Pittsburgh City Council: votes, appointments and routine measures from March 11 meeting

Pittsburgh City Council’s March 11 meeting included a batch of routine legislative actions: committee reports, final votes on several bills, introductions of additional measures, and a handful of extensions and referrals to committee.

Key final actions and votes

- Bill 15‑80 (finance and law committee report): Multiple resolutions and warrants related to legal services, seized-funds returns, and membership dues were approved; the committee-reported package passed on a roll-call vote with council recording nine ayes.

- Bill 15‑41 and Bill 15‑42 (public works and infrastructure): An ordinance to permanently adopt the sidewalk and curb repair program and a resolution authorizing geophysical surveying by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Arsenal Park were approved on roll call; the transcript records the measures as passed with nine ayes.

- Bill 15‑83 (human resources): Committee-reported items including childcare services and a summer youth employment intergovernmental agreement were placed for final action and passed by roll call (nine ayes recorded in chamber).

- Bill 15‑84 (land use and economic development): Two ordinances accepting new street names (Coal Seam Street, Darby Street, Lucas Court, Lucas Street, Petrell Street and Riley Street) were approved on final passage with a roll-call vote (aye votes recorded).

Other recorded actions

- Bill 15‑31 (clinical affiliation agreement with Community College of Allegheny County for EMS precepting): The committee requested recommitment to tomorrow’s standing committee agenda at the Bureau of Fire and public-safety director’s request.

- Extensions/consents: Council approved extensions or “pass finally” motions to extend deadlines for council bills related to zoning and planning commission actions (including bill 16‑23 and 16‑24), each recorded with roll-call votes when required.

Introductions and authorizations

Council members introduced a number of resolutions and requests for warrants and agreements across departments, including requests to purchase software, professional services renewals, Byrne Justice Assistance Grant acceptance, automated red-light-enforcement grants for traffic-signal replacements, land-bank acquisitions of city-owned parcels at no cost to the city, and appointments to the Housing Authority board (appointments will be scheduled for interview). Several settlement warrants and legal-services approvals were also listed for committee consideration.

Notable grant/contract dollar figures mentioned in committee reports and introductions included: a $51,614 Byrne Justice Assistance Grant appropriation; an $80,000 transfer to the City of Pittsburgh Equipment Leasing Authority for park rangers vehicles tied to DCED local share funds; automated red-light enforcement grants of $335,981.88 and $647,049.45 for traffic-signal replacements; and a proposed increase of $300,000 to ERP Consulting Inc.’s contract for JD Edwards services (amended total not to exceed $850,000 over seven years).

What did not change today

Several items were left for further committee review or were recommitted, and the meeting included a number of ceremonial proclamations and recognitions that do not create policy or identify new spending. Council also scheduled an executive session later the same day related to litigation.

Procedure notes

Where council adopted items on voice vote, the transcript records the motion and a chamber “aye” without individual roll-call tallies. Where committee reports were taken up for final action, the clerk took roll call and recorded unanimous aye votes on the items noted above.

Council will take up remaining committee items at tomorrow’s standing committee meetings and has scheduled interviews and additional committee consideration for several appointments and land‑use items.