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 Canopy Group LLC for services related to the city’s popular annual financial report not to exceed $40,300 over two years (Bill 14-63). Those items were adopted by roll call (eight ayes).

The Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure reported and Council passed two measures related to mobility and construction: a cooperative property/right-of-way action in the Bigelow Boulevard area in conjunction with an NPDES permit and street/property improvements involving the University of Pittsburgh (Bill 14-64), and an amended construction-services agreement with SET Inc. for the South Side Signals project, increasing the contract to a total not to exceed $3,822,335.96 (an increase of $542,335.96) (Bill 14-65). Both measures passed on roll call (eight ayes).

Land-use items passed as a package from the Committee on Land Use and Economic Development: an ordinance to rezone parcels in North Oakland (Bill 13-3), approval of an institutional master-plan application for Central Catholic High School (Bill 13-43), and an agreement with Paramount Pursuits LLC for capacity-building technical assistance to nonprofit neighborhood economic development grantees not to exceed $41,000 (Bill 14-66). Each measure passed on roll call (eight ayes).

Under intergovernmental and educational affairs, Council approved an intermunicipal transfer of a liquor license from Los Patrones Inc. to Bridal Hospitality Management Inc., doing business as Riva Modern Indian Cuisine, pursuant to a cited provision of the Pennsylvania liquor code (Bill 14-05). The committee also advanced the $2,000,000 eviction-prevention professional-services agreement with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (Bill 14-62). Both passed on roll call (eight ayes).

Other routine actions recorded in the meeting included receiving and filing a status update from the Office of Management and Budget (communication Bill 15-19) and reading additional ordinance and resolution texts (e.g., capital-budget amendments and software/hosting increases) that were presented earlier in the agenda as papers; those items were not the subject of extended debate at this meeting.

Council concluded the meeting by noting an upcoming executive session and committee calendar; no additional final actions were recorded before adjournment.

Votes at a glance (selected items recorded in the meeting transcript): - Bill 14-62: Agreement with Urban Redevelopment Authority for eviction-prevention professional services, not to exceed $2,000,000 over 1 year — Passed (8 ayes). - Bill 14-65: Amended construction agreement with SET Inc. for South Side Signals, total not to exceed $3,822,335.96 (increase $542,335.96) — Passed (8 ayes). - Bill 14-60: Settlement warrants totaling $248,001 (payments listed in transcript) — Passed (8 ayes). - Bill 14-59: Warrant to Kittleson LLC for expert witness services, not to exceed $8,071.25 — Passed (8 ayes). - Bill 14-61: National League of Cities membership dues, not to exceed $19,054 — Passed (8 ayes). - Bill 14-63: Contract with Binkley Canopy Group LLC for annual financial-report services, not to exceed $40,300 over 2 years — Passed (8 ayes). - Bill 14-64: Cooperative property/right-of-way action near Bigelow Boulevard in conjunction with NPDES permit and University of Pittsburgh improvements — Passed (8 ayes). - Bill 13-3: Rezoning parcels in North Oakland (multiple zoning classifications referenced) — Passed (8 ayes). - Bill 13-43: Institutional master plan approval for Central Catholic High School campus (Fourth ward, Council District 8) — Passed (8 ayes). - Bill 14-66: Agreement with Paramount Pursuits LLC for nonprofit technical assistance, not to exceed $41,000 — Passed (8 ayes). - Bill 14-05: Intermunicipal transfer of a liquor license to Bridal Hospitality Management Inc. (d/b/a Riva Modern Indian Cuisine) pursuant to a cited Pennsylvania liquor-code provision — Passed (8 ayes).

Several other items were presented as papers or communications during the meeting (including a series of bills listed under the meeting “papers” heading) and will return to Council committees for further action or were received and filed as indicated in the record.