Good afternoon, and welcome to the standing committee's meeting for Monday, eighteenth, twenty twenty six.

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.

Charlotte.

Mr.

Copio.

Miss Gross.

Mr.

LaVelle.

Here.

Miss Warway.

Mr.

Wilson.

Miss Strasberger Chair.

Here.

Five members present.

Thank you.

Our next order of business is to amend the agenda.

Can I have a motion to amend the agenda?

So move.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

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 neighborhood for the record.

You will have three minutes to speak.

Our first registered speaker is Dr.

Ronald Lynn Miller.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Um nexus of individuals and institutions, uh, which are committed who are committed to the use of optimal information and intelligence in the formation of law at every level, is an extension of the Center for Global Studies International Interdisciplinary, which I founded in 1999.

What I did was to make connections with and inclusion in 21 primary disciplines, which include physics, astronomy, chemistry, history, geology, and so on.

I do have a very firm commitment to the insinuation of science and scientific methodology and to everything that we do.

In other words, what is the evidence for something?

One of the most important of the initiatives which I have sponsored and continue to sponsor is the initiative concerning the vote.

And we heard people talk this morning about the importance of it.

We hear people in the media generally talking about it.

But KDKA, WPXI, and others that do not really focus on the core problem.

The core problem, as far as I'm concerned, is that our voters, our people, our citizens, are not able to check to make sure that their vote is not been misapplied or misplaced.

When we have asked now thousands of people across the United States, do you want your vote to be lost?

We have yet to find anybody who says yes.

Do you want your vote to be applied to somebody that you don't think you voted for?

When we put it in a crude sense, uh you think you voted for Trump and uh in 2020 uh four, and what happened was that your vote was transferred to or applied to Biden.

Uh there is almost hysteria when it comes to this.

Now, our people who trust you as as counselors to do something about that, to affirm the vote, are not, in my view, at all, coming to terms with this core problem.

I have put it to you many ways on many occasions, but as far as I can tell, not one of you, and not Mr.

O'Connor, not Mr.

Daney, able to say, I checked, I made sure that I voted for myself if that was the case.

In other words, you can't prove it.

You can't even prove it for yourselves.

If that's true, it means that the entire process is based on an empty black democratic, anti-democratic whole.

Thank you.

Our next registered speaker is Chief Ikahana Halamakina.

Not seeing Chief Ikahana Makina, we will move on to those in the audience wishing to speak.

Are there any speakers in the audience wishing to preach a podium?

My name is Yvonne F.

Brown.

I live at 715 Mercer Street.

That's the high rise at the top of Beffort with 192 apartments.

As I told the young girls that were here today, I bring a sign.

Because if you see something you can remember, you hear it, you might forget it.

But the way I feel if I know I know it.

Now, here is my sign.

And everyone should go.

You should actually see the different rooms.

It depends on what subject, the different color rooms.

He has one room that he's done with stuckle.

It is beautiful.

Stuckle, I didn't know anything about that until I moved to California, where they put it on outside of their buildings.

And I can remember coming to remember coming to California, and I was looking at the colors.

Houses were bright yellow, orange.

The Christmas trees that summer at Christmas time, they put that stuff on it.

It would be green or yellow trees, they had different colors, but that stuckle would fall off.

But the main reason why I'm I tell you, I keep coming down because you need to know the truth.

And you need to know how we feel, not how you feel, because you come from a different, may come from a different age.

It could you could be older or younger, and I'm much older than you.

You might not believe it because I move real fast and I talk kind of fast.

But I want you to understand that I would come and tell you we have problems.

When Mr.

LaVelle told me, Ms.

Brown, you keep talking about the bus system.

You better go to County Council.

And when I went, you had um DeWitt Watson, who is our councilman.

When the president, Patrick, the one that they're talking about, they want to get rid of.

When he said uh we have an audit, we have a citizen the head of complaint, and should we write a letter to the bus company?

Or did he say, Oh, wait a minute, Mr.

Uh Walton?

DeWitt, this you are you're will you write a letter?

No.

Can't nobody come down here and tell me what they need in their neighborhood.

I live across the street.

I know what they need.

They need uh uh security more than they need buses, but we have to take two buses down to the bottom of two buses to get to the bottom of the hill.

I want you to understand Patrick, and his last name I can't pronounce correctly, should be president of council.

And the only reason why he walks to talk.

When he walks, he does the same.

He does what he says.

When I went down there, he has said we have a problem for our citizens.

And then I saw him actually sit through a hundred people that has signed up.

My time is up.

