►
Description
On this episode of CityTalk, John interviews Kathryn Vargas from the Department of Parks & Recreation and Bobby Wilson from Pittsburgh City Council District One.
A
Welcome
to
historic,
nishan
edition
of
city
talk
in
his
by
historic.
Of
course,
I
mean
we're
in
the
middle
of
the
global
pandemic,
and
life
is
weird
Catherine
Vargas
of
the
Department
of
Parks
and
Rec
is
not
weird
she's,
quite
normal
and
quite
an
excellent
city.
Employee
Catherine,
welcome
to
the
program
thanks.
B
So
I
am
the
assistant
director
of
community
recreation
in
the
Department
of
Parks,
Recreation
and
I,
get
to
do
a
lot
of
really
cool
stuff
I
get
to
work
primarily
on
our
programs
and
facilities
that
work
with
youth
and
families.
So
that
would
be.
We
have
ten
recreation,
centers
eighteen
pools
our
spray
parks,
our
youth
sports
leagues,
our
summer
foods
program,
our
community,
our
cart
and
enrichment
festivals,
our
summer
after
school.
So
a
lot
of
really
great
things
that
the
city
is
doing
to
support
young
people
that.
A
B
We're
lucky
to
have
a
really
awesome
team
and
I'm
newer
to
my
position.
I've
been
here
for
about
six
months
or
so,
but
we
have
supervisors
that
help
kind
of
run.
The
day-to-day
on-the-ground
work
that's
happening
out
at
all
of
our
centers
and
then
myself,
our
director
and
those
folks
who
are
in
the
office.
We
kind
of
help
make
sure
that
the
policies
and
practices
that
we're
doing
here
at
the
city
mirror
what's
going
on
on
the
ground,
at
our
centers
and
in
through
our
programs.
So.
A
B
While
our
centers
aren't
open
business
is
not
slowed
down
too
bad,
so
you
considerably.
We
are
participating
in
the
emergency
food
distribution
in
the
city
of
five
of
our
centers,
and
so
we
have
a
number
of
staff
who
are
activated
in
that
way
and
honestly,
we've
been
working
on
a
lot
of
planning
making
sure
that
we're
ready
to
go
as
soon
as
we're
able
to
safely
start
to
interact
with
community
again
I'm.
B
Yeah
not
only
emergency,
but
even
last
summer,
on
a
regular
summer,
we
delivered
120,000
meals
between
our
own
sites
and
then
we
have
about
40
partner
organizations
that
we
work
with
to
make
sure
that
we
can
get
food
out
to
kids
in
the
summertime,
because
a
lot
of
kids
are
relying
on
the
schools
to
provide
food
during
the
school
year.
So
when
summer
hits
there's
a
gap
in
in
food
access
for
those
children.
So
we
do.
We
do
school
lunches
every
year
and
it's
also
a
part
of
our
programming
as
well
and.
B
It's
a
great
it's
a
great
job,
it's
a
great
place
to
be.
Our
team
is
awesome
and
it's
you
know
we
even
get
to
work,
for
example,
with
Kim
I
know
her
well
and
she's
in
a
different
department
than
ours.
So
it's
been
really
neat
to
be
part
of
a
team,
not
just
that
our
internal
team
working
well
together,
but
across
departments.
We
do
a
lot
to
interact
with
each
other
and
make
sure
we're
supporting
each
other
in
our
work
before.
B
Okay,
I'm
gonna
write,
I
have
a
dog
which
is
wonderful
because
I
decided
to
get
Sophie.
You
know
about
half
a
year
before
I.
This
happened
so
how'd
I
not
made
that
move.
I
wouldn't
have
anyone
to
talk
to
honestly.
So
that's
been
great
and
you
know,
work
has
still
been
really
busy.
So
I
think
that's
been
actually
helpful
for
me
and
if
there's
anything
else
that
I've
learned
from
this
is
that
I've
been
connecting
more
with
my
family
and
that's
been
kind
of
a
nice
for
me
to
realize.
