Top Agenda Items
- RK Mellon grant could quadruple Fourth of July fireworks budget
- $4 million to fuel the next phase of Pittsburgh’s bike share expansion
- Records rules are being considered after years of operating on the honor system
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SUBSCRIBERK Mellon grant could quadruple Fourth of July fireworks budget 🔗 🔗
Pittsburgh’s Fourth of July celebration is about to get bigger and brighter.
Council voted at its May 18 committee meeting to move forward with accepting a $630,000 grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. The grant will go toward what the legislation’s fiscal impact statement described as an “impressive event” for the city’s Fourth of July celebration.
According to legislation introduced at the May 18 general meeting, $261,800 of the grant is designated for fireworks. The city’s existing contract with Starfire Corporation was to pay $88,200 for this year’s display. If council accepts the changes, the Mellon grant money will bring the total to $350,000.
The legislation says that, in light of the country’s 250th anniversary, the city “wishes to provide an enhanced performance to properly showcase the event.”
Earlier this week, Pittsburgh was named the number one Fourth of July celebration in the country by USA Today readers.
Council did not discuss how the rest of the grant money, $368,200, will be spent, nor is there additional upcoming legislation listed in Legistar. Council will have the opportunity to discuss the amended fireworks budget at its May 27 committee meeting.
If additional grant funds are available for the Fourth of July celebration beyond fireworks, which types of activities would you most like to see included? (Select all that apply)
| Free food or vendors |
| Live music or performances |
| Family and children's activities |
| Community organization booths |
| Accessible viewing areas for people with disabilities |
| Other |
$4 million to fuel the next phase of Pittsburgh’s bike share expansion 🔗 🔗
The next phase of Pittsburgh’s bike share program received a push from a federal grant.
Council voted to move forward with a $4 million agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for phase three of POGOH’s expansion project. POGOH is the city’s bike share program and is run by Bike Share Pittsburgh.
POGOH, formerly Healthy Ride, began in 2015 and now has 600 bikes. Its 60 stations are located primarily in the East End and North Side.
According to Eric Setzler, chief engineer for the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI), the expansion will include 40 additional stations and over 400 new bikes. According to the expansion website, DOMI plans to begin installation later this year.
Station locations have not yet been released to the public. The website says they will include former Healthy Ride stations that were removed in 2022.
A Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program grant from the Federal Highway Administration will cover $3.2 million of the total cost.
The grant requires an $800,000 match, which Bike Share Pittsburgh will provide. Council agreed to move forward with an agreement to provide in-kind services in exchange for the funds.
Which of the following best describes where you would most like to see new POGOH bike share stations added?
Records rules are being considered after years of operating on the honor system 🔗 🔗
The city clerk’s office wants to formalize how Pittsburgh documents its history in the making.
The Records Management Division of the clerk’s office requested an amendment to the city code to create records retention schedules.
Under the change, departments would be required to keep a list of all the records that it creates or receives, a description of them and retention length. Manager Nick Hartley said at the May 18 committee meeting that the city adheres to the state’s records retention laws but only has an informal system for doing so.
In 2012, council approved creating an archive commission. It spent several years collecting 10,000 cubic feet of city records, which had been in disarray. (The county currently faces a similar problem.)
Council Member Deb Gross of Highland Park said the lack of organization and document preservation created problems during the lead pipe crisis in 2016. Inadequate and disintegrating records meant re-recording underground pipes for every household in the city.
In 2023, the management division launched a digital repository containing more than 1 million pages. Records include meeting minutes for city council dating back to its formation at Pittsburgh’s incorporation as a city in 1816.
Council gave preliminary approval for the request.
Which types of city records would be most useful for you to be able to access online?