Pittsburgh Standing Committees Meeting Summary - February 25, 2026

The Pittsburgh City Council's Standing Committees met on February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM in Council Chambers to consider a range of financial settlements, contracts, grants, and policy proposals. The meeting covered the Finance and Law, Public Works and Infrastructure, Land Use and Economic Development, Innovation, Performance, Asset Management, and Technology, and Intergovernmental and Educational Affairs committees. All agenda items were approved, including several claim settlements, a supplemental agreement for the Sylvan Avenue Multimodal Path Project, a contract with Carnegie Mellon University, and an amended ordinance to create a Housing Data Dashboard.

Consent Calendar

• Invoices and P-Cards: A large block of departmental invoices and P-card approvals were approved. Notable items included a $2,500 donation to the Elliott-West End Athletic Association for a new fryer, a $250 donation to the Southside Chamber of Commerce for a soup contest, and multiple Azure cloud service overage payments from Crayon Software Experts LLC totaling several thousand dollars for November and December 2025. Council Budget Director Kirsten Walmsley clarified that the multiple Azure invoices were for different months and each was under the $5,000 single-invoice limit. The P-card approvals included a $11,844 payment to Uniform Construction for a quarterly state-required payment by the Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections (PLI).

Discussion Items

• Sylvan Avenue Multimodal Path Project (Bill 2026-0179): The committee approved a supplemental agreement with A. Liberoni Inc. for construction costs on the Sylvan Avenue Multimodal Path Project, increasing the total project cost to $1,732,504.13—a net increase of $86,733.76. Acting Director of Mobility and Infrastructure Jeff Skellagon stated the increase is 100% federally and state-funded, with no local dollars. Council member Salinetro expressed support but noted community concerns stemming from the now-scrapped Mon-Oakland Connector project. She asked whether the path could later be converted for vehicular traffic. Skellagon confirmed it is designed exclusively for pedestrian and bicycle use, with no sub-base to support vehicles. He also said the path will accommodate both bikes and pedestrians, though he could not immediately confirm the exact width. The project connects Greenfield Avenue to Hazelwood Avenue and is in its final construction stages.
• Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Contract for Safe Streets Project (Bill 2026-0119): The committee authorized a contract with CMU for up to $200,000 over three years to support the city's Safe Streets and Roads for All project, with CMU providing an additional $200,000 in in-kind services for a total project cost of $400,000. The city received a $200,000 federal grant, and CMU is contributing a required 50% match. Director Skellagon clarified the project will be citywide, not limited to CMU's campus. Council member Warwick questioned whether direct payments from large nonprofits might be more efficient than project-by-project agreements, but the administration noted that CMU's contribution helped secure a grant the city otherwise lacked.
• Housing Data Dashboard Ordinance (Bill 2026-0041): The committee debated and amended an ordinance to create a new chapter (Chapter 173A) in the city code establishing a publicly accessible Housing Data Dashboard. Sponsor Council member Charland stated the dashboard will track newly available housing units—using data on completed units rather than building permits or certificates of occupancy—to provide an authoritative count of new housing. He emphasized starting with a "minimal viable product" focused on raw numbers of new units built, with future refinements to include units coming offline, affordability, and vacancy rates. An amendment was proposed and adopted to clarify the definition of "living quarters" to ensure proper capture of all housing types. Council member Gross noted that years of requests for such data from departments yielded only partial or incomplete spreadsheets, hampering policy-making. Council member Coghill expressed surprise that the city had never centrally tracked new housing units. The ordinance requires the dashboard to be operational by the end of 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

• A resident of Panther Hollow spoke against the construction of a skate park in their neighborhood, alleging numerous violations of Pittsburgh municipal codes—including lack of community engagement, no planning commission hearing, no permits, and no certificate of occupancy. The speaker also claimed 11 incidents of harassment by skateboarders and their supporters. They urged the council to "end the shame and shut down the illegal skate park" before hundreds of thousands visit Pittsburgh for the NFL draft.
• Unique Brown raised concerns about a lack of independent oversight and conflict of interest in a complaint process involving a city agency's CEO. She stated that the Director's Action Line relayed the CEO's statements without requiring proof or documentation, and that she was directed to send her grievance to the same CEO she was accusing.
• Yvonne F. Brown of 715 Mercer Street (Kiley Irving) discussed community engagement, a threat she perceived from a neighbor, and a 30-day eviction notice she received from her housing management over her daughter's visits. She also criticized attitudes of ingratitude at a church food distribution.
• Special Agent Sunshine offered a prayer and spiritual reflection, referencing Proverbs 11:29 and Psalm 25:12, and spoke about personal experiences involving identity theft, illegal guardianship, and fraud.

Key Outcomes

• Approved Settlements: (1) $2,650 to Alayna Griffiths for a 2025 claim of vehicle damage by a City EMS vehicle. (2) $62,000 to Naeem Martinez and Max Petrunya, PC, for settlement of federal litigation (docket 2:21-cv-111). (3) $24,538.10 to Network Deposition Services for legal transcripts. (4) $9,077.40 to Levy Convention Centers for cybersecurity training costs.
• Approved Budget Transfer: $2,500 transferred from City Council Postage to the Office of the City Clerk for professional services (Bill 2026-0162).
• Approved Supplemental Agreement: $1,732,504.13 for the Sylvan Avenue Multimodal Path Project (Bill 2026-0179).
• Approved CMU Contract: Up to $200,000 over three years for the Safe Streets and Roads for All project, with $200,000 in in-kind services from CMU (Bill 2026-0119).
• Approved Grant Reallocations in Lawrenceville: Decreased Lawrenceville United by $15,000 and increased Lawrenceville Corporation by $15,000 for Public Service Grants (Bill 2026-0120); decreased Lawrenceville United by $27,000 and increased Lawrenceville Corporation by $27,000 for the Neighborhood Economic Development Program (Bill 2026-0124).
• Amended and Approved Housing Data Dashboard Ordinance: Bill 2026-0041 was amended and recommended affirmatively, mandating a dashboard by end of 2026.
• Approved Sewage Facilities Plan Revision: For 2402 North Charles Street at no cost to the city (Bill 2026-0117).
• Approved Chartiers Valley Flood Control Authority Membership Renewal: $17,204 for 2026 dues (Bill 2026-0118).
• Upcoming Meetings: Regular Council meeting on March 3, 2026; Standing Committees on March 4, 2026; pre-agenda interviews for Planning Commission (March 3) and ALCOSAN/Pittsburgh Water (March 4); public hearing on rezoning (March 6).