Good morning and welcome to the standing committee's meeting for Wednesday, June twenty fourth, 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.

Coghill.

Miss Gross.

Mr.

Laval.

Mr.

Mosley here.

Miss Salonetro?

Here.

Miss Warwick.

Here.

Mr.

Wilson.

Miss Strauss Bridge.

Miss Strasberger Chair.

Here.

Seven members present.

Thank you very much.

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.

Amenda.

Amended agenda.

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.

Safe prospect for them.

The idea of being followed by security in the zone, if she dares to bring her family in, makes her feel harassed and suspected in her own city.

She simply does not want to live in a police state.

What I just described to you in a brief minute and a half is not how neighbors treat neighbors.

This is how occupiers treat the occupied.

Stop this vile experiment on East Carson before it gets worse.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Hello, uh Rick Smith, North Oakland District 8, speaking on uh resolution 670, which you're voting on today, an extension of the uh surveillance technology report from IMP.

Um just wanting to put in a request for inclusion or consideration to obscure detailed information, for example, on the um Serpentine Drive petition, there are names, addresses, and phone numbers of the people, and in this day and age of LLM training and everything to be cognizant of that and to obscure that data from you know the data that you need and obscure the data that uh the public can get easy access to.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

My name is Yvonne F.

Brown.

I live at 715 Mercer Street.

That's the high rise at the top of Bedford, it's a hundred and ninety apartments.

Um, as I um spoke to the ladies that left yesterday, we were talking about the people with strokes, and I explained to them that I had had a stroke myself, and that I take, and in order to try to get my, it's on my left side, in order to get my body together, I do a lot of walking.

I walk to city council, I walk back, I get a gator aid.

Because if this arm or leg is to pull it, the doctor said I should drink that.

Yesterday, oh, and I wanted to tell you that coming down, coming down Bedford and then the uh big building, you got this little park.

And I was walking through the park, and I seen a bunny rabbit.

Do you know a bunny, a little baby bunny rabbit, was eating some um weeds, and as I walked past, he heard me, he flew.

But can you picture that?

A bunny rabbit in the center of downtown, and things like that.

That makes me really truly believe, like I told my husband, it's got to be a god, because who made the bunny rabbit, who made the trees, and so on.

Now, yesterday we had the speaker that spoke about his son, the death of his son.

So when he spoke about that, you know, I could feel I could feel how he was feeling.

I mean, I could feel his pain.

I can't feel the same way he feels, but he lost a son, and I did too.

And I've been coming for years down here, and I usually don't speak too much.

I try not to speak a lot about my son Tony because a lot of people don't want to hear it.

But we just had Juneteenth, and Juneteenth, you need to understand what it's for, what it stands for.

And it stands for freedom.

Do you understand that the slaves have been freed for over two years, but they were still being slaves on a plantation, and someone came and told them that they were free.

Also, I want you to look at my son.

That's my son Tony.

And I have come down for years.

Just like this speaker came about his son.

He asked questions.

All I wanted to do was have an inquest for my son.

I never had one.

When I seen the palace, the palette tells me, this was last year, that they no longer have inquests, but you must go before the attorney general.

Okay, he tells me that he wrote the attorney general and he turned it down.

I asked him for a letter.

That's all I want.

It's a letter.

From the past.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Hello.

Good morning.

My name is Billy Vaughn.

So I'm just here to speak a little bit, give my uh public comment for the mothers and the parents that have their children waiting on a waiting list for Learn and Earn this summer.

So I got my bullet points.

And I'm I'm not speaking as someone from the outside, I'm speaking as someone who participated in Learn to Earn.

I'm speaking as a parent and a community advocate.

And I was able to find my juvenile folder about this big, and I have the um orientation date when I did learn and earn when I was 15.

I'm 37, and it was through Bloomfield Cornfield.

And I also have the date where I was admitted to Schumann.

And that was literally two months after Learn to Earn.

So Learn and Earn did a lot for me.

It gave me structure, it exposed me to the workforce.

So I'm a strong supporter of Learn to Earn.

But I think there's a problem with a lack of communication for the parents.

Um I was able to just use my resources to contact Bloomfield Garfield to get an update on my daughter's status.

And when I contacted them, I was told she was on a waiting list.

And I was told there's 200 youth, young adults on this waiting list.

And it wasn't until I made a post on Facebook where other parents were informed.

So I'm speaking today because a million dollars with a million dollar match from the city is a lot of money to not have basic customer service to give updates to parents.

We did a lengthy application.

We gathered documents, we went to the outreaches, we did everything we had to do to sign these kids up, and for 200 of them to have to sit and wait during the summer.

I think, and it's you know, if there's a waiting list, there's a waiting list.

My issue was the lack of communication.

Until this day, no parents received any emails, any updates about this waiting list.

I was told there's not even a number.

These are just kids that did not get accepted into a position.

So as someone who has a nonprofit, I have a thrift store.

It's amazing.

I would love to accept kids to show them how thrifting is an environmental impact to their communities.

I'm open to accepting children.

Um, but I'm just asking, you know, a million dollars is a lot to not have just they said, that's intake.

Those kids could be hired to make those phone calls to these parents, you know.

So I just ask that there's updates to the parents on the status of these kids that are waiting, and that's it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Good morning, special agent sunshine, the missing child, Cerese Taylor.

Lord, thank you for opening my eyes yet again.

A delay is not a deny.

Thank you for whatever you're doing in the background.

I know it's a lot, and I'm truly grateful.

It's the ignorance for me, Lavelle.

I know you don't want me to be important, but guess what I am?

I must be, because you don't want nobody to know my real name.

Say it.

Go ahead, say my real name.

Go ahead.

I dare you.

To anybody who took a gag order not to say my real name and tell me who I really am.

I'm praying for Archangel Michael, who carries a sword to remove your tongue so you never speak again, since you don't want to talk.

We'll make it permanent in Jesus' name.

He playing with him, think he won't do it.

He don't hear me praying.

I pray out loud.

Monthly.

I went to the state council meeting yesterday and discovered they're a hundred million dollars in deficit.

What is as of last year?

What are these people doing with money, y'all?

Well, we don't see it.

Why am I sleeping on the concrete?

Mostly.

Who the hell?

Y'all don't even give me busy get here from Smithville Street.

Praise God for both of my legs.

A lot of people don't have them.

I'm not out here with a sign.

I'm homeless.

I'm helpless.

I'm hungry.

Help me.

Food will never be the problem ever.

But against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against spiritual forces.

An evil in the heavenly realms.

Evil, Lizelle.

Whoever you're in a same-sex relationship with, they don't give a damn about you.

In this case, since you're really, why you don't come in here dressed up?

Like you do for them, whoever it is.

This is impossible.

With man, this is impossible.

But with God, all things are possible.

Like living in peace.

Even when you sleep on the concrete, even when you don't have money, he's thankful to supply you with all your needs to his riches and glory in Christ.

I'm another testimony of it.

Do you not see it?

I'm helping.

I'm not sick.

I'll be nobody.

I don't know if we know hate in my heart.

But you guys, like really.

Thank you, Lord, for loving me.

Next speaker, please.

Are there any further speakers?

As a reminder, our public comment is meant to refer to matters that may or are before city council.

Slander of individual members is not permitted.

And the next time that happens, there will be a verbal warning, and then your microphone will be turned off.

That is a that is a reminder of what the purpose of uh our public comment is.

Thank you.

There being no further public speakers, we will move on to our standing committee's agenda.

Our first committee is the finance and law committee.

Defer paper, Bill 595, resolution amending resolution 270 of 2026, authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Robert Mahouski and their legal counsel, Samuel J.

Kords and associates for a single payment in 2026 in an amount not to exceed 108,296.64 cents in full and final settlement of litigation file in the common police court of Allegheny County in the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Motion to approve.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 595, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

New papers, Bill 608.

Resolution amending resolution 857 of 2023.

Effective December 27, 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 31,508.

From neighborhood initiatives fund to slope failure remediation.

Motion to approve.

Second brief discussion.

Discussion?

Yeah, I just want to thank uh Tom Sastag and uh the good folks at the Department of Public Works, as well as uh the second division, Ed Williams, as well as Lisa Chaffee, uh the city forester, for everything they did um to get this retaining wall and Lincoln Lemmington done.

Also, my chief of staff, Grace Turner Taylor, for the work that she did, and um also have to give a shout out to Rick Earl for the work that he did through the media to raise this issue up on Dunmore Street and Lincoln Lemmington, and we were able to not only repair retaining wall.

You know, that had fallen into disrepair for for many many years, but we were also able to restore the steps that had been grown over and what hadn't been used in many many years to connect upper and lower Dunmore as well as getting some paving down on that street that was sorely needed.

So again, another example of a team effort coming together for community members.

And I really appreciate the many kind words for the residents of Dunmore Street and their thanks uh for um really appreciating um and having some patience that it took to get this done.

So um just thanks all around.

I'm just really appreciative of everyone that participated in this team effort to get this done.

Thank you.

Further discussion.

Congratulations, Councilman.

Thanks for your words on that.

Thank you.

All in favor of bill six oh eight, please say aye.

Affirmative recommendation, Bill 629.

Resolution authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Thomas Bench and Sarah Bench and Swinson Parer and Engel Law Firm for single payment in 2026, and an amount not to exceed $70,000 in full and final settlement of litigation filed in the common police court of Allegheny County.

Motion approved.

Second discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 629, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation, Bill 630.

Resolution authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Joseph Engel, Joseph Engelmeyer and Alpern Schubert PC for single payment in 2026, an amount not to exceed sixty thousand dollars in full and final settlement of litigation filed in the common police court of Allegheny County.

Motion approved, second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 630, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation, Bill 631.

Resolution authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Daryl and Karen Luciana and the Massa Law Group PC for a single payment in 2026 and an amount not to exceed 90,000 dollars in full and final settlement of litigation filed in the common police court of Allegheny County.

Motion approved, second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 631, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation, Bill 632.

Resolution authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Anna Nichols and G.

Clinton Kelly, her attorney for a single payment in 2026 in an amount not to exceed 40,000 in full and final settlement of litigation filed in the common police court of Allegheny County.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 632, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation, Bill 633.

Resolution authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Clinton and Irene Runco and Maxis Law LLC for single payment in 2026 and an amount not to exceed $60,000 in full and final settlement of litigation filed in the common police court of Allegheny County.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 633, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation, Bill 634.

Resolution authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Tyrone Perry and Swinson Perr and Engel Law Firm for single payment in 2026 in an amount not to exceed sixty-two thousand five hundred dollars in full and final settlement of litigation file in the common police court of Allegheny County.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 634, please say aye.

