Council committee backs 30‑day extension of disaster declaration, debates storm response and tree authority

Pittsburgh City Council's standing committee on May 7 recommended ratifying a resolution to extend the city's disaster declaration for 30 days to document and support the city's response to the April 29, 2025, severe thunderstorm.

The declaration, discussed as Bill 18 o 1, will allow the city to "waive certain contracting provisions as well as, move more quickly in ways that we normally can't," David Geiger, director of legislation and policy, told the committee during the discussion.

The measure is intended primarily to allow the city to document response activities for potential state or federal reimbursement and to give limited operational flexibility during the active response. "Emergency declarations authorize, the waiver of certain requirements or the expediting of certain procedures," said Jay Paulas, Dean of Management and Budget, describing how the declaration affects emergency procurement and documentation for PEMA and FEMA.

Why it matters

Officials said the extension helps the city speed limited activities tied directly to public safety and storm response (for example, waiving fees at city yard‑waste drop‑off sites) and helps assemble the damage documentation that state and federal agencies require before they consider disaster aid. City staff emphasized they do not currently anticipate using emergency contracting flexibilities beyond existing contracts for tree removal and similar response work.

What officials told the committee

Council member Barb Warwick opened the substantive exchange by asking, "what extra powers does this give? I'm just kinda curious." Geiger and Paulas said the chief practical uses are faster administrative response and documentation. Paulas added the city's Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security is leading damage assessment and recordkeeping so the city may seek assistance from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency or the Federal Emergency Management Agency if the damage meets those agencies' criteria.

Officials clarified how the city will handle downed trees and private property: city crews will prioritize hazards that affect the public right of way or imperil public safety, while otherwise private‑property damage remains a private responsibility. "Where a privately owned tree falls into the right of way or in in some other fashion is creating a health and safety risk under the emergency declaration, we're allowed to do some work across that line," Paulas said. He said city workers generally will not engage in routine private‑property removals, though nonprofit volunteer groups such as Team Rubicon have been integrated into the response and can assist residents if dispatched through 211.

Duquesne Light and power restoration

City staff relayed Duquesne Light's latest estimates at the committee: of customers who lost power on the initial Tuesday after the storm, about 1,000 remained without power as of the evening before the meeting; Duquesne Light estimated full restoration of those customers by the next day. Paulas characterized the event as larger than initial estimates and repeated that the emergency declaration helps document the response for possible external aid.

Operational coordination and emergency center

Committee members pressed for clarity on who ran coordination and how communications worked during the response. City officials said the Office of Emergency Management convened and ran the emergency operations center; Chief Daryl Jones, chief of the Fire Bureau, is the emergency management coordinator and the deputy emergency management coordinator (Adam Emile) led initial operations while Jones was out of town for training. Director Lee Schmidt (Public Works) and other department directors were cited as centrally involved in on‑the‑ground coordination.

Council members raised recurring concerns about private trees that threaten homes before storms strike and about notification and backup communications when 911 was briefly overwhelmed. Officials said the 911 center remained operational on backup power but that telecommunications infrastructure experienced brief overloads, which prevented some callers from getting through.

Next steps

Council members called for post‑response reviews. Several members asked the administration to convene Duquesne Light for a public hearing focused on electric service and grid resilience; the chair announced a separate post‑agenda hearing to examine emergency preparedness, lessons learned and mitigation strategies for future extreme weather events. City staff also said they will compile a consolidated report of any purchases or use of emergency procurement powers during the declaration.

Votes and committee action

The committee voted to give Bill 18 o 1 an affirmative recommendation. The council committee noted it had not used emergency procurement flexibilities beyond existing contracts to date and that the extension is intended mainly to support documentation and limited emergency actions tied to public safety and utility restoration.

Ending

Committee members asked staff to return with more detail on what the declaration has enabled and to include specific documentation once the emergency phase closes and final costs and purchases are reconciled. Council members also requested clearer notification procedures for future incidents and asked the administration to include private‑property tree risks in the planned poststorm analysis.