[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6268117,"mediaKeyId","3058613-f3acc1b33e122278943080ec760ddcfa","parentId",3058613,"title","Votes at a glance: Erie council approves multiple appropriations, bond guarantee and study referendum","audioSeconds",268,"startMs",2462000,"endMs",2730000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3058613-f3acc1b33e122278943080ec760ddcfa&start=2462&end=2730","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3058613-f3acc1b33e122278943080ec760ddcfa/thumbnail_2462000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6268117/Erie/Erie-County/Pennsylvania/Votes-at-a-glance-Erie-council-approves-multiple-appropriations-bond-guarantee-and-study-referendum","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268117-3c7bdbdee3dd60d05283edf8e5eca88f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171750&Signature=KvNMIYyrZZ7Q~6kJYDjbkr3NB7y0ax-mt3bLaI-wc1TPlwaTRJlGnK9hbwXbM4y8fMvw94fbhex06nvobwdA6xWabkQDpTxynf3WxebxRAOj4WbUlibZRmR67r1OFwQlZLN4tAHJaHtf4y5yufOjq8pcYQA5Utf-gP5AiRaNPTugdh4HXLUY644VXrElldC-C6cvvMr7a3zDgyS7Efpm0Qs1J-uhs9TuCbJ0ctU9TjOWGxe08yhE3qDxqFkw4Dz4lbteXONx6OWp4przOhTo4NfvA6lByzSikXh3pRjKRuOduR24V3zOzrdBkuT7CkreBx6IkbdKMj7aPsiaXptUeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Erie, PA","date","2025-04-17T15:51:41Z","article","City Council on Wednesday passed a package of ordinances and adopted several others on first reading during a single meeting session.

Final passage items (approved by recorded roll call) included the following (members voting yes in each recorded roll call: Brzezinski, Flores, Shoff, Troop and Titus):

- Official File Ordinance 21‑20‑25 (Council File 16‑5‑10): Appropriates $5,000,000 from unappropriated and unanticipated revenue for upgrades to the Experience Children’s Museum facility to be completed by a subgrantee; funding described in the record as pass‑through from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). Sponsor: Council Member Titus. Outcome: Passed, yeas 5, nays 0.

- Official File Ordinance 22‑20‑25 (Council File 16‑5‑11): Appropriates $80,000 from the enterprise revolving loan fund for utilization and the flagship Commodore project. Sponsor: Council Member Titus. Outcome: Passed, yeas 5, nays 0.

- Official File Ordinance 23‑20‑25 (Council File 16‑5‑12): Authorizes lease rental debt evidenced by a guaranteed revenue bond in a maximum principal amount of $3,233,574 for construction and improvements to public water distribution facilities, including customer‑side galvanized service line replacement; identifies the Erie City Water Authority and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority in connection with the guarantee and sinking fund arrangements. Sponsor: Council Member Brzezinski. Outcome: Passed, yeas 5, nays 0.

- Official File Ordinance 24‑20‑25 (Council File 16‑5‑13): Appropriates $400,000 from unappropriated fund balance in the Liquid Fuels Fund for 2025 street paving. Sponsor: Council Member Brzezinski. Outcome: Passed, yeas 5, nays 0.

- Official File Ordinance 25‑20‑25 (Council File 16‑5‑14): Appropriates $400,000 from unappropriated fund balance in the Paving and Sewer Revenue Fund for 2025 street paving. Sponsor: Council Member Brzezinski. Outcome: Passed, yeas 5, nays 0.

- Official File Ordinance 26‑20‑25 (Council File 16‑5‑15): Adds subsection 101(c) authorizing a referendum to study the existing form of government and the advisability of adopting a home‑rule charter for the City of Erie. Sponsor: Council Member Titus. Outcome: Passed, yeas 5, nays 0.

- Official File Ordinance 27‑20‑25 (Council File 16‑5‑16): Amends codified ordinances (Article 951, residential refuse) to modify fees for properties with excessive garbage or waste and to enhance health, safety and quality of residential housing. Sponsor: Council Member Titus. Outcome: Passed, yeas 5, nays 0.

- Official File Ordinance 28‑20‑25 (Council File 16‑5‑17): Appropriates $100,000 in unappropriated and anticipated revenue for purchase of LED lighting upgrades. Sponsor: Council Member Brzezinski. Outcome: Passed, yeas 5, nays 0.

