promise that the law will be enforced fairly, that officers will protect life, and that every resident matters equally.

Police equity is simply asking that this promise be fulfilled for everyone.

Across our nation, many communities continue to ask difficult but necessary questions about disparit disparities in policing.

They ask whether people have different races experience police interactions differently.

They ask whether trust has been damaged.

Strong policing and a police accountability are not opposing ideas.

They go hand in hand.

Every officer who serves with integrity benefits when the public has confidence in the department.

Every family benefits when their encounters with officers and residents are guided by professionalism, de escalation, respect, and transparency.

Police equity means ensuring that police policies are applied consistently.

It means collecting and reviewing data to identify patterns and address disparities.

It means providing ongoing training and de-escalation, procedural justice, cultural awareness, and constitutional policing.

It means investigating complaints thoroughly and fairly, regardless of who is involved.

And it means being transparent with the community whenever possible.

Communities are safest when trust exists.

Police are most people are more likely to report crimes, cooperate with investigations, and report along and work alongside law enforcement when they believe they're being treated fairly and respectfully.

It also means recognizing that every interaction matters.

A respectful conversation can build confidence.

An unnecessary escalation can damage trust for years.

That's what's going on in this city.

I have gotten phone calls.

I have seen it with myself.

White people get pulled over for a break light, bad tint.

Cop walks up and says, hello, blah, blah, blah, show me your stuff.

You show me your stuff.

Here's your ticket on your way, or sometimes a warning.

I have seen it with my own eyes.

At 10 30 at night, a man was pulled over, a black man was pulled over.

And they called it for the tent.

When this young gentleman said, No, you cannot search my car because you pulled me over for the tent, give me my ticket, and let me be on my way.

And there is Cam Vid house cam video of this.

He said, if you don't get out the car, I'm gonna drag your ass out.

He got out the car, still would not give consent for the search, so they have found it in their way to love to tow black men's vehicles.

Tow them until they get a search warrant to search them.

I don't know how that's right in any way, shape, or form.

If I get pulled over, well, maybe not anymore, because I'd be standing on the wrong side when it comes to them.

But people deserve, and I've known that happening three times in the last six months.

Then there was another report.

I don't know if it's confirmed, another person hit today by an eerie police officer.

I don't know if it was confirmed, but that's what I was told.

When do they stop when does it stop?

And when can black men, black women, my sons be outside without worrying about the police.

Thank you.

I do want to give one point because I think that I made there was some confusion on a point that I said before you we start your time.

There was there was we don't typically do this, but there was not an SPCP meeting.

That's not that has not happened.

That was clarified at our last meeting by Mayor Devlin, and I just wanted to reiterate.

So if my point was misconstrued, that's not on the administration, that is on my end.

It is what I'm talking about is codification via an ordinance, not not the SBCP.

So I just wanted to clarify a point so that I didn't confuse anybody.

Thank you.

Hi, Council Aaron Meisner, East Side of Erie.

Um, I actually just start off thanking the Erie Police Department for your handling of the recent homicide next to my house on 10th and Brandis.

I spent a lot of time talking to police officers about how everything was handled.

It was a very chaotic situation with children playing in the park next to the incident because it was broad daylight.

All the neighbors are watching.

I know whatever the police officers are doing, they're going to be criticized, but I really hope a debrief will be done to determine what was done well and what could be improved upon in the future.

And my condolences to Mr.

Torrance's friendly and friends.

Thank you also for continuing your commitment to not working with ICE agents as they continue to wound and kill unlawfully.

I do want to talk about the use of force policies in relation to Kevin Sparks.

I understand both correspondence from Mayor Dublin that they're through correspondence from Mayor Devlin, there have been conversation with Albuquerque in New Mexico as they have recently been discharged from DOJ oversight after 11 years due to excessive police force.

I'm Pod reading the policies around use of force in Albuquerque.

I think these ones could apply, deadly force.

Any use of forces reasonably likely to cause death or serious physical injury and includes but is not limited limited to deliberately striking an individual with a motor vehicle or using a pit on a two-wheeled or three-wheeled motor vehicle.

When use of force when feasible, department personnel shall allow an individual to an objectively reasonable amount of time to submit to arrest or a lawful order before use of force.

The department personnel shall not use force against a restrained or handcuffed individual except as exact objectively reasonable, or intentionally target the head, neck, or throat with any force application unless deadly force is warranted.

And in regards to an ECW, post-use guidelines, department personnel shall always call medical services personnel to the scene to provide medical treatment.

None of that was done for Kevin.

Other charges, changes to police policies include de-escalation requirements, police board review board, a civilian police oversight advisory board, and they have a policy that officers with nine use of force force actions in the calendar year are reassigned.

Not as good news.7 use of force per 100 arrests.

That's terrible.

That's why the DOJ got involved.

2024 was the last year full data.

There were 673 use of force arrests or a 5.2 use of force per 100 arrests, which is still an increase of 500% of arrests with uh use of force despite being no longer um under DOJ uh jurisdiction.

Um injuries and hospitalizations weren't included in the 2024 report.

The population of Albuquerque is 48% Hispanic, 37% white, 3% black, 7% indigenous, 5% Asian.

The use of force arrests were 55% Hispanic, 20% white, which is about 50% less than the percentage of the population, 11% black, which is four times more than the percentage of the population, 9% indigenous, and 1% Asian.

While I can't tell you if all of these policy numbers are or all of these numbers are statistically significant, what it does suggest is that adherence to policy doesn't reduce the use of force, though it may lessen the degree of use of force, and in no way accounts for the racism associated with arrest and the use of force.

This is one area where ERI can be innovative in our change making.

I'm asking at least two policy changes in the use of force SOP available for public review in the next 90 days, which would utilize the DOGJ use of force policy and the IACP's recommendations at a minimum and include discussion with policy experts from around the country.

Also, a considered effort to continue to recruit more black and women officers to the force.

Lastly, to my LGBTQIA community, there is no queer liberation without black liberation.

We cannot only champion causes that affect us directly.

There would be no stone ball without Marshall Pstoming and Miss Major.

We must stand together in unity with those who came first and spoke the loudest, not just for themselves, but for us as well.

Hate has no place on city council, especially toward other council members.

Apologize and resign.

Justice Ricello, Justice for Kevin, Justice for Keith Renee, Alex Lorenzo, and Johan, and Free Palestine.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Rick Leablani.

Uh live in the city of Uri.

Um I found it interesting that a certain council member uh brought forth uh these recognitions tonight.

Um I had to chuckle to myself thinking that that was going to help him smooth everything over.

But this is not my first time at the rodeo.

I've worked in the corporate and business world all my career.

And what happened here a few weeks ago would not have ever been tolerated in a nonprofit or in the corporate world, they would have lost their job.

And my question is why the mayor's office and members of the city council have not demanded his resignation.

This should not be allowed.

He needs he needs to go.

He needs to go now.

And the only people that are going to force him to do it are you.

And I hope I don't have to come back here next month to say the same thing.

Thank you.

I have some photographs I'd like to share.

Um with city council.

Yes.

As you know, I've been here multiple times for the same reason.

Um I I finally got to talk to a supervisor at the police station.

Um I told him what was going on.

I told him a man with American, I mean, with a Confederate flag.

Basically told me I'm not allowed to rent to minorities, that my house got damaged, my property got damaged, that my minority tenants lost their home.

The other people on the other floor lost their home.

And they said it was a civil matter.

A guy chopping my apartment up with a machete and an axe and stabbing everything up.

And I cannot believe that.

Um it's it's ridiculous.

They I gave them the phone numbers of my tenants, and there was no uh investigation, that's all.

They said they're not gonna do nothing about it.

They they showed up a couple times, they're more annoyed with me.

And I I come back and every saying, I wanted you to look at them pictures.

That house could have burned down.

The guy was ripping the wiring out of my house.

If this was happening at a at a Gannon uh boarding house with a bunch of college students in that, would that be tolerated?

Would it?

Or would it be only tolerated to me because my low-income tenants live there?

This man that that did this with the Confederate flag, he also robbed two people right near the house.

He there's a cell phone place, it's called um Metro.

He approached the worker there, kissing on the window blowing kisses on it, acting perverted.

He grabbed the guy off the bicycle and threw him on on the ground and robbed him.

The lady that works at the store witnessed this.

He also robbed another guy right in front of my rental property, an elderly man in his 60s, grabbed him, threw him on the floor, smacked him in the face for $18.

I I don't know how this goes on.

I I talked to the police, his his aunt and his grandmother and his whole family is willing to testify against him.

They wouldn't, the police wouldn't even call.

He's even threatened to cut his own family up and place them in garbage bags and set them out in the trash.

And the police do nothing, and these are all low-income people.

And how is it a civil matter when a man with a confederate flag damages an African American woman's uh washing machine intentionally?

Makes everyone move out, tells me I'm not allowed to rent to the minorities, and the police do nothing.

They I I had Dilbert come.

Um he said there's at least $8,200 what he wants to fix.

And then I I brought a packet.

I have talked to the district attorney prior, and um they they tell me it's not a civil complaint, it's a criminal matter as long as the damage is done intentionally.

I brought the the a law, uh, the the crimes and offense code damage.

Um it just has to be intentional.

Um, this guy intentionally damaged my property.

He I've been told I'm not allowed to rent to minorities.

My nephew wanted to rent from me.

I he said I can afford to rent at your apartment.

I want to rent to you.

And I and I told him about the guy, and he can't rent from me because you know why my nephew?

He has a black wife, and it's not safe for him to live there.

And then and this is I'm gonna I'm gonna go to the federal government.

I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna go to HUD Ferrari Housing.

I'm gonna go beyond a city bear.

The police have literally repeatedly turned their back on me.

They did not interview any of my witnesses, they did not interview the the woman at the store.

This this guy's free to terrorize and harm me.

I had to sell my property because I can't, I can't rent that property to the minorities just because of two guys with a confederate flag, a case of beer, and $50 worth of meth.

And this is what it is about.

The police do nothing.

This is this is the axe this guy used to chop up my house that I called his probation officer.

I I called Erie County probation.

I said, I want to speak to this guy's probation.

I didn't even know he was on probation, but he was.

And they took a machete away from him, that he was chopping my house up.

He he has repeatedly confessed to murdering somebody at the railroad tracks on uh 14th Street.

I I told the police to this, they will not do nothing.

I I don't know why.

They all my tenants are low income, and and that's the reason I believe that I this guy committed multiple felonies, damaging my property, but five thousand.

Once it's five thousand, it's a felony.

It's over eight thousand.

The guy's in jail.

He I I can't even operate inside the city of here.

I've been repeatedly assaulted by by this the same two guys with a confederate flag can tell me I'm not allowed to go to church with minorities and nothing's done.

I'm waiting I'm waste almost wasting my time.

So do I go to the is anyone gonna help me out?

Can I I can't find one co-op in the city of the Erie to do the right thing to interview any of my tenants or nothing?

They all turn my back on my low-income minority dentist.

I won't be able to do anything here for this.

Mr.

Runsell.

You did talk to you, you're in contact with the district attorney's office, right?

No, I did not.

And what am I gonna do when they come to my house and beat me up?

That's what that's what has happened.

They come right to my rental property and assault me.

Because your time's up on public comment, I'll talk to you out in the hallway.

Yes.

Um, that way we're not interrupting the floor.

Thank you.

The comments.

Yeah, I'm not sure.

Somebody was on a little bit or get it down.

Okay.

Good evening.

My name is Mary Ann McDaniels Calesa.