Vote for Patrick.

Please.

Be careful.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Are there any further speakers?

There being no further speakers.

We will move on to our standing committee's agenda.

Our first committee is the Finance and Law Committee.

New papers, Bill 478.

Resolution authorizing the mayor and the director of the Office of Management and Budget to enter into an agreement or agreements with the Richard King Mellon Foundation for the purpose of receiving grant funds and amount not to exceed $25,000 for the economic development marketing by the mayor and the economic development team.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 478, please say aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 479.

Resolution authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Meyer Unkovic and Scott for Expert Legal Services for Litigation File in the common police court of alligating county amount not to exceed $18,420 over one year.

Motion to approve.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 479, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Madam Chair.

We read 489 and 490 together.

Certainly.

Bill 489, ordinance amending the Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances.

Title 1 Administrative Article 9.

Boards, Commissions, and Authorities.

Chapter 179D, Records Management Advisory Commission by repealing Chapter 179D in its entirety.

And Bill 490 ordnance amending the Pittsburgh City Code Title 1 Administrative, Article 5, Legislation.

Chapter 154 Records Management Division by adding a new section 15403 records retention schedules.

Motion to approve.

Second, second discussion.

Council person Charlotte.

I believe we have our archivists here to talk about us without entrance.

From the archives.

I appreciate the email that you sent us kind of explaining the giving us the heads up on what's gonna be happening here.

Um and I know you and your team put a lot of work and a lot of thought into this.

Uh would you have to walk us through the real tonight here?

Yeah.

Uh so the bills before us would allow us to put in place um a mechanism to formally adopt uh records retention schedules.

Um retention schedule is just a list of all the records that a department either creates or receives, a description of them and how long they're gonna retain them.

Um these do exist but only informally, and so that creates a little bit of confusion.

Uh so this would allow us to create uh a manual that would describe um a schedule for records common to all departments, and then a process uh in approval form for um departmental uh records retention schedules.

Awesome.

Uh well, I I know that other members I'm seeing them kind of sit up here.

I know they've got some questions, um, but I just want to thank you for putting you know the thought into this.

I can tell you, at least from my perspective, um, when I was moving from being a staffer to being a council member and trying to figure out what we're supposed to keep and what we need to get rid of, how challenging that was and and how helpful your team was.

Just you know, we gave you everything and threw out a lot of it.

But trying to make sure, you know, we're not we're not losing things uh, you know, all the time.

Really just appreciate your help and always appreciate your uh your guides there.

Thank you.

Thanks a lot.

Thank you.

Further discussion?

Councilwoman Gross.

Thank you, appreciate it.

Um, could you also kind of give the audience, I think, an overview of how far we've come because it's been a little while since we addressed the fact that you know, 10 years ago or so now, um, this the I think you were the first person hired and um to hit to have city at the in the city archivist role and there's now all team and so much records have not only been recovered, preserved, cataloged, but then there is a um made more publicly accessible.

Um so maybe just give us a little background as well so people understand like what what's happening here and what context is.

Thank you.

Um yeah, this uh whole effort kind of originated um with the Commission on City Archives in 2012 or 2013.

That led to the creation of the position you mentioned.

Um and then in 2018, we created um our records management division, and at the time um we changed we just changed the name and the makeup of the commission on city archives, and so that's this other piece of legislation.

It kind of it's brought the the effort up to a point, and now we're just trying to solidify um um our efforts to to make sure that all departments have a records retention schedule.

But yeah, those first couple years were heavily devoted to uh collecting.

Um we're Pittsburgh's in a really unique situation in that um we're very old, but we uh didn't we never started an archive.

Um our friends in Philadelphia, their archive was written into their charter in the 50s.

Uh so we had a lot of catching up to do.

Um and yeah, so those first couple years were um collecting.

We've collected over 10,000 cubic feet of uh records.

Um and we have a website where we um allow the public to um access a lot of that.

We've digitized all of the city council um basically it's legislative record um legislation, meeting minutes, going back to uh 1816.

Um yeah, so but also across the other city departments too.

So again, creating this kind of like library of records.

Did it actually exist?

No, no, and so far um we launched our digital repository online, I think maybe three years ago.

We have well over a million pages of records on there, and uh that effort just continues a base.

And I have to give a shout out to the previous city council person, Patrick Dowd, who sat in the seat who was a PhD in history who acknowledged that there was, you know, the the problem, the oversight of us not having a city archive.

Um, and I I think he famously even took his staff down into basements of buildings that found boxes of records that were old and important that weren't you know stored or even known about, right?

