Date: April 15, 2026
Committees: Finance & Law, Public Works & Infrastructure, Human Resources, Land Use & Economic Development, Intergovernmental & Educational Affairs
The full Pittsburgh City Council met as Standing Committees to consider dozens of budget line-item amendments, property sales, easements, and a major zoning ordinance revision for vape shops. After extensive debate on vehicle funding and after-school programming, most items were recommended favorably; the vape shop ordinance was amended and held for a public hearing.
Six members of the public spoke:
1. Budget Reopener – 75 Line-Item Amendments (Finance & Law) The council voted on a package of amendments to the 2026 operating budget and five-year plan. Key debates centered on:
2. Vape Shop Zoning (2025-2250, Land Use) Sponsor Councilmember Wilson introduced an amended substitute ordinance to add “Retail: Tobacco, Inhalant, and Cannabinoids” as a conditional use, with a 1,000-foot separation from K–12 schools. Changes from the original bill: dropped separation from daycares and other vape shops (to avoid a citywide ban), removed a lock-case requirement, and changed to special exception. Councilmember Warwick requested adding libraries to the separation requirement; staff agreed to review maps. The bill was amended by substitute and held for a Cablecast Public Hearing (no date set).
3. Other Held Items
Good morning and welcome to the standing committees meeting for Wednesday, April 15th, 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. Calhew, Miss Gross, Mr. Lavelle. Here. Mr. Mosley. Here. Miss Warwick. Miss Salonetro. Here. Mr. Wilson. Miss Strasberger Chair. Here. I have members present. Thank you. Our next order of business is public comment. I would like to remind all speakers that the rules of counsel 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. Only a few accepted agreement and have taken action and launch an investigation to a clothing company that utilized it. Um the average consumer would hop out of water cooking clothing that we vote on the country. I become extremely curious about one still called and the public thought. Thank you very much. This is a letter to the Post Gazette, a letter to the publisher. Dear John Blockhead, a Pittsburgh judge stated that you negotiated in bad faith. That should be your family slogan. I told your editor, John Craig, that Dick Cheney was responsible for the Gulf War illness that killed over 30,000 Army soldiers. Craig laughed at me and said, I don't care. That's something you have to deal with on judgment day. Your paper cheated Larry Fitzgerald out of the Heisman Trophy. Ron Cook complained that it was Fitzgerald's fault. He couldn't catch the football when he was always double covered. Your featured columnist, phony Tony Norman, a racist, obese black man, would insult and make fun of white people once a week for 20 years. He called me a joke. But when I saw him on the street, he ran into the PG building and had a security guard come outside. I was there waiting for my sister who had business to do at the state office building. Phony Tony's favorite musician is Barry Mandelow. Phony Tony's favorite movie is Woody Allen's Annie Hall. How many black men would admit to that in public? I made Pittsburgh City Councilman Alan Hertzburg change his vote and create the Pittsburgh Civilian Police Review Board. I exposed vocal corruption and sent a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller concerning Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy and Pittsburgh Judge Richard King having sex with a minor at the Sheridan Center Station Square. I told Muller that Allegheny County Pete DeFasio was stealing drugs from dealers to supply his prostitution ring. Pittsburgh TV station, WPXI, stopped Andy Gasmire from exposing De Fasio's prostitution ring. Muller destroyed the letter I mailed to him, and he mailed it back to me.