by Charlie Wolfson, PublicSource
Update (7/14/2021): Pittsburgh City Council voted on Wednesday to grant preliminary approval to a plan backed by the mayor to spend $335 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds. The vote was held amid calls from activists and community organizers to delay until council heard more public input. Council debated a possible delay for over an hour, and two councilors, Deb Gross and Erika Strassburger, voted against the preliminary approval.
When Mayor Bill Peduto delivered a proposal to City Council for the use of Pittsburgh’s $335 million in federal relief funds, it was the first time some council members learned any details of the plan.
The proposal covers the next four years and includes more than $100 million to avert layoffs in the city workforce. What to do with the rest of the money is the subject of debate in city hall and among community organizers.
During two public hearings July 10 and 12, dozens of community organizers and residents called on City Council to alter the proposal to give more money for low-income renters, establish a food justice fund and prioritize clean water. A chorus of more than 70 asked council to put the proposal on hold and open the plan up for a longer public process. But Council President Theresa Kail-Smith said after Monday’s hearing that the plan will be brought up at Wednesday’s council meeting with a preliminary vote possible.
Peduto Chief of Staff Dan Gilman presented the plan to council on July 6, and in a subsequent press conference said it will “put Pittsburgh back on track for economic recovery from COVID.”
“We believe this is a plan that can be looked at across the country as one that invests in people, place, planet and performance,” Gilman said.
Gilman addressed the substance of the plan, but the loudest criticism has been about how it was created — by a task force that worked in private.
Gilman defended the city’s effort to gain input, but more than 30 local organizations held a press conference Tuesday morning, urging City Council to pause its process and further engage the community.
Housing activist Randall Taylor speaks at a press conference in front of the City-County building Tuesday. (Photo by Charlie Wolfson/PublicSource)
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Council takes up Peduto plan for COVID relief funds while public calls for more input
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