I say aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 635.

Resolution authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Tyrone Perry as administrator of the estate of Valva Perry and Swinson Perry and Ingall Law Firm for single payment in 2026 and an amount not to exceed sixty-two thousand five hundred dollars in full and final settlement of litigation file in the Common Place Court of Allegheny County.

Motion to approve.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 635, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 636.

Resolution authorizing the mayor and director of finance to enter into a cooperation agreement with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh regarding the library's use of $400,000 to keep in Keystone Recreation Park and Conservation Grant Monies for the Corneggy Library of Pittsburgh for the replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning and roofing systems at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill Branch.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 636, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

That moves us to invoices.

Is there a motion on invoices?

So moved.

Second.

Discussion.

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

Aye.

Invoices are approved.

That moves us to P cards.

Is there a motion on P cards?

So moved.

Second.

Discussion.

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

Aye.

P cards are approved.

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

Bill 612, resolution authorizing pursuant to chapter 210 of the city code, the mayor and the director of the Department of Public Safety to accept a donation from King Street Productions Inc.

of office furniture valued at 10,190.95 cent for the public safety admin office.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 612, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

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

Deferred papers, 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 to 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.

Second.

Discussion.

Councilwoman Gross.

Yes, thank you.

We continue to meet with the parties, and there's um been more information that's come out.

Some of the residents have done right to know requests with the various parties, and so with the support of the chair, and also just to know we don't need to admit it now, but this actually does kind of I think straddle the line between district seven and district nine.

Twenty years ago, I think it was all district seven, but there's there's a line between council um districts now.

So I'm gonna go ahead and motion to hold again for another six weeks or so.

Thank you.

Second.

Um I will say, I just want to put on the record that there is Pittsburgh Waters, a board member of Pittsburgh Water.

I'm aware of the fact that Pittsburgh Water is um eager to move forward as quickly as possible because their half million half billion dollar project hinges on this agreement going through at this very sort of messy site.

I don't know all of the details there.

I just wanted to note for other council members' awareness that this is this holding of the bill is holding up a pretty expensive project for them.

So, with hopes that can that communication continues with the neighbors and that that works out very very quickly.

But I will, you know, I'll I'll support the six-week hold as necessary.

I defer to the council members, but I did want to note that.

Yeah, Councilmember Gross.

As a PWC board member, if you'd like to us to share with you what we found out, because we've heard from the US Army Corps, certainly AVRR is party to this to one of the railroads.

And then we've got some 30 residents nearby.

Again, some of whom have right to know some information that I have yet to see all and process.

So I do think there's a lot of moving parts, and we want to make sure that we respect everybody's not just wishes but rights in this case.

Yeah, there's some property rights issues, I think that aren't clear.

So we'd be happy to loop you in on those conversations.

Council member Selenetro, Councilman Mosley, and myself have had some of the information.

I think it's still an ongoing discussion.

Thank you.

Yes, I appreciate that.

So thank you.

Okay.

Um, all in favor of a six-week hold on bill four fourteen, please say aye.

Aye.

Bill be held for six weeks.

New papers, bill six fifteen.

Resolution authorizing the mayor, the director of the office of management and budget, and the director of the department of public works to enter into an agreement or agreements with the Pennsylvania Department of Aging for the purpose of receiving grant funds any amount of $40,000 to install flooring at the Homewood Healthy Active Living Center.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 615, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation, Bill 616.

Resolution providing for a reimbursement agreement or agreements with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for costs associated with the preliminary design phase of the Corless Tunnel Project and providing for the payment of cost thereof not to exceed one million dollars.

Reimbursable at 80% and a municipal share of Commonwealth and Curb costs at a cost to the city of Pittsburgh not to exceed 10,000 dollars.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 616, please say aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 617.

Resolution providing for an agreement or agreements with STV Incorporated for costs associated with the preliminary engineering phase of the East Sycamore Street Bridge project providing for the payment of the cost thereof not to exceed $384,000, $501.50 reimbursable at 100%.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discretion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 617, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 618.

Resolution providing for an agreement or agreements with STV incorporated for costs associated with the preliminary engineering phase of the McCartell Bridge over East Sycamore project.

Providing for the payment of the cost thereof not to exceed 378, 345 dollars and four cents reimbursable at 100%.

Motion to approve.

Second, discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of bill 618, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 619.

Resolution authorizing acceptance by the city of Pittsburgh of the dedication of a portion of Lot and Block 10 in 357 in the fifth ward six council district.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 619, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 620.

Resolution granting unto PA Pitt Holdings LLC.

Their successors are assigned so privilege and license to construct, maintain, and use at their own cost and expense.

New shoring and an eight-inch private water line that will extend into the right of way at no cost to the city, fourth ward, third council district.

Motion to approve.

Second, second uh discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of bill 620, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 621.

Resolution granting unto MI Strip Works LLC.

Their successors and assigned the privilege and license to construct, maintain, and use at their own cost and expense.

A new private sewer made in five private sewer manholes that will extend into the right-of-way at no cost to the city.

Second ward first council district.

Motion to approve.

Discussion?

Second.

Seeing none.

All in favor of Bill 621, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 622.

Resolution granting a vacation of Edlam Way, an unopened paper street from Cornwall Street to Columbo Street at no cost to the city, 10th ward, 9th Council District.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 622, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Councilwoman Salonetro, would you like to read Bill 624 and 6 through 628 altogether?

Yes, please.

Okay.

Bill 624.

Resolution approving the recommendations made by the director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure that the concrete portion of Cedar Brook Drive situated east of Whitewood Drive and beginning at the intersection of Whitewood Drive and ending at 116 Cedar Brook Drive at the termination of this easterly block should be paid with asphalt in accordance with section 41706 of the Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances.

Bill 625 resolution approving the recommendations made by the Director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure that the concrete portion of Hayson Avenue situated north of Silver Oak Drive and beginning at the intersection of Silver Oak Drive and ending at 2531 Hayson Avenue at the termination of this northerly block should be paid with asphalt in accordance with section 41706 of the Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances.

Bill 626 resolution approving the recommendation made by the director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure that the concrete portion of Kentmore Drive situated east of Whitewood Drive and beginning at the intersection of Whitewood Drive and ending at 117 Kentmore Drive at the termination of this easterly block should be paid with asphalt in accordance with section 41706 of the Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances.

Bill 627 resolution approving the recommendation made by the director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure that the concrete portion of Red Oak Drive situated west of Hayson Avenue and beginning at the intersection of Hayson Avenue and ending at 2510 Red Oak Drive at the termination of this westerly block should be paid with asphalt in accordance with section 41706 of the Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances and 628.

Resolution approving the recommendation made by the Director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure that the concrete portion of Whitewood Drive situated north of Arnold Street and beginning at the intersection of Arnold Street and ending at the intersection of Steuben Street at the termination of this northerly block should 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 624 through 628, please say aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Bill 611, resolution authorizing the mayor, director of the Department of Human Resources and Civil Service, and the director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into an agreement or agreements with partner for work for operation and administration of the Learn and Earn Summer Youth Employment Program.

Total cost not to exceed one million dollars over one year.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Discussion.

Thank you.

So first let me just say I'm actually not against this, but I do want to speak to process because I think the process is out of line.

So last year we passed an amendment to the Salt Advised Trust Fund that was intended to put guardrails around the spending of the fund, as well as provide more transparency and sort of governance to the actual fund itself.

One of the things that was passed in that piece of legislation was the fact that every year an annual allocation plan was supposed to be created for the actual fund that would then guide the spending of the fund.

That allocation plan has not been approved yet.

Um, just for everyone's knowledge, the steering committee for the fund of which myself, Councilman Mosley, Councilman Wilson sit on, met this past Monday, in which we actually did discuss the allocation plan.

However, it was not voted on because we were having a larger discussion of sort of what was happening in 2001 is not necessarily happening in 2026, right?

And so we may need to think of new sort of more innovative ways on how we're actually spending the funds.

And uh Chief Williams, Director Williams, excuse me, Shelter Williams, also spoke about the fact that while yes, there is a surplus of funds sitting in the account.

The intent was not to simply spend it for the sake of spending it, but rather have a very intentional effort on how to spin it down to make sure it was having a great greatest impact.

Also, in that meeting on Monday, this was actually never brought up.

The fact that there was an intent to take the million dollars from that fund to do this.

And so for me, I'm uncomfortable not having done the first step of creating the allocation plan, which the legislation actually calls for, to then say we're now going to begin spending dollars out of that fund to me for me personally, I'm uncomfortable.

That's not to speak to the worthiness of the spend that makes sense to members.

It can absolutely be argued that creating that's spending additional money, whether it be a million or two or three on a learn and earn program makes all the sense in the world, or creating an after-school program or doing any of that work, or even we've talked about, and this is going to come up.

We talked about the safe passages program, which is really a PPS program that the city's now being asked to pay for.

We can make the argument, well, I can make the argument that if we're paying for it, PPS should be paying at least half of that cost.

But at the same time, it's also a very worthy cause, and we can see that it's actually working and is having impact within our community.

So I'm not speaking to the worthiness of the spin.

I'm speaking to my personal concern over we're actually not following the process.

What I will also just share with members, because I need to get a handle over this as well.

Is that you all may recall when we were going through the reopening of the budget on numerous occasions?

I asked, are we exceeding the cap that the vi the 40% cap that the self-devised trust fund is supposed to spend on personnel?

Because if you all recall, the dollars were always supposed to be going directly, the majority were obviously going directly into the community for these sort of purposes.

Um and I was told then that we didn't believe we were exceeding that cap.

Well, we have we absolutely are as of our meeting this Monday.

I think we're around close to seven million is actually being spent on staff between all various departments, which and which is way above the 40% cap.

So we need to get a handle on that as well.

So I say all that to say while the this is absolutely the wordy thing to do, and I'm not trying to block, I'm speaking to a larger process concern I have with the fund and the concern that if we simply begin to just begin spending down, we will be outside the boundaries of what these dolls were intended for, and more so I'm what I'm hoping, and this is somewhat on me as to work with the administration to really set the parameters of how and what is the best way to expend these funds for what is happening in 2006 as opposed to what was happening in 2021.

So those are simply my comments.

Um again, members do if you choose, but I just want to be on the record with my concern over process.

Thank you.

Further discussion, Councilmember Warwick.

Yeah, thank you.

So um, yeah, I um I want to echo what council president is saying here.

Um learn and earn safe passages, and I believe after-school programming and summer programming are vital programs that we need to be investing in, right?

We are we have been talking nonstop about our youth here in the city and about um you know them needing structure and places to go and programming, right to to um, you know, give them something to do right in out of school hours, right?

