Clean Pittsburgh Commission adopts funding rules and approves Color Park and voucher allocations

The Clean Pittsburgh Commission on its April meeting approved revised funding procedures and three finance items, including a $2,000 grant for the Color Park graffiti jam and an allocation of roughly $4,050 for hard-to-recycle vouchers.

The commission adopted amended standard operating procedures (SOPs) for reviewing funding requests after members inserted language requiring individuals or groups that are not 501(c)(3) organizations to identify a fiscal sponsor. A motion to accept the SOPs with the amended language was made and approved by voice/hand raise.

Why it matters: the SOP clarifies how the commission will handle advances, reimbursements and fiscal sponsorships for small community groups that lack nonprofit status, and documents procurement constraints members said limit use of the commission's P‑Card for recurring payments and single requests over $5,000.

During the finance report, Afton Larson said, “the $11,000 that we had I received word that it was transferred,” referring to carryover funds from the 2025 budget that were placed into the commission’s account for neighborhood-of-focus work. Larson also outlined several allocations: $500 for outreach supplies for collections/cleanups, approximately $4,050 for hard‑to‑recycle vouchers, $2,000 for the Color Park graffiti jam, and $4,000 noted for Garbage Olympics planning.

Kelsey Rapper, executive director of Friends of the Riverfront, presented the Color Park request and said the $2,000 “will cover paint supplies … for both the artists and the general public.” She described the event as a public mural and graffiti jam planned for early October that will likely partner with Shiftworks, invite stipend artists and include a public painting component; the commission agreed to require post-event photos for reporting.

Helena (outreach coordinator) described the voucher program as $10 vouchers to subsidize disposal of hard‑to‑recycle items and household hazardous waste through a vendor (Noble Environmental). She said vouchers would be distributed partly to neighborhoods of focus and partly for outreach engagement; distribution methods could include special collection events, weekday drop‑offs or curbside collection depending on resident need. Helena said the vouchers are intended to support residents who cannot otherwise afford disposal and to engage residents in outreach and surveys.

Votes and outcomes: members voted to accept the SOP with the amended language; they then approved the $2,000 Color Park request (one abstention was recorded in the roll-call-style hand raise) and approved the voucher funding (two abstentions were recorded). The transcript records members making and seconding the motions and raising hands for the votes; no detailed roll-call tallies by name were recorded in the meeting transcript beyond the noted abstentions.

Procurement and fiscal-sponsor guidance: members clarified that the commission typically requires an itemized invoice or other proof of intended spending; most payments to date have been done via invoice rather than post‑purchase receipts. The commission discussed that small community groups without 501(c)(3) status should partner with an established nonprofit (for example, Allegheny Cleanways, Friends of the Riverfront or a similar organization) that can act as a fiscal sponsor to receive and disburse funds. Members asked that this pathway and the P‑Card limits (single request cap and one request per calendar year constraints) be documented in the SOP.

Next steps: outreach staff will work with Noble Environmental and community partners to finalize voucher distribution logistics and prioritization (including medically exempt residents), and the commission will post the amended SOP and meeting minutes to the website. The neighborhood-of-focus committee also reported Allegheny Cleanways will use the $11,000 carryover to support in-class litter education with Pittsburgh Public Schools and Propel School in the fall.

The commission adjourned after brief membership and outreach updates and a rundown of upcoming collection events and volunteer opportunities.