County Council
Paid sick leave rules reach businesses with fewer than 15 employees for the first time.
Council also amended its 2021 Paid Sick Leave Act. Employers with 15 or more employees must provide one hour of paid sick time off for every 30 hours worked for up to 72 paid hours per year. Employers with fewer than 15 employees are required to provide the same with a cap at 48 paid hours per year.
Written by Amy Whipple
Paid parental leave isn’t legislation that stands on its own.
The bill was passed as an attachment to the 2021 Paid Sick Leave Act, which council also amended.
Under the new provisions, all employers with 15 or more employees must provide one hour of paid sick time off for every 30 hours worked. This is down from 26 employees and 35 hours of work. The amendments also increase the accrued time cap from 40 to 72 hours per calendar year.
Employers with fewer than 15 employees were previously exempt. They are now also required to provide one hour of paid sick time off for every 30 hours worked. The cap, however, is lowered to 48 hours of time per year.
The updated policy for paid sick leave and the creation of paid parental leave went into effect on Oct. 22 with County Executive Sara Innamorato’s signature. Employers have 180 days to implement leave with a possible 180-day extension for fiscal years that do not sync with the calendar year.
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43 of 49 speakers urged support for paid parental leave.
Forty-nine people spoke during public comment with 43 being in favor of paid leave. Many cited the need for birth mothers to physically heal and for both parents to bond with the baby. Some of those who spoke in favor recalled painful experiences during and after childbirth. Opponents cited financial concerns for small businesses.
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County becomes first in the country to require 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
Allegheny County Council voted 11-4 in favor of implementing paid parental leave. All businesses with 15 or more employees must provide 12 weeks’ paid parental leave following the birth, adoption, foster care placement or stillbirth of a child. Businesses have 180 days to implement the policy with a potential 180-day extension to account for differences in fiscal calendars.
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Side yard sales could return after a year on hold.
Pittsburgh may reinstate side yard sales. The program allows residents to purchase abandoned lots adjacent to their homes at a reduced rate. Lot prices will increase to $1,500. An online calculator will show the total cost, which includes fees such as the deed transfer tax, which is based on the land’s assessed value.
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Nineteen food justice projects chosen to split a $250,000 grant.
The Food Justice Program selected 19 projects, spanning all nine council districts, to receive a portion of a $250,000 grant. The grants aim to bolster community organizations that address food insecurity and lack of access to fresh food through production or distribution. Federal funding cuts spur continued interest in investing in local food networks.
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Proposed budget schedule aims to avoid a New Year with no budget.
Pittsburgh City Council is considering a plan to codify a Dec. 20 deadline for passing the annual budget. The date gives the mayor 10 days to act with a one-day cushion for council to override a veto or for the budget to automatically become law if it remained unreturned. No one knows what happens if the budget isn’t passed by Dec. 31.
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The long-running zoning rewrite moves to the finish line.
New developments in Pittsburgh still have to meet parking requirements. On Oct. 21, council agreed to move forward with a zoning package that would drop them. It would also ease building backyard houses and basement or attic suites, and let developers build higher with affordable units. Council is expected to cast its final vote next week.
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Vibrant Pgh’s $50,000 membership gets a second chance.
Young college graduates leave Pittsburgh for more diverse cities, a council member said. In a 5-4 vote on Oct. 21, council reversed course and advanced renewing the city's $50,000 yearly Vibrant Pgh membership. Last month, the committee had recommended against it. The council president said a diverse workforce is vital to the city's success.
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The $6.5 million ShotSpotter contract sparks a fix for a purchasing loophole.
Today, the city can sign some big contracts without a council vote. That's how a $6.5 million deal with ShotSpotter went through last year. On Oct. 21, a bill requiring council approval for such multi-year contracts over $30,000 failed. It advanced, however, after the limit was raised to $1 million.
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Proposed bills would offer council budget training and put quarterly finance sessions into law.
Last November, council learned of $13 million in unaccounted-for city water bills. In April, it heard the city had pulled $10 million from two trust funds for general expenses. On Oct. 13, two council members introduced five finance reform bills to end such surprises. One would train members to read a budget, and another would put quarterly finance meetings into law.