Um and I I you know I have another bill.

I don't know if it would be worthwhile to to read that one before we do the um the uh break for the amusement tax, but I'll I'll leave that up to the chairwoman.

Um point of order that we will we will adjourn this meeting and then um take up another meeting for the yeah, that's what I was saying.

If it would be worth you know doing the the Bergwin Rec Center bill before that, but uh I'll leave that up to you.

But um I think that there is a larger discussion that needs to happen over Stop the Violence, right?

And how that money is allocated.

Um I per and that is something I'm a hundred percent willing and and actually eager to do, right?

Um, primarily uh from my perspective is to raise the cap or take away the cap on city parks and allow city parks to do more with that money partnering, you know, whether that's with their own operations, whether that is doing RFPs with with community groups, whether that is partnering with existing sort of more robust operations like the YMCA Boys and Girls Club and things like that.

Um it seems to me that it's worth holding this to have this larger discussion if members you know feel that that that this is a larger discussion that needs to be had.

I am certainly open to the larger discussion, right?

Of how we, you know, of what is this plan, you know, can we see the stop the violence plan?

What you know, there's 10 million dollars right now sitting unencumbered in an account, and um lots of need, right?

And you know, we've as we learn and earn.

We there's a wait list, right?

Safe passages, they're you know very close to laying off staff at the end of the month.

Uh I I in my district I have a rec center that is about to be fully renovated and going to be empty because there's you know no funding to to do after school programming out of it.

Um, anyway, I'll I'll I'll leave it at that for now.

But uh I think this is a critical conversation, and I'm glad that we are having it right now.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Gross.

Thank you.

Um I'm just gonna speak at a very high level about stop the violence funds, and I appreciate that other members are really working out the details.

I also think that some of these programs that we've seen are are like safe passages are great because the way residents I think have asked for us to invest more in their communities, that's a great example.

Um I think, as as Councilman Laval pointed out, that this additional investment in learn and earn is also an additional investment in community and actual people in the city, and that's what we've been asked to do over the last many years, since about 2020, 2021.

Um, and so um another way of framing it is people ask us not to only react to violence but also to kind of invest in people and communities to prevent violence.

I think that these kinds of programs also are reflective there.

Um, so and then and then we get to the part part of like how we currently have a cap on how much we can spend on staff, and I also understand the importance of focusing on making sure that we have outcomes to invest in communities.

Um I don't know if this is maybe reflective of what councilwoman ward was um saying in some way as well, but I think the cap now is reflective of how our city departments have not been oriented on investments in community and in people.

And so we had to ensure that the allocations were going to the community organizations who were doing that work.

Is that my version of how I think is best?

No, I really do think that I'd hear from residents who grew up in the neighborhoods that I represent that there used to be adults on city payroll who did this work.

Right?

There used to be adults in those rec centers who were city employees who were there for kids.

Um and I know people who say their lives were saved because they could go to that rec center every day after school because maybe sometimes home isn't safe or their streets in their neighborhood aren't safe.

And so that I think is is a is a worthy goal.

What I think the safeguard does with the cap on employment is that we don't want to just siphon off these funds for city pro payroll that isn't effectuating the outcomes that they're meant for.

So I just wanted to throw in that I'm I'm s I I think we're going in the right direction.

I respect the committee's recommendations about process here.

Um, and again, just to clarify, we've already funded a million dollars in partners for work, and this is additional because of the demand.

Am I understanding where we're at with the stop dividends?

We can do interrogatory.

Interrogatory.

Well, yes, we can certainly call back, but my understanding is because we because of the grant we got from the foundation, I think he'll be um required a matching amount.

And so they gave us a million.

We need a matching amount, and so yes, a good easy place to take it from is a stop-developed trust fund.

But we but is the funding for partners for work and learn and earn right now zero.

No.

No.

So we're going to be able to this is trying to go above and beyond.

I just wanted to clarify that again for the public that we are not we haven't done anything.

We continue to we're kind of doing the same thing with learn and earn that we've done in previous years.

Is that there's so much more demands, and it's a great opportunity to do even more investing um in the in the people in our community that everyone you know need that want us to be in, you know, investing in.

So I'm eager that we can figure out a way to work this out.

I don't know what that is.

I appreciate it.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Council person Charlotte, followed by Councilman Wilson.

Yes, uh Chief Singh, I see you lingering, if you'd like to join the table here.

So, you know, I I just want to say I uh uh council president, I understand your concerns about uh kind of the the order of operations on this.

Um and if I can allow interrogatory here, do you get the sense that the board would uh would be supportive of this if that decision did happen?

Oh, I do just to be clear.

I'm actually gonna vote for this.

I'm making a larger point that we collectively between council and the administration need to get a sort of a better grip or handle on how these dolls are going to be expended.

What is the highest of best uses?

I absolutely believe, and they can speak for other members can speak for themselves that generally speaking the board would say this is a worldly reason of spending the dollars, not planning voting for it today.

Um I'm trying to make a larger conversation, that's all.

Thank you.

Yeah, and I I agree that and I think you know, all of us within one way or another have had a discussion about how we need to um kind of wrap with wrap our heads around what what we think the spending plan for stock of violence should be.

And you know, I appreciate the council members that are on that board um trying to figure that sort that out.

I just I think with dollars in hand from um from outside partners, we've got to move forward on this today.

Um we don't want to you know not hold up our end of the bargain uh for this vital the expansion of this vital program here.

So um I just want to make that clear that I think if someone else is willing to to help us out, we need to to take advantage of that today.

Uh but I I'm with you.

I think we need to figure out what we're gonna do with the rest of the $10 million dollars.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Wilson.

Thank you, Chair.

I just want to understand the basic uh promise of what I'm looking at here.

Um can you just review?

Because my understanding is that this would be uh this would make the program year like year round.

Can you explain what like how this would grow with this with this um these dollars?

Correct.

So as was said, or well, just myself.

My name is Matt Singer.

I work as deputy chief of staff to the mayor.

Uh you're correct.

This would expand the program from just being a summer program to a year round program.

It'd be a pilot to see how it goes with that expansion to make it a full year-round program for young adults.

Uh the pilot would run on two different tracks.

There'd be uh kids that are 16 to 17.

Uh, everyone's getting paid work experience, but they'd be doing so now, also during the school year.

Uh for those younger kids, it's really building things like communication, teamwork, seeing what it's like to be in the workplace, help them try to figure out what career path they might want to go into.

And then the second track is young adults 18 to 23.

Um, also they'll be connected to paid work experiences, and they're specifically will be on training, getting credentialing if that's needed for the field they want to go into, and really nailing down those career goals.

Um, those placements specifically are to help people get like job specific hands-on experience, whereas for the younger track, a lot of that is that initial exposure.

The experience is still great, but they might not know exactly what career they want to go into yet.

So it does help them kind of place that down.

Uh the learner own program, it's a fantastic program that the city and other partners have worked on for years.

We believe this expansion will do will go a long way towards helping with financial literacy, financial empowerments for our youth, getting them getting that work experience, having that career readiness so that they're better able to enter the job market or figure out what they ultimately want to do for a career later on in life, and also it gives uh young adults and and children and teens a structured place, uh structured programming to do where they're uh gaining those life skills uh and ultimately we think that this can contribute towards reductions in youth violence.

We think that giving people opportunities like this is a big component for any strategy that the city continues to develop for reducing youth violence.

Thanks.

I appreciate you going over that.

And then who's the partner that has the other million?

Uh the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

Okay.

Thanks for reminding us.

And uh you know I couldn't just you know, listen to you talk about the age of the individuals that would benefit from the program.

Really speaks to the sign of the times, especially how we're hearing uh how much uh you know, young adults, teens, uh they need more programming and you know uh getting paid a job or trying to figure out what you're gonna do, you know, after you leave high school is pretty important.

So thanks for reviewing all that.

Thanks.

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you.

Second round, council member Warwick.

Yeah, I'm so sorry, yeah.

That's okay.

I was I was hiding.

First round, I appreciate it.

First round, no, thank you, madam chair.

Uh no no problems.

Um, yeah.

I'll admit I don't know that uh exactly how learn and functions who they reach out to.

From all that I hear and I understand, it seems like a really great program.

Um I'm a big believer in getting working directly with kids.

Uh I always like to say I like to get into the schools.

You know, our relationship, I don't think uh would condone that right now, but uh, you know, I I really like reaching directly in the kids.

And you know, one thing Pittsburgh is we are rich in foundations, which a lot of other cities are not.

So any time we have an opportunity to tap into funds from one of our great foundations, this in this case the Richard King Mellon Foundation, um, you know, uh we need to take advantage of that.

So uh our million dollars becomes two million dollars.

Um I agree when I hear other members talking about the process and guidelines around you know how we move forward in spending and you know uh verbiage that we need to put in there so we're all on the same page.

So I welcome those talks, but uh yeah, I we I feel I I'm in support today, so so uh it feels like a good worthwhile cause.

And again, I hate to pass up foundation money.

So uh I'll be supportive.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Mosley.

Yeah, I'm gonna thank um council uh president uh, you know, for uh uh keeping more copious notes uh than I do at our uh stop the violence meetings, even though it was two days ago with everything going on, it feels like it was like two Mondays ago.

Um and I do think it is important because one of the things that we did talk about in that meeting is making sure that uh you know the stop the violence fund committee is in alignment with the administration and alignment with our community partners.

And um, you know, it you know, it's taken us uh a while um to really begin to get to that process as we know it's it's a new administration, and you know, all these things take time as they put their team together and add the other important point as a very critical um individual in all this work is the new assistant director of public safety, Cornell Jones, who um is always quick to remind me he's only been there for four weeks.

Um I know it was four weeks because last week he was reminding me he had only been in office for three weeks.

Um, you know, he's a very, very uh critical person.

So as um, you know, he gets his feet planted in the ground in his new position moving from a consultant outside the city uh to uh a staff person uh at public safety um you know he's gonna play you know a really really critical role um you know uh moving forward you know as we address the challenges that our city faces that many cities face um uh around the country.

So I just wanted to thank the council president um for reminding uh me in particular about you know the the many things that we discussed in in our meeting on Monday and how we do um you know have to figure out you know our process because there's just so many worthy programs or so many worthy initiatives um and we just have to make sure that we are following um what's been codified uh you know by law and and how um you know we are um supposed to be stewards of those funds, but making sure that they do get out to the uh so many uh worthy programs and worthy initiatives and ideas that are being brought to us um to make our our city safer.

So uh so I really appreciate you um bringing up uh uh Monday's meetings.

