The Standing Committees of the Pittsburgh City Council met on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 10:00 AM in Council Chambers. Six members were present (Salinetro, Charland, Coghill, Warwick, Strassburger, Mosley), with three absent (Wilson, Lavelle, Gross). The committees considered multiple resolutions, including amendments to ARPA fund allocations, a contested membership dues warrant, various grants, and routine approvals. Public comment addressed police accountability, systemic corruption, an illegal skate park, and other community concerns.
Good morning, and welcome to the standing committee's meeting for Wednesday, September twenty third, twenty twenty-six. And for guest speakers, please do not turn off your microphones. So moved. Discussion. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Agenda is amended. Our next order of business is public comment. Please state your name and neighborhood for the record, and you will have three minutes to speak. Our first registered speaker is Matthew King. My name is Matthew King. I'm from Dormont Borough. Here I am. I pay attention to what's happening here in the city of Pittsburgh, and there's a lot worth being proud of. We have new leadership in Pittsburgh, a new police chief, and a new director of public safety. I've watched the city invest in neighborhoods and make take on major projects and events. When I see it, because I care about this region. I also believe we have to look honestly at the things that aren't working. And I know some of you may be wondering why someone who lives in Dormont is standing here before Pittsburgh City Council. I'll come back to that in a future appearance. So I'm going to be completely honest about who I am. I'm a convicted felon. My original charges date back to the early 2000s. I completed three years of adult probation, including regular reporting and court ordered mandates without a single violation. But I didn't let those mistakes redefine the rest of my life. I became a head sommelier. Then in the summer of 2024, I came home to Pittsburgh to help my mother. And I ended up back in the Pittsburgh system. For nearly two years, I've gone through police departments, court records, administrative processes, and government offices trying to get answers. I've been through the system. I know what it looks like from the inside, and I've learned that getting accountability from the system and going through the system are two very different things. I'm not here to tell you my entire story. Three minutes isn't enough, not enough for anybody. I'm here to tell you I have documentation. I have police reports. I have court transcripts. I have 911 recordings, and ultimately, this isn't just about what happened to me. It's about what happens when a citizen raises a documented concern and asks whether the policies and procedures governing our police department are actually working the way they should. Because of navigating the system is difficult for someone willing and able to spend nearly two years asking questions. What happens to someone who can't? I don't I also want to put another public safety issue on council's radar. I want to recognize the new Department of Public Safety for something they have already done to make our city safer. I observed that cradom pills with 70H have been removed from gas stations and shelves, but there is still a liquid crowd and product available that is labeled adults, 21 and over, and it has the chemicals in it that are being banned across the United States. Pennsylvania is considering statewide age labeling and safety requirements. I believe Pittsburgh should examine this issue now rather than waiting to continually catch up with changing products as we saw with synthetic candle voids in 2011 when they were banned. I'm not here to burn a bridge with this council. Pittsburgh's the city of building bridges. I want to build a working history with you, one appearance, one document, one question at a time. May I add these for the may I add these for the record? The police reports.