[0:00] One, the time is now 5.50. We're going to call this special meeting for the Planning Commission

[0:06] Appeal to order. Madam Clerk, can you please call the roll?

[0:10] Councilmember Cobara.

[0:11] Present.

[0:12] Councilmember Benales.

[0:13] Present.

[0:14] Councilmember Lopez.

[0:15] Present.

[0:16] Vice Mayor Adams.

[0:17] Present.

[0:18] Mayor Killings.

[0:19] Present. Thank you. And so we'll go ahead and start with this item and I'll turn

[0:25] it over to Madam City Manager to introduce the item.

[0:29] Thank you, Mayor. Tonight's item on the special meeting is a public hearing on an appeal of

[0:35] the Planning Commission denial of a use permit for the Baby Yale Academy and the City of

[0:40] Lord Zion Cumberland. Presenting this item this evening is Kelsey Gunter, Associate Planner.

[0:46] With her are John Funderberg, Assistant Director of Community and Economic Development and

[0:50] Jordan Davis, Director of Community and Economic Development.

[0:59] Thank you very much, Ms. Aliyoti. And yes, I will be presenting item number

[1:02] number one this evening. It's an appeal regarding the planning commission's determination to

[1:07] deny a use permit for Baby Yell Academy in City of the Lords, Ion Cumberland.

[1:13] Before

[1:13] I begin with my presentation, I would like to outline the format of this appeal hearing

[1:17] to ensure that the public and anyone wishing to speak on this item understands the project's

[1:22] procedures and staff's presentation. So to begin, the mayor will open the public

[1:27] hearing, hear a presentation from the appellant, hear from members of the public, hear

[1:32] rebuttal or concluding response from the appellant, close the public hearing and ask any questions

[1:38] as applicable, and then also lastly to deliberate and then act on the appeal.

[1:46] By way of project background, I'd like to provide an outline of how we've arrived here tonight

[1:50] and then begin to present the project.

[1:53] The project applicant filed a use permit on June 20, 2025, requesting approval of

[1:58] three different uses within a commercial multi-tenant space within Old Town Pittsburgh.

[2:03] The application was brought before the Planning Commission on August 12th, 2025, in which it

[2:08] was denied by a vote of five in favor, zero in opposition, and one abstained commissioner

[2:14] on the basis of the inability to make finding J in the affirmative.

[2:18] On August 20th, the project applicant filed an appeal of the Planning Commission's

[2:22] determination for a hearing before the City Council.

[2:25] And just a bit of background about the project site itself.

[2:28] It is within a multi-tenant building.

[2:29] It's within the downtown commercial core of Old Town Pittsburgh and the previous use of

[2:34] the site.

[2:34] One of the tenant spaces most recently was approved for a use permit for a boxing gym.

[2:41] The requested approval of planning application AP-25-0054 includes the request to establish

[2:47] a daycare general use at 640 Cumberland, a religious assembly use at 650 Cumberland

[2:53] and an office business and administrative use at 670 Cumberland.

[2:59] As for business operations, I'm going to go through the three different tenant

[3:02] spaces to describe each of the uses proposed within each tenant space.

[3:07] So to begin, one of the tenant spaces will be entitled to operate as a daycare general

[3:13] use which would offer toddler preschool and school age programs.

[3:17] The age range here is 18 months to 12 years old.

[3:21] There will be a designated accessible pickup and drop off area.

[3:24] And then there will be a staggered schedule to reduce traffic congestion.

[3:27] that stagger schedule is a condition of approval requiring some spacing between different drop-off

[3:33] and pickup times, and the average operation time is between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. And I will

[3:39] say that that 18 months to 12 years old, we've had previous comments with the Commission

[3:43] regarding the separation between those different ages, and there will be different cubicles,

[3:49] different partition set-up to ensure that there are age-appropriate separations.

[3:56] The middle tenant of the multi-tenant commercial building is a religious assembly use, and the

[4:02] day's operations do vary for this proposed use, but it may be used Monday through Sunday.

[4:08] There is no fixed seating as part of this facility, but it does have the ability to accommodate

[4:13] up to 80 people, and the average operation time here is 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

[4:20] And the third entitlement requested this evening is an office business and administrative

[4:24] use.

[4:24] And this office business administrative use would be a supportive use to both the daycare

[4:29] general and the religious assembly use.

[4:32] It has office space and kitchenette space for both of the uses to operate, to accommodate

[4:36] operations.

[4:38] There are interlocking doors between the three unit spaces, so they're able to transfer

[4:43] any food or office necessities in between the different, in between the different

[4:48] tenant spaces.

[4:51] This slide here provides an aerial view of the project location.

[4:54] It is a single parcel with zero-foot setbacks.

[4:57] It is between Railroad Avenue and Cumberland Street

[4:59] with the three tenant spaces requesting entitlements tonight

[5:03] fronting on Cumberland Street,

[5:05] and they're highlighted on the screen in yellow.

[5:10] This is the project's proposed floor plan.

[5:13] This is the area for the daycare space.

[5:17] Entry again on Cumberland, it's on the right-hand side,

[5:19] and the daycare facility would be highlighted here in yellow.

[5:23] That open space for the daycare kind of like the larger side on the left hand area left hand side of the screen is the area that would have different partition set up for the different age ranges.

[5:34] And the pickup and drop off area would be right out front of the door and check in also close to the front door.

[5:42] This tenant space here, highlighted in red, does show the proposed area for religious assembly.

[5:48] Again, non-fixed seating and approximately 80 people.

[5:53] And the third tenant space highlighted in green is the proposed office and kitchenette space

[5:59] to be used to support both the daycare general and religious assembly uses.

[6:07] So as for code compliance, a use permit is required in the Pedestrian Commercial Zoning District to establish a day care facility, and a use permit is required to establish religious assembly, both in the CP district.

[6:21] The proposed use permit entitlement also includes the entitlement, as I mentioned, to operate the Office Business and Administrative Use, and while this entitlement doesn't require a use permit in this zone, they are permitted in this zone.

[6:32] We have lumped this in with the overall entitlement request because the proposed office business

[6:37] and administrative use would be used to support the other operations.

[6:42] The proposed businesses are consistent with the intent of the downtown commercial general

[6:45] plan and pedestrian commercial zoning district.

[6:51] So as mentioned previously, one of the basis for a denial of the proposed use permit

[6:55] was the inability to meet finding J. There are findings required by the Pittsburgh

[7:00] for municipal code, and these findings are listed

[7:02] within municipal code section 18.16.040.

[7:07] These are also listed in the staff report

[7:09] as part of tonight's agenda packet,

[7:10] as well as the proposed resolution.

[7:12] It includes a bit of analysis.

[7:14] But specifically, the Planning Commission

[7:16] was unable to make a finding J,

[7:18] which says that if a project is located

[7:20] within the pedestrian commercial zoning district,

[7:22] that it will support the goals of creating a vibrant,

[7:25] economically prosperous, visually interesting,

[7:27] and engaging pedestrian-oriented atmosphere

[7:29] along the primary downtown corridor.

[7:37] Staff believes Finding J can still be made

[7:39] an affirmative in that the proposed business operator

[7:42] of all three tenant spaces has expressed a commitment

[7:44] to enhancing the visual quality of the project site

[7:47] by investing in the future building frontage

[7:49] and frontage improvements along Cumberland Street.

[7:51] I do have some images and conceptual imagery

[7:53] that we'll get to in a bit detailing

[7:55] the proposed project improvements.

[7:58] The proposed baby ill academy and city of Lord's

[8:01] Zion Cumberland Religious Facility would advance finding Jays' goals by attracting

[8:05] families to the downtown area, and by creating an increase in pedestrian activity overall

[8:09] within the downtown commercial core.

[8:12] And then again, Baby Eels Academy weekday and drop-off pick-up period, and anticipate

[8:17] to generate additional morning and evening pedestrian presence, providing opportunities

[8:21] for adult and youth to patronize, to eat at nearby restaurants and to shop at businesses

[8:26] before going to work or returning home in the evening.

[8:29] Religious activities, which are expected to occur primarily on weekends or intermittently

[8:34] during the week, would bring additional visitors to Old Town Pittsburgh to support the local

[8:39] commerce in downtown Pittsburgh.

[8:42] The applicant has proven to operate a successful business, as the proposed location would

[8:46] be one of many facilities in this applicant's operations, overall operations.

[8:52] They have different facilities within different nearby communities, and they actually have

[8:56] an existing facility off of East Leland, which has been in operation for many years.

[9:00] The applicant can speak a bit more to their personal background in that regard.

[9:06] The applicant has received some conditions of approval that we have discussed with the

[9:11] applicant and that the applicant has agreed to comply with.

[9:15] I did want to highlight a couple of key conditions of approval.

[9:18] They're listed here on the screen, meaning, referring to obtaining and maintaining

[9:22] all required local, regional, and state licensing.

[9:25] installation of permanent or semi-permanent landscape planters to improve the visual facade.

[9:31] And the business owner operator responsible for maintaining peace and order on the premises.

[9:36] We do require that the applicant follows all California fire code regulations and California building code regulations.

[9:42] And this is in terms of essential fire sprinklers that are required as part of their conditions of approval,

[9:48] as well as ingress and egress, which is also required as part of their conditions of approval,

[9:52] making sure that there is appropriate emergency exits

[9:55] and facilitating the means to do so

[9:57] by way of tenant improvements.

[10:00] And lastly, the proposed business shall operate

[10:02] in substantial conformance with this use permit application,

[10:05] including the floor plan submitted,

[10:06] which was on June 18th, 2025.

[10:10] The project, the proposed uses would occupy

[10:13] an existing multi-tenant commercial building

[10:15] with no expansion of the building footprint

[10:17] or change intensity of land use.

[10:19] And for that reason,

[10:20] the project is categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA and that is

[10:25] guideline 15301.

[10:30] And here I wanted to highlight some of the proposed project

[10:33] improvements. This slide shows the project frontage on Cumberland Street. It is

[10:39] showing some exterior improvements including building awning and with new

[10:44] signage, new sighting, a mural installed on the large blank visible wall from

[10:48] Cumberland Street. And overall, this image and the images on the following two slides,

[10:54] while conceptual, they do paint a picture of vibrancy and investment in Old Town.

[11:02] Here

[11:02] is another image of project frontage improvements. As you can see, the wooden siding, new landscaping,

[11:08] bicycle rack installation, planter box.

[11:16] Here's one more view off Cumberland Street.

[11:19] Just the facade improvement there at 640 with the garage door kind of providing different

[11:25] type of facade.

[11:30] Approval of this project would result in the occupancy of a currently vacant

[11:34] and underutilized commercial tenant space within downtown commercial core, thereby contributing

[11:40] to the area's overall economic vitality and pedestrian activation.

[11:49] And as such, staff

[11:50] recommends that the City Council uphold the appeal and adopt the proposed resolution

[11:53] approving use permit application number 25-0054 for Baby Yell Academy and City of the Lords

[11:59] San Cumberland subject to conditions. And with that conclusion, again, I would like to outline

[12:05] the procedures for tonight's hearing. They are here on the screen. I'll let you take a moment

[12:09] to review them. If you'd like to, the applicant is here this evening and can answer any questions

[12:14] you may have for them. Staff is also available and can answer any questions you may have for

[12:18] us. And I did want to mention that we did receive one late comment letter. We received

[12:22] it today. It is included on your, right in front of you in front of your papers,

[12:27] as well as on the day as for anybody who would like to review a copy.

[12:32] Staff has reviewed that comment letter and is still providing the same

[12:36] recommendation as noted here in the presentation as well as in the proposed resolution.

[12:42] Thank you.

[12:45] Thank you for the presentation.

[12:47] And so before opening up the public hearing on this item,

[12:52] do any of my colleagues have any questions for staff on this item?

[12:57] Vice Mayor.

[12:57] Thank you through the mayor. I do have a couple of questions.

[13:02] Are these three separate businesses

[13:05] or is it part of the church that's being proposed? Through the mayor there would be three separate

[13:13] or there's two separate business licenses that have been applied for but they are all

[13:17] under the same applicant and they can speak more. I believe that they're all part of the

[13:20] same church but they could speak a little bit more about the way that that works. Okay.

[13:27] have a couple more questions.

[13:31] I don't know, do you want to take time to have that question

[13:33] answered or do you want me to just go through my questions?

[13:38] Madam Vice Mayor, it's really the Council's call. If they would like to invite the applicant

[13:43] up and ask these questions directly, they can. Normally what we do is hold these questions.

[13:49] The applicant is here and listened and can come up and as part of their presentation

[13:53] address these. But as Kelsey mentioned, we understand that these will be operated

[13:57] as separate businesses, although there may be some interaction between the multiple businesses.

[14:04] Okay, that's helpful. We can do the latter of what you described. I had a question around the staffing,

[14:14] like how many people are going to work there, and is this going to create jobs in our community,

[14:21] and then the parking.

[14:24] So through the mayor, thank you for the questions. So as part of the, as part of all projects

[14:29] within the downtown commercial core pedestrian commercial zoning district, those types, those

[14:35] projects within that area of Pittsburgh do not require any off street parking, meaning

[14:40] they don't require any parking to be provided for that proposed use the applicants proposal

[14:45] and is to use utilize street parking and to also utilize city owned parking facilities

[14:50] to accommodate their uses. That includes all three different uses. And the proposed employees,

[14:58] the applicant can speak to how many employees.

[15:01] I do believe that they are also employed as part of this operation, but they would be more knowledgeable of how many total for all three uses.

[15:10] Okay. And then one last comment. One, thank you for like walking us through how we got to this place is really helpful.

[15:18] But I do appreciate this particular application because when COVID happened, we had a lot of childcare providers that closed shop.

[15:26] And so I know there's some statewide and regional initiatives to help folks provide child care to folks. So

[15:33] women in particular took quite a hit in that

[15:36] They quit their jobs to be home taking care of their kids

[15:40] And so something like this in our community would be helpful to those who want to go to work

[15:45] And have a safe place for their kids

[15:48] Thank you.

[15:52] Any other questions councilor covado?

[15:56] Hi, thank you for that report. I have a couple of questions. For the fire code, there are

[16:05] sprinklers in that building?

[16:07] Through the mayor, there are no, there are not sprinklers there currently. The project

[16:10] has been conditioned through the fire department. If they do plan to move forward as they

[16:16] do, as they would like to, they would be required to install fire sprinklers.

[16:19] Okay. Also, thank you. And also, can you please point out to me the escape routes for that, the building?

[16:27] So, through the mayor once more, there are currently only one entry and exit to each tenant space.

[16:33] As part of the tenant improvements in order to establish each use, they would be required to install fire, health, life and safety accommodations,

[16:42] accommodations, which includes an additional exit point from all three tenant spaces.

[16:48] And that would be a requirement as part of their tenant improvement plans, that applicant

[16:52] when they have the ability to speak, they may or may not have those plans in place of

[16:55] their proposed plans, but that would be as part of the building permit leader review

[16:59] to make sure that there was adequate.

[17:01] Thank you.

[17:05] Also, how close can they be to sales of liquor, and would that affect any new

[17:11] businesses that want to come in and and sell liquor, because I believe on the

[17:15] backside of, I call it the boxing gym, next door to the business that's on the

[17:23] backside of it, there's a grocery store that sells liquor. Yes, so thank you for

[17:28] the question. There we adopted the creating healthy communities ordinance

[17:32] which regulates the sale of tobacco alcohol and cannabis in the city and

[17:36] air and properties that are within the downtown commercial core are not

[17:39] subject to the proximity requirements. Okay. As other areas in the city would be.

[17:45] Okay. Also, I didn't catch how many employees will you be having or should be having? The applicant,

[17:50] I think, can attest further. I believe it's like, I believe it's six for the daycare facility,

[17:54] but I'll allow the applicant to speak to that. Thank you. Also, one more question.

[18:01] Is there an outdoor play area or going to be one or did I miss that? So the applicant can

[18:07] speak to the requirements from the State Licensing Board for the accommodations for

[18:12] playground facilities. They will be using playgrounds in the facility in order to accommodate

[18:16] outdoor space, but the applicant has also proposed an indoor play area with a play structure

[18:21] in order to ensure that they still are meeting the state requirements.

[18:27] Thank you.

