The Reader Beat Monthly Recap

The Reader Beat aims to cover city and county council meetings as well as other important government and community-related reporting. The following is a summary of each meeting for the month of September:

City Council Sept. 3: During the first city council meeting of the month, constituents addressed both the ongoing investigation of the shooting of Marchello Woodard and the bond covering the renovation of the former Miller Bros. Power Equipment property during public comments. The bond is covered in Council File No. 16,556. Constituent Michelle Dovershaw referenced how the dollar amount for the bond has increased over time, from $30 million in July to over $52 million. She encouraged the council to "table the bond moving forward until the public receives all the detailed projections of how much this will actually cost the taxpayers." The ordinance underwent changes during the meeting. Originally, the ordinance authorized an increase in the non-electoral debt of the City of Erie by authorizing and approving the issuance and sale in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $52.35 million in general obligation bonds. General obligation bonds are investments that grant their owners interest payments and are issued by governments to fund public projects. Brzezinski requested that the ordinance be tabled and Titus seconded the motion. Motion to table failed 3-4, Nelson, Witherspoon, Schaaf, and Flores voted no. Motion to request to change the dollar amount and cap it at $20.5 million was passed 5-2. Titus and Brzezinski voted no.

County Council Sept. 10: The first county council meeting of the month included public comments concerning the county's Greenways Grant and when that money would be received. Mayor of Girard Peter Burton said that the borough applied for the grant one year ago for a $250,000 park project. "Is that something that's going to be back on the table soon, or are we going to have to find other sources to finish the project?" Other speakers continued the call for justice for Marchello Woodard. Constituent Chanel Caljean said that it took the DA weeks to make a statement and leadership has not stepped up to lead the community through the tragic event. "Prosecutors should release timely, factual updates to protect both the investigation and public trust. Yet here we are, silence roll[ing] on [while] pressure mount[s]," Caljean said. Horton also stated that he would support providing juvenile and adult probation officers with cameras. "I would suggest that the county executive work with this body. I would ask if he would inject [a section for body cameras] into the budget before he hands it to us, he has the ability to do that. If he puts something in for body cameras, rest assured I will fight for four or five votes to get my colleagues to approve it and I don't believe it would be a hard fight," Horton said. "The least we can do is put a camera on people that wear a gun."

An ordinance appropriating $150,000 from the 2025 General Fund Budget and creating a line item for East County EMS for purchase of an ambulance was moved to a second reading with a unanimous vote. The council then voted on the ordinance but it failed to pass with a vote of 2-4. Copeland, Horton, Drexel, and Scutella voted no and explained the reason for their vote. Copeland claimed that it doesn't make sense to take the money from the general fund since the money was already approved and is still in grant funding. "East County EMS applied for a transformational grant, were approved for that grant, but are not being paid from that grant fund. Instead [the Davis administration] is asking for your property tax dollars to pay for it," Copeland said. Drexel stated that the council has still not received a balanced budget and therefore doesn't know how much money is actually available in the general fund. Bayle disagreed, stating that the money in the grant fund is earmarked for scholarships for EMTs. "We talk about providing services, all of those other services don't mean anything if we don't provide the most basic, which is life saving services," Bayle said. Copeland responded, saying Bayle was, "privy to some information that has been given to none of the other councilmembers," and encouraged Davis to corroborate Bayle's assertions.

City Council Sept. 17: Constituents continued to show up to speak about justice for Marchello Woodard, as it has been nearly four months since the shooting with no indictments or name released. Constituent Carla Arnone suggested a town hall and resources for trauma-informed therapy for the community. "It's too easy to feel invisible when you're a victim of a trauma," Arnone said. An ordinance appropriating $8,000 from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania acting through the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission from the FFY2023 Certified Local Government Grant passed unanimously.

County Council Sept. 24: During public comments, constituents expressed concern about the resolution covering the shooting of Marchello Woodard that was proposed during the Finance and Personnel meeting on Sept. 18 and said it lacked a clear stance. The proposed resolution was read as follows: "On July 2, Marchello Woodard was shot and killed by a state parole officer. Our society is made of imperfect individuals, collectively striving toward justice. In the absence of divine justice, we must work diligently to overcome our shortcomings through exacting investigation, fact finding, and due process under law. And still, we have a need for some part of divine patience to see us through this arduous process. County Council affirms their deeply held belief in democratic process and ideals. First among those being the pursuit of liberty and justice for all. County Council oversees the financial and policy aspects of the courthouse where many pursue their justice. We don't play a participatory role in these proceedings, but it is because of our belief in the potential of the system to serve justice that we serve Erie County. Additionally, County Council remains committed to the pursuit of reforms required to provide relief to our community. Together with the community we advocate for justice." Andre Horton responded to the public comments concerning the drafted resolution, saying Woodard's death "was still precedent setting, and there's things we still need to be mindful of." The councilman also acknowledged the genocide in Palestine, the war in Ukraine, and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. "There's a lot of pain going on in this world," Horton said.

An ordinance appropriating $601,724 from the 2025 Planning Fund Budget for Act 13 Greenways Grant Distribution was tabled unanimously by council.

City Council Oct. 1: During public comments, constituent Deonte Cooley proposed a community police review board, asking: "When can we talk to our police and when can the police talk to us?" An ordinance amending and supplementing Article 1301, known as the City of Erie Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO), specifically amending Articles I, II, III, IV, and V, which re-defines Major and Minor Subdivisions and revises the review process for SALDO applications in Erie passed unanimously.

What's coming up this month?:

County Council: Oct. 7 at 6 p.m.

City Council: Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m.

County Council: Oct. 21 at 6 p.m.