B
B
B
B
Yeah
I
actually
feel,
like
you
know:
public
service
and
Social
Work
have
a
lot
in
common
and
there's
a
couple
of
social
workers
that
are
in
the
City
County
Building
in
different
various
areas
and
for
me,
social
work
has
always
been
more
of
a
way
of
approaching
work.
You
can
kind
of
be
a
social
worker
in
a
lot
of
different
ways.
So
I
do
feel,
like
my
role
is
still
very
much
social
work.
Related
I
worked.
A
B
Get
that
a
lot
all
my
friends,
it's
how
I
got
them
to
understand
what
my
job
was
like
for
people
who
don't
live
in
Pittsburgh
I
was,
like
you
know,
parks
and
recs,
like
Amy
Poehler.
You
know
she's
assistant
director.
You
know
why
it's
it's
fun
like
that.
I
think
our
department
is
a
lot
of
fun.
We
are
we're
a
good
group
of
people.
We
work
really
hard.
You
know,
I'm,
not
you
know
crazy,
like
Amy
Poehler
is
but
but
I
will
do
what
it
takes.
You
know
get
a
job
done
so
yeah.
A
B
We
work
so
we
do
work
really
closely
with
Department
of
Public
Works,
who
does
all
of
the
maintenance
of
the
outside
park
spaces.
We
might
do
some
programming
in
the
parks,
but
even
still
like
public
safety
houses
are
farmers
markets
and
the
park
rangers
and
they're
also
engaged
in
park
spaces.
We
we
definitely
get
a
lot
of
people
who
will
call
us
around
issues
that
might
be
better
suited
for
Department
public
works,
but
we
have
a
good
good
communication
line
to
get
those
through,
but
yeah
or
our
role.
A
Right
and
a
lot
of
people
I
think
also
don't
know.
I've
talked
about
this
in
previous
episodes,
but
I'm
still
surprised
to
find
people
when
I
tell
them
about
it
about
the
several
senior
centers
that
serving
the
needs
of
people
60,
plus
a
lot
of
camaraderie
a
lot
of
neighborhood
type
things.
People
become
sort
of
an
extended
family
talk
a
little
bit
about
the
senior
standards.
If
you
would
work,
I
should
call
them
the
healthy,
active
living,
centers
healthy.
B
Active
learning,
centers
yeah
I
am
I
was
surprised
to
learn
how
much
we
do
as
well.
We
have
13
that
are
activated
across
the
city.
We
also
play
an
important
role
of
providing
meals
to
seniors
a
lot
of
community
there.
We
also
provide
a
lot
of
transportation
to
doctors.
Appointments
to
field
trip,
kind
of
things
or
groups
can
go
together
and
do
different
things
to
grocery
shopping.
I
mean
it's
a
really
heavy
lift
I
think
we're
one
of
the
largest
in
the
city
providers
of
those
services
to
seniors,
and
you.
A
B
B
Yeah,
we
have
a
lot
of
partners
actually
that
we've
already
engaged
in
conversations
around
trying
to
get
more
virtual
learning
out
there
for
families,
realizing
that
that's
a
gap,
particularly
in
the
summertime,
so
yeah
we've
been
working
on
and
I
had
to
try
to
get
different
opportunities
available.
We've
been
working
with
the
Jewish
Health
Care
Foundation,
and
a
possibility
of
actually
having
intergenerational
learning
opportunities
happening
across
the
city
and
we're
also
looking
at
ways
to
be
able
to
do
some
active.
B
These
provide
activities
that
might
go
along
with
our
food
distribution
sites,
so
they
might
be
by
paper,
or
we
might
have
an
activity
that
you
know
as
a
young
person,
family
kind
of
come
through
to
pick
up
meals.
They
also
can
come
and
pick
up
some
enrichment
engagement
that
their
child
can
can
do
at
home
if,
in
the
event
that
were
unable
to
provide
our
typical
summer,
so
we're
planning
for
everything
did.
B
Was
really
excited
to
transition
into
this
role?
I
had
worked
in
nonprofits
prior
to
this
pretty
much
my
entire
career
so
being
in
the
city.
