Pittsburgh City Council Regular Meeting - March 17, 2026

The Pittsburgh City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 10:00 AM in Council Chambers. All nine council members were present. The meeting included proclamations, a will of council urging state violence prevention funding, public comments, introduction of numerous resolutions and ordinances, appointments to city boards, and final passage of multiple committee reports. Key actions included the adoption of resolutions supporting community violence intervention and the approval of contracts and grants totaling over $1.5 million.

Consent Calendar

• Proclamations: Adopted Resolution 2026-0249 declaring March 19-20, 2026 as "Women in Data Science Days" in Pittsburgh. Adopted Resolution 2026-0266 declaring March 18, 2026 as "Streets on Carson Day."
• Will of Council: Adopted Resolution 2026-0267 urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to include no less than $80 million for the Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) program and $12.5 million for the Building Opportunity through Out of School Time (BOOST) program, for a total investment of $92.5 million in violence prevention. Council Member Barbara Warwick expressed strong support, noting that community violence intervention is associated with a 46.5% reduction in shootings and firearm homicides across Pennsylvania and that every dollar invested returns at least five dollars in value. Multiple community advocates spoke in favor, citing reduced violence in their neighborhoods.
• Appointments: Approved the reappointment of Steve Mazza to the Board of License and Inspection Review (term to March 1, 2029) and the appointment of Will Allison to the Clean Pittsburgh Commission (term to March 1, 2030). Also approved seven earlier-held appointments to the Historic Review Commission and Public Art and Civic Design Commission (Resolutions 2026-0131 through 2026-0150).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Deborah Wiley (Banksville) opposed the proposed Dismas charity halfway house at the former FOP building, citing documented public safety failures at Dismas facilities in Memphis, Tucson, and St. Louis, including walkaways, contraband, and inadequate supervision. She urged the council to consider this record if the issue comes before the Planning Commission.
• Dr. Ronald Lynn Miller (Swahili neighborhood network) advocated for careful verification of AI outputs, particularly ChatGPT, and proposed rules for interacting with AI to avoid misinformation.
• Bethany Cameron (Overbrook, representing informop.org) presented a community survey of 49 respondents from seven of nine districts. Key findings: 37% prioritized traffic and crowd management for the NFL draft, 98% supported giving Pittsburgh-based vendors priority for draft vending locations, and 78% favored maintaining or increasing the city's 50% renewable electricity sourcing.
• Ikhana hal-makina criticized the closure of bars due to isolated incidents and called for more aggressive action to get illegal guns off the streets, stating that funding violence prevention alone is insufficient.
• Unique Brown (no neighborhood given) criticized council members for inconsistent attendance at public comment sessions and for not adequately addressing the needs of Black residents. She referenced a protest in West Mifflin where police pepper-sprayed children and called for accountability.
• Special Agent Sunshine (no neighborhood given) spoke about property rights, alleging that the government stole her house and placed her under illegal conservatorship. She cited the 14th Amendment and called for justice.

Discussion Items

• Introduction of Legislation: Council members introduced 16 new resolutions and one ordinance, covering topics such as software maintenance for the Office of Municipal Investigations (OMI) with Versaterm ($23,413.48 over three years), a professional services agreement with Fair Housing Partnership ($30,000 for one year), police supervisor training with North Star Leadership ($20,000), legal representation for the Citizen Police Review Board ($45,000 per year for three years), the designation of Upper Lawrenceville properties as permanent open space as part of the Greenways for Pittsburgh program, amendments to the PAYGO-funded projects budget (adding $157,175 for Land Bank Personnel), revisions to the Official Sewage Facilities Plan for several properties, land sale agreements, supplemental agreements for project management and engineering services (including $121,861.99 for CDR Maguire and $178,939.11 for Penn Ave Phase 2), eminent domain for Andover Terrace repairs ($35,000), an ordinance to allow overhead wires on Kinsmen Road and Worth Street, and a warrant for emergency snow removal ($109,847.58). All were read and referred to appropriate committees.
• Councilman Mosley’s Remarks: Councilman Khari Mosley thanked colleagues and the city for their support following his father’s passing, expressing gratitude for the outpouring of love from the community.
• Councilwoman Warwick’s Comments: Councilwoman Barbara Warwick highlighted two recent incidents: a Haitian refugee named Daffy Michelle found dead on the South Side after being released by ICE without notification, and a protest in West Mifflin where police pepper-sprayed children. She called for an investigation into the South Side incident and urged caution about law enforcement culture at the federal level influencing local police.

Key Outcomes

• Final Passage of Committee Reports: The council unanimously passed (9-0) the following items from the committees:
  • Finance and Law: Unified vending fee schedule (Resolution 2026-0242).
  • Public Safety and Wellness: Contract with Operation Better Block for group violence intervention technology services ($300,000 over three years), and two license agreements with The Buncher Company for police training space (four days) and Gateway View Plaza space (45 days, at no cost).
  • Public Works and Infrastructure: Acceptance of an $805,533 Automated Red Light Enforcement grant for signal replacement at Fifth Avenue and Dithridge Street, vacation of an unopened portion of Savoy Street, and a six-year energy advisory services agreement with Enel X (at no additional cost).
  • Land Use and Economic Development: Authorization for the Pittsburgh Land Bank to acquire a property at 635 Kirkpatrick Street (no cost).
  • Intergovernmental and Educational Affairs: Payment of membership dues for the United States Conference of Mayors ($21,824), Pennsylvania Municipal League ($52,962.24), and National League of Cities ($19,626); adoption of sewage facilities plan revisions for 2111 Penn Avenue, 1717-1719 Cliff Street, and 544 Lincoln Avenue; and an agreement with the Stadium Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County ($1) for public safety equipment installation.
• Unanimous Votes: All final passage votes were 9-0 in favor.