[18:28] And Council Member Cabada, I do want to interject something that I think is pretty

[18:32] pertinent. It came up during the Planning Commission meeting, but I think your questions

[18:35] illustrate a really critical point of this type of application. This is a

[18:42] property that we have tried to work with the property owner to market for my

[18:47] entire career with the City of Pittsburgh going on 11 years now and it's been

[18:51] tough because a lot of small retail shops and that type of thing can't

[18:56] afford to put in the fire sprinklers that are necessary,

[19:03] the emergency

[19:04] on video, receive some pushback on these types of applications with folks that are pushing us

[19:09] to bring in more restaurant retail uses to the downtown. And while we totally concur that,

[19:15] ultimately, we would like to see more of those downtown, having folks that are willing to invest

[19:20] in some of these properties is really critical. And we hope Ms. Reeves and her uses are incredibly

[19:26] successful. They may be so successful that they need to seek larger spaces elsewhere,

[19:30] but they're going to leave behind a building that has been further improved, that somebody

[19:35] who may be on a much tighter budget that doesn't have the economic certainty that something

[19:42] like a daycare may have, because there are, as the vice mayor mentioned, so many families

[19:48] that do need childcare, and there is such a lack of childcare in the city, but allowing

[19:54] these uses to come in to occupy these vacant spaces, to improve them, both interior

[19:59] and exterior to activate the streetscape to bring more people. That's how we continue

[20:04] to get reinvestment in downtown. And that is a significant part of staff's consideration

[20:10] when we bring these applications forward. Thank you for those additional comments.

[20:17] Any additional questions at this time?

[20:22] Just for me, I did have a couple. I think

[20:26] your context may have answered a couple of questions because I think that there is a lot

[20:33] of conversation that we're having around the downtown district and what is it that we're

[20:41] looking at becoming. So I'm trying to reserve the comments and just get to the question.

[20:49] So, when we think of vibrant destination, catering to pedestrian shoppers, visitors

[20:58] in the downtown commercial core, is this what we have imagined?

[21:03] And to your point, that's why I'm trying to step back in understanding your thought

[21:08] around the investment into buildings, interior and exterior.

[21:11] But as we're grappling with use permits and the type of uses we're looking into the downtown

[21:19] commercial area, is this the vision, is this consistent with the vision that we're trying

[21:25] to paint around entertainment, dining, shopping?

[21:30] The short and blunt answer is no.

[21:33] I mean, when we put together these vision boards of the uses we want to see, it is

[21:40] restaurants, it's retail, it is that entertainment component. However, one of the major challenges

[21:47] we have is a lack of funds to invest into private-owned parcels. And also, that's not

[21:55] always the best idea. The city has done that, and we will probably continue to do

[21:59] that when appropriate. But there are these areas that are challenged. If this were

[22:05] on Railroad Avenue, this might be a different story. But the fact that this is the

[22:08] side that faces Cumberland that doesn't receive a lot of foot traffic.

[22:13] It's hard to get folks to invest in these buildings.

[22:16] So again, when you're talking tens of thousands of dollars, even potentially pushing six figures

[22:21] of investment into the spaces in order to make them safe, that's something that a

[22:29] person that wants to take a chance on a business and open up a clothing shop does

[22:34] not have the ability to do.

[22:36] It's tough to get that loan from a bank because there's so much uncertainty.

[22:40] Restaurants are really difficult and putting in a kitchen is expensive enough itself to

[22:45] have these incremental steps and be able to get this reinvestment, again, is something

[22:51] that we are constantly seeking.

[22:53] We're constantly asking property owners and prospective tenants to come in and invest.

[22:59] So again, were this on Railroad Avenue, would it potentially be a challenge to make these

[23:05] findings due to the nature of Railroad Avenue? Yes. Parking? Yes. The safety of the children

[23:12] and parents who are coming in and out of that facility? Yes. But the fact that it's on Cumberland,

[23:17] it's a little bit slower, allows us to make a distinction and support bringing that business

[23:23] in because ultimately what we're hoping is that a parent, grandparent, caretaker

[23:31] who's in a rush to get that child out the door and get them to daycare and doesn't

[23:35] have a chance to get their coffee, it's going to drop them off and then stop at

[23:39] Stealtown or they're going to be able to take that child to daycare and then go

[23:49] to lumpies and have breakfast or after church they'll be able to go to lumpies

[23:53] and have breakfast. If we could just pick and choose everything with all

[23:59] respect to Ms. Reeves would these be the three uses we would pick? Maybe not, but as we continue

[24:04] just to look for ways to get more people down there to support the businesses we have, we think

[24:08] that this is a positive step in that direction layered with the investment in the building

[24:14] and the opportunity to make that block an area that's not vacant that is encouraging to walk

[24:21] down to go from steel town around the back and continue to the future headlands or to

[24:26] the museum. We think that this is something that supports that. Thank you. And my next question

[24:34] deals more in terms of what is listed here in terms of business operation times. So it

[24:40] states that the daycare is 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The church is 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., but then it also

[24:46] states that it won't conflict in terms of that. So I'm trying to, I guess, reconcile if

[24:53] the church can't conflict with the daycare, why wouldn't it just be after 6 p.m. or weekends

[24:59] as opposed to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

[25:02] Thank you for the question, Mayor. The business operator for both the church and the daycare

[25:07] is the same person, and so they have provided a staff as part of their business description

[25:11] that they don't anticipate or they don't plan to have some events at the same time

[25:16] in order to prevent any sort of conflicting issues between the tenant spaces. The entitlement

[25:22] is requesting the ability for each tenant space to be able to operate between those hours of

[25:27] operation and so so as to not prevent one from operating without the other we are allowing

[25:32] both of them to operate at the same time. But again because the applicant is operating both

[25:38] and managing both they don't plan to have events at the same time. I don't know if that

[25:43] makes sense. One more time.

[25:48] We didn't want to restrict the entitlement for the church

[25:51] to only operate in the evening hours,

[25:54] whereas some days they may have like a daytime event,

[25:57] maybe potentially when the daycare facility is closed

[25:59] or when the daycare facility has other arrangements

[26:03] for where their students may be.

[26:05] So we wanted to allow both entitlements

[26:06] to operate within their proposed hours operation.

[26:10] If I can maybe step in again here.

[26:13] What our major concern is,

[26:14] is not that we have folks in the different spaces

[26:17] at the same time,

[26:18] it's that we don't create traffic problems

[26:20] and parking problems. So what we're looking to do with these conditions is allow them to operate

[26:26] but to ensure that their schedules if they have drop-off for the child care from 7 to 8 a.m. that

[26:33] they don't schedule a service until 8 30 when they have folks able to clear out or if pickup is from

[26:39] 2 to 3 that they don't have a service going on at that time where somebody may block parking.

[26:45] It's those types of scheduling things that we want to make sure that we're avoiding.

[26:50] What we really don't want to do is create a parking issue, create too much of a traffic

[26:55] issue or create a conflict where you've got, especially when you're dealing with children,

[27:01] unknown folks coming and going at different times.

[27:03] So we want to make sure we're ensuring public safety as much as possible, not necessarily

[27:07] limiting hours.

[27:12] So if there aren't any questions for my colleagues at this time, we'll go ahead and open

[27:17] the public hearing. And we'll first call forward the appellant. As staff has indicated, the appellant

[27:25] will speak first and have five minutes to speak. Once the appellant finishes speaking, all other

[27:30] members of the public wishing to speak will be permitted and limited for up to three minutes.

[27:36] Once the public has completed speaking, the app, the appellant will be permitted

[27:40] to speak should they choose to do so for a maximum of up to 10 minutes. So at this time

[27:46] will the appellate please come forward for the opportunity to speak.

[27:53] Good evening. So my name

[27:56] is Lita Reeves and I am the CEO and the founder of Baby Yell Academy, Inc. We currently have six

[28:05] centers located one in Oakland, three in Brentwood, one in Bay Point, one in Pittsburgh already,

[28:15] and we have two more opening, barely soon one in Antioch and of course Cumberland.

[28:24] And thank you so much for allowing me to present this appeal to you.

[28:32] It's very important to me to provide a very positive and successful business in this area.

[28:44] There are not a lot of centers in the city of Pittsburgh, and the type of operation that I run is very tight, very structured.

[28:59] And as one of you mentioned earlier about when COVID happened, how the centers were kind of like the backbone.

[29:08] We remained open the entire time and what was interesting about that is that we

[29:15] provided care for even the school-aged children that the teachers were off and

[29:23] what we did is we provided computers for the teachers to be able to teach the

[29:28] student who came to our daycare. So we remain open the entire time and and I'm

[29:38] I'm very proud of that moment because we provided a service for the children.

[29:44] I'm sorry, I'm a little, I get very emotional about it because I really do care about the

[29:52] children and we really do select places that we can make a difference, even though our

[29:59] goal.

[30:00] It is to be the premier center of child care and learning. We also provide care for those

[30:09] parents who may not have a large amount of money. So we provide for low income as well

[30:18] as private payers. And I'm also proud of that. And as a pastor myself, that's why she said

[30:26] that I will be managing all three of those buildings.

[30:35] And so with a lot of our centers, we do have a church attached to the center that we are

[30:43] at because we like to provide for the entire community.

[30:49] So we do a lot of things with our church.

[30:52] much. And so I'm excited about that piece to bring that piece to the downtown area. Our

[31:02] center will be located in a very strong residential area. And most of the businesses that I have,

[31:13] the parents do support the local businesses. When they pick their children up, they may

[31:20] They may take them to the movies, they may take them out to dinner, all of those things.

[31:26] So they do support the businesses that are around our business.

[31:33] And sometimes we provide like a night out for the parents to be able to do that and we

[31:41] keep their children for free so that they support the area in which our business

[31:48] is located.

[31:49] it. And that is important to me as well. So I do a lot of things. My passion clearly is

[31:59] that of serving as a pastor, working in the community, trying to provide a better life

[32:07] for the children. We provide scholarships for children who cannot afford our services

[32:14] because we do a lot for the children and most of the children that start with us

[32:23] at zero months they never leave. We start we have a transportation program where

[32:32] we take children to the public school and bring them back to our school and they

[32:38] they have to age out of our program for them to leap because they love it, they

[32:44] love the staff, the staff loves them. I don't know where I am on my time, but 17

[32:52] seconds. How many? Oh, okay. They actually did a wonderful job of presenting, so I'd

[33:00] be happy to take any questions that you have.

[33:06] Thank you. I know we did have

[33:08] couple questions from council members. You want to go ahead and ask your questions for the applicant?

[33:13] Yeah, I had a question around how many jobs, how many jobs will your center be providing in our

[33:24] community? Currently we have over 65 employees for all of our subsidiary companies. It just

[33:37] This depends on how many children that we have.

[33:43] So we follow what the state licensing says.

[33:47] We're actually under it.

[33:49] We typically have a teacher for eight preschool children.

[33:55] So for every eight children, there's a teacher.

[33:59] For every two-year-old, there's a teacher for every six children.

[34:05] So, it depends on how quickly we reach our capacity, but we tend to have more staff than

[34:14] what is required because of the level of service that we like to provide.

[34:20] I have a follow-up question.

[34:22] I don't know if it was in here, but what is your capacity of children that you can

[34:26] have in the location?

[34:28] So licensing says that for every 35 square feet, the child, we have to have, for every

[34:38] child, they have to have 35 square feet.

[34:41] So it depends on the building size.

[34:45] Some of my centers are very large, over 150 children.

[34:50] Capacity and some are very small, 28 capacity.

[34:53] So they actually determine what the capacity is when they come out and they measure.

[35:02] And so that's, but my goal, I think I said 80.

[35:10] Okay.

[35:11] We can work with staff.

[35:13] They can probably do the math and help us with the measurements.

[35:16] Thank you.

[35:17] Yes, 80.

[35:24] Any other questions?

[35:27] Did you have an additional question for the applicant?

[35:31] Okay, thank you.

[35:32] I saw the questions for right now.

[35:35] Madam Clerk, do we have any other public comments?

[35:38] Wolfgang Kroski.

[35:44] Good evening, Council.

[35:45] I think the issue here isn't so much the business or the business owner being on trial.

[35:51] It's just the location.

[35:53] You know, these children are not going to have any outdoor place to play in.

[35:57] You know if there if this is a daycare last time this was presented it wasn't a daycare

[36:02] But regardless the children need to have a place to play even under state law

[36:07] There's requirements on that even depending on the type of view. So

[36:11] Seeing issued there when we had the boxing gym again, not so much

[36:16] Dis on the business or the business owner

[36:18] Just they had to use the outside area to accommodate their needs

[36:22] They had kids running laps around the block.

[36:25] A lot of programs use John Buckley Park, which is great.

[36:28] That's what a park is for.

[36:29] But it kind of creates an issue when you're looking

[36:32] at a business district and how it interfaces with traffic.

[36:35] And as people are coming and going from businesses,

[36:37] we have people running laps.

[36:39] I don't know if they're running laps in this.

[36:41] But just as an example, when we try to take a use,

[36:45] Rampag in the square hall doesn't always fit.

[36:48] So I think the program itself is great.

[36:51] done a lot of research on it and no problems with that. I just think that this particular

[36:55] location is not conducive. I realize major investments gone into this property and it's

[37:01] nice seeing private investments, especially in locations that have been harder to fill.

[37:06] But when we start to reduce our standards and say, well, we can't get what we want,

[37:13] so let's put something else in there, we're kind of giving up on a plan. And so the decision

[37:18] on this is really going to set a precedence whether we stick to what has already been established

[37:22] for the old town or if we're totally changing course on that. And what are we doing then,

[37:29] you know, does that mean anybody can just come in and as long as they invest money,

[37:32] they don't necessarily have to go through the right process and they can open up

[37:36] or, you know, where do we go from there? So I don't think it's a matter of,

[37:39] is this the operator or the business a good or a bad thing? I think it's a great thing.

[37:44] It's just the particular location is, in my opinion, not the best fit for that particular

[37:50] use.

[37:50] We do have traffic, but most importantly, it's just the wrong type of area.

[37:58] I don't know as far as, will these parents patronize some of the businesses?

[38:02] You could argue that both way.

[38:03] I don't think there's any data that would support one case better than the other.

[38:08] So I would, you know, take that off of the table by just look at the location where

[38:13] kids going to play, where they're going to go for fresh air, where they're going to do

[38:17] things outside of just being inside of the property the whole time, whether it's for

[38:22] the younger kids that are there all day waiting to be picked up from their parents at work

[38:26] or even when they're brought for an after school program, where are those kids going

[38:32] to go to get some fresh air?

[38:35] So it would be great to see more of these programs in the Pittsburgh because there definitely

[38:40] is a need.

[38:41] It's just I don't believe that this particular location is the best fit nor is old town. Thank you

[38:56] No more speakers

[38:58] Right with the appellate

[39:03] Like to make any further comments before we close the public hearing

[39:06] Thank you for allowing me to speak on some of the issues that you brought up

[39:15] so

[39:18] we definitely have gone through the process of

[39:22] understanding what is required through the City of Pittsburgh, through the community care licensing, we never take a step that we know that we won't be approved on.

[39:35] We can have indoor play centers.

[39:42] I've almost bought several centers that had that and only that.

[39:46] So that is not an issue and can actually be removed from consideration because the only requirement that we need is that if we have, depending on for the space, they need 75 square feet per child.

[40:12] That's the only requirement that they have whether it's indoor or outdoors. It does not make a difference

[40:20] Sometimes what they do is they limit the hours that the children can attend the center

[40:26] So it might be four hours per day for the child

[40:31] Though sometimes that's not a requirement

[40:36] So the playground can definitely be removed in terms of the traffic

[40:41] that is no longer an issue may have been years ago. I've been at the center all

[40:49] hours of the day just to track to see what the traffic is like and maybe it was

[40:56] like that when some of the businesses were there prior to but it's not like

[41:01] that anymore. I've gone in the early mornings, I've gone late at night, I've

[41:06] on early mornings, like 2 a.m., 3 a.m., and there is no traffic.

[41:13] But in terms of how the business operate, none of the parents are there more than five minutes

[41:21] because they have to go to work.

[41:23] They may talk to the teacher to find out, you know, about their child when they pick

[41:28] up how their day was, but then they're in and out.

[41:31] And so it's not like there's going to be a parking issue or a traffic issue.

[41:40] He said that there is no data that says that the parents won't patronize the other locations.

[41:48] Well, I would say there's no data to say that they won't.

[41:52] But from my experience at all my other centers, they do.

[41:56] And they do go to the businesses that are around our center.

[42:04] And then we also try to get a partnership with the different businesses that are around.

[42:13] And so we kind of work out Halloween time and all the different holidays where we try to work together.

