title
Ordinance repealing and re-enacting the Pittsburgh Code, Title Two, Fiscal, Article Five, Special Funds, Chapter 237, Stop the Violence Fund, to restructure the Chapter, further set forth the Steering Committee, and to define Community-Based Organizations, Extreme-Need or High-Need Community and to establish guidelines for disbursement of funds.
body
The Council of the City of Pittsburgh hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances, Title Two, Fiscal, Article Five, Special Funds, Chapter 237, Stop the Violence Fund, is hereby repealed and re-enacted as follows:
[§ 237.01. Definitions.
(a) SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAM - As defined by this subsection, an agency which provides intervention, mediation, violence prevention or necessary supportive services which aid in reducing criminal activity by at-risk populations in the City, and when appropriate, surrounding communities;
(b) City Council finds that financially supporting programs and social service programs that prevent violence and criminal activity in the City of Pittsburgh is an express public purpose, one which more than justifies the use of the City's public moneys.
§ 237.02. Establishment of the "Stop the Violence Fund." [Ord. No. 25-2020, § 1, eff. 7-31-2020; Ord. No. 37-2020, § 1, eff. 11-19-2020; Ord. No. 40-2021, § 1, eff. 11-1-2021; Ord.
No. 35-2023, § 1, eff. 12-16-2023]
(a) The Stop the Violence Fund ("Fund") shall be created by the Office of Management and Budget as a separate fund for the purpose of supporting services and programs that prevent violence and criminal activities. The City may appropriate revenue and the Fund may receive monies from other sources as deemed appropriate by the Office of Equity or other Department as designated by the Mayor, consistent with the purposes set forth in this Chapter.
(b) It is the intent of the City Council that a fully capitalized Fund have allocated to it an amount matching a certain percentage of the total annual City budget allocation of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, up until $10 million dollars, as set forth in the following schedule:
(1) Budget Year 2021: Five Percent (5%);
(2) Budget Year 2022: Six Percent (6%);
(3) Budget Year 2023: Seven Percent (7%);
(4) Budget Year 2024: Eight Percent (8%);
(5) Budget Year 2025: Nine Percent (9%);
(6) Budget Year 2026 (and thereafter): Ten Percent (10%)
(c) For purposes of this section, the total annual City budget allocation of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police shall not include local, state, or federal grants awarded and allocated to the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
(d) The Stop The Violence Steering Committee shall advise in the selection and distribution of funding to community health and safety programs.
(e) The dedication of any revenue must be consistent with applicable law and fiscal planning including the City's annual five-year plan. Unless Council approves a dedicated source of
annual funding, the actual amount of funds appropriated pursuant to this Chapter shall be contingent upon annual appropriation of Council.
§ 237.03. Uses and Restrictions of the Stop the Violence Fund. [Ord. No. 40-2021, § 1, eff. 11-1-2021; Ord. No. 32-2022, § 1, eff. 1-1-2023; Ord. No. 2-2023, §§ 1, 2, eff. 4-6-2023; Ord.
No. 35-2023, § 2, eff. 12-16-2023; Ord. No. 18-2024, eff. 9-5-2024]
(a) The City Controller is authorized and directed to create a special trust fund to be entitled the "STOP THE VIOLENCE TRUST FUND" for the purpose of accepting and depositing funds from internal and external sources and the expenditure of those funds for related expenses including, but not limited to, salaries, supplies, materials, professional services, equipment and other services in connection with the City of Pittsburgh's Office of Community Health and Safety and the Office of Community Services and Violence Prevention.
(b) The Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Public Safety, are hereby authorized to provide for the payment of expenses for the purposes outlined herein.
(c) It is the intention of the City Council that the Fund be used exclusively for the purposes set forth in this Chapter. Therefore, any assets remaining in the Fund at the end of any fiscal year shall be carried into the next fiscal year, including all interest and income earned, as well as any repayments or forfeitures of expenditures and/or grants.
