Pittsburgh officials look to shift covid relief funds to other projects

Pittsburgh officials are looking to reallocate millions in federal covid-19 relief funds to invest in public safety vehicles, landslide remediation and other projects.

Legislation before City Council would shift American Rescue Plan Act money to projects that “we need to spend money on now,” City Council Budget Director Peter McDevitt said.

Under the new ARPA spending plan, the city’s equipment leasing authority would get an extra $1.7 million for public safety vehicles. This comes as city officials have said the city’s public safety vehicle fleet is in “dire straits” and in urgent need of more funding.

City Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, who sits on the equipment leasing authority, has led the charge for more cash for public safety vehicles. Last year, he said, the authority requested $24 million in vehicles in the 2023 budget and received $6 million. He has said he’s expecting a similar budget request for 2024.

The majority of the extra $1.7 million in ARPA dollars that council will likely allocate to the equipment leasing authority will be spent on police and fire vehicles “because those are the biggest concerns right now,” McDevitt said. The equipment leasing authority board — of which McDevitt is a member — will ultimately make the final decisions on what equipment is purchased with the cash.

City Council is expected to vote on the reallocation plan next week.

McDevitt estimated the money could likely buy a fire truck and about ten police cars.

Overall, the city has allocated about $15.45 million in ARPA money to the equipment leasing authority.

Also included in the updated ARPA spending proposal is a $651,000 allocation to purchase a new radio system that’s used by the city’s departments of public safety and public works, McDevitt said.

The city is using “old technology that by the end of this year or next year will not work anymore,” he said.

The proposed reallocation also would dedicate about $2 million to landslide remediation efforts.

The measure also would rearrange funding for various Urban Redevelopment Authority projects “so it’s under programs they know they can get under contract” during the timeline imposed on ARPA dollars, McDevitt said.

The federal funds must be obligated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.

Most of the money that’s being rearranged under the proposed reallocation plan comes from projects that were completed under budget or projects that officials don’t anticipate will meet the ARPA timelines, McDevitt said.