I think that's something in in the weeks to come, um, you know, we really have to make sure uh that we figure out quickly, and I believe uh next month, um, you know, we I think we should be able to um approve the allocation plan um, you know, because time is up to essence, you know, it's very important.

Um it's very important for the public to know um, you know, as well what we're deliberating over.

So um, yeah, so those are just you know my thoughts right now is as we as we wrestle with um you know this proposal as well as other proposals that are on the agenda today.

Thank you.

Second round council member Warwick, yeah.

Thanks.

Um is uh well so I yeah, I just want to ask just uh a few details about the the program itself.

So RK Mellon is putting in millions, we're putting in a million.

Is this are the opportunities that that this money is funding, are they here at the city or are they just like at multiple company or wherever minors maybe the similar opportunities that I have now where a lot of the big institutional employers like the city for example are able to do it, but similarly with the summer program, uh employers are allowed to sign up to offer to host and employ the program participants.

It wouldn't just be city jobs.

Okay, so the so the money and is there gonna be a distinction like the RK Mellon money is could be used by whatever PM for PNC or some other organization and our money is for city positions.

Um is it just all yeah, similar to the program now where it's the both the city and the county when they contribute funding, it's to the program overall.

I don't believe they track so like the money that the city puts in only goes to uh program participants paired with the city.

Okay, I think that might actually well at any rate um but um and do we know how much like what's the hourly wage for the various age groups?

I don't have the hourly wage in front of me.

I apologize.

I can give that information and follow up with you.

Okay, okay.

That would be uh because um previously with Learn and Earn, and again, I very supportive.

I've I it it's a great program.

I'm not but um but previously um the wage for the the the you like the young the younger set was was quite low.

I mean it was I don't remember it exactly, but it was in the like under twelve dollars an hour range, which and we had to learn and earn um student in our office but it was challenging because those same age group can you know could go work at Target for more right which you know is obviously when you're at that age right like the the dollar amount is important right like how much you're you're actually earning and then the older age group was more around the 15 range but again you know what I mean at that older age you could go maybe get a job somewhere else in the getting closer to like twenty bucks an hour so I you know um and also with the older group companies who wanted to participate I I I don't want to speak I I'm not sure about the younger group but but if if a if a company wanted to engage the higher level of pay they actually paid in which was a I I found like an odd system right where they were paying into learning or like paying partner for work for the person to come and what they were paying for was the payroll the sign like all the admin behind like getting the person ramped up which was fine um but then that's why the person was being paid at that $15 an hour range.

So if this grant well grant and then our our money going in could help you know set those costs aside so that the you know what I mean the admin could be paid for and then the actual participant could be paid like an uh a wage that is equivalent to what they could get out I'll just say at target right that would be it'd be nice to know if there's any information from partner for work on that.

Yeah I'm happy to get that information and I'll provide that with you.

Yeah just to increase the um you know the incentive to participate in the program right like the higher the the more money you can make the greater incentive and this is and it's of course I mean no knock on target I'm sure there's lots of opportunities uh you know there to grow they have some good programs too but you know uh this is you know we we want to get people in and especially the older ones as well so anyway that's that's it for me again I'm very very supportive of of this program thank you.

Thank you Councilman Wilson.

I'm not trying to be funny is is Target one of the employers I am not sure off the top of my head I didn't like does the program seek to um like is that one of the jobs like to learn how to be a clerk?

Stock shelves?

Generally minor cities no generally it's more work where especially for the younger track it's more so a learning experience than just swapping in for a standard full time employee.

Okay.

Yeah that's okay that was my understanding and we we're paying like below 15 like kids can make money below fifteen 15 years old.

I'm not sure what the hourly wage is a cost.

I mean the question is just like below the age of 15 or can it can a you know for 14 13 year old get paid through the learn and learn and earn program.

Are you asking can they get paid or what they can they get paid?

Yes.

Yeah for the year-round pilot for or no excuse me sorry the two tracks are 16 to 17 and 18 to 23 for the full time yeah for the standard learn and earn anyone who participates in the program can get can and does get paid for this for the one million that's going toward to match the RK Mellon grant the year round track will specifically be targeted to 16 and 70 year olds on that first tier first track and then 18 to 23 on the second track.

Okay.

Yeah I remember hearing this before.

I'll just just want to be uh make sure I'm knowledgeable about what the program's seeking to accomplish.

So thanks.

And I don't know.

Can you yeah?

I don't know.

It just seemed I'll listening to what you're saying if they could I don't think you could be under 15 and work at Target.

You can.

Okay, I think it really feels like you're okay it sounded like you were saying under 15 so uh I'll just try to understand the argument.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Further discussion, second round.

Seeing none of the motion is currently a motion to approve.

So take um all in favor of Bill 611, please say aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

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

Defer papers, Bill 426, ordinance amending and supplementing the Pittsburgh City Code Title II fiscal Article 9 property taxes by creating a new chapter 269, real estate tax exemptions for construction or adaptive reuse of buildings on the Pittsburgh North Side.

Motion to approve second discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 426, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation, Bill 544.

Ordnance amending and supplementing the Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances.

Title 7, Business Licensing, Article 9, Amusement Businesses with a new chapter, Chapter 7474, mechanical amusement devices tax and licenses.

Second.

Councilman Conkham.

Thank you, Councilman Wilson.

Excuse me.

First of all, I wanted to thank you all for indulging me and moving this at a fast pace.

And I want to explain exactly where we're at with everything.

Did a tremendous amount of work on this in a in a fast period of time, and it required a lot of research and looking into Dr.

Rossetter was very helpful.

And of course, Sean Carter, you were invaluable to this whole thing.

His knowledge is to, you know, legislation, how we move it, and the rules and regulations behind it are invaluable.

So thank you, Sean.

And stick around in case uh, you know, other members have questions.

But so originally, as I stated, we set out to impose this tax last year as an alternative when we were talking about raising property taxes.

So in clear transparency, you know, had I known the financial situation that we were in, a true look at it, and thanks to the administration for really pointing it out.

I would have voted for that property tax, I will tell you, after knowing the fact where we're at financially.

So after we passed that, um, and that was that was good.

I think it well needed income and revenue that we need.

Um we just kind of put put the uh brakes on the uh mechanical amusement tax.

But learning and thinking more through it, I thought, well, we better, you know, still pursue it because the situation we're in, even though we're estimating I think another uh was it twenty million dollars a year we're estimating for a property tax?

Thirty million dollars a year, we still find ourselves in a hole.

So um so we decided to pursue it.

Uh originally we were trying to hit the timeline where we could have this in place where we could budget in additional revenues that we estimated at two to three million dollars for next year, 2027.

Um we all are familiar, and I think everybody here knows that the state supreme court has taken this issue up and has deemed the skills games as you know, gambling devices.

So they are they were awarded four months, or allotted four months to come up with uh their plan, whatever it may be.

Uh we're common knowledge and everybody's belief is that they're gonna impose a tax on the revenues of these machines, and if they do so, all the work that we have into this over the past year, is probably for not, but we don't know what the state's gonna do.

There's no telling.

There's a there's a number of things that they can do.

Um best case scenario is if the state decides to change the classification from gaming to reclassify it, because in the research that we've done, we've seen that it would be very difficult for the state to uh you know, to have everybody who has these machines to require a license for them, a gambling license.

So they're gonna have some real challenges, and that's why I'm not sure what the state's gonna do.

And we're not sure exactly what's gonna fall out from it all.

But if we pass this today, and I will ask council to for your support in passing this today, we will be in the position regardless of what the state does.

So if the state, you know, um, who knows, it maybe maybe they uh put it where we can still collect this tax, or maybe they will permit people or municipalities, which there are many, almost a quarter of the municipalities in Pennsylvania are already collecting this tax, and some have been collecting it for 40 years.

So um, so I don't know what they're gonna do with those municipalities.

They're gonna say, look, we're no longer you're no longer permitted to, you know, collect that tax.

Um, maybe they'll groundfather them in, maybe they'll show preference and you know, allot those municipalities the monies that they will impose a tax on.

Uh I'm we're not sure, basically, is what I'm saying.

So in the meantime, we decided to pursue it, and this will put us in position for when that time comes, regardless of what the state does, to if we have to table it for good, then we have to table for good.

Um it's just uh a lot of a lot of work that goes, you know, um by the wayside, but it was good practice, and you know, it was uh worthwhile, and I don't want to take the chance that if we're in the position to still collect it, that we can't.

We already have a lot of the groundwork in this.

We have uh countless research dealing with other municipalities, talking to my state elected officials that um, you know, around Allegheny County, and I just want us to be in a position to enact this if the state doesn't do what we suspect, and we do suspect them to put a tax on it.

But in what manner and what that where that puts us in the situation is unclear at this time.

So in the meantime, I also want to thank finance, I want to thank law, I want to thank our treasurer, PLI, the administration, of course, and the controller's office, where we've been having working group meetings for the past two or three weeks as to the challenges into how we collect this tax, how we implement this tax and you know um what challenges that we're gonna face.

So we don't have it all quite worked out, but we have a pretty good understanding that it's very doable on our part, providing that it's worthwhile, and that um that all challenges could be overseen.

We have a lot of things to work out still, but we're gonna continue to go down that path to make sure that when the time comes, if we're in a position to implement this tax, that we will be able to and we will know exactly what direction to go.

If not, um, you know, then so be it.

And I still think from a personal level, uh, it needs to be regulated.

I will tell you, this industry needs to be regulated.

Uh it's not we're not out to regulate it, but if the state takes it up and it nullifies what we're trying to do, that's fine and good.

Because across the board, this really needs to be regulated.

If it means income coming into the state, our job will then be to argue for the monies that we feel that you know the businesses in and in the Pittsburgh area deserve.

So we'll take that right up.

Perhaps another trip to uh Harrisburg next year when when it's things are more clear.

So originally, like I said, we were trying to schedule this where we would be able to implement this and budget it for next year.

And we're being conservative when I say two to three million dollars.

That's a conservative figure.

I think if we're able to impose this tax like we want to do, um, you know, I think it'll mean much more than that.

So so originally we were on trying to stay on schedule to you know, uh impose it for next year, so we could budget it in for next year season.

Being that the state now has four months to take this up, that kind of puts a damper on that.

So we're looking more towards 2002 eight I guess, to budget this for.