Um and I'll acknowledge that this this body is well had to deal with um, you know, in the lead crisis that Peter Busse and the city experienced again almost 10 years ago now.

Um there were no records of what material your your water service laterals were.

We even asked the city archivists like if you find maps with any records on it, and then literally like disintegrating records were found and digitized at the time, but they weren't adequate.

We had to literally send camera crews out to every single household in the city and look at the pipe under the ground in front of your sidewalk.

So um that was that's a really concrete example.

Um, but it's been incredible to um have all the histories and records secured that have been across the in so many ways.

And so I don't have the full text in front of me or open on my phone, but it's um to create basically put in our ordinances because it isn't there, that's um uh the um just kind of understanding what you said that there be um an adopted schedule for records, or that the commission themselves will how will it work?

It will.

We'll have um we'll distribute a records retention manual, and in that manual it will include a citywide general schedule.

So these would be records that most departments are likely to have in common, and then that manual will also describe the process to create uh departmental uh records retention schedule.

And can you give me a general summary of like what that process of departmental is?

Um basically they'll uh work with us, we'll um ask the department um what records do you create or receive that kind of um document your business functions and then we we generally don't tell departments how long to keep records unless we want to send them to the archives.

Um it's usually kind of unwritten practice.

They they're very very well aware of um, you know, the uh requirements around records retention.

Um so this will just enable us to have all of that information written down so it's easier to pass um to successive and then there's uh I suppose a trigger in case departments completely change because sometimes we restructure what our city departments are.

It's an example to the public like Domi, which most of you have heard of, didn't used to exist 10 years ago.

So only DPW, and then Domingue was created.

So there would be some going back to the commission, I guess, to figure out who's supposed to keep what.

Um so the commission will under the I think 489 Bill 489, we would just eliminate that.

Um and so the any time uh a schedule needs updated or um, you know, just reviewed by a new administration, uh it would just go through like a three-pronged approval process, department director, law department, and city clerk.

Great.

Okay.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

That's all I have, Madam Chair.

Thank you for their discussion.

Council McCockel.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um thanks for the work you do, Nick.

I think it's very important to keep these records.

So you said back to 1816.

You have record of 1816.

Yes.

And Pittsburgh had a city council and mayor in 1816.

Was that right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Was it like in handwriting or was it in 1816 through um?

I'm gonna fit right in back then, you know.

The first 15 years are handwritten.

I'm sorry.

The first 50 years are hand, they are handwritten, but we have all of it online.

Wow, yeah.

Interesting.

I'd be interested in seeing not old minutes, I don't know, on the poor over old minutes, but just to see how they kept their records pretty cool.

Yeah.

I can we you know, we can give you a tour of our facility anytime.

Check it out, yeah.

They were fun about rental registry, though.

We're probably pulling up public works divisions.

Okay, thanks, Nick.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none.

All those in favor of bills 489 and 490, please say aye.

I guess that's affirmative recommendation.

Thank you very much for all your work.

Okay, I just saw.

That moves us on to invoices.

Is there a motion on invoices?

No, no, no.

Discussion.

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

Aye.

Aye.

Invoices are approved.

That moves us on to P cards.

Is there a motion on P cards?

So move.

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 Coghill.

Bill 471.

Resolution authorizing the mayor, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the Department of Public Safety to enter into an agreement or agreements with the National Association of County and City Health Officials for the purpose of receiving grant funds from the post-overdose training and trauma informed practices amount not to exceed $25,000 for training and support of the city's Office of Community Health and Safety.

Motion to approve brief discussion.

Second, discussion.

I really don't have any questions.

I know Laura's here though, in case anybody did, but uh it's pretty self-explanatory.

So um no comment from me, and I just wanted to open it up to anybody else in case they had something.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 471, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

That moves us to public works and infrastructure committee chaired by Councilwoman Salonetro.

Deferred papers, 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 in providing for the payment of the cost thereof over one year.

Motion to approve discussion.

Second.

Discussion, Councilwoman.

Um this we did receive some um backup uh for the invoice, and I did forward it on to all members.

Um, and I really would prefer that John McClory, the director, be here to approve um, you know what he saw matches what you know what the invoice says.

Um so I'd like to hold it for another week so that uh he's unable to be here today because of the the celebration today for the public works week.

Um so he'll be he'll be here next week to discuss, so I'd like to hold it one week.

Second discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of a one-week hold for bill 300, please say aye.

Aye.

Bill be held one week.

Thank you very much.

