How Pittsburgh Rates Versus 14 Other Cities

The Pittsburgh region is doing better than most others in cost of living, unemployment and job growth. That's according to a new benchmarking study by the Regional Indicators at Pitsburghtoday.org. The study, Pittsburgh Today and Tomorrow," measures a 22 county Pittsburgh region that includes some of eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia against 14 other cities: Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Richmond and St. Louis....in 10 categories: demographics, arts, education, economy, environment, housing, health, public safety, government and transportation.
The study looks at how the region rebounded since the early 1980's when unemployment topped 17%. Now the jobless rate remains well below the national average.

Listen to Part 1 of an interview between DUQ's Kevin Gavin and Douglas Heuck, director of the Regional Indicators at Pittsburghtoday.org

Listen to Part 2 of interview with Douglas Heuck

Pgh., N. Ireland to Share Sustainability Ideas

A delegation of business and government representatives from Northern Ireland will come to Pittsburgh to discuss sustainable environmental practices Monday to Thursday .

President Jim Lamb of the Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh says his organization is hosting several seminars to spark discussion between the regions on sustainable environmental practices in business and government.

Lamb says Northern Ireland wants to become a leading European region in terms of sustainable business development and renewable energy.

“I think they identify Pittsburgh, for a number of reasons, as a similar kind of region that it might make sense to partner [with],” says Lamb.

In addition to talks between businesses and government, ten graduate students from Northern Ireland who came to Pittsburgh last year will share their sustainable practices studies with the delegation.

Lamb says talks on sustainable technology between Pittsburgh and Northern Ireland began shortly after the September 2009 G-20 Summit of world leaders.

iPhone App Allows Quick Complaints to City

The city of Pittsburgh now has an iPhone app that will allow user to make 311 style complaints on the go. The application released over the weekend allows users to take a picture of a pothole, graffiti or other nagging problem and then submit it directly to the city’s 311 complaint system. That complaint will come complete with a geo tag that developer Priya Narasimhan says will let the city know exactly where the picture was snapped. Narasimhan says that not only allows the city to see a picture of the problem but it also will place it on a map along with other complaints. Narasimhan’s company Yinz Cam created the application for the city without charge. With the hope that other cities will purchase similar systems. The company hopes to soon roll out the Pittsburgh version of the application that will work on other smart phones. Right now there are three ways to make a complaint to the 311 center; calling 311, filling out a form on line or emailing a complaint. Pictures can be emailed but Pittsburgh City Councilman Bill Peduto says that often clogs up the email system. Council members do not currently have direct access to the 311 system but they can ask for reports. Public works does have access to the 311 system.

Pay Equity Study Finds No Discrimination

A pay equity study done in Pittsburgh finds that city employees are underpaid compared to their peers in other organizations. But there is no evidence of compensation discrimination based on race or gender. Evergreen Solutions Executive Vice President Dr. Jeff Ling says the study focused on women and minority representation in government, pay between workers who hold the same job and the effectiveness of the overall human resources system. Ling says the biggest problem found was, in fact, Pittsburgh's antiquated human resource system, which he says has been updated little since its establishment in the 1970s. Representation can also be improved. He says while there is no compensation discrimination, there are tendencies for caucasian males to hold better positions than women and minorities, and therefore tend to get paid more. Ling also says city employee jobs are "behind market," meaning that employees are likely to find similar jobs elsewhere that pay more.

Officials Discuss Why Merger Is Stalled

Local and state government officials disagree over why a proposed merger of the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County has stalled. Fourteen months ago Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and County Executive Dan Onorato called for the consolidation with the other 129 municipalities in the county remaining independent. About 200 people attended a forum in Pittsburgh yesterday to hear why the idea has not moved forward. Onorato said the city and county need the General Assembly to pass legislation allowing for local voters to cast ballots on a merger. Onorato said he would write the bill but state lawmakers don't want him and Ravenstahl doing their jobs. Some state lawmakers told the forum that local officials aren't ready.

Ford Cleared By Ethics Commission

The former head of the Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority has been cleared by the State Ethics Commission. In a letter dated September 25, the Commission said that the theater sound system that Ford received from an executive at Lamar Advertising did not meet the $250 threshold and therefore did not need to be reported. The panel said the gift was valued at $215. Ford took a paid leave of absence for 4 months following the disclosure of the gift and information that he helped Lamar get a permit for a digital billboard in downtown Pittsburgh bypassing the usual hearing and voting process. Lamar later agreed to resubmit its application for a permit. Ford resigned his post in August after the U-R-A agreed pay him $90,000 in salary and benefits for the final 4 months of his $117,000 a year contract. Ford's attorney Lawrence Fisher says the Commission's decision validates his client's ethical integrity.

