Good morning and welcome to the standing committee's meeting for Wednesday, April 8th, 2026.

All council meetings will be live streamed on the city's website.

And for guest speakers, please do not turn off your microphones.

Our first order of business is roll call.

Will the clerk please take the roll?

Mr.

Charland.

Mr.

Coghill.

Ms.

Gross.

Mr.

Lavelle.

Mr.

Mosley.

Mrs.

Salonetro.

Here.

Mrs.

Warway.

Mr.

Wilson.

Mrs.

Strasberger Chair.

Here.

Five members present.

Thank you.

Our next order of business is public comment.

I would like to remind all speakers that the rules of council state that comments are limited to matters of concern, official action, or deliberation, which are or may be before city council, and profanity will not be permitted.

Please state your name and neighborhood for the record.

You will have three minutes to speak.

And I hope that you know, even though you're gonna voice every week or so, don't pay attention to what's being said because what I'm saying about them make me feel type of way it can move you and to take an action to help the people who've elected you to be on positions that you're gonna.

Thank you.

Have a wonderful day.

Thank you very much.

Next speaker, uh, there being no further registered speakers, we'll now take comments from those in the audience wishing to speak.

Are there any speakers wishing to come to the podium?

Good morning, counsel.

I I appreciate you guys for allowing me to speak.

My name is Shalivia Thomas Murchison.

I reside at 115 East 11th Avenue in Homestead PA.

I came about a week ago to give you guys notice as to what's happening in our borough.

Today I would like to further um elaborate as to the funding for these projects called One Homestead.

Our issue is a business that's doing business in district two.

It is called the Rodriguez AM Rodriguez Association.

The developer is A.M.

Rodriguez, the architect is Paul Rodriguez, and now they have a new project called the Voodoo Bar that's being run by David Rodriguez.

The funding is now, we were promised luxury townhomes.

Now they're getting funding for a low-income housing tax credit awarded by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and syndicated by RBC Capital Markets.

What I'm asking for you guys today is to ask for a federal investigation into this RBC Capital Market Markets.

Um personal experience with this um build, which is one homestead.

This is a drug operation.

This is cartels coming in and bringing drugs into our neighborhood, and the message is always clear.

Say no to drugs.

Right now we're working with WQED to try to get that message out because I am a homeschool parent and I love my community.

Right now, my property value has gone from 181,000 down to 141,000.

Partly because our council members are making really bad deals with these developers coming into our neighborhood from Pittsburgh into there, and they're not reading these contracts, but they're voting on them, and we are now being penalized as the um property owners and the people who have the rights to be there.

We're being penalized and now criminalized.

So when we uh call the police and say, hey, you know, this development is on ABC and D, they're filing charges on us, and I am a victim of that.

So we're asking for the Pennsylvania Department of Economic Development and Harrisburg to step in, Allegheny County Department of Economic Development to step in, Steel Valley Enterprise Zone to step in, Mellon, Bank of Mellon, New York, which is federal, to step in and pull the federal funding funding, the PHFA, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency to pull federal funding.

We're asking for again a federal investigation into RBC Capital 2 Markets.

They are big funders of this one homestead and these Rodriguez associates.

So I appreciate you, you you um honorable elected and members' time, but I'm not gonna let up on this because I have no intentions on moving.

I have I I have every intention on passing my property down as generational wealth to my children and my grandchildren as I am supposed to, as we all want to.

Do not be fooled to think that what's happening is going to stay in the city.

They're in the suburbs and they're coming for your homes as well.

I appreciate your time.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

And today I'm coming to talk about the children downtown again.

I'm coming up here frustrated because what's happening in Pittsburgh right now is beyond disappointing.

It's negligent.

We keep hearing about these kids downtown, fighting, acting out, scaring people.

But let me ask you something.

Where are they supposed to go?

Because y'all shut it down.

No wrecks.

I'm sorry.

No rec centers open late, no real after-school programs, no safe spaces.

Now they're outside, and everybody's clutching their bags, crossing the street and calling them the problem.

That's convenient, but it's not honest.

Because you don't get to remove every outlet a child has and then act shocked when the energy turns into chaos.

That's not surprising.

That's predictable.

And what's really appalling, yes, appalling, is that this didn't sneak up on anybody.

Y'all saw this coming like a couple years ago when the man got punched in the alleyway by the kids, knocked out the little knockout thing they were doing.

It should have been changed then.

Something something should have been done then.

Because kids was already acting a mess then.

But you know what happens when kids have nothing to do.

You know what happens when there's no structure, no structure, no mentorship, and no investment.

So now downtown feels like a pressure cooker.

Now innocent people are being caught in the middle.

Now parents like me are sitting here worried every single day.

Let me say this clearly.

This is how tragedies happen.

Because when people feel like the system isn't protecting them, they start talking about protecting themselves.

And once them lines get crossed, you can't undo it.

So we can't sit here and keep calling these kids out of control.

They are under supported, under supervised, and being overlooked.

And that sounds on leadership.

So please reopen these centers, fund well after school programs, partner with organizations like Boy Boys and Girls Club, put people in these kids' lives who actually care before the streets do.

Because right now, the streets are raising them.

And everybody wants to keep saying it's the parents.

It's not the parents.

Parents are working.

Parents are handicapped.

Parents can't chase after kids.

Parents are sometimes getting beat up by these kids because there's nobody else out in the streets that's helping them.

Every movie, everything else shows you that uh some a mentor helps troubled kids.

Troubled kids is not gonna fix themselves.

So please just try to look into something that's gonna help these kids.

Like four seconds.

Why did I buzz around?

Thank you very much.

Next speaker, please.

Good morning.

My name is Yvonne F.

Brown.

I live at 715 Mercer Street.

That's the high rise.

K Lieber Irv's tires upon Bethre.

Yesterday when I was speaking, what I was trying to do was bring attention to you while I come and speak.

Why all these years, over 27 years, I've been coming to every meeting I possibly could.

