City Council - Regular Meeting

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[music] [music] Uh see if we have any questions on uh we're going to jump down to those ordinances for final passage. We have two. We have one with the firefighter protective equipment and then one with the certified local government grant. Are there any questions um on on that fi either of those final passages from anyone?

Those um state grants are those federal grants. Do you know by chance It's just more just more curiosity, Chief Trot. That grant for firefighter equipment, is that a federal grant? State. Thank you. State. Okay. Thank you. Good morning.

Okay. Well, then so I think those ones are are pretty straightforward. So, if nobody has questions on either of those final passage once the again the firefighter protective equipment um and then the certified local government grant then we can hop on down to the ordinances for the first reading. We have um four under ordinances for first reading. So, I wanted to see if anybody had any questions on those ordinances that we could get clarification on. Thank you. I'll just jump right in like with ordinance number one. Um, if you wanted to, we could I mean, if we wanted to bring up Jason, we could as well, but just kind of explaining the the streets paving for 2026, the 500,000. Jason, will you just come up and talk about paving? Our favorite topic.

I don't think that mic is on, so I don't know if that's picking up on you. Sorry. There you go. How's that? Better. Yes.

Better. Okay. So, ordinance uh number one and ordinance number two under first reading, we have the $500,000 that that one is uh out of the paving and sewer revenue fund. And then the second one is the million dollars that's out of the liquid fuels fund. And so that one in particular is split. Um number two is split 600,000 going into the um streets and then uh 400,000 going into street lighting and traffic signals. So all total there um we have 1.5. You add those together and those are just going to go in and uh feed our summer street paving.

And then just uh so it's I guess clarification also for the public. Could you just explain to just how you guys go down through and maybe pick where you're going to address and how you you know identifying the the areas most in need with the the paving part?

Oh, absolutely. Yeah. So, what we have is we have uh roadway uh roadway management technology software that we utilize uh on our it's mounted on our vehicles. It's GIS technology. It actually surveys the vehicle uh the road condition and it comes up with this thing called the pavement condition index. And so it basically ranks the streets. Um so that's that's a key component of it. But the other thing is also um we divide by geographical area. I think everybody understands there's a community development block grant areas and then there's the outside areas. So we essentially then you know then it becomes sort of a budget thing. We have a budget for the CDBG then we have a budget for the for the remainder.

Thank you Dr. Titus. And then we also take the other thing is we also definitely take uh uh questions and comments from the public as we develop the list. We obviously get phone calls uh people asking about certain streets. So we certainly go out and look at those and then those weigh into the decision as well. Thank you. Please take recommendations. Oh yeah. Yeah. when we get when we get calls about and we get these quite uh commonly we'll get calls about certain streets and then we go out and we look at those and uh

so we don't rely just on this they would be considered if the if a decision is made at that time of the road well well yeah so what we we use the we use the uh GIS technology but we also go out in person look at those streets and then we also look at any ones that are you know we receive special request to to evaluate. And if they receive special request to evaluate to determine if still possibly add to the list. Yeah. Yes, that's correct. As as we have the budget to do so,

we have to obviously have the bud the funds for that.

And if I could just add Dr. Titus. Um, uh, Jason and I met to talk about, you know, how to announce the streets that will be paved this year. We agreed that, you know, we didn't feel we needed an official press conference to say we're paving the streets. We should pave the streets. I don't think it's a new story. It's something we should be doing for our taxpayers. So, we will on our website, I believe next week or soon thereafter, have the map posted of where the streets will be paved. So, we have all that information. We won't be doing an official press conference as I noted, but all that information will be on our website. Some of the paving has already begun. Some of it is already underway as the weather is allowing and we'll be posting the map so that everyone is aware of of which streets are going to be paved this year.

Thank you. I know we've had issues in the past too, like when um especially working with like like National Fuel or some of the other groups that are coming in, we'll get something paved and then they come in and tear it right back up again. So just I'm sure that there's thought into making sure that we're we're lining up those plants so that we're not paving just to have it retorrn up especially some of the development that's going to be happening too. I could comment to that too. Yeah, we we coordinate closely uh especially you mentioned NFG but also with the water authority on all of their you know street cuts and upcoming work so that we we could exactly you know get ahead of the problem you just mentioned. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you.

I think this is another area for us to kind of get creative on. Um, as we're we're looking at a lot of the development that is happening, especially um, some of the things that maybe have come before us and the development um, and the heavy equipment that's going to be coming down along the roads that we pave is is just making sure that those who who are benefiting maybe from some of the agreements that we're we're passing in some of these public hearings are also um, being cognizant of the maybe some of the damage that they're going to cause to to some of the roads that they're then going to be bring driving all their stuff in on. So, I don't know what that creativity looks like. I'm being very vague with my words on purpose. Um, but just as we start to plan and how that looks.

Thank you, Jason. Yeah, thank you. Any other questions um on on those ordinances for first reading? I'll skip us down then to to new business. We have several res resolutions before us. um some appointments to make um and so wanted to see if anybody had any questions on any of the appointments um or with these resolutions coming forward. We also have the street naming too that we had had tabled so that we could have council present. I guess I just want to make a comment um because I haven't I have asked in the past like based off of who's up for the appointments um like the metrics I know you guys want people to send in everything through the clear form and then I'm assuming if they want the reappoint if they still have time they're like first in line because I have had people who reached out and then I've um referred them to whoever the liaison is for counsel and I'm happy to see that um one of the individuals who had reached out to me is being reappointed because they reached out and they emailed me and I told them to reach out to you. So um I just wanted to make sure that we are asking people to submit their resume and everything through clear forms and if there's an appointment available, please do submit that to okay online. I'll give kudos um some very big props right now to um the administrative staff espec es especially Tori Williams on this one who's spent a lot of time trying to make sense of just the various appointments uh and clear is it clear glove or clear forms either way it's very traumatic

software program um and has worked very diligently to get it all in so if somebody is submitting their application which all is now on the website it immediately dings here and as soon as they show that they meet the qualifications I can approve and then I get it to the liaison as fast as possible. So, we're trying to streamline a process that's this website is making very cumbersome. But not the city's website, but the the one that we're utilizing right now. So, we will take funding for new software at any time. Council would like to give it to us. That's [laughter] all. Um, yeah. technology.

Yeah, that's going to be a new thing that I I don't think many uh municipal governments have really thought long term on, but this is where the the new shift of a lot of funding is is going to have to be directed.

I think you can you want to pull your That way we can Yeah, there you go. We uh so that we don't just have a a single vendor or we enter into I forgot the term contracts long-term contracts. No. uh um contracts where we have to go and do a maintenance agreement with that person and that we can't go outside and we should look at uh I know what the city code says and low beater and all of that but at some point it's got to make sense and you cannot for instance the county brought a $26 million radio system and we pay $2 million a year in maintenance fees and we don't want those right uh and I forgot the term for it where you can only deal with that one it's Yeah. Yeah.

No, I think that brings an incredibly valid point. We get a lot of uh we saw this a lot the past couple years where we were getting a lot of grants. Um and that's a onetime one-time installment and but then we are left with a lot of the maintenance and the renewal fees and um the grants typically don't cover those. They're that one time thing. So I think being and again um we you know we got to be spinning thrifty. Yeah. Now cuz times are changing. Yes. Um, any other questions or comments on the new business? I know we've got a lot there.

I I got a question. I'm going to go back a little bit because I was trying to sign those things and maybe I'm ignorant or something, but you know, they told me every question is a good question. So, I'm looking at the back to the streets and paving expenditure, the $500,000 under first reading. Um, and it says unappropriated fund balance in the paving and sewer revenue fund. So, that's a separate standalone fund, sewer revenue fund. And then the And then the um $1 million unappropriated fund balance from the liquid fuels. Is that is there where's that money coming from? The unappropriated is there a separate fund for that too?

Liquid fuels are state tax dollars that we receive back from PennDOT. So when we do paving, it's a it's a mix of multiple sources. Oh, no. I got the liquid fuels part cuz county does it too. I just want to know where that line number is, where it's being transferred from one line number to to the other. And in the future, that would be really helpful to me. I'm a little slow. If they just tell me what line number it's coming for, so I can, you know, I'm still the guy that reads the newspaper with the I like to turn the pages instead of the computer. And so the line number to line number transfer would be greatly appreciated.

And councelor Horton, I know I think we have finance committee this morning. Maybe together we can look at the budget and look at that because I'm interested as well. So we can and we can ask moving forward. Yes. Yes. Yeah. I think that that is that's [clears throat] something that we've we've talked about um and in congress but then also in some of these finance it's getting very hard especially when we're seeing on the transfers and I if it's hard for us to kind of follow those numbers. It's got to be very hard for the public who aren't who aren't seeing the booklet and stuff in front of them all the time. So I'll probably have a lot of these questions cuz I missed a month or so. Yeah. And I'm playing catchup and I'm you know I'm learning. Most anything like that is on the either the resolution or the ordinance, the the line numbers on where they're going and coming from,

right? And so that and so that gives me, you know, uh back to my original thing when I first sit here when I come here and just sign all these things. It doesn't really give you a lot of time to go back and and look over that stuff. And and that's kind of like our one job. It's like to budget. And I think it's important and it's too important for me to skim over. So, uh, even if you if even if it's there, uh, if you could put it here to, that would be helpful. So, I wouldn't won't look all through it and I can just do the reference. I can just go, okay, it's transferred from line number 2530 to line number 26. Yeah. Say that.

The city clerks get the actual ordinance and so they just put the header on there. So you probably have them copy and paste that as well as well on I mean that information is with the city clerk's office. That would be a small change. She said it's on there. Yeah. And and so they do have it. Um what I'm saying uh sol um sir is that it would be helpful to me uh if it's on the actual agenda where it's being transferred from. That's all I'm asking. Why you make a big thing out of it? [laughter] I'm a little confused, but Well, I think I'll talk to you about it.

These are I think that these are excellent points and one of the ones that I was going to bring up um is just figuring out ways that for us to streamline so that we're all getting the information the way we need it u and could receive it so that we're coming into the meetings as prepared as possible. So, I'm receptive to to any suggestions just like that. and and please ask and ask ask council please bring whatever we can do to make this you all [snorts] just give me grace for a little bit cuz but if there's a question here I guarantee there's a question someone else is having and then that also means the public has it too and I'll get better because it's a first read I could have asked that question in between reads or whatever but I think it creates great dialogue so I appreciate and welcome so thank you thank you

council member Horton we also send you the full ordinance before it ever goes on the agenda so that you can see all those breakdowns. [clears throat] And then I think you you want line items from the budget book. Is that where you're I want to know where money is being you're taking $500,000 and it's on our agenda. I want to know where that $500,000 is coming from. Okay. And where it's going by line number. It's really as simple as it's just transferring to Jason's point. It ain't We don't have to complicate it. We can talk about it offline. [clears throat] Dr. Titus. Yes. Um, number nine, the food hall.

Looks like the food hall is asking for new business to be under new business to like have people eat outside. It looks like I think this looks like um will that include like you can have a drink outside or does anybody know that or how does that work? I I would imagine the easement is just for tables on the sidewalk. That's what I would Okay. I just didn't know if you could have like order, you know, sit outside and eat and then have a drink outside. Yes. And to Mo's point, I think, you know, famously Yeah. Yeah. And to Mo's point, cuz I didn't get a chance, you know, I'm a construction guy.

I didn't get a chance to go over there and measure and stuff, but I I wanted to before I voted on this because is it going to be a railing? Is it going to be when we have celebrate Eerie Eerie days? Is that going to be cut off from the public access? Like you got to stand outside the rail unless you you know how far is it going to extend? We just did one of those at Eerie Insurance on on Fourth and French and I can tell you it's going to extend almost going to leave about that much sidewalk. Yeah, that was my question. How much sidewalk is going to be left for the actual residents to be able to use the sidewalk? Yeah, because if you have a celebrated area just,

you know, uh people hanging outside the food hall in the summertime, is it going to be restricted like this is squared off and you have this much sidewalk and because we have to make sure there's always enough room for medical equipment to get through and I see where sometimes we are making people have to go farther out of their way just to get to easy access points. So that's my concern. No, I think these are incredibly valid questions and so I would I mean one of the options we have up before us is to to maybe separate and table until we can get some of these answered. Uh and then we have another meeting at the end of the month that we could bring it back up there. Well, it's my intent to move a motion to ask that it be tabled until we figure it out. I don't want to make decisions that I'm not comfortable with.

Absolutely. I want to make informed decisions. And I think taking this in conjunction and looking at um just just with the construction that's happening down there right now. I think that this is it's it's might be a bigger ask than what maybe we're even aware of just because there's so much sidewalk already being blocked off down there. It's going to be ADA. It's going to be it's a lot to consider. It seems like just an inoculous vote, but no votes are innocuous when it comes to our citizens. Agreed. Thank you, Council Chief, for bringing that up. Any other questions or thoughts on anything before us?

I would ask that Councilman Horton continue to ask his questions here because I think it helps everybody. Thank you. Thank you.

We do have uh the public hearing um today as well. Uh just to kind of um councelor Paul and I had the opportunity to meet with some of the administration to kind of go over just some of the historic designations and I just want to make everybody aware as we're looking through this there there's a backlog somewhere around like 30 properties. Um, and those all because they change an ordinance have to come in front of us. And so, um, we're we're going to have decisions about, um, when we're having the hearings and maybe have to do some special hearings to get them through because this is like funding is getting backlogged for some of these those individuals who who would like to apply for grants to be able to fix up these properties. So, uh, we've we've got to come up with some ways to kind of catch up here,

right? And not to add any trepidation, but there was two more historic properties that got approved by the HRC on Monday. stuff go through planning commission, but those will be coming to your office if they make it through um planning commission for recommendation.

