With Federal Elections Settled, Pittsburgh Returns to Transformation Agenda

"Let's get ready to rumbllle..." The Guardian

As Our President was earning reelection with a vague national electoral mandate to invest in the middle and lower classes and to continue Obamacare...

And as most in the Congressional majority earned reelection with crystal-clear district-level mandates for austerity...

It seems as though the nation is about to suffer through its own Pittsburgh City Hall New Year's Eve Takeover Deadline!

Will Harry Reid schedule a Senate session for 11:00 p.m. "just in case"? Will the proceedings entail a "cooperative [-ly prompt] veto"? Will Jacob Lew run over to Our Speaker John Boehner's office in the waning days to hammer out an acceptable arrangement?

More to the issue, what will happen to Pittsburgh and its environs, continuing to weather this uncertain economy? What courses will it chart in this volatile era, swollen with the future?

1. The sewer projects alone...

The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority should rewrite a $2 billion plan for keeping sewage runoff out of area waterways to include less infrastructure and more “green” solutions, county Executive Rich Fitzgerald said on Friday. (Trib, Bob Bauder)

Well, that's just great. County officials have indicated that there exists the brain trust to "get this done", despite obvious concerns about logistics and cost.

“Quite frankly, we are at the 11th hour,” said Alcosan spokeswoman Nancy Barylak. “What we have is a federal court order that says we have to have this plan in by Jan. 23. If we do not meet this court order, what happens is we start to incur penalties and fines.” (Tribid)

Well now it's time to ask: how does Mayor Ravenstahl, the other public official accountable for Alcosan, approach this question of "rewriting" the plan?

The city of Pittsburgh has said it must install new and bigger sewer pipes, separate lines for sewage and stormwater and add a 6 million gallon holding tank to address stormwater problems. Good says the city’s cost will be between $100 million and $200 million.

“The city’s plans could change. We are holding meetings, at the request of the mayor, to incorporate more green technology,” he said. (Trib, Rick Willis) 

A "rewriting" would bring physical and significant differences from some of the currently planned projects -- and such green projects would be on a larger scale than that of "demonstration" projects. With so much institutional, global and capital firepower at its disposal, it would be interesting to learn whether Our City's Water Authority Directorship-Services Manager Veolia Water will bring to the public table any aid in assessing these frightful determinations.

@RDLavelle

2. The administration has gotten its arms around the Hill District grocery store situation before its apparent hopelessness could become a campaign issue.

"What happens to a dream deferred?" URA board chairman Yarone Zober asked. "I don't know. But I don't have to think about it. This is a dream come true." (P-G, Mark Belko)

Much seems now to be in the hands of experienced and connected local developers, now working with selected community leaders. In the Comet's opinion, it's about time. It would have been more ideal four years ago, but life is a journey.

At one point in the meeting, I said to Rep. Wheatley that I thought the governing committee of the fund should rotate members because the membership seemed to me closely affiliated with the Representative’s campaign and the Hill CDC and that this fund was quasi-public because of the nature of the Representative’s position as a political representative. (Hillombo.org, Justin Laing)

Concerns about equity and within-reason "fair" access to community resources are important. What I'd like you Dear Reader to do is to start readinging Hillombo.org as it publishes about "handout" stigmatization and gatekeeping and accountability and stakeholders and population loss.

If it still doesn't happen this time or it doesn't work... well, maybe it's just like Jim Ferlo and Jake Haulk have been writing. Not quite the same situational dynamics as, say, Lawrenceville. Doomed to fail.

3. Ay caramba, now is somebody getting political?

Another leader of Pittsburgh's Democratic Committee has gone on the city payroll.

Mary Angela Ogg, 62, of Carrick, who chairs the 29th Ward, began work Monday as a confidential secretary in the planning department at an annual salary of about $40,200. (P-G, Joe Smydo)

Why not just admit, "Yes, she's an established neighborhood and city leader, it's not the kind of position that requires advertising, we love her, she's a great fit"? Why pretend even temporarily there was "no mayor's office involvement"?

Unless this doesn't have to do with the Mayor's reeelction. Maybe it has to do with the Councilwoman from Carrick's de-election movement.

At any rate, the list of Committee employees is an impressive exhibit.