Pittsburgh increases cycling rank

In the annual American Community Survey, Pittsburgh ranked in the 11th cities in the country in 2007 for the percentage of city residents that commute by bike. The percentage went up from .8 percent in 2006 to 1.1 percent in 2007.

Scott Bricker, Executive Director of Bike Pittsburgh, thinks there are many reasons why more locals have been commuting by bike. These reasons include saving in gas money, being healthier and more green conscious, and easy commuting through Pittsburgh's dense neighborhoods. Bricker adds that bikes are also very stylish. "Bikes are the new black," he says.

Bricker says with Mayor Ravenstahl's biking initiatives to create more biking lanes and to place bike racks in the city will also bring increase rates in the future. With the mayor's initiatives and more investments, Bricker hopes for Pittsburgh to be a Top 5 biking city in the future.

According to the same survey, Pittsburgh remained in second place next to Boston with 12 percent of locals commuting by foot. Walking commuters also include people who use transit, because they technically walk for parts of their commute.

City of Pittsburgh's 2009 Budget Announced

The 2009 Pittsburgh City Budget was released today with an expenditure amount of $439.9 million, up about $16 million from 2008. Projected revenues also are expected to increase from $436.8 million in 2008, to $443.4 in the coming year--all without a tax hike. The city expects revenues to exceed expenditures by about $3.5 million. This money will be used as part of a plan to reduce Pittsburgh's debt by 40 percent over the next 5 years.

The budget also cuts 65 vacant city administrative positions and plans to put 40 more police officers on the street by training civilians to fill administrative duties formerly held by officers.

It also plans on $2.4 million in casino revenues. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's Chief of Staff Yarone Zober says in the future, Pittsburgh can likely count on $10 million annually from the casino, but because of the delays in construction, it will likely deliver far less in 2009.

In an effort to control unfunded pension, the budget also ups the mandatory minimum payment to the city pension fund by 15 percent.

The Mayor is also currently negotiating payments in lieu of taxes for the Pittsburgh Non-Profit Service Fund and he is confident that their three-year commitment will be of equal or greater value than it has been in the past.

The Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA), a state oversight group, has 30 days to request changes to the budget before it is presented to City Council November 10th.

Salt Prices Jump for Pittsburgh

A shortage of rock salt and an increase in fuel prices are leading to a 25% increase in what Pittsburgh is paying for road salt this year. Pittsburgh Public Works Director Guy Costa says if the region has a normal winter that will mean an extra $600,000 that will have to be added to his budget. He says he has already started to talk to the Mayor’s office about the need. Costa says to help conserve salt his crews will put out fewer salt boxes, increase the time between applications and make sure the spreading devices are well calibrated so no salt is wasted. Most of the salt used in Pittsburgh is shipped in from Louisiana.

Pittsburgh Adopts Boston Model for Fighting Crime

Pittsburgh is adopting what Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says is a proven model for fighting violent crime. It was developed in Boston. Some call it the "Boston Miracle" because gun violence dropped there 70 percent. The architect of the plan is Professor David Kennedy of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. He says it’s not about devoting more resources to the problem; it’s about structuring them in a different way. He says in most cities, small street groups are responsible for the majority of violent crime. Kennedy’s model focuses on confronting them directly. He says part of the challenge lies in enlisting people who street criminals trust, like their families and older ex-convicts who can tell them about the potential consequences of making poor choices.

City/County Merger gets Quiet Hearing

Despite gathering at least 25 signatures to call for a public hearing on the possibility of a city county merger only 6 people took to the lectern Tuesday to voice their opinion. Among them was great Pittsburgh League of Women Voters President Suzanne Broughton whose group supports a merging of the city and county while leaving school districts and the other municipalities intact. She says one major concern is making sure voting districts are drawn to ensure good representation for everyone including minorities. Pittsburgh Democratic Committee Chair Barbara Ernsberg presented a long list of reasons why she feels the merger would be ill advised. She says she does not want the city’s elected offices to be eliminated. She also says she sees no real pension and debt solution, fears a weakening of minority representation and is worried about a loss of city identity. She also is worried that boards created to protect citizens such as the citizens police review board and the zoning board would be eliminated because there is no equivalent at the county level.

Motznik Wants $2 Million to Pave Streets

Pittsburgh Councilman Jim Motznik wants to make sure the city finishes its plan to resurface 50 miles of city streets. He's introduced a measure to add more money to the paving budget. Motznik says the money for the program ran out with about six miles left to be paved, and all six miles are in his district. The funds ran out as the price of oil, and thus the price of asphalt, increased. Motznik says he has spoken to the mayor about re-allocating $2 million in unused capital funds. He says the money is not being taken from other unfinished projects.