(d) A minimum of fifty (50) percent of the annual budgeted expenditures from the fund shall be allocated to outside community-based, non-governmental organizations, including up to twenty (20) percent of the total fund allocation for eviction prevention for tenants at or below eighty percent (80%) of the area median income. It is the intention of the City Council that the funds for eviction prevention be used exclusively for the following purposes:
(1) Providing landlord-tenant mediation and related services for tenants facing housing instability
(2) Resource navigation for access to services including, but not limited to, rental assistance for tenants facing housing instability or eviction proceedings
(3) Free legal representation shall be offered to tenants who are facing eviction proceedings in court
(e) A maximum of ten (10) percent may be used to support the Department of Parks and Recreation.
(f) The City of Pittsburgh Stop the Violence Trust Fund shall require an annual authorization of proposed expenditures. The annual authorizing resolution may authorize the issuance of requests for proposals, estimates, bids, cost projections, and other allowable contracting procedures pursuant to Chapter 161 of the City Code for each project.
(g) In addition to any other reporting requirements of the administrators, the Mayor's designee under Chapter 237, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Director of the Department of Public Safety ("the administrators") are hereby directed to utilize the reporting forms approved by City Council Resolution to ensure proper and legal use of said funds by the grantees.
(h) City Council will receive all grantees' completed approved reporting forms for Council's review at the end of the grant period.]
Article V. Special Funds
CHAPTER 237 Stop the Violence Fund
§ 237.01. Purpose.
City Council finds that financially supporting programs and social service programs that prevent violence and criminal activity in the City of Pittsburgh is an express public purpose, one which more than justifies the use of the City's public moneys. Further, City Council recognizes the urgent need to address gun violence as a public health crisis, particularly in historically disadvantaged communities impacted by decades of disinvestment and recent federal funding cuts. It is the intent of the City of Pittsburgh to utilize a comprehensive public health approach to reduce violence, promote community safety, and ensure equitable opportunities for all Pittsburgh residents. Furthermore, the City is adopting the goal of reducing deaths and serious injuries resulting from gun violence to zero and endorsing strategies, including this ordinance, to achieve this goal.
§ 237.02 Definitions.
(a) SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAM - As defined by this subsection, an organization which provides intervention, mediation, violence prevention or necessary supportive services which aid in reducing criminal activity by at-risk populations in the City, and when appropriate, surrounding communities;
(b) STEERING COMMITTEE - The nine-member advisory body described in Section 237.04 of this Chapter.
(c) COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION - An organization that meets the following criteria:
(1) 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in good standing with the state of Pennsylvania, or have affiliation with a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation in good standing with the state of Pennsylvania via a Memorandum of Understanding;
(2) Adopted bylaws and a Conflict-of-Interest Policy to ensure transparency and ethical operations;
(3) Registered business address is located within an Extreme-Need or High-Need community in the City of Pittsburgh to ensure that funds are directly benefiting the target communities;
(4) Organizational leader (ex: Executive Director, President and CEO) is a resident of an Extreme-Need or High-Need community to ensure community leadership and understanding of local needs;
(5) Past experience serving communities impacted by gun violence to demonstrate a track record of effective service delivery; and
(6) Cannot be a private foundation under Section 509 (a).
(d) EXTREME-NEED OR HIGH-NEED COMMUNITY - A Neighborhood identified by the Allegheny County Community Need Index (CNI) with such designation based on the following measures:
(1) Percentage of families living below the federal poverty line
(2) Percentage of males ages 20 through 64 who are unemployed or unattached to the labor force. Adjusted to 25 through 64 in tracts with significant college or graduate student enrollment.
(3) Percentage of individuals ages 25 and older without a bachelor’s degree or more
(4) Percentage of households with related children under 18 and headed by a single parent
(5) Percentage of households without access to the internet at home or on a cellular device
(6) Average rate of homicides per 100,000 residents
(7) Average rate of fatal overdoses per 100,000 residents, whether drug or alcohol induced and regardless of manner of death
§ 237.03. Establishment of the "Stop the Violence Fund."
(a) The Stop the Violence Fund ("Fund") shall be created by the Office of Management and Budget as a separate fund for the purpose of supporting services and programs that prevent violence and criminal activities. The City may appropriate revenue and the Fund may receive monies from other sources as deemed appropriate by the Office of Equity or other Department as designated by the Mayor, consistent with the purposes set forth in this Chapter.