It's
just
it's
been
great
for
me
to
kind
of
learn
how
government
approaches
a
similar
type
of
work
when
it
comes
to
serving
the
needs
of
the
community
and
a
lot
of
really
dedicated
people.
I
mean
I.
I,
truly
think
that
the
majority
of
people
who
get
into
this
work
get
into
it
because
they
want
to
be
public
public
servants.
B
B
Yeah
I've
been
here
about
five
years
before
that
I
lived
in
East
Liberty.
You
know
I
like
I
like
do
you
consider
myself
a
nice
tender?
It
would
be
weird
for
me
if
all
of
a
sudden
I
was
on
the
north
side
or
something
it
would
totally
throw
me
off.
I'd
have
to
readjust
my
whole
like
where
I
go
so
I
like
living
in
this
part
of
town.
It's
been
fun.
What.
A
B
We
have
a
couple
of
initiatives
we're
working
on
now.
You
know
one
is
around
increasing
technology
access
and
broadband
access
and
what
role
our
recreation
centers
can
play
in
that,
and
so
we
have
an
initiative
called
rec
to
tech.
We
have
a
wonderful
Macs
and
I
interviewed
him.
You
should
interview
him
he's
on
our
team
who
helps
to
manage
that
project.
B
We're
also
working
on
some
major
facility
improvements
of
some
of
our
our
centers,
so
making
sure
that
as
we
as
we
continue
to
build
the
programming
that
were
that
we're
offering
that
we're
able
to
keep
all
of
our
facilities
up
to
par
that
every
community
has
access
to
those
things,
we're
working
on
greater
partnerships
with
others.
So
in
places
where
maybe
we
can't
facilitate
those
things,
we
could
still
have
a
presence
through
a
community
partner.
So
a
lot
of
our
I
would
say
our
future.
B
A
B
Yeah
yeah
I
enjoy
actually
before
I
joined
the
city.
I
was
a
partner
of
the
city,
so
now
I
get
to
do
that,
work
from
the
other
side,
but
yeah.
There
is
because
we
can't
do
this
by
ourselves
and
particularly
when
it
comes
to
serving
kids.
You
know
we
have
to
be
as
much
as
possible
communicating
with
those
organizations
that
are
you
know,
working
with
our
kids,
the
most
and
a
lot
of
those
or
other
youth
serving
programs.
B
A
B
Definitely
not
true
yeah,
it's
definitely
a
place
where
you
find
a
lot
of
really
hard-working
people.
I've
I've,
been
it's
been
a
great
experience
and
I
think
that
our
city
is,
you
know,
I
think
this
kovin
situation
currently
is
a
perfect
example
of
how
people
have
been
keeping.
You
know.
The
city
has
been
busy
through
this
entire
time
and
on
all
levels.
People
have
been
working
really
hard
to
make
sure
residents
have
what
they
need
in
this
in
this
uncertain
time.
What.
A
B
B
A
D
It's
interesting
both
my
wife
and
I.
We
both
worked
full-time,
a
very
fortunate
to
still
have
jobs,
but
there
are
the
challenges
of
having
three
young
children
around
when
you're
trying
to
do
some
work,
so
I
definitely
can
empathize
with
the
parents
who
are
and
what
they're
kids
actually
I
got.
This
I
got
this
earpiece
here.
This
bluetooth,
earpiece
I,
was
always
against
the
bluetooth
earpiece.
But
whenever
you're
you're
on
kid
duty-
and
you
gotta
take
a
call,
it's
easy
to
have
a
couple
free
ants:
oh
I've,.
A
D
D
It's
it's
not
as
bad
as
as
others,
probably
because
we
have
some
decent
amount
of
property
it
being
in
the
city.
Once
you
get
up
in
the
hills
you
got.
You
know
a
little
bit
of
a
back
yard.
We
have
a
little
bit
more
than
a
postage
stamp,
so
we
can
at
least
get
out
a
little
bit.
They
love
they
love
playing
the
back
yard.
So
that's
our
go-to
good.
A
A
City
talk
exactly
it's
just
like
one
big
long
asset,
you
know
I
mean
you
just
gotta
keep
telling
yourself
it's
gonna,
be
over
with
sooner
or
later
so
I'm
told
so.
