OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Pittsburgh City Council Regular Meeting - June 9, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, June 9, 2026
BodyPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, June 9, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:03:25
Transcript — Verbatim
5:54

Alors, voilà, oui, oui, mais Good morning and welcome to the regular meeting of City Council on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, where Kirk please take the role.

23:26

Mr.

23:26

Charlotte, Mr.

23:28

Coghill, Ms.

23:30

Gross, Mr.

23:32

Mosley, here.

23:33

Mrs.

23:34

Salonetro, here.

23:35

Mrs.

23:36

Strasberger.

23:37

Here.

23:37

Mrs.

23:38

Warwick.

23:38

Here.

23:39

Mr.

23:39

Wilson.

23:40

Here.

23:40

Mr.

23:41

Lavelle President.

23:42

Here.

23:42

Six members present.

23:44

Thank you.

23:44

For those who are able, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance, remain standing for a moment of silence.

23:50

If allegiance to the flag of the United States, our America.

24:10

Thank you very much.

24:11

Our next order of business is to amend the agendas or a motion to amend.

24:16

Second.

24:16

All those in favor say aye.

24:18

Aye.

24:18

Aye.

24:18

The agenda has been amended.

24:20

Our next order of business is proclamations.

24:22

We'll begin with Councilman Mosley.

24:37

Mr.

24:37

Ingram come up.

24:47

It's an honor to present this proclamation to acknowledge the incredible career of uh Sheldon Ingram, who I've gotten to know many many years ago when I was a young activist.

24:57

I don't know if you remember that time when you uh interviewed me and Dr.

25:00

Biko Baker.

25:01

Now Dr.

25:01

Biko Baker when we were uh working with the League of Young Voters.

25:05

I was that was probably about 20 years ago.

25:08

So we're showing our age.

25:10

Um whereas Sheldon Ingram has dedicated four decades to the highest standards of broadcast journalism, serving as a trusted, authoritative, and deeply compassionate voice for the citizens of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania.

25:25

And whereas Sheldon graduated from Atlantic City High School in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

25:30

From there, he attended Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia.

25:33

During his time at Morris Brown College, Sheldon studied broadcast journalism and completed a 10-month internship at CNN as an intern reporter.

25:42

His first career stop was WCRB in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he served as a reporter and morning anchor.

25:50

Then later moved on to WVEC TV in Norfolk, Virginia as a reporter and top show host.

25:57

And whereas after four years of broadcasting in Norfolk, Virginia, Sheldon began his 34-year career at WTAE Channel 4 News as a reporter and top show host here in Pittsburgh.

26:08

During his illustrious tenure at WTAE TV Channel 4, Sheldon has been on the front line of the region's most defining moments, delivering breaking news, what unwavering integrity, unparalleled professionalism, which earned him three enemy awards for his work on the magazine show Chronicle.

26:26

And whereas Sheldon has always engaged in community service and has served on numerous boards for nonprofit organizations while in Pittsburgh.

26:35

After an extraordinary and impactful career in journalism, Sheldon is turning the page to embark on a very exciting new chapter, stepping away from the newsroom to begin to bring his undeniable charisma, storytelling prowess, and in no doubt, he will command the spotlight with the same grace and dedication he brought to the anchor desk.

27:08

So we thank him for his years of dedicated service to our city and celebrate his immense contributions to local media and extend our warmest wishes for a spectacular and award-winning second act as an actor.

27:22

Therefore be a resolve that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby honor and commend Sheldon Ingram on the occasion of the tire of his retirement from WTEV, WTAE TV and broadcast journalism, and be further resolved that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh is hereby declare the ninth day of June 2026 to be Sheldon Ingram Day in the City of Pittsburgh.

27:45

May we have a motion to approve the move.

27:47

Congratulations.

27:55

Councilman, thank you, Councilman Mosley.

27:58

Never in my 34 years reporting in Pittsburgh what I imagine speaking at a city council meeting, but thank you for this honor.

28:07

I am deeply humbled.