The council also read and adopted several ordinances on first reading (no final passage recorded for these items):

- Council File 16‑5‑18: Appropriating $442,377.30 from sewer fund balance for ongoing sewer projects; adopted on first reading. Sponsor: Council Member Titus.

- Council File 16‑5‑19: Appropriating $137,600 from unappropriated and unanticipated revenue for two traffic investigation vehicles; related to a Pennsylvania DCED grant (C000090421); adopted on first reading. Sponsor: Council Member Schaff.

- Council File 16‑5‑20: Appropriating $355,300 from unappropriated fund balance for unexpected expenses; adopted on first reading. Sponsor: Council Member Titus.

- Council File 16‑5‑21: Amendments to the firefighters pension fund to comply with a recent Act 111 award; adopted on first reading and recorded as passed in the council record. Sponsor: Council Member Schoch.

Several of these items carried short explanatory remarks on purpose and funding sources during the meeting; most were adopted with unanimous recorded votes of the five members present. No amendments were recorded during the final‑passage roll calls shown in the meeting transcript.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting - April 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City Council passed multiple ordinances Wednesday, including appropriations for museum upgrades, streets paving, a water‑system bond guarantee, LED upgrades and a referendum to study a home‑rule charter. Several other ordinances were adopted on first reading.","taxTitle","Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania","taxId",2967,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6268124,"Council advances amendment to tenant bill of rights to require two‑page notice at lease signing",2648,522000,3170000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3058613-f3acc1b33e122278943080ec760ddcfa&start=522&end=3170","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3058613-f3acc1b33e122278943080ec760ddcfa/thumbnail_522000.jpg","/articles/6268124/Erie/Erie-County/Pennsylvania/Council-advances-amendment-to-tenant-bill-of-rights-to-require-twopage-notice-at-lease-signing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268124-05667535124065e6411680fbcd4cfeae/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171750&Signature=a01MkU-YknQTj4c3wj4Hg5hoRdlckw6Sw3KQSujWwRzr3AEm4m3wB-oMEZOoca8SyK0ZIhPLq1axpupagSU3cG-S1BeB71Io3Wi~D2JfRqfDpKn9RgcCuQW7tBhInS-PI3TcUgzsXFnMUAe0QV0C7RUj5TyqfI2rz6o9jFwtBLzwpi3taAEhJd46NJXG2fribdOhdYcnyTO6S1y6oDKRonkglQvt7VVh60KOVRIVzP5f1QXIbytwtbcp8qW164YILwpNt7fvq-~0qQc5vMVMCuFzwb9ILO~f8WAl15YT3VY-xv6Pn7nDgWTf5OcLBzbxP6LIU-HxUTsFuWzwR3c8Cw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Erie City Council on Wednesday adopted on first reading an amendment to the city's tenant bill of rights that would require landlords to give renters a two‑page tenant‑rights notice at lease signing rather than a full printout of the entire section of the city code.

Susanna Faulkner, an Erie resident and housing advocate, told the council the amendment corrects a \"clerical error\" and restores the ordinance's original intent: that landlords provide a concise two‑page tenant bill of rights at lease signing instead of printing the longer text of section 3‑54 of the city code.

\"This amendment is a simple change that just specifies in the tenant bill of rights that instead of having to print out all 20 pages of section 354 of our local code, landlords at lease signings only need to print out the 2 pages of the tenant bill of rights,\" Faulkner said, adding the change followed \"months of conversations\" among advocates, city staff and landlord groups.

Faulkner also urged the council to move swiftly and to consider broader local housing protections in light of changes at the federal level she said have weakened fair‑housing enforcement and housing assistance.

Council read and adopted council file ordinance 16‑5‑22 on first reading; the motion was sponsored by Council Member Titus and seconded by Council Member Flores. The roll call for the first reading was recorded as Brzezinski, Flores, Shoff, Troop and Titus voting in favor.

Faulkner asked the council not to delay the amendment, saying the change will help implement the tenant bill of rights more effectively at the local level.