Because I was taught that if you don't know what's there's the problem, you can't fix it.

But if I bring the problem, then if you could at least try.

Also, um President Lavelle, did you actually look into the um information that I was saying about the lights on Forbes?

Like 23 seconds, the lights change.

The bus drivers was saying that the way the lights are we're getting ready to have all these people for this football stuff, and you get with the buses are are causing a lot of the problem is because of the way the lights are scheduled, the way they're going off.

Could you possibly, I'm talking about have the bus drivers actually tell you what streets they're having the problems, and you just could correct it.

Because you can do it.

You can make them lights longer, because he's saying, Miss Look, 20 28 seconds, and it's gone.

The bus can't move.

So I'm coming to you with a question.

Can you please call and ask the bus drivers what streets they are?

Then also my daughter is talking about the children.

There's an activist, and I'm sorry I can't remember her name.

But she has said years ago, she had asked me to come down after school to be down there in Market Square as a grown-up.

Maybe they would uh we could sort of stop some of the stuff.

Because a lot of times the par uh the children will give parents respect.

I used to go to school, and um I can remember one time uh the boy had a picture, and I was uh like a teacher's aid, I was just sitting in the room.

But also I also taught classes because sometimes the teachers wasn't able to correct them, but they did listen to me.

And the reason why, because I was a parent, and I was the same color as them.

A lot of times our children are mistreated because of the color.

I started going speaking at uh at the school board, and some of the things I want you to think about about this school board and about this school system we have.

During that time when I was going on, I was talking about college, college, college, and they closed Carly Vocational School.

Now, if you listen to what the news is saying, we don't have we don't have the construction of different training.

She's right.

Your buzzer's gone off, and we still have seconds on there.

So maybe you could correct that.

Thank you very much.

Next speaker, please.

Good morning, special agent sunshine, the missing child.

Lord, thank you for another beautiful day.

Thank you for another birthday yesterday uh Monday.

62 on paper.

That's not real.

My identity was stolen by somebody in this room.

If not, they know these people on this board know exactly who I am, where my real identity documentation is, and who has it and who changed it.

They know.

The title of my uh message today is out of my comfort zone.

Second Corinthians 12 9 says, The Lord said to Paul, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

My weakness deals with the Sabbath, honoring it.

It's very hard because I love what I do.

I'm a female vocalist, I'm an evangelist, I do a lot.

Um it's amazing how my communication is being blocked, how somebody overseas in my family has passed away.

I still don't know who they are.

I'm not getting my mail where it's supposed to be coming.

I've told them I don't want my mail to come there anymore.

So if there's mail still coming there, they're stealing it.

They were stealing it before I gave them this notice.

Um I don't have a phone.

Still, I don't have a phone.

So if anybody is trying to get in touch with me or is looking for special agent sunshine, the missing child, Cerese Taylor, I guess you can find me here.

They're blocking the TVs from being here, so they don't want people to see me on TV to hear what I'm talking about, which is the truth.

Double confirmation from God with sound.

The thought for today is expressing my love for God can encourage others.

Matthew 18, 3 says, and he said, I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

The with the word of wisdom comes from Proverbs 1530, and it says, A friendly smile makes you happy, and good news makes you feel strong.

The good news is no matter how many fiery darts you guys throw at me, no matter how much voodoo you try to send towards me, I'm gonna return a descender tenfold.

No matter what you've taken from me, God is gonna replace everything that was stolen from me.

One hundred trillion fold, and then some.

Amen.

Thank you.

Are there any further speakers?

Any further speakers?

There being no further speakers, we will move on to standing committee's agenda, and our first committee is the Finance and Law Committee Bill 297.

Resolution amending resolution number 857 of 2023, effective December 27th, 2023, entitled Resolution Adopting and Approving the 2024 Capital Budget, the proposed 2024 Community Development Program and the 2024 through 2029 capital improvement program by transferring 134,831 dollars and twenty-five cents from neighborhood initiatives fund to slope failure remediation.

Is there a second?

Second discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 297, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 303.

Resolution amending resolution 741 of 2025, which authorized the mayor and the city solicitor to enter into a professional services agreement with block and associates for legal services in connection with the current city construction project and other legal services by increasing the contract amount by $60,000 for a new not to exceed amount of $120,000 over two years.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 303, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 304.

Resolution authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Comer Miller LLC for expert legal services in connection with the litigation matter in the U.S.

District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania for an amount not to exceed $17,844 and 16 cents over one year.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 304, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 305.

Resolution authorizing the execution of quit claim deeds conveying all of the city's right, title, and interest in and to the city-owned property located at 708 North Pacific Avenue in the 10th ward of the city and designated in the deed registry office of Allegheny County as Block and Lot 50 G 345 to Mary Sawyer relating to the full and final settlement of a case filed in the Allegheny County Court of Common Please.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 305, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 306.

Resolution authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Karen Williams in an amount not to exceed $7,496 and 63 cents over one year in full and final settlement of a claim for damage to her parked vehicle on Beacon Street near Whiteman Street for a city emergency or ES vehicle in on April 1st, 2025.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Council Member Warwick.

I usually don't not not on this one, but just a quick question on 0303.

Sorry, you can proceed.

That's fine.

Go back.

Yeah, yeah, apologies.

Um where it says a current, that's just um for legal services in connection with a current city construction project.

Is can we I was just curious what project that is, if we know or if there's a reason that it's not included.

It's not in the text file either.

Yeah, it's not, yeah.

I don't believe we had an exash executive session on this.

Um would you like to hold well we already voted on it, so would you like to just find more information before final vote on the consended to the all of council?

Yeah.

Make sure all council is aware.

And maybe just going just to have you know either in the text files or or in the title itself.

You know, when there's unless there's some legal reason not to, right?

If there's that's what I'm thinking they may be, but we can look into that and find out.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Uh further discussion on bill 306.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 306, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

That moves us to invoices.

Is there a motion on invoices?