28:09

And it's been a tremendous run presenting the news for the residents of Pittsburgh and in Allegheny County.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████47%
Arts And Culture█████████████████18%
Parks and Recreation████████████████17%
Miscellaneous████████8%
Engineering And Infrastructure████4%
Community Engagement███3%
Animal Welfare█1%
Cannabis Regulation█1%
Fiscal Sustainability█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Pittsburgh City Council Regular Meeting - June 9, 2026

The Pittsburgh City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at 10:00 AM in Council Chambers at the City-County Building. Eight members were present (Coghill, Gross, Lavelle, Mosley, Salinetro, Strassburger, Warwick, Wilson); Council Member Charland was absent. The meeting included proclamations, public comments, introduction of new legislation, and final votes on numerous committee reports.

Proclamations

  • Five proclamations were adopted unanimously, recognizing: the Obama Academy boys basketball team, baseball team, and wrestling team; Destiny of Faith Church on its 15th anniversary; and retiring WTAE journalist Sheldon Ingram, with June 9, 2026 declared "Sheldon Ingram Day" in Pittsburgh.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Marshall Building Reopening: Charlie Humphrey (Point Breeze), a Marshall family descendant, stated the building should serve as a community art center, not a bureaucratic warehouse, and should be transferred to a nonprofit. Victoria Lee (Point Breeze) described the building as a "warehouse" and urged its reopening for community use. Carolyn Carson (Collier Township) highlighted the loss of exhibition space for guilds. Cindy Berger (Squirrel Hill, Friends of Mellon Park) noted $1 million in ARPA renovations and asked for public use. Elizabeth Seamans (Point Breeze) requested a seat at the table for community groups. Valerie Parm (East Liberty, Village Collaborative) called the building a "connector" and a needed space for seniors and youth. Bethani Cameron (Overbrook, InformUp.org) presented survey results on downtown redevelopment, job search support, and Beaver Avenue redesign. Alyson Bonavoglia (Highland Park, Marshall Building Stakeholders) noted underutilization and asked for collaboration. Kyle Houser (Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media) advocated for reopening. Angelle Guyette shared personal testimony about finding community through Calliope concerts. George Balderose (North Side, Balmoral School of Piping) sought space for piping classes. Polly Mills-Whitehorn (Mt. Washington) noted limited exhibit space for artists.
  • Deer Management Program: Shannon Dickerson (Brookline, Humane Action Pennsylvania) questioned the lack of evidence that the USDA deer cull program effectively reduces the deer population, asking for population data and measurable goals before approving $103,132.88.
  • Nuisance Property: Elena Collins (Homewood) described a shooting incident at a party on June 6, 2026, involving her daughter, and called for action against a nuisance property and illegal garage operations on a vacant lot.
  • Utility Oversight: Mike Blackhurst (Point Breeze, licensed engineer) reported failures in DOMI's permit and inspection processes for Pittsburgh Water construction, including unpermitted staging and violations not enforced.
  • Other Speakers: Dr. Ronald Miller (Kiel, Germany) discussed quantum information. Carlino Giampolo (Panther Hollow) criticized the mayor for ignoring meeting requests and urged attention to dignity. Yvonne F. Brown (Mercer Street) commended Councilman Wilson and expressed frustration with meeting start times and council decorum. Special Agent Sunshine spoke on faith and alleged harassment.

Discussion Items

  • Deer Management Program (Bill 2026-0528): Shannon Dickerson's comments raised questions, but the bill was passed finally without further discussion.
  • Marshall Building: Multiple speakers urged reopening; no council discussion occurred other than acknowledgment.
  • Utility Oversight: Mike Blackhurst's testimony highlighted systemic permit and inspection failures; no immediate council action.
  • Mechanical Amusement Device Tax (Council Bill 2026-0544): A statement of intent to levy a new tax was read, creating three classes of devices with annual fees from $10 to $1,000.