[42:20] and like I said the night out it's specifically for the centers I think

[42:29] I've covered it all all

[42:39] right if there are no other public comments I will go

[42:42] ahead and close the public hearing and I'll now bring this back to my colleagues

[42:48] for deliberation on this item any

[42:55] comments or thoughts actually

[43:06] my

[43:07] My question is for the appellant, is there a possibility I can ask her one more question?

[43:12] Okay.

[43:13] Thank you.

[43:14] Sorry about that.

[43:15] No worries.

[43:15] Okay.

[43:15] So the age range is from 18 months to 12, correct?

[43:19] That is what it is currently.

[43:22] I, like I said, I have different centers.

[43:25] Some are zero through age 13.

[43:28] So it kind of just depends on what the need is in the area.

[43:33] Infants are always needed, but 18 months are generally their mobile.

[43:40] Okay.

[43:40] They can walk.

[43:42] So the question that I have in regards to that is you say that you're going to have

[43:48] an indoor play area.

[43:50] You have a vast amount of age, so will you be able to have something that's age-appropriate

[43:56] for each group of children?

[43:58] And do you have that space for it?

[44:00] What kind of, I'm concerned about the older kids,

[44:04] who you know, it's like 10, 12, nine, 10, 12.

[44:08] They're energetic, they're gonna need to run around.

[44:12] What kind of play equipment will you be having?

[44:15] Just curiosity.

[44:17] There are different types of play structures

[44:19] that we could have from two to 12.

[44:25] So that's one structure.

[44:27] But we also set up different centers.

[44:29] So there's arts and crafts, there's music, there's different types of things that we can do that each age group, there's three programs, there's the toddler part, there's a preschool, and then there's the school age.

[44:47] And so, plus the, I don't have the picture up at the side where they are going to be, it's huge.

[44:55] And so, there's a lot of space.

[45:03] Okay. Because usually kids around that age, I remember when I was that age, I'd have to run.

[45:09] I needed to run. And just scream and run and just let it loose, you know, just... So I was

[45:17] just wondering if the children would be able to have that opportunity to do so.

[45:21] Well, of course they won't be able to run like at some of my other centers, but the

[45:27] space is large enough for them to be able to participate in the different things that

[45:34] the teacher may determine is good for them. They will be scheduled which group will go

[45:45] into the play area. They may even stay in their area and participate, but it just

[45:52] depends on how the teacher has established their lesson plan okay thank

[45:57] you yeah yeah not a question but just a comment or well I'm curious do we have a

[46:10] read on how many daycares are actually downtown within the city and I say that

[46:16] because as a mom who appreciated having a daycare within a couple minutes of my

[46:23] home within a car?

[46:27] Would this alleviate, you know, a parent's ability to get daycare that's

[46:33] close to home if they live in that area? And so I'm curious to know how many are down there

[46:38] because it is a convenience. I would hate to cross the free way to take my kid to daycare.

[46:46] Great question, Vice Mayor Adams and through the mayor. So we knew coming into this,

[46:52] we're going to be questions in regards to operations for daycare and in the city itself.

[46:57] So about 25, 27 operations throughout the city in the downtown area, we kind of identify

[47:04] three within that downtown core.

[47:08] But you also remember you have the schools that are down there and you also have the

[47:12] other areas that comprise different childcare activities and centers.

[47:18] So specifically child care centers, there's about 25, 27 within the city and within that area. It's about three say between the railroad

[47:27] Or say Timstreet down to third

[47:32] Thank you for that because I know some of those after school programs get full and so we also went back and we did some data research in regards to

[47:41] some of the other licensing of facilities

[47:45] just to make sure we were doing our homework correctly.

[47:47] So the question came up in regards to outdoor play areas

[47:51] and where they can, there's exemptions

[47:54] and there's exceptions within the state licensing requirements

[47:58] for outdoor activity for different school age

[48:01] and children age activity for different childcare centers.

[48:05] So Ms. Reese is absolutely correct in regards

[48:09] there is provisions within there for exemptions, but we want to make sure that we were addressing

[48:15] what questions could come up. So we did our homework and restart just to make sure that

[48:19] what she's doing would be compatible and consistent with the general plan and also making sure

[48:25] that we did our homework in regards to the conditions of approval that she has to meet

[48:30] those before she can receive a certificate of occupancy for operations there.

[48:34] Okay. Thank you. That's helpful.

[48:35] council member lovers yes good evening I'll be pretty blunt I don't like the

[48:43] location and I know that you know there was a lot of comments behind you know I

[48:52] worry about parking control on any given weekend especially for the other uses

[48:56] that the center will have we have three breakfast spots within a block of each

[49:02] other you know sometimes in the weekends there there are issues in finding parking

[49:08] downtown and just like more patrons you know patronizing the center can attract

[49:15] more business to these places that we have it could also deter potential

[49:21] customers driving by downtown and not finding parking they're gonna they're

[49:25] gonna go home they're gonna drive back I personally do that if I can find

[49:28] parking within like a block away from where I'm going I turn my car around

[49:32] I leave, especially during winter and when it's raining, right? So those are issues that I have.

[49:39] I think the plan itself, it's great. I think it has been laid out perfectly fine. So I hear that

[49:47] and I appreciate the sentiment behind it. I also don't like that, you know, it's almost like we

[49:54] have this projected plan for downtown for specific businesses and then, you know, we're

[50:00] kind of away from that. However, we keep building new homes. With new homes come

[50:08] more families with small children, right? And there is a great need for daycare

[50:15] centers for the little people, right? We never really take their voices into

[50:18] account. We don't take parent voices into account. We have all these new

[50:22] developments coming into the city. We have new residents and we forget about

[50:26] the little people that need safe places to be left that will be, you

[50:31] The reason why I don't like the location itself is because it is true. It doesn't have outdoor play

[50:36] But in way now my options all the time, you know, I always look at the bigger picture

[50:41] And I always look at the supply and demand. Well, we have a big demand for daycare centers

[50:46] And we don't have a lot of daycare centers knocking on our doors trying to open up shop here

[50:50] That's the reality of things but here we have, you know, a business owner who has taken her time to

[50:56] to want to provide that service in our city.

[50:59] And so when I think about residents

[51:01] and I think about the little people needing a place,

[51:06] I am grateful for the presentation

[51:09] and I am grateful for the dedication

[51:11] and wanting to open up a safe space.

[51:14] I myself as a young child didn't have a safe space

[51:17] to go to when I was my preschool years or whatnot.

[51:22] So knowing that the little people are being cared of

[51:25] and they're going to safe centers, whether it be having a play structure inside or outdoors,

[51:30] you know, as long as it's a safe center, you know, when I look at the advantage of being

[51:35] here, I think of the Marina Center being two blocks away, there is a park down the street.

[51:41] So I hope that, you know, if this moves forward that it will be utilized and, you

[51:46] know, I would want to see some accountability with, you know, especially from eight years

[51:51] to 12, you know, having that segue between the date, the center to the Marina Center where

[51:56] there's actual sports happening all the time. So, you know, as a resident myself, hearing

[52:04] from residents and not having sufficient daycare centers to take their kits to, I, you know,

[52:10] I lean more towards, you know, wanting this to move forward. But keeping in mind that,

[52:15] you know, we are creating an issue ourselves because we keep having all these business

[52:20] ideas and new developments without taking into account the people whose voices never really get

[52:25] hurt, which is the kids. So, yes. Thank you.

[52:35] All right. So, as we're moving forward in deliberation,

[52:38] I think one thing that I definitely would like to hear from council members on as we're talking

[52:45] about this specific use permit as it relates to the CP district, in my question I asked regarding

[52:53] the vision of the pedestrian commercial district which is laid out in our municipal code.

[53:00] And so just wanting to hear the dialogue amongst council as it relates to do we

[53:07] believe this type of use or use says are consistent with the zoning and the vision

[53:15] for the downtown commercial district. I think it's an important question that we'll have to

[53:20] answer and and deliberating on this item because I believe it does set a

[53:27] precedent for how we move forward. I do want to acknowledge in terms of what

[53:31] staff has shared because it's very valuable in terms of the investment and

[53:35] trying to even see movement in the downtown district but I want to bring

[53:42] up two contexts so one is you know several years back we did open up in

[53:49] terms of the zoning for the downtown district because there was a larger vision about box

[53:56] retail or just retail in the downtown area and it wasn't coming to fruition and it was

[54:02] looking at are there other uses that we could allow that could try to really fill up some

[54:09] of these vacancies but as well as keep the vision of what we're trying to move forward

[54:13] with in the downtown area. So we've seen a number of service type businesses that have come along,

[54:20] whether those are the barber shops, the beauty salons, and some of the other stores that do add

[54:25] to the downtown area and the mix and provide opportunities for people to then shop after

[54:32] they utilize that service. But I think the thing that we have to look at with all development or

[54:38] zoning is the capacity in terms of the limitation of space.

[54:44] So as we're seeing more and more service amenities or businesses come to the downtown area, it

[54:51] then takes in terms of spaces that could be utilized for future restaurants or future

[54:55] other activities that we may desire to be in the area.

[54:58] So that's one area as we're thinking through this as well from the use permit.

[55:03] The second is that maybe two years ago, I know we were going through the Healthy Community

[55:08] Ordinances process, but we had another provider that wanted to locate approximately right next

[55:14] to the old EJ Fair.

[55:16] And at that time, through the Economic Development and Land Use Subcommittee, there were conversations

[55:22] as it related to a question that Councilor Gabbata asked about would this restrict future

[55:28] businesses that may serve alcohol or be more in that entertainment space from

[55:33] being able to locate and there was a lot of concern about that being a

[55:37] possibility and it wouldn't have been conducive in terms of the vision we want

[55:41] to move forward with. So fast forward we've adopted the policy and so as it

[55:47] was shared by Ms. Gunter the downtown commercial district is excluded in

[55:52] terms of from those distance requirements but I think it's still a

[55:56] question that we have to ask ourselves if our intent was not to have children

[56:01] around these type of uses just because the downtown district is excluded the

[56:07] spirit of it is not having those uses next to these type of areas and

[56:12] establishments so I think once again we're grappling with what direction are

[56:17] we going with and I don't want to take away once again from the work that

[56:20] staff is doing in this but I do want as counselors considering this that

[56:24] we're becoming clear about what our vision is for the downtown use because on top of

[56:29] this layer, we are really in the midst of a zoning update. So this would be clear direction

[56:36] for us about where we are, what the vision is, what are the proper uses, and how we're

[56:42] moving forward.

[56:43] So I just want to add that context as we're deliberating on this to at least get us

[56:49] on the record in terms of what we believe the direction is for the downtown area.

[56:52] If this use permit and these uses are consistent with that as we're moving toward a decision on this item here tonight. So I'll yield back if there any thoughts or comments on on those post questions.

[57:14] Yeah, through the mayor. I appreciate the framework there, Mayor.

[57:19] Yeah, so I think for me, when it comes to the use, I mean, I think it's a great business

[57:27] proposal in terms of the need for our community.

[57:30] I do agree that it is just not the best location.

[57:35] My main concern, as Council Member Lopez had mentioned, is parking.

[57:40] So it is very difficult on railroad, even during normal business hours, during the

[57:45] day to find parking on railroad to frequent one of the businesses such as lumpies, right?

[57:50] So you often have to park on a side street or use one of the city designated parking

[57:58] lots to be able to access some of those facilities, even La Veranda at times.

[58:01] I often have to park over behind Mecca in that parking spot.

[58:05] So there is a big demand in terms of parking.

[58:07] And so my main concern is not necessarily with the daycare because I understand the

[58:12] drop-off times and, you know, there's not going to be a consistent parking presence

[58:15] or car presence there, but the religious assembly may have, you know, one or two hours you may

[58:21] have cars there parked on the streets or maybe in some of the other parking lots.

[58:27] So I do think that it just becomes an issue when it comes to parking.

[58:31] To the Mayor's point about the Healthy Communities Ordinance and just because it doesn't

[58:36] apply in this case or in this district, we do have to grapple with the fact

[58:41] that if we approve this today and then tomorrow or a month from now, we get a restaurant that

[58:47] wants to sell alcohol that's going to be nearby. We're going to be grappling with the conversation

[58:52] about, you know, are we going to allow this use that sells alcohol next to an established

[58:57] daycare facility? So I don't think that that is appropriate. I think that that land

[59:02] use is going to conflict, not to mention the already existing alcohol establishments

[59:07] or establishments that sell alcohol, including a bar that's actually right across the street.

[59:14] So again, another non-conforming use as I see it when it comes to how we apply the healthy

[59:22] communities type ordinance.

[59:24] And I definitely understand that it's not applicable here, but the logic behind it

[59:28] I think still stands.

[59:31] So, I do think that this is more of a, you know, drive to the business and kind of park

[59:39] there for some time or drop off.

[59:42] I don't think that it is somewhere where folks are going to be spending time and contributing

[59:49] in terms of the sales tax revenue from a commercial, like a commercial business such

[59:55] which is a restaurant, sit-down restaurant, or even some of the other uses that are.

[1:00:00] So in terms of number, or finding J, I don't, I don't feel a find, I don't find that it meets

[1:00:07] that finding. I do think also kind of orderly development or preservation of property values

[1:00:16] and protection of tax base. I do think that the parking impacts will impact the surrounding

[1:00:20] businesses in not being able to, you know, their customers will have to turn around

[1:00:25] and not be able to frequent there which then will reduce sales tax revenue to the city so I

[1:00:32] think there's a couple findings there but overall just zooming out just a bad fit for the location

[1:00:38] considering what we're trying to do with the downtown. More restaurant focused, yes we've

[1:00:43] allowed different types of businesses in there but I think it's going to be it's a balance

[1:00:49] and when we updated the zoning to allow different types of businesses other than

[1:00:54] just restaurant we established you know that it is going to be a balance and it's on a

[1:01:01] use by use or case by case basis and it's why this use permit was going in front of

[1:01:08] the Planning Commission right so they can weigh in on this on a case by case basis.

[1:01:12] So I think from that aspect the process worked in terms of coming for the Planning

[1:01:17] Commission I think in my opinion the Planning Commission got this right and I'll be voting

[1:01:22] to support the planning commission's decision in this, so I'll conclude my comments there. Thank you.

[1:01:31] Council Member Lopez.

[1:01:34] Thank you, Council Member Benales. Like always, I appreciate your methodical

[1:01:38] input. I have a question for staff. Have we explored other areas where we can empower

[1:01:46] folks within the city to open up daycare centers? I know we've placed a huge emphasis on

[1:01:51] restaurants at least for the past two years but not so much in daycare centers

[1:01:55] that I've seen or I could be wrong but have we put any thought behind maybe

[1:02:00] creating like grant programs to to enable more daycare centers to open

[1:02:05] elsewhere? We have not considered grant programs you know I know there is

[1:02:12] certain funding through whether it be community services or other departments

[1:02:20] where that could potentially be looked at.

[1:02:22] We have tried consistently, sometimes with luck,

[1:02:25] sometimes without, to place certain care providers

[1:02:30] in different locations.

[1:02:34] To a certain extent, it's letting the market sort of dictate.

[1:02:38] I think that we've got a lot of different commercial spaces.

[1:02:41] Those commercial spaces are often lacking

[1:02:44] a lot of the open space, which makes it difficult

[1:02:47] if somebody's not gonna put one in their home.

[1:02:49] I will say one of the challenges some folks have in some of these small lot

[1:02:53] developments is that they also don't have open space and they are going to

[1:02:57] parks. Sometimes those small houses aren't located right next to the park

[1:03:04] and they have to travel to get there. So it's not a it's not an uncommon

[1:03:08] situation where folks have to seek the outdoor space elsewhere. That being said

[1:03:14] we have looked at a lot of the vacant spaces, namely the vacant spaces

[1:03:17] that we have a lot of trouble filling to try to put daycare facilities in those

[1:03:23] locations. Unfortunately, oftentimes it just doesn't work out when somebody's

[1:03:28] looking at a commercial space because the property owner can't meet parking demands

[1:03:33] or traffic demands or outdoor play demands.

[1:03:39] Thank you. I think just going

[1:03:42] back a little bit is where our focus goes, you know, things will happen and I

[1:03:47] think that creating the balancing test, you know, if this is not going to be a

[1:03:53] good fit for the overall well-being of the city, we have to still think about

[1:03:57] the residents, the parents, the children, any daycare centers and start putting

[1:04:02] some priority in creating, I know it's not the most glamorous part of

[1:04:06] economic development, but building good daycare centers at the right

[1:04:11] locations within the city, located within, you know, a next amount of

[1:04:16] minutes from residential areas should be an emphasis that we should be

[1:04:21] considering at this time moving forward as well. Thank you.

