Erie City Council Meeting – September 25, 2026

The Erie City Council met on September 25, 2026, to address storm recovery actions, approve emergency contracts, hear public testimony on repeated sewer backups and property damage, and pass several ordinances. The meeting opened with recognition of the passing of two former city employees and a commendation from Mayor Devlin for the Department of Public Works and all city employees for their extraordinary response to the severe storm on September 2–3, 2026.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes and Bills: Minutes for September 2, 2026, and bills for payment dated September 2, 18, and October 2, 2026, were approved unanimously (7-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kenneth Bounds (Frontier District): Presented an engineering analysis of repeated sanitary sewer backups into homes during heavy rainfall. He urged a permanent solution, suggesting disconnection of downspouts that feed into the sanitary line or rerouting to stormwater. He noted the problem occurred in 2017, 2025, and 2026.
• Quinn Thompson and Elizabeth Paper (Frontier District): Described three sewage backups in five years, with cleanup costs exceeding $10,000 per event. They stated insurance denied claims because the city had not fixed the problem. They requested the city mandate homeowners to redirect downspouts away from the sanitary sewer.
• Kevin Scully (Mill Creek): Reported 38 inches of raw sewage in his basement, with restoration costs of $13,500 and additional losses of $25,000. He urged council to act.
• Howard Bibbs (2931 Chestnut Street): Honored Fred Williams for founding the first food bank in Erie and suggested council improve public identification of members during meetings.
• Cheryl Mountain (724 East Ninth): Described a 150-foot pine tree from a neighboring Erie Land Bank property that fell onto her yard. She stated she had warned the land bank coordinator in July but no action was taken. She asked for the stump and debris to be removed and for a formal property damage claim process.
• Dr. Clayton Bradshaw (Erie resident): Thanked council for responsiveness and suggested using the Department of Justice JAG grant for prevention programs (mental health, drug treatment, crisis intervention) instead of police equipment. They also advocated for food security and literacy programs.
• Freda (name not fully given): Proposed redirecting downspouts onto yards with rain gardens to reduce stormwater runoff. Also noted issues with tree planting depth and pedestrian safety at Front and State Streets.
• Dave Ulig (City of Erie): Called for restarting the Home Rule Charter process to provide the city with financial flexibility beyond property tax increases.
• Teresa Emmler (City of Erie): Questioned police vehicle take-home policies, raised concerns about ICE apprehending out-of-state laborers who came to help with storm debris, and asked about an adopt-a-park program.
• Bob Strasser (Lower East Side): Thanked city staff, supported the Nine Ships project, and proposed an “Erie Lakefront Pass” bundling attractions.
• Andrew Inman (Venanga Republic News): Made satirical comments about Mill Creek and llama reparations.
• Patrick Moran (1255 East 38th Street): Urged council to adopt rules of decorum, noting most government bodies have such rules to maintain respectful discourse.
• Patty Williams (City of Erie): Thanked city workers and recommended planting native trees after storm damage and promoting rain gardens.
• Julia Jacobs (Erie resident): Criticized police overtime spending and lack of de-escalation training, called for a citizen review board, and opposed the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit. She noted 45% of the police overtime budget had been spent year-to-date (down from 65% the previous year).

Discussion Items

• Mayor’s Commendation: Mayor Devlin presented a commendation to the Department of Public Works for their “superhuman” efforts during and after the September 2–3 storm. She noted all city departments contributed.
• Emergency Contracts for Debris Hauling: Council voted unanimously (7-0) to waive rules and add two emergency contracts: Keystone Tree Cycling ($3.75/cubic yard) and XL Excavating ($4.00/cubic yard) for hauling wood chips from the city compost site. These were required due to the state of emergency declared after the storm.
• Police Budget Clarification: Mayor Devlin clarified that the police had spent 45% of their overtime budget for the year, not that overtime accounted for 45% of the total police budget. A policing town hall is planned for late October/early November.
• Fireworks Permit Process: Following public concern about unannounced fireworks during a private event, the mayor directed that future fireworks permit applicants be required to notify the public.
• Parking Authority MOU: The city solicitor and mayor met with the Parking Authority; they expect a finalized MOU by end of 2026, with comments due in October.
• Home Rule Charter: Mayor Devlin noted she and other Pennsylvania mayors are advocating for additional financial tools for third-class cities, including home rule.

Key Outcomes

• Ordinance 52-2026 (JAG Grant): Final passage of an ordinance appropriating $88,823 from the DOJ FY25 JAG program for police equipment. Passed 7-0.
• Ordinance 16633 (First Reading): $1 million from the refuse fund to cover severe weather expenses. Adopted 7-0 on first reading.
• Ordinance 16634 (First Reading): $3 million from the general fund for severe weather expenses. Adopted 7-0 on first reading.
• Ordinance 16635 (First Reading): $50,000 from the William Penn Foundation for 2030 Census planning. Adopted 7-0 on first reading.
• Resolution for Nine Ships Manufacturing Facility: Approved a waterfront conditional use for a 75,000 sq ft light manufacturing facility at 1318 East Lake Road, with six conditions including landscaping, wildlife measures, and lighting. Passed 7-0.
• Repository Sale (739 East 8th Street): Resolution to approve the sale for $250 failed (1-6). Only Councilmember Flores voted yes.
• Future Actions: Councilmember Titus committed to meeting with Frontier residents about sewer backups. Mayor Devlin and council agreed to convene a meeting on the October 1 deadline for federal benefit cuts and to schedule budget work sessions.
• Pension MMO: Controller reported the Minimum Municipal Obligation for pensions is $26,329,948, to be funded through state aid and a special tax levy, not the general fund. The report was accepted.
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:43 PM.