","A local amendment to the tenant bill of rights that would require landlords to provide a two‑page summary at lease signing received public support and was adopted on first reading by the council.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6268128,"Residents press Erie council for clarity on police cooperation with immigration authorities; mayor says city policy does not target residents",712,395000,1107000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3058613-f3acc1b33e122278943080ec760ddcfa&start=395&end=1107","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3058613-f3acc1b33e122278943080ec760ddcfa/thumbnail_395000.jpg","/articles/6268128/Erie/Erie-County/Pennsylvania/Residents-press-Erie-council-for-clarity-on-police-cooperation-with-immigration-authorities-mayor-says-city-policy-does-not-target-residents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268128-45b0ad802d8a11ccf374f16741c39bf0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171750&Signature=dRU4g9w0oITKr~Z5AOZIPo3aEgLcZ85XOQcT286WJZaUY2Hz9l4ExXG4UWFHMxBgRflnzd7JeOVA8NmSNwoCPg5j~eVlQcJRJvQfzbiIF~Z99fEXi42kpFfCrZFKsBl8933tQLL693H77d8uyczBnwzPhjdll0T5Vsz5GqKdns5Fp~NXVZ1x7JoL70CozaLrt6tbLO5g-5FxiflhCo0cBzNup0FbAbY7DNlcmkwAnpM105KZYCyDSwDjwuOUmNaWTlCTwLx-AiyIvD9SsInw1W93DX2jdIo8cwXd-8c3Xs5K1vfwGJAXE-U3ufkTTpJwfenjFfN78qjHBkbw6fUR4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of residents pressed the Erie City Council Wednesday to clarify whether the Erie Police Department is cooperating with federal immigration enforcement after several speakers described recent traffic stops and a rapid arrival of Border Patrol agents.

The issue drew repeated public comments during the council’s public-comment period, with residents saying the incidents have created fear among immigrant and new‑American communities. Council and the mayor responded by saying the administration does not expect police to target people based on immigration status and asked for reports the city can investigate.

The callers described one incident in which they said Border Patrol arrived within minutes after a stop. \"There is a video I can show you,\" resident Carlos Morales said, and he described a stop he said occurred on Perez Street that ended with Border Patrol taking a man named Rene into custody. \"To my knowledge, Erie is a sanctuary city. So why is this happening?\" Morales asked.

An eyewitness who identified himself as Kevin told the council he saw the stop and that a man who had been near the scene later drove away in the stopped driver’s car. \"ICE pulls up 2 minutes later. Like, is this set up?\" Kevin said.

Other speakers framed the issue as part of a broader national shift they see as hostile to immigrants. \"This is a critical juncture in the fate of our democracy; you all need to do more,\" said Cole Shemley, a resident.

Resident Emerson Bannon asked the council to develop \"a whole Erie strategy\" to protect immigrants, noting reports of Gannon University students having visas revoked and urging the city to act locally to safeguard residents.

Councilperson Shaw told the meeting she counted about 10 people who spoke on immigration and said the city should respond to that community concern.

Mayor (name not specified in the record) addressed those concerns during the meeting and said the administration’s expectation and policy is that Erie officers should not take enforcement action based on a person’s national origin alone. \"We don't expect anything illegal or, you know, aggressive to be done,\" the mayor said, adding he had discussed the matter with the police chief and would follow up on specific allegations. He asked residents who believe they have examples to bring them forward so the chief (identified in the discussion as Chief Spazarni) could review them.

Council members and speakers noted the wider impact of the reports: residents said some families were afraid to leave home, students worried about deportation, and routine errands — shopping, school runs — were being affected.

The council did not take formal action at the meeting to change police policy or pass new ordinances. Instead, the mayor asked for specific instances to investigate and the council signaled interest in clarifying expectations publicly so residents know what the city’s policy is and how to report potential misconduct.

Looking ahead, several speakers said they want the council and mayor to be explicit about what the policy is and to pursue changes if the police are found to be cooperating with immigration enforcement in ways that contradict local commitments. The mayor said he would speak with the police chief and review any examples brought to his attention.

","Multiple residents urged the City of Erie to clarify whether local police cooperate with federal immigration authorities after several public commenters described recent stops and arrests. Mayor said the city does not target people for immigration status and asked for evidence to investigate.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Erie council approves multiple appropriations, bond guarantee and study referendum

Council advances amendment to tenant bill of rights to require two‑page notice at lease signing

Residents press Erie council for clarity on police cooperation with immigration authorities; mayor says city policy does not target residents