City Council
Bill to Allow Pollinator Gardens and Natural Landscapes Introduced.
Right now, city code bars native, pollinator, and rain gardens, along with any plant growth over 10 inches on residential properties. A new bill would exempt intentional plantings of native Pennsylvania plants. However, residents would have to register their gardens with the city before planting. A council committee will discuss the bill next week.
Written by Amy Whipple
- Bill would exempt intentional plantings of native Pennsylvania vegetation from code violations to enhance biodiversity and protect the City’s environment.
- The exemption covers:
- Native Gardens: A planned garden using plants that naturally grow in Pennsylvania and are suited to its climate and soil.
- Pollinator Gardens: A garden designed to attract and support pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds by offering food, water, and shelter.
- Rain Gardens: A shallow, landscaped area with native plants that captures and filters rainwater runoff.
- Current City Code prohibits these landscapes and all plant and weed growth over 10 inches on residential properties.
- Residents must register their gardens with the City before planting.
- Violations incur a $15-per-day fine.
- Bill will be discussed at next week’s Standing Committee meeting.
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City Council
Challenged Historic Designation for Former Gay Bar to Receive Public Hearing.
Donny's Place, a Polish Hill gay bar from 1972 to 2022, served as an AIDS-crisis outreach center. If approved, the site would become Pittsburgh's first LGBTQ+ historic landmark, and the nomination will get a public hearing. However, the Planning Commission voted against it, and the late owner's estate opposes it. For now, no hearing date has been set.
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$40,000 Contract with Law Firm for “Immigration Matters” Authorized.
Council discussed a $40,000 contract for immigration matters in an executive session closed to the public. It then authorized the deal with a global immigration law firm. The contract wasn't presented at a committee meeting before approval. Informup asked a council member's office and the firm for details, but neither had responded by publication.
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Council Reopens Discussion of the Process to Purchase City Property After a Rescinded Sale.
Buying property from the City usually takes 12 to 18 months, sometimes up to two years. A resident who bought a City house in 2022 asked to cancel the sale, saying it deteriorated during the process. A council member raised concerns about the long process and the lack of property stabilization. Council approved a refund of the buyer's deposit, but no next steps were proposed.
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Untested Sexual Assault Kits to Be Processed.
Police have identified untested sexual assault kits tied to backlogged cases. Now, council has unanimously advanced a request for $37,000 from a 2023 grant, mostly for detective overtime on those cases. The request also sets aside $1,000 for a soft interview room for victims. Still, the number of untested kits wasn't mentioned.
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Proposed July 2024 Contract for Shelter Services Held Another Five Weeks.
A $1.5 million shelter services contract with Auberle has sat in committee since July 2024. It's fully funded by a federal program meant to reduce homelessness. Now, a council member said a federal housing official has reviewed an updated proposal giving preference to homeless families. Still, the amendment process includes a public hearing that hasn't been scheduled.
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City Receives State Funds for New Lighting Along Penn Ave in East Liberty.
Penn Avenue in East Liberty is set to get 96 new LED streetlights, from the Target at Spirit Street to Negley Avenue. The city won state funds to install them. The upgrade adds to a citywide project replacing high-pressure sodium fixtures with LEDs. LED lights use less electricity and produce less light pollution.
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Council Seeks State Assistance in Eliminating the City’s Litter and Illegal Dumpsites.
Council members want State help to clear the City's litter and illegal dumpsites. That help could include borrowed equipment, contracts, and funding. Still, some members worried the request could distract from larger issues like the transit funding crisis. Meanwhile, a new City program that hires people leaving incarceration to pick up trash starts this weekend in Homewood.
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Mayor's Vision Zero Plan Appears on Track, Still Awaiting Traffic Fatality Data.
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14 Acre Bakery Square Expansion Moves Forward with Two Key Amendments Ready for Public Hearing.
Bakery Square's planned expansion in Larimer and East Liberty aims for 100 affordable homes for purchase. Under a deal with community groups, Walnut Capital would put in $6 million and commit to raising $19 million more. The Planning Commission got the changes in 2023 and sent back its recommendation this January. A 4 to 2 vote has now sent two bills to a public hearing.
