The Reader Beat: City Council Notes from February 4, 2026

Following our notes taken during the city council meeting on Feb. 4.

I attended the City Council meeting on Feb. 4 at 9 a.m. Councilman Brzezinski was absent. During public comments, constituent Freda Tepfer urged council to make sure there is no collaboration with ICE enforcement activities. The City Council held a public hearing to designate the Erie Cemetery a Historic Site. Matthew Falcone, the city's historic preservation planner, explained that the cemetery holds historic significance through having the first woman, Emma Hay, to serve as a superintendent of a cemetery. The cemetery also has visual prominence in Little Italy and Erie as a whole, Falcone said. The meeting addressed the following ordinances and resolutions: 

• An ordinance amending the International Building Code (IBC) for new construction along with the accessibility provisions contained in the 2021 Existing International Existing Building Code (IEBC), the 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC), and/or the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) as adopted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on Jan. 1, 2026 passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance of the city council determining to incur lease rental debt; evidenced by the guaranteed revenue bond in the maximum principal amount of $370,884.00 to be authorized and issued by Erie City Water Authority for various expenses and fees for altering and improving water distribution facilities passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance amending the following sections of Article 112, Rules of Council to improve the efficiency and time involved in the legislative process for City Council passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance appropriating $140,000 from the Business Development Revolving Loan Fund for utilization in the Flagship/Commodore Fund passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance appropriating $25,000 from Eriez Manufacturing for the expenditure thereof the Police Capital Improvement Fund Projects passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance appropriating $15,000 from the Mercy Terrace Apartments for the purchase of police, fire, and winter maintenance equipment passed unanimously.
• An ordinance appropriating $389,218.37 from unappropriated and unanticipated revenue for the Police Capital Improvement Fund Projects passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance to repeal Ordinance 58-2025, which approved and/or authorized a ballot referendum on whether or not a commission needed to be formed to study and/or to recommend any changes to the City of Erie's existing form of government passed unanimously. 
• An ordinance amending the City of Erie Zoning Ordinance to designate the property located at 411 State St. and 1372 West Sixth St. as Historic Structures pursuant to Article 7 of the City of Erie Zoning Ordinances and to amend the Zoning Map to reflect such designation had its first reading and was not voted on. 
• An ordinance appropriating $1,250,000 for the City of Erie Wastewater Treatment Plant Chlorination Disinfection Reliability Project to be funded by a US EPA Grant had its first reading and was not voted on. 
• An ordinance appropriating $1,050,000 to be received from the Business Development Revolving Loan Fund and utilized in the Urban Core Economic Recovery Revolving Loan Fund had its first reading and was not voted on. 
• An ordinance amending the Rules of Council Ordinance of the City of Erie under Article 112 to improve the efficiency in the legislative process for City Council had its first reading and was not voted on. 
•  A resolution that Erie City Council designates East 7th Street at East Ave as "Tamika Thurston-Craig Way" in honor after her passing and as recognition of her as the heart of the Erie Center for Arts and Technology (ECAT) and her legacy of service to her students and community passed unanimously. 
• A resolution that council, receiving the communication from the City Planning Commission, and pursuant to Section 306 of the City of Erie Zoning Ordinance authorizing and directing the City Clerk to advertise notice of a Public Hearing to be held before City Council on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at approximately 9:30 a.m. in City Council Chambers to consider testimony regarding the request for Waterfront Conditional Use submitted by Weber Murphy Fox on behalf of Scott Enterprises, for the construction of a new 8-story hotel containing 139 guestrooms and three restaurants/bars located at East Front St. in a Waterfront Commercial zoning district was subject to a friendly amendment that sets the Public Hearing to an available evening to allow for more community engagement. Flores voiced concerns about potential loss of waterfront views for the community and Horton proposed the amendment, moving the meeting to an evening time as opposed to a morning time, as many constituents have work or school. 
• Nine resolutions to approve repository sales of nine properties to Aline Kennedy failed 0-6.