[1:04:30] All right. Any other thoughts, comments, further deliberation on this item?

[1:04:40] If not, is there a motion? Do you want to

[1:04:44] put that as a motion, Councilor Benales?

[1:04:48] Yeah, I'll make a motion to

[1:04:50] to uphold the planning commission decision

[1:04:53] and deny the use permit.

[1:04:56] All right, we have a motion by Councilman Bonales.

[1:04:59] Is there a second?

[1:05:01] Councilman Rucabada.

[1:05:03] I second that.

[1:05:04] All right, we have a motion on the floor

[1:05:07] as well as a second.

[1:05:09] So a vote.

[1:05:12] Yes, so the motion is to uphold

[1:05:16] the planning commission's decision,

[1:05:18] which would be to deny the use permit

[1:05:20] And essentially deny the appeal

[1:05:23] So a vote and the affirmative on this would be a denial of the appeal. All

[1:05:31] right

[1:05:33] With that

[1:05:34] We have a motion in a second go ahead and cast your votes

[1:05:39] seconded by councilor Kabada mayor

[1:06:48] killings my understanding is the system is frozen. You could do a roll call vote or

[1:06:53] Wait on the technology

[1:06:55] We'll go ahead and do a roll call vote madam clerk councilmember Kabada.

[1:07:04] Hi

[1:07:04] Council

[1:07:08] Member Bernalas.

[1:07:09] Aye.

[1:07:12] Council Member Lopez.

[1:07:16] This was a tough one, but I always got to do the balancing test and do what's best for

[1:07:20] the city overall with a plan to execute at a later time. So my answer is aye.

[1:07:28] Vice Mayor Adams.

[1:07:29] Yes.

[1:07:31] And also consideration for a different location.

[1:07:36] Mayor Killings.

[1:07:38] Aye.

[1:07:45] All right. So that motion passes.

[1:07:47] is this will conclude the special meeting on this item due to time. We will reconvene

[1:07:58] for open session at seven o'clock council.

[1:08:34] So Madam Clark, can you please call the roll?

[1:08:38] Council Member Cubata. Present. Council Member Benales. Present. Council Member Lopez. Present.

[1:08:45] Vice Mayor Adams. Present. Mayor Killings. Present. Can everyone please stand up.

[1:08:50] and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

[1:08:55] Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America

[1:09:00] and to the Republic for which it stands,

[1:09:03] one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

[1:09:15] So at this time, we're going to move on to our proclamations.

[1:09:19] Standing proclamations are published as part of the agenda

[1:09:23] and also be posted on the city's website

[1:09:25] and social media accounts as appropriate.

[1:09:27] And tonight it is my honor to have our final Inspire Pittsburgh honoree for the

[1:09:34] year and this is special and definitely well deserving to recognize people who

[1:09:41] care for the work that they do in our community. So if we have representatives

[1:09:45] I see Ms. Pope is in in the chambers this evening and definitely want to

[1:09:50] welcome you both up to receive the proclamation this evening. And so I'll

[1:09:56] go ahead and read the proclamation. I'll come down and present it to you both and

[1:10:00] then give you all an opportunity to address the council and share some

[1:10:04] comments with all those who are in attendance here this evening.

[1:10:09] So this

[1:10:09] proclamation is recognizing people who care, whereas people who care Children's

[1:10:14] Association was established in Pittsburgh in 2001 with the mission to

[1:10:18] empower at-risk youth by promoting educational and vocational opportunities

[1:10:23] and by providing training support and other tools that they need to

[1:10:27] overcome challenging circumstances. Whereas PWC is a valuable community partner that works

[1:10:33] with the City of Pittsburgh, the local school district, and Contra Costa County to identify

[1:10:38] and serve at-risk youth. And whereas PWC serves a diverse group of over 200 youth throughout

[1:10:44] the year and has served more than 2,000 youth since it was founded. And whereas their

[1:10:49] services to the community include programs that provide youth the opportunity to gain

[1:10:54] community service hours, vocational and job skills training, as well as mental health

[1:11:00] services which incorporate group therapy, individual therapy, family therapy, home visits, and school

[1:11:07] advocacy.

[1:11:08] And whereas by combining therapeutic support with real-world enrichment, educational opportunities

[1:11:14] and community engagement, PWC helps its youth build resilience, leadership, a sense

[1:11:20] of belonging, all while preventing negative outcomes.

[1:11:25] And whereas PWC also promotes civic engagement and responsibility through community service,

[1:11:31] its youth participate in approximately 30 voluntary events each year, partnering with

[1:11:35] the city, the Chamber of Commerce, and local community-based organizations to support cultural

[1:11:41] and community events.

[1:11:43] And whereas PWC's success has been demonstrated through over 20 years of service to the

[1:11:48] community and its commitment to supporting the needs of youth.

[1:11:52] And whereas we affirm our commitment to fostering civic pride and engagement by elevating the

[1:11:57] great work of community members that enrich our lives and the lives of others.

[1:12:02] Now therefore, Ajalani Killings, Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, on behalf of the

[1:12:06] entire City Council, do hereby recognize and commend people who care for their remarkable

[1:12:11] achievements and ongoing commitment to youth development, mental health, and community

[1:12:16] service and encourage all to join us in thanking them for their contributions to

[1:12:21] inspire Pittsburgh.

[1:12:26] Good evening

[1:12:55] everyone. Thank you Mayor Killens for those kind

[1:13:00] words of introduction. Again my name is Connie Russell. I'm the executive

[1:13:04] director of People Who Care Children's Association. This award is a recognition

[1:13:09] of not just PWC's leadership including Miss Veronica Pope, PWC's founder, but

[1:13:16] but also of the many clients, families, supporters, advocates, and sponsors that have served PWC

[1:13:25] throughout the past 21 years.

[1:13:28] When the city asked if PWC would accept this honor from the mayor, we accepted with enthusiasm.

[1:13:35] It is an honor and a privilege to serve our community in any capacity that helps to improve

[1:13:42] the lives of our diverse community of Pittsburgh. It is our shared responsibility to nurture

[1:13:49] and strengthen a cultural community service by providing young children with an understanding

[1:13:56] of our city government and the importance of being active in their communities.

[1:14:02] Thank you again, Mayor Killins, the city manager, city council members, and everyone

[1:14:09] else responsible for this order. We are very grateful and want to assure you

[1:14:14] that we are unwavering in our commitment to ongoing service. So again, thanks

[1:14:20] everyone.

[1:14:31] Thank you. So at this time we're going to move on to presentations

[1:14:34] and I'll turn over to the city manager for the first presentation. Thank

[1:14:38] you Mayor. Tonight's first presentation is by the Contra Costa

[1:14:43] Accounting Services regarding CORE, which is Outreach Referral Engagement Program.

[1:14:50] With us is Feddy Elhayek, CORE Program Administrator.

[1:14:56] Greetings, Council Members.

[1:14:58] Thank you very much for having us this evening.

[1:15:00] Good evening. My name is Fettie El Hayek. I'm the core outreach program director.

[1:15:03] This evening, it is my pleasure to provide an overview about the core program, specifically

[1:15:10] the work that we're doing in Pittsburgh and our contracted Pittsburgh team, working Monday

[1:15:15] through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Today I'll be sharing an overview on core services, hot

[1:15:21] spots in Pittsburgh, activities, data, and positive outcomes. And before we get into

[1:15:27] to these topics, I'd like to set the context

[1:15:29] for the work we're doing in Contra Costa County.

[1:15:35] So when we look at the housing landscape here,

[1:15:39] renters in Contra Costa County need to earn $43.63 per hour

[1:15:43] to afford the average monthly asking rent.

[1:15:46] And when you look at the unhoused population

[1:15:49] that we're working, the majority not having income

[1:15:52] or having very low income, we see the need

[1:15:55] for programs like core and partnerships like this

[1:15:58] to be able to serve the community

[1:15:59] because the cost of housing is the biggest factor

[1:16:02] in a community's right of homelessness.

[1:16:05] There are many different factors

[1:16:06] that the unhoused population are working through,

[1:16:10] be it medical, physical, mental health, otherwise.

[1:16:14] And all of these are important to address

[1:16:16] and to support these individuals through,

[1:16:19] but research shows that the cost of housing

[1:16:21] is the biggest factor

[1:16:22] in a community's right of homelessness.

[1:16:25] Also, when we look at the point in time count

[1:16:28] So 2,118 people experiencing homelessness were counted in the 2025 point-in-time count.

[1:16:38] And when we look at our HMIS data in the homeless management information system,

[1:16:43] it's just about double or more because the point-in-time count is a snapshot.

[1:16:51] Now when it comes to H3's mission, it is committed to making homelessness short-lived

[1:16:56] and non-recurring by ensuring an integrated system of housing and support services for persons

[1:17:01] experiencing homelessness in Contra Costa County as we strive on working with the most vulnerable

[1:17:07] community members. So this is the Pittsburgh team here. So the team that operates Monday through

[1:17:15] Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. On the right there we have Rebecca Sanders. She is the program

[1:17:21] coordinator. She oversees the team. In the middle we have Janessa, and all the way to the left we

[1:17:27] have Lino and their full-time outreach specialist. So Core is dispatched from 211 option 3 or through

[1:17:33] direct communication with our esteemed PD and law enforcement partners such as Officer Towner where

[1:17:39] we communicate just about every day. This team prioritizes relationship building and assessing

[1:17:44] the needs of the unique individuals that we encounter on a day-to-day basis. We have to

[1:17:49] tailor our services and what we're providing based on the unique people that we're meeting

[1:17:53] with and building rapport with them.

[1:17:56] And placement into shelter or housing is our north star, but a lot of different services

[1:18:00] need to be provided along the way.

[1:18:03] So core being a housing focused street outreach program, in order to stabilize and to support

[1:18:09] the unhoused individuals that we're working with, a lot of services need to be provided.

[1:18:13] Linkages to health and behavioral health, such as working with the mental health clinical specialist that can ride along with core Mondays and Fridays, working hand in hand with health care for the homeless, getting folks connected to primary care to the Pittsburgh Health Center and others.

[1:18:32] Direct placement into shelters such as Delta Landing and working with our backs partners as well as warming centers such as the Concord Warming Center and many other shelters as well.

[1:18:43] And can abatement support?

[1:18:45] We provide problem solving and hand-holding.

[1:18:48] We don't initiate abatements, but we're there to support.

[1:18:52] And oftentimes, if there's an abatement on-house individuals

[1:18:54] might be more open to reconsidering shelter,

[1:18:58] warming center, or family reunification.

[1:19:00] And transportation to appointments

[1:19:02] is a big deal of what we do as well to the DMV

[1:19:06] to get folks their IDs and get them housing ready.

[1:19:09] to care centers, drop-in centers, to medical appointments, to employment centers, and transportation

[1:19:17] to housing placement meetings as well or housing meetings.

[1:19:21] So we're looking at the entire market and if the individual, if a sober living environment

[1:19:28] is the best fit for them, a permanent supportive housing option through our coordinated entry

[1:19:32] system, transitional housing, do they have a housing choice voucher, is senior living

[1:19:38] or an affordable housing unit, the best fit for them. We're really looking at everything.

[1:19:44] So when it comes to the Pittsburgh landscape, you know, we're all over the city but there are

[1:19:49] hot spots that we prioritize as well. We know we can often find unhoused individuals we're working

[1:19:55] with along the Delta Deans trail. Atlantic Plaza continues to be a hot spot and we can, you

[1:20:02] know, next to Walgreens, next to the businesses in that area, we can definitely find folks

[1:20:08] that we're regularly working with every day there about five or ten people.

[1:20:12] Buchanan Park numbers have been increasing slightly and we're keeping a

[1:20:17] close watch on it. We know that CD Park numbers went down and we're you know

[1:20:22] we're continuously engaging with folks at Buchanan Park just about

[1:20:26] everybody will work with us and talk to us there. And then Loveridge Road and

[1:20:31] Delta Landing obviously this is a big hot spot for us as well. We see that

[1:20:36] it's getting better, and we're seeing less folks that are there that are unhoused.

[1:20:42] And most of the folks who present as unhoused in this area might be residents of Delta Landing,

[1:20:47] and they just might be in the area.

[1:20:49] We don't have anyone who's unhoused or that won't work with us.

[1:20:52] They will talk with us.

[1:20:53] They will build a relationship with us and accept, you know, resources from us.

[1:20:59] Some of the folks have been discharged from Delta Landing, but it's only a few.

[1:21:03] and some folks might be waiting for shelter but it's really not a super high

[1:21:08] number and we might see anywhere from you know six to nine people there on a

[1:21:12] daily basis. So it really does take a village for us to do what we do

[1:21:18] partnerships with health care for the homeless, shelter providers, mobile

[1:21:23] crisis that's A3 so it's anytime anywhere any place as well as our

[1:21:28] Pittsburgh PD partners. So these partnerships are necessary in order for

[1:21:33] us to meet the needs of the different scenarios that we may encounter in the

[1:21:37] field because all the services that we provide are voluntary and we can't

[1:21:42] force anybody to accept our services but sometimes it's not so cut and dry and

[1:21:46] there are different scenarios. So if there are medical needs so an individual

[1:21:50] has acute needs and we have to call 911 for an emergency we definitely

[1:21:56] do that. For non-acute needs we can continue to work with them if there's

[1:22:00] something that's not so prevalent and it's not an urgent emergency. We can work

[1:22:04] with health care for the homeless, ask them to come out into the field with us

[1:22:07] or transport individuals to mobile health clinics. If there are mental

[1:22:12] health needs again we have a mental health clinical specialist who works

[1:22:16] through H3 and she can ride along with core teams on a Monday or a

[1:22:20] Friday and I know she's been out with the Pittsburgh team in the

[1:22:23] past. Or we can coordinate with A3 if they are in crisis or if we suspect a crisis we

[1:22:29] will reach out to them. And if an individual is engaging in a lawyering or a crime this

[1:22:34] is out of our scope but we have a really good relationship with our law enforcement

[1:22:38] partners and officer towner and we will inform them and just remain in constant

[1:22:43] communication if it's something that's out of our scope.

[1:22:48] And community activities

[1:22:49] These are very important for us as well.

[1:22:52] Loaves and fishes and St. Vincent de Paul

[1:22:55] are frequented every day,

[1:22:56] so we can find our regular partners there,

[1:22:59] and it's a great opportunity for us to connect

[1:23:01] with the participants that are at these locations.

[1:23:05] We are at National Night Out,

[1:23:07] as well as Words with the Police,

[1:23:09] to get the word out there

[1:23:10] and to spread the word of who we are

[1:23:12] and how to get in touch with us.

[1:23:14] We promote the food bank to our participants.

[1:23:17] We also, we have many different teams

[1:23:19] throughout the county and one of them is an education team so we have two care

[1:23:23] coordinators who work with unhoused individuals and families and that might

[1:23:27] be through K through 12 or in the college school system and one of our care

[1:23:31] coordinators has office hours at LMC and Mount Diablo resource recovery is a

[1:23:36] great resource for us for to get furnishing and household items for those

[1:23:40] going into housing. So at this time I'm going to be getting into data and

[1:23:45] outcomes and this is for fiscal year 24 through 25 so this is July through June

[1:23:53] and of all all teams working in Pittsburgh 5,578 services were

[1:24:00] provided to 913 unduplicated individuals 91% have roots in Pittsburgh

[1:24:07] which speaks to us serving the community members from here. 52%

[1:24:12] reported being unhoused for the first time. When you look at the cost of living, the lack of

[1:24:16] affordable housing in our communities, we see individuals being unhoused for the first time

[1:24:21] more and more. 68% have a disabling condition. 16% were accompanied minors with families,

[1:24:30] so with their head of households or other parents. And 44% reported having mental health

[1:24:35] problems, which speaks to the vulnerability of the unhoused population we work with.

