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This Week’s Top Agenda Items

  • Council member seeks to reestablish city's aDepartment of Public Health
  • $40,484 reallocated for Bedford Park planning
  • $150,500 match for Fort Pitt Playground Project
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A City Department of Public Health ★

  • At the June 10 General Meeting, Councilperson Kail-Smith introduced a bill to re-establish a Department of Public Health for the City of Pittsburgh.
  • The Department would come under the Department of Public Safety. Its Director would be the Chief of the Bureau of Building Inspection. The Chief would be able to appoint a Deputy who is a trained and certified public health professional.
  • Councilperson Kail-Smith introduced the legislation alongside other bills in order to streamline development.
  • The City’s previous Department closed in 1957 at the creation of the Allegheny County Health Department.
  • More information to come after discussion at a future Standing Committees meeting.

$40,484 reallocated for Bedford Park planning ★ ★ ★

  • Council affirmatively recommended three reallocations totaling $40,484 to put towards creating a new public park, Bedford Park.
  • Creating Bedford Park is part of a larger set of plans to remake Bedford Dwelling) in the Hill District.
  • Director Hornstein said the money is left over from completed projects and is able to be released: Those projects were:
    • pool equipment upgrades (general), Bloomfield Pool upgrades, and Chartiers Spray Park construction
  • The Department of Public Works will apply for a $250,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Economic Development’s Greenways, Trails, and Recreation Program. The reallocation meets an ask for a $37,500 match from the City.

$150,500 match for Fort Pitt Playground Project ★

  • The Department of Public Works will apply for a $250,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Economic Development’s Greenways, Trails, and Recreation Program for the Fort Pitt Playground Project.
  • Council gave an affirmative recommendation for a requested match from the City for $150,500.
  • The playground is 3.8 acres of space inside of Fort Pitt Park in Garfield.
  • The renovation is part of the Fort Pitt Park Master Plan, which is a community-led project.

City may get its own Department of Public Health and Park Improvement Funding—City Council Week of June 9