I come in from Southeastern Erie County with a concern about how we are doing foreclosures.

I have in my hands a sheriff's sale.

I have a three-acre property.

It's not my property that's being held for sheriff sale, it's my next door neighbor who died a horrible death with an illness.

What I am noticing, and I want to bring to your attention tonight is that when I took a look at the paperwork that I was served, that the deed itself is incorrect.

They are using information from 60 years ago.

So how in the world can you serve somebody?

The person they were gonna attempt to serve would be by my calculation, 135 years old, because I've had this property for over 40 years.

So what I would like to suggest to county counsel tonight is that you approach, I'm sorry, Erie City Council, that you approach Erie County Council and say, I think you need to do a stop for 90 days until we figure out what in the world is going on.

I called the attorney in Pittsburgh, who's uh doing these foreclosures.

I said, hey, I just want to give you a heads up that the property you're about to foreclose on and share and do a sheriff's sale in an acre of it is my property.

I have a three-acre farm.

So I would like to let you know that the what you're commenting on in the deed surveillance is very old.

And I have paperwork, the recorder of deeds has paperwork, excuse me, on the fact that the property that what they used.

I said, I don't know if these people were very lazy, just didn't want to get the job done.

But there are two more micro fishes, if you will, that show the deeds that they didn't use, which are current.

So I think we have a real problem here, and it broke my heart when I saw the young gentleman, and I think it was his grandmother that were removed from their property.

Because if they're doing the same thing to me and I caught it, and I don't think I'm a particularly smart just you know, card in the deck, then how could they have been served?

So I have to agree with this young man that I don't think it was handled properly, and I personally don't think he was ever served.

I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I was hoping I could get another minute because I'm a mercier scratch.

Do I?

Your timer hasn't gone off.

Yeah.

Okay.

Um the only other thing that that I wanted to say was I did speak to the sheriff.

I believe that he is in compliance of what he's supposed to be doing with his job.

He should not be blamed for what's going on because he's being directed by a Pittsburgh office.

The VIDI, VITTI, I spoke to them, and they said, well, you'll just have to get an attorney, or you just have to get your land surveyed.

I said, sir, I have documents here that show that was done like a year and a half, two years ago.

I say, you don't have correct information on file.

I said, I don't know if the person who was doing this didn't know enough to turn the page.

But I believe there's a lot of low-income.

My life has been spent helping.

Low-income elderly and disabled.

And I don't believe that they're being treated correctly.

And I think they're being taken advantage of.

I have another family that told me that when they called this office, they said, well, you're gonna have to pay for a surveyor, you're gonna have to pay for an attorney.

And you know, if you try an heirs collect this property, you're gonna end up paying their car note that was repossessed, you're gonna end up paying for their credit cards.

And the people were like, oh no, I don't want to get involved, I'm scared.

Well, they're intimidating the folks that they're attempting that are low-income, in my opinion, maybe not particularly well educated by a huge law firm that is not, in my opinion, doing things correctly by the book.

You once are you once our time is up, then that's don't want to make interrupt your time, but yeah.

Well, I can speak to her and you can finish your time, and then I can't.

Go ahead.

I yield I apologize for interrupting you.

Um I come from the county.

Unfortunately, what you're speaking about here tonight has nothing to do with the city.

It has everything to do with Erie County and the real estate and the pathonitaries, uh, the recorder of deeds.

Uh, and and we hear the heartbreaking stories, and they they move us, but this is zoning, refuse, parks and wreck, public safety, and it's kind of hard.

The only thing that really intertwines as far as that goes, are that we're we're a taxing body in the same way that the county and the school board is.

There's been no other demographic who has lost wealth through losing property in homes than Black Erie.

But it's not a thing here for City Hall.

Well, I'm asking you to pass an ordinance to go to county council.

It doesn't matter.

And I I'm asking Dr.

Titus too to maybe think about uh pursuing that so that at least you can give them a heads up from the city.

Hey, wait.

I the city has we have agencies here that we partner with that have franchise over all of that stuff that we do.

It's called the land bank, the redevelopment authority, and so and we're you know, it's we want to help.

But Northern this is just a letter of support, and it's really you know, I don't do county council business now that I'm on city council, and I don't expect them to legislate what I do on city council and county council.

Now can I pick up the phone and say, hey, Mary and Daniel Scales has an issue.

Has she been over to speak with you?

Well, yeah.

Uh, but that's nothing uh that me personally uh that I was elected to do the things that really really are pressing here at Erie, like the 12 million dollar deficit and the looming uh uh pension crisis and the one harbor bayfront, and and there's just so much stuff, and a lot of times when people come stand at that mic, I try to catch it all.

It's kind of like drinking out of a fire hose.

About 60, 70, 80 percent of it has nothing to do with you know the things that we're elected to do.

Has everything to do with our humanity though.

And I've taken the unusual step, and I don't want to set precedence in like even answering a rebuttal because we don't do that here.

It's it's we have rules of decorum.

I have to get special permission from my uh Dr.

Titus to even entertain that when when I see the human condition, some things just you know demand or calls out for uh an answer.

And uh and I heard you very well when you said you were asking uh city council to propose a law or ordinance or resolution, but that's not when we propose an ordinance or something, that that's a law.

We're enacting law.

And so that we wouldn't do that.

And so but if you want to talk after the meeting, I I I'd certainly any of my county contacts hold there, any direction, guidance, help that I could offer.

But that's simply not a city issue.

And uh and just in the full disclosure.

I would not even support anything like that.

They come here because it's not under our scope of work, and it would be precedent setting, and it really would be performative, and it really would be out of line because we pass ordinances and enact ordinances uh to for to legislate how people do in the city, not what they do in another municipality or legislature.

Our ordinance holds no effect on anything they do over there in Erie County.

Uh it has no effect on anything they do as school board outside of a letter of support or trying to help but our ordinances are for city people and for city residents, if we're people who live within the confines of the city of Erie proper, but the other taxing bodies, we can't legislate anything that they do.

I I don't know if that helps you out or anything, but uh it's good to see you.

Thank you.

I could use some more.

Hello, my name is Rye Witherow, City of Erie resident.

I've come today to call into question the very duty and nature of our city council.

I ask this not in a fit of judgment, but from a position of sincere concern.

It is to my understanding that a city council is comprised of elected public officials, the duty of which is to act as a local legislative branch to ensure policy building, infrastructure reform, and the safety of the community that elected them.

It is also my understanding that they are to be informed by the community in which they were elected to best understand how these exact calls to duty, such as policymaking, infrastructure reform, etc.

can be created.

I call into question how exactly our current council is doing that.

I reiterate this is not coming from a place of judgment, but sincere curiosity.

I'm asking for a creation of a transparency policy, a report or breakdown of the exact duties, responsibilities, and actions each of our counselors are performing to uphold their office.

And if one exists for it to be fully utilized, because the current liaison reports are not fulfilling that, nor are counselors who can leave mid-meeting without consequence.

Because for my current vantage point, as a well-informed and active member of my community, I am not seeing this work.

Time and time again, I see neighbors come to council with genuine concerns, questions, and needed actions, and time and time again they are ignored.

I do not expect council nor the mayor's office to have every answer, but it is exhausting to see hundreds of us call for answers or raise concerns to absolutely no response or actions.

A recent example being when I create a petition regarding ICE and immigration safety within the city and county bounds.

Over 200 people within Erie signed this petition along with laid-out plans created by other municipalities on how to expand our policies around ice, and that is both for the county and the city.

A copy of which was sent to every elected person in this room.

Only one of you responded, 200 citizens signed.

You ignored it.

I followed up.

No response.

In a previous meeting, we as a collective were told that we, the voting populace of Erie, who lives and dies here, who loves it here, are not the boss of the council.

I ask you, if the public you are serving is not who are ultimately answering to, then why are you seeking a public servant position?

We're also told that the use of public comment, which we are entitled to, cannot be the sole way we asked for change, that this platform is exhaustive and unsustainable, and I completely agree.

I don't want to be here.

I really don't.

I have other things to do, and so do you.

Uh but as a citizen, I have physically lost count of how many emails and inquiries I have sent you all individually over the years.

Emails about police brutality, extreme weather, safety concerns.

Over the course of the last two years alone, I've sent dozens to which only two of you have ever responded to, ever.

And I thank you for your responses.

The majority of you have never once willingly acknowledged or responded to any of our concerns.

So what choice do we have but to come here?

If you as a governing body truly serve the populace you claim to, show us.

Change our minds.

Quit looking at your phones and rolling your eyes.

Look at us when we speak.

You want us to respect your office, and I do want to respect your office.

But some of you won't even look us in the eye or stick around.

You didn't even stay here for public comment.

And I'm saying that to the camera.

If you believe I'm speaking out of term, prove it.

Show us how you plan on supporting change and community need.

This room is emptier than I anticipated or wanted when we plan this speak in.

And I know some of you are preparing for a big show out.

I can't tell you how many people I spoke to that wanted to come to this, that after the last meeting said they don't want to.

Because, and I quote, what is the point?

Our governing body doesn't care about us.

And I can't speak on behalf of all of you, but if I was in a position of public service, which I love to do, and hundreds of people suddenly gave up on me.

I would feel a very particular way about that.

And I really hope that you hear this not as a call out, but a call in.

We want to serve Erie together and better.

And I'm asking step one, answer your phones and your emails, and we'll stop showing up here.

Thank you so much.

Hello.

Caleb Brechtston, City of URI.

I have to apologize.

I'm very, very tired.

I have just a few notes.

I don't have a written statement or anything, but there's uh a lot that can be said.

Um if I uh if we all had the time, I could be here for hours, I think.

Um I first want to say a few things about the last council meeting that I was at um I I believe about a month ago, uh the other uh PM meeting.

Um I have to say uh some of the way that public comment was responded to after so many people expressed genuine heartfelt comments there uh was more disappointing than I think even the initial occurrence some some portion of the initial occurrence that uh uh the way that some people did not respond to uh um uh what happened uh several meetings ago.

Um and I also want to just write the the record on a few points there.

Um I know that uh one of the council members, for example, uh said that, well, we had to pay attention to decorum.

Um well, there's actually I I hope I I know that you all know this, but uh you can ask at any point to be recognized.

So there's actually something that you can do about that.

So I know that the the sort of bystander-like effect can can be a real thing.

So I have some understanding there that um uh but I I just I think it's important to hear uh uh to be encouraged to act in the moment when you see injustice happen.

Um and I don't think that decorum is more important than uh something like that.

So I want to say that.

I also want to say that I'm here for free.

So I know there was some criticism about people saying, well, oh, I don't like to hear that uh when people say I'm your boss.

That that does sound pretty rude, I have to say, but also uh um I don't think uh I don't think it's the point.

Uh this was something that was uh responsibly uh responsibility that was sought out.

Uh you accepted this responsibility, and so I would expect that um you know the voices be heard in that moment uh for the people that you decided to represent.

Um I think that it's also ridiculous that um there was this little show of uh uh uh positivity uh for uh um a council member that has since left.

Um and I think that is uh that also needs to be pointed out.

Uh I also want to mention Kevin Sparks.

Um I uh I'm glad to hear that there's an investigation going on.

I don't uh know how that will go exactly.

I haven't been able to spend the time to pay as close attention to the incremental details of how that goes, but I do know that I saw the video and what I saw was brutal.

It was completely uncalled for.

Uh I don't think that there is unless unless the person that you're chasing down uh is actively a danger, that sort of occurrence should never ever happen.