[1:24:39] 55% of these folks were made of these contacts were made by the Pittsburgh

[1:24:45] Corps team and we're gonna get into that data soon. When it comes to all exits

[1:24:50] from the city of Pittsburgh from Corps during this fiscal year, 39% went to a

[1:24:55] more stable destination which is amazing. Huge shout out to Lino and

[1:24:59] Genessa and all the Corps teams. 125 individuals moved into permanent

[1:25:04] housing, 93 went to shelter, and 30 went to short-term housing. Additionally, 1,293

[1:25:12] warming center placements were made for 122 individuals, and this is night by

[1:25:18] night shelter. It's not long-term, but there's a night by night turnover. And

[1:25:22] of the 125 who went to permanent housing, 94% retained their housing. Now

[1:25:28] getting it specifically into the contracted Pittsburgh core team in the

[1:25:34] last fiscal year 131 Pittsburgh PD dispatch calls were diverted so this

[1:25:39] is 131 times that and a officer reached out to us and we are able to engage and

[1:25:45] make a meaningful connection with an unhoused individual and to track that in

[1:25:49] our system which is 131 times where an officer was freed up so they

[1:25:54] could protect and serve and do their level of work in the community while

[1:25:57] we can serve the unhoused. Additionally from this team again 499 unhoused

[1:26:02] people were served, 86 unhoused people from this team specifically exited to a

[1:26:07] stable or safe destination, 10,696 services were provided and of those

[1:26:14] 3,842 housing coordination services were provided. So now I have a couple

[1:26:21] more data slides here. When it comes to comparative data, we're looking at four

[1:26:26] years worth of data. We're looking at individuals, contacts, services, total

[1:26:33] exits, and stable exits. And the first year it's the fiscal year so it's

[1:26:39] July to June. The first year here is 2021 through 2022 and we see here and

[1:26:46] then you know 22 through 23 and then 23 through 24 it's when the contract

[1:26:50] started and then the last fiscal year. We can see here that as we have

[1:26:56] gotten our boots firmly planted in the ground and working with the unhoused

[1:27:00] population that the numbers have gone up but as you can see when the contract

[1:27:06] started it went up because we had much more engagement but then the numbers

[1:27:09] have gone it gone down in the second year of our contract but it's notable

[1:27:13] that the contacts and services have gone up so the numbers of unhoused

[1:27:19] people have gone down but the services and contacts have gone up which

[1:27:23] means high quality service delivery that we're providing. And you know the stable exits here

[1:27:29] again the last fiscal year 248 individuals exited to a stable destination. So again there's 27%

[1:27:38] increase in individuals served between the 2223 through 24 through 25.

[1:27:45] And looking at the collective data here since we started our contract 1640 individuals were

[1:27:52] served, 32,746 services were provided through 8,796 contacts, and 9,359 housing

[1:28:03] coordination services were provided, which has resulted in a total of 501

[1:28:08] individuals exiting to stable housing. And of those 192 exited to permanent,

[1:28:14] 190 exited to shelter, 119 exited to short-term housing, and of those who

[1:28:19] went to permanent housing, 91% remained housed post-exit and did not re-enter the homeless

[1:28:24] system of care.

[1:28:26] I'm going to be finishing up our presentation with a success story.

[1:28:30] So after starting our contract in 2023, a chronically unhoused individual started working

[1:28:36] with the Corp Pittsburgh team.

[1:28:38] The journey started when the participant allowed Corp to offer services and accepted

[1:28:42] support.

[1:28:43] Due to their physical condition, the outreach specialists involved the Corp program coordinator

[1:28:48] Rebecca Sanders to connect the individual with medical care and shelter.

[1:28:53] The Pittsburgh Outreach Specialists learned that the individual did not have a viable source

[1:28:58] of income and worked towards interim shelter placement.

[1:29:01] CORE immediately advocated for a shelter bed when it became available and began the process

[1:29:06] to visit the EHSD office to establish medical insurance and apply for public benefits.

[1:29:13] Ongoing support, CORE continued to work with the participant and supported by scheduling

[1:29:17] medical appointments to receive primary care. And prior to each doctor's appointment,

[1:29:22] the outreach specialist transported the participant to the Concord Service Center

[1:29:25] to utilize the dog kennel for their pet, to do laundry, and to do shower.

[1:29:31] Finally, they were placed into shelter and now they are working on a housing plan.

[1:29:36] And they're able to stabilize and work on their health goals. And we're able to achieve

[1:29:40] the success because of this partnership.

[1:29:46] Thank you very much for allowing us to present

[1:29:48] and we're happy to take questions.

[1:29:51] Thank you for coming out and making the presentation.

[1:29:54] Do any of my colleagues have any questions this evening?

[1:29:58] Or comments? Vice Mayor?

[1:30:00] Thank you. I don't have a question. Just a comment through the mayor. One, thank you for the report that you shared with us.

[1:30:07] And really just wanted to show appreciation for the work that you do. I actually have very close friends and some family members that have received your services.

[1:30:16] And it's made a difference. People that were hard to reach. And so I know that the relationship building you do is really key to help people get the support that they need.

[1:30:28] And so, I just wanted to say thank you.

[1:30:30] I'm glad that you're here and making a difference here in our community.

[1:30:34] You're very welcome.

[1:30:40] Hello, Vance.

[1:30:40] Yes, hello.

[1:30:41] Similar to Vice Mayor Adams, I want to thank you for all the work that you do.

[1:30:45] There's a lot of nobility in the work that you do, and I'm grateful for that.

[1:30:49] You know, on behalf of our residents, the work and support that you guys provide,

[1:30:52] more and more I hear the term, the core team, you know, throughout the community.

[1:30:57] community. I also realized that you guys provide a lot of help and support for police departments.

[1:31:04] And a lot of the resources that you provide helps alleviate some of the issues that they

[1:31:08] were encountering on a day-to-day basis. So I'm grateful for that. It's also exciting

[1:31:13] to see that you guys came in and started building these relationships with our local

[1:31:17] nonprofits, which is very important. And so I'm excited for the work that you

[1:31:23] will continue to do.

[1:31:24] And like always, you have my support.

[1:31:27] The area of mental health is dear to my heart.

[1:31:30] So I am incredibly grateful for the presentation to you.

[1:31:34] I love the numbers.

[1:31:36] Numbers are there for a reason.

[1:31:39] And just to see that the work that you do

[1:31:42] is actually creating positive impact,

[1:31:44] it's a breath of fresh air.

[1:31:45] So thank you.

[1:31:46] Thank you.

[1:31:49] Councilmember Cabada?

[1:31:51] Hi, I just wanted to also echo my appreciation

[1:31:54] for the hard work that you guys do it's a it's it is very hard it's a delicate

[1:32:00] balance as well because you're faced with different situations every day from

[1:32:05] each different person and you have to find a way to fix it or at least help it

[1:32:11] and it's not a job that I can say is easy I know that but I want to thank

[1:32:16] you because I've worked with Corb in the past at my workplace we had to

[1:32:22] deal with the corn and helping us with finding resources for the people that earn my work.

[1:32:29] So I just want to thank you again and I appreciate all the things that you guys do.

[1:32:33] Thank you.

[1:32:37] Yes, once again, thank you for the presentation.

[1:32:39] Just a couple of questions for me.

[1:32:42] So I know you had shared about the outreach that you all have done in terms of being

[1:32:46] at community events.

[1:32:48] So is the public or more specifically business owners, are they able to reach out directly

[1:32:54] to the core team if there is assistance needed in a shopping center or services

[1:33:01] that may need to be provided? Yeah, so it would be 2-1-1 option 3, but if they say

[1:33:07] they would like to speak with Rebecca Sanders, I need to speak with a manager.

[1:33:12] I'm a business owner here. It'll be expedited to our management team as

[1:33:17] well as like core SCCHealth.org. I get those emails Rebecca does as well.

[1:33:21] They could easily get in touch with us very quickly.

[1:33:24] Okay, definitely with advocate. I know that came up in some meetings that we have with some local business owners

[1:33:30] and so we didn't know who to directly send them to.

[1:33:34] So with 2-1-1 and as you're sharing, they just ask for somebody specific or there's a way for them to be routed specifically to the Pittsburgh team?

[1:33:43] Yeah, they could definitely ask for, depending on the level of the need, they can ask for the Pittsburgh team.

[1:33:50] If they feel like they want to really get in touch with somebody that same day because our teams they might not have capacity that day,

[1:33:59] but a manager definitely will, they could always get in touch with us to at least have a line of communication with us.

[1:34:05] Okay, thank you. And then the next question is trying to,

[1:34:20] you know,

[1:34:20] experiencing homelessness in the city of Pittsburgh. But then when I see 913

[1:34:26] duplicated services, can you kind of share any context about the reality of the

[1:34:33] picture of homelessness within the city of Pittsburgh, the number of

[1:34:36] individuals, even as we're looking at these numbers? Absolutely 100%. So the

[1:34:41] point in time count, it's a good metric to see what is observable,

[1:34:49] what

[1:34:49] But if we're doing the work day in and day out, we know that there might be some unhoused

[1:34:54] individuals who are in the nooks and crannies, who might be hidden from sight, and who might

[1:35:01] just not be visible unless you know where to find them.

[1:35:05] So when we're doing our work every day, we're just learning about all those different

[1:35:09] hotspots, like for example, Delta De Anza trail, right?

[1:35:13] In doing the point count myself, we're driving around and for safety purposes,

[1:35:18] is you should not get out of your vehicle. You should see what is observable. But when

[1:35:22] I've been out in the field with Lino, he would know, okay, if we go behind this salon, I

[1:35:27] know I'm going to find one individual that I'm working with. I'm trying to get him to

[1:35:30] the DMV. Examples like that where you just have to know where to find them. And unless

[1:35:35] you have a dedicated team, it's hard to do it.

[1:35:38] Thank you. All right. So if there are no other questions or comments, we definitely

[1:35:43] want to say thank you once again for coming out and making the presentation.

[1:35:46] Thank you very much.

[1:35:46] Thank you. All right. And so I'll turn it back over to the city manager for our

[1:35:53] second presentation this evening. Thank you again mayor. This next item is an

[1:35:57] update from Contra Costa Fire, a veto in Pistoto district fire chief to make the

[1:36:02] presentation.

[1:36:08] I just want to say first you're one of the few people that get

[1:36:11] the name right right out of the gate. It's not easy. My name is Vito Pistoto.

[1:36:18] I'm an assistant chief with Contra Costa County fire. I've been with the

[1:36:21] district for a couple decades now. I've seen a lot of change and a lot of good

[1:36:26] things happen over the years. I want to just take a few minutes to talk about

[1:36:29] those things. I'll be very, very brief, maybe.

[1:36:37] We are up to 35 fire stations with

[1:36:40] 41 engine companies or truck companies, so those would be what we would call a

[1:36:44] double house, so two pieces of apparatus

[1:36:47] that are both fully staffed.

[1:36:50] Antioch has one, Concord, San Pablo, Bay Point.

[1:36:54] You guys, unfortunately, do not have a double company,

[1:36:57] but that's okay because you have a lot

[1:36:58] of other cool things here I consider cool.

[1:37:02] You've got a truck company down the street

[1:37:03] that as I was pulling in, saw it going over the hill

[1:37:07] to Concord to help out.

[1:37:09] You have the boat that is at the Pittsburgh Marina

[1:37:11] that is constantly busy and one of our biggest things that I'll just talk very

[1:37:18] briefly about it's not here in the slide presentation is that hazmat company is

[1:37:24] up the road on Leland at station 87 so we have a fully staffed hazmat program

[1:37:31] now and the next annexation is in the works with Contra Costa County Health

[1:37:36] We're taking over the COPA, the county's hazmat program.

[1:37:43] So that means that we'll be doing the inspections.

[1:37:46] We'll be doing the collecting of all the hazardous materials.

[1:37:49] Right now, we just mitigate the problem,

[1:37:51] stop the flow of a tank that is boiling over

[1:37:55] or have a toxic substance.

[1:37:58] We just stop it.

[1:38:00] The county will come in later, and they'll

[1:38:01] mitigate the cleanup of all that.

[1:38:04] But now we're all one big happy family and that will happen sometime in July, it should

[1:38:09] be done.

[1:38:11] We do have a reserve station way over the hill in Martinez, up in Breone's, up in the

[1:38:16] hills.

[1:38:17] We have a staffed wildland center, which is the old Byron Boys Ranch, hopefully none

[1:38:23] of us spent any time there in the past, it is our staffed wildland center.

[1:38:30] so our hand crew, which is usually staffed all year round with two crews. So there are

[1:38:39] 18 kids, I call them, 18 to 22 years old. They're the ones out there scratching line

[1:38:44] with hand tools, all the stuff I don't want to do anymore.

[1:38:50] They are very well respected

[1:38:52] around the state and asked to help in the mutual aid system up and down. They have

[1:38:57] traveled this year down south to some of the fires that we've had but that's

[1:39:03] where they're centered out of and we'll talk a little bit about the helicopter

[1:39:06] that we contracted with in a minute. We're well over 700 folks both suppression

[1:39:15] and up at the headquarters and our Prevention Bureau all of those people

[1:39:20] so we are really really growing and it's been good to see over the years

[1:39:26] to us for us to rebound from, I remember the economic downturn, I remember closing stations

[1:39:32] and not having as many firefighters as we did when I got hired. It's been very good to

[1:39:38] see us go to where we are today. If you see a lot of our apparatus, you'll see that they're

[1:39:45] mostly new within the last decade. If you look around the state of California, you

[1:39:50] we won't see a fleet as good as ours

[1:39:53] and that's attributed to our administration

[1:39:56] and how they've funded the programs

[1:39:58] and really kept us going.

[1:40:01] COVID, still talking about COVID,

[1:40:03] it really did slow us down in getting new apparatus.

[1:40:06] We have a lot of apparatus on the order

[1:40:08] and they'll be here and you'll see even newer,

[1:40:12] shinier stuff out there.

[1:40:14] I don't wanna get too deep into the numbers here.

[1:40:19] I just want to point out a couple things. These are this is the 4th of July, the difference

[1:40:24] between 2024 and 2025 in Contra Costa County, the areas that we serve. So you'll see there's

[1:40:33] a dip from 25 to 24. And that's a good thing, right? We would like to have less calls on

[1:40:41] the 4th of July. And I think a lot of that has to do with education. A lot of it has

[1:40:46] to do with the weather has been very cooperative this fire season.

[1:40:52] So in that respect, it was

[1:40:55] a good year. We still did have a few fires, a lot of fireworks over, illegal fireworks

[1:41:01] over the Fourth of July. So you saw all of that. The other thing I want to point out

[1:41:05] is if you look at the 2024 with

[1:41:26] the unhoused, we see a lot of warming fires and cooking

[1:41:29] fires that get out of hand and then you have a few acres of grass going. Also as you go eastward

[1:41:38] from here east you start you see more dry flashy light fuels lots of grass so that stuff tends to

[1:41:47] burn a lot quicker and ignites a lot easier as you start to move eastward you're in

[1:41:53] heavier brush and it's not as easy to ignite. So if you're looking at those

[1:41:58] numbers and you're curious I think those are some of the reasons why you see a

[1:42:03] lot of exterior fires, structure fires, and brush fires here in Pittsburgh and

[1:42:09] Antioch. There is a dip again. I'm very grateful for the weather this past

[1:42:16] wildland season. We did not have a single red flag day that we announced.

[1:42:21] the wildland season is clearly over now, which is great.

[1:42:25] So we've had a good year weather-wise

[1:42:29] and that has helped us keep the fires down,

[1:42:31] and I think education has another big part of that.

[1:42:36] For the second year wildland season,

[1:42:40] we contracted an aerial firefighting helicopter.

[1:42:44] The thing that we did different this year

[1:42:46] than we've done in the previous year

[1:42:48] is we put a fire captain on the helicopter

[1:42:50] helicopter with the pilot to help us communicate.

[1:42:54] One of the first fires that we had

[1:42:57] that the helicopter was in use was at the Old Pittsburgh Golf Course.

[1:43:01] They did some amazing things, standing right under it,

[1:43:04] scared to death because they're right next to the power lines

[1:43:07] and they're dipping out of canals and really keeping that fire in check.

[1:43:13] It has been a really good resources for us to have.

[1:43:16] PG&E covers half the cost. We cover the other half of the cost. We're working on

[1:43:21] the contract for that for the next year. It reported to 23 different fires. It had

[1:43:28] 183 water drops and it dropped almost 60,000 gallons of water. So it's a lot

[1:43:34] of water considering it only holds about 300 gallons of water in the

[1:43:39] in the tank. So it was used very well and very frequently even though our

[1:43:47] season was less than normal. Some significant incidents in Pittsburgh from

[1:43:54] January to July, again, we only burned about 22 and a half acres which is really,

[1:44:01] really light if you look over our historical data.

[1:44:04] to get 123 exterior fires.