Te Papa Atawhai - Dept. of Conservation

4. For the latest of Riverfront development, of course you'll want to check out Patrick Dowd's official website.

The Buncher Co. could be flexible on aspects of its $400 million plan to remake the Strip District, but can’t budge for river advocates who want a larger buffer along the Allegheny River, the company president said Wednesday. (Trib, Bob Bauder)

So now the river is the crucial "hang up". Not the gates, or the access, or the produce terminal, or site clearance, or the idea of a large TIFF.

I envision myself going all Marcello Mastroianni over a cup of strong coffee there someday, and I'd like to be surrounded by happy people. (P-G, Brian O'Neill)

I honestly sometimes wonder. Terribly important stuff we're debating, but it's not like we're up against the Fiscal Cliff. I still believe the best indication of whether or not this development is poised to make progress may be whether or not Michael Lamb is running for mayor.

4.5. What about those mayoral challengers?

Lamb said [at today's hearing] he supports the city’s release [from Act 47], but he warned that it must pump more money into pensions, continue paying down debt and find additional revenue sources.

“The cautionary tone you are hearing arises from the real concern people have about this administration operating without that additional layer of oversight,” Lamb said. (Trib, Bob Bauder)

That is deft and appropriate in light of the firefighters' early and enthusiastic endorsement. Yet it is not money, it's not infrastructure, it's not name and brand recognition, and it is not a sufficiently advantageous ballot.

If we learned one thing from the federal elections, it's that one should not necessarily believe all flattering information being provided to you by people who might wish to curry favor with you or be employed and enhanced by you over the course of a long and expensive campaign. Don't live in a fantasy bubble. Get the facts before suffering what could be a bridge-burning third-place failure in a costly election. 

That goes for both of y'inz.

Loading: Comet Thanksgiving Season...

Monday: We're Literally Behind a Paywall ($$)

Freyr, Wikipedia

This post is so good, and yet is going to get so little traffic, it's literally as though it's behind an exclusive paywall.

There are four exceptional articles that need reading:

The state declared Pittsburgh financially distressed in 2003 after then-Mayor Tom Murphy sought a bailout and began downsizing government to pay the bills. (Trib, Bob Bauder)

We didn't get the taxing power we sought, but does anybody think city leaders would have made those cuts and avoided bonded debt for so long without the overseers? Very hard to imagine. Anyway, the story quotes a former mayor's budget director, which is like, wow. Richard Hofstadter over here.

The apparent failure of Longvue and a residential development in Mt. Lebanon highlight risks inherent in projects backed by tax-increment financing plans, and they could cost state taxpayers at least $7.3 million.

Such plans can expose taxpayer dollars to unnecessary risk in financing housing developments when builders could use federal or nonprofit housing assistance programs, said Sabina Deitrick, associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. (Trib, Jeremy Boren)

That one quotes a nonpartisan and acclaimed academic on a matter of fiscal policy. Wowee wow wow.

The city of Pittsburgh has said it must install new and bigger sewer pipes, separate lines for sewage and stormwater and add a 6 million gallon holding tank to address stormwater problems. Good says the city’s cost will be between $100 million and $200 million.

“The city’s plans could change. We are holding meetings, at the request of the mayor, to incorporate more green technology,” he said. (Trib, Rick Wills)

The relationship between the City, PWSA, Alcosan and affairs like the Monroeville Municipal Authority is probably too nuanced to comprehend. Interesting that 3 Rivers Wet Weather was affiliated here with the Allegheny Conference, whereas elsewhere it is described as Alcosan's childe or even John Schombert's courageous initiative.

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And now for our premium content:

"They are literally creating a gated community in the Strip District," Mr. Dowd said. (P-G, Joe Smydo)

You see what he did there? He just screamed, "GENTRIFICATION!" without unduly upsetting people who fear that means squashing growth, yet not alienating others who might appreciate a good gentrification argument if they had any earthly idea what that $10 word means.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority said Mr. Dowd's assertions are "overstated." (ibid)

Yeah well, that's not the point. This is like watching Mario Lemieux stick handle, or Newt Gingrich talk about health care.

"This is not public property that Buncher is taking from the city to turn into something private," the authority noted. "Just the opposite is true; this is private property owned by Buncher that they have gone to extensive lengths to provide public access to, so that the national/international draw of the Strip District also includes a robust riverfront experience as a significant amenity." (ibid)

This really can not be emphasized enough. Schenley High School, the Civic Arena, the North Shore, even Market Square -- this was all public land where the question could more sensibly and righteously be asked, "What shall we as a people create here? What do we want to get out of our common investment?"

