On today’s episode of The Confluence:
The Gainey administration is reviewing tax exempt, nonprofit-owned properties
(0:00 - 4:47)
For years, Pittsburgh mayors have tried to cajole, entice, convince and even threaten some nonprofits to make monetary contributions to the city’s coffers to help pay for services because they own tax-exempt properties. Now, the Gainey administration is launching a citywide review of these properties to determine whether they should be added to the tax rolls.
The review directs the city’s Law and Finance Departments to “immediately” start deciding whether properties are owned by what state law calls “institutions of purely public charity,” and to take action if they are not.
“About one third of all real estate is owned by nonprofits in Pittsburgh. But that figure includes government-owned properties, houses of worship, religious institutions,” says Kiley Koscinski, WESA’s city government reporter. “For this review, we're talking about roughly one fifth, about 20% of real estate, in Pittsburgh.”
To determine if the nonprofit is operating as a purely public charity, the organization has to pass a five-prong test established by the state: asking if the organization operates free from a profit motive, relieves the government of a burden, benefits legitimate recipients, donates a substation portion of services, and advances a charitable purpose.
City officials expect the review to take years, but it will begin by assessing each parcel of property, and is requesting residents send them an email to decide which properties to prioritize.
Advocates want the city to act with more compassion when alerting and acting on clearing homeless encampments
(4:57 - 12:35)
Last month, city public works crews dismantled an approximately 30 tent encampment of homeless individuals in the Northside. The manner in which that action was done led to the Community Justice Project and the ACLU of Pennsylvania calling on the county and city to “establish criteria for determining when to close encampments and protocols for executing closures.”
In a letter sent to city and county officials, civil rights advocates argued that the closure on Stockton Avenue violated the spirit of a 2003 settlement agreement, Sagar v. City of Pittsburgh, which expired in 2006, by not giving unhoused people adequate time or resources to find alternative housing and by not providing clear instructions on how to get their possessions back.
“Dignity is really what the residents of these camps are asking for when the government is treating them, either providing them services or asking them to move on from encampments, “ says Dan Vitek, staff attorney for the Community Justice Project. “Part of that dignity is listening to what the residents have to say and understanding their situation as individuals. I don't believe that happened here.”
Vitek says he hopes trust can be restored among the unhoused community and that the city has responded by offering to host a meeting among stakeholders.
Teenagers and business owners are at odds in the Golden Triangle
(12:41 - 17:14)
Downtown Pittsburgh is a popular destination for teenagers after school. They clog fast-food joints and hang around for a while before going home. 90.5 WESA’s An-Li Herring reports business owners say the kids cause a nuisance that can sometimes turn dangerous.
If the king is the most important piece in chess, why are its moves so limited?
(17:20 - 22:30)
We’ve been asking kids for questions that might leave parents stumped.
Today’s question has to do with a popular board game involving a checkerboard and 32 pieces that move around it: Today, we’re answering a question about chess.
Greyson, age 6, asks, if the king is the most important piece in chess, why can’t he do more?
“We're not supposed to move the king a lot in chess, we're supposed to protect him. That's the goal of chess, is to make sure that we protect our own king and we attack our opponent’s king,” says local chess advocate Ashley Lynn Priore, founder and CEO of Queen’s Gambit. “The other pieces are meant to be very powerful, especially the queen protecting the king.”
If you have a kid with a good question, you can fill out this form or email confluence@wesa.fm.
The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s daily news program. Tune in Monday to Thursday at 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. to hear newsmakers and innovators take an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here or wherever you get your podcasts.
