OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Pittsburgh City Council Meeting February 17, 2026: Appointments, Cannabis Resolution, Public Opposition to Planning Commission Nominee

City Council — Tuesday, February 17, 2026
BodyPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, February 17, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:43:28

Transcript — Verbatim
27:38

Good morning, and welcome to the regular meeting of City Council on Tuesday, February seventeenth, two thousand twenty six with Kurt Config Row.

27:45

Mr.

27:45

Charland.

27:46

Here.

27:46

Mr.

27:47

Coghill.

27:48

Ms.

27:49

Gross.

27:50

Mr.

27:50

Mosley.

27:51

Here.

27:52

Mrs.

27:52

Salonetro.

27:53

Here.

27:54

Mrs.

27:54

Strasberger.

27:55

Here.

27:56

Mrs.

27:57

Warwick.

27:57

Here.

27:58

Mr.

27:59

Wilson.

28:00

Mr.

28:00

Lavelle President.

28:02

Here.

28:02

Six members present.

28:03

Thank you.

28:04

For those who are able, please rise for the pleasure of allegiance.

28:07

Remain standing for a moment of silence.

28:33

Very much.

28:38

So move.

28:39

Second.

28:41

I think agenda has been amended.

28:43

Our next order of business is proclamations and Councilman Warwick.

30:08

Thank you.

30:09

So I do want to say, Denise, you're one of my favorite people in Hazelwood.

30:17

You do so much.

30:18

And thank you so much to Edith for this idea for having the idea to do this.

30:22

I really appreciate it.

30:23

It's well deserved.

30:25

So okay, let's read the proclamation.

30:28

Whereas Denise E.

30:30

Nece Johnson was born to Harvey and Dolores Wood on February 18th, 1961, and has lived in Larimer, Stanton Heights, and Stone Mountain, Georgia.

30:41

And whereas Denise graduated from Peabody High School in 1978 and received her Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy from Duquesne University.

30:50

And whereas Denise now resides in Hazelwood with her granddaughter Latasha, her son Aston, and three of her grandchildren, Bruce, Tashir.

31:01

To charity and Kingston.

31:04

Denise has four siblings, two daughters, and too many grandchildren to count.

31:08

She was married to Frederick J.

31:10

Johnson, and whereas Denise is a born caregiver and advocate.

31:16

Her love for her family and community, particularly her neighbors in Hazelwood and Glenn Hazel is limitless.

31:24

Yes.

31:25

Because of her professional medical experience, she has unofficially stepped in to serve as a community health advocate for the many people she loves.

31:34

And whereas Denise is a born leader who can get things done.

31:38

She is an advocate for herself as well as her family, friends, neighborhoods, city, region, and state.

31:44

And whereas Denise's sense of humor and wit balances well with her ability to face injustices and stand up for what is right.

31:53

She is a volunteer for numerous community organizations in Hazelwood and throughout the city of Pittsburgh.

31:59

She uses her time to advocate for transit, food sovereignty, voters' rights, arts and culture, and environmental justice.

32:06

And whereas Denise makes the city of Pittsburgh a better place for us all, her advocacy, activism, and love are all exceptional.

32:16

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the council of the city of Pittsburgh does hereby declare Tuesday, February 17th, to be Denise Johnson Day in the city of Pittsburgh.

32:41

Okay, congratulations.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement█████████████████████21%
Procedural████████████████16%
Personnel Matters████████████12%
Public Works████████████12%
Affordable Housing████████8%
Public Engagement███████7%
Waste Management█████5%
Public Safety█████5%
Cannabis Regulation████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Pittsburgh City Council Regular Meeting – February 17, 2026

The Pittsburgh City Council met at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, in Council Chambers. Eight members were present (Council Member Gross absent). The meeting included proclamations, a resolution on cannabis legalization, public comments, numerous board appointments, and final passage of several grant and infrastructure measures.

Proclamations & Wills of Council

  • Proclamation: Council declared February 17, 2026 as “Denise Johnson Day” in recognition of her community advocacy (Enactment No. 40).
  • Resolution (2026-0164): Council adopted a resolution urging Governor Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pass comprehensive adult-use cannabis legalization during the 2026 session. The resolution supports decriminalization, patient protection, veteran access, and economic opportunity. It passed unanimously (Enactment No. 43).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Dr. Ronald Lynn Miller expressed support for immigration and non-USA astronomers, referencing a previous proclamation.
  • Bethany Cameron (InformUp.org) presented results from a community survey on surveillance transparency, short-term rental concerns, and property tax agreements for senior housing. Key findings: 63% supported extending property tax cooperative agreements; 46% were not confident proposed short-term rental permits would address concerns.
  • Tanisha Long (Crafton Heights) opposed the appointment of David Vatz to the Planning Commission, citing his anti-community stance and involvement in doxxing community members through Pro Housing Pittsburgh.
  • Daniel Shaffer (Downtown) also opposed David Vatz, describing Vatz’s history of discrediting affordable housing advocates, calling the Planning Commission a “kangaroo court,” and advocating for removal of community input from planning.
  • Yvonne F. Brown spoke about civil rights and Martin Luther King Jr., and urged respect for all.
  • Chelsea Pizzarello expressed 100% agreement with Councilwoman Warwick opposing a waste transport station in Hazelwood.
  • Unique Brown requested a future proclamation for her mother, Yvonne Brown, citing her decades of community service.
  • Special Agent Sunshine (Cerese Taylor) gave a prayer and criticized council for delaying action on certain matters.