So move brief discussion.

Discussion.

Is there a second?

Second.

Discussion, Councilwoman Gross.

Thank you.

Uh Chair.

So we've continued to comb through and ask questions about the invoices.

Um, looking especially for anything that is the kinds of technologies that might violate privacy or be surveillance type technologies.

Um, and so once again, um uh we inquired about one that's under public safety that's called Cowboy Concealment.

It's the name of the company.

And in fact, they do hide surveillance cameras, but that is not what we are contracting them for.

It's not illegal for them to be purchased under invoices.

But they don't really still kind of get the full contracting procedures that IMP has developed around the capabilities of technologies.

And so it's important for us, I think, maybe just a good lesson learned.

So in the ums of cowboy concealment, um, this purchase, which is again an invoice purchase, is um enclosures for cameras.

So not hiding cameras, but still enclosures for cameras.

And additionally, not for any new cameras.

And then the existing cameras were purchased under kind of contracting procedures and followed city ordinance.

Um again, it's probably a little dated, um, but that council did proactively put in place a number of years ago, which is a privacy policy for public security camera systems.

So again, um, kind of just like because we have different polls and different style attachments to physically just have the cameras there.

Um, this is like a specialized manufacturer to make sure that uh the cameras are secured to different kinds of polls.

But again, no new cameras and not in terms of like concealing surveillance.

Um supportive today, appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you for your work there.

Any further discussion on invoices?

Seeing none, all those in favor of invoices, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Invoices are approved.

That moves us on to no interpartmental transfers, P card approvals.

Is there a motion on P cards?

The move.

Second.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of P cards, please say aye.

P cards are approved.

That moves us to public safety and wellness committee chaired by Councilman Cockhill.

Deferred papers, Bill 288, ordinance amending and supplementing the Pittsburgh Code Title VI, Conduct, Article 1, regulated rights and actions by adding Chapter 630B, prohibiting immigration enforcement in city owned or operated spaces, and amending and supplementing the Pittsburgh Code, Title V traffic.

Article 1, Administration, Chapter 503, Enforcement and Control by adding Section 503.21, prohibiting immigration enforcement in city owned or operated spaces.

Can we read the two bills together if that would be the preference?

Bill 289, ordinance amending and supplementing the Pittsburgh Code, Title VI, Conduct.

Article 1, Regulated Rights and Actions by adding Chapter 630 C, Protecting Community Spaces.

Motion to approve discussion.

Second.

Second discussion.

I would refer to the Councilwoman Grace.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

So I first of all want to acknowledge and thank the law department for getting us kind of line by line feedback.

We've had several discussions now, and I feel like we have some areas that we still need their help clarifying.

And additionally, I'll acknowledge our chair of public safety, Councilman Coghill connected me with the Hispanic Development Center, and I had a great conversation.

And they had kind of multiple perspectives as both being an advocate for our immigrant community and also renting a city-owned space.

So they are tenants of a city building.

And so that was really helpful.

And then additionally, we got the feedback and passed two of the bills out of the four bill package yesterday.

And so we are we just got this feedback for the law department yesterday morning.

Again, thank you.

So I'm I and I know a lot of members of the administration are very busy because we had the NFL draft coming up.

So I'm thinking we can take four weeks or so to make sure that we all have the time to figure out which of these pieces work for again the various city properties that we have and again what we think we legally have the jurisdiction to do.

So motion to hold for four weeks.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of a four-week hold on bills two eighty-eight and two eighty nine, please say aye.

Bill will be held bills will be held for four weeks.

Thank you.

That moves us to public works and infrastructure committee chair by councilwoman Salonetro.

Resolution amending resolution 657 of 2025, authorizing the mayor and the director of the Department of Public Works to enter into an agreement or agreements with Tree Pittsburgh for a restoration project known as Rising Main 3, consisting of a deforested corridor in Highland Park at a city cost not to exceed 275,257 and four cents over a period of five years by revising the payment schedule over a period of four years.

Motion to approve.

Second discussion.

Councilwoman Gross.

I'll just acknowledge and thank all of the partners here, Public Works and Tree Pittsburgh.

Because there's a really ugly kind of cut now when you come across the Highland Park Bridge.

And so that's going to be where this restoration work is going to happen as well as I understand it.

But just to acknowledge for those of us who enjoy, you know, many citizens from many neighborhoods and thoroughs who enjoy the Rad Park, Highland Park, that there's still going to be a lot more work with PWSA and DEP ordering the removal of hundreds, if not close to a thousand trees.

And it's going to be rough.

And so we have been having meetings in PWSA is working with the public.

We've had charrettes, and it's going to be there's going to be changes, and we'll try to keep not only the water system safe, but our our beautiful regional asset park beautiful as well.

That's the challenge in front of us.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Further discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 299, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 300.

Resolution providing for the issuance of a warrant in favor of a Felino Construction Inc.

in the amount of 481,320 for the purpose of emergency snow removal at various locations and providing for the payment of the cost thereof over one year.

Motion to approve a discussion.

Second.

Second.

With discussion, Councilwoman Salonetra.

We have uh director.

Hi, John.

Morning.

Hi Donnie.

Thank you both.

Thank you both.

Um this is a uh invoice for Fellino that I have here that I've discussed with you.

My concern that it wasn't as detailed as I thought it should be.

And I wanted to know if you had some more detailed uh information.

I know you asked for it.

Uh were we able to get more detailed information?

I did reach out to them.

I didn't hear back from them yet, and it was it was late and with the holiday weekend.

I can understand that.

Uh I do note they want our contractors that worked seven days a week from the twenty-sixth to February first when we cut cut all of them loose at uh 7 a.m.

Um he had 10 skids here, four loaders, five triaxles, one excavator, and he was in the squirrel hill, shady side, Walnut Street, Murray Avenue Beacon, Reynolds Beach when we moved them into Forbes Avenue.

So that is the information I have on that.

I didn't see his actual invoice.