That moves us to Bill 414, resolution authorizing the mayor and the director of finance on behalf of the city of Pittsburgh to enter into an agreement or agreements or amendments there too with various parties for the purpose of accessing city property while certain railroad crossings at Lockway East and Lockway West.

Council District 7 are being upgraded or removed at no cost to the city.

Motion to approve discussion.

Second, second discussion, yeah.

Can I hold this for I need to make a motion to hold this for two weeks at the discretion of the council members area?

Second, second discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of a two-week hold on bill four fourteen.

Please say aye.

I have this was a petition.

Bill be held two weeks.

That moves us to Bill 487.

Petition from the residents of the City of Pittsburgh requesting a public hearing before city council regarding reopening Serpentine Drive in Shinley Park to cars.

The Squirrel Hill Historical Society Board and the people signing this petition feel that this road was intended for vehicular traffic, including bikes, but not trucks, and not intended for pedestrians who have many nearby trails to walk on that go to the same places.

Serpentine Drive is the only road on the eastern side of Shinley Park that keeps traffic inside the park instead of sending it on long hazardous detours on nearby residential streets, including one that has no sidewalks, except for the Panther Hollow Bridge.

It is the only road that connects the north side of the park with the south side without forcing traffic to leave the park.

It is also a safer connecting road to Oakland from the Greenfield Bridge.

The petition is valid in accordance with the home rule charter.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Um I'll defer to Councilwoman.

Councilmember Warwick, since this is her district, and then Councilman Wilson.

Um, yes, I just wanted to say, I mean, I have some thoughts about the language in the petition, but there's another petition as well asking to have a public hearing to the this one came in a few days ago.

Okay.

At any rate.

Um, my question is, I guess, because I I my question is uh procedural.

I'd like both hearings to be on the same, I mean just have one hearing basically.

Uh so should I hold this or should I just motion?

Motion for a public hearing and then wait till next week and motion for the next one.

Council President.

It doesn't matter the order.

You can certainly pass this to hold it for a cable cast public hearing today.

Okay.

We can hold the one next week, and then we simply have to work with the clerk to make sure it fits your schedule so that we can hold them simultaneously.

Okay, sounds good.

Oh, sorry, so motion to hold for public hearing.

Second discussion.

Councilman, thank you.

Yeah, Councilman Wilson.

At some point, I mean it's not my district, and I don't I don't know much about the subject.

I just want to process.

It was really just a question I had.

So this one was uh the same, like it showed up on our um under the council president's like receiving this one.

Also was like received correct as well.

Yeah, okay.

That's how this one's starting.

Okay, yeah.

So there's two petitions, one's like four cars, and one's against yeah, got it.

Thank you.

Further discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of cable cast public hearing for bill forty-seven.

Please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Bill will be held for public hearing.

New papers, Bill 459.

Resolution approving the recommendation made by the director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure that the concrete portion of Elwell Street from Mere Street to Pittsburgh City limits be paid with asphalt in accordance with section 41706 of the Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances.

Motion to approve.

Second discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 459, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation, Bill 475.

Resolution authorizing the mayor and director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure on behalf of the City of Pittsburgh to enter into a cooperation agreement with friends of the riverfront for the repaving of Hazelwood Trail located between Blair Street and the Hot Metal Bridge.

The estimated cost preparation and completion of work is one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars.

Motion to approve.

Okay.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 475, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 476.

Resolution granting unto HG Blair LLC, their successors and assigns the privilege and license to construct, maintain, and use at their own cost and expense.

New foundation footings below the sidewalk that will extend into the right of way at no cost to the city, fifth ward six sixth council district.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 476, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation, Bill 477.

Resolution granting unto Almano LP, their successors and assigns the privilege and license to construct, maintain, and use at their own cost and expense.

Four new balconies that will extend into the right of way at no cost to the city, 15th Ward, Fifth Council District.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 477, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 482.

Resolution providing for a reimbursement agreement or agreements with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for costs associated with the preliminary design phase of the POGO expansion phase three project and providing for the payment of the cost thereof not to exceed $4 million dollars, reimbursable at 80 percent with Bike Share Pittsburgh providing $800,000 at no cost to the city and the municipal share of Commonwealth incurred costs at a cost to the city not to exceed zero dollars.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 482, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

That moves us to human resources committee chaired by Council Person Charlotte.

New papers, Bill 470.