[1:44:08] We had two significant fires in June and July,

[1:44:14] and that was a working commercial fire on Crestview.

[1:44:17] That was a two alarm commercial fire.

[1:44:22] And then in July, we had a veg fire on Kerger Pass,

[1:44:24] if you remember.

[1:44:26] So again, pretty light on fires,

[1:44:29] and that's a good place to be,

[1:44:31] unless you're a young firefighter that wants to go to fires. In 2025 we had seven working

[1:44:39] residential structure fires as compared to 14 in 2024 so again the data is doing well for us.

[1:44:50] Just some numbers for you to look at over 7,000 almost 8,000 calls for service from January to

[1:44:58] September

[1:45:00] And those calls for service are everything from medicals, Code 2 falls, traffic accidents,

[1:45:08] PD requests, whatever it might be.

[1:45:13] You can see that typically our medicals are our highest

[1:45:16] number of calls and then going all the way down the list from ambulance-onlys to alarms,

[1:45:24] vehicle accidents, rescues, structure fires, vegetation fires, all those things you'll

[1:45:29] see here in the data as well.

[1:45:35] We want to continue, because I think the education component

[1:45:38] is really important for us to prevent wildfire

[1:45:43] and prevent loss of structures because of exterior fires.

[1:45:47] We see over the years, a lot of exterior fires

[1:45:51] that will turn into loss of structures, residents

[1:45:55] having to be displaced, all those things,

[1:45:57] they start from something small.

[1:45:59] So, the QR code will help you or anybody who is interested develop a plan for a wildfire,

[1:46:07] what to do, where to go, all that good stuff.

[1:46:12] And that's it.

[1:46:14] I'm happy to take any questions or if you guys want to come out and take some photos

[1:46:18] with me, I'm happy to do that as well.

[1:46:23] Thank you for the presentation.

[1:46:25] I look to my colleagues.

[1:46:27] Are there any questions or questions for this presentation?

[1:46:33] I have a question around like the dip in the numbers that you've seen from year to year.

[1:46:38] Are you seeing more people hardening around their homes or their businesses?

[1:46:43] Is that contributing to that as well?

[1:46:45] I can't say for certain that that is a cause to help lower those numbers down.

[1:46:52] I know that in this last year, I haven't heard the word home hardening as much as I've heard in this last year.

[1:46:58] people are really engaged in that. I actually have a few friends in the

[1:47:02] civilian world that that's what they're doing now. It's become a big thing. I

[1:47:07] think the Palisades fire down south really opened up the eyes of a lot of

[1:47:13] homeowners and business owners to think about what they need to do to protect

[1:47:18] their homes. So I don't know exactly but I know that that's a big buzzword

[1:47:23] right now and a lot of folks are trying to take care of their property.

[1:47:26] Yeah, I'm starting to hear it in Sacramento, so I was curious if you were seeing people

[1:47:30] that are kind of early adopters.

[1:47:32] Yeah, definitely.

[1:47:33] Thank you.

[1:47:37] Any other questions or comments?

[1:47:40] Once again, I want to say thank you for coming out and making the presentation.

[1:47:43] All right.

[1:47:44] Thank you, thank you.

[1:47:50] All right.

[1:47:51] At this time, we're going to move on to City Manager Reports and Remarks, and I'll

[1:47:54] turn it over to the City Manager.

[1:47:56] Thank you.

[1:47:57] I only have one item.

[1:47:59] This Thursday, November 20th, is the State of the City.

[1:48:02] It's at the Marina Center, 340 Marina Boulevard, the doors open at 6, and the event starts at

[1:48:08] 630.

[1:48:08] Hope to see everyone there.

[1:48:12] All right.

[1:48:13] Thank you.

[1:48:14] So we will move on to committee reports.

[1:48:16] Council members may make a report on their committee assignments at this time.

[1:48:20] Do any of my colleagues have any committees to report out of this evening?

[1:48:26] All right.

[1:48:26] Seeing none, we are going to move on to public comments, and I'll turn to the

[1:48:32] City Clerk if we have any public comments this evening.

[1:48:35] No, we do not moving

[1:48:40] right along. We're going to move on to the first consideration item and I will turn it over to the city manager

[1:48:46] Thank you very much. This first consideration item is for the appointment of candidates to the two vacant positions

[1:48:53] One of which is in the planning commission and the other one is to the community advisory commissions

[1:48:58] So this will require two votes by the city council one for each commission

[1:49:07] before

[1:49:09] I guess just getting to the nomination. Are there any comments?

[1:49:12] Or any thoughts that my colleagues would like to share as we consider this appointment?

[1:49:18] And if not, then I will open it up in terms of candidates to nominate and just state which

[1:49:26] commission we're looking to appoint them to.

[1:49:32] Vice Mayor?

[1:49:33] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[1:49:34] I do have a nomination for the Planning Commission.

[1:49:37] I would like to nominate Jennifer Ingram for the Planning Commissioner role.

[1:49:48] Yeah, if you support that nomination, then yeah, you can put a second.

[1:49:52] Through the Mayor, I second the nomination made by Vice Mayor Adams.

[1:49:56] All right. So we have a motion by Vice Mayor Adams and a second by Councilor Lopez to appoint Jennifer Ingram to the Planning Commission.

[1:50:06] So with that, I believe we're going to be doing, oh, we're working.

[1:50:11] Okay. So we can go ahead and cast your votes.

[1:50:13] at

[1:50:38] motion passes 5-0. I see Ms. Ingram in the audience this evening. Congratulations

[1:50:42] on your appointment to the Planning Commission.

[1:50:49] All right. So is there a

[1:50:51] nomination for appointment to the Community Advisory Commission at this

[1:50:54] time? Councilmember Cabada. For CAC, I'd like to... Bruce Smargiasso.

[1:51:08] So we have a

[1:51:09] motion. Through the Mayor. I'll second that motion. All right. So we have a

[1:51:14] motion by Council Member Cabada, a second by Council Member Lopez to appoint Bruce

[1:51:19] Smart-Gasso to the Community Advisory Commission. Go ahead and cast your votes.

[1:51:30] And that motion passes 5-0. So congratulations to Bruce. I don't think

[1:51:36] he's here this evening, but staff will notify him. So at this time we're going

[1:51:41] to move on to the next consideration item, item number 10, and I'll turn it

[1:51:45] over to the City Manager. Thank you very much. This one's a long

[1:51:48] long time. This is to introduce and waive first reading of an ordinance to

[1:51:54] adopt by reference the 2025 California Building Code residential code, electric

[1:51:59] code, electrical code, fire code, wildland urban interface code, mechanical

[1:52:04] code, plumbing code, historical building code, green building standards

[1:52:09] code, existing building code, and energy code. So with us this evening is

[1:52:15] Shelby Rose, our chief building official,

[1:52:17] with her is Nick Henderson from Forleaf,

[1:52:20] as well as Jordan Davis,

[1:52:21] our director of community and economic development.

[1:52:25] Good evening.

[1:52:30] Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

[1:52:32] Every three years, the State of California

[1:52:34] adopts the new California Building Standards Code,

[1:52:38] also known as Title 24.

[1:52:41] I won't repeat all the titles that Maria spoke of.

[1:52:45] More recently, though, it has included a standalone volume of the Wildland Urban Interface Standards.

[1:52:55] The 2025 Code Cycle focuses on fire resilience, sustainability, and construction safety.

[1:53:04] The purpose of this action is to keep Pittsburgh aligned with current state law and building

[1:53:09] practices.

[1:53:09] The

[1:53:13] statewide code changes are incorporated into multiple chapters of the Pittsburgh Municipal

[1:53:18] Code under the Title 15.

[1:53:22] Chapters seen here on this slide are being updated to reflect the 2025 California Building

[1:53:27] Codes.

[1:53:28] You will see that Chapter 15.21 is being added to formally adopt the Wildland Urban

[1:53:36] Interface or WUI standards as a standalone chapter. These standards are not new. They were previously

[1:53:45] embedded within the California Building Code, specifically Chapter 7A. The state has now separated

[1:53:52] these provisions into their own dedicated WUI code, and our local adoption follows that structure.

[1:53:58] So,

[1:54:02] what's new in the 2025 codes?

[1:54:05] We have updated wildland-urban interface standards aligned with new fire hazard severity zones,

[1:54:13] stronger wildfire mitigation requirements, including ignition-resistant materials and

[1:54:19] vegetation management expectations.

[1:54:23] The updated energy code pushes further towards electrification and higher efficiency

[1:54:29] performance. It introduces stronger requirements for heat pump HVAC systems,

[1:54:38] lowers allowable lighting power for both indoor and outdoor applications,

[1:54:44] and improves insulation and envelope standards to minimize energy loss, for

[1:54:49] some examples. We have structural code changes related to seismic detailing,

[1:54:54] wind loads and connections and the accessibility updates incorporate recent

[1:55:02] ADA clarifications including revised requirements for ramp, handrail extensions

[1:55:09] and landing configurations. Updated reach range standards for operated parts

[1:55:15] consistent with federal ADA guidance and new specifications for accessible

[1:55:21] electric vehicle charging spaces.

[1:55:27] So let's talk a little bit more about the

[1:55:29] wooey and what it is and how it affects our community. The wildland urban

[1:55:35] interface refers to areas where structures are located near or among

[1:55:41] wildland vegetation such as brush, trees, grasslands, and hillsides. Because of

[1:55:49] makes these areas carry elevated wildfire risk. The key goal of the WUI is

[1:55:56] home hardening to reduce ignition risk and to improve overall community

[1:56:03] protection and resilience. Homes in WUI zones have stronger construction

[1:56:09] standards aimed at ignition resistant materials and I know I keep saying that

[1:56:14] For example, fire-resistant siding, protected vents and eaves, and non-combustible or treated decks.

[1:56:25] This is intended at stopping members from igniting structures.

[1:56:31] Defensible space is also vital.

[1:56:35] Ensuring vegetation around homes is properly cleared, spaced, and maintained to slow fire

[1:56:43] spread.

[1:56:45] Fire access and infrastructure improvements are part of wooey compliance, including updated

[1:56:54] requirements for driveway widths, road grades, turnarounds, and adequate water supply.

[1:57:01] This

[1:57:04] next slide shows the local responsibility area fire hazard severity

[1:57:11] zones adopted by the state fire marshal in February of 2025. These maps

[1:57:18] determine where we requirements apply and guide both construction and

[1:57:24] vegetation management expectations. Applicants will be required to

[1:57:30] consult these maps during project review to determine applicable standards.

[1:57:36] For more information, you can visit the web address at the top of this slide.

[1:57:41] I pulled some of these images off of there for you.

[1:57:49] Lastly, bear with me please, staff recommends City Council introduce, wave further reading

[1:57:57] and passed a second reading, the ordinance repealing chapters 15.08, 15.16, 15.18, 15.20,

[1:58:10] 15.21, 15.22, 15.26, 15.28, 15.32, 15.60 and 15.64 of the Pittsburgh

[1:58:27] municipal code and adopting the 2025 California building code, residential

[1:58:35] Central Code, Electrical Code, Fire Code, Wildland Urban Interface, Mechanical Code, Plumbing

[1:58:46] Code, Historical Building Code, Green Building Standards Code, Existing Building Code, and

[1:58:53] Energy Code with State of California and Local Amendments.

[1:58:57] This action maintains compliance with state law, it ensures safe construction practices

[1:59:03] and incorporates current wildfire resilience requirements.

[1:59:09] Thank you.

[1:59:09] Do you have any questions?

[1:59:13] Thank you for the presentation.

[1:59:16] Do any of my colleagues have any questions for staff on this item?

[1:59:21] Vice Mayor?

[1:59:22] I'm just on a roll with all this fire talk tonight.

[1:59:27] And building code language question around is there,

[1:59:32] what's the cost to us to adopt these changes?

[1:59:34] And is there any support from the state or region if there is a cost to us to adopt these changes?

[1:59:44] The cost that would be for our new code books that we're going to be getting soon.

[1:59:50] But I do not foresee a cost.

[1:59:53] We are working with staff and...

[2:00:00] Outside agency for electrification and getting that outreach to the community and businesses.

[2:00:10] That is so far, that is just our staff time.

[2:00:14] Understood. That's helpful. So I sit on another board around electrification with the airboard

[2:00:20] and so I know there's some equity and social justice concerns. Just was curious if any

[2:00:25] of that impacted us but it sounds like it may be on the other side with the measures

[2:00:29] and things that might come to market, so thank you.

[2:00:32] You're welcome.

[2:00:32] Thank you.

[2:00:35] Any additional questions from Council?

[2:00:39] I would just ask to touch a little bit on the tail end

[2:00:42] of the Vice Mayor's comments or more of your response

[2:00:45] around outreach and just communications.

[2:00:50] Do we,

[2:00:53] I see it definitely for the development community

[2:00:54] they'll be going through the process in terms of building

[2:00:57] and staff will be working with them through that.

[2:01:00] But do we see any for like residential side

[2:01:02] in terms of local residents that may need to understand some of these changes as

[2:01:07] it may impact the work that may be doing around their houses if they're in these

[2:01:12] is an underweigh. Yes so a couple different we've we're working with an

[2:01:20] outside company that has we have our social media we're preparing that to

[2:01:31] post that.

[2:01:34] On the permitting side there is ways to help streamline the switch

[2:01:41] over to make for electrification. Can you think of anything else?

[2:01:50] I'll build off

[2:01:51] that a little bit mayor. The code allows us for some flexibility so if we have

[2:01:56] plans that have already been submitted or plans that we know are in design

[2:02:01] right now. It does give us a little bit of flexibility to make a call as to

[2:02:05] whether or not we're going to apply this code versus the 2022 code. So if

[2:02:10] somebody comes in and we'll just paint a scenario here, somebody says, I didn't

[2:02:15] realize there was a new code. I've been working with this architect for the

[2:02:17] past six months. They didn't say anything. We can work with them. For the

[2:02:21] most part, your small repairs and changes and things like that aren't

[2:02:25] going to be too affected. There may be certain things that are being phased out, but for

[2:02:32] the time being, we'll be able to work with customers to replace their water heaters and

[2:02:38] replace their roofs without too much of a change, if any. Fortunately, everybody knows

[2:02:44] that these code cycles take place, and so architects and engineers are really good

[2:02:48] about anticipating, hey, based on your timing, we're going to work in some of the things

[2:02:53] that we're anticipating seeing coming into the fire code and if there are comment plan

[2:02:59] or plan comments on plans usually those can be addressed before materials are purchased

[2:03:06] or contractors are hired or anything like that so far larger developments it's going

[2:03:12] to be baked in they're going to understand what's going on for the small DIY or we

[2:03:16] don't anticipate that there's going to be much of an effect at all.

[2:03:19] Thank you.

[2:03:20] All right, if there are no other questions from council,

[2:03:25] Madam Clerk, do we have any,

[2:03:27] but before we go to public comment.

[2:03:29] Thank you, Mayor.

[2:03:30] I do want to add, you asked about outreach to the community.

[2:03:34] So staff has been working with Contracross of Fire

[2:03:37] to bring a defensible space

[2:03:39] and home hardening presentation to our community.

[2:03:42] And that is to educate our residents

[2:03:44] on some of the items that we've talked about

[2:03:47] as well as being prepared.

[2:03:48] And that's scheduled to be the spring of next year.

[2:03:50] so I'm coming soon. Thank you for sharing that. Madam Clerk, do we have any public comments on

[2:03:57] this item? No, we do not. All right. Seeing none, I'll bring it back to the council. What is the

[2:04:03] pleasure of the council on this item? Vice Mayor? Thank you. Through the mayor, I will make a motion

[2:04:09] to introduce and waive the first reading of an ordinance to adopt by reference the 2025

[2:04:15] California Building Code, Residential Code, Electric Code, Fire Code, Wildland Code, Urban

[2:04:21] Interface Code, The Wooy. I love how you said that. Mechanical Code, Plumbing Code, Historical

[2:04:26] Building Code, Green Building Standards Code, Existing Building Code, and Energy Code with

[2:04:32] the State of California and Local Amendments. We have a motion by Vice Mayor Adams. Is

[2:04:40] there a second? Yeah, through the mayor. I'll second. All right. We have a motion

[2:04:43] in a second on the item. Go ahead and cast your votes.

[2:04:52] And that motion passes unanimously.

[2:04:55] So at this time, we're going to move on to the next consideration item number 11.