So, just to kind of give everyone a heads up on that, we might need to be doing some some double up and do some special hearings here just to kind of move this process through. Um we had some very unique waterfront conditional hearings. We had another one coming up. Hopefully uh those that's not part of the norm that I mean there's there's not a ton of we've got things we've got to address there, but I don't see those public hearings taking up as much time and space for us as we kind of move into this historic review. So just kind of balancing those out. All right. Any other questions on anything that's before us today on the agenda? Okay, we've got about five minutes before we head into the main meeting. So, if there are no other questions, we can go ahead and pause here and get the room set up uh so that we're ready for the public meeting. Heat. Heat. N. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.

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Go ahead and call this meeting to order. Roll call for the city council meeting of Wednesday, May 6th at 9:00 a.m. Council members Titus here, Brazinski here, Flores here, Horton here, Paul here, Shaw here, and Troop here. Okay, this is going to lead us into um Right. No, my we did the roll callled making sure. Yes, the pledge of allegiance. Um, councelor Horton, would you be okay with leading us in the pledge? Sure.

And the moment of silence, I want you to know that every time I come and stand here to do the pledge of allegiance to this flag, it's really, really meaningful to me. I'm a veteran. Although this flag in the Constitution has never lived up to what it's supposed to be for me, I pledge allegiance to what it aspires to be. And that needed to be said this morning for the times we're in cuz I don't ever want this to just be a writer, just something to be done. I want you to feel it. Nobody can hear you.

My colleagues hear me. So with that said, I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Amen. Amen.

Thank you. Thank you. Okay, we have a motion to accept the minutes from the special meeting of April 30th, 2026 and bills for payment on May 8th and 15th. Members Brzinski, Flores, yes. Horton, yes. Paul, yes. Shaw, yes. Troop, yes. Titus,

yes. So, this is going I just want to give everybody a quick reminder, too. Um, we're going to have a quick presentation, but that today we also do have a public hearing. Uh, so when we hit that 9:30 mark, it's going to unfortunately fall right in the middle of that public comment time again. And so, we'll have to pause public comment because we advertise that hearing at a certain time and we have to bring in the stenographer. Um, so once that public hearing is done, we'll then resume back to public comment. So, I just want to let everybody know that just what that time frame is going to look like. Um but I am going to go ahead and mic pass over to council member uh Mot Troop um as we as we step into this ne next part of the recognition.

Thank thank you Dr. Titus. Um it is my pleasure to um welcome uh coach Eastston Bazolei and he's the men's basketball coach at Ganon and also Dorian Crosby. He's a wrestler for Ganon. Um we're going to honor them today. um for winning championships. It's it's definitely an honor uh to to speak of them because being an athlete myself um I know when I played at Central High School, which is it's now Eerie High School, um we went to the Western Final game twice two years in a row and we lost um by a total of seven points in both of those games and the teams went on the next week to win the state title. So to be that close and not to make it is that lives with you for the rest of your life. So like to congratulate them both. Um so we have some proclamations here that we're going to read. Um the first one is for again in basketball. It says May 6th um um 2026 resolved by the council of the city of Erie that whereas the city council of the Erie city of Erie wishes to pay special tribute to the Ganon University men's basketball team on their NCAA Division 2 men's basketball national championship. And whereas Ganon University's Golden Knights men's basketball team made history upon winning their first ever NCAA Division 2 National Championship on April 5th, 2026, defeating Lander 8461 in Indianapolis, the 2020 26th NCAA. Two champions stand as a testament to grit, unity, and the enduring spirit of Erie. This group didn't just play the game, they carried a community with them. They represented more than a

roster. They embodied discipline, brotherhood, and belief. The Golden Knights achieved a remarkable season, earning recognition among the elite programs in NCAA Division 2 men's basketball. And whereas head coach Eastston Bazolei, one of the fast rising young coaches in division 2, joining Ganon as an assistant in 2023, then promoted to head coach in April 2024 and has made an immediate impact which led team to conference titles and national prominence. The success of the 2026 team reflects the leadership of its coaching staff, the support of the university, and the pride of the Erie community. And whereas sophomore Pace Proer, lead scorer, was named the most outstanding player for the 2026 NCAA Division 2 all tournament team. And therefore, it is resolved the council of the city of Erie proudly recognizes and commend the 2026 Ganon men's basketball team NCAA Division 2 champions. Congratulations and continued success. Here's to the Golden Knights 2026 will always be remembered. And thanks to my fellow council uh members for agreeing to this. And uh can we just have a round of applause for Coach Lester? [applause] and we're going to bring them up to the podium and then hand them the the proclamation.

[applause] All right. He wants me to say a couple words. So, I'll I'll say a couple words. Uh, God is good and I'm really really honored. Like we we represent a very small portion of Erie. Um, but I love getting to represent this city. I love this city. Uh, it's a great place to be. So, we're grateful.

Thanks, [applause] Mr. President. If I may for one second, I was intent on bringing Mr. Witherspoon here to be with you and share your day. Uh unfortunately he had a medical situation we had to take care of so he couldn't be here but he says way to go. He was there when it was a college like I was. We're proud of you. Thank you.

Um before we uh recognize Dorian just to give you a little couple things about coach Bizolei. He was the 21st coach head coach at Ganon. Um, he's from Cranberry Township, PA, where he went to Synica Valley High School. He attended Cedarville, Cedville University in Ohio, and he brought Ganon's first NCAA National Championship. One more time. [applause]

Okay, so now we're going to recognize uh Dorian Crosby. Um, also got to give a shout out to him because he's a he's he's a fellow educator over at Grover Cleveland. Um, so he was doing that full-time and and wrestling at the same time. Amen.

He was the first Golden Knight um to win individual national championship in over two decades. Um he's from [applause] he's from Erie PA. Um graduated from Cathedral Prep and he won the 202526 National Division 2 Heavyweight Championship. So So I I'll read the proclamation. Um, it says by May 26, May 6, 2025 by council member Trroo, seconded by council members Bzinski, Flores, Horton, Paul, Sha, and Titus, resolved by the council of the city of Erie that whereas the city council of the city of Erie wishes to pay special tribute to Ganon University's Dorian Crosby, who achieved national distinction by winning the heavyweight title of the NCAA Division 2 wrestling championships. And whereas Dorian Crosby, a proud native of Erie Cathedral Prep and Bucknell University graduate, representing Ganon University, working on his master's degree, has demonstrated exceptional dedication, discipline, and perseverance in the sport of wrestling. He has exemplified the highest standards of athletic excellence and sportsmanship. And whereas in March 2026, Crosby achieved national distinction by winning the heavyweight title at the NCAA Division 2 Wrestling Championships, securing victory in dramatic fashion, and completing an undefeated season while being a full-time teacher, student, father, and husband. This recognition stands as a testament to his dedication and as encouragement for future generations to pursue excellence in all endeavors. Crosby's accomplishment accomplishment serves as an inspiration to young athletes and citizens alike, demonstrating that hard work, resilience, and commitment can lead to extraordinary success. And whereas this historic achievement marks the first

individual national wrestling championship for Ganon University in approximately 25 years, bringing pride and recognition to the university and the Erie community. His father, Melvin Crosby, introduced Dorian to the sport of wrestling. They're the only fatherson duo from Erie, both winning PA state wrestling championships. Dorian credits his wrestling style from his father and his success from years of influence and support. And now, therefore, be it resolved, Erie City Council honors and celebrates Dorian Crosby for his outstanding achievement as a national champion. and we recommend him for his and we commend him for his contributions to the team, his university, and the community of Erie, Pennsylvania. Let's give Dorian a round of applause. [applause] [applause] Sure. Um, first thing I want to say is all glory to God. Um, and I just having the backing of the the city of Erie and just being born and raised here and having that pride of wanting to bring glory to the city of Erie and bringing that recognition coming to Buck now for 4 years and knowing, oh well, I have an extra two that I can come home and [snorts] um, wrestle. So, just wanting to bring that glory and honor to both God, to the city of Erie, and to G University. Thank you.

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It's going to feel like a a hard shift and I don't need to to to bring us right back into the business, but I do need to uh bring us right back into the business. But congratulations again um to to both the the proclamations that were awarded. Um, I'm going to ask if there is anybody here to speak on a repository sale. Come repository sale. Yes. Come right up here to the mic. Make sure you state your name and then we will have some follow-up questions and Yes. Sorry. And you have

I'm Darnell Ramsey. Um, I purchased some some properties from Repository uh I want to say 14 years now. And at the time, um, I was unaware that there was leans and I just found out last Tuesday that there are. So, I'm hoping council will take a look at that cuz it's up there. Can you state what municipality you live in, sir? Um, yeah, I'm sorry. No, you're good. You didn't hear that part of the question. It's okay. Uh I think that so what would be helpful is um the address

we're going to have to get the addresses and stuff, but if we could like connect with you after and just get the documentation. We can't make a ruling or or make a motion up here from from this today, but if we could have the the information, we can kind of see how we can guide uh and connect. Um so even if you touch base with the clerk's office after um then we'll make sure that we can guide you in the right direction. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate you guys. Yeah. The clerks will take your name and all your information. Okay. Thank you. 14 years is a long time.

Is there anyone else here to speak on a repository sale? Anyone here to speak on repository sale? Anyone else for repository sale? Okay, we will move into the public comment. I do want to again give the heads up. We are at 9:18. That will give a couple residents and the opportunity to speak. Um, and we're going to move into that that hearing at 9:30. So, I don't want it to to feel like I've abruptly cut you off. Um, just please be mindful of that timer that we have set. When you come up to the microphone, make sure you state your name in your municipality so that we can have it for the record. Uh, and again, you have 5 minutes, so who would ever like to come speak? Elizabeth Stanton, Harbor Creek. Private ownership of land is a cornerstone of capitalism. Let us go back in history to when it all began in the USA, 1493 AD. Yes, you heard me correctly. 1493 AD. Ocean explorers from Europe wanted authority to claim new lands for their homelands. The Doctrine of Discovery of 1493 became a legal document whereby European explorers could claim the land of any people group that were not Europeans, exploit exploit their labor and confiscate their resources, ignoring the sovereignty of the indigenous inhabitants and establishing European superiority. Thus Europe power European powers colonized the Americans, Africa, Asia and Australia. The doctrine of discovery became an

active foundational legal document in the USA courts. In 2006, the Supreme Court case city of Charelle versus Onita Nation of New York. Judge Ruth Ginsburgg argued and won the case against returning sacred ancestral lands to the Onidita Nation using the doctrine of discovery, asserting that sovereignty ownership did not belong to the Onita nation. By doing so, she reinforced a colonialized framework which was racist and unjust. Let us go back a little further in time to antiquity 507 BC to Athens, Greece. The Athenians are credited with establishing the world's first so-called democracy ruled by the people. However, only free landowning Athenian men were defined as citizens. Women, slaves, and foreigners were excluded. The USA founding fathers modeled the Athenian governance ruled by the people in establishing the so-called American democracy which only white landowning men could vote. Ownership of land is a finite resource that tends to increase in value over time, leaving a legacy that lasts for decades. Private land ownership can lead to significant wealth accumulation creating great wealth disparities between the halves and the have nots. I propose that the city the Erie city council along with the mayor's office initiate a free training for long-term

lowincome firsttime landowner residents of Erie City to be educated in how to form a sweat equity co-op ownership of repository properties for rehabilitation teaching them how to become legal entities with bylaws. How to be partners with local nonprofits like City County Lang B Land Bank. How to identify and acquire repository properties. How to manage the principles of sweat equity ownership. how to seek technical training in building trades at Erie Community College and how to master the protocol of standing before city and council city and county councils with their business model, their mission and their vision statements. Thank you.

Thank you. [applause]

Good morning. My name is Deontay Kulie, um, Erie City resident, lifelong resident, and I'm here today to speak to my concern as a black man, but my thoughts and my feelings about the city of Erie and how I believe we as black people are not being recognized, not being acknowledged, or just not being considered. And when I say that, I know I know a lot of people are, oh, we are we are. And my issue is we're continuously recognizing acknowledging the same black people that we always have done. And those things have gotten us little to nowhere when it comes to the black community. And we all know what I'm talking about. And then recently there was a status on um Facebook from the Erie City government about the SPCP, whatever it is, and they was able to recognize different nationalities, but for some reason black wasn't on there or African-American wasn't on there. And then it was revisioned the following day to where it was included on there. And like to me, that's like playing in our face. And the reason why I say that is because if the president of the United States would have made a mistake like that, people would have went crazy. If it would have been any demographic of any people he would have forgotten about and then came back and made, it would have went crazy. So, we can't allow mistakes like that to happen and accept mistakes like that happening just because and say, "Oh, we don't know." And then especially for me to get a follow-up call. If you can call me after a mistake was made, then I can receive a phone call before a decision was made because I believe myself that I have an impact on black people in the black community. And then on top of that, when I say that, the reason why I say that is, well, we don't know who to talk to. You all are watching my social media, Black History Month, I recognize 28 black people, one who's not from here, which is SJA Truth, who's passed away. Two, Mr. Willis C. Makadori who who who passed away as well. But other than that, there was 26 black people that I recognized in the city of Erie for doing good works in Erie and I caption every single thing. So when I asked when you all are going and and it seemed to be a lot of photo ops these days when you're taking pictures in the

Mercy Center and you know y'all was just down in Harrisburg and it was four or five black people, one person who I believe was from Eerie. Like are y'all going to the places we talking about these um these corner stores with these skill games? But those people were trying to make a living. How about going and investing in those people and educating those people because we don't like it, but they're trying to make a way for themselves. But what we can do is we can go to the the Hammet Center and we can go to the community centers and take pictures and say we're doing all these things with these leaders, but what about the people in the community who are living paycheck to paycheck trying to make a way and I'm talking black people. We are not being talked about. We are not being represented from the faith-based leaders that you guys think that we are. We are not being represented by the community center leader. The faith-based leaders, they don't even get along. the community center leaders there there's a position open right now the JFK center I don't know what's going on with that I'm not exactly sure what's going on with Mr. Hillyard and Gary Horton got to UCDC. Those people don't speak for the majority of the black community. And when you make mistakes like that, it is offensive. And then when you go back and say, "Oh, we made a mistake. Sorry." No, that's not okay. Sorry is unacceptable because what you're not going to do is continue to play with black people in Erie and not recognize us and not acknowledge us. And when I say black people, I mean the common people. I don't mean the pastor. I don't mean the executive director. I don't mean the people who look who who are photogenic and aesthetically pleasant to take pictures with to go down here. And when I say that, I'm talking Corey Cooks, the Janessa Nortons, the the Curtis Jones's, the the um the Brandon Mosozas. We all know those people can be in pictures. We all know Pastor Cook is a good a photo person. We all know Bishop Brock can take a good picture. But what about the people who are trying to make a business for themselves out of their houses? What about the people who are opening up these little corner shops that y'all want to shut down but not realizing and recognizing these people are trying to make a way out of nowhere? How about invest in them? We can have public meetings for hotels. We can have public meetings for what we going to do down here with the EDC or Celebrate Erie.

