Pittsburgh City Council Organization Meeting & DOMI Budget Hearing (Jan 5, 2026)
Pittsburgh City Council Organization Meeting and DOMI Budget Hearing - January 5, 2026
This document summarizes the official organization of the 144th Pittsburgh City Council, held on January 5, 2026, at 15:00 UTC. The session marked the swearing-in of three newly elected council members and two re-elected members, followed by the election of council leadership and a presentation by the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) regarding the 2026 budget.
Consent Calendar
- The rules of proceedings for the council were adopted unanimously via a motion and second.
- The official oath of office was administered to newly elected members and outgoing members to confirm their terms.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Councilman Charlie (District 8) expressed full support for the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) bringing engineering work in-house, citing significant time and cost savings compared to subcontracting. However, he expressed concern regarding the lack of matching funds which prevents the city from securing federal grants, urging the administration to create a dedicated line item for match funds. He voiced strong support for specific in-house projects like the Charles Anderson Bridge and expressed frustration over the low scoring of the Bald Hill/Oporto landslide project, which he described as saving lives.
- Councilwoman Barb Warwick (District 4) expressed gratitude to DOMI for their rapid response to landslide remediation in District 4 (McGordy, Elliott, Herndon). She expressed partial support for Vision Zero and traffic calming but voiced significant concern that extensive bike infrastructure and traffic calming measures might impede first responder response times and create navigation difficulties for the city's aging population and disabled residents, asking for more diverse community feedback.
- Councilwoman Erica Strasberger (District 8) expressed full support for the DOMI team's daily work and their ability to deliver high capital value relative to a small operating budget. She expressed support for a comprehensive approach to Vision Zero that includes policy and enforcement alongside engineering, rather than relying solely on physical infrastructure like speed humps.
- Councilman Bobby Wilson (District 2) expressed gratitude for the department's work on landslides in his district, specifically the $14 million stabilization effort at Grandview. He expressed concern that the timing of the West End Circle traffic lights remains suboptimal, causing excessive delays for local residents while traffic from the Strip flows freely.
- Councilman Corey O'Connor (District 2, Mayor-elect) expressed support for the department's in-house capacity building and the completion of the LED street light conversion. He expressed a desire to see more aggressive traffic calming in specific neighborhoods like Belair and Knoxville.
- Councilman Mosley expressed support for the new Vision Zero coordinator position and the department's efforts to streamline grant acquisition.
- Public/General Sentiment: Several speakers expressed high concern regarding the bureaucratic hurdles (e.g., needing 26+ pieces of legislation for a single bridge project) that slow down critical infrastructure repair, advocating for process improvements to align with PennDOT timelines.
Discussion Items
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Council Reorganization and Leadership Elections:
- Election of President of Council: Councilman Robert Daniel Lavelle was elected President of Council with a vote tally of 8 Ayes and 0 Noes. Mayor-elect Corey O'Connor congratulated him and pledged his support.
- Committee Chair Appointments: The following chairpersons were appointed: Strasberger (Finance and Law), Coghill (Public Safety and Wellness), Salonetro (Public Works and Infrastructure), Shalilen (Human Resources), Wilson (Land Use and Economic Development), Warwick (Recreation, Youth and Senior Services), Gross (Innovation Performance Asset Management and Technology), and Mosley (Intergovernmental Educational Affairs). Lavelle retained the Hearings and Policy Committee.
- President Pro Tem: Councilman Bobby Wilson was elected President Pro Tem with a vote tally of 8 Ayes and 0 Noes.
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Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) 2026 Budget Presentation:
- In-House Capacity: Acting Director Jeff Scalick, Chief Engineer Eric Setler, and Department representatives detailed a strategic shift toward doing engineering, design, and construction work in-house to save money and reduce timeline delays. Specific examples cited included designing the South 21st Street streetscape in-house (saving over $400,000), the Calera Street Bridge No. 2 (saving ~$431,000 vs. consultants), and bridge washing (saving ~$32,000 vs. contractors).
- Financial Constraints: Fiscal Supervisor Evan Gross noted that while the operating budget is relatively small ($47M total capital/operating mix), DOMI leverages significant outside funding. However, they face a critical bottleneck: a lack of local matching funds prevents them from securing millions in federal grants (e.g., 20% match required for $7M-$9M corridor projects). The department requested a dedicated line item or creative financing to cover these matches.
- Key 2026 Milestones: The presentation outlined goals to open the Panther Hollow Bridge, begin construction on Penn Avenue (Garfield), Smithfield Street, and Liberty Avenue. Domi aims to deploy automated red light enforcement in Q2 2026, launch a Traffic Management Center, and complete the BRT Uptown/Oxford construction.
