PITTSBURGH — Last week, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl was easy to find in Pittsburgh. He was all over the streets of various neighborhoods after he had taken heat for getting stuck at Seven Springs while the city was socked with 2 feet of snow.
But on Tuesday morning, Ravenstahl canceled a meeting with City Council President Darlene Harris, which raised questions about where he was.
“I just assumed he had another meeting that was more important because of the snow issue that we have right now,” Harris told Team 4 investigator Paul Van Osdol.
City Council was looking for Ravenstahl because they wanted him to sign his requested extension of the “state of emergency” declaration that he made after the massive snowfall.
Public Safety Director Michael Huss signed the extension request on Ravenstahl’s behalf, which the mayor’s office thought was sufficient, but City Council said the mayor’s personal signature was needed.
Councilman Bill Peduto — who chairs the council’s finance committee — sent a letter to Ravenstahl informing him that his signature is not transferrable to another city official.
“As you are aware, potential PEMA and FEMA grants are contingent on the city’s declaration of emergency and as such a declaration is a highly unusual circumstance, it must be done to the letter of the law,” Peduto’s letter said.
“Do you know where he is?” Van Osdol asked Harris.
“I didn’t ask,” Harris said.
City officials said Ravenstahl was in Pittsburgh, but said little else.
Tags: Luke Ravenstahl
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