What about the poor black man who just put a quote unquote casino in his neighborhood and he doesn't realize he's poisonous his community because he's just trying to make a way? Have you went and took a picture in there? Have you did a walk and talk with Dario on Wednesday in a neighborhood where poor people are trying to make a way just selling candy out of their house? People are selling single cigarettes. It's illegal. People are willing to go to jail. They are committing federal offenses because they are just trying to make a way out of nowhere. So when we talk about investing the black community, it doesn't just mean money, means time. It means resources. It means education. It means information. And it doesn't mean a pastor. It doesn't mean a community center leader. It doesn't mean the executive director. It doesn't mean Black Wall Street. It means black people who look like they are struggling but are trying to make a way because we all aren't criminals. We all don't want violence. And I'm not coming down here to say you all aren't doing a job. But when it comes to black people and you make mistakes like how you made on social media the other day, it's offensive to me as a black man because I fight every single day for the black community. I fight every single day for the eerie community from any person or anybody that you can think of. And there's not a person in this room who can discredit me for the work that I do for not just my people, but for all people. But today, I'm here for black people because what I saw was wrong. And I will not stop advocating for my people. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] We're at 9:28. So, we have to have the public hearing in 2 minutes. So, you can speak, but just know that I'm going to disrupt your comment. We We only got two minutes. if you wanted to wait until after the public hearing, then you wouldn't get disrupted and you'll have your whole uninterrupted five minutes.

I'll just go quick. My name is Joel Miller. I'm from Summit. Uh but for I'm in my 49th year as a uh landlord in in Erie and during most or that entire time almost all the properties were within the city of Erie and in fact all the ones we have right now are. And um uh I am here to uh make a few comments about the um uh proposed changes to the rental inspection program. Um I for the past 14 years have either been the president or vice president of the apartment association which is the uh professional organization for landlords in this part of the county and was involved when the ordinance was uh first enacted and for the entire six years I was president. We were involved with the lawsuit with the city regarding the uh ordinance which resulted in some very positive things being changed to it. Particularly uh having units be uh able to go on a four-year cycle as opposed to a two-year cycle if they passed full inspection twice in a row on the four years on the two-year cycle. And also being assured that we could um uh get our units u uh a full pass if we corrected any deficiencies within 30 days of an inspection. Those are all positive good things. Uh, from the beginning, the council was overwhelmingly in favor of outsourcing the inspections uh because it would save the city money uh due to not having to hire employees. And and

I do apologize. It is that it's 9:30, so I'm going to have us pause here and then we can read back. Can I pick up again later then? Yes. Okay. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Uh at this point, we're going to go ahead and move into the the public hearing component. and I will um lean into our solicitor to help guide us through uh getting everybody sworn in.

Just just a quick reminder that this is a public it's a legal hearing even though it's it's also a public hearing. So just ask everyone to remain calm. The presenters will go first and then if anyone is for or against it, they can come up to the podium and offer their testimony. Testimony should be fairly simple. It should be your name, where you're from, and why are why you are for it or against it. Thank you. I'll read it. If anybody's coming up for testimony, could you stand and raise your right hand and the stenographer will st swear you in.

If you're going to speak at the public hearing, this is a great time. Even if you're not 100% sure that you might, if you think you might, go ahead and get sworn in. Thank you. You swear in a testimony you were about to the truth and nothing is the truth. Please say I do. I do.

And this hearing is at the request of the planning department and the recommendation of the planning commission pursuant to official ordinance 80205 as amended known as cited as the zoning ordinance of the city of Erie. We're having a public hearing to consider testimony regarding the request to designate the former Eerie Manicor Club located at 1607 State Street as a historic building and site. Matthew members of council. Uh I am Matthew Falconee. I'm the cultural resource manager for the city of Erie. Speak up. I will try. Um I'm very softspoken so I'll speak directly into the mic. Uh, we received an application.

It's your name. I'm sorry. I'm not I didn't hear your name. Matthew Falconee. I'm the cultural resource manager for the city of Erie.

So, uh, we received a nomination from the building's owner for the former Eerie Menacor building to be considered a historic landmark. Uh, there is no cost to the city. Ah. Um, this has gone through uh a bit of a public process already. Uh, it had a hearing before the historic review commission on the uh 2nd of March and during that meeting the historic review commission considered the application and public testimony and determined that the Eerie Menacore did have reasonable cause to become a historic landmark. They also made a positive recommendation to you city council. Um it also had a hearing before the planning commission in which the planning commission uh viewed the nomination in relation to the city's comprehensive plan, the neighborhood plan um and the historic preservation plan of the city berry. Uh they also have made a positive recommendation to you council that this site be declared a historic landmark which brings us to today. Uh the building is located at 1607 State Street and that is uh within the Sisters of St. Joseph neighborhood network. Uh they were notified of this historic nomination and are supportive. Uh here you will see that uh the nomination relates to the tax parcel in which it is the entire city block. So the building and the surrounding um parking lot. uh a few pictures of the building itself. Uh this is the outside facing State Street. A few of the different architectural features of the building. You'll see the cornerstone which was uh rededicated um during a remodel of the building in the 30s. Uh some uh architectural ornamentation on right. Here you'll see the side back of the

building and some interior photos as well. Um this is the second floor, the uh ballroom and uh on right is the kind of stained glass light at the top. Uh here you'll see several different images of bars. Uh on left is the bar that's part of the ballroom. On right is uh uh one of the several different bars on the first floor which is social hall. The uh Metacor Society was founded in 1871. Um the the women's auxiliary of the society was founded in 1885. Um they were not officially incorporated until 1889. Uh during this period of time there was a tremendous um uh influx of Germanspeaking immigrants to the city of Erie. And uh one of the ways which all of these immigrants were able to kind of come together and uh build relationships and build a community was to establish these singing and cultural societies. Um the first building for the Menor was constructed in 1889 and over the course of the next several decades there would be large renovations done to that building. Uh the first was in 1935 then in 1946 and then again in 1970. Uh there's a very large celebration 1971 for the uh 100th year anniversary. And then the building's current owner acquired uh acquired the property in September of 2018. You'll see here all those different iterations of what the building looked like over time. So, uh on upper left is the original construction. Um and then on upper right were the renovations that were completed in round one. Uh the 1930s renovations you can see in lower left and then the 1970s renovation in lower right. Uh what you see in the

middle is a historic map of the property. Um the building uh the mentor is the kind of pink rectangle in the lower center. And what you see over time is that uh the menac would use not only that building but also the surrounding land for social functions. The very large yellow rectangle immediately next to it was um an outdoor uh beer garden. It was a large wooden structure that was even larger than the building itself. Um it unfortunately was uh irreably damaged during the Mil Creek flood. Um to go back to the HRC um they did provide a positive recommendation to you city council um because the building conveys historic significance through criteria A, C, and F. uh in our code those criteria relate back to cultural history. It also relates back to the building's design and then finally that it is a prominent landmark within our community. Uh the city conducted an architectural survey uh in 2025 and the recommendations from that survey was that this building be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Uh and then taking it back into our plan, this meets several different kind of areas of importance for us. The city's historic preservation plan not only um uh encourages us as a city to seek out and list properties that are significant to us, but that have cultural, social, and and uh community significance. Uh this building is absolutely gorgeous but its true heart and how it has changed over time it is because that building has served um the needs of the German speaking community here in Erie.

Uh the planning commission as well as we I mentioned earlier uh reviewed this within the spectrum of city plans and found that its historic designation fits well. My recommendation is because uh the HRC and because the planning commission have reviewed this this application um and found that it not only has historic significance but that it fits within our plans. My recommendation to you as city staff is that this be listed as a city historic landmark. Uh I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have. I know that we also have folks um from the community who wish to speak as well.

And just I guess for Flo um what we have been doing is having everybody kind of come up and and testify and then having council asked the question so that way they have all the all the information and then it's less having to come up back and forth and back and forth. So we'll do that if that's okay. Of course. Thank you. So, if there's anyone else that wants to speak on behalf of the project or against, just state your name, where you're from, and if you're for or against.

My name is Hugh McCartney. Uh, I've known Julio for several years. I've never known him to purchase a building that he didn't improve. He has a good track record as that as far as that's concerned. Uh he's also one heck of a software engineer. I don't know whether you knew that or not, but uh so his his purchases are are based on logic and uh and he's improved everything that I've seen so far. That's what I have to say. Doris Sapola from Harbor Creek. I wasn't planning to speak. I just know Julio and I've always found him to be an outstanding citizen, most helpful to so many people and the building is extraordinary. If you're in it, I can only say I have lived in Eerie a long, long time, my whole life, and I have been in few buildings that have the remarkable markings inside with handwork and things that just aren't done today. It's beautiful. It deserves the historic res uh preservation. Thank you,

Anna McCartney. I'm from Northeast and I just want to say this should be a given as we tear down so many of the beautiful buildings that have been part of the history. This is one building. Boy, if we don't preserve it, we're making a huge, huge mistake. I think everybody here has probably been in that building, and it is one of the most beautiful. And the fact that Julio has taken it and really done what needs to be done to save it, we need to make sure that we save it in the city. Thank you. Thank you. Katherine O'Neal Mil Creek. I'm just here to um voice my support for this and I'm sure it will be approved. Thank you.

Hello, my name is Edward Kron. Uh I live here in Erie up in the Glenwood Hills area. Uh I am a local business owner. Uh, one of my businesses is actually in the Eerie Labor Temple, which is also owned by the Reyes family. Um, in the time that I have known them, I have not seen a harder working family. Like, literally, I would see them out in the on the property uh, doing all kinds of yard work and construction and moving things around. This family is incredibly passionate about the American way of life. They absolutely are passionate about Erie, its history, its culture, the immigrants that help build us up and what they've been doing in these buildings. Even the building that I am currently in uh in the few months that I've been in it, uh they're restoring the ceiling and of the uh the great lecture hall on the third floor. They've done a lot of work to the walls, the floor, the heating, the electrical. Uh, and this is coming out of their pocket. This isn't money that they're getting from taxpayers. Uh, I know I read some articles and people would comment about stuff like that because they're not fully informed. So beyond the historical aspect of this building, uh just the fact that you have someone who's willing to put in this much time, energy, and effort into a significant historical landmark, whether it's on the registry or not, is amazing. And I don't mean to insult, but you'd be foolish if you passed this up and did not approve it. I appreciate your time. Thank you. Thank you. I'm Patty Pelican or Seaman, I'm sorry. Um, and I'm I'm from Erie, Pennsylvania.

Can you pull your mic down just a little bit there?

Oh, sorry. I'm Patty Seaman and I'm from Eerie, Pennsylvania. And I just want to say that the Manacor building has been part of my life and all the way since and I've been Eerie native and it's a beautiful building. It's part of what makes Eerie Eerie and and there's a lot of stuff being changed in Erie and it's just nice to know that there's a building there that that that those of us who've been lifelong members would be um you know like a memory or or just a history of what this is. Um it's a beautiful building. Julio is working so hard and every time we go in there's always something um going on that he's doing some construction and he's always behind. He's a wonderful as that gentleman said he's a wonderful eerie um native or not native but um uh citizen and he's very um it's just a beautiful building and it should be a given. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, I am Julio Rees, Mexican, born and raised in Mexico City, and I I am one of the most lucky people on earth, married to my lovely wife, that is my partner for 44 years this coming September. and I want to give her credit for supporting all our family adventures and setting a good example for our two daughters and a granddaughter. Now, her name is Lilia Reges. Um, going back to the this nomination and this building, uh, when we set foot in this town, when I visited this town many, many years ago, traveling for business from Chicago to here in the middle of the night in the train, I came down and it was like a

foggy like I was stepping in another dimension. I was really blown away about um the environment, the lack of care, the uh dilapidation around and I decided to invest in this town in real estate. I'm a capitalist with a social conscience. And like all people already said, wherever I go, when I came to this country, I promise to retain the best values of my native country and family. And I, my wife and I promised that we were going to take only the best of both cultures. And wherever we go when we leave is going to be nicer and better of how we founded it. the properties that we own, even the ones that we lost by eminent domain with some foolish decisions, we always left it far better than we found it. So the man is just one of many that we have restored and repaired. I believe that we are trendsetters. I really thank Matthew and the current administration for the work that they are doing in about 30 something years around this town and I call it little town. This is the first time ever that I have hope for the future generations. This historical preservation was long long long overdue. I believe that mistakes are still to happen. But as long as you guys think about the future, you have a big responsibility to say we are doing this not for us, not for greed, not for money, not for lousy leaders, but we are doing this for your great great great grandchildren. And maybe one day instead of being little town is going to be something that you guys could be the historical records the way that my

family is now. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you. [applause]

I'm really proud of this day uh for many reasons.