Croft, Gulliver's Travels

But when we're talking about Donzi's Landing that question becomes, "What sort of business or charity do we think we can try to force this guy into?" Dude's family owned the land before the Riverlife Task Force was even a thing. He can hold onto it for another twenty or thirty years if he wants, and is probably prepared to do so. It's only going to get more valuable, sitting there barren.

Or we can see $30 million extra annually in tax revenue for schools and roads and transit, thousands of new jobs, hundreds of new families, countless new consumers, clients, diners, patients and patrons -- yes, for the old Strip as well. It's merely a matter of personal opinion. Many people bear subjective, irrational preferences for growth: to do more business, to see their children remain close.

Anyway, dismounting the soap box. If you are getting the feeling of history repeating itself, you are probably right. The Pittsburgh Comet should not be the only one effectively communicating the case for this development. It didn't work with the parking lease and it's not going to work now. Is the Allegheny Riverfront Vision dead? It's starting to smell that way.

Once again -- on a central and transformational agenda item -- Patrick Dowd somehow made it halfway around the world before Luke had a chance to get his pants on.

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Editorialists Not Ready for Good News Just Yet

People Magazine

Hilarious:

Timing is everything, and when it comes to releasing the city of Pittsburgh from oversight by its Act 47 state coordinators, it's not time. (P-G Edit Board)

Quite.

BONUS CONTENT:

Mr. [Jack] Wagner said he's still seriously considering a run for mayor. (P-G, Joe Smydo)

I actually had a chance to follow up on this, and can report that "seriously considering" is merely a courtly understatement. This is going to be an unprecedented hootenanny. Non-affiliated and cross-affiliated operatives as well as revolutionaries would be wise to find excuses to stay on sidelines for as long as possible; aspiring operatives will have to choose with excruciating care and confidence.

BONUS-BONUS CONTENT: A Day in the life of Rich Fitzgerald (Pop, Elaine LaBalme)

Wednesday: Schenley High School, Storm Water Strategery and UPMC

Fresh, Hip and Healthy, A. Enyati

Indian summer! Get it while it's hot!

1. The folks dahn PURE Reform way are circulating a petition:

The appropriate remedy at this time is for the Board to investigate whether information was withheld [from them] and to obtain a clear statement as to the extent of asbestos in [Schenley High School's] plaster and a corrected estimate for renovation. The amount spent to move students on an "emergency" basis should also be specified.

Read some background on Schenley from July's City Paper. I for one could not sign this thing fast enough. Sure, an investigation might come back negative -- but you never know until you look.

Pittsburgh is probably too small and too neighborly a town for its School Board to actually go ahead and "investigate" its administration. But if information was withheld from members who later only voted 5-4 to close the school, and tearfully at that, that is a practice we must strongly discourage on general principle.

On an unrelated note, you might not want to do anything too dramatic with that school building through the end of the year. Get your head around that fact and look alive.

2. A few "little" green storm water projects are starting to spring up...

As impatient as a hungry raccoon, I always think "little by little" means "too little by too little" when I hear about another small, sustainable solution to our wildly expensive and massive problems. (P-G, Diana Nelson Jones)

In addition to that particular synagogue in Squirrel Hill minding their own property, State Rep. Dan Frankel announced yesterday a small, state loan-financed project to plant a rain garden near to a very well-trafficked intersection in Squirrel Hill, and to install some green drainage features to Schenley Park.

And then along came this:

 "These projects" referenced in Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner's tweet link to this article which again highlights the Schenley Park work, but groups it with a collection of mostly "distributive gray"-sounding projects.

Remember that anything "funded by Alcosan" will in fact be funded by its rate payers in the final analysis. To "set aside" or "reserve" half of one percent of total borrowing for "deep gray" to pay for green is certainly a modest adjustment -- but it might be more colloquial to think of these as "over and above" costs.

Unless -- however and unless -- unless greenlings can buy enough time for storm water efficiencies along county roads, county parks, county airports and county hospitals (as well as local projects from any parties who might wish to "step up") to be predicted, tabulated and (ahem) "worked into" the present Alcosan deep gray drafts? In terms of gaining that necessary time, remember even the "recommended" and somewhat affordable draft option which Alcosan hopes will satisfy federal regulators... does not itself satisfy federal regulations. Yet an entirely green plan out of Philadelphia somehow did.