I
was
really
interested
in
your
acceptance
speech
when
you
first
became
a
councilman
a
few
months
ago,
because
your
family
had
been
personally
affected
by
the
government.
Our
actions
of
the
government
tell
us
about
that.
If
you
would
yeah.
D
I
actually
I
live
in
the
house
that
that
my
grand
parents
purchased
with
the
the
money
from
two
eminent
domains,
so
they
experienced
eminent
domain
twice
on
the
north
side
and
the
house
I
live
in
on
Spring
Hill.
That
was
where
they
ended
up
after
being
displaced
from
Allegheny
Center
I
know
where
the
Allegheny
Center
Mall
exists
right
now,
and
you
have
that
big
circle
the
one
way
circle,
and
so
they
had
a
house
there
and
Allegheny
Center
and
then
and
then
they
had
a
house
where
579
to
79
highway
comes
through.
D
D
A
D
D
Well
right
now
it's
just
a
parking
lot
whenever
there's
a
rush
hour,
so
it's
best
to
divert
that
traffic
right
to
the
highway
instead
of
people
using
that
as
a
parking
lot,
I
mean
I'm,
never
on
that
street,
where
there's
traffic,
because
I
just
I
just
know
not
to
drive
one
that
Street
around
4
o'clock.
Well,
this
is
pre
kovat,
but
you
know,
but
you
know
the
story
is
that
that's
just
a
waiting
area
for
people
to
get
on
the
highway
and
then
after
a
ball
game
or
whatever.
D
So
that's
just
divert
that
straight
to
the
highway
and
let
people
get
out
of
you
know
the
area
quicker.
So
it's
gonna
be
two-way.
We're
gonna
put
up
different
streetlights
different.
Actually
the
would
be
more
room
for
everyone
to
access
the
street
so
whether
you're
walking
biking
or
you're.
You
know
using
your
car.
A
I'm,
really
intrigued
by
that
I
look
forward
to
seeing
those
changes.
So
what
were
your
expectations
coming
into
government
because
you're
relatively
new
to
being
a
city
council
person,
and
how
has
that
changed
and,
of
course,
or
how
outdated
of
being
and
of
course,
have
you
been
able
to
cope
in
terms
of
running
the
office
during
this
crisis?
Well,.
C
D
I,
you
know,
I
have
to
say
campaigning,
people
ask
you,
you
know
what
is
the
first
thing.
You're
gonna
do
what's
the
first
piece
of
legislation,
you're
gonna
do
and
you
talk
about
your
priorities
that
you
want
to
accomplish
in
office
and
how
those
gonna
fit
into
legislation
and
we're
gonna.
You
know
whether
it
be
by
the
resolution
or
we're
gonna
change
the
code.
D
The
answer
to
that
question
is
what
is
the
first
piece
of
legislation
you're
going
to
do
they're
ones
looking
for
and
how
are
you
gonna
change,
housing
rights?
How
are
you
gonna
change?
You
know,
how
are
you
gonna
impact?
The
community?
Is
that
need
it?
The
most.
You
know
that
was
a
big
part
of
my
campaign.
Is
looking
at
the
communities
and
really
trying
to
put
forward
some
implement
legislation
and
change
processes
on
how
we
can
improve?
D
You
know
what's
taking
place
in
these
in
these
in
these
areas,
but
you
know
still
that's
part
of
the
still
part
of
the
plan,
but
it's
just
interesting
to
notice
how
much
detail
goes
into
each
meeting
that
comes
through
Council
just
primary
just
because
it's
you
know,
there's
there's,
there's
different
things
that
each
department
could
be
working
on
and
there's
a
process
to
get
that
to
the
table.
Are.
D
Well,
you
know
I'm
careful
in
the
way
I
like
to
you
know:
I
come
from
a
family
where
people
think
that
I'm
funny
and
so
I
may
want
to
say
some
jokes
I'm.
You
know
I'm
used
to
saying
a
joke.
You
know
I'm
I'm,
you
know
I'm
used
to
you
know
being
they
were.
You
present
myself
in
a
way
where
you
know
I
want
to
I
want
to
be
known.
