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WHERAS, the City of Pittsburgh and the greater Southwestern Pennsylvania region has the highest concentration of significant slope and embankment failures with at least 15,000 landslides documented in the region's history; and
WHEREAS, landslides are a natural and human-enticed occurrence that continues to affect our region, and yet these devastating incidents are not entirely covered by the Commonwealth's Mine Subsidence Insurance Programs; and
WHEREAS, the City of Pittsburgh recently convened an important information session to highlight the magnitude of the problem and to discuss strategies; and
WHEREAS, while City Council recently adopted legislation to allot $200,000 for "the investigation, design, construction and/or remediation for critical slope failures throughout the city," projected annual costs for landslide repair is estimated around $6 million in the current fiscal year alone; and,
WHEREAS, due to well known fiscal restraints of the City of Pittsburgh, and the absence of necessary operating and capital funds in the future, a program for relief needs to be established expeditiously.
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh hereby supports and encourages swift passage of SB 364 and HB 215 to provide a long term mitigation plan for the remediation of landslides for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the greater Southwestern Pennsylvania region, thus ensuring a grant program, insurance for "any owner of a structure located within a landslide-prone region," and a revolving loan program.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Clerk forward a copy of this resolution to the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
SPONSORED BY TWANDA CARLISLE