City of Pittsburgh Regular Council Meeting: October 13, 2026

The City Council of Pittsburgh held its regular meeting on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 10:00 AM in Council Chambers, presided over by Council President R. Daniel Lavelle. All nine council members were present at roll call. The meeting included two proclamations, significant public testimony regarding street paving delays and the closure of the Roots drop-in center, introduction of several new ordinances and resolutions, and final passage of a wide range of committee items. Council Member Bobby Wilson was recorded as "Out of Room" for all final passage votes, resulting in unanimous 8–0 tallies on every final action.

Consent Calendar / Proclamations

• Proclamation 2026-0972 declaring October 17, 2026, as “Reverend LaTiece Daniels Day” was adopted (Enactment No. 598).
• Proclamation 2026-0973 declaring October 15, 2026, as “Women in Bio P.O.W.E.R. Day” was adopted (Enactment No. 599).
• Communications from the Office of Management and Budget (a grants office status update for the week ending October 9, 2026, and a donation of 132 Narcan kits valued at $4,616.04 from the Allegheny County Health Department) were received and filed.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dr. Ronald Lynn Miller criticized the council’s record of proclamations, alleging an anti-Arab and pro-Jewish bias in the selection of honorees.
• Sarah Fischbaugh (Garfield, District 9) urged the council to ensure the paving of Hillcrest Street occurs before winter. She expressed frustration that the street was repeatedly removed from the paving schedule despite secured funding and legislation, stating the dangerous cobblestone conditions are a safety hazard for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists in winter.
• Callie Disabato (District 1) and Simone Wolff (North Side) strongly opposed the closure of the Roots drop-in center on East Ohio Street. They criticized Mayor O’Connor and Council Member Bobby Wilson for a lack of transparency and accountability, arguing the closure harms vulnerable residents. Disabato stated the decision was not driven by data, budget constraints, or the landlord.
• Ralph Williams criticized the council for a recent proclamation and raised issues about crime in city housing. He expressed support for the Roots closure, citing problems from business owners on East Ohio Street.
• Lindsey Sickler (Beechview, works in the North Side) opposed the Roots closure, noting their community center has seen a doubling of demand for food and supplies since the site closed. She argued that outreach without a physical drop-in center is ineffective.
• Mark Rauterkus (South Side) promoted his book “Coach Mark's Public Policy Playbook for Pittsburgh Aquatica Recreation” and advocated for the creation of an Athletic Reform Task Force for Pittsburgh Public Schools.
• Special Agent Sunshine delivered a religious commentary and criticized council members for alleged corruption and mismanagement.

Discussion Items

New Legislation Introduced & Referred to Committee:

• Public Safety & Wellness: Amendment to Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh contract (+$151,295; total not-to-exceed $2,521,594.94 over 3 years).
• Innovation, Performance, Asset Management, and Technology (IPAMT): Warrant for 2 Windows 11 PCs ($11,470); RMS software amendment (+$75,237.50; total not-to-exceed $206,930.42 over 10 years, Waiver of Competitive Process Received).
• Zoning Extension (Bill 2026-0995): Resolution granting Council’s consent to an extension of the deadline for the Planning Commission to act on Council Bill 2026-0009. Passed Finally by an 8–0 roll call vote (Wilson out of room).
• Intergovernmental & Educational Affairs: Plan revisions for sewage facilities at 7119 Hamilton Avenue and 1 21st Street (both at no cost to the city).
• Public Works & Infrastructure: Gas line easement agreement (Columbia Gas); Graffiti remediation warrant ($8,946.90, waived under Rule 8); Swindell Bridge eminent domain amendment.
• Finance & Law: Claim settlements for Patrick Goodfellow ($3,615.93) and Tomer Elbaz ($3,600.00); Four new ordinances by Council Member Strassburger (Budget Training, Purchasing Cards, Quarterly Financial Reporting, Organizational Chart); Scanner warrant ($8,845).
• Recreation, Youth & Senior Services: School food service program agreement ($750,000 over 1 year); Cooperative purchasing oversight ordinance.
• Finance & Law: Budget transfer ($4,768.87 from Council District Supplies to Finance Supplies for postage).
• Land Use & Economic Development: Petition for a public hearing on returning the “Workplace Accidents and the Law” historical marker to Market Square.

Key Outcomes

Reports of Committee – Final Actions: All items listed below received final passage by an 8–0 roll call vote (Council Member Wilson out of room).

• Finance & Law:
  • Partners for Public Good (MOU amendment for procurement review at no cost to the city).
  • Open-End Professional Services Agreements (Bills 2026-0927 & 2026-0928): Amended prior to final passage to correct resolution numbers and agreement counts from the original 2024 legislation. (Note: The written minutes contain a discrepancy, stating an updated total of 119 agreements versus the 179 agreements stated in the transcript and agenda for these tiers; the transcript confirms the amendments were to correct errors and the final versions were passed).
  • Litigation settlement for two warrants totaling $85,000.
  • Professional services agreement with Racunas Law Group, LLC ($25,000) for transportation and infrastructure legal consultation.
• Public Safety & Wellness: Acceptance of a $273,300 donation from Community Family Advocates to support the city’s co-response and downtown policing programs.
• Public Works & Infrastructure:
  • Tree inventory and appraisal for the Ohio Riverfront Trail ($4,290 over 2 years).
  • Tree inventory for Arsenal Park ($7,620 over 2 years).
  • Flagstaff Hill entrance and gathering area improvements in Schenley Park (at no cost to the city).
  • Supplemental agreement for the 28th Street Bridge Final Design phase ($2,320,581.14, a $62,057.28 increase from the prior agreement, reimbursable at 95%).
• Land Use & Economic Development:
  • CDBG Program Year 2020 line item adjustments.
  • Removal of streets from Residential Sticker Parking Program “T” in Beechview.
  • Grant application to the PA Department of Community and Economic Development’s Municipal Assistance Program to overhaul the zoning code ($150,000 grant + $150,000 city match = $300,000 total project).
  • Acceptance of a reduced grant award for the purchase of a pumper fire truck.
• Recreation, Youth & Senior Services:
  • Creative Communities Program grant ($100,000 from PA Council of the Arts, $100,000 match, amended to clarify no cost to the city).
  • Soccer for Success programming grant ($52,008 from the United States Soccer Foundation).
  • Purchase of recycled plastic lifeguard chairs ($5,849.31) for Homewood Park Pool.
• Innovation, Performance, Asset Management, and Technology: Scheduling software for the Bureau of EMS ($135,606.99 over 3 years).
• Intergovernmental & Educational Affairs: Winter Maintenance Services agreement with PennDOT ($5,094,919.20 over 5 years).