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  • City Council

    Beltzhoover rec center next in line for Stop the Violence funds.

    Violence prevention money could pay for programs at another rec center. Council advanced a request for $200,000 from the Stop the Violence fund for McKinley Recreation Center in Beltzhoover. On July 28, a similar request for Glen Hazel's rec center won final approval. The council president has backed these requests, but he said rec centers don't attract the youth most at risk of gun violence.

    Survey

    Thinking about the young people in your neighborhood, what would most help keep them safe and supported?

  • School Board

    Board approves the student code of conduct after a bid to delay it fails.

    The public has traditionally had 30 days to review the district's student code of conduct, a board member said. This time, a bid to delay the vote for public comment failed, and the board approved the new code 5-3. Before the vote, the superintendent said the code isn't technically a policy, and a delay could hold up translation.

    Survey

    Should the school board give the public a set period to review and comment on major documents like the code of conduct, even if they’re not official district policies?

  • School Board

    Community members ask the school board to advocate for more family housing.

    Several speakers told the school board the district can't stabilize unless the city addresses why families are leaving. At a June 22 hearing, they urged the board to advocate for family-sized housing. The board doesn't set housing policy, but it's one of three local bodies that set real estate taxes. One speaker objected to any school tax money going to the proposed Downtown TRID.

    Survey

    How should the school board promote family- and child-friendly housing? (Select all that apply)

  • School Board

    Families speak out against the school board’s decision to move forward with the Future Ready plan.

    The school board's May vote to close up to 12 schools didn't end families' opposition. At a June 22 hearing, speakers faulted the Future Ready plan and the conduct of board members who approved it. Several said a board member laughed at a parent in May. That parent said trust has been broken, noting half the board faces reelection next year.

    Survey

    Which steps would most help to build trust and keep families involved as the district carries out the next stages of the Future Ready plan? (Select all that apply)

  • City Council

    Controller Heisler urges caution, citing $44.7 million deficit.

    Pittsburgh ran a $44.7 million deficit in 2025 and expects another this year. Three years of deficits would put city finances under state control. This week, the controller emailed council arguing against the proposed Downtown TRID, citing that financial strain. She warned the city could owe over $3 million in 2027 without money set aside for early debt payments.

    Survey

    The city should avoid committing future tax revenue to development projects, like the Downtown TRID, until Pittsburgh ends its yearly deficits.

  • City Council

    Two hours of comment, 40 speakers, and almost no support for the Downtown TRID.

    Forty people addressed council about the Downtown TRID, and nearly all were opposed. Critics objected to 80% of the money going to developers and to vague plans for public infrastructure. Many also called the process rushed and opaque. In their own discussion, council members later turned to one speaker, a cleaner recently laid off after nearly 40 years.

    Survey

    Council should approve the Downtown TRID as it’s currently written.

  • City Council

    Downtown TRID amendment would guard service workers from layoffs but require them to give up the right to strike.

    Custodians, security officers, and maintenance workers in Downtown buildings could gain job protections under the proposed TRID. Changes made after a June 3 committee meeting require a prevailing wage and union contracts. However, those contracts must bar strikes and picketing until financial recovery is complete. Council voted 6-3 to move the TRID forward, and a final vote is set for next week.

    Survey

    Requiring workers to agree not to strike or picket is a reasonable condition for receiving job protections.

  • City Council

    URA says the TRID can turn around an $813 million drop in Downtown property values.

    Downtown property values have fallen $813 million since 2024, the Urban Redevelopment Authority said. On July 22, it pitched council on the Downtown TRID to turn that around. Under the plan, 80% of the money would go to developers and 20% to unspecified public infrastructure. Still, transit got little attention, and one council member called any public benefit murky.

    Survey

    Which features of a Downtown investment plan would give you more confidence that it will help Downtown and the people who live and work there? (Select all that apply)

  • City Council

    Painting the pavement at a busy Larimer intersection could make crossing safer.

    The intersection of Larimer Avenue and Meadow Street sees heavy traffic. On July 15, council advanced an agreement letting a community group install a street mural there. Such murals are meant to calm traffic, and a 2022 study found intersections with art saw 50% fewer crashes involving pedestrians.

    Survey

    Thinking about where you live and travel in the city, how often do you feel unsafe crossing the street or walking near traffic?

  • City Council

    Suburban EMS crews billed $27,000 for the NFL Draft.

