Pittsburgh City Council unanimously passed the The Neighborhood First Capital Budget Reform Act (Bill 2010-0596). Some highlights are that it

• Clearly defines Capital Budget, Capital Expenditure, Capital Program, and Capital Project
• Creates the Capital Program Facilitation Committee (CPFC) as an advisory committee to the mayor and council
  • CFPC will have 5 Community Representative
  • Will prepare an annual reconciliation of Capital Project accounts
  • Calls for the City in conjunction with the CPFC, to produce and make public quarterly financial reports on the status of the Capital Program
  • CPFC and the Mayor will hold at least 4 public meetings, at times conducive to participation by low-and moderate-income people (after 6:00pm) at least 30 days before the deadline for submitting the Capital Program to City Council
  • There will be a public comment period at this meeting for comments on the quarterly financial reports
  • CPFC will seek written public comments concerning capital needs and priorities for inclusion in the annual budget
• Makes an important distinction -  "This section shall be interpreted to mean that the Mayor's and City Council's public budget meetings shall be an addition to the City's federally mandated Community Development Block Grant public hearing or public meetings, not held in concurrence with them."

Representatives of B-PEP and REMP were key players in meeting with Councilman Rev. Ricky Burgess and Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak in helping to write this legislation, along with our partners in the Disability Rights Network, the North Side Fair Housing Coalition, and the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group (PCRG).

B-PEP has been a lead organization in fighting for an expanded opportunity for citizens to have input in the process to appoint new members to the Citizen Police Review Board (CPRB).  B-PEP, with partners such as the Black and White Reunion and the Alliance for Police Accountability, advocated for holding up the appointment process which was initiated by certain Council members in the Mayor in mid-June.  B-PEP representatives met with Council members in an eleventh hour to strongly encourage Council to NOT pass the proposed compromise legislation of Council members Lavelle, Dowd and Shields scheduled for Tuesday, July 27th.  B-PEP was successful and got Council to re-introduce the finalized legislation on Wednesday, June 28th and to allow community input through the morning of August 2, 2010. Because of this work there will now be a revised code in place as to how CPRB members will be nominated and confirmed in the future.