Pittsburgh City Council approves dozen resolutions and contracts, including $2 million eviction-prevention agreement

Pittsburgh City Council on Feb. 18 voted to approve a package of resolutions and contract actions, including settlement warrants, construction-contract increases, zoning changes in North Oakland and a $2 million agreement for eviction-prevention services.

The approvals came largely without extended debate. Most measures passed on recorded roll calls with eight ayes and no recorded no votes.

The most substantial single authorization was a resolution to allow the mayor and the director of the Office of Management and Budget to enter into an agreement with the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh for professional services relating to eviction prevention for tenants at a cost not to exceed $2,000,000 over one year (Bill 14-62). The measure passed on a roll call that registered eight ayes.

Council also approved settlement and professional-services payments reported by the Committee on Finance and Law: a warrant to Kittleson LLC for expert witness services not to exceed $8,071.25 (Bill 14-59); three warrants totaling $248,001 as full and final settlement payments in litigation (Bill 14-60) with the transcript listing a $100,001 payment to Michael Zikadis and his counsel, $70,000 to Martin A. Deetz and counsel, and $78,000 to Bruce Thomas and counsel; membership dues to the National League of Cities not to exceed $19,054 (Bill 14-61); and a contract with Binkley…