Um if you can't serve a warrant or you can't arrest someone uh because they're running away, uh I still think that it does not warrant harm unless they are an active danger.

Um I think whatever standards uh uh were used in that moment were uh really, really corrupt.

So I hope something is done about the officers that were involved in that.

Um about that.

I also uh saw just a couple days ago or yesterday about how uh um Christina Vogel and Daria.

I know this is not something that is directly in your power to do, but I do want to talk about it because I think it impacts all of us.

Uh went to uh some defense summit or something like that about bringing uh manufacturing to the city of Erie and manufacturing is great.

I I think that would be wonderful, but not for war machines, especially not in this political climate.

I mean, you I think that putting a target on uh Erie in that way would be it would cause me to leave the city.

Um I think that it is incredibly dangerous.

I think if we were in another country where we had a more reasonable uh uh defense department, um I think it would be fine in a certain sense.

Still wouldn't love it, but I would understand that there's a necessity there.

However, we are currently in a situation where our government is uh being very aggressive in ways that are uh I'll a huge problem.

So um don't love that.

I'm sure there's plenty more to say about that, but um I guess that's my time.

Thank you.

Hi.

Um my name is Dr.

Clayton Bratt John Middle.

I reside in Erie.

My pronouns are they them.

I feel like that's you know, not necessary, but I it seems important.

Um I'm a writer and an editor, which means I have a lot of experience uh with balancing shoestring budgets, um, especially as an editor.

I've you know sometimes uh people don't like to help you make the magazine you're trying to make.

Um and so this week I kind of look I took a look at like the 2026 city budget.

Um it's on the finance department's website.

And I have lots of thoughts.

Um and I'm aware that the current mayor and the present composition of the council did not put this together.

Um or and so I'm not gonna harp on what could have been.

And I know the current mayor and present council will be working to develop something to address what people are saying is a budget crisis.

Um but in the spirit of giving planning ideas through public comment, which is what this is for, I think.

I do want to focus on the largest budget item, which is the police department.

Uh of the 110 million 112,599 dollars in the general fund, 43,455,665 are allocated to the police department, which is nearly 40% of that general fund.

Uh more than half the police budget is dedicated to salaries, mostly the salaries of police officers.

Erie regularly ranks amongst the poorest cities in the United States when accounting for income and poverty rate.

Yet the salary of its police officers is in the top quarter of average police salaries in the entire country.

And I'm tempted to say that maybe this demonstrates an extra level of professionalism in Erie police officers, but recent video showing the rest of Kevin Sparks and other incidents in Erie's recent histories kind of demonstrate otherwise.

And so I asked the council to consider as you you know uh look towards the future and towards the next uh year, a few years, uh, to consider police reform to consider reallocating some of this police budget uh to programming that reduces crime through public welfare and social safety nets.

Um 2026 literature review by Robert Apple and the annual review of criminology reinforces something we already know.

This consistent evidence that social safety nets are more effective in reducing crime by eliminating the underlying causes, including poverty.

In addition, social safety nets infuse money into the local economy.

They bring greater degrees of prosperity to the community as a whole, which also increases the revenue that the city would have.

And so uh on today's agenda, we actually see an example of an allocating of funding for the Erie Center for Arts and Technology, something that does by its very existence.

Uh reduce crime by increasing opportunity, increasing education.

Other social safety nets might include housing opportunities, uh especially for the unhoused.

There's a vibrant, oh yeah, and rehab services.

Uh I saw somebody earlier involved in that, and that seems like another one to consider.

Um there's also a vibrant arts and literature scene in Erie that could be expanded and invested in.

You can look at North Adams, Massachusetts with Mass Mocha, uh Bilbao with uh Guggenheim, and the ways in which the arts have been used to increase prosperity, increase opportunity.

Um, you know, um the arts give hope to the desperate when they give tasks to idle hands.

Um and so there are far better uh uses for this money than high salaries in a bloated police department that continues to find itself in questionable circumstances.

Um I have.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello everyone, my name's Anthony Hazen.

I'm a lifelong Erie resident, a real estate investor and a taxpaying citizen.

I come before you today to press a fact that you guys already know and understand, and that's that continuous rising taxes and fees implemented by the city are making rent prices unaffordable.

And I believe that having a I believe it's having a direct impact with the decline of population and quality of affordable rental units available in Erie.

Myself as well as other real estate investors feel providing good quality apartments at a fair rate is becoming harder and harder and will soon be impossible due to all these continuous hikes in taxes and fees implemented by the city.

I know some may believe landlords may not care about providing quality apartments at a fair price, but I do, and I definitely know I'm not the only one.

I believe one way to fix this problem before we see a collapse in local people that are trying to invest in real estate in the city is to pay attention to other mismanaged money in the city, like in the school district alone.

We have schools that are on the verge of shutting down while we're hiring new positions that didn't exist before and paying years worth of salary to people that are on a paid leave.

I ask that you all consider local people trying to invest in our city when you're making these decisions.

And that's all.

Thanks for your time.

Thank you.

I'm looking so sorry.

Hi, my name is Samantha Vodo.

I live in the city of Erie.

Um I mostly was here to talk to one of our friends that has since left.

Um he wanted to get his cheers in, but then did not want to get his gears.

So I don't really know what I am going to say to you guys.

Really, it is I came last time, had something prepared, stud around with my friends in the back saying, you know, we were dissatisfied with how everything turned out.

What are we going to do next?

When I heard our missing friend say something inappropriate to a news reporter, um, I was not here at our last meeting because I work, so I could not join Scott McDowell in calling out this behavior, and really everything that Scott said is going to be better than anything that I can provide you with.

Um, but it's it's just it's hard for me to understand this pattern of behavior.

Um I spend my days as a behavioral health technician for adolescents receiving um behavioral health care.

So it's not often that I'm confused by where these behaviors come from.

And I have guesses.

Um I think being berated for several hours about how something you did was problematic.

You find connection where you can.

Um it was not effective.

She did not respond in kindness.

I think that there are more appropriate ways to find connection, potentially in your wife named Cheryl.

Um beyond that, I would like to share some information that I think you all might find helpful.

Um that are problematic are also just ineffective, especially when we are tasked with doing a job.

Um so if we can't recognize the the culture of the room um that everybody in that lobby was against you, and find that as an appropriate time to say something curt and inappropriate to somebody approximately 50 years your junior.

I don't know how effective we are when we're in rooms with people who are part of this decision-making conversation.

Um I appreciate that there are going to be changes to the rules of decorum.

I appreciate that you all are still here and that you are hearing all of us, and I really do appreciate that.

Um standing in that lobby.

I recognize that it is difficult to call things out in the moment, which is why I stopped.

I got my facts and I responded on Facebook.

I told everybody that I could what I heard, and that I felt it was inappropriate, and I urge you guys to do the same when something happens and you don't find the courage to speak up immediately.

I recognize that it's very, very difficult because I was faced with the same task in the same setting.

Um, that's really all I got.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Hello, I'm Abigail Hanson, and I am a new Erie resident as of this last year.

And I'm going to read a short excerpt.

This will be brief from The Service Barry by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

I've adapted minor language to um suit the context of protecting Lake Erie.

So mistreating a gift has emotional and ethical gravity as well as ecological resonance.

For example, I'm thinking of a spring I know where the water is icy cold and gushes out of the ground.

It almost makes you dizzy with its cold vitality.

I drink from my cupped hands, splash my face, and fill my canteen for later.

Isn't this how water was meant to be free and pure?

How long has it been since you drank wild water?

It feels like a gift to me.

The life of what of that water became my life and my joy in its presence.

But if I mistreated that spring by polluting it or by damming up the water that belongs to itself and selling it off, the consequences would be an emotional breach as well as the ruination of the water quality.

It's a gut bunch to even imagine an individual claiming to own it.

But that moral sense does not constrain an economy that views water as a commodity, property to be bought and sold.

It seems absurd to me that someone could own water, a free gift that falls like the proverbial manna from heaven.

Could you sell manna without spiritual jeopardy?

I don't think so.

How we think ripples out to how we behave.

If we view these this spring, or in our case, Lake Erie as an object as property, it can be exploited as a commodity in a market economy.

When something moves from the status of a gift to the status of commodity, we can become detached from mutual responsibility.

And so residents support keeping the bayfront primarily a public resource rather than further privatizing the waterfront land for exclusive commercial development.

Public access to trails, parks, gathering areas, third spaces, fishing access, and cultural spaces should be prioritized over additional privatization of the bayfront or public assets for private interests.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

And it really does warm my heart to see many new businesses and opportunities popping up.

The parks, the events, new boutiques are certainly encouraging.

Despite that progress, downtown and surrounding neighborhoods remain a food desert.

Many residents, especially those who live and work downtown or on the lower east side, must travel unreasonable distances in order to buy groceries or household essentials.

For those of us that live downtown or on the Lower East Side, this is not a concept or a talking point, but a lived reality.

The people we need to make the city's investment in tourism and culture a success, the young professionals, artists, students, families.

They don't choose communities based on entertainment and access to a waterfront.

They choose places where everyday life is convenient.

It's a city.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, uh, Michael Butskolny, Harbor Creek.

Um, according to the latest reports, uh, the mayor, county executive, and members of Infinite Erie recently went to uh convention named the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit.

This summit is described as bringing together America's leading defense and technology leaders, including senior military commanders, industry CEOs, investors, innovators, work first, developers, and entrepreneurs, to accelerate innovation and strengthen America's defense industrial base, showcasing Pennsylvania's leading defense companies, emerging startups, and critical suppliers, creating direct connections with government procurement officials, prime contractors, and private capital.

Where's any mention of the word public in this description?

This is an actual quote coming from a speaker at the summit.

We've got defense CEOs, tech pioneers, capital allocators, investors, and military officers.

Let's look into the PA officials who headlined this event.

Senator John Fetterman, who is pro-genocide in alliance with neoconservative foreign policy.

Senator Dave Becormick, recent post of his uh states the future of war will be decided who masters AI and autonomous systems first.

Dave Bakornik recently voted to integrate the Israeli military with the U.S.

military.

To give you some perspective, Israel, in committing genocide, has killed 200 plus journalists, systemically targeted children in the head and vital organs, resulting in much more than 20,000 children being killed, along with hundreds of thousands of indigenous people in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has also dropped the equivalent of 10 Hiroshima bombs on the Gaza Strip and has developed a system involving training dogs to rape Palestinian prisoners.

This is one percent of what they continue to do.

Mike Kelly, Jake Banta, a previous Blackwater mercenary.

Josh Shapiro, who denies the genocide that Israel is carrying out on Palestinians, is documented by journalists on sending police to corral anti-genocide protesters and is in a port is in a photograph smiling while autographing bombs.

Ryan Bizarro, who attended a lavish tech summit sponsored by Google, who recently visited Israel while they were committing genocide, denies that his genocide is taking place, and is pro-data center.

Google specifically is part of Project Nimbus, a 1.2 billion dollar contract that arms the Israeli government with AI and surveillance technology that's being trained during the genocide of Palestinians and then integrated into our government and military apparatus.

This does not seem like a just way to build ships in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Let's move on to Infinite Erie, part of the web of unaccountable power brokers in this city.

Here's some examples of Infinite Erie's messaging on shipbuilding project, which includes one, quote, a region deeply engaged in the defense industrial base with $791 million in Department of Defense obligations.

Two, it also states, quote, there are skilled trades aligned with shipbuilding and defense manufacturing.

Three, it also states that Erie's inland location provides national security resilience.

