The following are active working committees and task forces. We are seeking enthusiastic volunteers. There are lots of great ideas for projects to tackle on the Slopes. The more people that get involved, the more we can do together. Join us!
Please feel free to contact any of us with questions, concerns, ideas, and/or comments.
Elm Street Committee
Chairperson: Donald.Ware@SouthSideSlopes.org
Elm Street Coordinator: Judy Dyda, South Side Local Development Company [SSLDC]
A portion of the South Side Slopes Neighborhood has been designated an Elm Street District by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This designation belongs to five neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh. Grant funding is available for several improvement projects in the neighborhood. The committee meets monthly and welcomes new members. There are several areas of focus. We will have a designated Elm Street page to this website for updates and progress. Watch for it!
Beautification Committee
Chairperson: Joe.Ciccola@SouthSideSlopes.org
The Beautification Committee addresses issues relative to making the Slopes a more beautiful place to live. Currently we have four permanent Community Gardens which are detailed on this site under “Gardens”. We attend to the planning, planting, maintenance and funding/resource support of these areas. Funding and volunteers permitting, we try to identify a new garden site(s) each Spring. If you have any ideas for a good garden spot on the slopes of South Side or would like to volunteer at one of the gardens, please let us know. Joe Ciccola is the chairperson for this committee focused on our now five community gardens and 54 shade trees along Josephine Street. The two Western Pennsylvania Conservancy gardens were planted in May.
We are seeking volunteers to help plant, weed and tend the gardens. It takes less time with more people. There is a job for everyone, young and old alike! Please contact Joe at his email address with questions. This is not the only opportunity to volunteer. We are now in the busiest seasons for the gardens. Each year from April to late November SSSNA is out every week planting, watering, weeding, and pruning our many green spaces. We need your help! Any amount of time that you can give is worth a ton of satisfaction for all of us.
We have taken on the Shade Tree Commission project of planting and stewarding 54 shade trees along the Josephine Street corridor in Spring 2003. Please get in touch with us to find out how you could help to make this program a success and become a tree steward. For Shade Tree details contact Dennis.Berry@SouthSideSlopes.org.
Clean-ups and Safety Committee
Chairperson: Paul.Lorincy@SouthSideSlopes.org
The work of this committee is our most noticeable in the community. The “Cleanups & Safety” Committee has a focus on cleaning up the Slopes, keeping them graffiti free, and maintaining public safety for Slopes residents and visitors. Paul Lorincy, Committee Chair, reports that they are currently planning for clean up events with announcements of dates and locations to follow. They are also beginning to recruit members and non-members living on the Slopes to become actively involved in trash pick up on a routine basis in their own neighborhood. This plan, similar to an active plan in Squirrel Hill, will aim to have people keep an area of their choice free of litter and graffiti. Paul welcomes volunteers willing to be involved in this program. The Slopes will be divided into small manageable sections. If you would like to get involved and work together on planning a clean-up, please let us know. Otherwise, just start picking up garbage wherever, whenever you see it. And, remember to recycle!
Outreach Committee
Chairperson: Betty.Kripp@SouthSideSlopes.org
The primary focus is increasing membership as well as engaging active participation in SSSNA activities. The group focuses on many initiatives to connect Slopes residents and provide support as the mission is carried out: Neighbors working together to make the Slopes a more livable, beautiful and safe community.
The Outreach committee will be working with other SSSNA committees to continue the membership campaign. Your ideas and support are valued. If you wish to be involved or have thoughts to share, please contact Betty Kripp at 412-390-1271. A copy of the SSSNA brochure can be found on this website on the ‘Membership’ page.
StepTrek Committee
Chairperson: Bev.Boggio@SouthSideSlopes.org
The StepTrek Committee is responsible for the extensive planning of the South Side Slopes showcase event of the year. StepTrek is the annual celebration of our hillside network of public stairways. This lively event unites and showcases our historic neighborhood. Designed as a moderate walk, StepTrek invites visitors to explore our community and experience the wonderful vistas of the South Side Slopes. All aspects of this event are planned and coordinated by the StepTrek Committee including advertising and marketing, the StepTrek routes, resident open houses along the way, sidewalk sales, tours of our churches, food, entertainment, prizes and other give-aways.
Zoning, Housing, and City Services Committee
Chairperson: Brad.Palmisiano@SouthSideSlopes.org
This Committee works with the private sector and other interested parties to improve the housing stock on the Slopes by eliminating derelict properties, maintaining existing homes, and fostering home ownership. Also, SSSNA has representatives attend zoning hearings to promote responsible development of the Slopes. The committee helps to act as a unified voice of the neighborhood by coordinating our needs and resolving our problems with the appropriate government officials. SSSNA has a strong working relationship with the City of Pittsburgh as evidenced by our many Slopes Achievements.
South Side Park Task Force
Chairperson: Janice.Serra@SouthSideSlopes.org
Another BIG project is initiating and contributing to the community participatory process to define what the larger community would like to see happen with our South Side Park, and subsequently, make it happen. The area begins at Josephine and 21st Streets. It is a promising area that could be quite an asset to South Pittsburgh, yet, parts of it sit abandoned and neglected. We hope to bring our park to its fullest potential. Click here for the 2003 Survey of South Side Park.
Finance/Development Committee
Chairperson: Bev.Boggio@SouthSideSlopes.org
This committee works on grant funding and currently on obtaining the 501 (c)(3) non-profit status for SSSNA. There are many opportunities, now that a portion of the South Side Slopes has been designated as an “Elm Street”, by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Please call the Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s 311 (phone line) if you have any issues that you feel the City should be dealing with in your neighborhood such as: clogged gutters and drains, broken steps and railings, cracked sidewalks, missing road signs, abandoned cars, abandoned homes, vacant littered lots, dumping sites, etc. The Mayor’s Office can be reached at the Mayor’s Service Center as listed on our Links page.
A more serious action to take in order to deal with a negligent property owner may be to file a Private Right of Action with the Pittsburgh Housing Court (412-255-2605). If you would like the SSSNA to be aware & help to follow up on an issue, feel free to contact us.
