Author
Stories by Amy Whipple
City Council
A proposed ordinance would keep vape shops at least 1,000 feet from Pittsburgh schools. On April 15, council advanced the bill to a public hearing that hasn't been scheduled yet. Following city planners' advice, it also dropped daycares and religious institutions from the distance rules. A council aide said the original list would have effectively banned vape shops citywide.
City Council
Snow removal contractor A. Folino Construction still hasn't detailed its $481,320 bill to the city. On April 15, council put off approving the invoice for another week. A council member said the public should know what the bill covered, since it's one of the larger ones. The acting public works director said he'd seek details, but Folino hadn't responded.
City Council
The Bloomfield Pool, the city's second most used according to a council member, relies on a long-closed recreation center. A $400,000 federal grant to study the center expires June 30, and a bill would spend it on demolishing condemned houses. On April 15, council held that bill for a week. Meanwhile, a council member asked the budget office to look for longer-term funds.
City Council
Until now, the Pittsburgh Land Bank has sold properties one at a time, directly to owner-occupants. In a second pilot, it's looking to sell bundles to developers and contractors. The director said the land bank will try to favor buyers who commit to reselling to owner-occupants. Council advanced her request to acquire two bundles, in Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar and Homewood.
City Council
The city's healthcare trust fund is insolvent, the budget director said. Three months into his term, Mayor Corey O'Connor wants $28 million more in 2026 spending, partly to restore it. On April 8, council rejected a member's amendments to keep $4 million for new emergency medical vehicles. Next, a public hearing is set for Tuesday, with a final vote Wednesday.
City Council
After years of advocacy, neighbors on lower Dunmore Street in Lincoln-Lemington are set to get a new retaining wall. Council voted to proceed with $134,831 to remove and replace the collapsed wall. The mayor's office had called it private property, but WPXI found conflicting property records. The money comes from an East End development fund.
County Council
Allegheny County Council members, the sheriff, and other row officers have no term limits. On March 24, council amended a proposed November ballot question to give them the executive's limit of three straight terms. Two council members, however, want a public hearing before the final vote. The ordinance is back in committee for more discussion.
County Council
Allegheny County's ethics commission could only act when someone filed a complaint. Now council has sent the county executive an amended ethics code, its first overhaul in almost 20 years. A member who said the commission hadn't been functioning proposed an amendment letting it act on publicly identified issues. However, another member said the commission does function.
County Council
Allegheny County renters who organize or report housing problems are now protected from landlord retaliation. On March 24, council approved the ordinance, and it took effect when the county executive signed it March 27. Still, the county's housing standards code covers only lead and asbestos, under certain conditions. Next, a council member said she'll start the process of adding mold.
City Council
Gunfire from the police firing range can sound like warfare at a Highland Park playground, a council member said. On April 1, council advanced a plan to rotate the range, cutting decibel levels by up to 50%. She said residents have sought its removal for over 30 years. Still, the city hasn't found another site, though it'll keep looking.
City Council
Stories have been circulating about immigration agents detaining people in Pittsburgh. On April 1, council weighed writing into city code that city workers, including police, won't cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. That proposal faces a final vote next week. Meanwhile, two others would bar leasing or lending city property for enforcement staging, and they're on hold a week for legal review.
City Council
Residents may soon learn what surveillance technology Pittsburgh uses and what it can do. Now council has advanced a request for a city report on 18 types of tools, including license plate readers and biometric software. It would also cover data protection and how civil rights harms are prevented. The report is due July 1, with a public hearing to follow.
City Council
The Pittsburgh Land Bank's roughly 5,000 parcels are now mostly buildings instead of land, its director said. The Urban Redevelopment Authority has asked council for $157,175 to help pay land bank staff. She said the shift requires in-house experts to review structures and plan stabilization work. Next week, council is scheduled to vote on the request.
City Council
Between 60 and 90 explosive-detection dogs from 18 municipalities and agencies could be working the NFL Draft. On March 25, council agreed to bring them in, barring visiting municipalities from immigration enforcement while in the city. However, four participants are federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security. Council didn't discuss whether the city could enforce the amendment with them.
City Council
A 2024 review by police departments nationwide found a leadership issue in Pittsburgh's police bureau, a commander said. On March 25, council advanced a $20,000 state grant for leadership training. About 50 officers have been trained, but 200 hold supervisory roles, he said. The academy also trains county and Duquesne University police, and he hopes it'll turn a profit.
City Council
Pittsburgh police use license plate software that can track a car's travel history and routes. On March 18, a council member flagged an invoice for it, calling its data-sharing policy possibly too vague. That policy lets the city share data with outside agencies, which the administration told her excludes the federal government. Still, council approved paying the invoice.
City Council
During the late-January snowstorm, 37 city plows broke down in one night. On March 18, council put a proposed new-vehicle fund on hold for six more weeks. A council member sought the delay because the mayor plans to reopen the 2026 budget. Meanwhile, the city spends about $400,000 a month on repairs, a budget official said.
City Council
Council members say outreach for Pittsburgh's comprehensive plan has favored some neighborhoods over others. Now a $750,000 grant from The Heinz Endowments means the city won't have to cancel the plan. The mayor's chief of staff shared that concern and said the city plans one meeting per council district. The plan is projected to be done by summer's end.
County Council
Allegheny County shares homicide numbers with the public, but it doesn't publish data on non-fatal shootings. Its dashboard shows homicides fell almost 60% from 2024 to 2025. Council has now passed a resolution urging the state to put at least $80 million into violence prevention. It credits the state's program in part for fewer shootings and homicides.
County Council
On March 10, Allegheny County Council voted to bar county officials from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. It passed 11 to 3. The council president, whose son received a death threat that morning, said he abstained so threats couldn't be seen as a factor. From there, the ordinance went to the county executive for her signature.