This is the same Infinite Erie organization who was involved with Washington sales partners, the consulting firm brought out, bought out, excuse me, by Genovar, who was found guilty in multiple build, multiple bid rigging lawsuits regarding projects similar to the one Infinite Erie is currently promoting on the Bayfront.

I don't trust Infinite Erie, who is aligned with, and I don't think it should exist as an institution.

Instead, there should be a deep investigation carried out into the organization and its ties to fraudulent actors, and any community project should be democratically decided by the community and publicly owned, not privatized.

A survey does absolutely nothing.

We have to talk about imperialism, the militarization of AI, and what it means not only for those abroad who are killed and occupied, but what it means for our community here at home and the acceleration of climate change.

According to cost of war, at least $8 trillion has been spent on post-9-11 wars.

And from 20 to 2024, private firms received 2.4 trillion dollars in contracts from the Pentagon.

The U.S.

has spent at least three $3.4 trillion countering China militarily since 2012.

We have 800 military bases, China has one military base.

That's ridiculous.

Harvard war budgeting expert, Linda Blimes is now estimating that the illegal war launched on Iran will exceed one trillion dollar in long-term costs.

That's insane.

The U.S.

military is the largest consumer of fossil fuels and the biggest polluter on planet Earth, and it's not even close.

This is almost never talked about in the open and not included in reports.

And it's making billionaires, defense contractors, private capital interest in oil cartels billions of dollars.

The World Wildlife Fund, who monitors wildlife populations worldwide, states that wildlife populations have decreased by an average of 73% since 1970.

Freshwater species have suffered the most severe losses with an 85% decline.

We live right on Lake Erie.

Reports are now stating that climate change will result in temperature levels permanently rising as much as two degrees Celsius by 2030.

This will result in an extinction level event beyond our comprehension, leading to freshwater resources being depleted and our environment being cooked alive.

It's already started and it's already locked in.

Thank you.

Hello, my name is Dan Norrin, and I live in Harbor Creek.

Hello, everyone.

I'm new to this, so I apologize in advance if I'm out of line or if what I say is out of your scope.

I came here originally because of concerns I have about the accountability of our governing body and the law enforcement.

Many people here have said a lot of what I'm feeling much better than I can.

These are things I care about a lot, and the main reason why I'm here today, but I can't say what they've already said any better, so I'm gonna go in a slightly different direction.

I keep being told that there's a shortage of jobs.

It's a topic I hear over and over again.

Yet I look around outside, I see litter on the ground, I see potholes, I see broken street lights, broken fences, cracked sidewalks.

I had a coworker from Ohio come to this city to assist me at a job, and he said, Wow, Erie is so much more dilapidated than I remember.

There is no shortage of work to be done.

Some of these things are more difficult than others, but together we can do anything.

Our government has an obligation to serve our community.

Our government has the ability and capability and the responsibility to identify these shortcomings and address them.

Funding is always used as an excuse.

Companies like UPMC and Erie Insurance and others love to put their name on stuff.

Talk is cheap.

If they want to pretend they own the city, they can help pick up the tab.

Maybe we can erect another advertisement as thanks for their contribution.

I see a Gannon plaque over there for their contribution.

You know, why why stop there?

And if they don't, I'm sure that there could be some cuts made to the police budget.

It seems excessive considering it's nearly 40% of the general fund.

I am fortunate enough to own my home here, and I want this city to flourish, and we do not need a warships facility to give people gainful employment.

Thank you.

Hi.

I live in the city of Erie.

So I have a few things to talk about.

Uh one of which is I noticed that there's a couple of absences.

Now, one of them I understand the person was not here at all, but the other person uh was here for a part of this meeting.

And my understanding was that for with protocol that unless there's like an illness or they're out of town or something like that, that they should be in this room and not in some other hidden away spot.

Uh so I find it very disappointing that they've left, uh, especially knowing that people would be coming here to talk about their behavior.

Uh I hope that something can be done so that some clarification, I know you can't enter answer questions, but maybe during your committee reports, if some kind of clarification could be offered, that would be wonderful.

Uh, the next thing I'd like to talk about is obviously it's been touched on a little bit was the defense contractor uh thing in Pennsylvania, this big convention.

I understand that uh the mayor and the uh county executive want to bring money into the region.

Uh totally support bringing money into the region in various forms and trying to find innovative ways of doing that.

I do not think that uh investing in uh a war machine uh is the way to be going about this and investing in uh getting money to come into our region that will be used to kill people abroad.

Uh I find that very disappointing, and I I have a lot of respect for the mayor and the county executive, but this is a real disappointment for me to see them at this uh event begging for money.

I'd also like to talk about what's happened locally uh with the police and the Kevin Spark situation.

And what's something I want to highlight is that I know that it was brought up by uh the council president that things are being looked into, uh, work is being done, the mayor's put out a statement, you know, we're gonna be releasing some information soon.

Totally respect that.

I think that's great.

One thing I want to highlight is that when we have these conversations around policing in this city, sometimes we paint with too broad of a brush.

All cops are bad or all cops are great.

Uh fund the police, defund the police, all these kinds of we can get into sloganeering.

I want to say that anything that happens, we have to consider this though.

We have a police union that is highly right wing.

It has targeted multiple members of this council in its in the last couple of years.

It targeted a member of this council on a topic that had nothing to do with them simply because that that council member made a remark about a certain group of uh political people.

And I want to say that that council member then received multiple death threats, multiple attacks online.

I know that even in defending her myself on social media, I received death threats and threats on my body.

I don't know that any progress can happen around this situation so long as we have a police union that decides that they would rather take up with a president that despises a massive part of this population despises immigrants when we have so many new Americans coming in to this community.

How can new Americans feel safe in this community when they know that the police union will not be supportive of them?

You need to take that into account in anything you do, whether it's a citizens review board, whether it's looking at their budget, please take that into account.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Hello, my name is Emma Wolf, and I'm a resident of Erie who has come here concerned and angered about recent behaviors I've seen over the last few weeks.

In my life, I have met and loved many trans people, including family.

So hearing comments that were made to another member of council several weeks ago angered me and broke my heart to see.

And as the older sister of a lovely trans woman whose mental health has been struggling due to acceptance from community, I came here to demand a better response and accountability.

I also come here as a former employee of Erie NewsNow who was disgusted to see that a former colleague of mine had gross, awful comments made to them.

I know my former boss came here, discussed a bit about it probably better than I could, but I ask as someone who cares about my friends, cares about my family, that there be something more done.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, everyone.

Callie Paparelli, I live in Summit Township, but I work and spend a lot of time in the city of Erie.

First, I would like to commend the uh community outreach uh survey that you guys sent out.

I don't know who was in charge of that regarding the city parks.

I mean, we have beautiful parks and they're just kind of fallen apart.

Um the actual survey, if anyone did take it, it really demonstrates a serious commitment to the improval to improving the quality quality of life and the well-being of the city residents, of the people who use it, just the people who even live around them.

Um, regardless of the demographic, it's something beneficial for everyone.

So I really appreciate that.

Thank you guys.

Um but going off that, the survey itself, if I could offer a suggestion, um, the park itself, the survey itself was really well designed, it was super intentional, super comprehensive.

Um, but itself, the survey itself was written in language that is inaccessible to a huge majority of the city residents.

Um if you've ever studied linguistics, took a class on that kind of thing, you'll learn about the term register, and it's the level of speech that you use.

Um you've got frozen, which is like scripts and quotes and memes.

You've got formal, you'll your jargon, your technical documents, your academic language, your consultative, where you're having like teacher to student exchanges, casuals, just a conversation, intimate, you've got your body language, your intonation things.

Right now, this survey is written in language that's between formal and consultative, language that you don't learn until you are in advanced academic settings.

If you are familiar with the Erie School District at all, if you're familiar with the statistics, you will know that on average, 20% of our students for going back decades, ever reach proficiency in reading.

That means these people who are graduating from our school district are reading at second, third, fourth grade levels, and the survey itself was designed for people with a college reading level.

So all of these people were expecting to use these parks to capitalize on these resources, literally cannot access or understand the questions they're being asked.

On top of that, we've got so, so, so many ESL limiting English proficiency families.

We've got about 12,000 people in this city who don't use English at home.

How are they going to use these parks at their fullest capacity if their voices aren't being heard?

Because they literally cannot understand the requests made of them.

So going forward on that, if I could suggest, please, next time you send out a survey, maybe offer it in a few different languages.

We have so many resources.

Some data this morning.

We tested 900 or 9, excuse me, 9,995 out of 10,076 school districts in the nation for reading.

Math, we're almost dead last.

We are doing very badly.

We're trying to get better.

We're trying to improve, but how are we doing better for our people when that is what the education system is providing for our kids?

Another bit of trivia, you guys may never have heard of this.

Uh after the gulag system in Russia, where primarily the intelligentsia, the people who were just passionate about education and sharing that education, they were sent to these gulag systems.

The economic prosperity of those regions was dramatically, dramatically higher than anywhere else in the country.

So if we are testing dead last across the country, how can we expect our economic revival to ever happen?

How can we improve as a people when we're not prioritizing education?

How are we not doing anything with meeting people where we are or where they are?

Excuse me, lost my train of thought.

Oh, the warship facility.

Do we need to be building warships if we're not minding our own business?

Is that really gonna bring us the most prosperity if we're sending we're sending our efforts to something that's go off gonna go off and kill someone somewhere else?

We need to focus on us.

We need to mind our own business before we get involved in something like that.

Um I did run into speaking of parks, a couple of students this week who were very concerned with McKinley Park.

Why are the swings getting taken down?

Why are the tennis nets getting taken out?

Why are the resources, limited resources these kids have to participate in and enjoy their own city being taken away from them?

One of the students did come to a prior city council meeting and she said that nothing was done, no answers were were made, they're still taking away the resources.

So if you could please find out, I would love to know.

Love to pass on the info.

And then how much time do I have?

Seconds?

Okay.

Um if you have immigrants neighbors, don't tell them not to get a real ID.

A friend just got flagged who is a citizen passport holder because he was adopted.

Thank you.

Hello.

Um Nick Sluna.

I've been an Erie resident for over six years now.

I moved here from Pittsburgh when I fell in love with the city.

It made me feel safe and welcomed.

Um, but I also have to recognize that because of the color of my skin, I experience a certain amount of safety that not everybody in this community experiences.

Which is why it's so important to me that council listens when the people speak up.

Because there's so many of us of so many different shapes and sizes, backgrounds, political leanings, who um are still for one voting populace, but two just people that live here, and I feel very sorry for the people that live here when there are very serious matters to be taken care of.

And it seems that council would not want to hear what the people have to say based on um like others have brought up the previous meetings about a month ago and prior actions of certain council members.

And uh speaking of certain council members, I notice obviously we have an excused absence, but I am not speaking, unfortunately, to all of council, which I was hoping to do.

And I would like to note that I am here shaking, feeling like every bone in my body wants to jump out of its place and leave my muscles a puddle of goop on the ground.

But you cannot stop me from coming up here and expressing my views, and I think that's very telling that I can be present for this in the middle of a panic attack while we cannot have all of counsel present to hear the concerns of the people.

I could go on about so many more.

Uh so uh how much time do I have left?

Because there's two minutes.

Um we've talked about the police brutality and the fact that not all members of our community experience equal safety.

I cannot say anything better or more clearly than those before me, but I can add on that um seeing the incompetence in the police department, given the amount of money that we spend on them is sad, and it scares me because this is who's supposed to be protecting us, no matter what your views on the police are.

And we can't trust them to do that right now.