Key Outcomes

  • Votes on Legislation: All bills from committee reports were passed finally by unanimous 8-0 votes (with Council Member Charland absent):
    • Bill 2026-0537: Settlement of $3,151 to 1410 East Carson, LLC for police horse damage.
    • Bill 2026-0527: $8,100 for trauma life support certifications.
    • Bill 2026-0528: $103,132.88 for USDA deer management program.
    • Bill 2026-0532: Grant application for Manchester Park Rehabilitation ($287,500 total).
    • Bill 2026-0533: Grant application for Bedford Park Planning ($287,500 total).
    • Bill 2026-0534: Amendment for Beaver Avenue Esplanade study/design ($1,000,000, 100% reimbursable).
    • Bill 2026-0535: Amendment for Liberty Ave HSIP ($14,883,151.93, 80% reimbursable).
    • Bill 2026-0526: $210,000 for Neighborhood Employment Program.
    • Bill 2025-2250: Zoning amendment to add retail tobacco, inhalant, and cannabinoid uses with conditional use requirements.
    • Bill 2026-0538: $54,950 for Independence Day Festival entertainment (grant funded).
    • Bill 2026-0539: $50,000 sponsorship from BNY Mellon for Independence Day.
    • Bill 2026-0529: Amendment for Granicus website content management ($890,244.27 over 6 years).
    • Bill 2026-0530: Sewage facilities plan revision for 1208 Forbes Avenue.
  • Bill 2026-0605 (Extension of Planning Commission deadline for Council Bill 2026-0009) passed 8-0.
  • Bill 2026-0596 (Capital budget transfer of $550,000 from sports facilities to play area improvements) was waived under Rule 8 and referred to committee.
  • Bill 2026-0414 (Railroad crossing agreements at Lock Way East/West) was recommitted to the Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure.
  • Bills Introduced and Referred: Multiple resolutions were read and referred to committees, including:
    • 2026-0584: $800,000 from Allegheny County for homelessness outreach.
    • 2026-0585: Amendment for Wilson Group print services ($1,870,000 over 4 years).
    • 2026-0586: Amendment for Cyclomedia 360 imagery/LiDAR ($814,936.75 over 9 years).
    • 2026-0587 & 0588: Article numbering corrections for immigration enforcement and community spaces ordinances.
    • 2026-0589, 0590, 0591: City Steps reimbursement agreements with PA American Water and Verizon.
    • 2026-0592, 0593, 0594: Tax sale property dispositions, rescission, and forfeiture.
    • 2026-0595: Settlement warrant for Robert Mahouski ($108,296.64) — executive session scheduled.
  • Communications: Three communications from OMB were received and filed: grants update, $500 donation from ASHE for mobility survey, and Narcan/RiVive kits valued at $4,621.80 from Allegheny County Health Department.
  • Next Steps: An executive session on Bill 2026-0595 was scheduled for 1:00 PM the same day. Standing committee meetings and briefings on automated red light enforcement and community services were set for the following day.

Meeting Transcript

Alors, voilà, oui, oui, mais Good morning and welcome to the regular meeting of City Council on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, where Kirk please take the role. Mr. Charlotte, Mr. Coghill, Ms. Gross, Mr. Mosley, here. Mrs. Salonetro, here. Mrs. Strasberger. Here. Mrs. Warwick. Here. Mr. Wilson. Here. Mr. Lavelle President. Here. Six members present. Thank you. For those who are able, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance, remain standing for a moment of silence. If allegiance to the flag of the United States, our America. Thank you very much. Our next order of business is to amend the agendas or a motion to amend. Second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. The agenda has been amended. Our next order of business is proclamations. We'll begin with Councilman Mosley. Mr. Ingram come up. It's an honor to present this proclamation to acknowledge the incredible career of uh Sheldon Ingram, who I've gotten to know many many years ago when I was a young activist. I don't know if you remember that time when you uh interviewed me and Dr. Biko Baker. Now Dr. Biko Baker when we were uh working with the League of Young Voters. I was that was probably about 20 years ago. So we're showing our age. Um whereas Sheldon Ingram has dedicated four decades to the highest standards of broadcast journalism, serving as a trusted, authoritative, and deeply compassionate voice for the citizens of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. And whereas Sheldon graduated from Atlantic City High School in Atlantic City, New Jersey. From there, he attended Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia. During his time at Morris Brown College, Sheldon studied broadcast journalism and completed a 10-month internship at CNN as an intern reporter. His first career stop was WCRB in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he served as a reporter and morning anchor. Then later moved on to WVEC TV in Norfolk, Virginia as a reporter and top show host. And whereas after four years of broadcasting in Norfolk, Virginia, Sheldon began his 34-year career at WTAE Channel 4 News as a reporter and top show host here in Pittsburgh. During his illustrious tenure at WTAE TV Channel 4, Sheldon has been on the front line of the region's most defining moments, delivering breaking news, what unwavering integrity, unparalleled professionalism, which earned him three enemy awards for his work on the magazine show Chronicle.

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