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City Council
The $20 million donation from Highmark Health will cover purchasing 13 new fire trucks. Because the donation will be split over five years, the Equipment Leasing Authority requested council’s approval to enter into a financing agreement for the trucks. Buying them all at one time allows for a price discount, though the city will have to pay a little more than $2 million in interest on the financing.
City Council
Council may track how developers use the affordable housing bonus available in the new zoning code. Proposed legislation would require the Department of City Planning to send a semiannual report to council. The department will also issue any recommendations for changes to the program in two years.
City Council
A proposed unearned income tax could raise $51 million a year for the city. Council members disagree on how to keep the city afloat during a difficult financial period. If passed, Pittsburgh would be the first municipality to enact such a tax. Council sent the bill to a public hearing.
County Council
Council also amended its 2021 Paid Sick Leave Act. Employers with 15 or more employees must provide one hour of paid sick time off for every 30 hours worked for up to 72 paid hours per year. Employers with fewer than 15 employees are required to provide the same with a cap at 48 paid hours per year.
County Council
Forty-nine people spoke during public comment with 43 being in favor of paid leave. Many cited the need for birth mothers to physically heal and for both parents to bond with the baby. Some of those who spoke in favor recalled painful experiences during and after childbirth. Opponents cited financial concerns for small businesses.
County Council
Allegheny County Council voted 11-4 in favor of implementing paid parental leave. All businesses with 15 or more employees must provide 12 weeks’ paid parental leave following the birth, adoption, foster care placement or stillbirth of a child. Businesses have 180 days to implement the policy with a potential 180-day extension to account for differences in fiscal calendars.
City Council
Pittsburgh may reinstate side yard sales. The program allows residents to purchase abandoned lots adjacent to their homes at a reduced rate. Lot prices will increase to $1,500. An online calculator will show the total cost, which includes fees such as the deed transfer tax, which is based on the land’s assessed value.
City Council
The Food Justice Program selected 19 projects, spanning all nine council districts, to receive a portion of a $250,000 grant. The grants aim to bolster community organizations that address food insecurity and lack of access to fresh food through production or distribution. Federal funding cuts spur continued interest in investing in local food networks.
City Council
Pittsburgh City Council is considering a plan to codify a Dec. 20 deadline for passing the annual budget. The date gives the mayor 10 days to act with a one-day cushion for council to override a veto or for the budget to automatically become law if it remained unreturned. No one knows what happens if the budget isn’t passed by Dec. 31.
City Council
Today, the city can sign some big contracts without a council vote. That's how a $6.5 million deal with ShotSpotter went through last year. On Oct. 21, a bill requiring council approval for such multi-year contracts over $30,000 failed. It advanced, however, after the limit was raised to $1 million.
City Council
Young college graduates leave Pittsburgh for more diverse cities, a council member said. In a 5-4 vote on Oct. 21, council reversed course and advanced renewing the city's $50,000 yearly Vibrant Pgh membership. Last month, the committee had recommended against it. The council president said a diverse workforce is vital to the city's success.
City Council
New developments in Pittsburgh still have to meet parking requirements. On Oct. 21, council agreed to move forward with a zoning package that would drop them. It would also ease building backyard houses and basement or attic suites, and let developers build higher with affordable units. Council is expected to cast its final vote next week.
City Council
Early this year, the mayor ordered a review of the city's permitting process to make it more predictable and efficient. On Oct. 14, council held the first step at the administration's request. That bill fixes typos, simplifies height rules, and removes outdated sections of the zoning code. The council member who relayed the request didn't say why the administration wanted the hold.
City Council
Last November, council learned of $13 million in unaccounted-for city water bills. In April, it heard the city had pulled $10 million from two trust funds for general expenses. On Oct. 13, two council members introduced five finance reform bills to end such surprises. One would train members to read a budget, and another would put quarterly finance meetings into law.
City Council
City code requires council to hold a public hearing on replacing a missing Market Square marker about workplace accidents. On Oct. 13, council received a petition from 26 residents asking for that hearing. According to the marker's text, the research it honored led to workers' compensation laws. The hearing isn't scheduled yet, and it doesn't guarantee the marker will be replaced.
City Council
About a half mile of trees along the Ohio Riverfront Trail were cut down without permission. A city arborist said a neighboring property owner did it and dumped much of the wood into the river. On Oct. 7, council advanced paying for an independent tree count there. The city forester said that's needed to seek restitution.
City Council
The city wants 96 vendors on call through $340 million in service contracts. On Oct. 7, council advanced them, though they don't say which departments will use them or why. A budget staffer said she could provide those details, and a final vote is set for Oct. 13. However, extra details sent to council typically don't make the public record.
City Council
Right now, the city has no uniform way to weigh poor vendor work before renewing a contract. For example, a council member said one contractor installed the wrong door at the Oliver Bath House. Council advanced a no-cost agreement with a nonprofit to help build a review system for city vendors. A budget official said clear performance criteria would tell vendors what's expected.
County Council
Allegheny County's employee pension fund is nearly $1.5 billion short. A Sept. 3 court opinion said the governor and state lawmakers will likely need to give the county more funding tools. Then on Sept. 22, county council voted to ask the court to let its lawyer join the case as a neutral party. Next, the court will hold a hearing on that request.
County Council
Allegheny County hasn't reassessed property values since 2012. In August, a judge ordered the county to start reassessing by July 2027 and finish by 2032. On Sept. 14, a council committee heard the door-to-door work could cost $50 million and bring a wave of appeals. For now, it's holding a bill for regular reassessments until other lawsuits end.