Okay.

So that's so that's information we kept track of.

That's in for yes.

At all times, we had two contractors working 24 hours from those from that time.

It was Philino and Independence.

There was an assistant superintendent with them in all times.

Overnight and working overseeing our crews.

Our city crews did smaller business districts.

West End, Breachview, North, some north side, what they can get.

Yeah, I might my concern was that you know there was a lot of invoices we used uh several different construction companies to remove snow, and of all of them, the Felino uh invoice was pretty light.

I mean, it didn't at most told me what streets you had, what neighborhoods they were in, what hours they were in, how many men they used, and this really did not have that.

So I was just a little concerned that it was one of the larger invoices and that I didn't have enough detail that I thought we should have for the public to know what they were spending their money on.

I understand.

Yes, I understand.

Okay.

Can we do uh so you're expecting to hear back from them?

I'm hoping to.

Oh, I never got to see any of the invoices.

They went directly to either Dawn or OMB.

O and B.

O and B, they went to So I actually didn't get to see all of them.

Okay.

Can I make a motion to hold a week till we get the information from Felino?

Second discussion on the hold.

I would just say I sub I support this as well.

I would be interested in seeing every single street that the contractors um serviced and um and seeing what we can learn from that.

I appreciate it.

Yes, Councilman Clayton.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Yeah, we noticed that as well.

Uh Councilman Selling that trail is to the preferred or the ones that are on our preferred list.

They all had, you know, they know how to do it, I guess, so itemized everything was done to the T.

Um however I will say they did a great job.

I mean, that snow was piled up eight feet high, six feet high on the sides of roads.

I don't know what we would have done without them.

It's a lot of money we had to spend, but you know, it was necessary.

You did a great job for me up in Brooklyn Both was a disaster and uh between that and Broadway Avenue.

So thankfully we have companies like that that we can call on, although be it expensive.

But it was uh there was no other way, I felt like at the time.

So you did a good job.

Well thank you.

Yep.

Thank you.

Uh Councilwoman Gross, followed by Councilmember Warwick.

Uh no.

I was just scratching my face.

Apologies.

I saw some movement on the city.

I was just about to say fake bidder.

Um so Felino is a contractor we use a lot specifically for paving.

I know that's a domey um function.

But uh I don't know if the if the controllers said, but you know, with these contractors that we use all the time, right for many, many, many years.

Um I it it would be nice to sort of periodically to have kind of audits done on the you know, like the just the work, the quality of the work, the type, you know what I mean.

For example, how long does paving last between you know how much time is there from when something's paved to when it has potholes, like just things like that, just to um it's great to have these long-term partners, trusted partners at you know, at the city, of course, they they help us run, but um but at the same time, just like in our own, you know, in our own operations, it's good to kind of take a step and you know take a look every now and then.

Yeah, may I respond here?

Um absolutely, right?

But I do want to point out that um just for a duration.

Even if you voted yes today, the invoice would still go through a controller's office process and audit.

So the the yes, even if it was yes today, that's the middle step, and there's still a journey for that invoice.

So to your point, right?

Like, you know, if this got voted through today, the controller's office and their inspectors might have the same questions and it's well within their right to ask them before they say yes to cutting the check and stuff like that.

So those type of audits do happen on a invoice by invoice basis through the controller's office.

But on a larger scale, it should be happening as well.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Clarify.

Further discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of bill uh one week hold on bill three hundred, please say aye.

Aye, aye.

Bill be held one week.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Bill 301.

Resolution providing for an agreement or agreements with TRC Engineers Inc.

for costs associated with construction inspection and contract administration for the Pittsburgh City Steps project, providing for the payment of the cost thereof not to exceed $1,448,949 and forty-two cents reimbursable at 80%.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Second discussion.

Yeah, Councilwoman.

Yeah, I wonder if we can get any more information about what are steps projects.

Are they being reevaluated?

It's I feel like it's been a number of years since Dominic kind of came through and said, like, here are the actively used steps, and here's our priority steps.

And if that's been updated, I'm not sure.

Um someone here from Yes.

Director is here.

I couldn't see you.

I'm here.

Appreciate it.

I have all your answers.

Good morning.

It's amazing.

Director for uh Department of Mobile Infrastructure.

Um to answer your question, um, this is um construction management and construct construction inspection on the federal earmarks, like you said, um SEPS project, they are going to go to construction out to bid this fall.

Um a lot of these steps won't be actually in construction until 2027.

Um the the five locations is Dixon Street, Clare Haven Street, Potomac Avenue, Ottawa Street, and 56th Street.

And um City of Pittsburgh is 20 percent local dollars and 80 percent federal dollars will go into the all five of these projects, okay.

Did you say 80 percent federal?

Yes.

Just making sure we've said that loudly enough.

So that's fantastic, right?

We love how dummy's been so effective in leveraging um pots of money that are out there, but that we have to go out and compete for um because some cities can get them.

Um because some cities can get them.

So it's great.

We're we're always really appreciative when Pittsburgh gets them.

And um so to my second question, am I right?

Has it been a while since you guys did the prioritization of city steps and I think it's been about three or it's been about three or four years.

It's been a couple years, yes.

Okay, so I am curious.

I mean, I know um, you know, like lots of the city, I had neighborhoods that didn't change for a very long time.

Um but now they've kind of all really rapidly changed, and I have neighborhoods of like parents and kids where it used to only be kind of empty nesters and seniors.

Um so do you know when you have a plan to kind of reevaluate what is the demands and also connections to things.

Like I'm thinking about parts in Lawrenceville, which is I think one of the places here.

There's now like a th nearly 300 unit apartment building at the bottom.

Right.

And you know, if it's brand new.

So it's a good thing that there are steps connections that maybe haven't been passable that are becoming passable.

So we do have NISTEPS evaluation um chart that we do have.

We've been working on it.

It's been about six, seven years, and we did update it.

Um and I I have to check though, but I believe it's available on our website.