But let's back way up. The need for time to develop transformational measures might be illusory. Is the true goal for green political activists to systematically improve,  to make more cost-efficient or sustainable the region's storm water strategy? Or is it to grab enough projects on a scale of the one in Schenley Park to keep their backers placated? Because those are entirely different poker games.

3. I just can't believe Brian O'Neill made it all the way through this column on the struggle with "nonprofits" without mentioning "U.P.M.C." once. He's a better man than I.

And then there's this:

Pittsburgh could serve as a model for the rest of the state in determining how much money tax-exempt nonprofits should pay for city services each year, one of the city’s financial overseers said Monday.

In a meeting with Tribune-Review editors and reporters, Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority Chairman Dana Yealy said the mayor holds the key to the success of a task force that will consider the question. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl must appoint a chairman who can “look the nonprofits in the eye and say, ‘It’s time for us to think about this differently,’ ” Yealy said. (Trib, Bob Bauder)

I've never had much luck using psychodynamics with Our Mayor, Dana, but go right ahead.

Carbolic Smoke Ball

Notice again though we are talking about "the nonprofits" like the Feds have the joint bugged and we're gambling over "boxes of ziti". It may be true, we all usually manage to remember that when we talk about "the nonprofits", we're really talking about "eds and meds."

But when we talk about "eds and meds", do we remember that there are a whole lot more "meds" than "eds"? And that "meds" are even more profitable by comparison? And do we remember that for all intents and purposes, we really only have one "med", just one single "med" of any significant size, one hospital system?

Mr. Ravenstahl said that UPMC is not "out of the equation," but he has considered excusing them in light of their $10 million annual pledge to the Pittsburgh Promise of college aid to public school graduates. (Dec. 22, 2009)

Maybe it's a matter of appointing the right chair person to the right task force. I'm open to that.
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The Comet is not even going to dignify this dull account of a secret government study portending huge cost increases and on a politically nuclear issue with an analysis.

"Green" storm water strategies attract interest. But what can be done, now?

WDUQ, Mark Nootbar: Fitzgerald 'Suprised' by County Vote

The next and potentially decisive phase in a billions-dollar, court-ordered Pittsburgh regional sewers overhaul is scheduled to take place on January 30.

"The EPA has not given any indication that it's open to delay," warned Arletta Scott Williams, executive director of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (Alcosan). It has spent fourteen years preparing for massive upgrades of its systems, and six years drafting conventional "gray" construction plans to capture surface waters prior to treatment.

"We really need to see creativity and leadership," urges Merritt Busierre, a researcher for the Clean Rivers Campaign, a group that has been active for the last year in urging widespread adoption of the sorts of "green" measures (permeable pavements, bioswales, rain gardens etc.) that are elsewhere in various stages of development as part of EPA compliance strategies.

"We want to go with Alcosan to the EPA to get enough time to get as much green as we can in," stated Barney Oursler, executive director of Pittsburgh United, a coalition of labor, faith and environmental groups involved with that campaign.

Oursler also warned, "The EPA is not funding any more demonstration [green] projects."

That means it's time to cut out the show-and-tell -- to present only systemic-scale solutions.

Alcosan will be presenting before the EPA and a federal judge two versions of the "wet weather plan" it has completed with input from regional leaders. One is a $2 billion plan that would still be insufficiently compliant with health and safety regulations -- and is described as significantly painful to rate payers. The other is a $3.6 billion plan that would be fully compliant with the regulations, but is described as tremendously painful to rate payers.

"We need to show how we can capture the millions of gallons of water," in a storm event, insist Alcosan officials. "We catch what is sent to us."

The Alcosan plans are both "gray" in that they rely heavily on new underground construction -- mainly in the form of seven large regional catch basins or "tunnels".

There is as yet no "green" plan anywhere to provide an alternative -- only aspirations and frameworks based on what other cities have done or are presently pursuing through likewise court-mandated processes. Some of these models are more relevant to Pittsburgh's situation than others due to differences in climate, topography and political geography.

Janus Films, Rotten Tomatoes

The question remains: along what axises will parties and officials seek to negotiate and litigate with the Environmental Protection Agency?

