City Council Meeting Summary - January 13, 2026
City Council Meeting Summary - January 13, 2026
The City Council of Pittsburgh convened on January 13, 2026, to approve the proclamation of Bailey White Day, address multiple bills regarding short-term rentals and infrastructure projects, review executive appointments, and hear public testimony on issues ranging from municipal risk management to housing safety. The meeting featured a mix of routine approvals, significant legislative proposals, and vocal public criticism directed at council members and city policies.
Consent Calendar
- Proclamation of Bailey White Day: The council unanimously approved a proclamation declaring Saturday, January 10, 2026, as "Bailey White Day" to recognize the Alderdice High School student who became the school's all-time girls' basketball scoring leader (1,761 points) and is on pace to break the boys' record.
- Read, Receive, and File: The council approved a motion to read, receive, and file all communications from the Mayor's office regarding acting director designations (Budget, Public Works, Innovation) and executive orders, as well as various informing appointments for board and director roles.
- Motion to Interview: Council voted to hold all nine requested director-level appointments (Police Chief, Planning, Parks, Public Safety, City Solicitor, Equipment Leasing, Housing, and Municipal Trust) for a future interview rather than approving them immediately.
- Post-Agenda Requests: Council agreed to schedule post-agenda hearings on the "ShotSpotter" technology and the city's Climate Action Plan update.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Dr. Ronald Miller (Palestine UN Mission/President of Global Intelligence Society): Expressed strong opposition to Mayor O'Connor's leadership, questioning his governance style and character while stating he is a "jokester" rather than a serious leader. Asserted that while the city offices do not support Palestine, his organization does. He criticized the lack of support for Venezuelan residents and described the current governance as an "oligarchic inheritance."
- Amanda Netrar (Business Consultant/Former Diversity Coordinator): Stated full support for anti-racist policies and expressed deep opposition to statements by Councilmembers Coghill and Wilson regarding race and public safety. She argued that viewing public safety as "feelings" rather than statistics invites violence and that silence on harmful comments constitutes complicity, threatening the safety of Black, disabled, and impoverished residents.
- Armin Samai (Resident): Expressed support for the short-term rental bills (2026-8 and 9) as a means to provide affordable housing and income. However, he highlighted two specific concerns: the restriction on listing two independent guest bedrooms in a single unit and the exclusion of tenant-occupied properties from hosting, requesting adjustments to allow permanent residents in rental units to host.
- John Hanrahan (Fifth View Resident): Expressed full support for the short-term rental licensing bill but stated strong opposition to the zoning bill as written, advocating instead for an amendment to ban short-term rentals as a primary use in residential zones and requiring variances for any conversion to hotel-like use.
- Dale Marzaldi (Kerrick Resident): Expressed strong opposition to the installation of speed humps due to vehicle damage and concerns that they impede emergency response times. Proposed alternative traffic calming measures such as radar enforcement and increased ticketing.
- Chad Ringblum (Brentwood Resident): Delivered a religious statement emphasizing repentance and the importance of internal moral integrity over outward actions, urging council members to trust in Jesus for forgiveness.
- Unique Brown (Domestic Violence Survivor): Presented a detailed account of abuse of power and dismissive responses from the Allegheny County system and the Blackburn Center. Stated explicitly that these experiences constitute continued abuse and systemic failure, demanding accountability from the city.
- Homeless Community Member: Expressed strong opposition to the oppression faced by homeless individuals, specifically citing restrictions on accessing entertainment (TV) in shelters. Stated full support for civil rights and condemned the treatment of homeless people.
- Yvonne F. Brown (Bedford Resident): Raised concerns regarding safety in her high-rise building, specifically the lack of security guards and the presence of drug users. Expressed strong dissatisfaction with community leader Tim Stevens for controlling question flows and failing to address resident concerns effectively.
- Dr. Ronald Miller (Public Safety): Reiterated concerns regarding the city's handling of public safety and the influence of political heritage in city governance.
- Special Agent Sunshine: Expressed support for the religious speaker but criticized the council for listening to voices other than God's and highlighted the oppression of the homeless and the actions of an individual named Ronnie Davis.
Discussion Items
- Short-Term Rental Legislation (Bills 8 & 9): Councilwoman Gross introduced ordinances to amend business licensing and zoning codes regarding short-term rentals. Public comment revealed a divide between supporters viewing them as necessary for affordable housing and opponents fearing the removal of long-term housing stock and the creation of "Airbnb hotels" in residential zones.
- Municipal Risk Management: Rocky Bay raised concerns regarding "Monell exposure" (liability for unconstitutional policies) and urged the council to adopt a formal enterprise risk management approach to reduce lawsuits and insurance costs for taxpayers.
- Budget and Charter Referendums (Bills 39 & 40): Councilwoman Strasberger and colleagues discussed two ordinances directing referendums to the May primary election. One proposal seeks to amend the Home Rule Charter to ensure the budget takes effect if the Mayor inaction occurs; the second seeks to adjust public hearing notice requirements following the cessation of general circulation newspapers.
- Infrastructure and Grants: Multiple resolutions were discussed regarding grant funding for intersection upgrades ($1.39M), recreation centers, and bridge rehabilitation projects, along with easements for the California Avenue and West Carson Street bridge projects.
- Fleet Vehicle Fund: Councilwoman Warwick introduced a resolution to create a dedicated "Fleet Vehicle Fund" to fully fund the city's vehicle needs.
- Appointments: Ten appointments were moved to the "Informing" category (read, receive, and file), while nine director-level appointments were set for interview pending public notice.
Key Outcomes
- Bailey White Day Proclamation: Approved unanimously.
- Short-Term Rental Bills (8 & 9): Read and referred to committee; discussion noted regarding the need for public hearing.