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First phase of the permitting overhaul is held at the administration’s request.
Early this year, the mayor ordered a review of the city's permitting process to make it more predictable and efficient. On Oct. 14, council held the first step at the administration's request. That bill fixes typos, simplifies height rules, and removes outdated sections of the zoning code. The council member who relayed the request didn't say why the administration wanted the hold.
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Residents petition for a hearing to replace a missing workplace safety marker in Market Square.
City code requires council to hold a public hearing on replacing a missing Market Square marker about workplace accidents. On Oct. 13, council received a petition from 26 residents asking for that hearing. According to the marker's text, the research it honored led to workers' compensation laws. The hearing isn't scheduled yet, and it doesn't guarantee the marker will be replaced.
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$340 million in contracts for 96 vendors moves forward without department details.
The city wants 96 vendors on call through $340 million in service contracts. On Oct. 7, council advanced them, though they don't say which departments will use them or why. A budget staffer said she could provide those details, and a final vote is set for Oct. 13. However, extra details sent to council typically don't make the public record.
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A half mile of trees illegally cut down along the Ohio Riverfront Trail leads to a two-year tree study.
About a half mile of trees along the Ohio Riverfront Trail were cut down without permission. A city arborist said a neighboring property owner did it and dumped much of the wood into the river. On Oct. 7, council advanced paying for an independent tree count there. The city forester said that's needed to seek restitution.
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A new review system might help the city weigh past performance before renewing a contract.
Right now, the city has no uniform way to weigh poor vendor work before renewing a contract. For example, a council member said one contractor installed the wrong door at the Oliver Bath House. Council advanced a no-cost agreement with a nonprofit to help build a review system for city vendors. A budget official said clear performance criteria would tell vendors what's expected.
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Council asks to sit in on the court fight over its $1.5 billion-short pension fund 🔗.
Allegheny County's employee pension fund is nearly $1.5 billion short. A Sept. 3 court opinion said the governor and state lawmakers will likely need to give the county more funding tools. Then on Sept. 22, county council voted to ask the court to let its lawyer join the case as a neutral party. Next, the court will hold a hearing on that request.
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Door-to-door reassessment could cost $50 million and bring a wave of appeals.
Allegheny County hasn't reassessed property values since 2012. In August, a judge ordered the county to start reassessing by July 2027 and finish by 2032. On Sept. 14, a council committee heard the door-to-door work could cost $50 million and bring a wave of appeals. For now, it's holding a bill for regular reassessments until other lawsuits end.
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EMS providers get a faster path to $1 million in opioid settlement relief.
Opioid settlement money set aside for emergency medical services providers has sat unspent since last December. On Sept. 22, county council approved changes that widen how the $1 million can be used and simplify applications. Payments can begin as soon as the county executive signs the legislation. So far, the county has spent almost half of its overall opioid settlement funds.
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City closes North Side space that provided drop-in support for unhoused residents.
North Side unhoused residents have lost a drop-in spot that helped with housing and paperwork. The ROOTS drop-in location closed for good on Oct. 2 after the city didn't renew its lease. The mayor's proposed 2027 budget adds money for ROOTS staff but none for rent. For now, council can approve a new lease only if the administration presents one.
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A will of council urges county lawmakers to require paid parental leave.
A county proposal would make businesses with 15 or more eligible employees give new parents at least 12 weeks of paid leave. Now that the Board of Health has unanimously recommended it, county council will decide. On Sept. 29, a city council member introduced a measure urging county council and the state to act. County council next meets Oct. 6.
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Golden Horizons would bring a 55+ community with pickleball to Banksville.
Banksville's Marian Manor, a care facility for almost 70 years, closed in 2024 after continual financial losses. Now, council is set to rezone the 26-acre site for a housing community for people 55 and older. The plan includes 124 townhomes, a community center, pickleball courts, and a pool. Last month, the Planning Commission recommended the rezoning after two hearings.