Welcome! This page is our public notebook of all the notes and feedback we heard at the May 12th City of Pittsburgh Budget Engagement session, held virtually on Zoom. During the meeting, this page will be a living document for city staff to live capture all the questions and requests shared during the session.

The session will include virtual breakout groups for residents to engage with city subject matter experts on the various areas where the city invests significant capital and operating resources. We encourage you to move around the breakout rooms and explore different topics throughout our time together:

  • Big Things that Need TLC and Moving Around Safely: Bridges, Hillsides, Steps, Sidewalks, and Traffic Calming
  • Enjoyment! : Parks, Senior Centers, Recreation Centers, Youth Programing
  • All things ROADS: Potholes, Snow Removal, and Paving
  • Behind the Curtain: the critical technology that keeps every department running
  • People Who Serve Us: Payroll, pensions, equipment and supplies
  • Plan for Peace: Public Safety, Violence Interruption and Public Health
  • Buildings and Lots: Condemnation, Demolition, Vacant Lot Care
  • Housing and Development: Housing, Land Use, Neighborhood Development

Breakout Room Topics

The notes gathered in each breakout room can be found below under the corresponding tab. Click through to hear from your fellow community members

Big Things that Need TLC and Moving Around Safely

Join this breakout room if you want to ask questions directly to our Mobility and Infrastructure engineers about bridges, steps, hillsides, sidewalks, and traffic calming!

Facilitators

Michael Maloch
Municipal Traffic Engineer
Eric Setzler
Chief Engineer

Enjoyment

The City invests in many places and programs to provide safe and welcoming recreation opportunities for our residents, including Recreation Centers, Youth Programing, Senior Centers, and Parks.

Facilitators

Eric Schultz
OMB, Capital Budget Team
Chip Gaul
Project Manager, Citiparks
Kathryn Vargas
Director, Citiparks
Lizz Schellin
Budget Analyst, OMB

Notetaker

All Things Roads

Topics in this room could include Pothole Repair, Paving, Snow Removal

Facilitators

Bill Crean
Gisele Betances
Community Liaison, Mayor's Office

Notetaker

Behind the Curtains

The Department of Innovation and Performance plays a vital role in managing dozens of applications and systems used across the city's buildings, offices, and vehicles. Every department relies on these critical hardware and software systems to operate. Join us to learn more!

Facilitators

Pat Cornell
Deputy Director, OMB
Heidi Norman
Director
Sheri Rolewski

People Who Serve Us

The major line items in our Operating Budget include payroll, pension, equipment, supplies and more! The City makes difficult decisions every year on which divisions of each department we're able to add new positions to increase the capacity of every department to fulfill service requests from the public. Where do you think our focus should be in 2024?

Facilitators

Dave Hutchinson
Assistant Director, OMB
Monica Bender
Assistant Director

Plan for Peace

The City’s holistic approach to public safety and violence interruption is guided by six core principles: using a public health model; partnering with communities and increasing community anti-violence capacity; developing robust trauma-informed services; focused deterrence and community policing; economic development; and evaluating our work with evidence and data.

Facilitators

Linnea Lincoln
Assistant Director, OMB
Lisa Frank
Chief Operating and Administrative Officer

Buildings and Lots

Wondering how buildings get prioritized for city-funded demolition? Not sure about the difference between condemned and slated for demolition? Wondering how the city handles maintenance of the thousands of buildings and lots we own? Join this group to ask these questions and more.

Facilitators

Christa Matthews
Fire Inspector, PLI
Jen Gula
Director, Department of Finance
Eric Williams
Engagement Manager, Mayor's Office

Housing and Development

The City's Urban Redevelopment Authority and Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections will join us in this session to talk about housing and development priorities and challenges.

Facilitators

Quianna Wasler
Urban Redevelopment Authority
Sarah Kinter
Director, Permits, Licenses and Inspections
Rebekkah Ranallo
Senior Manager, Neighborhood Services

Budget Priorities

Bar Graph Displaying Budget Priority Survey results