Resolution amending resolution 116 of 2024, authoring the authorizing the mayor and the director of the commission on human relations on behalf of the city of Pittsburgh to enter into a professional agreement and or contract with MBM Law LLP to provide legal representation as a solicitor of the Commission on Human Relations in providing for the payment of the cost thereof not to exceed 125,000 for a new not to exceed amount of 165,000.

Motion approve, second discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 470, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

That moves us to land use and economic development committee chaired by Councilman Wilson.

Bill 481, resolution approving a conditional use application under the Pittsburgh Code, Title IX, Zoning, Article 5, Chapter 911, Section 91104A 64, to Passport Academy Charter School Applicant for authorization to operate a school, elementary or secondary use at 1835 Forbes Avenue, Block and Lot 11J 56, zoned UPRB, Uptown Public Realm, District B, First Ward, District 6.

Motion hold for cable cast public hearing.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of holding Bill 481 for a cable cast public hearing, please say aye.

Bill will be held.

That moves us to recreation, youth, and senior services committee chaired by Councilwoman Warwick.

New papers bill 480.

Resolution authorizing the mayor, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation to enter into an agreement or agreements with the Richard King Mellon Foundation for the purpose of receiving grant funds in an amount not to exceed $630,000 for the city's United States of America's 250th anniversary celebration.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 480, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

That moves us to Intergovernmental and Educational Affairs Committee chaired by Councilman Mosley.

Deferred papers, Bill 385.

Resolution adopting plan revision to the City of Pittsburgh's official sewage facilities plan for 3634 Penn Avenue at no cost to the city.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

So I just want to.

This is um 385.

So we're checking.

Thank you.

Yeah, um, so I want to thank everyone for holding this a couple of times.

So I don't know if the plan is the planning department has received it all of the completed um planning permit documentation that they needed, but I know that's in the works, so I think we should just move it forward today.

So I appreciate that.

Thank you.

Is there further discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor of bill three eighty-five, please say aye.

Iffirmative recommendation.

Bill 412.

Resolution authorizing the Pittsburgh Land Bank to acquire all the city's right title and interest, if any, and into the publicly owned properties in the 12th ward city of Pittsburgh.

Designated in the D Registry Office of Allegheny County as Block 125A, lot 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 133, 0 Lincoln Avenue, and Zero Mayflower Street, District 9 at no cost to the city.

Motion hold four weeks.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of a four-week hold for Bill 412, please say aye.

Aye.

Bill will be held four weeks.

New papers, Bill 473.

Resolution authorizing the issuance of a warrant payable in favor of Pennsylvania Municipal League for one year subscription and an amount not to exceed $52,962.

Motion to approve.

Second discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 473, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 474.

Resolution providing for a reimbursement agreement or agreements with Pittsburgh Water for costs associated with the raise grant project where Pittsburgh Water will be responsible for paying $100% of the actual expenses involved in certain work to be described in the agreements and an amount not to exceed $50,000.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 474, please say aye.

Affirmative recommendation, Bill 483.

Resolution authorizing the mayor and director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure on behalf of the City of Pittsburgh to enter into a cooperation agreement with Bike Share Pittsburgh to provide in-kind services and cash support.

Totaling $800,000 is the local match for City of Pittsburgh congestion mitigation and air quality program grant for Pogo expansion phase three, all at no cost to the city.

Yeah, so um I you know I know that this is the the CMAC grant, and then Pogo's putting up the match.

Um do we know where the expansion is going to go yet, or is that still in the works?

Um there is a plan list of for the expansion, so there's a plan for 40 additional stations and over 400 new bikes.

Um I don't have that full list of stations with me right here, but I do have it, and when I get back to my computer, I could pass it along.

Okay, that'd be great.

Sure.

Yep.

Okay.

Thanks.

Further discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor of Bill 483, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Thank you very much.

Thanks.

That exhausts our standing committee's agenda for today.

We do have meeting announcements.

Wednesday, May 20th at 1 30 p.m.

Council will hold a cable cast post agenda relative to flash crowd disturbances.

Chaired by Councilman Mosley.

Next week, due to Memorial Day holiday, council will hold its regular and standing committee meeting on Wednesday, May 27th at 10 a.m.

and 130 p.m.

respectively.

To register to speak at these meetings, please vote the sign-up form on the council meeting webpage by the deadlines.

You may also call the clerk's office at 412-255-2138.

Is there anything from members?

As we all know, tomorrow is election day, thus the double council meeting day today.

So hope everyone gets out and votes.

And with that, I'll take a motion to excuse the absent member, approve the minutes and adjourn the meeting.

All in favor?

Aye.

Meetings adjourned.