Could you just state your name for the record? Abdullah Washington, Erie, Pennsylvania. Uh, thank you so much for uh, councel. Um, I originally came up here just to speak about the street renaming uh, for my uncle Fred Rush, but I'll tell you a story and thank you, Mo Troop. I was out uh, playing baseball in our little backyard one time uh, with Charles Rush, Fred's son, and uh, for his age, he was really good. But my uncle Fred decided to come out and give us a little pointers, which oh man, you know, I felt like I was a little bit older than Charles. I felt like he was just criticizing me. He step forward. He said, "You're doing good, but uh I see you here. You're just trying to meet the ball and you need to be concerned about follow through." So many projects we have here in Erie, that's where we fail. Whether it's uh the Roger Young Park, right? They had the money allocated and everything and somehow that hasn't come through. But we have an opportunity here with this man. Julio, Mr. Ray, uh has put so much effort into this building and you know the historic value of this building because of all the controversy simply with the man coming and putting his bid on it and purchasing it. People left items in the building and they were willing to fight [laughter] over the possession of those items even though they were there and they were agreed upon at the moment of accepting the purchase. We all know this is a historic building. But one of the things we have to follow through, right? We have to have the follow through. So, this is a necessary action and we appreciate the street naming for Fred because he's he's been a big community advocate and leader for some time and we all should follow his

example. We need to follow through. We need to make sure this building is marked as a historical landmark for our city and for future generations. And thank you very much, Mr. Julio Reyes and your family. [applause] Is there anybody else who would like to make um comment in the public hearing related to this matter? Okay. Then I will open it up to the counselors if anybody has any questions or follow-up questions that we'd like to ask of anybody to help us with our vote and decision.

Mr. President, uh this is a no-brainer. Uh my wife and I stopped at the old manicore. a lifetime nothing anymore because Mador as a club doesn't exist but the building does and uh Mr. R didn't know who we were. We stopped in for a bite before going to a a prep game and he gave us a tour and he showed us things that he did and the things he had to clean up that were left not nice. Uh I was very very impressed and I've followed him and I've watched him. Uh he put those beautiful plaques of glass things out in the parking lot and somebody smashed one of them. Didn't stop him. He's still doing it. Uh I have no problem with this at all. The man uh walks the walk and there's no talk and he gets it done. So I'm definitely in the affirmative on that. Thank you,

Council.

Uh thank you, Council. Thank you, President Titus. [clears throat] It's always nice when you hear people say nice things about our citizens. Uh, and I I feel some of those same things. I'm not here to talk about his character. I'm here to talk about a historic designation. And it is a no-brainer. Uh, I just wanted to comment because yeah, I'mma vote yes for it, but I want to comment because we're talking about a historical landmark. We're talking about history. So, I'm tickled to death to see a proud Mexican American owned that building. I was tickled to death when he bought it. My [clears throat] father was 67year member of Labor's Local 603. We spent a lot of time in that other property he owns. But what I want to talk about is the Manicor Club. I know I know Councilman Horton always throw the water on everything. But I would be remissed if I didn't really talk about the history of the Manicor Club. [clears throat] in the history of the Manaclure Club was one it was a racist discriminatory club where blacks weren't allowed in and they [snorts] certainly weren't allowed to be members uh until quite a few just a few years ago maybe the 80s or late 70s uh and I don't want that to get lost up in this this historical thing everybody wants to talk about history except for black history and we You didn't always have positive things about that building and you bought that building. It's like a rare light. It's like that represents change in Erie County. They're not the

only ones. Sevenburg Club, all them women allowed in there either. I say that unapologetically. And we've made great strides cuz they got members in the Sevenburg Club now. They got members in some of them other social clubs that look like me. So yeah, Erie has made incremental progress, but boy oh boy, are we so far behind. Mr. Re, it's a pleasure to stand in support of this project for you or with you. Um, history uh is not always just bro brick and mortar. History is what it is. I don't care how they try to erase it. You can tear it off the Washington Mall. You can tear it out the Philadelphia African-American history. You can tear it out. But you cannot tear it out of the fabric of this nation and the ingrained racism. And Erie was not exempt. We're dealing with a lot of things we dealing with now based on those 250 years. And as we get ready to celebrate uh this nation's 250th uh every opportunity I get to remind because you can't read it in the library. No, ain't no guarantee you can read it there no more. They taking it off the shelves. They didn't set me up here. He didn't elect me to come up here and to and to uh be like everyone else. I think God has me here uh almost like a conscience of a city. And certainly I see my son out there. I want you to know Kennedy Horton uh that your family fought a lot of stuff in this historical battle. We fought the Manor Club. My mother fought the Manor

Club. She fought the Sevenburgger Club and many others. And while we enjoy a really really good name in this city today in some corners and those biblical principles she taught us about a good name being more valuable than silver and gold. So we don't have a lot of historical buildings in the black community here in Erie PA. We got some and you know Cherry [clears throat] Street Church of God little house on corner third and Cherry when all the black churches were on corners and now they've grown into these big buildings the ones Mr. Deonte Kulie was talking about where we go for our representation that don't really represent everybody. And so I'm going to vote for this man and my colleagues I'm asking you to vote for it. I know that you will. Uh but whenever the opportunity presents, if we gonna talk about history, we gonna talk about it all. And the history of that building was not a good was not a good one. And and the last thing I'll say because all of this stuff comes together, whether it's land bank, whether it's property, whenever you're talking about property, uh we talk about Bo Bladen, uh who back in the 1700s, 1800s, what is now known as Cherry Street Extension, had 400 acres of land up there, kept it in his family for generations. When I was a kid, we weren't allowed up there. It was might as well have been a sunrise, a sundowner town. weren't allowed up there at Cherry Street Extension. But you go up there still say Blade and Road. We don't have a lot of historical designated buildings. Hell, we don't I bet blacks in Erie don't even own 400 acres collectively today. And that's immoral. And so when people come up here with their 400year head start talking about all their property and all their great

history, black people got a history in this town, too. Thank you. [applause] And I don't need no clap. It's just it's just a fact. Council, I don't have any questions. I am thankful for Mr. Ray's investment in the city. Thank you. Thank you.

Yeah. I just wanted to say that um I approve of uh this designation, but I'm also really supportive of Mr. Julio and his continued effort to invest in our little city. Um I know that as somebody who found Erie, you have definitely put a lot of energy and money into our community and it does not go unrecognized. So, thank you very much for continuing to pour into our city because you know the true potential we have and you're starting to see that comes forward. So, thank you. Um I am in support of this and um anything historic that comes in front of this dis um I will probably agree on and with a good conscience unlike some other um things that come in front of us that um we vote for but we have a knot in our stomach doing it. This I'm doing with clear conscience and um thank you for keeping this building up and make the community nicer.

Okay, Dr.

Um I just want to say um uh sounds like um Mr. Reyes, congratulations on your great ownership of the Manor building, keeping the building. Um, and it sounds like you're a great entrepreneur, but I also think you might be a teacher as well. Um, because I'm going to take one of your quotes and use it for myself. Um, I am an educator and um, I liked when you said, "Take things and make them better than when you find them." And I think that uh with my students I will encourage them to be better than when they first step in the building when they leave. So um I am going to borrow that from you but congratulations on your ownership.

Um I guess for me there's there's not a question but more more of a a call to action here. I think that um there is an opportunity to to elevate uh and all all facets of history. I am very grateful that this is this is something again that I it's it's it's an obvious yes vote of support for me. Um and I think my call to action will be back to you is to make sure that all components of history um get get memorialized in in your steps forward. and I don't see any or have any reason to believe that it wouldn't just seeing the work that you've that you have done and the way that you show up for community, but that would be my call to action to to echo um and and just support uh what what councelor Horton has has shared. Um I think those words are very powerful and I do think that we need to make sure that we're bringing them into every decision that we're making. Um and my call to action would be would be back to those who are in the community um with what you do with these designations um as we as a governing body can can do so much. U and and really the power lies in your hands here. So, thank you,

Mr. President. I do have a question for Mr. Falonee. If you if you would, you may have it on hand. If not, I can get uh after meeting. [clears throat] I I know we're seeing a run on uh on these applications for historical designations. Uh what I'd like to see is how many uh applications of um asking for that designation. I'd like to see how many came in annually or since it started and I'd like to see how many you approved, but I'd le also like to see if there were any disapprovals. Sure. I can get that information to you. Great. Thank you so much.

Is there any other testimony then for us to have within the the public hearing component? Yeah, we can come. I want to Can you just wait till you get that way it's it's able to be heard and recorded. Go ahead.

I want to mention something that is truly important in addition of the comments that I heard here. There is absolutely no argument that in history there have been abuses left and right, up and down. There is absolutely no question. But it is our responsibility to change the future. When we bought the money, we went to uh a lawsuit because like Abdullah says, they claim ownership of something that didn't belong to them and then we stay in court for two years and we won. Actually, I was going to do my closing statement. My real name is Julio Cesar Reges, which is Julius Caesar. And then I was going to say I vini vi and I got nervous. I had it. You know what I mean? B vigan bini. My family. My family won in this case. Okay. Now I'm a little nervous because this is very important. Yes, I agree that there is a lot of nepotism in this town like any other town in the United States. I believe that um I never envision to see the country the way that it is today. But again, for the younger generations, you have an opportunity to change the future. Do not allow yourselves to fall into the whole habits. Look at the future. My statement about living the places better than you found it is to really do your work, do your diligence, ask for information, recognize history, recognize the places, but more importantly, the same way that I supported the fight with the all four

ladies trying to keep the library public open is because the backroom deals, the nepotism, [clears throat] the criminality of trying to do what they want to do with nor remorse, greed and nothing else without serious plan. There should be a good balance between government and private industry. Do not tolerate abuses. Watch to have everything ready. Mistakes are going to happen, but don't fall into the same trap. I'm very very hopeful for the future. Just the simple changes that I have seen that Daria and her team has introduced they are very very significant and substantial they are going to pre uh create results for the future. But if you yourselves allowed to get into the bad habits and then you are there for a 100 years everything is going to be exactly the same and at the end a building is a building. The human stories, the human capital is what really makes the difference. And I hope you really consider my words. Yes, it has been bad, but it could be better. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

I think that concludes everything then for the testimony part of Yeah, I think we can close the public hearing now and officially um no more testimony and we can let the court reporter go to the her next u job and then carry on with public comment. Okay. Thank you. So at this time we will go ahead and resume public comment again. Um we [clears throat] can restart with Mr. Joel Miller. I believe you still had a couple minutes left uh of your on your five minute uh public comment. So, we we'll go ahead and start it at a we'll say that a three minutes. We'll give you the three-minute one.

Thank you, Dr. Titus, for allowing me to continue. Just have a few more things to say. Uh what I was in the middle of uh mentioning though is that when the ordinance was uh first enacted, the council was uh very intentional and preferential toward having the in actual inspections outsourced uh to in this case BIOU. And the reason for that was to uh be able to go on a a pay as you as you go basis. You only paid for inspections that were done. And um this kept employees and cars and you know uh other time spent by uh city uh administrators out of the program. Now, um, we met with BIOU a couple weeks ago, and I understand that you have had some problems with, um, with the administration of the program on the BIU side. And we believe that BIU is now with their new administrator for the area and new head of their office in the position that they could uh, mitigate the issues that you had concerns with in the past. in particular. I believe that they are in better better condition to handle complaints, report information fully and accurately to the city and um to also work doing inspections later in the day than city employees are likely to be able to make themselves available for. So, uh I understand that the uh amount that you paid them was, you know, substantial, but again, it's only a pay as you go basis. It's not a set amount. Um, so our uh uh one thing I would say is I understand your loss that you had of $130 some thousand is not sustainable, but we will say that uh if since there's like 13,000 some units that are inspected in the program, simply raising the inspection rate or fee for each year by $10, and we're not

opposed to that because it hasn't been raised in the entire time that the ordinance has been enacted, u would immediately eliminate that deficit. That's very simple math. Um but um uh I I would suggest that you consider keeping on BIOU maybe for another couple of years and let them see whether they can perform and prevent you from having to hire employees that perhaps become union employees, vested vacations, benefits, all that stuff and and vehicles that you need for them. that will actually by doing so we'll actually keep keep that out of the budget of of the city and the program. So um uh I um uh make that suggestion that you consider that and also consider that in the big picture if you want real improvement in the housing in the city here. The best way to approach that is through incentivizing those that would build new units and maintain and rehab the existing units that we have and not do anything to disincentivize uh the those through more regulations, more oversight. You'll have the opposite effect that you want if that's what you do. So, [clears throat] uh, we met with, uh, uh, Mayor Develin and a couple of members of council a couple weeks ago or no, last week, excuse me, and we all agreed that we'd get together some time in the next, uh, few weeks here. And we look [clears throat] forward to that, uh, to be able to have some input on, uh, doing the fine-tuning that that that would make this a better ordinance for everybody. and uh doing so before there's an actual uh version of the ordinance that is presented for reading. Just let's get together and talk about this ahead of time. Thank you very much.