And that is only going to be made worse by the encroachment of flock cameras into the city of Erie.

Currently, currently the flock cameras are at both Lowe's, Home Depot, the mall.

Um I'm sure I'm missing a couple because I think we just started adding some at Penn State.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Um that is targeting given those locations, a vulnerable population of day laborers, uh, students from countries around the world, anybody coming off the highway on I 90 to stop by the mall or grab supplies.

Um those cameras allow unlimited access to information about anybody that passes by them.

And if we let that continue, it will be a detriment to the rest of our community.

Thank you.

I'm living here for years and years, and uh I've been trying to bring the uh attention to you about law enforcement and police.

I have videos of them.

Uh I went to court, I got charged for unlawful order and a lawful and recording them for 50 feet away.

And I've been charged, and I'm going again against another trial because I have recorded in the Missy Justice Court public lobby that we allowed to do.

A policy don't trump our rights.

We have rights under the First Amendment to record government officials on their duties.

And I've been having issues with the judge, and that's why I was recording the public levy, and now the officers charging me for unlawful use of recording.

And for them to bring your attention already, this officer's been doing already out here.

He already had a federal lawsuit against him that he lost.

Now, Officer Justin, he was the one that uh arrested me for 50 feet away for him.

He's the one to hit the guy on the bike.

He should have been uh already dealing with.

But when I called the return affair, he said I should have been the one in jail.

But we had to stop this because if we don't, it's gonna keep more lawsuit than what we could afford.

And then the city, I don't pay for it.

We the people do.

We gotta step up and start doing for the community because if we don't, this officer is gonna kill somebody one of these days.

He already ran somebody over.

He validated my rights already under the First Amendment.

This is not right for us.

And I appreciate you for listening to me today.

And my name is how you're and I go by hobbies news now on YouTube.

Thank you.

I want to start with a question, not expecting an answer, but rather hoping you will consider it during my remarks and those of my community that are here tonight.

Why are you here in the seat you are in?

And what drove you to seek that seat over those behind me?

I have recently been canvassing, tabling at community events, and talking, but more importantly, listening.

I'm listening to understand my community's relationship with law enforcement and government, how it works for them, against them, what they would like to see change, and what they need to change.

We are speaking to them about housing and what they want to see with new buildings, renovations, code enforcement.

The event we will be at on Saturday is a Mara Masala.

Parade is at 11, an event starts at noon, right here in Perry Square.

This event speaks to my personal mission of community, inclusion, celebration of diversity, and reminds us of our commune common humanity.

Celebrations alone will not fix what ills our community.

But our elected officials, law enforcement, and civil servants can help by walking the streets, speaking and listening to what the city needs.

Be creative.

Walking recently, I saw neighborhoods with limited transportation, bulk items like broken AC units, tires, home debris, and no way to dispose of it.

The city may have occasional drop-offs, but they're not able to get there, and they're not well publicized.

Take the cleanup to them.

Let them know you care.

Let them see your face.

I don't want to talk for him, but he's an amazing asset in this community.

Why aren't we bringing in people like that to talk to the youth to find out?

You know, maybe they couldn't go to McKinley and play at the playground because everything is gone.

We're taking things away from the kids, but we're not giving them an avenue to exert their energy.

It's summertime.

They don't have school, so they need something.

So we're gonna throw law enforcement on top of them, listening to the business owners and not to the community community.

And not just the appease the power in the business owners.

And as for the police, when does protect and serve not have deterrence?

We've seen a lot of events lately, and specifically the one at the gas station, that the police officers were already there.

They were watching a fight at gas pumps.

And instead of actually engaging with them, deterring them, stopping them, they allowed a gentleman to get run over.

That's on the police.

And personally, I think that they have a case against the officers.

And I was talking to somebody while canvassing recently, and they told me about how their upstairs neighbors are continuously noisy.

They've taken it to their landlord.

Landlord says go to the police.

Police have even come to the house.

Instead of even having a conversation, they tell them can't do anything.

Deter somebody, have an adult conversation with people upstairs and say, hey, why don't you start turning down the music before it gets too late?

Why don't you consider your neighbors?

Instead, they'd rather use force and wait for something bad to happen.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Jared Stascheski, Mill Creek Township specifically.

I would like to say that I was surprised that Councilman Brzezinski was here for the ceremony with the Mercy Harris baseball team.

Much respect for their achievement, but that was definitely the wrong person to do that, especially at the beginning of the meeting.

And Dr.

Titus, could you tell me is Mr.

Brzezinski censured?

No.

Why is he on video now and not in the chair?

Because everyone, if you look up on the screen right there, you can see Mr.

Brzezinski on the camera.

And I don't think we should see him there either.

If I answer, it's gonna take up your time.

Then we can talk after the meeting.

And I actually have some good news that I would like to share.

A $14 billion legal sediment settlement with chemical companies that produce toxic PFAS forever co forever chemicals that are widespread and contaminating water sources has money on the table that Erie Waterworks could cash in on.

This huge payout is there for the taking by water companies if there is any more than two parts per trillion of PFAS in the source of the water that they treat and serve.

And this would be at no cost to Erie Waterworks.

They would likely be eligible to 60 for 60 million dollars.

They have not yet signed up for this free opportunity, and unfortunately, about 8 billion of the 14 billion dollars remains unclaimed by water systems and will go back to the chemical companies if not claimed.

Please do what you can to have Erie Waterworks respond to attorney Mike Ewall, who recently contacted them to make sure they're aware of this settlement, which is separate from other PFOS legal settlement settlements that they may have signed on to.

So that's some very urgent information.

There's only about two weeks left to get that money.

So uh Ms.

Shaw, I know you'll probably be at the meeting tomorrow, but that would be some good information uh to relay to them.

And I would just like I would like to ask the mayor and all council members what I could personally do to help.

A lot of people have accused me of being negative, and I love Erie.

I'm obsessed with Erie history.

I like Erie people, I like the diversity, I like how we're kind of like uh crazy, but we get down and we help each other, and that is never more apparent than here.

So if I ever come across as negative, I apologize.

And if there's anything I could do to help anyone's cause, please ask me, and I would be uh happy to do that.

So I would like to uh leave everyone uh some wise words.

His name's Marshawn Lynch.

Take care of y'all mentals, y'all bodies, and y'all chicken.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi, Cindy Triver, born and raised in Erie, live in Edinburgh.

Um, briefly before I start talking about what I would like to address.

Um, if we are gonna consider becoming a military hub of any sort, we have to have a serious conversation about our police force.

Having lived on bases all over this country, I can adamantly declare that our force is not ready for the diverse population that will come in.

That not ready.

We're not even ready for what we have.

Beyond the badge, those are the words that are displayed prominently on the first page of the Erie City Police Department recruiting bad recruiting guide.

This guide assures us that trust runs deep, that building trust is foundational, and that policing is not just a job, it's a calling.

Truer words have not been spoken.

Law enforcement culture is like unlike any other in our country, and it is a culture that should be rooted in integrity, as the recruiting guide also states, but it has seemingly become one focused on power and politicization versus people and professionalism.

We must acknowledge that this culture as it stands in Erie is a problem for our communities.

The very purpose of police should be to protect and serve, to protect the rights of the people they serve, not to infringe upon them, marginalize them, or devalue their basic humanity.

The recruiting guide also discusses elite level training, skills, judgment, and confidence.

These seem to be concepts that should highly be highly favored in our police force.

Training policies dictate that officers must maintain proficiency levels regarding key enforcement tools.

Being that this elite level of training is so important, can somebody please share the training course, grading metrics, mastery level parameters, frequency of recertification, designated instructors or field training officers that are authorized to not only conduct training, but also to sign off on training of officers to use a 4,700-pound vehicle as a less lethal impact weapon, according to the policies of Erie.

Less lethal impact weapon.

So if we have to have training, we better have it on that.

What certification exists that regulates training and deployment of quote unquote anything that might not normally be considered a weapon?

Is there a brick throwing course, a lead pipe course, a construction cone course?

Training standards must be synonymous with policies, and we cannot function in a perception-based police state and be a community-based police force.

We should have serious questions about concerns, uh, what concerns community police.

We should have serious questions and concerns about what community policing means to the police versus what it means to the community.

And by community, I do not mean the SPCP that was based on 70 people out of 91,000 persons.

70 people made up those policies and were part of that study.

That's 0.00076% of Erie.

Policies dictate funding, training, public safety initiatives, and they influence our interdepartment cultures.

Without policies that reflect best practices, we end up with what we have in here in Erie now, and that's a divide that likely resembles the egregious racial segregation that was identified in 1973 between the state, our city, and its mayor.

Stanford has significant guidance on models of use force in 2026 that address use of force.

Erie does not have a single policy on use of force continuums on the ladder of what needs to occur.

How is that even possible?

That's how is that even possible?

93%, up from 29% of departments nationwide have specific policies on officers' duty to intervene.

We clearly don't have much of a policy on that either, based on the video that we have seen of Kevin Sparks.

It demands discernment and judgment.

And when we have multiple officers in supervisory positions that have multiple complaints filed by citizens, who are named in multiple lawsuits and multiple sediments, who are unilaterally making and implementing their own policies, we create a climate of disregard and dismissal for the very purpose of, but completely contradictory to the ideals of protecting and serving.

What we do have, according to this guide is confidence.

We have confidence that we can use perception over preparedness.

We have confidence that we can create our own policies where language does not exist.

We have the confidence to man neighborhood action teams with SWAT members in full gear and assume that posit that would be positively received by the community.

We have the confidence to look at black life differently.

This can be shown in the very easily identify identifiable settlements that the EREPD has paid out in the past 12 years.

So if we want to talk about people's records, let's talk about this one.

Of the 15 most notable controversial interactions, 11 have been with women and disabled, and more than half of the 15 have been with black people.

Thank you.

I've worked in nonprofit organizations and human services in Erie for 27 years.

I'm a current, I'm the current executive director of Erie Dawn, which is a nonprofit in Erie and a leader in this community.

The focus of my work and career has always been working with women and youth in the community.

I have built my home in the city of Erie.

I have attended higher education here at Gannon, and I'm highly invested in promoting justice, equality, and human dignity, humanitarian efforts for all.

So we would love to have those conversations.

Additionally, I use she and her pronouns for any of the council members that would like to know that.

But anybody else can call me doctor.

Unfortunately, I, like many others have attended many city council, uh city and county council meetings and voiced many great concerns of abuse of power, racism, bigotry, sexism, violence, homicides, bullying, and lack of transparency and leadership in this community.

I am here again.

We are here again, taking time out of our busy lives away from our families, our homes, our work, etc., to address these concerns.

It is my right to be here.

It is your elected job and your privilege to be here.

However, today I am not simply here to just voice my concerns and exercise my right of freedom of speech.

I am here to sound the alarm.

Your alarm.

Wake up.

Let's all collectively wake up.

And maybe for our council member that had to leave a little bit early.

Let's talk about collective and that defin in the definition of that.

So collectively means doing or considering something as a group, not separately.

It describes actions, decisions, traits shared by or involving every member of a group rather than individually or acting alone.

So let's wake up to the common themes held throughout every incident presented from our collective concerns.

So that collective concern is we actually have, and this is something that has not been discussed, a very big thread of toxic male culture and patriarchy happening in this community.

It's happened in our history.

I know it's a little bit sensitive of topic, right?

Because there's a lot of males in the room.

I don't have a problem with males.

I have a problem with toxic male culture and patriarchy.

So I just want to make that clear.

So what does that mean?