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URA Reports to Council on 61 New and Renovated Affordable Units Created Through the 2023 Housing Bond.
A nearly $31.6 million housing bond from 2023 was meant to address the city's housing crisis. So far, the Urban Redevelopment Authority has used $3.25 million of it. Combined with other funding, that led to 61 preserved or newly affordable units. The council president has called for a follow-up meeting to dig into the report.
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County Officials Report on Winter Services for Unhoused People and Share Plans for the Rest of the Year.
In 2024, the county and its partners helped house about 1,700 people, including some couch surfing or living in cars. Efforts to address camps along riverfront trails and in the Business District have moved 75 people into shelters. The county expects to hit its goal of 500 affordable units in 500 days this October, the human services director said.
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Council to Approve Funding for Recruitment Video Aimed at Addressing Police Shortages.
Pittsburgh police are short on officers and looking for new ways to recruit. Now, the department has asked to spend $32,000 from a state grant on a recruitment video for social media and YouTube. It'd show officers in units such as K-9, SWAT, and River Patrol. Council was pleased to hear that more people are taking the civil service exam.
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Portable Restroom Back Payment Sparks Inquiries into the Prevalence of Closed Public Restrooms in City Parks.
The city has spent $219,000 on portable restrooms for parks without working permanent ones. Parks have 20 open public restrooms, but the public works director had no exact count of closed ones. Reopening them would take public approval and tax funding, the director said. Council members agreed there should be a plan to start tackling the long-standing issue.
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Open-Ended Professional Services Contracts Add 27 Unspecified New Vendors.
City departments can hire certain outside professionals for jobs estimated at $100,000 or less without a council vote on each one. Now, new legislation adds 27 vendors to that program, but it doesn't name them. Informup asked council for the list but hadn't heard back by publication. One council member worried the system could lead departments to overlook minority contractors.
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Councilperson Kail-Smith Leads Sweeping Post-Agenda Meeting on Zoning and Housing Issues Currently Before Council.
The more public interest an issue draws, the longer a bill takes to pass, a council staffer said. Council has weighed many zoning bills in the last 18 months, from community homes to parking. One member criticized people acting in bad faith, including a lawyer for non-residents with a stake in blocking changes. Others urged serving residents and working together.
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Council Approves Funding for Penn Ave From Evaline to Graham and Considers Accepting a Settlement from the Finland Street Pedestrian Bridge Lawsuit.
Penn Avenue between Evaline and Graham streets is set for a full rebuild, from sidewalks to traffic lights. Now, council has approved an amended state agreement raising the total cost to about $12.3 million. The city is responsible for 20% of that. Meanwhile, council put off a proposed settlement over the demolished Finland Street pedestrian bridge for two weeks.
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Council Debates Pros and Cons of the Longtime Owner Occupant Tax Exemption Program (LOOP), Details, and Timing.
Under a proposed program, eligible longtime homeowners whose taxes rose 50% after reassessment would pay only 25% more. For now, council is holding the bill until a public hearing, which isn't scheduled yet. One member worried about unknown financial effects while reassessment isn't imminent. But two others said passing it now could reassure older homeowners afraid of future tax increases.
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Council considering property tax exemptions for longtime residents.
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Concerns raised about diversity amid changes to the Housing Authority Board.
The Housing Authority's board sets policy for an agency serving over 20,000 residents. The mayor has named three new members and reappointed one, pending council interviews. One council member questioned dropping a West End member, citing his diversity as an immigrant, LGBTQ+ person, and veteran. All four are people of color, and the council president agreed to schedule a discussion.
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City to use state grants to improve intersection safety.
Two city intersections will get safety upgrades paid for by state grants. In North Oakland, Centre Avenue and North Dithridge Street will get a traffic light in place of a two-way stop. On the North Shore, East General Robinson and Sandusky streets will get a modernized traffic light. That project also includes a road diet meant to improve pedestrian safety.