Members of City Council and Mayor Ravenstahl agree to Review of Departmental Goals and Objectives

Pittsburgh City Council and the Mayor have agreed to submit departmental goals and objectives prior to the start of the budget process. All city departments will be required to submit their mission statement along with a list of goals and objectives for the upcoming year. The objectives will be due by July 31st, 2008. Council members Patrick Dowd and Bill Peduto requested the performance statements and have said it will increase transparency during the budget process and allow city council to see exactly what tax payers money will be used for.

City Controllers office releases audit of Pittsburgh's EMS

City Controller Michael Lamb released an audit of Pittsburgh's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and found that the city's EMS were meeting desired response times in priority calls at 60% compared to the national standard of 90%. Standard response time is below 9 minutes after the emergency call is placed The audit also found that Unit hour Utilization (UHU), which is the ratio of number of hours spent delivering EMS service as compared to total number of hours a system could deliver is higher that national standards. The acceptable levels for UHU are between .40 Unit hours - .50 Unit hours. The audit found the UHU for the city at .54 in 06, and .56 in 07.

Lamb cited high volume of non emergency calls as the problem for the EMS, and has contacted local health care and service providers with the recommendation of creating and instituting a program that informs the public on what constitutes an emergency health need. Lamb said the city did not need to hire more EMS personnel or have more units available because if non emergency calls decreased then the current number on the force would be appropriate. Pittsburgh's EMS is operating under act 47 guidelines.

City presents 25th annual preservation awards

Mayor Raventstahl and the city historic review commission announced today 7 winners for its 25Th annual preservation awards. Two of the award recipients were the Allegheny Observatory in Riverview park, and the Willock house at 705 Brighton road on the North side. The two projects were both restoration efforts on buildings that were built in the late 1800's or the early 1900's. There were 3 criteria for the awards.

1. The project had to entail preservation, rehabilitation, renovation or restoration of the interior or exterior of a historic building or buildings, or new construction in a contextual design of a historic neighborhood.

2. The project must be located within the city of Pittsburgh

3. The project must have been completed before April 25, 2008.

One Hill Coalition to vote on CBA

The One Hill Coalition will be holding a vote on Saturday May 10Th, to decide if they will accept the proposed Community Benefits Agreement. The Preliminary agreement says the Penguins will contribute $500,000 a year for six years, with a six year option. The residents of the Hill will have a chance at hiring for development jobs a week before anyone else, the Penguins and the city will contribute $2 million towards a new grocery store, and Don Barden will donate $3 million dollars.
The 100+ members will vote between 10 am and 1 pm on the 10Th.

Summer jobs for Pittsburgh kids

With the help of the state, the City of Pittsburgh is growing its Summer Youth Employment Program to include more kids and place more officers on the streets. Public safety officials say crime spikes in the summer as children get out of school and warm weather lures everyone to the street. The program gives department of public works jobs to14 to 18 year olds and funds one additional beat officer in each police district Sunday through Tuesday and two additional officers Wednesday through Saturday. The officers will stay oin the streets through the end of September. Last year 800 applications were received for the 197 job openings. This year the city has 250 positions to fill. The jobs are awarded by lottery in each of the city’s zip codes. For the first time this year the program will include and educational component where kids can get help catching up academically if needed.

Future Finances Will Affect Act 47 Decision

The person who will decide whether Pittsburgh should remain under Act 47 protection says the city's future financial picture will factor into his decision. Dennis Yablonsky is the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The Pittsburgh City Council has asked him to weigh in on whether the city should remain under state oversight. Yablonsky plans to hold a hearing in Pittsburgh in late February after he has a chance to review Pittsburgh's latest financial numbers. But he says strong finances in the short-term won't matter if the city looks like it will fall into trouble again in just a few years. The city's current five-year plan shows deficits in the final two years. Yablonsky says he will likely decide on Pittsburgh's Act 47 status by June.

Controller Michael Lamb Takes oath of office

The last Allegheny County Prothonotary has crossed the hall in the city county building and has become the newest Pittsburgh controller. Michael Lamb was sworn in Monday. After welcoming all the dignitaries in the room and thanking his supporters Michael Lamb promised to bring integrity back to the Controller’s office and return to the basics of auditing every department at least once every four years. He says he is not sure what he will find but he thinks having someone look at the numbers on a regular basis will be good for the health of the city. Lamb plans to make looking at workman’s comp claims a priority. He says most payments go to fire fighters and maybe there is a training or rehabilitation issue that needs to be addressed. Staffing levels in the controller’s office have been the subject of recent court battles but Lamb says he will work with what he has to get the job done.