So toxic male culture and patriarchy feeds off of abuse, power, racism, bigotry, sexism, violence, homicides, and bullying.

Patriarchy, a social system in which men hold primary power, dominant roles, political leadership, moral authority, social privilege, and control or proper of property.

Toxic male culture, it's the rigid traditional cultural norms that pressure men to embody aggression, dominance, stoicism while devaluing empathy and emotional expression.

So why don't we just stop pretending that this is complicated?

Let's start, let's stop choosing to overlook this in our own community.

And let's consider the leadership, authority, and law enforcement demographics in our own community.

These systems that have been designed in every community in our lives.

However, in 2026, we need to take a serious look at these systems.

Are they working for everybody?

Is it a collective effort?

Are they just benefiting a select few?

Are these systems promoting oppression?

Are they feeding off the vulnerable and disadvantaged?

Are these systems of law and order truly protecting?

Are these systems hurting people and our communities?

Are these systems negligent and corrupt?

I think we know the answers to that.

So some of these, some of those protecting us are hurting us.

Some of those leading us are not leading.

But are in positions driven by agenda and ego.

People are more interested in popularity nowadays, getting votes, being on a stage, having a microphone, being on a pod a podcast.

So who does that really benefit?

And why are we allowing this?

So here's the thing.

Let's just put this into the spotlight.

These injustices, the bullying, the violence, the disrespect, abuses of power, they are, again, the foundation and resolve to toxic male culture and patriarchy.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Dan Brayman.

I'm a resident of the city of Erie.

Um I'm gonna be continuing on a theme that was discussed by a previous speaker.

Given these are the problems that our community is facing while officers are wearing the badge.

I would emphatically agree we should be taking a serious pause and evaluate who our officers are beyond their badges.

The complete indifference shown to Kevin Sparks with regards to the prison refusing specialist medical care being offered by AHN specialists.

And the continued disregard for the injuries caused by this police department is repulsive.

The excessive force plague that has infected our home, including using weapons as first option on the use of force continuum, which are nationally recognized as deadly force tactics, and the total disregard of community safety and hierarchy of safety needs, needs and conflict resolution must change due to the concerns this community has regarding the implementation of perceived policies and life-threatening use of force by officers in high saturation neighborhoods that also house many of our newer Americans.

Please consider this a formal complaint that warrants 24 hour response regarding our certification as a welcoming city.

A formal complaint will be filed accordingly.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, everyone.

My name is uh Deontay Coley, lifelong year resident.

A couple different things that I wanted to talk about, um touch on it's kind of all over the place, but I mean I know Doc Titus, you said something about decorum and working on things or whatever the case may be.

So, like I get and I'm I'm I wish uh Andre was here because I kind of wanted to speak to that something that happened earlier.

But I'm I'm noticing Mr.

Brzezinski's.

I've been sitting here watching the whole thing, and like right now it looks like he's propped up in the recliner.

You know, we saw I've seen him outside, just sitting outside.

It looked like he was ordering food or ordering a drink, and then I seen him take his phone, and it's three people hopping in the picture, and they all laughed, and I believe it was from the um person who was uh addressing him for not being here, but that's just neither here nor there.

But like this gentleman is a representation of you all.

You know what I mean?

You all are a collective, and it's just starting to seem like there's no care from the city council because I'm glad that Jerry asked the question about the censorship because I thought that he was, you know what I mean?

Censored, but I guess not.

So and I don't want to know why he isn't here, because again, I don't want my time to be taken up.

But then another thing that I would like to know is like when you talk about decorum and you talk about the segment of public comment, what are and what aren't we allowed to talk about?

What should and what shouldn't we talk about?

Because I watched a lady here, I literally watched the life come out of her when you stopped her to tell her we don't handle things here, but it's like she was just asking for support.

And if it's an opportunity for us to have a public comment, is it now gonna get to the point to where you guys can't talk about certain things?

If I want to come up here and sing twinkle twinkle little star for my five minutes, I this is a legit question.

Am I obligated to that?

Or is there certain things that me as an individual living in the city of Erie when it's public comment?

Are there things that I cannot talk about?

That is a question I would like for you to answer.

No, you're just not allowed to address anybody.

Okay, thank you.

So if I'm if I'm talking about something specific and it's on my heart and I'm asking for support from my elected officials, in my opinion, I believe that I should be uh this lady rolled out of here in her chair and she was very disappointed.

It was very disheartening to see that.

So I did want to make sure to speak on that.

But even outside of that, one of my one of my concerns with because I know we all talk about how we love the Erie community, and we're talking about you know the people with the the housing issue, we talk about substance abuse, we talk about the unhoused again, the unhoused community.

But my question is are we getting ourselves prepared for the crisis of the gambling addiction when these skill game machines have to come out of the places of the people who can't afford to pay that extra tax after 120 days if that is what happens because addiction is real, um, and addiction doesn't discriminate against anybody or anything, and a gambling addiction is a serious thing.

So there are gonna be people who may not have access to their skill games to get their fix, they may not have a ride to the casino, so now we might see more skin joints coming up in our neighborhoods or more illegal gambling activities, or people who just want some money, crime goes up.

You know, dealing with some of those stressors, more people are using drugs, more people are using alcohol, and there was a countdown, it was 120 days.

I want to say a month ago.

I'm not sure where the countdown is now, as far as the laws and things changing, but I've been working, I've been addiction counselor for 12 and a half years, and people can become addicted to anything.

When people are addicted to money, people will do anything more for money.

And then also there are people who run these organizations and these establishments to um and it's not to to to blame them because people are trying to to make a living.

So now what are we gonna do about the people who have to go from having income of let's say five to ten thousand dollars a month to now zero dollars, or now they're in a hole because they have to pay them taxes?

How are we gonna help those people either sustain their lifestyles or teach them some different type of style of business or help them deal with their addiction of money and spending because now some of those people may have been sending their children to private school?

Now they have to come to public school.

Some of those people may have moved out of the neighborhoods to where they felt weren't safe, and now they may have to come back or be facing eviction notices.

So again, I'm not sure if anybody has thought to consider this, but they're in the future, in the near future, and those machines were strategically dropped off in our neighborhoods because they're not past 33rd street.

You know what I mean?

And if they are, they're in certain areas or specific things.

So my question to you all is are you considering the epidemic of the gambling addiction and how it's going to impact our city once those skill games get lawed or whatever it is that they're doing, and they say, okay, you guys gotta pay these fines.

You guys gotta pay these taxes in order for them to be here, and people can't afford them, so now I can't get my fix on 22nd Street.

I can't get my fix on 7th Street.

Now I'm I'm oh man, I need to gamble.

Now I'm gonna go to the bar.

You know, because maybe the bar still has a machine in there, so now I'm drinking while I'm playing the game.

And now a fight breaks out because you're at my machine, or I'm waiting my turn, and so on and so forth.

It seems very far-fetched, but for anybody who ever has struggled with any addiction, or anybody who understands a gambling addiction, you understand exactly what I'm saying, and we all know how ugly this can get.

So let's not ignore this because we're being distracted by so many other things, and let's realize and understand that there is going to be a population of people who will suffer here shortly, and we need to be addressing it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Julio Regis, California, Edie.

I was not going to speak, but uh I got encouraged for all the people making comments.

I have a big mouth, and I'm always making suggestions.

What I see here in Italy is like a total different dimension.

I'm going to give you a couple of examples about how money and opportunities are wasted.

I decided to go to the uh grade eight uh Tuesdays at the bay.

People to be able to get in there, they make a line, and the line was about at least a hundred people there, just waiting online to get in, one hour to get in.

The vendors inside Bending, they could sell more money, they could say make more money if people were able to get in and being able to buy things faster.

The gate, two people, two machines there, and then they open the bags, and then there's about maybe 30 minutes to get in.

Sony, the music performing, and then instead of being smart, that's of course the port authority.

But if people should have been smart enough, they should have more gates open and then being able to move the people faster.

Then you have about four guys, you know.

I'm short, so they look to me like seven feet tall, you know, heavy set, whatever.

They should have women doing the screening.

They are faster and better.

Okay.

So that's one example, just one example.

Edie traditionally watches the pennies and loses the dollars.

Absolute waste of time.

I went there, I enjoyed the music a little bit, and they just move on.

And I could give you another 20 different examples about what is happening.

Now, what people forget about this forum and the whole city is we as humans are social animals, mammals.

We imitate behavior.

If we have a bad example, most of the group tend to follow that bad example.

What Dante was talking about.

You start gambling because it's just fun, then it becomes an addiction, and then you don't have anything else to do.

And other people were speaking that they were making troubles in the bay because they don't have parks to play.

You should be smart enough to audit the organization that running away with money in the shelters where homeless people don't want to go because there is violence and there is drugs and there are problems.

How do I know?

I talk to anybody in the streets.

Actually, I have a conversation with me in the mirror just to learn some things about what's going on.

I talk with people in this in in the streets and I ask them why you don't go to this, why you don't go to this place?

Because there is a lot of violence.

I don't want to be there.

I don't want to be around people that have the drug addictions and that they are not treated.

What do I want to be there?

I'd rather be on the streets.

Now I'm not saying that I am right.

I'm just conveying the message that I get from the people living in the street.

Now, you are a forum.

It only takes one bad apple to damage the basket.

You need to do something about the image that you are sending to the world in every moment.

Because that's what you choose to do.

So you are there, keep a minimum standard of performance.

And if a bad apple is poison the basket, you need to get rid of the bad apple.

In the in the authorities, in the non-profit organizations, in the businesses, in the landlords, you only need to get rid of about 10, 15 bad apples, and then the problems are solved.

Again, I was not going to talk about this because you know I didn't want to.

I talked too much, but believe me, I'm 72 years old, and I've been told that I have good ideas.

So just try to use the ideas.

Follow what I'm trying to say.

I'm not really that articulated, but I could tell you you give me a problem, I will solve it for you for a nominal fee.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else here for public comment?

Anyone else here for public comment?

Anyone else here for public comment?

Okay, we will go ahead and close the public comment section.

Council file number 16621.

Official ordinance 42 2026.

An ordinance appropriating the sum of 189,868 dollars from unappropriated and anticipated revenue and providing for the expenditure thereof.

This is the 2026 Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority grant.

Sponsored by Councilmember Poll, seconded by Councilmember Troop.

And now known as official file ordinance 42 2026 be finally passed by City Council.

Members Brzezinski.

You got to unmute.

I see you talking.

I'll go on Horton.

Yes.

Poll?

Yes.

Shaw.

Yes.

Troop.

Yes.

Titus?

Yes.

Member Brzezinski.

Can you unmute the work?

Do you have any joy?

Yeah.

Yeah.

I would just list it as abstaining.

Okay.

Because he honestly something went wrong, so he wasn't able to vote.

So it's not a no.

I would call it an abstaining.

Okay.

Just for lack of another term.

Ordinance.

City council pass official file ordinance 42, 2026, finally by YAS 5, NAZO.

Did you hear my yes?

No.

Were you a yes?

I was a yes.

Okay.

I'm muted now.

Councilfile number 1662, official ordinance 43, 2026.

An ordinance appropriating a sum of 405,899 dollars from unappropriated and anticipated revenue and providing for the expenditure thereof for the 2026-27 Auto Theft Prevention Authority grant.

Sponsored by Councilmember Poll, seconded by Council Member Troop.

That's Council File Ordinance 1662 and now known as official file ordinance 432026 be finally plat be finally passed by City Council.

Members of Brzezinski?

Yes.

Horton?

Yes.

Poll.

Yes.

Shaw.