You
know,
I
want
to
get
the
subject
known,
but
I
mean
playing.
You
know,
being
involved
with.
D
D
Politics
isn't
like
that
at
all.
So,
although
I'm
careful
being
around
people
and
trying
to
find
commonality
with
them,
there
definitely
is
a
huge
legislative
process.
That
is,
you
know,
I'm
still,
learning
it
ongoing
and
I.
Think
people
learn
it
even
four
years
into
it.
So
I
think
it's
I
think
it's
I
think
it's
definitely
a
skill
that
a
really
good
legislator.
D
D
A
A
D
D
D
You
know
the
way
that
we
identify
the
properties,
condemned
properties
that
will
be
demoed
and
when
and
all
we
can
implement
some
strategies
to
work
with
the
actual
neighborhood
groups.
So
if
there
are
ones
that
you
know
could
be
put
back
into,
you
know,
making
that
neighborhood
flourish.
I
think
that's
important,
that
we
recognize
you
know
which
ones
can
still
be
utilized
and
will
be
useful.
Also
for
for
a
small
business,
there
could
be
a
lot
of
small
business
education,
especially
during
these
times
of
the
code
of
nineteen.
D
You
know
how
businesses
can
survive
through
a
pandemic
like
this,
but
specifically
even
prior
to
Kovan
happening,
we'll
do
more
or
less
a
101
on
how
the
printing
process
happens
and
how
they
really
enter
into
you
know
falling
within.
You
know
everything
that
they
need
a
to
have
to
run
a
business
in
the
city.
So
it's
you
know,
I,
don't
want
people
to
small
businesses
in
a
situation
where
you
know
they
don't
have
the
right
type
of
it
occupy
POC.
You
can
see
so
they
can
continue
to
run.
I
mean
right
now.
D
I
in
my
my
district
I
have
a
print
shop
that
is
under
fire
watch
and
fire
watch
their
pain,
we're
paying
like
$1,000
a
week,
because
you
know
this
property
was
transferred
a
long
time
ago.
There
wasn't
any
there's,
not
really
a
there's,
not
a
check
in
the
box
to
make
sure
that
if
there
was
an
existing
sprinkler
system,
you
know
is
there,
you
know.
Are
they
basically,
this
one
isn't
on
the
list
to
be
checked
and
so
somehow
is
identified,
and
until
they
go
through
the
right
permitting
process
which
is
gonna,
take
some
time.
D
They're
gonna
pay
$1,000
a
week
for
someone
to
to
monitor
that
property
in
case
there's
a
fire.
So
there's
someone
on
this
on
the
you
know,
sitting
in
a
car
every
half
hour
they
get
out
and
they
walk
through
the
building
to
see
if
there's
a
fire
happening.
So
that's
the
most
extreme
thing
that
can
happen.
You
know,
but
essentially
you
know
you
really
want
to
make
sure
that
a
lot
of
these
old
buildings
don't
have
a
certificate
of
occupancy.
D
That's
not
going
to
prevent
their
business
from
from
you
know
from
from
making
money
at
the
same
time,
but
you
know
the
the
most
important
part
that
we
really
need
to
build
legislation
around
is
the
vulnerable
communities
in
our
in
our
neighborhoods,
especially
ones
that
are
now
hit
by,
could
a
19
so
I'm
definitely
concerned
with
with
how
families
have
been
affected
and
how
I
want
to
see
yeah
I
want
to
see
my
office
help
them
that
way.
I.
D
D
D
Get
a
hold
of
us
on
several
different
platforms.
The
best
way
is
the
is
to
email
us
at
the
strict
one,
Pittsburgh
PA
govt.
You
can
also
call
us
at
4,
1
2,
2,
5,
5,
2,
1,
3,
5,
we're
on
facebook
or
on
twitter.
My
staff
answers
text
message.
It
is
so
there
are
several
different
ways
that
someone
could
get
in
touch
with
us,
and
we,
you
know
quite
frankly,
if
people
reach
out
to
you
reach
out
to
us
in
all
of
those
different
ways
and
also
also
our
feedback.