- Vision Zero & Traffic Calming: Council discussed the need for a full-time Vision Zero Coordinator. Mike Mallock (Traffic Bureau) noted that street light LED conversion is 40% complete, and traffic signal timing is currently reactive due to staffing constraints, though the new Traffic Management Center will allow for proactive adjustments. Concerns were raised about the impact of traffic calming on first responders and accessibility for the elderly.
- New Mobility: DOMI planning staff indicated they were not previously aware of Waymo's potential arrival in Pittsburgh due to state preemption but are establishing communication channels with PennDOT to manage local interactions.
Key Outcomes
- Election Results: Robert Daniel Lavelle elected President of Council (8-0); Bobby Wilson elected President Pro Tem (8-0).
- Staffing Requests: DOMI officially requested five new positions for 2026: an Infrastructure Engagement Performance Manager, a Press Officer, a Vision Zero Coordinator, and two seasonal laborers for the bridge division. The department emphasized the critical need for the Vision Zero Coordinator and a mechanism to fund grant matches.
- Project Status Updates:
- Panther Hollow Bridge: Reopening scheduled for 2026.
- LED Conversion: 40% complete, projected finish by end of 2026.
- BRT Construction: Uptown/Oakland phase to conclude in 2026.
- Charles Anderson Bridge: Construction proceeding after 2023 closure.
- Strategic Directives: Council directed DOMI to continue developing processes to align with PennDOT and SPC to reduce the number of legislative interventions required for capital projects, acknowledging that 60+ pieces of legislation were filed this year merely for funding approvals or contracting.
- Adjournment: The meeting adjourned, followed by a welcome reception for the newly sworn-in officials.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. Welcome and happy new year, everyone. This being the day and hour fixed by the Act of Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh Home Rule Charter for the organization of the Council of the City of Pittsburgh. The one hundred and forty-fourth council will be in order. They are the grandchildren of our newest member, Councilwoman elect Kim Salonetro. Leah is in the third grade, and John is in kindergarten. They both attend the Nishanick Towns Township School District. Leah and John. Thank you, Leah and John. We had a vocalist change at the last minute, but this morning we have with us Miss Marie Hurd, who will now lead us in the singing of the national anthem. Oh say any by the dawn. What so proe at the twigs less gleaming whose brought to rice and brife stars through the pace fight or the rest we soundly streaming and the gives the balms bursting in gay peruse through the night that I fled to them. Oh say that stared way for the land of the free and the home of the invocation will be offered by Pastor Mike Gestrich of the Log Church. So I am uh I am Kim's pastor, and she has confessed all her sins to me. Now Pastor Sam and I are here and great support of Kim. And we've crossed all lines just so you know. So we've been advocating for her all the way, and we are just so proud to see somebody of such moral and great integrity is taking this position. And uh let us buy our heads for prayer. Our Heavenly Father, I thank you for this very sacred moment which we have the great privilege to share together. Father, I pray for Kim Salonetro at this time and her family, her husband Bob. Wonderful family. I pray, Father, that the Holy Spirit of God would anoint her with everything that she is going to need to fulfill this position. Give her compassion for those that are hurting. You would give her the inner strength that she will maybe problems and storms that may come into the future. But now, Father, at this moment. Give her the confidence which she needs. Kendall, thank you so much for an amazing performance. The first order of business will be the presentation of the certificates of election by council district to be read by assistant city clerk, Ashley Robinson. Good morning. Certificate of election from the return board of the County of Allegheny does hereby certify that the election held on the fourth day of November 2025. Kim Salinetro, having received six thousand eight hundred thirty-one votes, was duly elected to the office of Pittsburgh City Council District 2 to a term of four years. Certificate of election from the return board of the County of Allegheny does hereby certify that the election held on the fourth day of November 2025. Anthony Coghill, having received 7,693 votes, was duly elected to the office of Pittsburgh City Council District Four to a term of four years. Certificate of election from the return board of the County of Allegheny does hereby certify that the election held on the fourth day of November 2025. Robert Daniel Lavelle, having received 5,686 votes, was duly elected to the office of Pittsburgh City Council District Six to a term of four years. So when I got here, she pulled me into her office and said, you know, Corey, we have a problem. And I said, well, I know Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, but other than that, I would struggle. So I have to say thank you for bailing me out. Um if my first order of duty is to give you a free parking pass so I didn't have to sing. But I'm really here because this is a special place. This is where the work of the people happen. Um we all on City Council, you know, know how important our job is. And you have a difficult job. Each and every one of you have chosen to do this because you love your city, you love your community, you love your neighbors. Some of you I've worked with in the past, some new ones I I look forward to working with you in the future. Kim, welcome. I think you know the place pretty well, so you should be okay. Um, but this is an exciting time for Pittsburgh, and I want to thank you for allowing me to say a couple words. We are headed to our event. Um, but I want to thank everybody for being here.
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