[2:04:59] And I'll turn it back over to the city measure. Thank you very much. This next item is an

[2:05:04] introduction and waving of the first reading of an ordinance to amend the municipal code

[2:05:08] in order to increase city council salaries. With tonight presenting this item is

[2:05:14] Malaine Venenciano, Director of City Clerk Services.

[2:05:17] Good evening.

[2:05:19] This item was discussed in the Finance Subcommittee on September 19, 2025.

[2:05:26] So I would like to share a little bit of background with you.

[2:05:29] The last time Council salary was increased was back in 1995.

[2:05:33] State law authorized city councils of general law cities

[2:05:38] to receive specified salary based on population.

[2:05:41] And at that time, Pittsburgh estimated the population was more than 50,000 and set the

[2:05:48] salary amount at $500 per month.

[2:05:53] This is the screenshot of our current mini-code, so you can see how it reads.

[2:05:57] And it also includes the government code that established a monthly salary amount based

[2:06:02] on population, and that's government code 36516.

[2:06:08] In 2023, SB 329 amended existing law.

[2:06:14] The state acknowledged that since 1984, there has not been a salary increase for councils for general law cities.

[2:06:22] They also acknowledged that by allowing cities to increase salary for inflation, it may help in recruiting a more diverse council.

[2:06:30] Similar to previous law, it also established the salary amounts based on the city's population.

[2:06:38] This slide shows the salary amounts that cities can pay up to based on population.

[2:06:44] Section 2D is where Pittsburgh falls under.

[2:06:48] It states that cities with populations over 75,000 up to and including 150,000,

[2:06:55] the salary can be up to $1,900 per month.

[2:06:58] So you may be asking, how can population be determined?

[2:07:03] A city's population can be determined by the most recent census or an estimate validated by the State Department of Finance.

[2:07:13] SB 329 does allow buy ordinance for salaries to be increased beyond the amount provided.

[2:07:20] However, the amount of the increase shall not exceed the greater of either of the following.

[2:07:24] A, an amount equal to 5% for each calendar year from the operative date of the last adjustment

[2:07:33] of the salary in effect at the time the ordinance or its amendment is enacted.

[2:07:39] Or B, an amount equal to inflation since January 1st, 2024, based upon the California

[2:07:46] CPI, which shall not exceed 10% for each calendar year.

[2:07:50] The law also prohibits city council from automatically authorizing future

[2:07:55] increases. I do want to point out that SB 329 defines that salary does not

[2:08:02] include any amounts paid for retirement, health and welfare, and federal social

[2:08:07] security benefits, so long as the same benefits are available and paid by the

[2:08:13] city for its employees. And that is the case here in Pittsburgh, since the

[2:08:17] does make available and pay for these benefits.

[2:08:23] State law also defines the

[2:08:25] timing of when a salary increase becomes effective and that is when a new term

[2:08:30] begins.

[2:08:33] So if adopted the change in compensation does not apply immediately

[2:08:37] to the members of the council but instead it will become effective when a

[2:08:41] new term begins for any seat on council. For example the next election we

[2:08:46] we will have for three council seats will be in November 2026.

[2:08:51] Therefore effective December 2026,

[2:08:53] after the election is certified,

[2:08:56] the new salary amount will become effective

[2:08:58] for all members of the council.

[2:09:01] General law cities are governed by state law

[2:09:04] versus charter cities.

[2:09:06] Charters are granted by the state

[2:09:07] and grants a city significant self-governance.

[2:09:11] For the purpose of this discussion,

[2:09:13] government code 36516 determines city council salaries

[2:09:17] for general law cities, and charter cities may determine their own city council salaries.

[2:09:23] In Contra Costa, there are 19 cities, 16 are general law, while three are charter cities.

[2:09:30] The table you see in front of you shows the general law cities, the current paid to the

[2:09:47] have the population from the Department of Finance website.

[2:09:50] Another legally allowed salary column, you see that it's based on salary amounts

[2:09:56] allowed by population. Pittsburgh Alliance with Ann Yau can conquer, since

[2:10:01] law states that cities over 75,000 up to and including 150,000 are legally

[2:10:07] allowed to have salaries up to 1900. So to recap, current law allows general

[2:10:14] law cities such as Pittsburgh to increase council salaries by ordinance to an amount established

[2:10:19] by population with inflation factored in. Would the increase not being effective until a new term?

[2:10:27] The recommendation is to introduce and waive further reading of an ordinance amending the

[2:10:31] PMC chapter 2.04 which increases council salaries to $600 per month effective December 6, 2026.

[2:10:40] The recommended amount recognizes that while Pittsburgh, by law, may compensate up to $1,900

[2:10:46] per month, its population is in the lower end of the population range.

[2:10:51] The effective date is after the certification of the November 26 election.

[2:10:56] It's also the beginning of a new pay period and the elected officials terms will commence

[2:11:02] December 7, 2026.

[2:11:04] That concludes the presentation.

[2:11:06] Staff will be happy to answer any questions.

[2:11:08] All right. Thank you, Malaine, for the presentation. And so I'll just share in terms of comments

[2:11:17] from the finance subcommittee in bringing this item forward. It was looking at the municipal

[2:11:22] code and so what was cited in our municipal code essentially was outdated. And so from

[2:11:29] the population that was cited and also as it was shared from state law, the formula

[2:11:34] that determines in terms of salaries for elected officials, council members. And so this was

[2:11:42] an opportunity to revise our municipal code to reflect the changes in state law, but also

[2:11:49] in terms of even the conversation in terms as it relates to just the duties, the responsibilities,

[2:11:54] the time and the commitment that goes into serving on City Council. And so I think

[2:11:59] I think we all know that nobody runs for counsel for the salary to be on City Council.

[2:12:05] And this doesn't reflect, I believe, any change in that nobody's going to run for what they

[2:12:10] perceive to be the salary that's offered for City Council.

[2:12:15] But I think what it does take into note is in terms of the requirement, the demand

[2:12:19] that is placed on council members in serving in this capacity and also recognizing the

[2:12:24] terms whether it may be childcare, whether it may be travel and transportation, meeting

[2:12:29] and regional bodies, and just the scope of the work that is done, meeting with community

[2:12:33] members going to different events, even as a council member that also works full time,

[2:12:39] reflecting that, you know, when we have to go do things, we're taking off our own personal

[2:12:43] work time to be able to go do that, you know, and so just looking at the different

[2:12:48] factors that are reflected in this. So this was put forward for council consideration

[2:12:56] here this evening. And so as it was shared through the staff report, if there are any

[2:13:00] questions, definitely allow this time for council members to ask questions or to make

[2:13:05] any comments as we consider this item.

[2:13:16] Questions or comments or if there is a motion from

[2:13:22] the council on this item, I'll entertain a motion.

[2:13:28] And before we go to a motion,

[2:13:32] if there's no questions or comments, I'll turn to the clerk. Do we have any public

[2:13:37] comments on this item? No, we do not. All right. Seeing none, what is the pleasure of the council

[2:13:43] on this item?

[2:13:49] I don't see anything in the queue. So if you're in the queue, go ahead.

[2:13:55] Yes. So I'll

[2:13:56] go ahead and move or introduce motion waving of the first reading of an ordinance to amend

[2:14:02] Pittsburgh Municipal Code 2.04.20 to increase city council salary.

[2:14:10] All right. We have a motion

[2:14:11] Motion on the floor by Councilor Benales, Vice Mayor.

[2:14:15] Thank you, through the mayor.

[2:14:16] I'll second the motion.

[2:14:17] All right.

[2:14:18] We have a motion and a second on this item.

[2:14:20] Go ahead and cast your votes.

[2:14:28] That motion passes unanimously.

[2:14:32] So at this time, we are going to move on to the next consideration item, and I'll

[2:14:37] turn it back over to the city manager.

[2:14:39] Thank you very much.

[2:14:40] This next item is consideration of a consulting services agreement with Santa's civil

[2:14:45] engineers, surveyors, planners for the design of improvements along the Delta De Anza multimodal

[2:14:52] trail safety improvements.

[2:14:54] With us this evening are SM Slacken, who is a senior civil engineer who will be

[2:15:00] We'll be making a presentation with him, Arjina Haynes, Assistant Director to Public Works

[2:15:05] slash Engineering, and then also John Samuels, Director of Public Works and Engineering.

[2:15:16] Good evening, Mayor, Council Members. My name is Asim Shakwain. I am Senior Civil Engineer

[2:15:22] with Public Works Department. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present today.

[2:15:27] I'll be presenting item number 12, Agreement with Sandis for the Design of Project 2052,

[2:15:33] Delta Deans are multi-modal trail safety improvements.

[2:15:42] The overall project location

[2:15:43] map is shown here. The project is the construction of safety and operational

[2:15:49] enhancement to the Delta Deans trail within the Pittsburgh City Limits and

[2:15:54] Bay Point. The project will be carried out in collaboration with Contravesta

[2:15:59] County and East Bay Regional Park District. The trail provided access to

[2:16:04] regional and community parks, many school including Las Menonas College.

[2:16:14] The trail

[2:16:15] crossing location within the Pittsburgh City limits are shown here. There are eight

[2:16:20] crossings to be considered for making safety improvements.

[2:16:27] Priority crossing

[2:16:28] locations within the Bay Point also shown here in this map which are to be

[2:16:34] considered for safety improvements as well as part of this project.

[2:16:40] The scope

[2:16:40] of the project is to improve access and safer trail crossing. City will conduct community

[2:16:47] outreach and consult bicycle and pedestrian advocacy groups to identify desired critical

[2:16:53] improvements for safer trail crossing. Based on the information gathered from the outreach effort,

[2:17:00] design will be finalized. The improvements to be considered include

[2:17:04] oil finding signage, rectangular rapid flashing beacons, bulb out, pedestrian safety lightings,

[2:17:15] protected bike lanes, and also improvements to the trail pavement conditions.

[2:17:23] The improvements to the Delta Deanza Trail will help create a well-connected transportation

[2:17:28] network that will increase travel by walking or bicycling.

[2:17:31] The Pittsburgh Move Active Transportation Plan identified Delta-Dienza Trail as a priority

[2:17:37] corridor.

[2:17:42] The anticipated expenditure, including stop-time design, construction, and administrative

[2:17:47] overhead is just over 5 million. Funding sources include one Bay Area grant, OVAC-3,

[2:17:54] for federal funding, and other funding is from the East-Varizonal Park District. Contra Costa

[2:18:01] Contra Costa County will cover the match requirements for improvements in their jurisdiction.

[2:18:10] The anticipated duration of this project, including planning, design, bid, and construction

[2:18:15] is over two and a half years.

[2:18:18] Schedules or estimates are subject to change.

[2:18:24] Request for qualification was issued, and city staff received six statement of qualifications

[2:18:30] from consulting firms.

[2:18:32] based on the ratings of the received proposal,

[2:18:35] Sandis was ranked as the most qualified.

[2:18:37] Sandis submitted a design proposal

[2:18:39] in the amount of $495,000.

[2:18:46] Stop recommends City Council adopt the resolution

[2:18:49] authorizing the city manager

[2:18:51] to execute a consulting services agreement with Sandis

[2:18:55] for the design of the project in an amount

[2:18:57] not to exceed $495,000.

[2:19:00] Thank you and I'm happy to answer any questions.

[2:19:05] Thank you for the presentation. Are there any questions from Council on this item?

[2:19:16] Madam Clerk, do we have any public comments on this item?

[2:19:18] No, we do not.

[2:19:20] All right. So I'll bring this back before Council.

[2:19:23] Council Member Locke.

[2:19:25] Through the mayor, I move for Council to adopt the resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a consulting services agreement

[2:19:33] with standards for the design of the project in amount not to exceed $495,000.

[2:19:40] All right, we have a motion by Council Member Lopez, Council Member Cabana.

[2:19:43] And I second that motion.

[2:19:45] All right, we have a motion and a second on this item.

[2:19:48] Just want to thank staff. I know this is an exciting project.

[2:19:51] So looking forward to the community engagement that will be done around this.

[2:19:54] There's a lot of interest in this project. So excited to see it move forward.

[2:19:58] and with that go ahead and cast your votes and

[2:20:07] that motion passes unanimously so

[2:20:13] at this time we are going to move on to the last consideration item which is

[2:20:17] item number 13 there is per state law a statement that I need to read into the

[2:20:22] record and I also will go ahead and just introduce the item so this item is

[2:20:30] the adoption of a city council resolution approving and appointing

[2:20:34] Darren Garrell as city manager and authorizing the mayor to execute the employment agreement.

[2:20:41] So earlier this year, former city manager Garrett Evans announced his retirement,

[2:20:46] which became effective on September 5th.

[2:20:49] Following his retirement, the city council appointed assistant city manager Maria Alliotti

[2:20:53] to serve as interim city manager while the city conducted a comprehensive process

[2:20:58] to select a permanent replacement.

[2:21:00] To support that effort, the city retained the executive recruiting firm Peckham and McKinney

[2:21:07] to lead a nationwide search.

[2:21:09] As part of their recruitment, the firm developed a detailed candidate brochure that reflected

[2:21:14] the council's expectations for the next city manager.

[2:21:18] These expectations included strong experience in full service municipal operations, a passion

[2:21:24] for public service, demonstrated expertise in economic development, finance, land use

[2:21:31] and complex project delivery, and an ability to build trust within the organization and

[2:21:38] the community through collaboration, responsiveness, and engagement.

[2:21:43] The recruitment generated significant interest.

[2:21:46] A total of 63 applications were received.

[2:21:49] Peckman McKinney conducted initial evaluation and invited 13 applicants to

[2:21:55] complete a supplemental questionnaire. Based on those responses, the recruiter

[2:21:59] identified eight candidates for the city council's consideration for panel

[2:22:03] interviews. The city council then selected six candidates to advance.

[2:22:09] After one individual withdrew, the city proceeded with five

[2:22:13] candidates in the first round of interviews. Following that initial

[2:22:17] Around three candidates were invited to participate in a second interview with the City Council.

[2:22:24] After completing that process, the City Council identified Darren Gale as the finalist pending

[2:22:30] completion of a background check and then negotiation of a proposed employment agreement.

[2:22:36] Mr. Gale comes to us with a strong background in local government leadership.

[2:22:40] He is a graduate of the Harvard Senior Executives and State and Local Government Program.

[2:22:44] program. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Sacramento State and a master

[2:22:49] of business administration from Drexel University. His professional experience includes serving

[2:22:55] as assistant city manager and most recently interim city manager for the city of Brentwood.

[2:23:00] He previously served as senior development project manager for the city of Sacramento

[2:23:05] where he led economic development initiatives including a federally funded small business

[2:23:09] loan program and the business attraction and retention incentive program.

[2:23:15] Prior to that, he spent 10 years with the city of Yuba City, including service as deputy

[2:23:19] city manager.

[2:23:22] If approved this evening, Mr. Gale's employment will begin on December 15, 2025.

[2:23:28] The Brown Act, specifically government code section 54953C3, requires that before final

[2:23:34] final action is taken on the salary of an executive, an oil report of a summary of the

[2:23:40] recommendation for the final action must be made.

[2:23:54] So this item, if approved, would

[2:23:56] authorize a base salary of $312,256 per year. The position is a classic member of the public

[2:24:05] employees' retirement system in the plan of 2% at age 60. And the contract also provides

[2:24:11] for termination for cause and provides for severance pay for termination without cause.

[2:24:16] The city council will evaluate the city manager each year based on objectives set during the

[2:24:21] beginning of each calendar year. The fiscal year 2025-26, we included the base salary at $312,256.

[2:24:31] The base salary and benefits will be funded through the general fund and the estimated

[2:24:35] annual costs would be roughly $415,000 and would be included in annual budgets

[2:24:41] including the draft 2026-27 budget presented to City Council in June

[2:24:46] 2026. So this evening's action would appoint Mr. Daringale as City Manager

[2:24:51] and authorize the Mayor to execute the employment agreement. And so at this

[2:24:57] time I'll bring it before Council for any consideration, any comments,

[2:25:03] deliberation on this item before we entertain a motion on consideration for

[2:25:10] this evening. And if there are any questions, there is also staff here to

[2:25:14] answer any questions as well.

[2:25:19] So with that, is that Council Member Cabada in the

[2:25:24] queue?

[2:25:38] As we move forward in selecting a city manager for our beloved city of

[2:25:45] Pittsburgh. It is important to recognize the honor and tremendous work already

[2:25:55] accomplished

[2:25:55] by our dedicated staff and current executive team.