- Charter Referendums: Bills 39 (Budget Action in Case of Inaction) and 40 (Public Hearing Notice) voted to be held for a public hearing.
- Post-Agenda Hearings: Scheduled for the "ShotSpotter" technology and the Climate Action Plan update.
- Appointments:
- 9 Director-level appointments ordered to be held for interview.
- 6 Informing appointments read, received, and filed.
- Motion to Adjourn: The meeting was adjourned following the approval of the motion to excuse absent members and approve the minutes.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning and welcome to the regular meeting of City Council on Tuesday, January thirteenth, two thousand and twenty-six. Would a clerk please take the role? Mr. Shorelin, Mr. Coghill, Ms. Gross. Mrs. Salonetro, here. Mrs. Strasberger, here. Mrs. Warwick, here. Mr. Wilson. Mr. Lavelle President. Here. Five members present. Thank you. For those who are able, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance, remain standing for a moment of silence. But uh, you know, before I read this, I just want to say, you know, we don't there's so much focus on on men's sports, right? And and uh here in the city, they're really it's there's a bit of a dearth in in women's sports and girls' sports, right? So to see someone really excel and like a superstar in uh in girls' sports and in basketball is um is really great. And one thing too that I've uh noticed, just kind of watching the the coverage and and whatnot is um how supportive and coach this is, I think uh, you know, for you is how supportive the whole team is of each other, you know. It's just really wonderful to see um all the the girls celebrating each other, you know, it's uh as much as we as much as things have changed, it is still very much a man's world and in sports business politics, right? in uh in in girls sports and in basketball is um is really great and one thing too that i've uh noticed just kind of watching the the coverage and and whatnot is um how supportive and coach this is i think uh you know for you is how supportive the whole team is of each other you know it's just really wonderful to see um all all the the girls celebrating each other you know it's as much as we as much as things have changed it is still very much a man's world and in sports business politics right and so to see young women really stick together and celebrate each other's successes together is um is heartening it's it's really great so um so I'll read this and then uh and then you all can can say a few words yeah all righty so whereas Bailey White is a senior guard co-captain and four year starter on the Alderdice girls basketball team and whereas the Alderdice girls basketball scoring record of 1,707 points was held by Mary Myers for over 20 years and whereas on Friday December 19th with a 41 point performance against Perry traditional high school Bailey surpassed this record and now has 17 hundred uh 1761 points I think that's probably higher now right making her the top girls basketball scoring leader in school history and whereas Bailey is currently averaging 32 points per game as an and is on pace to break the Alderdice boys basketball scoring record held by Frank Happy Dobbs at 1988 total points. You got about 80 points to go something like that 110. 110 okay 110 points to go whereas uh Bailey also runs cross country and track and field for alderdice holding the cross country record and the track record for the 1600 and whereas in between practicing training and school Bailey works at Minio's Pizza in Squirrel Hill she also is a member of the National Honor Society having high honors all four years of high school and maintains a 3.9 GPA I don't know Bailey should get that up to a 4.0 maybe but um now therefore be it resolved that the council of the city of Pittsburgh does hereby declare Saturday January 10th to be Bailey White Day in the city of Pittsburgh may we have a motion to approve all those in favor say aye aye congratulations good morning everyone I'm just really thankful to be a part of Bailey in her family's journey she's extremely hard working and um like Constable woman Warwick had mentioned we don't she doesn't the sport doesn't get a lot of love girls basketball so we're very thankful to be here thank you for taking time out of your morning to acknowledge her and all of her wonderfulness we're so grateful to be here thank you for giving us this day for our daughter again uh just to backtrack just a little bit when she was going into a high school it was hard for us to select you know there's so many choices out there and uh we couldn't be happier with the selection we made with Alderdice High School uh the education she's getting is unbelievable the sports are unbelievable and the coaching staff Mr. Flynn and Mrs. G and and uh coach Maddie they have been unbelievable for our daughter and they have guided her through the difficult four years as everyone knows it has kids it's it's not easy the challenges today the kids see uh it's not easy so uh they have guided her in the right direction and we couldn't be more happy with the selection at Alder Ice and uh the coaching staff and especially my daughter she is she's unbelievable so thank you for having this day and we appreciate it thank you for having me here um I feel honored thank you to my coaches and family for always being supportive and always being there for me um yeah congratulations and is there anyone here for the creative inclusive fund proclamation if not then our next order business is public comment I would like to remind everyone that the rules of council state that comments are limited to matters of concern official action or deliberation which may be for city council profanity will not be permitted after you will call please restate your name provide your neighborhood for the record you'll be given three minutes to speak our first register speaker Dr. And is there anyone here for the Creative Inclusive Fund proclamation? If not, then our next order of business is public comment. I would like to remind everyone that the rules of Council of State that comments are limited to matters of concern, official action, or deliberation, which may be a force city council. Profanity will not be permitted. After you recall, please restate your name, provide your neighborhood for the record. You'll be given three minutes to speak. Dr. Ronald and Miller, downtown, Mala, Palestine. Palestine UN mission email is Palestine at UN dot INT. There's no evidence that the Pittsburgh offices of Mayor and Council support Palestine as a state or providing food for Palestinian children. I and the GIS do. Global Intelligence Society candidate for President United States, 2028. Info until optimality is primary. Replacing the um 21 December 2025 self-flagellation over the over the budget with uh the five January self-congratulations and yes to uh mayor claimant O'Connor. Another uh concern uh the national anthem. Why don't have kids come in and sing? Uh well, Mr. O'Connor has a president for that. He was invited uh a bunch of kids from Squirrel Hill in to sing the national anthem when he was counselor of Israel. Um five January twenty twenty-six um in this council when Mr.
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