McKeesport to resume in-person meetings in September

By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com

McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko on Wednesday said the city is aiming for September to once again permit residents to attend council meetings.
An in-person audience, other than members of the news media and a few city hall employees, has not been seen in council chambers since at least the beginning of this year.
And during several meetings amid the coronavirus pandemic, the majority of council joined via phone.
In December, the city ran a legal meeting notice in the Mon Valley Independent and on the city website stating that the January council meeting was closed to the public as a result of concerns about the spread of COVID-19.
The city also gave those wishing to submit public comment a chance to do so in advance of the meeting by submitting comments to the mayor’s assistant via email or mail, or dropping them off at city hall.
A group of residents wishing to make public comment in person at the January 2021 meeting, working with the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, filed a lawsuit in March alleging the city violated the state Sunshine Act when it didn’t permit residents to offer public comment in person at the Jan. 6 meeting, despite the aforementioned notices.
Those wishing to speak in January wanted to comment in regard to the non-fatal shooting of a McKeesport police officer in December. Specifically they wanted to discuss tactics they allege police used when searching for the shooting suspect in the city.
In the end, the city, attorneys for the residents and the ACLU came to an agreement less than a week after the lawsuit was filed.
As a result of a consent order signed March 9 by attorneys representing each side, the public has been able to observe council meetings live via an audio stream provided by Tube City Community Media’s Tube City Online website. Prior to the order, the city wasn’t providing an audio or video stream of the meetings, but was allowing members of the media — who wore face coverings — to attend.
Since the order, members of the public wishing to make public comment have also been able to submit their comments in advance via mail or email. Residents have also been given the option to call into meetings during public comment after first informing the city in advance that they wished to be heard via phone.
No public comment was submitted in advance of last night’s meeting.
“Our meeting in September will be open to the public,” Cherepko said Wednesday.
The mayor, who joined the meeting via phone, reminded council and those listening to the audio stream that, as is tradition, there is no council meeting in August.
“We will be back in meetings in September in person to get back as close to normal as we possibly can,” Cherepko said Wednesday.
He did not say if the city will continue to stream meetings once they are held in person.
McKeesport council meetings are held in council chambers at the Public Safety Building (top floor) at 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month, with the exception of August. Workshop meetings are held each month, with the exception of August, at 6:30 p.m., prior to each regular meeting.

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