You'd probably have to check to see if it's still there or not.

Right.

I'll look I'll look at the website too.

Yeah, I can't.

Sometimes I can't find things.

We try to make it as friendly as easy as well.

I have to check.

I know we had it on there for a little bit, and when we update it, I'll gotta check to see if it was we put it back on there.

All right, appreciate it, Director.

That's all the questions I have.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Further discussion?

Council um Councilman Cockill.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Uh just curious, Jeff.

The um Potomac Avenue, what will what are we doing?

Um we're actually gonna do a full rebuild for Potomac.

Um that won't start.

You won't see construction for that one until 2027 now.

Rebuild like new hand new handrail.

Oh that's actually your district.

I knew that.

Yeah, right.

But um I'm hoping Wenzel makes that list.

You know how those steps jet out at the moment.

Oh, I do know those really well.

You know, I mean cars scrape them, you know, winter, it's it's treacherous.

Um I think there was a plan at one time, and now I think they're putting the sheets in at the bottom.

They are, they're putting a sheets in.

I think we were look into top two DPW to see.

So we don't have labors and people in-house.

All of our projects like this go to a contract, and some steps we can look to do in in-house, and maybe those are the ones that we'll have to work with DPW on.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, while they're doing the sheets, because I'm sure there's gonna be a lot of interruptions there.

I would love to do love to take them out.

Uh honestly, I know people might you know use them, but I don't know.

But anyway, it's um so the other thing was I wanted to mention, this probably hasn't made it to your desk, and we haven't talked about it yet, is um PRT will be paying for a part of Broadway Avenue in Beachview to be re paved.

It's it's concrete and it's about a you know a hundred yards long.

But but we'll work all the details out.

But they said they're gonna go through Domey because it's easier.

And they have been talking to us, so we have good relationship with PRT and we have been working with them.

We're actually working on a design right now at that station.

Yeah, right.

Yeah, okay, yeah.

So we're familiar with it.

Yeah, it PRT's been great.

Um we have I don't know, like a meeting every three or four weeks that go over design.

Yep, you know, we're breaking the news that we weren't doing a station, which I'm fine with.

But uh, we're gonna do it, but it will be next week.

Oh yeah, yeah, we're gonna do it.

We're gonna we're gonna do it like the other stations at least.

But uh but the platform station that we had put is kind of done.

And and that's fine.

Uh but but so when they do that, when then they'll come to you and be like, okay, here's the money and I'll be back here again.

There's legislation to get to receive the money the funding to do the project.

So you'll see me again for that.

Yeah, so there's a good portion of the street that's being replaced, all concrete and thick, you know, because of the T there, it's like extra thick.

So it was a thing that we're that out, obviously, to lean over somebody.

And then Dummy will manage the project with PRT's input so they're aware of what's going on.

Yeah, gotta be good partners for this to get, you know.

If we tie up all the loose ends, do you think we would get to that this year or no?

No.

Okay, next year.

Okay.

Appreciate your honesty.

I can't.

Okay, that's it, ma'am, chair.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Councilmember Warwick.

Um I just want to say sort of over the past few years.

Um just when we talk about concrete versus um wood.

DPW uh steps.

Yeah.

I mean, in my district, I can think of at least two and maybe more where DPW just comes in and puts in those wood steps like so fast.

Yeah.

And people love them.

And I know they maybe don't last as long, but like the difference in cost, and you know, maybe doing that three times over fifty years, I don't know.

It's just something to think about for these projects.

Yeah, DPW does a great job at them, and you know, keep it in the house and you get it done a lot quicker.

Thank you so three years for some of these steps.

Thank you.

Further discussion.

Councilman Cockell.

Yeah.

I no, I agree a hundred percent.

I mean, you know, wooden steps.

I think you had a flight put in, it took a long time.

The same story.

I have the exact same story.

You know, they're easily repaired, too.

You know, some treads may go, you come back, you replace them, you you you know, you shore them up.

And if it you have to do it three times in a lifespan of concrete, that's okay.

I mean, it's probably still cheaper, by the way.

Oh, yeah.

And the concrete, you know, um, it's a lot of work to put it's very expensive.

I've got 350 steps, you know the place.

Yes.

And it's like, holy smokes, that would cost a lot of money, right?

So I'm all about the wooden ones, you know, just womanize a longer and keep an eye on them and repair them as we need them.

That's all, thanks.

Thank you.

Further discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 302, please say aye.

Aye.

Part and me.

That was 301.

301.

I skipped ahead.

301, please say aye.

Aye.

301 gets affirmative recommendation.

Bill 302.

Resolution providing for a supplemental agreement or agreements with MS Consultants Inc.

for costs associated with the preliminary engineering and final design phases of the California Avenue Bridge Project, providing for the payment of the cost thereof, not to exceed $2,25,692 and 96 cents, an increase of $1,360,896 and 95 cents from the previously authorized agreement, reimbursable at 100%.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Council McConkham.

Back to the steps real quick.

I think it's also important.

Sorry to go off subject, but I think it's also important to maintain those concrete ones that are still very good shape.

Some of them might be there for a hundred more years, you know.

If but the Belasco station steps, the the Velasco Avenue steps really need like some repairs.

Um I'll coordinate with you and try to get somebody out to just check it out, you know, because they're in good shape.

I think they'll be there forever if we just put a little TLC into it.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Further discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 302, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 310.

Resolution providing the re recommendation made by the director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure that the concrete portion of 7th Street from Fort Duquesne Boulevard to Liberty Avenue be paved with asphalt in accordance with section 417.06 of the Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 310, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 311.

Resolution approving the recommendation made by the director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure that the concrete portion of 9th Street from Fort Duquesne Boulevard to Penn Avenue, heading north towards the north side, be paved with asphalt in accordance with section 417.06 of the Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances.

Motion to approve.

Discussion.

Seeing none.

All those in favor of Bill 311, please say aye.

Aye.