So but right now we're at a um wait and see, and if we pass this, uh then we're just gonna have to wait and see what the state does and see if it nullifies or supersedes our decisions, and if it does, then that's okay because at least the state's you know getting uh tax revenue from you know a uh industry that really needs regulated so uh with that said I'll try to answer any questions that you have and I apologize for moving quickly on this in terms of legislation and how it moves but we felt it important to get it done before July 1st and July 1st being the reason is because the state can go if they do impose a tax and we're still able to collect our uh you know um our tax they can go back to July 1st so we want to be in under that deadline originally I was trying to push the deadline so we could budget for next year but now it's become I want to push the deadline so we're under the under the uh you know um threshold that we if so-called grandfather in or you know um whatever the state comes up to and again no no tongue no no way of knowing what they're gonna do so I thought it'd be prudent and not let a lot of hard work go to waste that we put in this for the last seven or eight months and um you know let's hope for the best.

So with that I will uh take any questions and chunk carter and my chief of step like Plavchak are here who did an extensive amount and Dr.

Rossetters back there and if they have if you have any questions for them we will call them to the table as well.

So with that I will uh turn it back to you madam chair thanks thank you uh councilman cockle you I see an amendment before us would you like to take questions before the amendment or a motion to amend now well we could just go right back right if we I would like the motion to amend and the the amendment consists of we didn't want to penalize people who already have amusement arcade licenses meaning you know for instance there's a place down in Market Square they may have a hundred or two hundred machines there right um how many of those are skills games or not I would not quite sure I I don't think many of them are so we didn't want to penalize the people who are in the business of amusement in arcades so we put a cap of 10 machines per class for somebody who has an amusement arcade and is already properly you know permitted to operate that way.

So motion to amend is there second second discussion on the amendment seeing none all in favor of amending bill 544 please say aye aye aye.

Bill is amended further discussion on the bill as amended.

Councilmember Charlotte yeah so I I think I've made clear to this body I really think these uh the skill games are uh a pox on our neighborhood I think I feel them very similar to um the vape shops that we're talking about and often a vape shop has a uh skill game inside it um you know I think these are uh you know again it is it a predatory device taking advantage of um someone who you know is generally like not having a good time right you're not it's not like going to the casino where you go with your friends and you might like hey maybe gambling's not for me but I'll blow a couple bucks here and and have a good night out if you go into a gas station there's one on 18th in Arlington that I see all the time there's someone just just sitting there plugging and plugging away and the amount of you know of debt of loss of life savings I think these these machines my my preference would be that we would outlaw them outside the city I know that's not something we can do.

If we can't do that then my preference would be that we tax them out of existence.

And then if not I think this is you know this is our our best alternative here we should try to get the revenue that we can off of them but I do hope that they're harder I hope that this makes it harder to um establish these throughout you know throughout the whole city here.

I I see them, you know, and I've I have obviously a lot of bar owners that I talk to in my district.

The barn owners are paid by the company to essentially rent space out of their establishment, pay somatic will then collect the uh a share of the revenue that they get out of out of these machines and and generally share it with the establishment.

But then they don't have controls on on these devices.

They they don't have Brinks doesn't come up and pick up cash.

We if you talk to your police commander they'll almost all of our commanders will tell you about a story where like the the control of picking out the cash out of these paysomatic machines is, you know, like two guys in a minivan um putting it in the back of their their car.

It's not like a security system.

And so these things get robbed all the time.

And it just it generally is just not I don't think it's conducive to what we want to see in our city here.

So I do hope that the state acts swiftly I know that this is their pressing issue going into their their budget cycle to something that they're very concerned about.

But it is it is my you know strong preference that we see less and less of these because I don't think they're you know conducive to a healthy city and you know to folks earning wealth and and just a model that really just preys upon folks that that don't need to pray to pawn.

So I'm happy to support this but I I do if we can send the message to Harrisburg you know I I would really like to see paysomatic out of the state here.

Thank you.

Thank you further discussion second round Councilman Cockell.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

You know I'm I'm really glad you you brought that up my reasoning to um pursue this tax was for additional revenue for the city of Pittsburgh of course but you absolutely correct I know firsthand many many people and people you know so you so you know they call them nickel machines and they used to anyway but um nickels don't go into them.

People many people this is like you said it's really preying on an addiction.

And people will throw their entire paycheck in the local supermarket that has one of these machines and not think twice about it.

They'll stay there all day.

It's usually the same people if you if you if you pay attention to the ones that are in and around you so um so it really is a predatory uh thing I believe I I think like you said councilman Charlotte if you want to gamble go to the casino at least you're gonna lose your money and good surroundings and really nice atmosphere and maybe taking a show so uh I agree with you 100% in what you say and uh yeah whether it's us imposing and to some degree if we impose our tax that might regulate help regulate the small operators probably I don't know maybe they could afford it maybe they can't but I I would think it would weeds them out if the state imposes a tax which they're talking about 52% of the revenue on the income of all those machines the intake and um you know we're talking possibly up to a billion dollars for the state so I don't think the state's going to miss the opportunity and if that means you know we get our residual back to the city of Pittsburgh that we're setting out to do and if it puts us in a better position to do so to pass this then that's kind of part of the you know plan here or part of the the reasoning that I continue to pursue it.

But um but I think the state will probably act on it and if they can do that and regulating and getting a lot of the um ones that are everywhere pretty much everywhere and preying on people that's that's that's fine and good too.

So I won't be shedding any tears if the state acts and as long as we get you know a financial benefit from it as a city of Pittsburgh then all is good.

So thank you.

Thank you.

See no further discussion I will just quickly say I want to commend you councilman for your work on this and your staff and the other council member sponsors um you know there were a lot of creative ideas that came out of our budget discussion last year around um additional revenue tax or non-taxable revenue and oftentimes so many of the taxes that we impose be by no fault of our own, really because of regulations from the state end up on the backs of property owners or renters, and this is one of the unique ones that isn't necessarily all on property owners.

And so I really commend you for putting in the time and the work to consider a new type of tax.

We hope that it does, you know, is is allowable throughout um whatever process the state lands on for their own tax, and um that this is additional revenue because of course we still are in dire financial position.

If you'd like to find out more about that, attend the post-agenda at 1 30 p.m.

on the ACFER and quarter one report, and we'll get into that more.

It's my PSA for the day.

But um, yeah, I appreciate your work on this.

This is a creative way to not only um regulate what needs to be a regulated industry at the local level, uh, to the extent that we have any power over that, which is very little, but also additional revenue, large or small.

So appreciate it.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for your help and having the conversations with me throughout.

Thank you.

Seeing no further discussion, all in favor of Bill 544 as amended, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

And as a reminder, we will be at the end of this meeting adjourning this meeting and reconvening the recess meeting from yesterday to be able to take a final vote on this bill today, uh, given the deadline that was discussed.

New papers, Bill 614.

Resolution further amending resolution 834 2025, effective December 21st, 2025 as amended in title.

Resolution adopting and approving the 2026 capital budget, the proposed 2026 community development program, and the 2026 through 2031 capital improvement program by increasing facility improvements sports facilities by 250,000, and increasing remediation of condemned buildings by 163,351 dollars.

These changes are made in response to program allocations by the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development and come at no cost to the city.

Motion to approve.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of Bill 614, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

That moves us to recreation youth and senior services committee chaired by council member Warwick.

Bill 643, resolution authorizing the mayor, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the director of the Department of Parks and Recreation to issue requests for proposal for social services programming at the Bergwan Recreation Center, and to enter into an agreement or agreements with qualified providers at a cost not to exceed 250,000.

Motion to approve discussion.

Second discussion.

Yeah, thank you.

So yeah, so this bill is focused on Bergwin Rec Center in uh in Glen Hazel.

So the situation that we are in with Bergwin Rec Center is that um this was a building that originally was a pool building, right?

Where you could change your clothes and whatnot.

Uh, when there used to be a pool up there, the pool was um closed, filled up, a spray park was put in its place, and so this was just kind of an old and pretty dingy building, right?

Just concrete floors, and uh for a number of years, um uh community group, Ms.

Sondra Cole is here today, um, has run programming out of that building, right?

After school programming, summer programming, and football, football and cheerleading, right?

So basically, every day, 365, um, the community group was up there working out of this building, and um it was essentially and miss um appreciate Ms.

Cole being here today.

It was her and her son James uh running this programming.

Uh I actually used to volunteer as part of the program, that's why I got to know uh the building, and so uh about three years ago uh we allocated funding to renovate the building because it really was kind of a say yucky, right?

Like the floor is just you know, what it was not really an appropriate building for having all these kids in just um and the upstairs couldn't be used, etc.

etc.

So three long years later, and uh the building is just about done, just about fully renovated.

Um, but in that time, uh circumstances have changed for the group, right?

Uh so um Mr.

Cole, who I have to say has dedicated his life uh to working, you know, in the space, um you know, there comes the point where you can't work for free anymore, right?

And uh you need so he is still doing the football, but he's he's you know made it clear that it is just no longer sustainable to be trying to operate all these programs for all of these kids on a shoestring budget, basically, just you know, so um so now we have a recenter with that that is almost fully renovated, and the doors are not going to open unless we are able to find some funding to have programming in this recenter.

Um I I recognize that we have other rec centers that in very similar situations, right?

Where there's programming, one is uh Ream, one is McKinley, and there may be others.

But the reality is that for too long, the city has grown accustomed to relying on the kindness of community members, often in our most underserved uh poorest communities to provide the services that we provide in communities where we have a rec center, right?

We have 10 rec centers, one is McGee, also in my district, to provide those services essentially for free, right?

Um and that is not equitable, and I feel like we are at a breaking point now, right?

Especially with funding drying up are we know that our um our foundations are less and less inclined every year to fund operations, right?

They tend to want to fund more like you know, one-off projects, they don't, you know that they're so um in the same way.

So I believe the solution, a longer term solution, is for us to adequately fund our city parks, right?

Because we know when we are talking about um kids and families and violence and vulnerable communities, we know that out of school programming, free, safe, reliable, after school programming and summer programming for our youngest residents, builds stable communities, it helps stabilize families, it makes it so that parents know that their kid has somewhere safe to go if they are at work or whatnot.

Um, and and you know, if you compare it to another department, right, it would be absurd to think that you only get your you only get your streets salted if you happen to have a salt dome in your neighborhood.

You only get garbage pickup if you happen to have like a garbage truck depot in your neighborhood.

You only get DPW services if you happen to have a DPW division in your neighborhood, right?

That's absurd.

Our services are for everybody.

The city of but you know, all of our residents pay taxes, so it shouldn't it shouldn't depend on your neighborhood whether or not you have free after school care and free summer programming, which we provide in our full service rec centers, and I want to say we provide very well.

Those programs are great.

I can speak, you know, from experience with McGee Rec.

Those programs are outstanding, and um, so I understand that we are not in a financial position to build rec centers in every single neighborhood, right?

That's not realistic.

I do think uh that we should renovate rec centers where we can, right?

Where we have buildings that need no similar to what we've done at Berkwin, but again, I understand that's a longer term um endeavor, and I think it's something too that the administration is looking to do, by the way.