(b) It is the intent of the City Council that a fully capitalized Fund have allocated to it an amount matching a certain percentage of the total annual City budget allocation of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, up until $10 million dollars, as set forth in the following schedule:
(1) Budget Year 2021: Five Percent (5%);
(2) Budget Year 2022: Six Percent (6%);
(3) Budget Year 2023: Seven Percent (7%);
(4) Budget Year 2024: Eight Percent (8%);
(5) Budget Year 2025: Nine Percent (9%);
(6) Budget Year 2026 (and thereafter): Ten Percent (10%)
(c) For purposes of this section, the total annual City budget allocation of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police shall not include local, state, or federal grants awarded and allocated to the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
(d) The dedication of any revenue must be consistent with applicable law and fiscal planning including the City's annual five-year plan. Unless Council approves a dedicated source of annual funding, the actual amount of funds appropriated pursuant to this Chapter shall be contingent upon annual appropriation of Council.
(e) It is the intent of this Chapter that the trust fund provide net new resources for violence prevention in the City of Pittsburgh, and that the fund not be used to substitute or supplant existing resources.
§ 237.04. Steering Committee.
(a) Role. The Stop the Violence Steering Committee shall advise in the selection and distribution of funding to community health and safety programs. The Committee shall operate in accordance with bylaws and procedures developed by the Office of Community Services and Violence Prevention (OCSVP) and shall meet, at minimum, on a monthly basis to review violence trends, develop scope of work recommendations, and select awardees for funding distribution. The Committee will also review and approve an Annual Allocation Plan (AAP).
(b) Composition. The Stop the Violence Trust Fund Steering Committee shall be comprised of the following voting members:
(1) At least three (3) representatives from the Mayor’s Office who, through the course of their work, engage with communities impacted by gun violence.
(2) Three (3) representatives from City Council representing communities impacted by gun violence.
(3) One (1) representative from the Office of Management and Budget.
(4) One (1) Stop the Violence Grants Coordinator, or a representative designated by the Assistant Director, Community Affairs, Public Safety.
(5) One (1) Assistant Director, Community Affairs, Public Safety, or an analogous position.
(c) Responsibilities. The Stop the Violence Trust Fund Steering Committee shall have the following responsibilities:
(1) Review monthly reports from the OCSVP regarding awardees, violence trends, and community needs.
(2) Develop Scope of Work recommendations to address emergent, dynamic trends and support violence prevention efforts in historically disadvantaged communities impacted by gun violence.
(3) Select awardees for funding distribution based on established criteria and alignment with the goals of this Chapter and the City's comprehensive public health approach to violence prevention.
(4) Review and approve an Annual Allocation Plan (AAP) to outline the types of programs, projects, and activities that are eligible for Fund investment in accordance with this Section.
(d) Administration. The Office of Community Services and Violence Prevention (OCSVP) shall provide administrative support to the Stop the Violence Trust Fund Steering Committee, including:
(1) Developing and maintaining bylaws and procedures to govern the committee's work.
(2) Preparing and distributing monthly reports on violence trends and community needs.
(3) Developing meeting agendas and materials.
§ 237.05. Authorization and Intention
The City Controller is authorized and directed to create a special trust fund to be entitled the "STOP THE VIOLENCE TRUST FUND" for the purpose of accepting and depositing funds from internal and external sources and the expenditure of those funds for related expenses including, but not limited to, salaries, supplies, materials, professional services, equipment and other services in connection with the City of Pittsburgh's Office of Community Health and Safety and the Office of Community Services and Violence Prevention.
(a) The Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Public Safety, are hereby authorized to provide for the payment of expenses for the purposes outlined herein.
(b) It is the intention of the City Council that the Fund be used exclusively for the purposes set forth in this Chapter. Therefore, any assets remaining in the Fund at the end of any fiscal year shall be carried into the next fiscal year, including all interest and income earned, as well as any repayments or forfeitures of expenditures.
§ 237.06 Disbursement of Fund Assets.
