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Residents urge action on youth gun violence, utilities outages and sidewalks at Erie council meeting
Summary
Multiple residents told council that recent shootings and a string of utility outages or multi-day sidewalk closures are harming vulnerable residents and called for targeted outreach, improved snow/sidewalk management and scrutiny of utility shutdowns.
Several residents addressed the Erie City Council on Jan. 22, 2025, urging action on youth gun violence, sidewalk accessibility and utility outages.
Council Member Flores opened the meeting with a public remark noting recent youth deaths to gun violence and called for better community response, saying the rate at which young people are dying "is alarming, and we need to do something." Deonte Cooley, a lifelong Erie resident, told council that three young people had been killed in a short span and urged the city to prioritize outreach and conflict resolution in affected neighborhoods: "These are our children," he said, and offered to participate in planning efforts.
Other commenters raised related quality-of-life concerns. Freda Tepper said seven-day unpermitted sidewalk closures for utility work are too long and especially harmful to pedestrians who are visually impaired; she urged changes so closures are shorter and fines enforced against businesses that block sidewalks. John Granahan, a 28-year Fire Department member, and other speakers raised alarm about the planned multi-hour Penelec (utility) outages and said many elderly and medically dependent residents have little recourse during scheduled shutoffs.
Council members acknowledged the concerns; city staff and the solicitor described the sidewalk-exemption ordinance as written to allow short-term emergency utility work (the ordinance as passed includes a seven-day emergency exemption), and council asked administration and relevant departments to provide further details on implementation. No immediate formal policy or new budget appropriation was adopted in response during the meeting; several council members said they would follow up with the clerk’s office or relevant departments.