Um I've heard the mayor talk about that numerous times.

And we also don't need to displace existing programs, right?

We have wonderful partners that provide uh this type of programming.

The YMCA, the Boys and Girls Club, Center That Cares, the Pittsburgh Project, on them.

They are numerous organizations that have uh you know um full service after school and summer programming.

Um and uh they they are excellent partners.

Um, but we need to make sure that this type of programming is available to everyone for the long term, and um I I hope that you know when we get into to budget season and we start talking about parks and rec and what what we're gonna do with par parks and rec that this administration is ready to you know really think outside the box and instead of just you know praising our our parks and recs department for how much they do with so little that we actually make the move here at the city of Pittsburgh to increase that funding and let them do the amazing work that they do and do more of it and do it for everybody.

Um but that is a longer term conversation.

Um the short-term conversation right now for for my district for Glen Hazel, is that we need this after school care and we need this summer programming.

Um this bill simply authorizes an RFP and allows that money to be taken from the stop the violence account.

It does not mandate it, right?

It doesn't say that it has to be a full year or let you know, if if in a perfect world, I would like to see community members who want to do this work in Glen Hazel hired by the city.

I'd like to see them have health care and a decent salary and right, like that's that that would be the perfect scenario in my mind, but I understand we're not in a place to do that right now, and at at the at the minimum, that is a conversation for next year's budget.

But what I need right now is I need those doors open when school starts, right?

I need like I I need us not to have spent a million dollars on a rec center that we are unable to staff, and so we just have a community with uh a nice new rec center that nobody is able to use because there's nobody to staff it.

Um so that's that's what this bill is about.

I would love help with funding.

I am, you know, I know the administration has some ideas about other ways that this could be funded.

Absolutely, I am open to it.

This bill is just about creating this option, right?

If it is needed, and you know, again, if they want to do six months and figure something out with si whatever, right?

That's not my role is to figure out the how.

My role is to is to make sure that the administration has the funding that they need to be able to do this, right?

And then the how is is sort of the next step.

So um, I'll uh you know, happy to answer any questions that I can.

I just wanted to kind of get my get my thought process down for this and and help everyone understand what it is that that I'm trying to do here.

Thank you.

Further discussion, Council President Laval.

Very briefly, um, this is just a recommendation to the councilwoman.

In my experience over the years, when we issue an RFP that has a specific number in it, the responses always come back to that specific number.

So I would simply recommend removing um at a cost not to exceed 250,000.

That's my personal just recommendation.

Um because you could get the same service for 170, or maybe it comes back at 300.

But I would simply remove that number so that when you get a response, you're getting the most appropriate response.

So just interrogatory, um, I don't so without the oh, and by the I also need to amend, by the way, because it was supposed to be 200, not 250.

But um, I guess I'm not clear without a dollar amount how the money is sort of how how the administration is like allowed to tap into the money without the vote on on a a not to exceed amount.

You see what I'm saying?

I mean, without without sort of saying this money here is allowed for you to use this from this account.

Interrogatory.

Yeah.

I'm I'm thinking it through.

My understanding is, and this could certainly be worked out for next week, um, that you could say to be taken from, and then you have to put the JD number of the account in.

That is that is.

So you wouldn't, you wouldn't have the dollar amount, but rather you'd be saying to be this has to be taken from this account, and then there would be a second step where then once they were prepared to remove take those dollars out, they would then have to send another authorizing piece of legislation to council to actually expend those dollars.

If that makes sense, yeah, I mean I I I hear you, it's just confusing because I understand there's this stop the violence plan that we have that we don't vote on, right?

And so I just I feel more comfortable because again without being prescriptive about that, for all I know, the administration may say, hey, we just want to do something for three months, right?

While we figure something out, right?

I just that's why I want to give them so so maybe it's and and this sort of gives them a maximum.

I mean, I don't want to say 500,000 because that that does seem like too much for for a year.

I mean, I kind of did a back of the napkin assessment with like one full timer and like three part-time, you know what I mean, and then what it would be for summer and some supplies and things like that.

So this is just sort of a back of the napkin estimate uh based on uh some city parks programming that we do, right, and what that costs.

Um I mean that that's just um my thought there.

I just I I would like to keep the dollar amount in there to and oh, by the way, and I also should motion to amend to to amend it to 200.

So we have a motion to amend and a second discussion on the amendment.

Councilman Wilson.

Yeah, I just I think this is um I do have some background information I'm trying to understand.

But in terms of you're trying to make an amendment now, so for the for the dollars, so I think this is poorly written uh the way it exists because you know we had uh a comp plan that we said, you know, we have six million dollars to spend on a comp plan.

We went out, well, guess what?

Put out the RFP, the people that responded to it, they put the max dollar amount.

So I mean, not only are we, I mean, we're just way ahead of I think what we're trying to do here, um, and to not only to put the dollar amount, but if we're literally amending the dollar amount at council, and we're obviously gonna get something back that's gonna say it's gonna cost us two hundred thousand, and you know, I just I have you know a pause about just privatizing like you know these type of work in our centers.

I feel like there should have been a plan, there was a million dollars spent.

Where was that was on the past administration, so what, but some of the background I need to I need is why wasn't this thought out from the beginning if I'm going through this with Cali recenter, and we're trying to understand if we're gonna invest all this money in here, will this be staffed?

So number one, I don't understand that if there was a million dollars spent.

Why does this seem like an emergency right now to get something in there?

Like why wasn't this thought out prior?

I have that question, but then also I don't think this is probably written to actually use taxpayer dollars appropriately, because we're obviously gonna get back.

We know we're obviously gonna get it back saying we need 200,000 to run this program.

And also I think you should work with the administration to really get this figured out.

I mean, they have the authorization to put on RFP, they don't need you know, we do these things at council, but I know I understand this is like you know, you saying that this is what my community needs, but I mean they have the authorization.

If you work with them on something, I've maybe something could be accomplished.

So just that one question though, the interrogatory about the um, you know, this like why wasn't this thought out prior?

Why does it feel like some sort of emergency right now?

Well, so again, as a city, we have been relying and continue to rely on community groups to do work for free out of our buildings.

Um sometimes I think with an understanding that we're somehow doing them a favor by providing the building.

There's community centers that are staffed.

Yes, I know that there's community so that's my point.

So if you have a staffed community center in your neighborhood, then you have free after school care, free summer programming, right?

Available to your you know within walking distance of your home.

If you don't have a community center, um then you might you mean you might have nothing, right?

But you also might um have a community group that is, and some of those groups have lots of money and lots of funding, and that's great, and others don't.

Uh the circumstance here changed.

It took three years to renovate this building.

Um, and you know, I I don't know the details of funding and and you know what has happened and whatnot with you know I I can't speak to that.

Uh but what I can speak to is that the community group that for years has been providing uh after school care and summer programming out of this building, uh is no longer able to do so with I mean, and and so that's why and look if I had my if if you know if I could just wave a wand, I would say great, give it you know what I mean, but but that's not how it works, right?

I can't do we can't do that at council.

We have RFPs, we have a process where you have to go through that's just how things are, right?

Uh so that for me is this is again, I'll say it again is the urgency is is there and this for me is a means of giving the administration an option, right?

Out of stop the violence fund.

If they can find another way to do it, I am I am open, right?

I'm I'm happy for whatever they can do to make this work.

But what I need to see is uh urgency around getting um getting something in place so that when school starts, this the kids in this community have are able to you know have adults working in their recenter um and you know have a meal and have help with their homework and all the things that that um that they have had for the past years, no you may not at this time, I'm sorry.

Um there is uh I will just sorry, was that were you finished or did you have further comment?

Just interjecting.

I know we have council person Charlotte who would like to say something, that uh I did just get confirmation that regardless of whether the 250 or 200,000 is included in this or not, we would also need to pass separate legislation to uh authorize expenditure of the funds.

So even if it if whether it's here, whether it stays as is, whether it changes to 200 or or not.

We'll still we would still need to pass separate legislation legislation to expend it.

That's where I hadn't considered what um Council President Lavelle had mentioned prior to this, which is why I didn't come up in our conversations, but um I think that the in the interest of fiscal responsibility not putting a price on the RFP just in case we can get something that comes in far lower, like if someone could provide the services for a hundred thousand for the time frame we're looking for, um that would be um that would just that would make a lot more sense for the purposes of RFP, choose the organization and then you know, a separate legislation piece of legislation that we will need anyway to authorize the expenditure.

So that would be my preference.

Um, but yeah, that's my point.

I'll turn it over to Council Person Charlotte.

Uh yes, and uh I want to start off just quick interrogatory.

Where does this uh if uh allowed?

Councilman work, where does this GDE number correspond to?

The stop the violence.

Stop the violence.

So we're taking money out of stopping the violence.

Uh again, though, the stop the violence money that is not allocated that the same issue with the learn and earn program that this money has not been allocated out of the stop the violence plan.

Um, so correct.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay, so I the again the I I'm all for having a bigger discussion about um what I guess I've recently in the last like couple days been calling like our quasi-rec centers.

I have I have one, I have the the exact same situation in Bell Tober.

Um we renovated a park or uh a shelter house over the last couple years.

Uh there's a there's entirely private programming that is run out of there run by the the neighborhood.

Um they do not receive they they've never received stop the violence money, they do not receive city funding.

Um up until recently they didn't receive toilet paper from the city.

They didn't, you know, they didn't receive any city services.

We're still negotiating a lease to try to figure out uh, you know, if the city can provide the special cleaning uh the detergent that is needed to clean the basketball courts.

Um so I I'm all for having that discussion.

I can't support this today without having a uh a bigger conversation about how we're going to manage these quasi-rec centers.

I know that I'm not that that you and I are not the only two members that have have these throughout the city.

I don't know where all the others are.

Uh well I I do know um Mr.

John uh yeah, runs runs one in uh uh Mount Washington as well.

Um and I'm sure there's others that exist.

Uh if that's where we'd like to go with this, I'm I'm happy to go in in that direction, but this today I I can't support um because I I don't know how it it will impact my district and uh voice against violence and uh Richard Carrington and Von Madden and the folks that run run the programming out of there throughout the summer and throughout the the school year.

Um so happy to to entertain that, but that is a bigger, longer process than just voting or you're telling the administration we'd like to see you issue an RFP and and they can decide whether or not they're going to do that.

I'd rather have the the bigger process of of what does this look like citywide for these um quasi-rec centers that that we do have and are really important in all of our our neighborhoods here.

So that's that's where I stand today.

Further discussion?

Council member uh councilwoman Salonetro.