Any so-called "green" plan would be only marginally "less gray", its proponents readily clarify. A large proportion of new sewer construction would still be needed to fully capture and reroute even moderately intense seasonal downpour or snowfall -- preventing flow into our sewage system and causing the present combined system to overflow into our rivers.

Green advocates draw a distinction between "deep gray" and "distributive gray," suggesting more of an emphasis on the latter in any ideal "green/grey" plan.

"There is more construction to be done with green infrastructure and distributive gray, rather than deep gray, and more permanent jobs" in the maintaining of it, asserts Oursler. "And more of that money is spent locally."

Yet the distinction suggests that to cost-engineer or retrofit Alcosan's "deep gray" plans to any modified "green/grey" framework might comprise less an adaptation and more of a return to square one.

The financing of one centralized plan as well may provide cost efficiencies and be easier to plan for than scores and scores of locally grown projects, say its proponents. Yet to green activists, that is all also money that is goes "elsewhere"-- to larger banks and financial services firms rather than to communities.

"How are they going to get the funding for it?" Williams asked about any brand new, greener study or plan which might emerge.

Alcosan organized 3 Rivers Wet Weather six years ago precisely to assemble engineering data, local government input, and to lobby for the funding to produce its draft overhauls.

"The first time we got a call about 'green' was in about October of last year," Nancy Barylak, a spokesperson for Alcosan said. That is about the time Oursler and Tom Hoffman of Clean Water Action joined its Regional Stakeholders Committee, which had been meeting quarterly.

"We were still at the point of building organizational capacity," describes Oursler of efforts early in through 2012. "Rich Fitzgerald was just getting into this, he was council president" before winning election as Allegheny County executive and earning responsibility for Alcosan board appointments and County policy.

In response to the question of what County Executive Fitzgerald means when he says he wants to "fight" for green infrastructure, one Alcosan official said, "That's a good question."

Alcosan and Allegheny County government's basic capacity to enforce sufficient "green" storm water measures across the region is a concern. With 130 separate municipalities in control of their own zoning and development, refusal by some to participate will result in the need to capture all that storm water anyway, which inevitably winds up in Alcosan systems.

Incentive measures such as the creation of a stormwater district or adjustable water rates could eventually generate revenue as well as encourage "green" behavior, but Alcosan director Williams insisted that "the conversation and willingness to even accept the problem rests at the municipal level."

Examples from other cities facing stormwater consent decrees is a mixed bag. Portland, OR benefited from a notoriously progressive political culture, but also features different soil challenges related to its freeze / thaw cycle. Philadelphia, PA benefits from having a fully consolidated countywide government, making the two challenges almost incomparable. Cleveland OH, which has been touted by Pittsburgh environmental advocates lately, seems to include more similarities -- but Cuyahoga County may be more solidly Democratic and receptive to environmental appeals across the board than is Allegheny.

On the flip side, these examples from other regions all seem to indicate that these federal storm water mandates can be a lengthy process, with ongoing points of negotiation -- making it noteworthy that neither present Alcosan plan is destined to be a smash hit with both ratepayers and regulators.

P-G, Joe Smydo

What the advocates for greener local solutions cannot afford to do in January -- if indeed they mean to move forward against these headwinds at all -- is show up empty-handed. A reasonable facsimile of a framework for developing a comprehensive draft plan for "green infrastructure" will have to be palpable, demonstrably underway, credibly researched, as well as delivered on official stationary.

One official who is exceptionally well-positioned to provide guidance on whether or not to pursue these matters happens to be Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb. As a board member of 3 Rivers Wet Weather, Lamb would be able to lend credence to, point out any blind-spots in, or suggest and rule out methods of jockeying around with the current "gray" plans. Furthermore as Controller, his joint audit of Alcosan in 1999 (pdf) spotlighted several significant compliance issues with contractor and consultant disclosures and justifications, to which he could now provide assurances of improvement or speak of how such matters might ever have been related. With a hinted-at mayoral run around the corner, Lamb would have all the reason in the world to demonstrate leadership and vision on a consequential issue.

"Our documentation and procedures are now in full compliance with rules and policies," Barylak said of Alcosan since the joint city-county audit.
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CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Alcosan must submit draft plans to regulators by Jan. 23, 2013. The correct date is Jan. 30. The Comet regrets the error.