Topic
City Council
Pittsburgh's EMS fleet is in line for $10 million from UPMC and a $1 million state grant. Next week, council plans a final vote to accept the money. Chief of Staff Dan Gilman estimated the city can buy eight or nine more ambulances and a rescue unit. Still, he said the one-time gift is separate from talks on longer-term partnerships.
City Council
The money set aside for the city's unpaid water bill has come up $1 million short. On Feb. 4, the budget director said only $6 million of the $7 million council approved last year is available. The city still owes the missing $1 million, he said. Next week, council is expected to amend the transfer amount.
City Council
The city is adding snow removal vehicles after 37 plows broke down in one night. On Feb. 4, council gave preliminary approval to a $2 million PNC Foundation gift covering 15 of them. With other funds and retrofitted trucks, the city will have 70 snow vehicles. The mayor's chief of staff said they won't be ready this winter, though they should arrive by next winter.
City Council
When ambulances and snowplows sit in the shop, residents' safety suffers, city officials have warned. Now a council member has proposed a vehicle fund, with a goal of at least $20 million a year from 2027. The aim is to keep 70% of the fleet young enough that major repairs aren't expected. But council has held the bill for four weeks.
City Council
The Stop the Violence Fund drew scrutiny earlier this year for its $15 million balance. On Dec. 16, council's president proposed cutting the city's 2026 contribution in half, sending $4 million to the city's vehicle fleet. He said there'd still be enough money to continue all services. Contributions would resume with the 2027 budget.
City Council
The city's primary salt storage building is beyond repair, a public works official told council Dec. 10. Public works has requested $6.9 million to tear it down and build a new one. But a council member questioned the cost, noting the county built a comparable facility for $1.4 million. For now, council will hold the request for one week.
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
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
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
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
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
Some of the city's electric bills went unpaid, a Public Works audit found. Now, council has agreed to pay off the debt, which the department negotiated down to $204,750. A department official said the city hasn't had a utilities manager since 2012. He said procurement card payments could make the city eligible for an $11 to $15 million rebate.
City Council
Brookline Memorial Park's busy playground has broken equipment, some of it roped off, a council member said. Now, he wants to spend $415,000 in interest savings on playground upgrades and a garbage truck. Still, a 2023 controller's analysis ranked the park near the bottom of the priority list. Another council member said her district needs playground upgrades too.
City Council
To replace its older, high-mileage vehicles, the city would need about $22 million a year, according to its fleet manager. An Oct. 15 report, the first of its kind, found police, EMS, and trash vehicles are the most overused. The fleet manager recommended speeding up their replacement. Council's budget director suggested a dedicated fleet fund, but council didn't plan any immediate action.
City Council
An overlooked liquid fuels trust fund has money that could go toward new snowplows. A council member proposed moving $750,000 from that fund to the Equipment Leasing Authority. She said that should cover four new plows. Council moved the bill forward on a seven to two vote.
City Council
Snow removal is a long-standing frustration across the city. On Oct. 8, a council member proposed exploring a services swap so Munhall could help plow three harder-to-serve neighborhoods. Another member said the plan threatened the jobs of union workers who plow city streets. In the end, a majority voted against advancing it.
City Council
Some city residents went nine days without power after the April 29 storm. Five months later, a Duquesne Light official told council the storm did more damage than the company usually sees in a year. The company will invest $2.7 billion over five years, he added. Still, a state utility commission official said burying most city power lines won't be feasible.
City Council
Sidewalk and bus stop repairs, plus new crosswalks, are part of a mobility plan for the West End, Esplen, Elliott, and Sheraden. The county's redevelopment authority has added another $100,000, doubling its contribution to $200,000. City officials hope the work also draws people to the area's under-used business district. A council member said residents still oppose rezoning but favor this plan.