Yes.

Troop.

Titus.

Yes.

City Council pass official file ordinance 43 2026 finally by Yay 6 nay zero.

Council file number 16 623 official ordinance 44 2026.

An ordinance appropriating the sum of $500,000 from unappropriated and unanticipated revenue for the expenditure thereof for upgrades the Erie Center for Arts and Technology, which is ECAT, to be completed as a subgrantee.

Pass-through funding is provided from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, which is a RAC P grant.

Sponsored by Councilmember Titus, seconded by Councilmember Shaw.

The council file ordinance bill number 16623 and now known as official file ordinance 44 2026 be finally passed by City Council.

Members of Brzezinski?

Yes.

Horton?

Yes.

Poll.

Yes.

Shaw?

Yes.

Troop.

Yes.

Titus.

Yes.

City Council pass official file ordinance 44 2026 finally by Yay 6 nay zero.

There are no ordinances for first reading.

So we will go on to old business.

Sponsor by Councilmember Troops, seconded by Councilmember Horton.

Resolved by the Council of the City of Erie that pursuant to Article 7 of the revised zoning ordinance 80205 and a public hearing held by Erie City Council on Wednesday, July 1st, 2026 at approximately 9 30 a.m.

in City Council Chambers.

The request to designate the former William and Mary Spencer House located at 519 West 6th Street 16507 as a historic building be hereby approved and city solicitor is authorized and directed to prepare an ordinance to amend the zoning map to reflect such designation.

Voting on the resolution.

Yes.

Horton?

Yes.

Yes.

Shaw?

Yes.

Troop?

Yes.

Titus.

Yes.

Resolution passes Yay 6th nay zero.

Our second order of old business.

Sponsored by council member troops, seconded by council member poll.

That the council of the city of Erie, the proper city officials are hereby authorized and directed to make a change to a prior resolution passed on council by council on April 2nd, 2025, which incorrectly awarded roof replacement work to take place at fire engine 11 and the amount of 76,250.

Such work will be carried out at fire engine 10 at a contract amount of 87,936 by feral roofing of Dunkirk, New York.

The original amount was 76,250.

A reflection to change the engine 10 contract, 11,686.

Final requisition 87936.

Additional work for the project will be a cost of 1,967, increasing that to $89,903.

Voting on the resolution, Councilmember Brzezinski?

Yes.

Horton?

Yes.

Poll?

Yes.

Yes.

True.

Yes.

Titus.

Yes.

Resolution passes J6 nay zero.

This takes us to new business.

At this point, I would ask Council to make a motion to move the balance.

Motion.

Second.

Are there any separations?

Any subject.

Contracts number five.

Any other separations?

No.

Any other separations?

Voting to move the balance of the agenda.

Members Brzezinski?

Yes.

Floor Horton?

Yes.

Poll?

Yes.

Shaw.

Yes.

Troop.

Yes.

And Titus.

Resolution passes Yay 6 nay zero.

Separation is number five under contracts.

Sponsored by Councilmember Schaff, seconded by Councilmember Titus.

The proper city officials are hereby authorized and directed to enter into an agreement with HHSDR 40 Shenango Avenue Sharon, Pennsylvania for an 1840 26, 1840-26 bid award for design services for phase two of the public safety facility for the Department of Public Works of the City of Erie at a total cost of $720,000.

Discussion.

Council Brzezinski, would you like to say something?

Is this your request to separate?

No, I just want to vote no.

Okay.

Any other discussion?

Voting on the resolution, members Brzezinski.

No.

Horton?

Yes.

Poll.

Yes.

Shaw.

Yes.

Troop?

Yes.

Titus.

Yes.

Resolution passes YAS 5 NAS 1.

This takes us to committee reports.

Thank you.

All right.

We will start with our committee reports.

I request that councillors be mindful that we try to stay within that five-minute time and that we stay on our liaison assignments.

We'll go ahead and start with Councillor Poll.

I attended the fire pension meeting last week via Zoom.

Police pension was also last week in person.

Fire department had a couple deaths last month from retirees.

So they were working at that.

Um last night.

Started where at uh 811 West 7th, they took a blighted property and bought it and remodeled it through payment and volunteers.

Everyone that was there got to tour it, and it was just nice to see that.

And whoever gets to live there is very lucky, and hopefully they can do more and that'll show other parts of the city.

And as far as the rest of the comments from people to this evening, again, uh I'm sorry you all have think you have to be here to um you know question us.

Um I myself feel very strongly about the city.

Um if someone thinks I don't care about it or I don't say enough.

Um I'm I'm new to this position.

And all I can do is hopefully uh we'll get better in the future to help you out.

Um we're not all perfect.

Uh and I'd be the first to admit that that I am not a perfect person.

Um, but I can't uh say what other people on this dais are gonna do or say uh or whether they'll be if they'll live up to the expectations of the of the uh position.

Uh that's it.

Uh Dr.

Titus, thank you.

The only thing I'm going to report today is that I did I have nothing for my uh liaison roles to report tonight, but I did receive a um email from uh Mr.

Witherspoon that I wanted to read to you.

He wanted me to report this to everybody if that's okay.

Yes.

Both male and females who participated in the Spoons Summer Basketball League this year.

As we draw to close any of the season, I would like to invite you and members of council to the playoff and participate and presenting the awards to the players and coaches.

So he wants us to like help out if we can when they have their award ceremonies and things like that.

He says he started the season with 162 registered, and as the season progressed, we lost some to travel teams and some to early football practice, but we remain successful in keeping the balance out of harm's way between the hours of 5 30 and 9 p.m.

Our volunteer coaches from the community were outstanding.

We didn't have the numbers that we usually have with the coaches.

We have coach two and three teams.

They have different age groups, um, nine and ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen and fourteen, and fifteen and sixteen.

Our program, City and Spoons is very successful to the point a group of former spoons players are currently trying to organize a 40 and over league, and they are serious about it.

They have asked me to coordinate it, and I graciously graciously denied the opportunity.

Also, the 17 to 22-year-olds who are also former Spoons Leagues are asking me to organize them in league.

However, I am happy to work with the POW organization and Mr.

Lytle Hunter on their three-on-three tournament during celebratory.

We will continue activity at Bayview Park until the 30th of July.

Please graciously share this report with members of council.

And um, I did share this email.

Um Lori, I think I have to share with if you were share with council too.

All right.

That's all I have.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Councilor Horton.

Sure.

Um I attended the housing authority study session and followed up the next week with their regular meeting, combinated with me attending the Erie Housing Authority Pick.

Which is last Friday.

Also attended the blighted property review board.

Uh they requested that a few houses be declared blighted.

We did so.

Um nothing really extraordinary there.

The redevelopment authority meeting was canceled.

The land bank meeting, I believe was canceled.

I attended the parking authority meeting along with Councillor Shaw yesterday, and we discussed ways that we could closer work together to best benefit both uh entities.

And we talked about some of the other uh new meaning issues that we have before us.

Um I do want to say uh I want to apologize because I know we don't really respond back, uh, but I know that uh young lady and she worked for the county a long time, and uh I just felt like I should really just be upfront and honest because a lot of the stuff that comes here and I'm learning uh myself.

It's it's a transition from me from human services to municipal services.

You know, the county's such a beam myth of of services, everything from the library, adult and juvenile probation, the court system, Edmund L, 9-11 Center, intellectual disabilities, the library, and a host of other things.

Uh everything that affects a person from birth to death happens over there.

We do zoning and stuff over here, property geographic geography, property disputes, the civil stuff.

Uh it's not it's not our job, uh, and we would be wrong to start passing ordinances and resolutions to support citizens uh in that manner in what will almost assuredly end up in a court case as from what I could ascertain from her comments.

Uh uh the city council uh is different from county council, is different from school board.

There are three different taxing bodies.

We have three different issues, uh three different uh missions.

Uh I love human services.

Uh we offer to support her outside after the meeting or whatever, in any way that I can have help.

And I probably got a lot of county uh experience that will probably be able to help her.

But but here in that formal manner, what she was requesting uh is inappropriate uh to even be considered.

Uh sure you all know that, but if you didn't know that, it's inappropriate for us to start trying to pontificate to other taxing bodies.

Um it's been a great week.

Uh we got a lot ahead of us.

Um excited about working with the mayor.

Um I'm happy to tell y'all that I finally starting to feel better.

Um best I felt since February, just sitting in the seat.

I'm still excusing myself with the 10 Junit because I I still have some issues, but I do feel better.

Um just because we redirect someone uh to the proper place to go does not mean that we don't support them or won't support them or won't help them in the same manner that our solicitor said it's not proper for me to address that from the podium, but I will gladly see you outside.

And I don't know about you all, but everybody in the city has my number.

Uh they call me from everything from my kids need a job, uh, my you know, whole nine.

Um, and I'm happy to serve.

Uh, but the reality of the matter is uh my job is a city council legislator, and the biggest most important thing uh about that job is gonna hit me really, really shortly in the form of a budget.

I'm excited about it because that's one thing I know I know how to do well.

So thank you all.

Thank you.

Councilor Shaw.

Thank you, Dr.

Titus.

So America is this Saturday.

It's my favorite festival in downtown Erie.

There's a small parade that goes up from 4th Street to downtown.

Lynn Johnson does a great job with everything that is brought together for this, and I thank all the volunteers and helpers.

And it starts, I can't remember exactly 11, and then noon is the parade, and then it goes on maybe till five or six.

Um check the information.

But I have gone to this for many years.

My kids went to it with me.

My kids went to it with me, their adults, my grandkids have made things for it and have walked in the parade when they were here in Erie, and I am attending for several years now, and it's great.

Can't say enough good things about it.

Thank you, Andre, for uh mentioning that I was there with you at the parking authority.

I addressed the issues that come up at Toe and Review Board at times.

I met with Erie United, uh, a small group of them at the Booker T.

Washington.

We talked about housing issues in Erie.

Um Ms.

Pole and I this morning met with the landlord association president and vice president, and um we had uh a good productive with both the Erie United myself and the Landlord Association.

Um I'm available, I'm usually not home more than I am home if you know me.

Um I go to things that don't conflict with family functions.

So you know, I'm there, call me, what have you.

Um there's uh QR code.

I'll hang this up or give it to the um girl at the front desk tomorrow, or um Lori, maybe I can pass this to you.

Um there's an event schedule, it's for people who are interested in uh having a small business, but if you have a small business, if you've had it for 20 years, 30 years, what have you.

I learned something today that I did not know.

A small business goes up to 500 employees.

That's high.

You know, I don't think that's small if you have 500 employees.

Wow, but um they have they meet once a month.

This is just the startup, they're having a founder networking mixer, yada yada.

Every month there's something, there's no cost, it's all free.

It's like networking and talking and sharing ideas, what works, doesn't work.

Um what more could you ask?

I used to have the saying, if it's free, it's me.

You know, uh, it's good communication, and the reason I go to places is because of that community.

So if someone's coming up with uh a conversation with me and is talking about small uh businesses with black uh wall street, and I can say uh Ms.

Kyra Taylor, I think I if I said her name right, um you know she's the person that uh you know I it's like I can give people helpful names, where to go, how to navigate things sometimes.

I am not perfect at all, but there's always someone out there that knows and has experience and is a helper because we look for our helper individuals in this life.

When I was little, we learned our community helpers are helpers.

Okay, so uh I also went uh to the same event that uh Ms.

Pole was at yesterday, and that was an idea from Seth Comar from the Episcopal Church, and he brought it to the Our West Bayfront, and the Our West Bayfront thought, hmm, now that's a good idea.

