Pittsburgh council approves package of grants, construction contracts, rezoning and an urgent hiring measure

Pittsburgh City Council on June 17 approved a series of routine and time-sensitive measures, including grant applications for planning around transit sites, construction inspection and engineering contracts for street and bridge projects, a rezoning in the Garfield neighborhood and an urgent resolution intended to address a critical shortage of stationary engineers in the city workforce.

Council members read and voted on a large batch of bills and committee reports. Several items were approved by roll-call votes; the meeting record shows unanimous or near‑unanimous votes for the items presented.

Key financial and planning items approved or forwarded include:

- A rezoning request (Bill 19-38) to reclassify multiple parcels in the Garfield neighborhood from single-unit residential categories and a residential planned unit development to Parks District.

- A professional-services agreement with Starfire Corporation (Bill 19-39) to provide fireworks display services for the city’s Independence Day Festival, a three-year agreement at a total amount not to exceed $252,200, with payments to be made from the general fund (as stated in the resolution).

- Multiple grant applications to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development: $250,000 requests for planning around the Sheridan Bus Station (Bill 19-43) and for planning around the South Hills Junction (Bill 19-44).

- Construction inspection and engineering agreements for major transportation projects: Larson Design Group for Liberty Avenue HSIP construction inspection (Bill 19-45) at a cost not to exceed $1,476,674.46, reimbursable at 80%; an increase to the Alfred Benesch & Company agreement for preliminary engineering on the Swinburne Bridge Replacement Project (Bill 19-46), raising the total to $1,308,284.86 (an increase of $477,712.39), reimbursable at 95%; and Whitman, Requardt & Associates for Penn Avenue phase 2 construction inspection (Bill 19-47) at a cost not to exceed $1,338,158.03, reimbursable at 80%.

- A resolution (Bill 19-48) authorizing an agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway Company to allow positive train control equipment to remain at its current location in Allegheny Commons Park; that agreement would supersede a 2017 temporary right-of-entry and license and was presented as no cost to the city.

- A time-sensitive resolution (Bill 19-55) directing the mayor and relevant department directors to take steps to alleviate a critical shortage of stationary engineers in the city’s workforce. The bill sponsor asked for immediate final consideration under the city code urgency provision and the council approved the motion and adopted the resolution by roll call.

Council committees also reported out and the council voted on capital budget amendments and community development block grant reallocations (bills in the 18-series listed by the Committee on Finance and Law), and on grant applications under the Greenways, Trails & Recreation Program for Bedford Park and Fort Pitt Playground (18-93 and 18-94). Several of these committee reports were adopted by roll-call vote during the meeting.

Most votes recorded in the clerk’s roll calls were unanimous (recorded as nine ayes); where the clerk’s roll call was recorded the item was noted as “passed finally.” Several items were read, received and filed where the clerk recorded them as communications to be placed on record.

Votes at a glance (selected items from the June 17 agenda):

- Bill 19-55 (stationary engineers shortage): approved by roll-call vote (9 ayes). Sponsor requested urgent consideration.

- Bill 19-38 (rezoning parcels in Garfield to Parks District): read and presented; disposition recorded by committee/report as required.

- Bill 19-39 (Starfire fireworks contract for Independence Day Festival, up to $252,200): presented by the Recreation committee; recorded and forwarded for approval as described.

- Bill 19-45 (Larson Design Group — Liberty Avenue HSIP construction inspection — up to $1,476,674.46, 80% reimbursable): approved as presented.

- Bill 19-46 (Alfred Benesch & Company — Swinburne Bridge preliminary engineering supplemental agreement — total not to exceed $1,308,284.86, 95% reimbursable): approved as presented.

- Bill 19-47 (Whitman, Requardt & Associates — Penn Avenue phase 2 construction inspection — up to $1,338,158.03, 80% reimbursable): approved as presented.

- Bill 19-48 (Norfolk Southern positive train control equipment in Allegheny Commons Park): approved; agreement to supersede the 2017 temporary right-of-entry, described as no cost to the city.

- Bills 18-90 and 18-91 (capital budget amendments reallocating small amounts between pool/splash zone maintenance and park reconstruction): approved by roll-call vote (9 ayes).

The council president and committee chairs read the bills into the record; most were adopted without extended floor debate. Several council members noted the importance of the projects and of continuing to secure state and federal reimbursement for capital work.

The meeting minutes show the clerk calling roll for final passage on multiple items; the recorded roll calls list nine members present and voting "Aye" on the items identified as passed finally in the record.

Councilors indicated upcoming meetings and hearings, including a pre-agenda interview and standing committee meetings the following day, and a public hearing on inclusionary zoning with a speaker registration deadline noted in the meeting announcements.