The commission approved eight procurement plans and housing-authority contracts during its January 2025 meeting, including contracts for the Cali Recreation Center, North Field Park, Frasier Street steps, a community neighborhood stewardship program, the West Pittsburgh Reach Neighborhood Mobility Plan, emergency plumbing services for the Housing Authority, authority-wide security camera maintenance, and a moving-services contract.

Why it matters: The approvals together fund public works, neighborhood cleanup and workforce development, and large capital purchases for the Housing Authority; several items raised questions about minority- and women-owned business (M/WBE) participation and regional certification requirements.

The votes at a glance

- Cali Recreation Center contract — Approved. The commission moved and seconded the plan; no objections recorded. (Introduced: transcript block starting at 122.73; final passage: 196.30501.)

- North Field Park (Primus Cosmos Technologies) — Approved. No substantive objections; prime representative attended. (Introduced: 208.27; final passage: 268.50497.)

- Frasier Street steps (independent enterprises) — Approved. Commissioners recorded no objections. (Introduced: 278.26498; final passage: 356.175.)

- Community Neighborhood Stewardship (Center For Employment Opportunities as prime) — Approved. Commissioners discussed scope (litter abatement, lot cleanup, and workforce reentry training) and subcontracting; one commissioner said they would recuse/abstain from voting. (Introduced: 365.59; final passage: 853.76.)

- West Pittsburgh Reach Neighborhood Mobility Plan (Tool Design Group as prime) — Approved. Planners from the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure and the prime joined the call. (Introduced: 864.35504; final passage: 924.105.)

- Housing Authority — Emergency Plumbing Services (First American Industries) — Approved. Housing Authority procurement staff introduced the item; no objections. (Introduced: 936.89; final passage: 1085.6951.)

- Housing Authority — Security camera installation and maintenance (Zicom Technology Group, with Mindburn as a subcontracting MBE) — Approved. Commissioners discussed proprietary camera-platform limits (Verkada) that constrained local M/WBE participation; the contract includes large equipment purchases and a carve-out of cabling and installation work for an MBE subcontractor. (Introduced: 1093.775; final passage: 1606.43.)

- Housing Authority — Moving services (re-tabled from prior month) — Approved. Staff reported a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission clarification that no PUC-certified household-goods movers in the region are certified M/WBEs and that PUC-certified movers cannot subcontract moves unless separately licensed as brokers. Commissioners expressed disappointment about the lack of local certified M/WBEs; a prime contractor representative committed to hiring Housing Authority residents for some work. (Introduced: 1622.585; final passage: 1841.345.)

What commissioners asked and directed: Several commissioners pressed primes and staff about M/WBE outreach and certification, asked whether subcontracting opportunities could be carved out, and asked staff to continue outreach. Staff said some enforcement or sanctions related to prime nonpayment of subs will be pursued once the city's disparity study and related recommendations are completed.

Next steps: Contracts will proceed per the approvals. Office of Business Diversity staff said they will issue contract alerts next month on primes not meeting subcontractor payment obligations and will provide details to commissioners in future briefings.