Governing Body
City Council · Pittsburgh, PA
City Council
Next year, local startups plan to search rivers with underwater robots and find heat loss in buildings for the city. Four startups in the city's PGH Lab program will each get $25,000 for a six-to-nine-month contract. Other projects aim to expand the city's AI use and create 3D maps. A program manager said adding the stipend last year increased applicants by 78%.
City Council
Money for affordable housing could take a hit as council looks to cut $30 million from the mayor's 2026 budget. That could include the Urban Redevelopment Authority's proposed $10 million for its Housing Opportunity Fund. Council members strongly support the fund, which helps build and preserve affordable housing. For now, council is holding the bill for two weeks.
City Council
Some city employees may get their bus passes paid for under a proposed one-year pilot. Only full-time employees under 65 who work Downtown would qualify, with the city paying $28 a month per pass. The finance chief estimated it would cost about $275,000 for 750 workers. Next, the passes will go on council's legislative agenda.
City Council
The city needs $400,000 to cover six months of vehicle repairs it didn't expect. It can't do the repairs in-house because the vehicles are modified for Pittsburgh's narrow roads and terrain. Council has placed the request on its legislative agenda. A fleet manager said expected savings on fuel and fees will cover the cost.
City Council
The city doesn't fund the fire bureau's effort to give residents free smoke detectors. On Nov. 20, the fire chief said there's a backlog of 1,000 requests. Even so, his $20,000 request for detectors was denied in the preliminary budget. Like other public safety departments, the bureau also has too much overtime pay.
City Council
Since Nov. 17, residents can request a crisis team through 911. Under a new model, social workers from the Office of Community Health and Safety ride in pairs without police. Their response time averages 10 minutes, about the same as EMS, an assistant public safety director said. For now, though, the teams work only during weekday business hours.
City Council
The city's emergency medical services bureau has 15 paramedic vacancies. On Nov. 20, its chief said she hopes the city will someday open an in-house paramedic academy. However, the 2026 preliminary budget can't cover such a program. A deputy chief said the bureau has also spent $7.2 million on overtime this year, twice what was budgeted.
City Council
This year, the city approved police drone use in the field, and the bureau has now bought nine. The acting chief said they'll help officers gauge incidents, aid search and rescue, and document crime scenes. The money came from a trust fund that can only be used for unique purchases. Meanwhile, the mounted unit has eight new part-time riders.
City Council
Council's budget director said the city can't afford its $13 million Pittsburgh Water bill. Until last year, swapped services offset the cost, the authority's chief executive said. This year, the city is being charged the full retail rate for the first time. Next year's preliminary budget sets aside $8.5 million, short of the projected $10 million cost.
City Council
Roofs and heating and cooling systems at some recreation facilities, fire stations, and EMS headquarters are in critical or failing condition. On Nov. 19, public works officials told council the repairs need a little over $4.5 million. However, the proposed capital budget includes no money for them. For now, an assistant director said, the department has to wait until something fails.
City Council
For $1, Pittsburgh Water is ready to buy the city's water and sewer systems. That option came with the 1995 lease, so council can't block the sale. The deputy mayor said the bill of sale includes a charter amendment restricting any private sale. Council agreed to take up the bill at a legislative session.
City Council
Old paint, electronics, and household chemicals should be easier to get rid of next year. Council has moved forward with a recycling contract with Noble Environmental Specialty Recycling. It includes twice weekly drop-off hours at five neighborhood centers and curbside pickup on request, both for a fee. The one-year deal costs $571,250, but Noble hasn't released its fee scale yet.
City Council
Street vendors are a step closer to selling on city sidewalks. After a two-week hold, council members added limits, including keeping vendors 150 feet from competing storefront businesses. The bill also allows vending in parks, though specific spots will need a separate public process. Next week, council will take a final vote.
City Council
Organics like food scraps and yard waste made up 24-28% of the county's municipal solid waste, a 2022 study found. Soon, three city departments will start phase two of a community composting pilot. It'll explore collection options, like curbside pickup on request or farmers market drop-offs. Still, a city official said the city can't afford pickup at every home.
City Council
City police still hand-write traffic tickets, and a police commander said manual entry causes a lot of errors. So the Department of Public Safety has asked council to let it use free ticketing software from state police. He said it would also ease reporting of traffic stop data, which a state law passed last year will require.
City Council
Every year, the city's 311 line gets 6,000 litter complaints. On Oct. 28, public works staff told council the problem keeps getting messier despite cleanups. The director estimated that handing out trash cans with tight lids would cost $8 to $9 million. Meanwhile, the Clean Pittsburgh Commission recommended public education about litter and a staff member to coordinate volunteers.
City Council
Illegal dumpers target vacant properties, alleyways, and hillsides, leaving items like construction debris. Now, Allegheny CleanWays has agreed to lend the Department of Public Works surveillance cameras at no cost. An enforcement team will place the cameras and share data with law enforcement. Other terms aren't set yet, though the public works director said the deal will likely cover two years.
City Council
Pittsburgh has more stairs than any other city in the country, with 45,000 steps in all. This week, the mobility and infrastructure department requested $705,180 for final designs on the next set of repairs. That brings total design costs to nearly $1.4 million. Construction will begin next year, the acting director said.
City Council
Social service and community groups across the city are set to receive more than $4 million in block grant money. Council takes a final vote next week. However, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank's share won't arrive before federal food assistance funding expires Nov. 1. So far, neither the legislation nor council members have said when the money will be released.
City Council
Small vendors might get to sell on sidewalks and in parking spaces, if they pay the meter. City departments have now proposed looser rules, including a $135 annual permit to sell on private property. Some council members, however, said they didn't want the change to hurt storefront businesses. For now, the bill is on hold in committee for two more weeks.