Elected Office: Member of City Council—District 6
I am humbled and honored that you have chosen me to represent you on Pittsburgh City Council. Currently I serve on the Chair for Public Safety, and am a board member on the board of the Urban Redevelopment Authority. It is a truly gratifying experience to represent the Northside, Oakland, the Hill District and the Golden Triangle for the City of Pittsburgh.
I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate my goal of making District 6 more attractive, safe and prosperous for all of its residents. People will come back to live here, and our children will stay here and we will succeed here. This is a guiding principle for my office, and one that helps direct and focus my policy initiatives.
Since the start of my tenure, I have initiated a district-wide community health and wellness campaign. Branded as the “Fit in Six” initiative, the aim is to increase the awareness of current health issues affecting the district while providing fun options to promote a healthier outlook for life.
In 2013 we co-hosted the Health and Wellness Weekend with State Representative Jake Wheatley’s Office, continuing a tradition of hosting annual health fairs in our district. We also organized the second annual Latino Heritage Cup, a soccer tournament hosted at the Schenley Oval which will be similarly held in the fall of this year. In addition, I am excited to announce that we are working on organizing a “Fit in Six” 3 on 3 basketball tournament in April. Stay tuned as we finalize the details of these and other “Fit in Six” initiatives to keep our communities engaged, active and healthy.
On the legislative front, my focus has been on policies that provide opportunities to our populations in need. Throughout 2013, I worked on drafting amendments to expand the scope of Pittsburgh Works, a bill that was passed in 2001 which requires 35% of all work hours on City-subsidized projects to be performed by City residents. My amendments will expand coverage to include disadvantaged workers, so they too can be given the opportunity to hold self-sustainable jobs, to bring food to the table and support their families. I hope to introduce these amendments in 2014, and have been studying similar initiatives implemented throughout the country.
Neighborhood blight is another policy focus of my office, and one of the greatest challenges faced by cities across the country. In 2013, my office introduced and passed legislation that holds creditors accountable for the maintenance of residential structures they own which are vacant. For 2014, I will continue to respond to issues that create blight in our communities, from creating programs to renovate abandoned structures to addressing the problem of speculators buying up land in our communities.
To ensure that I am consistently reaching the community and hearing your concerns, I have a number of community “Meet and Greets” as well as remote office locations scheduled throughout the year. Please take a moment to review the calendar for a date and location near you. All are encouraged to attend these site visits to share your thoughts, concerns and ideas on how to make District 6 an even better place to live.
I appreciate your civil engagement and hope that you will provide your feedback and concerns on issues affecting this great city.