Thank you. [clears throat] Uh hello, my name is Kennedy Horton. Uh lifelong resident at Erie PA. just coming down here to speak on the SPCP. Um so, uh the community has been asking for a civilian review board for years, uh long before this administration has stepped in. Uh but in lie of that, we have gotten uh the SPCP that was created, I believe, uh around the George Floyd protest. Uh and that version of the SPCP was ineffective. uh and as more crisises and situations arrive, the group hasn't shown up. Uh and because of that, I personally and I know a lot of other people in the community have zero confidence that uh the new revived version will do anything different. Um and I understand, I guess, the need to put something out there. Um but I feel like I can only describe it as uh hasty. uh the city's rolled out who they expect to have a voice uh through the group based seats and they have neglected to include the most affected community uh which would be black people uh black Americans um and it just doesn't really make too much sense to me uh because the Latino, the new American and the LGBT community have all been pinpointed and platformed uh as people that would have group based seats. Um, not saying that they shouldn't have group based seats, but if you're going to highlight these communities, why not highlight the black community? Um, when you know, we were expressing our displeasure u on I guess who would be represented uh what groups

would be represented or represented. Um, you know, we were told that the current, I guess, makeup of that was premature and that we'd get more information on Monday, which was yesterday. Uh, and the new information added African-American faith seats uh, in lie of the two regular faith seats, which I do believe the African-American churches, you know, should have a voice. I don't know if we need two two of those faith seats. We have black churches, we have Orthodox churches, we have Catholic churches, we have synagogues, we have mosques, we have seek temples, uh we have Buddhist temples. Those faith seats get wiped out if we give two faith seats to black people. Um and moreover, uh I I do see that we'd have representation through the community centers, but um and you know the passing of uh James Sherrod, the King Center doesn't have a director right now. I know Mr. Hillyard is over the Booker T. I'm not sure who's over the JFK um out at the Quality of Life Center. Um their current dire I don't I don't I don't know. Um, I don't know my uncle's title over there, but he's on the school board as well. So, I doubt that he'd be able to uh work with the SPCP, so there's not really a lot of diversity in, I guess, the black voice that we'd be showing. Um, and the decision to add the two black faith seats, I'd like to talk about how the black church has been in decline for years. Um, and it's due to the stark difference in opinion and lifestyle that a black church person would have for with a regular church person. Um, and if you've been to a black church or grew up

in the black church, you can see how the divide has grown. So, that black uh faith-based point of view would not be the point of view of the everyday black person. Um, and being involved with the church is great. You know, you're less likely to uh I guess come in contact with the police, but again, those people are less less likely to come in contact with the police. So that uh I guess heavily prevalent voice on the SPCP, I don't think it will be as effective as possible. A lot of black churches have a uh I guess rolling pastor cycle. A lot of these churches don't have pastors from the city. They aren't really in tune with the city. Uh I will say that some of our prominent black faith leaders, uh they do have things going on, but they also aren't progressive. Um they, you know, not to attack anybody, but they hang out with Trumpers. They hang out with people that are not pro progress. Um, and while they may do great in their silo, uh, I don't think that they will be doing great for everybody because if they would, they if they did, then it would be happening already. Um, sorry, that's my time. But, uh, all in all, I do think that we should explore the civilian review board. Uh, has worked in larger cities than ours. Um, and I think it'll be effective. I don't think that we should just roll out things just because something needs to happen. But, uh, thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Hello. My name is Joe Cell. I am from Harbor Creek, but I will add that we started our family in Erie. I am a landlord. I am part of the department association. Um they just recently made me vice president and I'm taking over the education. I would like to be part of the solution, not the problem. We have pride in our properties and our city. It would be very easy for me to stand up and point fingers and it would be very easy for you to point fingers at us, but that's not going to solve the problem. I will use um the school district as an example. If you drive by the schools, there's a lot of garbage, a lot of trash. If we want to handle this situation, we need to teach our children and our residents pride. We all hear stories of the students making comments to the teachers. The teachers try to stop this. It doesn't go very well. It's just something that I feel that we need to educate the whole population on this. We've had um landlords that take very big pride in their properties and they're getting letters now for from code enforcement on large item pickups that are scheduled through the tenant tenant slash resident to be picked up. Is there any possible way that we could get some kind of communication between code enforcement and large item pickup? I personally know myself, I have been with the apartment association and I was taught the correct way to maintain your properties, to do the correct things to pay your water, sewer, garbage, etc. And if you didn't, you weren't part of the game. There's a lot of landlords, as I said,

that are getting these letters and it hurts their pride because they care a lot about their property. They feel like they're doing something wrong. Using a third party vendor or yeah, vendor for the inspections, I feel, keeps it more honest. There's not going to be favoritism. Um, again, I feel that they do a good job. There's been times that they haven't done a good job. Um, I've told several of you about that we've got hit for we've bought a property, they wanted drip pans put underneath the hot water tanks, which sounds like a minor problem. Well, just starting out, we didn't have money. It was $8,000 that had to be come up with, which I understand that that is safety, but that $8,000 could have been putting on a new roof. All we ask is that you work with us. Mr. Horton, I took a lot from um your speech also because it makes me disgusted that certain people because of their race aren't allowed in clubs. That's not what I believe in either. And I'd like to again I'd like to be part of the solution, not the problem. And thank you.

Thank you. [applause] Hello everybody. Uh my name is Brandon Penn. I am a city of Erie. Well, I'm Eerie, PA resident. I now uh have moved to Mil Creek. Um I was residing in the city for a while. Um I am also a landlord. I'm the current president of the um apartment association. I'm a realtor, a property manager. I do control quite a bit of the rentals in the city. Um the main thing I wanted to talk about today was actually thanks to Dr. Titus. Uh at one of our meetings, he asked me how do we come up with rent? How like do we decide how much rent to charge? And there's a lot of factors that go into this, but um I just kind of wanted to give you all a case study that will be on recording that you can go back to uh and anyone watching at home can see. Um there's a current duplex on the market uh 1050 West 20th Street. Uh it's listed for 120,000 uh dollars 1119. Um, so if somebody were to buy that property, your mortgage with 20% down is going to be about $8.65 for an investor, it's going to be cheaper uh for someone who is going to live in the property because they can get a residential loan. I don't know how many people know, but investors pay a higher interest rate to a bank than someone who lives there. Um, your insurance is going to be about $100 per month. your taxes at what that's currently assessed, which is $74,000, uh is going to come out to about $260 per month. Your monthly maintenance costs, um there's a lot that goes into

this, um but we usually say about 10% of the rent for um maintenance, 5% for capital expenditures, which are things like roofs, water tanks, furnaces, the big ticket items. Um, so the maintenance about $185 per month. Uh, capital expenses, uh, another, um, would be about half of that. Uh, insurance $100. Your vacancy, uh, again, I use 10% for that. But a lot of this stuff you can't, nobody knows the future, right? So these are just parameters that we use. So using a 10% vacancy loss, that would be at 185. So, your total expenses for the month equal about $1,80. So, that's going out the door every month. Average rent for this property, there's a twobedroom and there's a threebedroom. In my opinion, your average twobedroom because this is average condition from the pictures that I saw. Um, you know, floor was a little dated, kitchens were a little dated, but they were in good shape. Um, obviously lived in currently. Uh, but I would put a two bed in this area at about 850 and a three bed about a thousand. That means your total monthly income is $1850. So, you're losing $30 per month using those numbers. So, what that means is somebody who buys that property is going to have to increase the rent at least by $200. So, $100 per unit or however that comes out to. um that would give you a net of $170 per month. A lot of people are going to want more than $170 per month net income uh for all the stuff that we have to deal with. I mean, managing a property correctly is not easy. Um but

the biggest issue that we have is not necessarily a rent problem, it's an income problem. I have plenty of people that apply for my apartments every day that make well over the three months uh income requirement that we have. Um the issues we run into is folks on SSI, disability, retired folks on set incomes. I've got no idea how the government decides what they're going to pay uh these people, but I have no idea how they're living on it. um they're going to need government subsidies, rent subsidies, you know, thing the government's going to have to step in for them. Um but our average income before COVID, I was seeing applications, most people were making about $10 per hour. Now people are making about $15 per hour. That's great except for the fact of all the costs that have gone up. You know, precoid, people would have been really happy with a $15 an hour job. Now, that barely makes ends meet. Um, I don't know what anybody on uh council is looking at trying to do to bring in businesses that will pay higher. We have three huge uh college campuses. Okay. Sorry, it's my time. Um, thank you for letting me talk. You all have a good day.

Thank you.

[cough]

Michael Keys, City of Erie. First, I'd like to um congratulate Ganon University and Mr. Crosby uh on their achievements of national championships. And so, uh, myself and I was on, uh, his father was our heavyweight when I was in high school [clears throat] and I am also a alumni of the Ganon wrestling team. And so, it is really big for us to have another national champion. So, I'd like to talk really about inclusion. And so, you know, um I did see the SPCCP uh folk uh Facebook page uh posting and uh so I'm not as mad as you could say that there were set aides and we weren't set aside. But the problem is that if there are no set aides allowable anymore, then it should be across the boards. You cannot say that you cannot make a black seat, but you can make a LGBTQ seat. You cannot say that you can't have a black seat, but you can have a Latino seat. Either it's all in or it's all out. And then we have to feel on whether we deal with our conscience on how we staff these things and how we look at from a holistic point. What I do know is that you know uh 25% of this city are black people. The official statistic says 16, but then there's 10 that say they're two or more races which are mostly black and

Latina and black and white. So 26% one and four are black people and that's not including the people who are from somewhere else foundational black Americans. And it's important that we do not get stepped over. You know, if you go to the city's website and you look at the mayor's councils, and I know some of these predate you, uh, you have the LGBTQ plus advisory council, the new American council, the roundt on disabilities, the strengthening police and community partnerships, the Latina advisory council, and I know during the last administration, we had a liaison to our community. And I'm asking, and I know that the budget was done before you took your seat, but I'm formally asking that you restore that position and that you find somebody that is trustworthy in our community that can relay this information to you because I agree with Mr. Culie that sometimes there's a disconnect. And so you got to find that person who can go from the fifth floor down to Fifth Street. And so there's may not be a lot of them, but the right person is out there. We need a staunch advocates for our community because inclusive inclusiveness is very very important to um I also want to report that you know there's a report out for housing that says they're going to increase the number of housing by 250 units over the next five years. and I come to report that we're actually gonna um increase it by 276

units. What's not in there is a project that is going on on the east side right now where 26 new units of affordable housing, new and reh rehabilitated housing is going on right now, but it's not in the book. And what we have to do is we have to quit choosing who wins and who loses. That's why we're all losing. We have people who are in the plan who have never built anything to my knowledge. How do you get them a priority and some of them are in Harrisburg right now, but how do you get them priority over people who have been building affordable housing for 20, 30 years right in our community? It doesn't make any sense. And when he talked about nepotism and then he talked about cronyism, we have to stop. We really do. You know, the real argument is about how we spend the next $800 million that comes in our community. Part of the housing plan is if we give you $70 million, we'll make sure you can have an affordable house. I don't know if that makes sense or not. I think maybe there's better ways of investing the 70 million. But what I will say the study did say we have an income problem. We have to raise the income. Minimum wage is going up. But one of the converses that was true that we don't have enough housing for the right people. The people who are going to be on the lower end of the wage scale can't afford the average house that's 140 $160,000. But you know what they can afford? They say 60% of the houses but on the East Bay front are valued at less

than $60,000. You know what they can afford? They can afford that. And you know what? They take700,000 $700 off their monthly bills if they buy that house on Fifth and Reed instead of rent that house on Fifth and Reed for $1,200. There is a way to do everything. We just have to make sure everyone's included. We have to make sure we use all of our resources and that we plan smart because we can't plan that we're gonna have a permanent underclass that's going to fill this housing so that we can stuff the coffers of the people who are in this click. Thank you. [applause] Hello, my name is Dave Ule. I live in the city of Erie. I'm here to request that you restart the process to examine a home rule charter. The wor the most pressing problem facing the city is a financial problem and the city has very limited tools to fix this problem. Home Rule offers additional tools to fix our financial problems and you owe it to the residents to at least investigate these tools. we may decide not to proceed, but at the very least we will be better informed about the tools available to fix our financial problems. Thank you.

