Issue
Department restructuring, records, IT and 311 systems, and other internal operations.
City Council
The city's IT department is working to run Pittsburgh's computer network in-house. Now, council has agreed to move forward with a $95,440 one-year contract with an outside firm to help with that shift. Council also advanced a $58,283 interest payment the budget missed on a Dell lease-to-own deal. That would finish buying over 2,000 Dell devices.
City Council
City departments follow state records laws through only an informal system, a clerk's office manager said. On May 18, council gave preliminary approval to the office's request to formalize it. Each department would have to list its records and how long to keep them. A council member said poor records caused problems during the 2016 lead pipe crisis.
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
The city's switch to a new 311 system has drawn confusion and complaints. Now, the city plans to expand it to monitor social media and tie users to their comments. A council member said the city should get trash pickup right before adding capabilities like that. However, council doesn't get a vote on the expansion.
City Council
The Department of City Planning wants to apply for two $250,000 State grants to plan transit-oriented development. Council held the Sheraden Bus Station bill until after a public hearing, as Councilmember Kail-Smith requested. The South Hills Junction bill advanced, with her abstaining. She voiced frustration that City departments work with community groups without involving the relevant council member.
City Council
The City won't renew a contract for employee wellness programs, which an official said weren't as well used as hoped. It requested $80,540 to pay the rest of the contract, which began in 2018. However, the vaccine program will stay. Details of a new wellness program are coming later this year.
City Council
The City's own health department closed in 1957, when the Allegheny County Health Department was created. On June 10, a council member introduced a bill to bring it back. It would sit under Public Safety, led by the chief of building inspection, who could appoint a certified public health deputy. Next, a committee will discuss it at a future meeting.
City Council
Emerging AI threats are part of why the City wants outside advice on cybersecurity. To get it, council has recommended a three-year, $495,700 contract with Forrester Research. The firm would provide IT research and advice to keep the City current on best practices. Still, one council member worried about approving a large expense during financial uncertainty.