Red Light Cameras Pass - City Council week of Sept. 9th

Photo by Berkin Üregen / Unsplash Photo for illustration purposes only and are not the actual cameras that would be installed in Pittsburgh.

Updates from Last Week

Approved: The use of Red Light Cameras in the City.
Held for 6 Weeks: Fines for improper storage of trash.
- Casa San José spoke out against this proposal, citing its outsized negative impact on vulnerable communities. Councilperson Theresa Kail Smith seemed dismissive of some of these concerns.
Held for 2 Weeks: Employment protections for medical marijuana users.
- Councilperson Erika Strassburger stressed the impact on hiring opportunities, especially for construction workers in the city.

On the Docket

It’s a slower week compared to the Red Light Cameras and Medical Marijuana bills from last week, but there are still some interesting items on the agenda:

Allowing the Mayor’s Office to Receive:
- Narcam, fentanyl test strips, and xylazine test strips worth up to $150,000 from the state.
Grant Funding:
- $966,000 in grant funds from the Department of Justice to support the LEAD Program, which aims to lower rates of recidivism, increase quality of life outcomes for participants through service provider referrals, and provide long-term support to vulnerable residents.
Renaming the Shelter:
- Renaming the “Robert E. Williams Shelter” located at Robert E. Williams Park to the “Schenley Heights Pavilion.”
- (This change will require a public hearing.)