Hi there, Cindy Triber from Erie living in Edinburgh. Um, first of all, I just want to briefly mention along the same topic that we seem to be addressing. I just received my right to know requests from the Erie Police Department as [snorts] I was sitting here. Um, disheartened to see that there are now only seven black officers, down from 10 or down from 11 or 12 out of 194 to 200, and that there are no current tracking uh mechanisms for even tracking racial demographics of who is applying. wondering why we can't take some of that $500,000 that we just allocated to PAL and maybe get Tom, who is a great guy, out in the community with some African-American people, and start talking about why that is. Um, I'm here inquiring about the details surrounding your support and budgetary allocation of approximately $87,000 for opening a new bureau in Erie County probation, thus closing Erie County Re-entry Services and Support Alliance. This alliance was created simultaneously with Unified Erie to address violence in our city and joined with Unified Erie as part of their three-prong approach which has been praised by our lieutenant governor and is recognized as an integral part of this administration's initiative to eradicate violence. Its success rates and you have all received these emails. I sent them this morning. Um its success rates can be shown from 88 to 99%. has a 7% recidivism rate, one of the lowest in the country, compared to Erie County probation, who has a 40 to 50% recidivism rate and a statewide rate of 60%. For close to a decade, ECRSSA has hard copy, detailed, and collected, and methodically calculated by Mercyhurst Civic Institute along with criminal justice program students. In 2025, a program was developed by current staff to better track successes while

protecting HIPPA private information. Thus, the metrics you see here. American social philosopher Eric Hoffer stated that every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket. What began as an altruistic venture has seemingly gone astray, as is often the case when a passion turns into profit and power over public good. And what began as a data-driven method to create tangible change has seemingly now forgotten who the change was created to help. This program was simultaneously destroyed by this city's funding and the county's funding on February 26th while in the same breath $371,000 was also found to miraculously um fund its replacement at Erie County probation. The metrics created by a dedicated responsive justice focused staff was somehow manipulated into a misrepresentation of the future success of a program [cough] that's focused on punishment and monitoring instead of rehabilitation and re-entry into a hopeful life. The closing of ECRSSA creates a huge gap in resources for over 500 people. Its closing affects multi-million dollar industries who rely on dedicated employees. These are some of the industries whose workforce are provided by ECRSSA. Some of these employers are now looking at stagnant economic growth and the inability to take on contracts that will triple their revenue as an additional $30 million because of the workforce that has now been eliminated. The plethora of confabulations and inconsistencies that have been provided as to why this program is being eliminated are getting a little bit ridiculous. Um there here are some re-entry is not ending. It is. Reantry is still available in Erie County. Correct. At a 50% failure rate. YMCA employees were offered positions in the new structure. Were not. And some can't even work for Department of Probation

because they have prior records. It will be under the probation budget but not managed by probation. On the job listings by Erie County Human Resources, it says Department of Probation. They were not offering intensive care management, mental health, substance abuse, and now will. Here are the 30some fellow resources that this program works with in the city and the county to provide resources to these clients. mental health, substance abuse, housing, transportation. It was moved to the model to the follow of the new model for re-entry in a more aligned way, which is incredibly insulting to the current team, including people who sit in this room. It is being moved to adhere to a model assuring the highest quality of service to clients. You know, that 50% failure rate that we're talking about. And while the transition is taking place, services will remain available even though only two of the five positions have been filled as of today. The program ends Friday. Most recently, we have been told that the program was not going to be clo was going to be closed regardless because um and that this agreement between the city, this groundbreaking agreement was um done to uh continue services. In closing, I want to show you this. This is the funding this program has received. $2.8 million their annual operating budget. That means $300,325. They only needed 350. And they had two years worth of grants, $100,000 in January in private donations to continue for the next several years.

Thank you. [applause] Is there anyone else for public comment? Is there anyone else for public comment? Anyone else for public comment? Thank you. Okay.

Morning. My name is Alan Brown. I'm formerly of Erie. I now live in Northeast. I am also the senior case manager at what was the re-entry program. I'm sorry. I am also the re-entry senior case manager. I was the first kid that this city unfort unfortunately certified as an adult and I was given a life sentence. I served 47 years in prison. During that time I educated people along with myself. I taught illiterates how to write. I never failed anyone. I didn't fail myself. I didn't fail my family. I didn't fail the community that thought I was worth throwing away. So, I came home extremely motivated having stayed in academics for 47 years. That's a lot of studying time. I did college, got a master status as an engraver for the in the federal system. So I came home with jet fuel. I knew I expected to stumble and fall because society tends to have a staunchly conservative view that once a person goes to prison, once you're behind that fence, you no longer have any redeemable qualities. I say different. Someone said a statement here a few minutes ago that says take things and make them better and you will be fine. I say what say all of you in your heart for even if it was in naivity funding a program that is actually the assassination of a program

that has flourished to Erie. All of Erie's largest industries have dozens of our people there. McShane Welding, one of two companies in the United States that makes cabinets, medical cabinets for medical people. They have 30 something of our people there. Don John Ship Building, the Saints who went down and rescued the ship out of Baltimore's harbor when it hit the bridge and went down have 30 something of our people there. We have a number of other places. ERI's Magnetics, a global entity with companies in eight other countries, has some of our people there. Eerie was not failing with us. Eerie was thriving. Industry chose to come to us because we vet our people. We educate them in the ways they need to be educated. We supply them with everything they needed to succeed. For my first two years in this program, I lived in Fairview and I rode a mountain bike from Eerie to Fairview every day regardless whether it was winter, rainy season because it was far greater than I. I did not want anyone else to fail. I didn't want to see people come to Erie and not do better. And we did. people who were from Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, whatever, were asking for home plans here because we have the reputation of s being successful with everyone. We never turned our back on anyone. The funds that you may have thought you were helping a program with really killed us. So I say this, I think after 47 years of incarceration, never looking down on anyone, never

having any negative views about anything. Hell, I was doing re-entry before I even knew what it was. So I was born to this task. I just didn't know it. to stand before you and say tomorrow I won't have a job because I made a lot of people successful in this city. It is very sad notion to have to have. This is where my parents raised my siblings. This is where I returned to because I had faith in this city and I wanted to prove them wrong that I was not a kid worth throwing away at 16 years old. I came home at 62 and I never let myself down on any level. So, I hope that you do find the good in your heart and realize that you didn't help an organization when you gave them this money. It was as if you unknowingly hired assassins to kill one of Erie's best programs. There won't be another re re-entry. You gave our program to probation whose job describes them as people who lock others up. We were forced to go move in the building with them. The first thing I seen on the refrigerator was a congratulations from their director for having successfully locked up 200 and something people.

I do apologize. That was that five minute timer. Well, I thank you for that. Thank you. Thank you. [snorts] [applause] [applause]

Hi, I'm Shraa um Prau uh from EPA um and just wanted to kind of share some thoughts on some of the things that have been said today. Um I think when we talk about communities in silos, we desenter equity. When we truly center equity in civic in societ in civic life and society, we cannot ignore the nuances of intersectional identities and lived experiences. So when we so we have to ask about whose voices are missing. Um, where are our black trans women? Where are they represented? Where are our unhoused folks are non-b binary immigrants? people with intersections of disability citizenship status, their experiences of being part of this community of our city, their experiences with representation, but also their sense of belonging and safety, their interactions with systems, whether it's the health healthare system or the police. Um and I think we assume that um or maybe that we have to be more mindful and intentional about not thinking about communities as monolithic. Uh and I think a lot of community members spoke to that. It's not an easy job uh to and I think that's what makes democracy hard but I think that is what we need to do in be intentional about

when we talk about equity is uh pay attention to whose voices and experiences I excluded. Thank you.

Anybody else for public comment? Anyone else for public comment?

Hi, my comment is uh just this morning. Could you just state your name and municipality just for just your name and and what?

Oh, my name is uh Arthur Gilmer and uh I I live at 346 West 25th Street, which is like uh three doors down from St. Vincent's. I called about an incident. I woke up at 1:30 this morning and there was somebody standing over my my head and uh I didn't know who it was. I didn't know how they got in. So when I call, I have the I have the 911 number on my phone three times. And I said, "Well, I thought that when you call, they automatically get your phone, your address and stuff." So he kept going in his pocket. I didn't know the person. He kept going in his pocket. So I'm I'm petrified. I'm like nervous, right? Cuz I said, "I don't know what he's doing, you know?" So I was scared. Pretty

tense situation. Mhm.

So, Gemini, so I was scared to say anything. So, I finally got up. I went downstairs. I called some relatives. My nephew uh he he works for Albian Prison. And uh they all came over and I kept saying, "Well, how did they get got in?" I didn't know cuz I I my side door is uh double bolted. My front door is double bolted. And uh my nephew walked through the house and he said, "This is how they came in because the uh door was broken loose, you know, the stuff on there, which was my patio door." So I said, "Well, I was nervous. Couldn't even talk." And I said, "Well, okay." That's how they got in. But the cops stood at the door and they talked to me. They kept saying, "You have ID?" And I was in my underwear. I said, "Well, I do." I said, "But you can take my key cuz I leave my wallet and stuff in my car and you can go in there and uh get my wallet out." And uh they kept saying, "Well, do you own the house and stay here?" You know, they ask me all these questions. I said, "Well, the problem is this guy is still upstairs in my bedroom and I don't know who it is." They never walked through the house. Never. They never They never left me a report. He had a band on his arm like he was from the he had just escaped from the hospital or something. So when they came out, I asked them, I said, "Uh, you're not going to write a report up?" They didn't do that. They didn't write up no report. I don't know who the guy is. I was too nervous to take a picture. And so I called uh the emergency number three times cuz the number uh is on my phone and they kept asking me and I know the questions, you know, I was just too afraid to talk cuz he kept going in his pockets and he was kept looking at me and I said, "How'd you get in my house?"

He just like like that. He wouldn't even say anything. So I was afraid, you know, so when they came, I act like I was the the person that broke in my own house. So, uh, when they left, I had no more information. It was my nephew that came and and found out how they came in. Yep. So, that's why I came down. Uh, they had told me to get a report, you know. Bishop Brock called me and he said, "You should have called me." But anyway, I uh I didn't know what else to do, you know. So that's why I came down here this morning and I was just telling my cousin Mike and he told me he said go on in there and uh they need to know that you know so that that was it. But I was afraid you know I didn't know what else to do cuz I was going through a lot of stuff. Um I'm I was dealing yesterday with my dad. They trying to put my dad in the nursing home. I was just my I was just frazzled, you know. So that's uh what I came down to make an complaint for because I never got a report police. They never wrote me a police report and they stood right at the door and talked to me at the door. That was it. And I kept saying the issue here is the guy still upstairs. I said, "So you need to get up there and get him." So they handcuffed him and brought him down. And I have zero no report. Sir, we don't usually go go back and forth, but I can't I can't let you walk away without saying I'm I'm really sorry that this happened, and I'm going to lean into the administration, and I know that they will follow up. Um, and I'm sorry that you had to come down here to share that.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. [clears throat] Mr. Gilmore, uh, I want to give you my phone number cuz I know that Chief Laura and I will get you an answer. Yeah. Uh, I I'm giving you my number because I'm the liazison to the Bureau of Police. Mhm. And I know Chief Laura doesn't enjoy sitting here listening to that, but we'll get you some answers. All righty. I sure will. Thank you, sir. Get you some answers.

Thank you. Is there anyone else for public comment? Anyone else for public comment? Anyone else for public comment? Okay, we will go ahead and move on.

Ordinances for final passage. Council file number 16603, official ordinance 242026, an ordinance appropriating the sum of 16,13655 from appropriated and anticipated revenue from the office of the state fire commissioners grant for firefighter protective equipment. Sponsored by council member P. Seconded by council member Brazinski that council file ordinance bill number 16603 and now known as official file ordinance 24 2026 be finally passed by city council members Brzinski yes Flores yes yes yes shaw

yes troop yes titus yes

city council pass official file ordinance 24 2026 finally by yay Day 7 day zero. Council file number 16604, official ordinance 252026, an ordinance appropriating the sum of $2,150 from unappropriated and unanticipated revenue for the expenditure thereof for a contribution from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania fiscal year 2025 certified local government grant acting through the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Sponsored by Council Member Flores, seconded by Council Member P. that council file ordinance bill number 16604 and now known as official file ordinance 252026 be finally passed by city council members Brzinski

yes Flores yes yes yes Shaw yes troop yes Titus yes

city council pass official file ordinance 252026 finally by yay 7 nay zero Ordinances for first reading. Council file number 16605. An ordinance appropriating the sum of $500,000 from unappropriated fund balance in the paving and sewer revenue fund for the expenditure thereof. Funds will be used for the 2026 streets paving. Sponsored by council member Troop. Seconded by council member Horton. That council file ordinance number 16605 having been read is hereby adopted on first reading by city council members Rosinski yes. Flores yes. Horton yes. Paul

yes. Shaw yes. Troop yes. Titus yes.

City council read and adopt council file owner at 16 605 by yay 7 nay zero on first reading. Council felon number 16606, an ordinance appropriating the sum of $1 million from unappropriated fund balance and the liquid fuels fund for the expenditure thereof. Funds will be used for the 2026 streets paving and street lighting traffic signals. Sponsored by council member Troop, seconded by council member Horton. That council fel ordinance 1660 haven't been read is hereby adopted on first reading by city council. Members Brzinski, yes. Flores, yes. Horton, yes. P,

yes. Sha, yes. Troop, yes. And Titus, yes.

City Council read and adopt Council file ordinance [snorts] 1660 by Yay 70 on first reading. Council file number 16607, an ordinance appropriating a sum of 77 746,32044 from unappropriated and anticipated revenue to provide for the expenditure thereof for the construction phase of the 2025 Greenlight GO funding program West 12th and Pittsburgh Avenue signal upgrades project. Sponsored by Council Member Troop, seconded by Council Member Horton. The council file ordinance 16607 have it been read as hereby adopted on first reading by city council members. Brzinski

yes. Flores yes. Horton yes. H yes. Shaw yes. Troop yes. Titus yes.

City council read and adopt council file ordinance 16607 by yay 780 on first reading. Council file number 16608, an ordinance appropriating the sum of $25,474 from unappropriated and unanticipated revenue for the expenditure thereof. Funds are granted from the Pennsylvania DCED local share account to purchase a screener machine for the Bureau of Streets. Sponsored by Council Member Troop, seconded by Council Member Horton. The council file ordinance number 16608 have been read is hereby adopted on first reading by city council

members. Brzinski Flores yes. Horton yes. Cole yes. Shaw yes. Troop yes. Titus yes. City council read adopt council file ordinance 16608 by yay 7 nay zero on first reading. Council President, this takes us to new business. So, I would at this point ask um for a motion to move the agenda forward. I need a first and second. I move. Second.

Any separations? Number one. Uh was it number nine? number one and number six. One, nine, and six. Any other separations? Moving the balance of the agenda. Council members Brzinski, Flores, yes. Horton, Paul, Shaw, Troop, and Titus.

