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Buhl Foundation Northside Initiative Funding Opportunity Progress (Update)

December 2014
“Thieman announced the next phase of the initiative at the celebration. Three separate pockets of money will be made available to help communities fund and implement programs, including $50,000 for each action team, $10,000 for each of the 18 Northside neighborhoods, and $70,000 in individual grants, which will range from $250-1,000.”

Click here to read the article in it’s entirety from The NorthSide Chronicle

The grants mentioned above are referred to as  Neighbor-to-Neighbor Grants

           The Sprout Funds Website  describes “Neighbor-to-Neighbor Grants  as:

“In 2015, in partnership with the Buhl Foundation, Sprout will make available community innovation resources to support the One Northside vision. Neighbor-to-Neighbor Grants of up to $1,000 will provide immediate support for small-scale community projects with broad citizen support as demonstrated by neighborhood petitions, letters of support from community groups, and small financial pledges.”

Prospective Applicant Information Sessions and Community Meet-ups

Sprout encourages prospective applicants to attend Information Sessions to meet with Sprout staff to learn more about Neighbor-to-Neighbor Grants in advance of preparing an application.

During January 2015, Sprout will host Information Sessions at the following Northside neighborhood locations:

  • Perry Hilltop: Saturday, January 10 from 9:00am-12noon at The Pittsburgh Project, 2801 N. Charles St. 15214

  • Central Northside: Wednesday, January 14 from 6:00pm-8:00pm at Artist Image Resource (AIR), 518 Foreland St. 15212

  • Brighton Heights: Friday, January 16 from 8:00am-10:00am at Studio Capezzuti, 1509 Termon Ave. 15212

  •              Spring Garden: Thursday, January 22 from 6:00pm-8:00pm at Wiggle Whiskey              Barrelhouse, 1055 Spring Garden Ave. 15212

To attend an info session, RSVP to apply@sproutfund.org with your contact information and home neighborhood.

Sprout Fund / Northside Funding Opportunity Website

Troy Hill Citizens will update any information and news about the Buhl Foundation’s One Northside / Northside Funding Opportunity when it becomes available.

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City Tree Root Sidewalk Damage Claims and Compensation.

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PRESS RELEASE

December 8, 20148

Office of Pittsburgh City Council Member Darlene M. Harris

Contact:  412 255 2135

COUNCILWOMAN DARLENE M. HARRIS INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO

City has not increased reimbursement for tree root damage for at least 20 years.

(Pittsburgh) Pittsburgh City Council Member Darlene M. Harris (D- District 1) will introduce legislation on

Tuesday, December 9, 2014, to update the city’s policy for paying out sidewalk damages caused by city

trees. The city currently reimburses city property owners $4.00 per sq. foot. Council Member Harris’

legislation would increase that amount to $8.00 per sq. ft.

“When we looked into this,” said Council Member Harris, “the city’s Law Department reported that the

amount the city pays for tree root damaged sidewalk claims has been $4.00 per sq. foot for at least

twenty years. No one can recall exactly when that amount ($4.00 a sq. ft) had been set. With inflation,

that original value has been cut in half. It is only fair that that there is a readjustment. It might also

motivate people to make needed sidewalk repairs.”

Council Member Harris’ legislation also authorizes the City Solicitor to recalculate the reimbursement

amount every four years based upon the consumer price index. “That would keep the Council from

having to revisit this matter every few years or so. It is good housekeeping. Right now the city is only

covering 20% of the replacement. This legislation would make it 40% reimbursement. That’s about what

it was when the $4.00 number was set decades ago.”

UPDATE SIDEWALK DAMAGE CLAIMS

According to Harris, local contractors estimate that it costs about $500.00 to replace one 5’x5’ sidewalk

slab ($20.00 per sq. ft.). An increase in the Law Department’s 2015 judgment account would be

sufficient to absorb this cost.

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IF YOU ARE MAKING A CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR SIDEWALK DAMAGE
RESULTING FROM CITY TREE ROOTS: You must notify the Forestry Division
at (412) 665-3625. Roots must be pruned by the City prior to repairs. For more further information download the claim form (PDF) that is to be submitted to the City Law Dept. for sidewalk reimbursements.  Claim_Form (1)

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Updated News Re: Troy Hill Community Outdoor Christmas Lights

Troy Hill Citizens wanted all of our membership to know that we began the project of hanging Christmas lights along Lowrie St. this year, as was done in the past. However, we did run into obstacles that require long term repairs, and so are sad to report that there will not be THC sponsored Christmas Lights in our business district this year.

 
The Northside Leadership Conference once again permitted us to be a rider on their insurance policy to save us money.  The Board paid for that necessary insurance and also for the Duquesne Light electrical cost; our electrical system, however, failed the required electrical inspection.  After consultation with an electrician, the cost of repairs was estimated to be at least $1,000 to $1,100.
 
The difficult decision we faced this season was whether to spend that much money on last minute stop-gap repairs to a 35 year-old electrical system when we have already been advised by an electrician that the system should be thoroughly serviced and perhaps updated.  Given that there has been virtually no maintenance attention given to this electrical lighting system over the past years it is entirely possible that even with this year’s repairs it might fail inspection again next year anyway.
It’s clear that the system needs to be serviced to bring it up to modern standards.
As a result, the Board has decided that we will not hang and light Christmas lights this year.  In the coming years the Board of Directors will be looking for funding to update our electrical system so that we can return to our Christmas lighting in the future.
We appreciate your patience with this matter.  We wanted to be as forthright as possible about why you are not seeing the lights, but needed to gather all of the facts first.  Should you have any questions about the lights, the repairs needed, and our plans to address those issues, please contact Tony Benvin, as Tony has been in contact with all of the concerned parties on behalf of THC to date.
Thank you,
Don Mahaney
Chairperson
Troy Hill Citizens, Inc.