City Council Meeting Summary - Tuesday, December 22, 2025

The regular meeting of the Pittsburgh City Council convened on December 22, 2025, presided over by Council President Lavell. The session featured the unanimous approval of five proclamations honoring community figures and local heroes, followed by a review of committee reports and final votes on several resolutions. Significant deliberation occurred regarding the termination of contracts for the City Comprehensive Plan, resulting in a split vote and a subsequent motion to reconsider the legislation to address potential legal authority concerns. The meeting concluded with administrative notes regarding the upcoming year-end schedule and the final regular meeting on December 29.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda amendment to include a minute of the session approved unanimously.
• All five proclamations were approved by unanimous motion and vote (Aye):
  1. Ray Ripple (Commander, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police) declared December 22, 2025, as "Ray Ripple Day".
  2. Donald G. Mellitzer (92nd birthday) declared December 31, 2025, as "Donald G. Mellitzer Day".
  3. Shayla Penn (Culinary educator and nonprofit leader) declared December 22, 2025, as "Shayla Penn Day".
  4. Rick Earl (Investigative journalist) declared December 22, 2025, as "Rick Earl Day".
  5. Jerome Bettis's Bus Stops Here Foundation declared December 20, 2025, as "Jerome Bettis's Bus Stops Here Foundation Day".

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dr. Ronald Miller (Oakland, representing Global Intelligence Society): Expressed strong opposition to the 2025-26 proclamation honoring students from University Prep SciTech Obama Academy who were highlighted as athletes. He argued that the proclamation was unwise because the students represented a primarily academic institution with low university-bound statistics and negligible future NFL prospects, while stating that American football is the most damaging sport kinesthetically.
• Chris Mory: Summarized recent resident survey results. He noted that 72.6% of residents supported redirecting some funds from the Stop the Violence Trust Fund (specifically referencing a $15 million balance) to the city's vehicle fleet for snow plows, though some residents opposed the redirection in principle. He also reported that 87.8% of respondents supported reverting city properties to the city if buyers fail to follow through on stated intended uses, extending beyond just permitting violations.
• Special Agent Sunshine (Self-represented): Expressed a position of seeking justice against perceived "heinous injustice" and individuals trying to take resources. She spoke about personal sacrifices made, including leaving an employment position and family, and invoked religious texts to assert divine support for her position against "wicked" and "evildoers."
• Howard H.P. Jackson (Black Political Empowerment Project): Expressed gratitude for the Garvey administration's recognition of hidden Black history and identity in Pittsburgh. He stated a position of loyalty to the outgoing leadership and called for unification and support for the incoming future mayor.

Discussion Items

• Budget and Comprehensive Plan Contracts (Bills 2482 & 2483):
  • Councilman Warwick expressed strong disappointment and opposition to the city planning team's handling of the comprehensive plan, noting a lack of neighborhood meetings despite a $6 million price tag, stating it was "bad form" and that elected officials were ignored.
  • Councilwoman Gross argued that the city had overpaid by approximately $4 million (specifically noting $3.4 million more than the market rate of $2-$5 per capita found in comparable cities), expressing a position that the council should claw back funds and that the current consulting model is unsustainable.
  • Councilwoman Strasberger stated a position of concern regarding the deliverables and cost, agreeing that more money should be recovered, but explicitly opposing the unilateral cancellation of contracts without legal authority, indicating she would vote "no" on the termination bills unless legal counsel confirmed authority.
  • Councilman Sheridan argued that the majority of council members across the political spectrum have lost faith in the current process and its outputs, supporting the cancellation regardless of the legal dispute outcome.
  • Councilwoman Kill Smith expressed regret for previously lobbying for the plan, stating she viewed it as a mistake, but emphasized the need to ensure the city does not incur higher costs in dispute settlements.
  • Councilman Wilson apologized for his past lobbying efforts, expressing regret and acknowledging the need to learn from the situation regarding public engagement and cost management.
  • Councilman Mosley noted his affiliation with OneHood Media and intended to recuse himself from the specific vote regarding the "OneHood" contract (though the transcript context links his recusal to the Comp Plan vote discussion on 2482/2483), leading to a motion to reconsider the vote.
• Street Vacation Amendment (Bill 2583):
  • Councilwoman Warwick moved to amend the bill to correct a dollar amount error ($43,810.65 to $45,760.65) and clarified that a prior amendment regarding public access easement (worked on by Councilwoman Gross's office) was already part of the bill text from the previous week and should not be listed as a new amendment. The amendment was co-sponsored with Councilwoman Gross's office.
• Historic Site Designation (Bill 2333):
  • The committee presented a negative recommendation regarding the designation of the former Police Station 3/OMI building as a historic site. The council upheld the negative recommendation.

Key Outcomes

• Proclamations: Five proclamations were passed unanimously, declaring specific days in honor of Ray Ripple, Donald G. Mellitzer, Shayla Penn, Rick Earl, and the Jerome Bettis's Bus Stops Here Foundation.
• Contract Cancellation (Bills 2482 & 2483):
  • Initial Vote: Failed to gain the necessary majority (6 Ayes, 3 No's) to pass. Councilmembers Gross, Strasberger, and Wilson voted Aye; Strasberger voted No initially due to legal authority concerns; Mosley and Lavell voted No.
  • Reconsideration Vote: Following a motion to reconsider and Councilman Mosley's recusal, the legislation to terminate the contracts with Sasaki and Common Cause (Bill 2482) and HRA Advisors (Bill 2483) passed with 6 Ayes, 2 No's, and 1 Recusal. The Council voted to direct the termination of these contracts despite the lack of a prior written legal opinion on unilateral authority.
• Budget and Warrants: Bills 2678 (warrant for Airmark Sports), 2679 (OMB Grants Update), and 2680 (Acting Pay Request) were received and filed.
• Other Resolutions Passed: Bills 2676, 2677, 2682, 2678 ($5,564.38 warrant), 2670 (Canine donation), 2636 ($6M violence grant), 2583 (Street vacation), 2623 (Trail grant), 2624 (Homewood Park amendment), 2626 (Paramount Pursuits), 2626 (Hill District grant closeout), 2627, 2628, 2629 (various grants), 2608-2612 (facilities agreements), 2510 (Housing opportunity plan), 2606 (Sewage plan), and 2607 (RTA Great Race) were voted "Aye" by the full council.
• Resolution Failed: Bill 2333 (Historic Site Designation) was upheld with a negative recommendation (7 Ayes, 2 No's).
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned with confirmation that the next regular meeting is December 29, 2025, and a potential veto override meeting scheduled for December 31, 2025, contingent on the budget veto status.