That moves us to intergovernmental and educational affairs committee chaired by Councilman Mosley.

New papers, Bill 298.

Resolution authorizing the mayor and the director of the Department of Public Works to enter into an agreement or agreements with the housing authority of the City of Pittsburgh in order for the city of Pittsburgh to have access to parcel 50 C 350 behind former Fort Pitt Elementary School in the relation to a redevelopment project known as the Fort Pitt Park Master Plan at no cost to the city.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 298, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 307.

Resolution authorizing the Pittsburgh Land Bank to acquire all the city's right, title, and interest, if any, in and to the publicly owned properties in the 12th ward of the City of Pittsburgh, designated in the deed registry office of Allegheny County as block 173A, lot 206, 1365 Paulson Avenue, Council District 9, block 173A, Lot 207, 1367 Paulson Avenue, Council District 9.

Motion to approve brief discussion.

Second.

Good morning.

I figure since you made the long trek from the Boulevard of Allies over here, I figured I'd invite you to the table.

You just give a brief um you know description.

I don't have a ton of questions.

Of course.

Um good morning.

Uh Sally Sadleman, acting director of the Pittsburgh Land Bank.

Um Councilman Mosley, I'm glad you invited me up because this project is uh we're trying something a little bit different with these five structures we're acquiring in Lincoln Lemmington Belmar.

Um so these structures are going through our pilot residential rehab program, which means that we are completing the evaluation of the structures up front.

I actually went out with the community and walked through, I think we looked at somewhere like 10 or 12 structures total.

We looked at every structure that is in the city's three taxing body inventory.

Um several homes are not salvageable, they were too collapsed and dilapidated, but we identified these five as as salvageable with some stabilization.

And so typically with pilot residential rehab, we've been listing properties one by one.

Um with these, we're actually going to list them all together as a bundle, and we're gonna skip our typical um 90-day hold for owner occupants, and we're going to market these directly to contractors and developers with the intention of returning these properties back to the market at a similar price to what we see our subsidized affordable for sale houses uh hit the market, which is usually between 160 and 220.

But we're hoping to achieve the same thing by selling directly to contractors and then adding uh in our reverter agreement that they uh have to hold the property for a certain number of days for homeowners coming through.

Uh in this case, we'll be working with WAVE that does home buyer preparedness.

Thank you.

And can you explain how that relationship with WAVE was precipitated?

Yes.

Um, so there it this it's uh it's really an extra special um pilot because Charlize Smith is also the uh I think I think she's I want to say the vice president of the Lincoln Lemmington Bellmar Um I think it it's like Lincoln Lemmington Belmar RCO CDC the consensus group.

Um I I don't think well not the law are thinking of the Larmor consensus group.

I think Lincoln Limited has a consensus group as well.

I and I'm not sure.

I think there's two community organizations, and we're working with the RCO.

Yes, the RCO.

And so as part of that group, so we have Charlese's expertise with the home buyer preparedness, and then they have several residents who also are real estate agents, contractors.

Um this group approached us uh with and and they have this background and understanding of you know the challenges of the real estate market and um and rehab, and so we've been working really closely with them to kind of build this program.

Um this kind of pilot residential rehab 2.0 so I'm really hoping that uh we see some success and then we can kind of implement this model uh in other neighborhoods as well.

It's really exciting to hear that you're working with WAV.

I think it's a great partnership as you know, we understand you know the challenges that we have around housing in general and afford affordable housing in particular and the very complex ecosystem.

Um that that is the housing ecosystem.

Um to have uh someone like Shirley's and her expertise.

I know she does a lot of work with the county.

I also sit on the housing authority uh board of commissioners with her as well.

Um and she's been in in in the housing business for a very long time, you know, from you know, assisting uh folks with very low income, you know, with subsidized housing, as well as you know, understanding um you know how to how to sell houses and things like that.

She is one of the folks who I lean on uh when I'm looking to understand more about the complexities of of the housing space.

I know you know, she's really committed to the Lincoln Lemmington community and her organization.

Um does does phenomenal work.

So this is a really exciting partnership, and I think you know, these kind of partnerships are example of how the land bank can continue to grow under the brave leadership of our courageous uh chairman, Councilman Wilson.

Um, you know, so you know, uh kudos on this.

This is you know, really exciting.

I'm looking forward to running it to uh to Charlis in the near future congratulating her as well.

So thank you.

Um and if I could quickly plug um, we are holding an info session, we've actually moved it to your district um uh councilman um.

Yes, we're coming.

We're gonna we're gonna be at the Pittsburgh or the um Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation on API.

Yeah, city owned building, right?

Yes, oh right, yes, that was yeah, what a coincidence.

Um we'll be there April 16th at 3 and 6, and it's an info session on the pilot residential rehab program.

So any homeowners, contractors, developers, anyone interested in purchasing, as is single family properties who would like to learn more, um, we'll be there to talk about it.

Um and I'm hoping it'll be the first of many um uh info sessions that we'll be holding.

Um we're also hiring.

We're we're hiring for a uh housing development manager.

So if you know anyone that's knows their way around new uh residential rehab, um they can apply on the URA jobs website.

I wasn't sure if I had was it did I have the four?

I don't know.

So I had a question, but I'll wait my own.

Councilwoman Gross has a question and then I'll turn it over to you, Councilman and then Councilman Wilson.

Thank you, I appreciate it.

Um so I you cut my attention when you said that you were um selling the homes as a bundle um because I was just looking at my phone, wasn't able to find it.

It was a number of years ago that I I think I had co-sponsors on council, including maybe the councilwoman from District 2 at the time and some others on asking about limited equity housing co-ops, which is a topic I've talked about with Councilman Mosley as well.

Um and we required a report from the administration and planning, but especially from the URA, but it might have been before the co-op was executed with the land bank to make sure that any of the programs or technical assistance or financing especially didn't kind of exclude co-ops, right?

So let's say you have a program for like um increasing home ownership, which fully supportive of, right?

