The Reader Beat: City Council Notes from Feb. 5, 2025

The following are our notes taken during the City Council meeting held on Feb. 5 at 9 a.m.

• An ordinance for a sum of $100,000 to provide grants to low and moderate income homeowners for repairs and improvements was passed 6-0. 
• An ordinance in the sum of $1 million dollars from a grant from the DOJ encouraging an innovation program for auto theft enforcement and prevention was passed 6-0.
• An ordinance in the sum of $81, 889 from a grant from the DOJ for the JAG program and related police equipment was passed 6-0.
• An ordinance in the sum of $1 million of ARP funding to supply the capital improvement fund was passed 6-0.
• A first reading of an ordinance in the sum of $15,000 from the Mercy Terrace Apartments for the use of Police, Fire, and Streets was adopted on first reading 6-0.
• A first reading of an ordinance in the sum of $200,000 from a Pennsylvania State 902 Recycling Grant was adopted on first reading 6-0. 
• Council Member Kathleen Schaaf appointed Tywonn Tyree Taylor Sr. to the Blight Property Review Commission for a two-year term. 

Public comments covered concerns with the Trump administration on issues of federal funding, immigration, and the rights of transgender individuals. City Council Member Ed Brzezinski announced that the Erie-Western PA Port Authority will host meetings open to the public on how to address and develop the former Erie Coke Site. The Meetings will take place on February 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the East Middle School cafeteria and February 20 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Erie Center for Arts and Technology respectively. 

Before the meeting adjourned, Erie City Controller Teresa Stankiewicz read the statement Mayor Joe Schember made on Thursday January 30 concerning ICE raids in Erie, stating that the Erie Police Department is not working with ICE and that they are not aware of any planned sweeps by ICE.