The Springfield City Council packed a lot into a few minutes that matter for everyone living here. First up: a big win for public safety. The Springfield Fire Department just confirmed it kept its ISO Class 1 rating after a year-long review — a distinction only about 1% of departments hold. Council investments in new […]
Zach Adams
Zach Adams is the digital media coordinator for Illinois Times and Springfield Business Journal, handling photography, videography and digital content. He is also the owner of 1221 Photography.
Posted inSpringfield City Council
Water line aid debate and resident backlash
The Springfield City Council turned a routine agenda into some pointed questions this week. One workers’ compensation payout for a firefighter sparked concern about why these claims are taking years to resolve. The council advanced the ordinance, but not before raising the issue of whether the city is moving too slowly when employees get hurt […]
Posted inSpringfield City Council
Residents press council on housing and policing
The Springfield City Council quietly pulled back a motion on the city’s ShotSpotter contract— with a promise that a revised ordinance will be back on the agenda. The mayor signaled changes are coming, but details are sparse. Then a resident used public comment to lay out what he’s hearing at doors across the city: frustration […]
Posted inSangamon County Board
Sangamon County approves hotel tax for BOS expansion
The Sangamon County Board just locked in a new 3% hotel motel tax to help expand the Bank of Springfield Center — but it wasn’t a quiet decision. Local lodging representative Darren Dame warned the board the tax was moving too fast, questioned why Springfield should become one of the highest tax hotel markets in […]
Posted inWatch Public Meetings
Springfield debates ShotSpotter, racism and landlords
The Springfield City Council wrestled with a $1 million question: should the city renew its ShotSpotter gunfire detection contract, and if so, what real changes will residents see in the neighborhoods where gun violence is concentrated? You’ll hear Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory push hard for tying this technology spending to concrete improvements — fixing […]
Posted inSpringfield City Council
Trash overbilling, storm cleanup and housing accountability
The Springfield City Council had a packed night: from trash bills gone wrong to storm cleanup and a family still waiting to go home. Aaron Batiste of Republic Services showed up to explain why some residents were overcharged for trash service, how many customers were affected, and what credits and rate corrections are supposed to […]
Posted inSpringfield City Council
Springfield resident challenges city over sewage disaster
At this week’s Springfield City Council meeting, Tierra Lee spent part of the public comment period describing how a sewage disaster turned her home into an uninhabitable shell — and how her family has been stuck in a hotel for 16 months while still paying a mortgage. Lee challenged the way the city and its […]
Posted inSangamon County Board
Recall powers and data center accountability debate
The Sangamon County Board just heard some of the strongest public calls yet for recall powers — tying today’s debate to decades of civil rights struggles and high profile local cases that have given the county a “black eye.” Citizen Ken Pacha pushed recall as a proactive accountability tool: a way for taxpayers to remove […]
Posted inSpringfield City Council
Springfield weighs fair meter rollout and grants
The Springfield City Council packed a lot into this meeting. A few moments that stood out: – Before approving a $12 million upgrade to new AMI meters, Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory pushed hard on making sure east‑side neighborhoods and Ward 2 don’t end up last in line again. He pressed for ongoing reports on […]
Posted inSMTD
Transit upgrades for accessibility and growing ridership
The Sangamon Mass Transit District Board of Trustees packed a lot into this meeting. First, the managing director shared how local projects are tying into a federal transportation funding roundtable and why a long awaited East Yard improvement is racing the clock on this construction season. Later, the Operations Committee finally met again and came […]
Posted inSpringfield City Council
Springfield welcomes women’s pro baseball, debates lake sewers
The Springfield City Council just put two very different sides of our hometown on display. On one hand, Springfield is now home base for a new Women’s Professional Baseball League. Council members heard how players are settling in, what this means for local families and fans, and how many visitors (and dollars) the league expects […]
Posted inSpringfield City Council
Springfield debates downtown land deal with state
The Springfield City Council just made a big call on giving a full downtown block to the state. Springfield resident Michael Higgins pressed the council with a sharp question: why give the land to the state for free instead of using it to grow private investment, jobs, and the tax base? Another council member pushed […]