[2:26:02] The comprehensive knowledge of our city

[2:26:05] both historically and through decades of combined services has been instrumental in

[2:26:13] laying the foundation and shaping Pittsburgh into the thriving, efficient, efficient and

[2:26:21] well-run community that it is today.

[2:26:27] Something that I acknowledge and appreciate and will always be grateful for.

[2:26:33] It is the expectation that the city manager that we select will continue to carry this

[2:26:40] momentum forward, building on the strong foundation built by those who have

[2:26:48] tirelessly dedicated themselves and served our residents. It is encouraged and

[2:26:55] expected that this individual uphold the values of continuity, collaboration, and

[2:27:01] respect for the institutional experiences that have guided our city's

[2:27:06] positive, productive, and progressive movement toward our future.

[2:27:12] I am looking forward to working together to continue our forward progress in this very

[2:27:18] cultural, close-knit, diverse community to ensure that Pittsburgh remains a model of

[2:27:26] effective, responsive, open, and community-focused governance.

[2:27:33] together we move ahead with optimism and a shared commitment to keeping Pittsburgh

[2:27:41] strong stable and moving forward.

[2:27:51] Council Member Bedales. Yes, you know the

[2:27:58] selection of a city manager is an incredible incredibly difficult and

[2:28:02] very important decision. They're the top executive that run the city on a

[2:28:07] day-to-day basis. And, you know, from a city council, we have two direct employees. One

[2:28:15] is the city attorney and one is the city manager. And so it is a very important decision.

[2:28:23] And a former city manager, I've had the privilege of working with two that have retired

[2:28:29] during my time here on the council. And that relationship with the city manager

[2:28:35] manager is very important and it's key and hence why making a decision is so difficult.

[2:28:44] I am very excited to have Mr. Gale joining us as our next city manager. I'm specifically

[2:28:53] excited that he is going to bring extensive experience in economic development as well

[2:29:00] as extensive experience from different agencies. You know, as Council Member

[2:29:06] Kobata mentioned, we are on a incredible trajectory here in our city. We have a lot

[2:29:12] to be proud of. The course that we're on over the last 10, 15 years is just so

[2:29:21] exciting and I'm very thankful to everyone who has been a part of that

[2:29:26] team to get us to this point. I think a sign of a strong organization and community is one

[2:29:34] that every so often we have to look and say what can we continue to improve on? What

[2:29:44] is the next five, 10, 15 years going to look like? And sometimes that involves bringing

[2:29:53] outside perspective.

[2:29:55] And so Mr. Gale brings that to us.

[2:29:59] I'm very excited.

[2:30:00] For how he's going to be able to come in and work within our teams that we have.

[2:30:07] We have a fantastic team here in Pittsburgh and I'm especially excited about how he has spoken in terms of how he leads his organizations

[2:30:18] and his focus on culture within the organization and really embracing that.

[2:30:23] and also all of the tremendous positive feedback that we've received with folks

[2:30:30] that have worked with Mr. Gill. So with that being said, I am very excited to

[2:30:35] have him join us. I think it's going to be a great working relationship and I

[2:30:40] look very much forward to him getting started. Thank you.

[2:30:50] Vice Mayor. Thank you

[2:30:51] through the Mayor and my colleagues. I wanted to just make him make also the

[2:30:56] same mentioned. We had a lot of great candidates and it was a very tough

[2:31:01] process in selecting the next city manager. Appreciate all the candidates who

[2:31:10] demonstrated their interest in serving our community. One thing I do want to say

[2:31:14] to the staff that's here, we work part-time. We're not here every day. We

[2:31:20] don't walk the halls. We're not out on the streets with our residents daily

[2:31:25] doing the work that you do. And so I just want to really give a nod to the staff because

[2:31:32] we do stand on the shoulders of the staff. You keep the city running. We're here as a

[2:31:37] council to help with governance and guidance to provide different perspectives here on

[2:31:42] the council. And so I want to appreciate the staff for that. And then at the same

[2:31:47] time, I want to share that I do support moving forward with this appointment. Mr.

[2:31:53] Gail, I look forward to working collaboratively with you. I see you in the audience here. And

[2:32:00] we're a really diverse close knit community. You might get a little tired of us.

[2:32:05] So just be prepared for that. And, you know, the goal is really to advance our priorities. We

[2:32:12] have a lot of great things going for us here as a city, a history of, as you walk the halls

[2:32:20] and the walls. You would know that Pittsburgh is a family. And so I welcome you to become

[2:32:27] part of that family. Our culture is different. We are a different city than Brentwood, but

[2:32:34] I think there's room for everybody in my day job. I am an inclusion strategist around

[2:32:39] culture and I think it's important as our city is changing to embrace the history

[2:32:45] and respect it, inspect it, and then as you get to know everybody, I tell people

[2:32:52] all the time you have to inspect it to respect it. And so that is important for

[2:33:00] the folks that are here. You're going to meet tons of people, different

[2:33:02] backgrounds, new residents, generations old. My family in particular has been

[2:33:08] here for five generations. And so our aunties know each other, our dads and

[2:33:14] our moms know each other we know each other and so I'm excited for you to come

[2:33:19] and bring a new perspective to our city but also you know to embrace the

[2:33:23] staff that's here they are phenomenal I can't say enough about the staff that's

[2:33:28] here I have they have brought me along as a council member and some of them

[2:33:34] even were you know raised me up being part of the city so I'm excited for

[2:33:40] you, um, onward and upward for us as a city, um, and to the staff, you know,

[2:33:46] we're in it together.

[2:33:47] So I just want to share those comments and words toward you and to the staff.

[2:33:59] This was not an easy process.

[2:34:02] It wasn't an overnight process.

[2:34:03] It took about two months.

[2:34:05] Mind you, when the process started, I personally was still grieving,

[2:34:10] not having Garrett as their city manager.

[2:34:12] So, you know, transitioning through that period was very difficult,

[2:34:18] but I am grateful that we hired the right help to help us navigate this process.

[2:34:24] And one of my prayers going into this process was I asked for direction and for wisdom.

[2:34:32] You know, we oftentimes like to rely on our own understanding,

[2:34:35] but we lack wisdom and wisdom and intelligence are not synonymous all the time.

[2:34:40] And

[2:34:43] moving through all of this, I had to make two tables.

[2:34:51] One table was for my residents, what the needs of my residents are,

[2:34:54] because ultimately, you know, being the city manager, it will affect our residents.

[2:34:58] And ultimately, I represent their voice, right?

[2:35:01] I represent my constituents and I answer to them.

[2:35:04] But I also echoing Vice Mayor Adams, I'm not here nine to five.

[2:35:10] You know, you have incredible staff that you'll ultimately lead, and so there were certain qualities that I was looking for.

[2:35:16] I have gone to know staff, and I love the city staff. I really do.

[2:35:22] And so my heart was part of the decision-making, but also wisdom and knowledge from what I have learned.

[2:35:28] We are also an incredible council. We don't always see eye-to-eye, but I do believe we balance each other out.

[2:35:34] And I'd be arrogant to say that from time to time, you know, certain perspectives do change my mind.

[2:35:41] And there are certain times where my perspectives might change my colleagues' minds.

[2:35:45] But being that said, one of the traits that I have noticed about Darren is that he has the heart of a servant.

[2:35:52] And I always look for that because, you know, I think of Pittsburgh as my baby, right?

[2:35:58] Who would you entrust your baby to?

[2:36:00] It has to be with someone that, you know, has a good heart or that appears to have the best interests of the people and I have personally, you know, observed certain things.

[2:36:10] I observe a lot seeing the comments that Brentwood residents are saying about Mr. Darren, you know, just reaffirmed our decision and I look forward to having our constituents say that about Darren one day, you know, that they appreciate you, that they respect you.

[2:36:28] And also our city staff, you know, I I know that with this great charge comes a great responsibility and you know

[2:36:36] I'm one always pushing for accountability

[2:36:38] So you know I welcome you to the city, but I also want to let you know that you know accountability comes with the job and

[2:36:45] As you know as city council members here looking at you

[2:36:49] I do ask that you will always put our city first

[2:36:52] you'll put your city staff first, that you will continue to serve them and lead

[2:36:57] with that heart of a servant, but also I ask that you keep an open door policy at

[2:37:04] all times. Communication is key for successful teams to take effect and

[2:37:08] also communication with your council members so that we can continue to move

[2:37:11] Pittsburgh forward and there are many plans that we have ahead of us that

[2:37:16] you know we are interesting to you and so you know I I pray that you know

[2:37:21] The decision that we have collectively made will be the best for our residents but also

[2:37:26] for the staff and for all the projects moving forward with, you know, just, we are the diamond

[2:37:32] in the rough.

[2:37:34] Thank you.

[2:37:38] I want to thank all of my colleagues for the comments.

[2:37:42] It is an exciting time in the city of Pittsburgh and we recognize in terms of even the magnitude

[2:37:47] of the decision.

[2:37:48] I do want to just start my comments off first by thanking Maria for your time as Interim

[2:37:56] City Manager.

[2:37:58] You have done this with grace.

[2:38:00] You have maintained the professionalism, the standard in terms of moving things forward.

[2:38:05] We haven't missed a beat.

[2:38:07] And I personally want to let you know that this is no reflection on your character or

[2:38:12] anything to undermine the value that you bring to the city of Pittsburgh.

[2:38:15] And I just want to say that publicly because you are an incredible asset to the City of

[2:38:21] Pittsburgh.

[2:38:22] And to the rest of the staff, as has already been shared here tonight, I know there can

[2:38:26] be a lot of personal feelings about the direction that we ultimately go as an organization and

[2:38:32] even with change in terms of certain uncertainties.

[2:38:35] But I think that we really just want to let everybody know, as you've heard here

[2:38:38] tonight, the incredible value that we place on each and every one of you.

[2:38:42] we want to continue to make this an organization where everyone can thrive, where your input is

[2:38:47] valued, and where you can continue to grow. So that is something that is very top of mind for us

[2:38:53] as we look at even this appointment here this evening. I think it's been shared in

[2:38:58] terms of some of the traits, but I'll just add on to it in terms of Mr. Gill and the excitement

[2:39:04] in terms of you coming on board and being able to lead here in the city of Pittsburgh.

[2:39:09] as Councilman Lopez shared you know the servant leader aspect is something that

[2:39:13] definitely spoke you are very personable and being able to talk with you you know

[2:39:18] and just being able to feel that not only you're hearing you know in terms of

[2:39:23] what's being shared with you but also just the connection and being able to

[2:39:28] understand in terms of not only that you can empathize in terms of with the

[2:39:32] community and those that you will be serving here in the organization but

[2:39:35] also in terms of your experience in terms of leading which I believe really came

[2:39:40] through and being able to get to know you through this process. I think another

[2:39:45] thing that really just demonstrated the heart you know that you have is you

[2:39:49] know hearing that you know you cook breakfast you know for departments and

[2:39:53] for employees and it was just something that really you know rolls to the top

[2:39:58] in terms of the type of character and the person and individual that you

[2:40:01] are. And then once again, just the excitement of what we're striving for as a city, the strategic

[2:40:09] thought that you have as it's shared about the lens around economic development and even

[2:40:14] your perspective as it came to addressing the specific industries and the things that

[2:40:19] we're looking to go after. So with all of that, you know, I don't want to be too

[2:40:24] lengthy in my comments. I am excited and in full support of approving this contract

[2:40:30] and appointing you as City Manager. And as it was shared, we know that there's work ahead of us.

[2:40:35] We know there are things that we're going to have to work through. There are goals that

[2:40:39] we're aiming for and then we'll have to work to accomplish. But I believe that we're confident in

[2:40:44] your abilities and coming in and being integrated into Team Pittsburgh that this next chapter,

[2:40:51] this next step forward will be a great one. And so we're really excited to bring you on

[2:40:55] board. So with that, I will turn to Madam Clerk to see if there are any public

[2:41:01] comments this evening. No, we do not. All right. So seeing none, I'll bring it back

[2:41:07] before the council. What is the pleasure of the council on this item?

[2:41:11] Councilor Benales. Yep, I'll move adoption of a city council resolution

[2:41:15] appointing Darren Gale as city manager and authorizing the mayor to

[2:41:19] execute the employment agreement. Through the mayor. I second the motion.

[2:41:22] All right. We have a motion. My council member Lala is a second by council member Lopez. Go ahead and cast your votes. We

[2:41:52] need two more votes. Please want

[2:42:07] to go ahead and do it. And that motion passes five zero. So congratulations, Mr. Gale excited once again to have you aboard team Pittsburgh.

[2:42:18] I know it wasn't planned, but would you like to make any comments or.

[2:42:23] Good

[2:42:29] evening, Mayor and City Council. I'm humbled by the opportunity that you've provided

[2:42:33] me this evening and I echo the sentiments that each and every one of you stated. I love

[2:42:39] local government because you're able to connect with the local community. What's the employees

[2:42:45] of the City of Pittsburgh do here on a daily basis, touch the lives of our residents and

[2:42:52] And the decisions that are made in this room during council meetings directly affect the

[2:42:58] residents of this city, more so than anything that's happening in the state and federal

[2:43:02] government in my humble opinion.

[2:43:04] And I agree what an amazing staff Maria has done.

[2:43:09] I'm looking forward to joining the executive team and building a strong relationship with

[2:43:14] everyone that's here this evening.

[2:43:16] And I look forward to getting to meet and get to know everyone.

[2:43:20] And then, of course, as was mentioned, getting to know the community.

[2:43:23] So thank you, and I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you better,

[2:43:29] continuing that strong relationship and continuity, and keep Pittsburgh continue going forward.

[2:43:35] So thank you.

[2:43:36] Appreciate it.

[2:43:43] All right.

[2:43:43] So at this time, we're going to move on to the conflict of interest statement.

[2:43:47] City Council members may make any conflict of interest declarations pertaining to

[2:43:50] the consent calendar items at this time.

[2:43:53] Are there any conflicts on the consent calendar? If not, I'll entertain a motion for the consent calendar.

[2:44:02] Sorry. Item number 20 is being pulled to be presented at a future meeting.

[2:44:09] Okay. So we're going to remove item 20 from the consent calendar.

[2:44:14] And with that, I'll entertain a motion for approval of the consent calendar minus item 20.

[2:44:21] Through the mayor, I move for the approval of the consent calendar minus item 20.

[2:44:28] All right, we have a motion by Councilor Malopas, Councilor Benales.

[2:44:32] Through the mayor, I'll second that motion.

[2:44:34] All right, we have a motion and a second for approval of the consent calendar.

[2:44:38] Go ahead and cast your votes.

[2:45:11] We'll go ahead and do roll call vote. Councilmember Cabara?

[2:45:17] Aye.

[2:45:18] Councilmember Bernalves? Aye.

[2:45:20] Councilmember Lopez? Aye.

[2:45:22] Vice Mayor Adams? Yes.

[2:45:23] Mayor Killings? Aye.

[2:45:26] All right, so that motion passes unanimously.

[2:45:29] So at this time, we're going to move on to councilmember remarks.

[2:45:34] Are there any announcements or comments that councilmembers like to make at this time?

[2:45:38] I would like to make a comment around the Veterans Day celebration that we did at the

[2:45:46] Senior Community Center on Veterans Day.

[2:45:49] It was just amazing to be there with our veterans and also to see our junior ROTC cadets that

[2:45:56] are doing a phenomenal job leading in the community.

[2:46:00] And it was nice to be there and actually meet a veteran that served in the Korean

[2:46:05] War with my grandfather.

[2:46:07] I did not meet my grandfather, so it was nice to hear stories around that experience.

[2:46:12] And so I learned a lot about our camp Stoneman that used to be here in Pittsburgh,

[2:46:18] and it was a great gathering of community.

[2:46:21] So I just wanted to congratulate the city on that partnership, the Veterans Hall,

[2:46:27] and then also just engaging our youth.

[2:46:29] They are the next generation of leaders,

[2:46:30] and so it was nice to see all of that together in one place,

[2:46:34] And then celebrate, you know, Pittsburgh has a long military history that we don't necessarily reflect on all the time.

[2:46:41] So it's a proud moment.

[2:46:42] Other

[2:46:46] remarks or comments from council members?

[2:46:49] So council will be convening into closed session.

[2:46:55] And so at this time before we do, Madam Clerk, are there any public comments on closed session items?

[2:47:02] No, we do not.

[2:47:04] All right, so we will not be adjourning, but we will be going into closed session. Thank you.

City Council Meeting

Agenda

Transcript