Yes. We're going fast. Separation number one. Number one is sponsored by council member Troops, seconded by council member pole. That Erie City Council designates East Third Street from French to Holland in honor of Fred Rush Jr. who was known for his many contributions contributions to civic history, decades of public service, pioneering journalism, and deep community roots in Erie. discussion.

Yeah, I I mean I would like to say words, but I don't know if um Maurice would like to go first. I just wanted to say um it gives me great honor to, you know, do this proclamation and name this street sign while Mr. Rush is still with us. Um sometimes we don't do this until after they have passed away. And unfortunately, that's not the best time to give someone their flowers. So, I'm with great privilege going to be supporting this. Um, I was willing to do it last year, but they wanted to do it this year during this time frame because of something significant. So, I'm happy to see this on the agenda, and that's all I wanted to say. Thank you. Any other discussion?

Dr. Titus. Um, thank you. Um, I echo the words of um C Councilwoman Flores. Um, I Mr. Rush has been uh kind of like before I really knew who really knew a lot about Mr. Rush, he he kind of was like kind of like parenting me on the side as a teenager and throughout, you know, since I was a teenager. He'd always give me bits of information before I really knew who he was. I mean, he knew who I was and he was knew my family and things like that. He would always give me information. I'm sure that he did that with everybody he came in contact with. Um he was a proud I know he went to East High School. Um grew up on the Lower East Side. Few things about him. Um I went back through I can't read his whole bio, but I know he was a Vietnam war vet. Um he was one of the first black journalists in the city of Erie. Um he he was a member of several administrations. Um he was a community layout liaison which people talked about today for Mayor Tulio. Um I know he was key and he did make me aware that he was he played a big role in um helping Larry Meredith who was the first African-American on city council to be elected. He was a big part of that campaign and I know that um he always spoke to me whenever he had a chance about um being a family man. He felt like family was a big part of it, big part of everything. He felt like church was a big part of everything and also giving back to your community. He talked about that all the time to me. So, I I have great honor and um uh bringing bringing this forth to council and also thanks to my other council um members for support of this. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other question? President, I was all ready to give a little talk, but Mr. The troop said it all. Uh, Fred Rush is a general giant. He's been there through many, many, many different administrations, and he always uh spoke from the heart, but with his mind attached to it, which too many of us don't do. Uh, I'm for it all the way. Thank you. Thank you. I just wanted to say a couple. Yes.

Just a couple short things um about Mr. Rush. Um, when I think of of Fred, I it just takes me back to when I first started with the city. Uh, he was one of my first friends that I that I met and um and we went through, you know, he helped me a lot um learning learning the ropes of the city and uh later on, I mean, we stayed friends. We didn't see each other all the time, but we stayed friends anytime I saw him. And um later on um he took my youngest son under his wing um before they had a PALS program or before it came back into into play uh because it was stagnant for a while. Um, and I I appreciate everything he's done uh for this community, for the city, for the state. Uh, and this is welld deserved. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, um, Dr. Titus for letting me speak as well. Uh, I wish I had known Fred earlier. Um, I met him in 2017 and I made an instant connection with him. Sometimes people really um connect and I love the fact like Jasmine had said that we are honoring him while he is still living. He is a very genuine person and I love the cultures that respect their elders. He is filled with so much wisdom and he is so com compassionate. It is a privilege to know him and we can learn from him as well. So it is so good that um we are continuing the connection with our senior citizens. Thank you.

Thank you.

And I'd like to say something also. I would be [clears throat] remissed if I didn't say anything about Mr. Rushroom. I can't ever remember a time not knowing. I remember that that neighborhood with Taylor Funeral Home and we would run in and out of them houses over there. I remember calling him Uncle Fred earlier on cuz his grand his nieces and nephews would call him Uncle Fred and they spent a lot of time at my house. I remember him organizing the Catilas. I remember all the social clubs, the Soulsville Bowling League. I remember Booker T. Washington Center first got their head start and I can remember countless meetings around my mother's table where community members engaged often about the issues of the day. The most thing I remember about Mr. Rush is every Sunday. Include last Sunday I seen him at church. He always take me through my paces. Mo. Yeah. Who who on next? Who up next? You got to be planning for your for your departure. Uh who I so I ain't mind to do. Oh no. Come sit down. You give me education. I remember Mr. Rush. I know that Mr. Rush was the first black hired in Erie County as a county employee. Uh and as much as I love Mr. Rush, all of it can be attributed uh to his mother, Miss Claudia. Abdullah's grandmother. Uh it's a joy going to church uh to see Mr. Rush and Mr. Johnson, Johnny Johnson. When I get there, I get I get they're so gracious with their time. Um and I'll say this last story. Your [clears throat] uncle was one of my mentors. He he administered my oath of he was one of my biggest confidants. I miss him much. Uh and when he when he uh passed, I was talking to Mr. Rush at a at a little private meeting he had. I said, "Mr. Rush, I I think every every uh young man, not that I'm young, but every man should have an older man that they can reach out to and talk to." Uh I said, "I know we don't see eye to eye on

a lot of stuff, but I need an older man in my life. There's not I said I respect some around here, but not a lot that I hold in the regard that I hold you." And so, it's an honor. I am so grateful uh to you for for having the vision to do this uh for brother Fred uh and his family should be ecstatic about it. Uh when I think about Mr. Rush, I think about the limbs off of the Rush Tree. Uh I I think about Christine. I think about Adulla. I think about David. I think about Charles. And I think of all of the things that Miss Rush used to teach us at her footstep around her house on East Third Street. Uh so thank you so much. I can't wait uh uh to to attend that street designation. It is welld deserved uh and is very very timely. So thank you.

Thank you. We'll go ahead and call for the vote then. Yes. Flores. Yes. Horton. Yes. Hole. Yes. Shaw. Yes. Troop. Yes. Titus.

Yes. Okay, that takes us to number six. [applause] Um, I just want to pull this. Um, I was contacted through email uh by Mr. Courier and I don't know if he's here today. Um but I want to bring this to the attention um of making May uh ALS awareness month in the city. Um, a few years ago I um I knew of a a woman that came down with this and um she wasn't old. She was a a young, you know, younger middle-aged um woman that within a couple years um she had passed away and she didn't um get to meet her grandchildren and um it was very moving um because she was first the person I thought of when when this came in front of me. So um and um Mr. Courier said he is um affected by this disease and like many diseases unless you're um unless it's in your family or a friend or whatever you never really hear of a a lot of these diseases and it it brings you right down. um it not only affects your ability to talk, um to walk, to you

know, just do daily chores and um so I I just want to bring council and the city and make everyone aware that you know May will be um ALS u month and thank you. Thank you. any other

I just wanted to comment that I always appreciate um as somebody who works in the medical field when we are acknowledging a lot of these these diseases that impact people's day-to-day lives. Um I personally don't have anybody who is impacted by ALS but I do know that this uh this disease completely alters people's lives. Um the only person that I know that like has lived a long time with a disease is the actor Michael J. box and he's been a great advocate for this disease and put a lot of resources and funding into the research to prolong you know um life for people with LS L A I'm sorry ALS just a lot of diseases aren't getting the acknowledgement and recognition for the strides that we made over the last 20 years but when you lose someone young it's really noticeable so that's all I really wanted to say was I'm appreciative that you this forward.

Thank you. Any other comment? We'll go ahead and call for the vote. Voting on the resolution. Members Bzinski, yes. Flores, yes. Horton, yes. Cole, yes. Shaw, yes. Troop, yes. And Titus, yes.

Okay. Number nine, sponsored by Mr. Troop, seconded by Council Member Shaw. Proper city officials are authorized and directed it to enter into an easement agreement with flagship city food hall 22 North Park Row and 508 State Erie, Pennsylvania for the use of public sidewalk as outdoor eating areas at 22 North Park Row and 508 State. the outdoor eerie eating areas within State Street and Park Row, North Park Row right ofways in accordance with the project drawing as prepared by the applicant flagship flagship city food hall. Discussion.

Yes. Uh I ask for this to be separated out. Uh I'm asking my colleagues to table it till we find out just exactly what that means for the easement. State Street is a main artery uh used by many um and I thought it was just State Street, but it's also North Park Road and there are some outdoor eating uh there already. Uh, I just need to know how far what they sent us a picture, but it doesn't you can't really uh I I like the opportunity to go out and measure and see uh what they're taking from the citizens or what we're giving them uh or if we're giving uh anything away from the citizens uh that we perhaps uh should deliberate on a little bit more. Uh it's not that I'm against it uh because I'm not. Uh, I just want to know what I'm voting on. And we we just did one of these for Eerie Insurance and I know that corner and they have that thing reaches out and it kind of narrows and so I think that you all would want to know that you're what you're voting on as well.

Um, I support us doing our research just because we do have a large community that uses medical equipment and walkers and scooters and I want to make sure that we always maintain the right of passage for pedestrians. So, we have a a request for a motion. Do we have a second for that motion to table? Need a second. I'll second it. We'll go ahead and call for the vote then on that motion to table. Motion by council member Horton, seconded by council member Flores to table number nine regarding the easement. Members, before we do that, can we hear from the administration? Do you care if this table that it got this far? It's, you know,

well, once just for I just want to make sure that like we're now that we've we've got the first and the second on the motion. Are we allowed to

just um just slight background, the solicitor's office handles the easement documentation. It's got to go through you guys first before we actually do the actual paperwork. We have a standard form that talks about the limitations or what's included for like signage and the spacing. And usually the diagram that was referenced is what's attached. So, and I so I'd say suggest, you know, just tableabling the decision and if you guys need to do um to visit the site or need a different drawing, then we can reach out to the EDTDC who's requesting it to provide something additional. So,

um um yes, the drawing uh was true. They supplied the drawing. Again, I'm back to newspapers and versus reading on computer because I it doesn't necess it tells you numbers wise or how but you don't really get to know what that is in uh in relationship to what's there. And so they can give you a bunch of numbers say yeah we're going to keep this here and then you go out there and you find out that there's 3 ft of sidewalk left and I don't think anyone's done that. Yeah. So, I think that's fair. But this would go through it go through you guys first and then it comes to the solicitor office and we keep track of these because they have to either get renewed or have to make sure they have proof of insurance um for stuff like that. Okay.

So, we do have the first and then we have the second. So, we'll go ahead and call for the vote. Voting to table members. Yes. Flores, yes. Horton, yes. Pull, yes. Sh, yes. Troop, yes. Titus. Yes. Okay. Resolution table 7 to zero. Mr. President. Yes, sir. And I and I don't want to prolong or keep uh any business from doing I'm acutely aware of the construction season as well. And so I would hope that that we would do whatever we have to be done by the next meeting as to not prolong that uh should we elect to approve it. I don't want to prolong.

Yeah. I I I think we just need to make sure we have the ADA compliance and making sure we have the spacing that is required for people to get through the sidewalk. I got tape measuring the car. We can um reach out with the solicitor and I would I would encourage all of us if we want to go down and see it ourselves that we do that before the next meeting. Um but we can also request that like maybe some actual photos with the measurements included versus the drawing. So maybe that would help create just a better visual. Thank you. And I am a little confused because I've eaten outside there before. So,

yeah, there are some out there already. And so, I think I don't think they're all the same dimensions because their storefront places are different, but it it's something that's commonly done. Uh, but we we can't do what's been commonly done uh commonly. I think I think that we owe it to ourselves first of all to do some some due diligence. So, you just know what you're voting on. I've already Do we have any others that were separated or was that the list? This goes to committee reports. Okay. All right. So, we will go ahead and go into committee reports. Um, I will start with you, Councelor Troop.

Uh, thank you, Dr. Titus. I don't have an official report today, so I'll just give my time to uh Councilwoman Paul.

Um I really don't have a committee report this week either. Um, but I just wanted to sort of not answer the people that that stood up here today, but um, unless we're in other people's shoes, we don't realize what they go through. Um, and that's with anybody. It it's um I I was down in um South Carolina a few weeks ago and I got to um to our plantation and it was it was beautiful. The grounds were kept up the ground they were just beautiful. Um, and until I got to the part where there was a grave site with just three graves of of slaves and um into a little house like a it would have been a duplex that housed a couple families of slaves.

Um, we don't really know. Jason, go to that meeting. you know what what what idiot people go through um

and the history there. Um and it's not just down there, it's it's here. We we um voted on keeping history today. And um I think most anything that um comes in front of us from the historic commission, unless it's something, you know, not good for the city, um I I will probably be in favor for um because I've grown up in um you know, through the 70s, 80s, uh and and some of the 90s also where they knocked down a lot of our history uh in this city because there was never anyone to say what are you doing? Um because it was at the time well we'll knock this down to make bigger and better and that bigger and better is now knocked down. So the history is just long gone and anything that we can keep to um preserve that um I'll go for. Thank you.