Yeah, I after listening to everyone's conversations, I have a similar situation, only uh it's fully manned right now, but they're not being paid.

Why does this money have to come from stop the violence grant?

Should it could it have come from a different uh source?

Uh was this something that we looked at for a different source and we're just you know um choosing that.

For for what reason that's that's my question now is what why why stop the violence grants if we still haven't had this overall conversation about how we're gonna spend on that money.

So that's my question.

Yeah, so um I I chose the stop the violence fund to do an RFP out of the stop the violence fund because there is ten million dollars in the stop the violence fund that is unencumbered right now, right?

That is is not assigned to anything.

Uh and uh there's not I mean uh otherwise there's not you know this is not a capital project, so it's not like just I can just move my you know what I mean.

Like I could just go to DPW and be like, hey, do you have any money extra on this thing or whatever that um I I would like to actually call Sean Carter up because uh he helped write the legislation.

Um if I don't know if there's any clarification.

So you know this was mirroring because we are moving a million dollars out of stop the violence into the learn and earn, right?

Um without the broader discussion about how stop the violence should you know that which we started to have, um, but that is why I was my hope is that members can understand the urgency in this situation that the administration have access to these stop the violence dollars to get this work done.

I don't want to have a mandate to the administration um without some money that they can use to to execute, right?

Otherwise, we're just as council members, we're just um complaining, I think.

You know, if we don't if we don't identify, I mean that's our job, right?

Is to identify funding.

Um, and so that is that is what I'm trying to do here.

I'm trying to create an option for this very, you know, the larger discussion is going to take some time, right?

The larger discussion is going to be something that we look at, I think, probably going into budget conversations next year.

Um, anyway, I'll I'll I'll let Mr.

Carter comment.

Thank you.

Good morning, Councilwoman.

Good morning, members.

Um, there were some questions I heard in during the discussion of this bill, and we'll start with Council President Lovell's and the not-to-exceed amount.

Um, typically the reason for a not to exceed amount is to prevent sort of a runaway open-ended authorization where people are just spending money because it's authorized, but there's no cap, there's no limit.

So but that limit does not mean that the RFP that an administration issue subsequently would tap the full amount.

That's the it's they could, but they may not.

They may find that they only need 125,000.

And so they issue the RFP at a cost of 125,000.

Now they could go up.

That's their option.

Um, also to the point the administration does not need council to authorize the issuance of an RFP.

They do, however, need council's authorization to execute a contract.

Um, but this isn't the first time council has legislated basically the issuance of an RFP.

It's still gonna be up to the administration whether they issue the RFP.

Um, but these are just sort of the basic parameters for that RFP, and um yeah, that was my answer about that.

There's another question, I'm still here.

So council member Warberg here, yeah.

So, you know, I'm I'm I'm a little disappointed here and my fellow members because I feel like um if this were in your district, right?

We wouldn't even be having this conversation.

But I would like to motion to hold for two weeks so that I can yet again go back to Hazelwood and make people come down here and beg you for this, beg you, and beg this administration to act urgently to open up this recenter because we did not have summer programming.

That was not anyone's fault.

That was very last minute, but it was my office that scrambled to make sure just that we had lunches.

All right, so the urgency here is mine and and the community that I represent.

So I guess I'm gonna motion to hold for two weeks, and I'm gonna have to go out to my community and I'm gonna have to knock doors, and I will do it.

I've done it before.

So we'll be back.

Let's uh we will be back.

I'm just saying that.

And guess what?

Son for poll always.

Understand that check power.

Y'all not understand the community, but if it was a white community, it would be okay.

Okay, it's not a white community, it's a black community, and we need a bit of help that we can get, okay?

So hear me when I tell you we will be back.

So at any rate, with that, I would like to uh please motion to hold.

Oh, sorry.

Well, motion to amend the motion to amend the motion to amend has been seconded.

Yeah, and that's under discussion.

Um, all in favor of amending bill.

Do you wish to move forward with the amendment?

Yes, because the type I was just a typo to have two fair states, should have been 200.

All in favor of amending bill 643, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Bill has been amended.

Bill as amended.

Yeah, thank you.

And then I'd like to motion to hold for two weeks.

Second.

Councilmember Gross.

Thank you.

I listened to members' comments, and I I kind of heard I think one thing that I took issue with is that we shouldn't move forward with the small expenditure without having a discussion about kind of all of the facilities and all of the programs.

And I don't think that it's an either-or.

Um, certainly if there's a situation where a summer program can be ramped up, we can do that.

And we absolutely also need to have a larger discussion about where more programming is needed and what kinds of resources we can do if we can't fully fund, can we partially fund, can we um provide supplies, can we treat a basketball court that needs to be treated, that's our facility.

Um, and I am I am absolutely willing to do that as well, and I think that should be our top priority.

So again, similar to the other conversation about partners for work and providing year-round employment opportunities, I think this is the important and urgent work that the communities want us to do.

So I'm absolutely um, you know, eager to have that conversation as well.

So thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Further discussion on the motion to hold, Councilman Cockow.

Thank thank you, Madam Chair.

Um, I want to tell you I I really respect your your passion.

And when you called me on this last week, it seemed like a perfectly fine idea to me, and I was initially supportive, right?

Um, still supportive, and I'm supportive of trying to find you any which way in working with court in coordination with the administration to find you a way to make sure you have programming in that new facility because if there's one thing that is unacceptable is rehabbing a facility and not having the programming for the kids to be in it.

So you have my commitment on that.

Uh since you know, I had many conversations with many people.

Um I do worry, I do tend to the one thing that sticks out to me is almost like if we were to approve this almost like a money grab from me, I will tell you.

You know, I start thinking of things like yeah, I'd like to use some of that stop to violence funds for things in my district, you know.

So I do feel like we need to regulate it or talk about the guidelines and you know the proper procedure moving forward.

Um, so we'll talk over the next couple weeks, but you know, I am committed to finding you the funds, whichever way we can find them that's proper without questions, that has arisen as far as the stop to violence funds go.

Um, and uh yeah, so I'm for those conversations.

Councilmember Warwick.

I do want to just say with regard to Hazelwood in general, Glenn Hazel, um, in the 90s in Hazelwood, there were shootings almost every weekend, and over the past 10 years, 20 years through the incredible work, not of this city, but of the community groups who work there and who live there, right?

That violence has significantly dropped to the point that I think last summer, I don't think that there were any fatal shootings last summer.

And now this summer, the kids in that community do not have any summer programming, right?

There's one program at what which is for very young kids that is full with a wait list, and the community of Glen Hazel has no programming.

So I think just the the idea that this is like that that I'm trying to just like snatch some money out of stop the violence fund, you know, that that shouldn't be used for that isn't like in line with the purpose of the stop the violence fund is um not accurate.

Anyway, so I'll just leave it at that with uh motion to hold.

I've some work cut out from my staff and I over the next two weeks.

Further discussion on the motion to hold.

Seeing none all in favor of a two-week hold on bill on amended bill 643, please say aye.

Aye aye.

Bill be held.

That moves us to Innovation Performance Asset Management and Technology Committee chaired by Councilwoman Gross.

Supplemental new papers, Bill 670, resolution amending resolution 182 of 2026, authorizing the in instructing the Department of Innovation and Performance to publish and submit a report on surveillance technology so as to extend the deadline for the presentation of the report to city council to September 2nd, 2026.

Motion to approve.

Brief discussion.

Second.

Discussion.

Thank you all.

So you'll recall that we are um due a report from Innovation and Performance on our privacy protections and surveillance technology guidelines.

There's been several different sets of um city council action on this over the years, and we're working on them.

We're we're just this one is just providing an extension.

I had to bring it back as an amendment to the previous bill, um, to the previous resolution to um give us an extension to just after recess.

So we can still expect the report, um, but we're giving an extension till after recess.

Thank you.

Further discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of bill 670, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation that moves us to intergovernmental and educational affairs committee chaired by councilman Mosley.

Deferred papers, Bill 224 resolution authorizing the mayor, director of public works, and the director of finance to enter into an easement agreement or agreements with the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority for the installation of certain monitoring boreholes on city owned parcels 121 H20, 82H 102, and 48H200 at no cost to the city.

Motion to hold for a cable cast public hearing.

Second, oh I think we have an amendment here.

Actually, I have an amendment by substitution, councilman.

Okay.

May I discuss?

Council, yeah.

So we have a motion and a second.

Councilman.

Second.

Yes.

Thank you.

Um, so this are um the boring holes for the deep um drop shops, and so thank you to Elkassan for not only doing a site visit, working with community groups.

Thank you to everybody who followed up, the administration, the um chief uh assistant operating officer um with the administration.

We are it's an amendment by substitution because we had to they are um not going to do there were four in the original legislation.

They are they've changed their mind about one of the locations, and then two of the locations we are moving forward, and I'm also addressing the board member here for Augustine.

Thank you, Councilman.

And then the fourth one we're still working on, um, is that like at a city playground, and so there's a lot of concerns, and I want to thank um Chief Gilman also for working on that one.

And so Alpha SAN has just suggested that we keep working on that location.

Um, and so what we're doing is moving forward two of the locations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Further discussion on the proposed amendment by substitution.

Seeing none all in favor of amending Bill 224 by substitution, please say aye.

Aye.

Bill has been amended.

Councilman Mosley.

Yeah, now I'm uh motion to hold a cable cast public hearing.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I think you might be looking at your next paper.

Really?

We're we're at um 0224, which is the top of the page.

Oh, I'm sorry.

My apologies.

Um, yeah, I'm sorry.

I don't think Elkassan would want that.

That I've been working with, thank you.

Thank you for catching that.

My apologies.

So all in any further discussion on the bill as amended.

Seeing none all in favor of bill two two four, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendation.

New papers, Bill 26.

Bill 606 resolution requesting the approval of an intermunicipal transfer of a liquor license from McCrossing's landing pub LLC, located at 13 Edzell Lane, Monagahela PA, to the applicant, Silver Ashes Hospitality Group, LLC, located at 728 Copeland Street, pursuant to amended Pennsylvania Liquor Code 4-461.

Now motion to hold for a cable cast public hearing.

Second discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of holding Bill 606 for a cable cast public hearing, please say aye.

Bill will be held.

Bill 613.

Resolution adopting plan revision to the City of Pittsburgh's official sewage facilities plan for Simmons Residential Development at 5429 Dunmoil Street at no cost to the city.

Motion to approve second.

Discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor of bill 613, please say aye.

Aye.

Affirmative recommendations.

Yeah.

We are now to motions and resolutions.

Councilwoman Gross.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um members, if I didn't, um I talked to some members, and if I didn't, um we've been working together, Councilman Wilson, Councilman Cog Hill and I with planning and zoning.

