Residents urge action on Parkinson’s outreach, homelessness enforcement and regular property reassessments

Three members of the public addressed council during the meeting’s public‑comment period, urging action on public‑health outreach, neighborhood safety and property‑tax fairness.

Diane Balcom, speaking for the Parkinson Foundation of Western Pennsylvania, told council that Parkinson’s disease is the fastest‑growing neurological disease and that the region sits inside a so‑called “Parkinson’s belt.” She asked council to invite the foundation to senior fairs, community groups and houses of worship to share information about early symptoms (including loss of smell and sleep disturbances) and distributed informational packets and an outreach tool called “Parkinson’s bingo.”

A North Side resident and retired biomedical engineer, Nick Carazzi, described growing problems with encampments in his neighborhood — including finding syringes during park cleanups — and urged stronger enforcement of trespass laws. He suggested a hardened enforcement approach for repeat refusals of offered shelter and referenced San Jose’s city code change as a model that requires shelter acceptance after repeated offers.

Juliet Savon, a homeowner, urged council to adopt regular property reassessments in Allegheny County rather than the current long gaps between countywide reassessments; she argued that frozen assessments produce inequitable taxation and pointed to the last countywide reassessment (court‑ordered in 2012) as evidence the county lacks a stable system.

What council can expect: Public comment does not constitute formal council action. Speakers asked for follow‑through from council members and county offices; the requests will be included in the meeting record and can inform committee work or staff outreach.