(a) Funding Allocation. The assets in the fund are to be allocated as follows:
(1) Outside Community-Based, Non-Governmental Organizations. A minimum of fifty (50) percent of the annual budgeted expenditures from the fund shall be allocated to outside community-based, non-governmental organizations, including:
i. $1.5M annually to six community-based organizations with experience in community-level convening, strategic planning, and youth development programming to serve as community anchors and assist in partnership with the City of Pittsburgh the overall coordination of violence prevention efforts in the six (6) police zones of Pittsburgh.
ii. Up to twenty-five (25%) percent for community-based organizations providing trauma informed community services, including, but not limited to: crisis response, mental and behavioral health, substance abuse, homelessness, reentry/diversion services, and trauma support.
iii. Up to forty-five (45) percent for community-based organizations providing direct violence prevention and intervention programming, including, but not limited to: group violence intervention/community violence intervention, youth programming, K-12 educational supports, food access, athletic development, community engagement, and family support.
iv. Up to thirty (30) percent for community-based organizations to address poverty and drive economic growth, including, but not limited to: community revitalization, housing and commercial development, better employment opportunities, and successful businesses.
(2) Department of Parks and Recreation. A maximum of ten (10) percent may be used to support the Department of Parks and Recreation.
(3) Office of Community Health and Safety, Office of Community Services and Violence Prevention. A maximum of forty (40) percent may be used to support the Office of Community Health and Safety, Office of Community Services and Violence Prevention.
(4) Measuring Outcomes, Building Capacity. Success of the City’s violence prevention strategy hinges on building an effective network of organizations working in a particular police zone or neighborhood. Long-term peace is contingent upon building the capacity of organizations within impacted communities. The City is committed to utilizing Fund assets to enhance community capacity for data collection and analysis to inform evidence-based strategies for violence prevention in the following areas:
i. Strategy Enhancement and Consistency
ii. Organization Collaboration and Communication
iii. Developing Organizational Capacity in Administration and Reporting
(5) Eviction Prevention. A minimum of five (5) percent, but in no case more than twenty (20) percent, of the total fund allocation may be used for eviction prevention for tenants at or below eighty percent (80%) of the area median income. It is the intention of the City Council that the funds for eviction prevention be used exclusively for the following purposes:
i. Providing landlord-tenant mediation and related services for tenants facing housing instability
ii. Resource navigation for access to services including, but not limited to, rental assistance for tenants facing housing instability or eviction proceedings
iii. Free legal representation shall be offered to tenants who are facing eviction proceedings in court
(b) Annual Allocation Plan (AAP). The City of Pittsburgh Stop the Violence Trust Fund shall require an annual authorization of proposed expenditures. The AAP shall set the following priorities for the investment of Fund assets:
(1) Investing in community-based organizations with relationships, sensitivity, and culturally relevant experience in reducing violence as a credible messenger with communities impacted by gun violence.
(2) Supporting programs that address the root causes of violence, such as poverty, lack of opportunity, and trauma.
(3) Promoting collaboration and coordination among City agencies, community organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive and integrated approach to violence prevention.
(4) All programs, projects, and activities funded by the Fund shall adhere to the City's Equal Opportunity policies.
(5) All programs, projects, and activities funded by the Fund shall prioritize serving residents of Extreme-Need and High-Need Communities.
(c) Open and Competitive Selection Process. All funds dispersed to community-based organizations, will be distributed through an open and competitive selection process. The annual authorizing resolution may authorize the issuance of requests for proposals, estimates, bids, cost projections, and other allowable contracting procedures pursuant to Chapter 161 of the City Code for each project.
(d) Data-Informed Approach. The ability to trace problems to root causes, experiment with innovative solutions, and focus attention, time, and resources on things that work depends on collecting, analyzing, and being guided by the right data. The City will use a data-informed approach developed by the Office of Community Services and Violence Prevention to identify areas of intervention in both a proactive and reactive approach.
§ 237.07. Measuring Outcomes: Tracking and Reporting.
(a) In addition to any other reporting requirements of the administrators, the Mayor's designee under Chapter 237, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Director of the Department of Public Safety ("the administrators") are hereby directed to utilize the reporting forms approved by City Council Resolution to ensure proper and legal use of said funds by the grantees.
(b) City Council will receive all grantees' completed approved reporting forms for Council's review at the end of the grant period.
§ 237.08. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect upon enactment.