Council committees on Dec. 3 approved a $6,907,813.31 contract with Caliber Contracting to construct a Sawmill Run salt storage facility and authorized intergovernmental salt-storage agreements with Allegheny County. Public Works staff said the existing salt dome is leaking and structurally deteriorating and that the new wood-enclosed facility is needed to sustain winter operations across roughly half the city.

"The current dome is leaking... all indications are it's quickly deteriorating," Public Works director Chris Hornstein told council, adding the new facility is critical to maintain snow-and-ice operations.

Separately, council approved a $25,000 agreement with Tree Pittsburgh for seasonal tree care. Councilwoman Kale Smith spoke against the Tree Pittsburgh item, saying she has seen numerous plantings that lack follow-up maintenance and raised specific concerns about Mount Washington and Grandview Avenue hillside stability. Tree Pittsburgh and forestry staff explained the $8 million IRA grant cited in discussion was regional, not city-specific, and described Tree Pittsburgh's role in volunteer training, structural pruning and early-life (first seven years) tree care.

Councilwoman Gross and others supported the partnership funding as an additive way to stretch forestry capacity, especially to manage young trees that forestry crews cannot typically handle.

What's next: Public Works will proceed with procurement and begin construction to have the salt facility in place by the next winter season; forestry staff and Tree Pittsburgh agreed to follow up on maintenance plans and neighborhood coordination.