He came up with the idea of a community rebuild house.

And because the R West Bayfront is, you know, progressive thinking.

So at the time, three years ago, Anna Franz was running it, and she was able to get those connectivity helpers, those community helpers.

And then Starla Kokenauer.

Uh did I say that right?

She was the interim after Anna, and then Gretchen Hess finished it, and she is with the R West Bayfront now.

Volunteers helped rebuild that house.

Money helped with uh the housing uh department was there, and they mentioned all the other helpers and organizations that helped.

But there was a man named Brenn there, and he and his brother-in-law really did a lot as well as the Gannon Girls basketball team had started it by cleaning it out, and there were volunteers from the neighborhood and volunteers here and there.

But this man, Bren, did five thousand hours of free volunteering community service.

How awesome and amazing is that.

You know, some people get passionate about things, and they really want to help.

Just, you know, like our boards and commissions, those people aren't getting paid.

Okay.

I was at eight grade Tuesdays for the first two.

Yes, there are lines.

Safety for all measures.

I believe it was the greatest amount of people ever at an event because they do totals.

So it was a great night.

I called up Chief Van Trott today.

Thank you for answering my call when I heard from a phone call that there was a situation that was very sad about a baby.

And I want to bring it up to the mayor when she comes back.

And Chief Lentrot had mentioned that he'll look into that research too.

It takes a village, it takes a community.

We all need to do our best.

No matter what side you're on, we can work together.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um the liaison appointments for myself, and then I'll go through some of the comments that we had and address and answer some of the questions that were posed.

Um so the airport authority, I was out there last Wednesday, went on a tour and met with uh the director there, uh learned more just about uh some of the projects that they're working on, the funding streams that are coming through.

Uh we reviewed some of the seats that will be open uh and talked about the process that has been utilized in the past and the process that we're trying to implement now.

Um and he made it very clear that it's he would like to be more a part of the appointment process because they've had some difficulties in the past where people get appointed, and there really is this very specific skill set that is needed there.

Um, and so he's got a seat that's coming up, uh one or two that's coming up in the end of December, uh, and those members I don't think are seeking reappointment.

So uh we can we'll we'll look to that.

They have a meeting, I believe it's next week or the week after, um, and so I'll have more to report on the next at the next council meeting with Erie Vents, spoke with the director there.

Their meeting is also next week, and I'll be meeting with them a couple days prior to get caught up so that I'm prepared for going into their um authority meeting.

They did want to give a shout-out for the eight Great Tuesdays that have been happening so far.

Last night was the highest number they've had on record since doing eight Great Tuesdays.

Um, and they were they were pleased with just how how the event has been going, and he's shared that he's looking forward to you know the continued relationship and working to build an even stronger Bayfront, and he was very excited about the the One Bayfront initiative as well.

Uh I wanted to follow up a little bit with what Councillor Shaw had shared about the infant that was found, and just make sure that we all know of the resource that in Pennsylvania we have a safe haven law and a baby up to the 28 days old with no questions asked, as long as there's no harm and no crime that is being committed, can be brought to a Pennsylvania any hospital in Pennsylvania to a police officer at a police station or any emergency provider at an EMS station uh with no questions asked.

I wanted to follow up a little bit with what Councillor Shaw had shared about the infant that was found and just make sure that we all know of the resource that in Pennsylvania we have a safe haven law and a baby up to the 28 days old with no questions asked, as long as there's no harm and no crime that is being committed, can be brought to a Pennsylvania any hospital in Pennsylvania to a police officer at a police station or any emergency provider at an EMS station with no questions asked.

And I think it's important that individuals know that we have the Safe Haven Law.

It's on the Pennsylvania website, and you can look for more information there.

Um that we do have it in place here.

I wanted to also I was at last week I was at the local progress conference in Baltimore where it hosts municipals uh who are uh electeds who are from municipal offices across the the U.S.

And we essentially talk about things that they're working on in their cities or in their townships, and we share policies, and so uh there's some really brilliant things that are happening, and I'm excited to bring some of those policies over here and and ordinances for for council to review um as we kind of collect those ideas because there are things that are working, and I think that they could work here as well.

To address a couple of the comments that were made, um one specifically around right now the rules of council, like what can be talked in.

There is not a limit on on topics.

Um so that's within our current rules, and to explain the censorship project uh process as that has been something that's been brought up quite a few times.

I think it's really important for individuals to understand that in the the state of Pennsylvania we cannot do anything as a governing body uh that would disrupt somebody's elected duties.

There's nothing that we can do other than a censorship, which would also be a motion a second, but also only hold place for that meeting, cannot strip any individual of their elected their elected duties.

That's that's state law, that's state statute.

Um so I know we have we have received a lot of frustration and and I understand it, I understand what is being said.

Uh we can create rules of decorum and we can hold individuals accountable utilizing Robert's rules of order, which is what we use.

Um but that a censorship process is something where someone would call for a motion, we'd second, we would then have to debate that person wouldn't have uh an opportunity to to state their case.

We would then vote on whether to censor that person.

But a censorship only means that they cannot talk for the rest of the meeting.

The meeting.

They are still allowed to be present and they are still allowed to vote on every issue that comes up.

Uh we as a governing body, this chair has the ability to remove them from liaison positions, but that is the power in which this governing body holds over any other duly elected member.

And I think it's important for individuals to know to know that.

Um there was another question, and I didn't write it down, and I apologize, but I would be happy to answer any other questions.

Um but just know that we hear you.

Uh we are listening, um, and that there are things that I had mentioned in caucus and I had mentioned the beginning that we are working on, including updating Article 112 around the rules of decorum, uh and also we we are hearing loud and clear about the Citizens Review Board.

But please know that we in Pennsylvania again are in a preemption commonwealth and that there are limits around what is allowed to be done and what is not allowed to be done, and what none of us want to see happen is us create an entity that that does not live up to the standard of what is being asked and further uh erode any trust from any members of our community.

I think that that would cause more harm than good.

Um and so there is that is you know, we're working with the solicitors.

This has been something I've been working on for over a year to make sure that we're following what other municipalities have done and what when it has been challenged has stood up specifically in the state of Pennsylvania.

So with all that being said, I will end my report here and I will pass it over to the controller.

Thank you so much, Dr.

Titus.

Uh this is a lot to unpack tonight.

Um but first what I want to say, and this is a break for me.

Those who stayed around after public comment, thank you so much for staying for all of the comments and all of the meeting.

You know, you can say your piece and leave, but to me it's so important to hear everyone and to recognize everyone for all of the things that they have to say.

So I appreciate the rest of the you that are in the audience tonight.

Um what I will say is there's a lot going on in the controller's office as there always is.

And I have my notes.

Uh I'm and I'm not a perfect public speaker, but as I always say, we're committed to working with intentionality, and we're collaborating with well with all the other departments in City Hall.

It is just so important to me that we not only safeguard our our taxpayers, but they we also work to towards efficiency in our office.

Uh we're actively tracking market fluctuations for all of our pension plans.

Uh and we do look at that often.

And we are aware that you know the pension is an issue, but not an issue.

It's funded, but we're always looking at it.

And this week uh we met with the firefighters and the police regarding their pension funds.

Uh and we we've also been working on several cost studies with regard to looking at saving the city funds.

And there's more to come on that later.

Um, you know, I have over 13 years experience in forensic accounting for pension and 401k plans.

So I have a so I love a good spreadsheet.

Uh sorry.

And we work on following the money every time we need to.

So we can adequ adequately track the city spending.

So I'm keeping my watch on all city expenditures.

And we're auditing the bills every week, and I can report that the city departments are all being very responsible with their spending.

And as I always say, our office maintains an open door policy, and we're happy to help all departments spend wisely.

And per usual, I give my staff, Kelly, Kate, and Meg, a shout out for all of their excellent and accurate work.

Uh and I say if if there's anything any department ever needs from me, we're completely available all the time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We'll go over to the chief of staff, Miss Lori Radder Spicer.

I'm just kidding, we're gonna go to the solicitor.

Well, she offered, and I'm just gonna say I have no report for tonight.

I do want to say I was really inspired by Cliff Crosby, what he's accomplished, not an easy thing.

And so I think that's something to remember and how he's giving back to the community.

And I really think that's what everyone who's been elected, you know, down to Brooke and Lori and working and work working together to improve the community.

So I really would I think there's a positive uh inspiration for tonight's meeting.

That's just my perspective though.

Go ahead.

Yeah, thank you.

Uh thank you for having me.

Um really happy to sit in for the mayor tonight and just wanted to highlight a few items that she wanted to note and celebrate.

So, first, um want to acknowledge the July 4th holiday weekend that that was a big success.

It was the culmination of months of careful coordination and planning uh with a number of partners and across departments.

So shout out to the team and our partners, to specifically the mayor's office of community affairs, our police and public works.

Um I know traffic was a bit challenging, but we got through it and we're really grateful to the team for making that happen.

And specifically want to acknowledge the July 4th uh Bayview concert that was in partnership with the Philharmonic.

I think um anyone who made it to that would agree that it was a beautiful community event.

The kids were out playing basketball and in the splash pad and um just a really great demonstration of our community coming together and in celebration.

So thank you specifically to Hunter Lightall and his leadership with Cafe and in Special Events and the Phil and our public works employees for making that happen for our neighbors.

I also want to acknowledge some public works uh refuse employees who really stepped up and care took care of a neighbor this week.

I think this is the kind of care and attention that doesn't always get heard about but deserves to be acknowledged.

Um there was a young person, a young resident who had uh pushed out an air conditioner from the window and made it outside and was kind of wandering the streets and um our our team from public works were very intentional about taking time staying with them until the the police could come and safely get them home.

Um just want to acknowledge the driver, Alex Yerkin, and our our carriers Donnie Burke, Twain Hemphill, and Tijon Island for just showing that love and care.

Um they could have just carried on with their days.

I would reiterate what I shared earlier in caucus that the one bayfront waterfront planning process is underway and the virtual open house is open until July 17th, which is Friday.

Um the parks plan is also still open for public comment through July 21st.

So please do take the opportunity to weigh in on those plans.

Um and want to name that the mayor's really actually specifically there was uh someone who's still here.

Um thank you for your comment, inviting uh intentionality around speaking, being out walking the streets, speaking to neighbors and listening.

I think that's um essential to the way that we lead and to the way that I uh the mayor's administration is is trying to lead.

And so that's been a priority in recent weeks.

I know she um got to pay a visit to Spoons and uh spent some time at the pool with the youth at Roger Young Park this weekend, and that's a huge priority for investment for the mayor right now.

So we're focused there, and we'll also be, I want to let folks know we're doing 814 neighborhood celebrations in various neighborhoods in in tandem with our love your block uh cleanups and the leadership team from the city, so our department heads will be attending most of those to have essentially pop-ups where we will be out, we will be connecting, walking around listening and um getting the chance to meet and answer questions.

So just looking forward to seeing you all there.

And I want to close by just turning to you all and to everyone on the camera to say a huge to heartfelt thank you for being here.

Um I know that it is hard and it takes, I believe, generosity and courage and a love for your community to show up on an evening and speak at a mic and when your voice might shake and um you may have a lot of feelings about why you're here.

So I thank you for the love and courage and generosity you've shown.

I think it's really important and a sign of a healthy democracy that we have this kind of conversation.

So I hope that no matter how you may have left feeling tonight, you will keep showing up.

Thank you.

That was a beautiful sentiment, and on that I think we should go ahead and adjourn this meeting.