This Week’s Top Three Agenda Items

• Council to use future tax revenue to fund infrastructure for North Side Esplanade (Ferris Wheel) Development.
• City set to provide fire and emergency management services to Wilkinsburg Borough.
• Goodwill to be authorized $200K to run the 2025 Learn and Earn Summer Youth Employment Program.

Council to Use Future Tax Revenue to Fund Infrastructure for North Side Esplanade (Ferris Wheel) Development

• Council President Lavelle clarified that the motion before the council is solely for creating the TRID—a financing tool that leverages future tax revenue to fund transit-oriented development (TOD) projects. Future developments, including high-end and affordable apartments and retail/dining establishments, will need additional approvals.
• The area currently generates $84K in annual taxes. After the project’s completion, it is projected to generate an estimated $8 million, with 75% reinvested on-site and in the Manchester neighborhood; the remaining 25% would still more than double the current tax base.
• In a preliminary vote, the council enthusiastically approved the plan and commended Councilperson Lavelle for involving Manchester residents in advocating for their needs. A final vote is scheduled for next Tuesday’s general meeting. The plan also requires approval from County Council and the Pittsburgh Public School Board.

Providing Fire and Emergency Management Services to Wilkinsburg

• The council approved a five-year Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement with the Borough of Wilkinsburg. Under the agreement, the Pittsburgh Fire Department will provide fire and emergency (disaster) management services to Wilkinsburg at a total cost of $11,933,932.
• The cost will cover the expanded role for City Firefighters as calculated by their existing union contract.
• The municipalities have maintained these agreements since 2011. The previous agreement expired on December 31, 2023, and the new agreement is retroactive to January 1, 2024.
• In addition to standard fire management, services include non-emergency activities such as smoke detector installations and fire code enforcement. Both municipalities share a disaster management plan covering events like landslides, hazardous materials spills, and disease outbreaks, while retaining separate emergency medical services.

Goodwill Authorized to Receive $200K to Run 2025 Learn and Earn Summer Youth Employment Program

• Goodwill of Southwestern PA will receive funding to runa program offering summer job opportunities for youth ages 14–21 from low-income households.
• The funding only covers the administrative costs and not participant salaries.
• Over a six-week period, participants work in fields such as social services, media and technology, and science and engineering, gaining professional experience, technical skills, and insights into employer expectations.
• Participants can work up to 25 hours per week and earn approximately $7.25 per hour.

Action Items

Let the City Council know how you feel about the above issues by taking this brief survey. We'll share everyone’s thoughts directly before they take a vote (We wont be presenting in person until we get to 50 respondants).

Take the survey here (~1 minute)