Discussion Items

  • Petition (2026-0165): A petition from residents requesting a public hearing regarding documented records tampering and financial misconduct at Pittsburgh Municipal Court was held for a cablecast public hearing before the Committee on Hearings and Policy.
  • Communications: Council received and filed several communications from the Mayor terminating the terms of Jean Holland Dick (Planning Commission), Kendra Ross, and Sylvia Fields (Allegheny Regional Asset District). Additionally, weekly updates from the Grants Office and Ethics Board were filed.
  • Appointments and Reappointments:
    • Approved without interview:
      • Emily Kinkead to ALCOSAN (Enactment No. 41)
      • David Onufer to Civil Service Commission (Enactment No. 42)
      • Linda Johnson-Wasler to Civil Service Commission (Enactment No. 44)
      • Michael Domach to Pittsburgh Water (Enactment No. 45)
      • Margaret McCormick Barron to Pittsburgh Water (Enactment No. 46)
      • John J. Richardson to Zoning Board of Adjustment (Enactment No. 47)
      • Megan Zeigler to Civic Design Committee (Enactment No. 48)
    • Held for interview: Over 20 appointments to various boards and commissions, including Shatara Murphy (ALCOSAN), Catherine Blauvelt (Historic Review Commission), multiple Planning Commission appointments (including David Vatz), and others. LaShawn Burton-Faulk’s reappointment to Planning Commission was also held for interview.
    • Charles Fischer (Public Parking Authority) was referred for interview after being received and filed.
  • Unfinished Business:
    • Ivette Mongalo-Winston appointed as Director of Department of City Planning (Enactment No. 49).
    • Lisa Zeidner Marcus appointed as City Solicitor (Enactment No. 50).

Reports of Committee – Final Action (all passed with 8-0 votes except where noted)

  • Finance and Law: Settlement for Justin Hickox ($10,000) passed 7-0-1 (Warwick abstained).
  • Public Works and Infrastructure: Multiple grant amendments and bridge engineering agreements:
    • Emerald View Trail grant (amendment to accept grant, increase amount, reduce match) – total project cost $500,844.42.
    • Liberty Avenue/Main Street/Bloomfield Bridge intersection planning grant ($533,111).
    • Lincoln Avenue Multimodal Safety & Accessibility grant amendment ($750,236.69 award decreased).
    • Herron Avenue Bridge agreement with Norfolk Southern ($25,310, 100% reimbursable).
    • Elizabeth Street Bridge agreement with Allegheny Valley Railroad ($10,000, 100% reimbursable).
  • Intergovernmental and Educational Affairs:
    • Three cooperation agreements for payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) for Steelworkers Tower, Lynn Williams Apartments, and I.W. Abel Building, all with NCSC/USA Housing Development Corporation.
    • Pittsburgh Land Bank acquisition of nine vacant lots in 10th Ward (0 North Winebiddle Street and 0 Rosetta Street) at no cost to city.

Key Outcomes

  • Adopted: Proclamation for Denise Johnson Day; resolution on adult-use cannabis legalization.
  • Approved Appointments: Ivette Mongalo-Winston (Planning Director), Lisa Zeidner Marcus (City Solicitor), and several reappointments to commissions and authorities.
  • Held for Interview: Majority of new appointments to Planning Commission, Historic Review Commission, Pittsburgh Water, and others will undergo interviews before final approval.
  • Final Passage: All committee reports and associated bills (settlements, grants, PILOTs, land bank transfer) received final approval, with the Hickox settlement passing 7-0-1.
  • Next Steps: Council scheduled executive sessions at 1:00 PM on claims (2026-0121, 2026-0122), a pre-agenda interview for Director of Parks and Recreation at 1:30 PM, and standing committee meetings on February 18, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning, and welcome to the regular meeting of City Council on Tuesday, February seventeenth, two thousand twenty six with Kurt Config Row. Mr. Charland. Here. Mr. Coghill. Ms. Gross. Mr. Mosley. Here. Mrs. Salonetro. Here. Mrs. Strasberger. Here. Mrs. Warwick. Here. Mr. Wilson. Mr. Lavelle President. Here. Six members present. Thank you. For those who are able, please rise for the pleasure of allegiance. Remain standing for a moment of silence. Very much. So move. Second. I think agenda has been amended. Our next order of business is proclamations and Councilman Warwick. Thank you. So I do want to say, Denise, you're one of my favorite people in Hazelwood. You do so much. And thank you so much to Edith for this idea for having the idea to do this. I really appreciate it. It's well deserved. So okay, let's read the proclamation. Whereas Denise E. Nece Johnson was born to Harvey and Dolores Wood on February 18th, 1961, and has lived in Larimer, Stanton Heights, and Stone Mountain, Georgia. And whereas Denise graduated from Peabody High School in 1978 and received her Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy from Duquesne University. And whereas Denise now resides in Hazelwood with her granddaughter Latasha, her son Aston, and three of her grandchildren, Bruce, Tashir. To charity and Kingston. Denise has four siblings, two daughters, and too many grandchildren to count. She was married to Frederick J. Johnson, and whereas Denise is a born caregiver and advocate. Her love for her family and community, particularly her neighbors in Hazelwood and Glenn Hazel is limitless.

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