You know, not to exclude cooperative owners, or if let's say you have uh financing program for multifamily construction, well, not to exclude uh cooperative multifamily.

So they issued the report at the time.

So and especially the the since you're in pre you're right near Belmont Gardens, which is one of our last standing limited equity housing co-ops in Councilman Mosley's district.

Would that be precluded here?

I would say uh no, it would not be precluded.

Um I would be so interested in talking more about how we can help facilitate the creation of more cooperatives in the city of Pittsburgh.

I think the challenge here is oh, sorry.

Something's going around, and I think it's it's it's allergy season already.

Um the challenge is that the condition of these structures is really is tough.

We're several of them are um you know, they're not fully collapsed through like like we see sometimes, but a couple of the structures will will probably replace all of the floor joists on the on the first floor, for example.

They need new roofs.

And then even with that stabilization, the margins um to attract a contractor are still gonna be pretty thin.

And so the more asks that we stack on top of this central ask, which is please help us save this structure before we the taxpayers have to pay to tear it down, the more challenging it it becomes to you know, ask for, ask for more.

You know, we want you to then hold it for another six months or a year while we go through this cooperative process.

So I think um I think for me Why would the cooperative process be more burdensome than selling four separate buildings to four separate buyers?

Uh I I would I'm I'm assuming here.

And so I think what I'm I feel like I have a gap in my knowledge and understanding of then what does that legal and financing process?

There's a lot of things.

Oh, who then buys all okay?

So who would like a nonprofit structure?

Who is there it does that entity exist?

Would they be ready to buy these houses when they're rehabs?

There are some national partners, full disclosure.

I am on the board of the startup Steel City Housing Cooperatives with you know Brick Sports and Randall Taylor and Girl Woodwood and Jackie Smith.

And so we are trying to create that environment and raise the uh knowledge and consciousness and um enthusiasm for cooperative housing, like I've been doing it in council as well.

So but there are some people who have done this successfully in Baltimore and things like that that have come to visit.

And then we're also talking to some of your your typical people who do rehab and sales for affordable housing.

Yeah.

Right.

Um so that they are meanable as well to cooperative ownership.

So it all comes down to financing.

Yeah.

And if if there is a group, um any kind of entity that has the money to purchase those properties, then we absolutely could plug in with them.

I these are these five are pretty spread out um across Lincoln Lymington Belmont.

Um, but definitely happy to talk more about these structures or any structures or land or any way we can get that.

Again, just I'll stop talking in a minute, but again, just the the very you know, the as we're learning as well, like very often it's structured not that differently from like the land trusts, which we have and have familiarity with in the city.

There's been land trusts again operating for affordable housing across the country for a very long time.

The Durham North Carolina Affordable Housing Land Trust started in the 90s.

Um so now we've got City of Bridges here, and we've got several smaller ones as well.

So very often it's a very similar kind of um structure.

So again, sometimes it's just like the comfort level and familiarity of the operations in the city.

So uh let's follow up.

Yeah, that'd be great.

Great.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Cock Hill.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Uh Sally, I want I wanted to ask you, is your program like Jennifer GUA's where if a buyer must live there?

For the first 90 days, yes.

We do have a five-year deed restriction that says once we've completed the rehab, then you've got to occupy the property for five years.

Okay, so if the project takes two years, a five year doesn't start taking until the end of the two uh when it's finished.

Right.

And then we do include language that says, you know, if anything comes up at all, those those owners can always come back to the land bank and say, hey, I got a job in another city, you know, we're we're moving and we can lift that restriction.

So we've we have some flexibility there.

But the intention is, you know, if we're in pr if we are prioritizing that owner-occupant in the first 90 days, we want to make sure you're an owner-occupant and you're not you know looking like that on paper, but then intending to rehab the property, which you can do.

You just have to wait until that 90-day period.

We'll stabilize these properties, whether it be the roof, the foundation, whatever it might be, stabilize it, and then it's kind of in their hands after that.

Exactly.

Yes.

And and while we have the funding.

So that could also change in coming years of the year.

Where do you find the money for that?

Is it out of your funding?

Right now it's through the American Rescue Plan allocation that that funds us.

Uh we also applied for um which you applied uh provided a letter of support for us.

Thank you very much.

For a million dollar grant through the LSA statewide program to do 22 houses in district three and four.

So those we're putting through the sheriff's sale right now.

So we're hoping uh it we'll receive the grant and the deeds for the property around January.

How many properties?

Uh 22 total.

22 total between D three and four.

And I think it's an even split actually.

Oh, I was gonna ask you.

I think it's pretty close to the process.

I was assuming that I got the short end of the stick there, but that's nice.

Yes, yes.

Well, and thank the Hilltop Alliance.

Um they did the legwork over last summer to identify the properties.

Um we're excited to be able to bring that work in-house with this hiring of a fourth staffer, so we can continue that work.

I had a conversation with Jennifer Gula yesterday.

And uh she tells me they do things differently, I think, than you do.

Yes.

She puts it on the market unseen, no stabilization, and she had told me don't quote me on this, but she had told me that she's having more success in selling the ones that are that they don't stabilize, they don't put any money into resources, having just as much or more success selling those than you know, going in and stabilizing something.

I'm surprised to hear that.

And I would love to surprise the conversation about it.

Oh, I was surprised too, right?

Uh how that's going.

And who's selling who she's selling to and um because I think the major difference with us is we there is no auction process.

You know, you you come, you make your offer, we accept the offer, and then it's like a regular sale.

So um we also are extremely new.

And so uh I'm sure there's more expos this the city's inventory just has more general exposure.

So we're also working on on that as well.

Yeah, and I like the idea, and I think it's the responsible thing to do to stabilize it and give them a good foundation when they purchase the house, and then they could go from there.

But I just thought that was interesting.

Um again, don't quote me on that.

I don't want to get Jennifer in trouble, but I think that's what she told me.

So um, and and then I think the you know, the other piece to monitor there is um, you know, are the buyers are the buyers successful?

