CIMS | City Information Management System

News and Updates

Happy 4^th of July from District 7

District 7 would like to wish all residents a happy and safe 4^th of July and remind them that the District 7 office, as well as all City of Pittsburgh offices, will be closed on the 4^th.

Buncher Development, The Lower Strip, and District 7

As the Chairperson for City Council’s Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs, Councilman Dowd has held legislation that would approve the largest Tax Increment Financing (TIF) project in Pittsburgh’s history. The Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority and the project developer, the Buncher Company, must provide a complete plan for how public funds will be spent.

The TIF plan, which would help fund a proposed massive redevelopment in the Lower Strip District, is worth $50 million in public financing. As of yet, only $9.5 million of spending has been specified in the project’s final plan proposed for Council discussion. The District 7 office has compiled a number of media stories covering Councilman Dowd’s holding of the legislation. District 7 has also collected official documents from Buncher and the URA that Councilman Dowd has sought for public release, as well as two letters written by Councilman Dowd. Both letters outline the Councilman’s concerns over the lack of guidelines and terms of the current TIF proposal as well as their impact on already heavy industrial truck traffic in Lawrenceville. All items can be found on the District 7 webpage.

Help Stop Mosquito Breeding in Yards and Neighborhoods

While late June and early July usually signal warm weather and outdoor fun, the summer season is also the highpoint for mosquito breeding. Mosquitoes can carry a variety of diseases, one of the most serious of which is the West Nile virus. In light of this, the Allegheny County Health Department offers these tips to curb mosquito-breeding and fend off mosquitoes:

● Get rid of items that hold water -- tires, buckets, flowerpots, junk piles and cans.

● Clean out roof gutters and storm drains.

● Fill in depressions on your lawn to prevent accumulation of water.

● Repair leaky outdoor faucets that can create a pool of stagnant water.

More prevention tips can be found at the Allegheny County Health Department website.

June Proclamations

During the month of June, Councilman Dowd presented the following proclamations to City Council for approval:

Sharon Needles, of Bloomfield, for her victory on the nationally syndicated television show RuPaul’s Drag Race, as well as her commitment to being an outspoken anti-bullying advocate for LGBT youth.

Malika Fields, of Stanton Heights, for being crowned Miss Ebony Teenage Queen. Miss Fields is a student at Pittsburgh’s CAPA high school and is interested in pursuing a career in broadcast journalism.

Upcoming Events and Meetings

Council to Go

Join Councilman Patrick Dowd and his staff at Council to Go, his mobile district office, to voice your concerns, ideas, and questions about local government and services.

Polish Hill – Wednesday, July 11, 7:00pm-8:00pm - Polish Hill Civic Association, 3060 Brereton St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Bloomfield – Tuesday, July 17^th, 7:00pm-8:00pm - The Big Idea Bookstore, 4812 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15224

Highland Park – Thursday, July 26, 7:00pm-8:00pm - Enrico's Tazza D'Oro, 1125 N. Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Community Events

June 30^th, 11:00am-10:00pm, Arsenal Park in Lawrenceville – Come out and enjoy the fun with the 68^th Annual Forth of July Celebration presented by the Lawrenceville Fireworks Committee. This all day event promises to be fun for the whole family, including train rides, little league baseball, and an exotic animal show. End the night right by staying for fireworks, set to begin at 9:30pm.

July 7^th, 1:00pm – 11:00 pm – Looking for something new to do? Look no further than the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Parish Festival where there will be food, games, raffles, polka mass, polka dancing with Ray Jay and the Carousels. The festival will be held at the intersection of Brereton and Dobson streets in Polish Hill.

July 8^th, 12:00pm-9:00pm - The Polish Hill Arts Festival will host 30 artists and craft vendors with hands-on art activities for all ages. Festivities will be complete with live music throughout the day. Festival admission is free and food vendors will be on hand serving Polish, Thai, veggie and vegan food, as well as ice cream. More information and a list of performances is available on the festival information page.

Did You Know?

The origin of the term “Uncle Sam” can be traced back to 1812, when Samuel Wilson, a meat packer, shipped meat to U.S. soldiers during the War of 1812. The meat shipments were stamped with the initials, U.S. for “United States.” Soldiers joked that the initials stood for “Uncle Sam,” referring to the grub as "Uncle Sam's." Local newspapers picked up the story and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance as a nickname for the U.S. government still used today!