Thank you councelor

I don't have a very long committee report. I will also um agree that preserving our history is important. Erie has been in like a time capsule for the last 40 years. But we do still have a lot of rich history that those of us who are stewards of our city can make sure that they're there for the next generation and the generation after. So, um I take it very importantly that we are designating certain buildings because like you said, a lot of things were knocked down. Um, we have a rich African-American history in our city and a lot of the current citizens today who didn't grow up with the NAACP and participating in a lot of the Rush family efforts and the Horton family efforts would not even know today. So, um, I always like to bring honor to the path that they have started for us. And you know, as a first generation Mexican American woman who's half Puerto Rican, our history is what got us here. And if we don't know the history, we're doomed to repeat the history. So, we have to know where we come from. But I also just wanted to um let the community know that the city does have large item pickup and you can call and get three large items taken out of your home or out of your yard. Um every trash pickup you have until it's all gone. Um, the phone number is 814-8701550. I'm a first-time homeowner, so I'm doing lots of, you know, outside maintenance and getting rid of things I don't need. And it's a privilege for us in the city to have the garbage pickup that we do have. It is a cost to us taxpayers, but also knowing what we have available is important. Um, our m our trash pickup people will pick up leaves and twigs and branches and um, trimmings. You just have to put them in a bin in an open container and they will take them out of your hair. Um, I also wanted to say that

with the weather warming up, um, pothole repair is important. We just allocated $1.5 million to take care of our streets. We might not think that, you know, our streets are important, but they are important. They help us be able to get around the city. They help our cars not have as much wear and tear. So, if you do have a spot or an area that is concerning to you, please call 8148701340 with the nearest address or cross street description or location of where that exact pothole is so we can get it addressed. Our um guys and ladies do a great job of making sure that they are trying to take care of any calls that they are receiving. So, I just wanted to say be safe out there. Drivers, please look out for everybody who is in the streets or walking to get around the city because some sidewalks are closed off that, you know, we have to have more patience. We're in a vehicle. Some of these people are using medical equipment, walkers, and just trying to get around the city as safely as possible. We do not need to be a added factor to that. Um, I see so many left-hand turns almost taking out pedestrians every day and I work with the intellectually disabled community. I've worked with the elderly community. They need more time than what we're giving them. So, let's just be a little bit more compassionate. Thank you.

Thank you. Uh, Council Horton.

Yeah, I'll be brief. Uh [clears throat] uh I attended the land bank uh meeting um a couple weeks ago and had great talk with Aaron Snippert um about where we're at. Uh but one of the things that came out of it is this this body council [cough] representative on the land bank. And so I'm really pleased that you all took care of that. Two, it was holding them up from having the election. And uh I apologize to y'all because my injuries prevented me from getting um attending those meetings early on regularly. So I I believe that it probably caused that delay and what now it's May. Uh and and those are voting members. So thank you so much for for pushing that up on the agenda today. Uh just want to make a couple comments. I was glad to see the apartment association uh gentleman [snorts] uh come in and speak um because we want to make things better too. Uh and like it or not, we are partners uh and it's a lot easier uh when uh how can you have two people in a partnership and they're not going the same way? And so there are some questions to be answered. I [snorts] still feel like I feel from our study session. Uh I didn't really hear a lot, but I the one thing I really want to say is while the apartment association is here and whites in this city have enjoyed a probably a couple hundredyear head start and in this country a 400year head start to the point where GI black GIS weren't allowed to homestead property when everyone else was. And so it's not that black people aren't astute. It's not that they're not sharp

enough to do. It's that they they they you had a 400y year head start. And it it perturbs me uh when those conversations occur and people kind of like it's something you did. Uh and I'm going somewhere with this. So where I'm going with it is that black home ownership is probably only about 4%. And so when you hear people come in and you're talking about housing, property managers, oh, we manage a lot of houses. Uh $10 fee raise, fix all of that, which is kind of, you know, all he told us all we have to do is raise the prices. And I don't subscribe to that. We may very well have to do that, but we should examine everything else before there. And we've had some internal discussions about uh where money is seved out of the city. And we need to address that like not like now but like right now because the kind of money that's being that hasn't been coming where it's supposed to be coming and the type of problems that we're having and the issues with housing. It's crazy. And I plan to talk to the president and the mayor again. I know that you're moving on these things, but it ain't happening fast enough with that entity. And I hate the solicitor left. Uh because we should send a letter, not a kind letter, we should send a letter demanding that he come before this body and explain that stuff.

how you haven't paid in all those years and how you're still not paying. It ain't right. I I know I'm new here. Some of you have been here longer. Some of you have reached out. I don't think it that entity has afforded us the respect that that's due. It's not an ego thing either. But how can you not how can you as an authority in all your autonomy who's a partnership financial partnership and we request a meeting and we don't get a response like hell like hell. And it's going to get really really public really really really fast if it if we don't address it. And I'm not talking about in a couple weeks or a couple months. I'm talking about like right now. I think Jason should send a check, a letter right now. Demanding payment, not asking all that other stuff cuz nothing speak nothing gets somebody in front of you to where you start asking for for for their money. And so I I I'm on record uh that I want the solicitor to send a letter to the parking authority requesting asking where's our money.

Thank Thank you, Councelor Sha.

Thank you, Dr. Titus. Thank you for everybody who spoke today. Um Miss Triber and Mr. Brown, I would um like to speak with you um at your convenience and mine. And today is not a good day unfortunately. But um thank you um for your words this morning and everyone else who spoke. Um I uh did at a go to the uh historic preservation meeting and um am happy with um what's going on and what we're going to be seeing forward. And I'm not going to address that today. I um as a waterworks person, just to confirm, it's water week and there is that Saturday, May 9th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Richard S. Walesi Water Treatment Plant on 399 Summerheim Drive. That is a familyfriendly event with games and giveaways. But they are also uh asking for our input. And many people have received this information, but sometimes you just open up your mail and sort of toss it without reading it. And just very very quickly, um, we as valued customers want to know at Erie Waterworks, our mission is to provide highquality drinking water to our community. While that commitment will never change, the challenges and opportunities facing water utilities today are very different than they were just a generation ago. And for that

reason, they are beginning an important effort. They're going to do a strategic um the first strategic plan in more than 20 years. And they need our input. So, from April 1st through July 17th, they're inviting all the customers to participate in a short 10-minute survey. And the survey is one of the most important parts of the planning process because it gives them a direct insight into your expectations, concerns, and priorities. And it can be completed online and they do have a link that they sent in the mail for those of you who um deal with the water department. And there is a customer service number 814-870800. And um they are really wanting to understand the important issues that you customers have and um your community engagement is important to them. Thank you.

Thank you. Um I'll keep my report brief. um have I feel like uh most much of my time is spent in spent in meetings, but we had some really productive meetings uh last week. Met with um some of the those individuals from the planning department and the administration around the historic review designation process and trying to identify gaps um and where the process is kind of getting backlogged and what we can do to improve it. Um I think that there's some good ideas that are coming forward. So, uh, my biggest worry is that we as a governing body, um, just by the way the ordinance is written that we might be slowing things down and what can we do to address this and make sure that we're keeping development, um, and preservation moving forward in the right direction. I do want to acknowledge uh, several of the individuals who spoke today. Um, and I hear you. I hear you. And there are there are a lot of things that are that are broken right now. Um and there are a lot of people who are who are trying to in different avenues that they are in and roles that they hold trying to address different parts of of various broken systems. Um it is incredibly frustrating um I think at the sometimes backward steps when we're supposed to be doing forward but this the process how slow it moves sometimes to rectify and fix things that have been broken for so long. Um, but I don't want anyone to feel like that that they're not being heard and that that we are not committed to doing the things that we we can and should do as a governing body. Uh, and in closing, um, I know we were going to have a meeting around, uh, just the different the ABCs, the advisories, the boards, uh, or the authorities, the the boards and the commissions. Um, we've have a a study session that was going to be designated to that, but right now we're going to push up and and talk about PFM next week. Uh, their report that came through. I think there's a lot that we as a body and that the public um need to need to hear. Uh and so that will be happening next week. So, we're still working on tightening up the process of how do we identify when a

gap or a vacancy is occurring, who is appointing, how are we streamlining those applications? Um and just know that we're all committed to to doing those things and making those things happen. Um I strongly encourage the public to to pay attention um all the time, but especially next week. We're going to be engaging and starting some some very big conversations uh specifically around the budget. Um and I know the administration is is going to take lead here, but we're we're hoping to all be in in unison as we start to engage uh this process way more in advance and not waiting till October to start having some of these difficult discussions uh based on some of the reports and stuff that we we're starting to see. Um, so as we go into that study session next week to to please make sure that you're attending, paying attention to, um, and engaging with all of us on that. And with that, uh, I will go ahead and pass over for, uh, a report from the controller.

Thank you, Dr. Titus. Wait, I'm going to hold on one second. No, you're good. Sorry, I'm not the controller. I'm the mayor. I forgot sometimes. [laughter] Maybe we can switch for a day. Um, if you like.

A lot going on in the controller's office as usual. Um we just had a really great meeting with uh human resources. So we're talking about uh processes and um engagement on our third floor which is really the core of this building which is uh you know what the taxpayers uh elected me to do. So, um, just making sure that we have policies and procedures in place and that our processes are easily able to be understood by of both our employees and by our constituents. And, um, just trying to move our office forward and modernize everything that we do and so we're we're sticking to that. Thank you, Mayor.

I wanted to apologize on behalf of the solicitor. He had to run to another meeting. Um, but uh, Councelor Horton, I did text him your request. Um, I do want to say just on that particular issue, you know, we do not have a signed agreement. So, that will be the answer we hear back. But that doesn't mean that we don't send the letter because I'm in full agreement and I've let him know it's a priority and he's working on it. Um, I want to reiterate Dr. Titus's comments about uh the budget study session next week, May 14th. Looking forward to having that conversation with council. PFM will be here to make a full presentation. We hope the public will also uh attend or tune in. I also want to note that the administration will be meeting with the apartment association. They were here today expressing their recommendations and concerns. We will be attending their monthly meeting on May 19th. Any member of council who'd like to attend with us, you're welcome to. They are billing it as a town hall. Uh we are going to take questions and engage in conversation. As was noted, we are partners. So, we will be there uh to answer their questions and have that conversation. And council, you're welcome to attend with us. Um I just want to address a few things. You know, it's very difficult when we have public comment and we don't respond, which I understand why, but then everyone leaves and sometimes there's misinformation and we don't get to address it. So, we're we're trying to work on that in my office. How do we put out information that we hear that maybe needs to be clarified? And so, um, in the absence of a better system, I just want to quickly, uh, say a few things. First, Mr. Keys noted about the housing plan having a goal of 250 units and not including I think he's referring to Mr. Krenshaw's project. I want to be very clear that the housing plan put out by Infinite Erie has a goal of 250 units. It does not say how we're going to get there. Um I think there are a couple projects in the pipeline, but there is nothing in there that says that that 250 is limited to certain projects. We commend and appreciate Mr. Krenshaw's work. the quicker we get to 250 the better because

I think the plan also says we are short 6,000 units. So, we have a long way to go in this area. I just want to be clear that that plan is not excluding anyone. Um, in response to the conversation about re-entry, I want to clarify the city's um role in this. So, the city has historically paid for a caseworker for the re-entry program out of CDBG dollars. That was done for many, many, many years when we were asked this year to change the funding. So my understanding is not to send it to the Y but to send it to the county. We were simply asked to move our funds which we agreed to do. We were asked I think this year to fund a position and a half not a not just one position. I will say to council when you approve the CDBG contracts in June. I think that's when Deborah Smith and her team will bring them. You'll see it there. We can have more discussion at that time. But I just I don't want council to not know or understand what the city's role is. It is that it is funding a position. it is actually a case worker out of our CDBG dollars. Um, and then lastly, I I do want to address the comments and appreciate the comments today about inclusivity and representation. So, first with regard to an African-American council, Mr. Keys noted all the councils we have. He is absolutely right. Um, the previous administration had a council that I believe was called a council on historic black organizations. It included mainly um I believe the Divine Nine and then also some historic black organizations. We felt that that was limited that it needed broader representation and so admittedly we're trying to figure out how to do that. So we have been slow to put that council in place. We hear loud and clear today we need to prioritize it. We would welcome suggestions to make sure that that council is representative without being unwieldy which is always the problem. Having a council of 60 people makes things difficult, but it is absolutely necessary and we are trying to make it more representative which is what has slowed us down. So we ask for that

grace. We hear the feedback. We will prioritize moving forward. And lastly on the conversation around the strengthening police and community partnership, I would say much of the same. So just to be very clear, the SPCP is not a police accountability measure. It is an it is a table that is built to have conversations about how to build trust in the community. It is the beginning of an initiative. It is not the full initiative. So when we think about community policing, we always hear talk about PAL and how strong PAL is. PAL is a piece of that. The SPCP is a piece of that. We have much more to do. So we are trying to assemble a table to have the conversation about what more is needed. We understand that clarifying the way the SPCP was put together was a mistake. We we have some clarification we need to do. I will say and not being defensive, but in our defense, the previous way this was handled was the members of the council were handpicked. We sought to go out to the community and ask for applications and recommendations. We understand that that's caused discussion which I think to um a point made earlier is part of democracy. So we receive that feedback. We appreciate the feedback. We will take it now and make the process better. But I just want to say that the way we were trying to do this was to increase transparency and representation and we apologize for the fact that it has been I I think um received in a different way. So we will be going back to the drawing board and making sure that what we build is a good start. It is not the end and it will not be the end of this conversation. So with that, um I also just want to add that my administration, uh chief of staff and I were in Allentown and Bethlehem yesterday. We had wonderful meetings with the mayor of Allentown and the mayor of Bethlehem. We also toured, um Bethlehem's economic development efforts. There was conversation today about wages. We 100% agree. Had a great conversation with the economic development director of Lehigh

Valley about how they're bringing jobs and industry to that valley. I think Arie has a lot to learn. So, we spent the day there in those conversations and I look forward to bringing that some of that back to Yrie. So, with that, thank you. Thank you. All right. Uh, just to remind council that we do have a finance meeting after this meeting. Um, and then we uh have the study session next next week. Uh, but with that, we can go ahead and adjourn the public meeting. City Council adjourns at 11:39 a.m. Council members Titus, Brazinski, Flores, Horton, Paul, Shaw, and Troop.