You know, are they is someone coming with cash to purchase the property, but they don't understand the level of of rehab they're getting into.

You know, and then are we are we ending up with homes that are in the same shape a couple of years later?

So there's there's a lot of different pieces.

Um but I would really love to compare notes and see what's going on.

Also, what I understand is once somebody purchases that property.

Oh wait, no, I'm getting that confused with something else.

Okay.

Uh okay.

No, yeah, you you have interesting different ways as to marketing and getting these properties back on the tax rule.

But uh Yeah, I mean if it could work without rehabbing.

Oh, I know what I was gonna say.

After six months with Jennifer, then it goes to auction for anybody, and you don't have to live there.

Oh, yes.

So it's yep, very similar.

And we just do 90 days.

So we're getting on a tax roll.

Somebody's not interested in moving in there and going by those rules.

After six months, we lift that.

And we just put it on the market.

And and that's exactly our program is the same.

We'll take an application from anyone after that 90-day period.

After 90 days, okay.

And I think we're considering um, you know, maybe trying to at least prioritize applicants that are willing to commit to selling to owner occupants once the property is rehabbed.

Sure.

Okay.

That's it.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Councilman Wilson.

Oh, thank you.

Thanks for coming to the table.

I just want to ask a question about the demo costs.

Yeah, if these were well, first I should ask, were any of these set to be demoed?

None of these are are actively on the demolition list.

Um I do share the um pictures and information of the properties that we walk through with PLI, so they have, you know, information on the interior of the structure.

So I would imagine that a couple of them, I mean, that they will have to be demolished.

There isn't.

Um there isn't any way, you know, there's no avoiding it.

Yeah, but of the tier that the land bank is interested in, none of them are uh well, how many are condemned and would possibly be on the demo list?

Surely all of them are condemned.

And if they're not condemned, they should be.

Yeah.

So they are they're I would say they're all condemned property.

Um, you know, that to leave a condemned property to sit um until it reaches the point where it must be torn down by the city, that you know, that cost is gonna range anywhere from thirty thousand to upwards of ninety thousand dollars, depending on if it has a one or two party walls that have to be restored.

So I think maybe what you're getting at here is that the five if you multiply these five structures by thirty or forty thousand dollars a piece, actually two of them are duplexes, so it's seven units, five structures.

You know, that's oh gosh, I can't do math on the spot here.

Maybe over two hundred thousand dollars of savings overall.

Yeah, I'm just always happy to see uh, you know, every time the land bank is at the table because I just look at that as an actual uh part piece of the housing plan that Pittsburgh should be using and demolition, although necessary in certain cases definitely is not a good strategy for um for growth and and in housing since I mean I'm not aware of you know any uh new houses being built on empty lots in in my district.

So the the fact that we can take these and get them back on the tax rolls with under 50 to 50K per unit.

Exactly.

Because we would go in potentially fix a beam, fix a roof, you know, up to 50K, and then put it on the market.

I think is uh just something I want to highlight.

So thanks for your work.

Thank you.

Further discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of bill 307, please say aye.

Uh aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Final bill of the day, Bill 308.

Resolution authorizing the Pittsburgh Land Bank to acquire all the city's right, title, and interest, if any, in and to the publicly owned properties in the 12th ward of the City of Pittsburgh, designated in the deed registry office of Allegheny County as block 125 H, lot 142, 0 North Mortland Street, Council District 9.

Lot 144, 0 Fielding Way, Council District 9.

Lot 163, 0 Fielding Way, Council District 9.

Lot 164, 0 Fielding Way, Council District 9.

Lot 166, 70 oh one Idawild Street, Council District 9.

Lot 167, 0 Idawell Street, Council District 9.

Lot 168, 0 Idawell Street, Council District 9.

Lot 168A, 0 Fielding Way, Council District 9.

Lot 169, 0 Idlewild Street, Council District 9.

Lot 170, 0 Fielding Way, Council District 9.

Lot Block 125 D, Lot 69, 0 Monticello Street, Council District 9, Lot 71, Zero Monticello Street, Council District 9, Lot 711, 0 Monticello Street, Council District 9.

Lot 712, Zero Monticelo Street, Council District No.

9, and Lot 713, 0 Monticello Street, Council District District 9 at no cost to the city.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 308, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

That exhaust our standing committee's agenda.

We do have meeting announcements.

This afternoon at 1 30 p.m.

Council will hold our line item vote on the budget amendments.

Reminder, this is a line item vote, but the actual vote is will take place at standing committees.

This will be a discussion and a preliminary vote, just as we do in December for the traditional budget process.

So for anyone tuning in, this is an initial vote, but the actual final um kind of affirmative vote will be uh next Wednesday at Standing Committee the 15th.

Next week, council will hold their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 14th, and standing committees meeting on Wednesday, April 15th, both at 10 a.m.

Also next Tuesday, the 14th and 130 p.m.

Council will hold a cable cast public hearing on bills 278, 279, 280, and 285 as they relate to the budget.

To register to speak at these meetings, please fill out the sign-up form on the council meeting webpage by the deadlines, and you may also call the clerk's office at 412-255-2138.

Anything with members.

Councilwoman Gross.

Thank you.

I was wondering if we might just clarify again that there's basically isn't there like three votes on the line items?

Yes.

So like to line item vote, but the next standing committee would be provisional vote.

Provisional vote and then a standard.

And the following week would be final vote.

So there's plenty of time for public comments.

Correct.

And and the point of this one is to ensure that council members' amendments, additional mayors' amendments are all set that we're discussing each one prior so that when uh the public is commenting on this at a public hearing, they have accurate information that they're working off of.

Our actual preliminary vote will occur after the public hearing.

So for full transparency, wanted everyone to be aware.

Anything else from members?

Thank you, Councilwoman.

Anything else?

Seeing none, I'll take a motion to approve the minutes and adjourn the meeting.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Meetings adjourned.