School violence prevention funded, Hill District seniors get new home, and fleet repairs keep climbing

Top Agenda Items

• $250,000 allotted for violence prevention in six high schools this fall
• Macedonia FACE will provide senior meals and programs to Ammon Recreation Center
• Vehicle repair bills on track to reach $5.3 million this year

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$250,000 allotted for violence prevention in six high schools this fall 🔗

Violence prevention and intervention services will continue at six Pittsburgh Public high schools this fall.

Pittsburgh City Council voted during its July 1 committee meeting to move forward with a one-year, $250,000 agreement with Operation Better Block. 

The Homewood-based nonprofit runs the Safe Passages Youth Violence Prevention Program, which began in 2021 with a $3 million state grant. It uses a violence-as-disease public health model to holistically address youth violence.

Operation Better Block trains student ambassadors in peer-based violence interruption techniques to use in and out of school. They receive a $200-per-month stipend from the organization.

Cornell Jones, assistant director for community affairs, said 64 students participated in the program last year. “We’re actually tapping into their genius,” he said. “[They’re] able to give us information that helps us to be able to be more effective in what we’re doing community-wise.”

The school district has not yet authorized funding to continue the program now that the state grant is complete.

“We do need Pittsburgh Public Schools to participate,” said Council President R. Daniel Lavelle of the Upper Hill District. “It’s not sustainable if the city has to pick up that entire tab to maintain the program moving forward.”

Council Member Khari Mosley of Point Breeze North said that youth violence isn’t limited to just school or the city. “I think this is a step of us understanding the importance of our role in ensuring public safety,” he said.

Lavelle said the money from the city should cover the program for about six months.

Macedonia FACE will provide senior meals and programs to Ammon Recreation Center 🔗

Free recreation center space will mean continued senior services for the Hill District.

Macedonia Family and Community Enrichment Center (FACE), which had previously been providing senior services at the Thelma Lovette YMCA, received preliminary approval to continue its work at the Ammon Recreation Center during council’s July 1 committee meeting

The nonprofit organization primarily works with individuals and families in the Hill District, where Ammon is located. Its senior services include group programming, congregate meals and supportive services. The agreement means FACE will not have to pay for the use of the building.

“[It] benefits all of us, because there’s not a senior center around there,” said Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation Louann Horan. She added that it is standard practice to allow free recreation center use for city partners.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 15.6% of Pittsburghers are 65 or older.

The city operates 12 of its own senior centers with services similar to Macedonia FACE. 

“Our Department of Parks and Rec. does an outstanding job of providing these services, if you have a location in your neighborhood, but if you don’t, then you don’t get these services,” said Council Member Barb Warwick of Greenfield. “We need to start getting more creative and increase the funding, so that we can expand our services really to everybody in the city.”

Vehicle repair bills on track to reach $5.3 million this year 🔗 🔗

The repair budget for the city’s aging vehicle fleet is breaking down as quickly as its trucks.

The 2026 budget included $3.9 million for unexpected repairs. Branwyn Turnage, acting fleet manager, said during the July 1 committee meeting, “We are averaging close to around $440,000 a month.” If that rate of spending continues, unexpected vehicle repairs will cost the city almost $5.3 million by the end of the year.

Turnage said that increase may slow down soon.

Last week, Mayor Corey O’Connor announced a five-year, $55 million partnership with Highmark and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to assist with the fleet. Last year, council authorized $20 million — a $10 million increase — for the fleet budget.

“It has been a very busy purchasing year,” said Turnage. “Having that new fleet in place is really going to hopefully see those prices decline.”

Council Member Barb Warwick of Greenfield said that recently collected wish lists from departments across the city, which included almost 160 replacement and additional vehicles, totaled $62 million. 

Turnage said the department pared that down to a $15 million request for next year’s preliminary budget. 

Council also moved forward with a request for the Office of Community Health and Safety to purchase a wheelchair van, to allow outreach workers to help disabled residents.