    EMS crews from nearby municipalities helped cover April's NFL Draft, and those towns billed Pittsburgh about $27,000. Now, council has approved those bills along with six other invoices. The budget director assumed a $2 million VisitPittsburgh grant would cover them but couldn't confirm it. For now, the controller is preparing a report on the draft's impact, a council member said.

    Survey

    Thinking about the big events Pittsburgh hosts, like the NFL Draft or large concerts. In your own experience, how do they usually affect you?

  • County Council

    Warden Wingard resigns after 18 months at the county jail.

    Allegheny County Jail Warden Trevor Wingard leaves at the end of July after 18 months. Now, it's up to the county executive and the Jail Oversight Board to find his replacement. The county executive will name an interim warden before he leaves. A search for a permanent warden begins within a few months, a council member said.

    Survey

    As the county searches for a new jail warden, what should matter most in the person they hire?

  • County Council

    County awarded grant to pay for alternatives to incarceration.

    Allegheny County has been awarded $2.15 million in state money for alternatives to incarceration. On July 9, a council committee voted to move forward with accepting it. The grant would pay for two probation officers, a hearing officer, staff training, and equipment. Council's final vote is set for July 14.

    Survey

    Which programs are a priority for the county to fund as alternatives to relying on jails?

  • County Council

    Council Member Botta pitches Allegheny One, a single online home for public services.

    Paying taxes, buying pool passes, and requesting public records each take a separate login in Allegheny County. On July 9, a council committee advanced a non-binding resolution calling for a study of one online system for county services. If council passes it on July 14, three county departments would have 180 days to report back.

    Survey

    Which county services would you most want to handle through a single online account?

  • City Council

    A $58,283 bill in overlooked interest is all that's left to own 2,000 Dell devices.

    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.

    Survey

    When it comes to technical work like running its computer network, what should the city aim for?

  • City Council

    Glen Hazel families turn out to back afterschool programs at Burgwin Recreation Center.

    Right now, Saundra and James Cole run children's activities at Glen Hazel's Burgwin Recreation Center, but that's no longer sustainable. On July 8, 16 residents, including six children, came to council to back funding programs there. The area's council member argued the Stop the Violence fund should pay. Council held the bill two weeks to give the mayor time to work toward a solution.

    Survey

    Where should the city get the money to keep afterschool programs running at rec centers like Glen Hazel's?

  • County Council

    Unvetted board appointments and $3 billion budget drive argument for more council staff.

    Allegheny County Council doesn't vet appointees to county boards and authorities, one council member said. On June 23, some members said council needs more than its three shared staff members. Council then voted 9-6 to ask voters in November to remove its budget cap. Still, another member said staff told him nothing needed doing that wasn't being done.

    Survey

    County Council currently doesn't review who gets appointed to the county's boards and authorities. Would you like to see them overhaul this process?

  • County Council

    A resolution backs Magee-Womens nurses as a July 4 contract deadline nears.

    Almost 900 nurses and advanced practitioners at Magee-Womens Hospital have bargained for their first union contract since January. On June 23, ten county council members introduced a resolution backing them. It says the county's relationship with UPMC depends on UPMC being a fair employer. Union members planned to vote on legal action if there was no contract by July 4.

    Survey

    Should the county factor a large employer's treatment of its workers into its own dealings and contracts with that employer?

  • County Council

    Residents make the case for 18 weeks of paid parental leave.

    Allegheny County employers of all sizes could have to provide 18 weeks of paid parental leave. In May, the county board of health advanced the measure. On June 25, four community members spoke to a council committee about paid leave, or the lack of it. A council member said the board could vote in September at the earliest, and approval would send it to council.

    Survey

    Which best describes your view on the county requiring employers to provide 18 weeks of paid parental leave?

  • City Council

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

    Seniors in the Hill District don't have a senior center nearby, a city parks official said. On July 1, council gave preliminary approval for Macedonia FACE to run meals and programs at the Ammon Recreation Center rent-free. The nonprofit previously offered senior services at the Thelma Lovette YMCA. A council member also said residents without a nearby city senior center miss out.

    Survey

    Which senior services would be most useful in your neighborhood?

  • City Council

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

    Student ambassadors in six Pittsburgh public high schools work to interrupt violence, but the program's state grant has ended. On July 1, council agreed to move forward with a $250,000 deal to keep it going this fall. The council president said that should cover about six months. Still, the school district hasn't authorized money to continue it.

    Survey

    The city should keep funding Safe Passages even if Pittsburgh Public Schools does not help pay for it.