The Reader Beat: City Council Notes from April 16, 2025

I attended the City Council meeting at 6:30 p.m. on April 16. The council chambers were full of constituents, some there to express their concern about immigration and detainments in Erie. Specifically, some speakers referenced a video of a man being detained on Parade St. during a traffic stop and questioned if there was a possible collaboration between the Erie Police Department (EPD) and ICE agents. Carlos Mora referenced Erie's status as a Certified Welcoming City. "If we have decided as a community that Erie is a sanctuary city, we need to hold those values," Mora said. "Erie should not be cooperating with immigration enforcement under any circumstances." 

In a statement made by Mayor Joe Schember on Feb. 7, he asserted that "detention of immigrants is not the focus, nor the responsibility, of the (EPD)." Schember also stated that the EPD would be involved in instances of violent crimes. Following public comments, Vice President Tyler Titus urged Schember to discuss the concerns brought up in public comments with the EPD. During his report, Schember reaffirmed that the EPD does not help ICE go after individuals in Erie and requested that "if anybody has any specific instances of that occurring I'd like them to tell me about it and I'll go talk to the (Chief of Police) about it and find out what happened." Nelson and Witherspoon were absent. The meeting centered around the following ordinances. 

• An ordinance for the sum of $5,000,000 for upgrades to the expERIEnce Children's Museum Facility and pass-through funding provided from the PA Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) Grant was passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance for the sum of $80,000 from the Enterprise Zone Revolving Loan Fund for utilization in the Flagship/Commodore Fund was passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance determining to incur lease rental debt; evidenced by the guaranteed revenue bond in the maximum principal amount of $3,233,574 to be authorized and issued by Erie City Water Authority in connection with the construction, alteration and improvements to the public water distribution facilities in and about this city was passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance for the sum of $400,000 from the Liquid Fuels fund for the 2025 streets paving was passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance for the sum of $400,000.00 from the Paving and Sewer Revenue fund for the 2025 streets paving was passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance amending Article 101 by adding subsection 101 (c), authorizing a referendum on the question of studying the existing form of government and considering the advisability of the adoption of a home rule charter (essentially a local constitution) for the City of Erie was passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance amending the Codified Ordinances of the City of Erie, namely Article 951, Residential Refuse, by adding and/or amending certain subsections; to modify the refuse fees for properties with excessive garbage and/or waste; to update the refuse fees for properties with excessive garbage and/or waste; to enhance and improve the health, safety and welfare of residential properties; and to enhance and improve the quality of residential housing was passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance for the sum of $100,000 to provide for the purchase of LED lighting upgrades was passed unanimously. 

• An ordinance for the sum of $442,377.30 for expenditure from the Sewer Fund balance was adopted on first reading.
• An ordinance for the sum of $137,600 for the purchase of two traffic investigation vehicles and related equipment through the PA Department of Community & Economic Development Grant was adopted on first reading.
• An ordinance for the sum of $355,300 from the Unappropriated Fund balance in the Risk fund to be used to cover unexpected expenses was adopted on first reading.
• An ordinance amending the Codified Ordinance of the City of Erie Part One — Administrative Code, Title Seven — Employment Provisions; Pensions, Article 149. Firefighters' Pension Fund, by amending various provisions to comply with a recent Act 111 Award was adopted on first reading. 
• An ordinance amending and supplementing Article 354, Rental Housing, specifically to amend section 354.05 that established the rights and obligations of the owners and occupants of rental housing in the City of Erie; in particular the rights under federal, state, and local laws that apply to the landlord-tenant relationship was adopted on first reading.