And I'm gonna motion to bring back to the table the short-term rental zoning bill.

If you remember we had two companion pieces last week, we just held the licensing piece again.

Um and in working with planning and zoning, and I want to again um I appreciate so much their feedback, is that we were trying to make the permission to have a short-term rental in a residential neighborhood if you weren't, you know, even living in the state, right?

You're just using this as a scattered site hotel, and you're just kind of using a city home as as income as a commercial entity, practically.

Um harder than renting out your home if you live in it.

But and they actually told us that we hadn't made it hard enough.

It would still be too easy, and there wouldn't actually be the kind of public process that we were trying to achieve.

Um, and so we've um got a an amendment.

So with that I will motion to rescind the February 11th 26 2026 motion that referred bill 2026 0009 to the planning commission.

Second, thank you.

So we need to put on that discussion seeing none all in favor of um the motion to uh rescind, please say aye.

And then to motion to approve bill zero twenty twenty-six zero zero zero nine.

No, I need a second, second second.

We think we need a motion.

So I'm to discuss, right?

That's how we usually discuss and I'm gonna motion to amend.

Or I could just stay motion to amend a few personally.

Oh, thank you.

I didn't have that in my notes, John.

Sean gave me my talking points ready to go.

Thank you.

I thought there was something.

I do remember calling this before.

There he is.

This doesn't have it at all.

Here it is.

No, that's okay.

Uh motion to bring to the table.

Bill Zero Zero Zero Nine.

Second.

Thank you.

Now can I say motion to amend or motion to approve, and then read it first.

Oh, I apologize.

Thank you.

Bill 2026 0009, ordinance amending the Pittsburgh zoning code.

Excuse me.

Title 9 Zoning, Article 5, Use Regulations, Chapter 911 Primary Uses, Chapter 912 Accessory Uses and Structures to Add Short-term Rental Regulations.

Is that a cool one?

And I say thanks to all of our parliamentarians who support us in these complicated uh Roberts rules.

Um, so I'll motion to amend.

Um, and again, just briefly, you have the yellow um and by that's actually amend motion to amend by substitution.

If I could correct that.

So I can put a second on that second, second.

Second, apologize.

Um so we have the yellow copy in front of us, and you can see in the use table that it just strikes out the special exception that we had in the first place.

Uh, and so that and that's it.

That's all we're doing today.

All right, so we have a motion to amend my substitution.

Councilman Wilson.

All right, I just want to uh thank everyone that was involved in the process.

I know that uh short term rentals been talked about for quite some time, and I know my communities are looking for an update on where this bill is.

And so uh if you don't mind, I'd like to uh, you know, thanks to the primary sponsor, and you know, as a co-sponsor and I guess to councilman Caggo as well.

You know, I just wanted to go through what we're what we're doing here.

Oh, I thought I did, but yeah, sometimes I'm too well I guess I want to just say it like directly that uh you know for too long, these you know, if we go back, even before I was on council, council people here were working on how to limit short-term rentals in you know, just in general of like put uh guidelines and parameters around that use.

And so I I think that you know, getting to where we are, where we are creating the use, it is going through zoning, and there is a license that's that will be attached to it, which is held right now.

We want that to align with the bill when it comes back.

I just want to say for the record that, you know, obviously it's no, it's no secret that in my district that in the but in my district there was uh the most violent uh ridiculous episodes that have played out.

So it's more than just trash.

We're talking about actual deadly parties.

And uh for us to get a it get to a place where we are we are restricting, we are not allowing the use, we are not allowing short-term rentals to be in residential neighborhoods.

So similar to the similar to the vape shop bill, we're just telling what we're telling the STR owners where they can be in the future.

So, you know, it's clearly laid out here in this table, but I just think it has to be said that you know really not permitting that use in residential areas, I think is critical.

There's enough Airbnbs uh and verbos and different companies that have short-term rentals, and they you know it time and time again, they have shown that they are not good partners in our resident in our residential neighborhood.

So in our communities, they're just not good partners, and we need to to limit that as much as possible.

And I think this bill does a great job at seeking to do that.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Cogham.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um I want to thank you, Councilwoman Gross, for your your leadership on this, and you too, Councilman Wilson, as to uh, you know, the different experiences and different reasons why we got this to this point.

So I'm in full agreement with uh my two lead sponsors here.

You know, we've had a shooting in my district.

We've had a couple shootings in the Airbnbs.

And beyond that, you know, when we talk about the city of Pittsburgh being 20,000 houses short of you know affordable housing and uh, you know, this this really does have an impact on that, I feel.

You know, I think there are LLCs that own duplicate, many, many homes in my residential neighborhood used just for Airbnbs.

Um so and it really tears apart the fabric in the neighborhood.

You know, you don't longer no longer have any neighbors, you you have people flying in from different parts of the country every week.

So I think restricting them to the uh to the properly zoned areas is a smart and the right thing to do.

And again, I just want to thank the sponsors and um I appreciate council support for this.

I think it'll go a long way in solving what you know again is a a problem and an issue.

So thank you, madam chair.

Thank you.

Further discussion, council person Charlotte.

Kind of a point of order here.

Are we is the plan here that we're sending this to the planning commission?

Yes.

Yes, we're gonna we're gonna send back to planning.

We're sending this to planning, okay.

Just and I just also wanted to say, because I forgot too, was reminded this morning we hadn't voted to send it to planning and then held it.

And then this is now amending, having it amended, then resending it, like another motion to send it to planning.

Okay, okay.

I believe that's what the process was.

Okay.

So we have the amendment to be voted on.

Further discussion on the bill as amended by substitution.

Seeing none, all in favor of amending by substitution bill 2026-9.

Please say aye.

Hi.

And now we'd like to motion to hold for report and recommendation from the planning commission.

So discussion.

Seeing none, all in favor for to send a planning commission, please say aye.

Aye.

Bill will be sent for report and recommendation to planning commission.

That exhausts are standing committee's agenda.

We do have meeting announcements this afternoon in about an hour, 1 30.

Council will hold a cable cast post agenda on the ACFER and first quarter 2026 financial and performance report shared that I will share.

Thursday, June 25th at 1 30 p.m.

Council will hold a cable cast public hearing on Bill 531, the downtown Pittsburgh Transit Revitalization Investment District Implementation Plan.

Speaker registration will close at 11 30 a.m.

Next week, council will hold their regular meeting on Tuesday, June 30th, and their standing committees meeting on Wednesday, July 1st, both at 10 a.m.

Speaker registration will close at 9 a.m.

Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

To register to speak at any of these meetings, please complete the sign-up form on the council meeting webpage or contact the clerk's office at 412-255-2138 by the applicable registration deadline.

So anything further from members?

Councilman Mosley.

Yeah, um, I would like to thank everyone uh that has been involved uh with the street team in the East End and uh partaking in this weekend's launch um on Broad Street between Highland and Senator Abnell also want to thank my esteemed colleague, Councilwoman Strasberger, for her partnership and in our work uh to make the East Liberty Business District safer as well as some of the other locations uh throughout the greater East Liberty area that have been uh sites of uh flash crowd disturbances and and other incidents, particularly in involving our youth.

I also want to thank the Here Foundation, East Liberty Chamber of Commerce, um IO uh Jay Lock and Boaz from the Street Team and uh the many others who have reached out to become part of this very uh large and growing coalition, uh we will be on Broad Street, it will be blocked off between Highland and Center between 1 p.m.

and 6 p.m.

uh this Saturday.

So uh please come out.

There's gonna be dozens of organizations with a lot of resources and programming for young people.

So it's not just about uh interrupting violence, but it's also providing young people with third spaces and programming uh around the East End, and we're really looking forward uh to this partnership.

And I can't forget our our good friends at 05 led by Commander Hoysen, who's also played a major part in this partnership.

Um, and now um we're acting uh Commander Perry from Zone 4 is also a part of it uh as many people uh don't know uh the market district and the new meridian, um which is obviously many considered to be celebrated, is actually shady side in zone four.

So this is uh a broad ranging collaboration uh across communities in the East End that we're really excited uh to launch this weekend.

So I just wanted to give a shout out to everyone who's been a part of these conversations over many months as we prepare uh to get ready for this weekend.

Thank you.

Congratulations in advance.

Um I've seen the work that's gone into this and from your staff and from everyone, and um, you know, the the way that the community is really wrapping their arms around the youth and this effort, and to you know, the East Liberty Chamber of Commerce saying how do we get jobs, how do we offer jobs, and how do we make this a family fund fair that then launches into a uh an opportunity for almost like learn and earn um is really really impressive.

So I think it could be potentially be a model for other neighborhoods and excited to see where this where this goes, commending commending you and your staff for all your work on this.

And thank you for your partnership with this because it's very important to have you at the table.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, just a reminder, after this, we will adjourn.

Please don't go far.

We will take a short break and then reconvene our regular meeting from yesterday in just a few moments.

So please don't go far.

But I will take a motion to approve the minutes and adjourn the meeting.

We'll just do the reconvening from our current seat.

Mr.

Sharon.

Mr.

Cockhill.

Ms.

Cross.

Here.

Mr.

Mosley.

Here.

Miss Salonetra.

Here.

Miss Warwick.

Mr.

Wilson?

Ms.

Strasberger?

Here.

Mr.

Laval Chair.

Here.

Eight members present.

Thank you.

Our next order business is reports of the committee for final action, beginning with Councilman Bobby Wilson, presenting the committee of land use and economic development.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Title Two Fiscal Article Nine Property Taxes by Creating A New Chapter Two Sixty Nine Real Estate Tax Exemption for Construction or Adaptive Reuse of Buildings on Pittsburgh's North Side.

Chapter Seven Seventy Four Mechanical Amusement Devices Tax and Licenses.

Seeing None, The Bill's Not Ready for Final Action.

Mr.

Charlotte.

Aye.

Mr.

Mosley?

Aye.

Miss Salonetro.

Aye.

Ms.

Warwick.

Mr.

Wilson.

Aye.

Miss Strasberger.

Aye.

Mr.

Laval chair.

Aye.

Eyes eight and a zero.

The bill having received a legally required number of votes.

Is passed finally.

With that, I think takes us to the motion resolutions.

Anything for members?

If not, motion to go.

Now I just wanted to say I will have a briefing for council members once we uh figure out how we're going to implement and you know.

The process that we're going to have to go through in order to collect this tax, but uh but so uh perhaps in a couple weeks or so once we find something out.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Anything from other members?

If not, motion to approve.

Well, yeah, one member not here.

Motion to excuse the absolute member, approve the minutes and adjourn to meeting.

All favor say aye.

Aye.

We are adjourned.