City of Pittsburgh Regular Council Meeting - September 11, 2026
City of Pittsburgh Regular Council Meeting - September 11, 2026
This regular meeting of the Pittsburgh City Council was held on September 11, 2026 (though the agenda and transcript indicate the meeting actually occurred on Wednesday, September 9, 2026; this discrepancy is noted as instructed). The meeting included proclamations, public comments, introduction of numerous bills, appointments to the Housing Opportunity Fund Advisory Board, and final passage of committee reports. Several votes were taken, including the approval of the acting fire chief extension and the referral of five board appointments for interviews.
Proclamations
- 2026-0862: Declared September 12, 2026 as "Alphabet Trail and Tales Day" in Pittsburgh, honoring the 25th anniversary of the event. Councilwoman Warwick presented and read the proclamation. Approved.
- 2026-0860: Honored Saint Bede’s School on its 100th anniversary. Approved.
- 2026-0861: Commended Vernard Alexander for community engagement and declared September 6, 2026 as "Vernard Alexander Day." Approved.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Matthew King (Dormont Borough, Allegheny County): Identified as a convicted felon for nonviolent marijuana offenses. Described nearly two years of difficulty navigating police, courts, and administrative processes to get accountability. Asked whether policies and procedures are working as intended.
- Dr. Ronald L. Miller (South Side Flats, USAPA Pittsburgh Steel City): Spoke about ultimate value frameworks, criticized bias in proclamations (except those by Deborah Gross), and alleged malfeasance and corruption.
- Diane Baseski (South Side Flats): Criticized the South Side lockdown experiment, calling it oppressive, racist, and destructive to local commerce. Directly addressed Councilman Charland, stating “we’re coming for your job.”
- Unscheduled speaker (male): Discussed a 2022 lawsuit against UPMC for discrimination. Claimed UPMC offered a plaque but did not honor the agreement, and alleged continued harassment by police. Sought a law and a hearing.
- Junique Brown (Hill District): Criticized the slow pace of sidewalk and street repairs at Center Avenue and Kirkpatrick Street. Demanded action, stating safety is not a luxury. Noted that other neighborhoods receive faster service.
- Lauren F. Brown (715 Mercer Street, Bedford Avenue high-rise): Expressed fear of a woman (Roshida) who had been banned from the building but continues to enter. Claimed the manager failed to act, and alleged the manager had a history of buying crack for the individual. Asked for help.
- Special Agent Sunshine (self-identified): Alleged illegal gang stalking, identity theft, mail fraud, and computer abuse fraud by city officials and Carnegie Library staff. Invoked federal law (18 U.S.C. § 242). Accused council members Lavelle and Mosley of involvement. Demanded action.
Discussion Items
- Introduction of Bills: Council members presented numerous bills (838–850) covering software subscriptions, grant applications, donation acceptance, software amendments, easements, eminent domain, claim settlements, and membership dues. Two bills (838 and 844) received waivers of Rule 8 to be placed on the afternoon standing committee agenda.
- Housing Opportunity Fund Advisory Board Appointments:
- Bill 851 (Tanika Harris reappointment) was approved unanimously.
- Bills 852–856 (DeAnna Davis, Jennifer Cash Wade, Oliver Beasley, Walter Lewis, John Katz) were initially moved for approval but the motion failed. A subsequent motion to schedule interviews passed, and those appointments will be interviewed.
- Communications Received and Filed: Surveillance Technology Report (2026-0857), Grants Office status update (2026-0858), and Parks Trust Fund Follow-Up Report (2026-0859) were read, received, and filed.
- Acting Fire Chief Extension: Bill 2026-0863 extended the term of the Acting Chief of the Bureau of Fire for 90 days through December 8, 2026. A roll call vote was taken.
- Committee Reports for Final Action:
- Bill 2026-0606 (inter-municipal liquor license transfer from McCrossins Landing Pub LLC to Silver Ashes Hospitality Group LLC) passed finally with an affirmative committee recommendation.
- Bill 2026-0804 (amendment to cooperation agreement with Equipment Leasing Authority to increase authorized amount by $59,180 for DPW trailers) passed finally.
- Post-Agenda Request: Councilman Wilson called for a post-agenda meeting on the 311 request system. Approved by Council.
Key Outcomes
- Proclamations approved (three items).
- Tanika Harris reappointed to the Housing Opportunity Fund Advisory Board (term to expire September 6, 2030).
- Five other board appointments (DeAnna Davis, Jennifer Cash Wade, Oliver Beasley, Walter Lewis, John Katz) referred for interview.
- Acting Fire Chief extension approved via roll call vote: 8 ayes, 0 noes.
- Bills 2026-0606 and 2026-0804 passed finally (8-0 each).
- Executive session scheduled for September 9, 2026 at 1:00 PM on claim settlement bills 848, 849, and 850.
- Administrative meeting on city finances scheduled for 12:00 PM, and standing committee meeting at 1:30 PM on the same day.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning, and welcome to the regular meeting of City Council on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Would the clerk please take the role? Mr. Charland. Here. Mr. Coghill. Ms. Gross. Mr. Mosley. Mrs. Salonetra. Here. Mrs. Strasberger. Here. Mrs. Warway. Here. Mr. Wilson. Mr. Lavelle President. Here. Six members present. Thank you. For those who are able, please rise for the pleasure of allegiance. Remain standing for a moment of silence. Liberty. Thank you. Uh, our next order of business is to amend the agenda. Is there a motion to amend? So moved. Second. All favor say aye. The agenda has been amended. Our next order of business is proclamations. Councilman Warwick. Yeah. Hey, can we have everyone come up from City Parks? So while they're coming up, this is for the twenty-fifth anniversary of Alphabet Trail and Tales. So, yeah, come on over here. And uh just to say this is, you know, when I first moved to Pittsburgh, this was one of the first events, you know, and I think we maybe even just stumbled upon it at the time with the kids, and it was like, what is this? This is amazing, you know, and it's such a beautiful event. It's so huge, and that you put it on every year. So at any rate, I'll uh, you know, read this. So whereas since 2000, Alphabet Trail and Tales has showcased the best in early and elementary story books brought to life. Each year, Alphabet Trail and Tales invites nonprofits, schools, and organizations with a family focus to celebrate twenty-six life-size letters of the alphabet with zany fun from A to Z, with interactive story sets, art, music, games, and fun for the whole family. And whereas conceived as story walk by Lori Moser, a board member of the Beginning with Books Early Literacy Center, the event is known today as Alphabet Trail and Tales.
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