City Council - Regular Meeting

On to our line.

Okay chairman

Having the appointed time of 5.30 arrived, I'd like to call Tuesday, August 11, 2026, Committee of the Whole to order. Would you please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Clerk, would you please take the roll?

Sure. Alderman Cox. Alderman Gregory.

Here.

Alderman Williams. Here. Alderman Rockford. Here. Alderman Purchase. Here. Alderman Naturano. Here. Alderman Carlson. Here. Alderman Conley.

Present.

Alderman Donovan. Here. Alderman Hanauer. Here. Chairman, you have a quorum. Thank you.

I accept the motion for the approval of July 28, 2026. Committee meeting second. So moved, Chair. Second.

Second.

All in favor? Aye. Aye. Motion passes. Madam Treasurer, would you please present your Treasurer's Report.

Thank you, Chair. The Treasurer's Report for the Corporate Fund for the month of July. Beginning balance is $57,161,801. We took in total receipts of $17,092,559. Total disbursements, $17,946,000. $416, which left the corporate fund ending balance for the month of July at $56,307,936. The ARPA ending balance, $1,977,398. That concludes my report. Thank you. Mr. Chair, I make a motion to accept the treasurer's report as submitted.

Second all in favor say aye motion passes are there mr. Parker are there any presentations?

Yes, believe that the police department Proceed to the podium podium Good afternoon, my name is Kenny Winslow I'm the executive director for the Illinois Association Chiefs of Police my pleasure to be here tonight to present to the Springfield Police Department their reaccreditation for here to Back in the early 2000s, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police wanted to find a way to recognize those departments who are out there doing the good work, those departments who are out there going above and beyond that are embracing best practices, that invite experts into their departments to evaluate how they do things. They look at policy and procedures. They look at training. They look at administration. They look at how you implement your stuff and how you gauge yourself, not only that you have the policy and procedures in place, that you actually do what you say you're doing. And so every four years, you have to go through reaccreditation. The Springfield Police Department was originally accredited in 2022. This is their first reaccreditation. When I say Tier 2, basically that means they meet 181 standards that have to be met throughout the state. Right now, there are only 74 departments in the state of Illinois that are accredited. That's less than 5% of all agencies, and the Springfield Police Department is one of them. And again, they're not just the lowest tier, they're the highest tier, showing their expertise, showing their professionalism, going out and inviting people to evaluate them. Not everybody invites you into their house to judge you, to be critical of you, to help you improve and do better. But that's what the Springfield Police Department has done here. When I talk about the Illinois law enforcement accreditation process, or better known as ILEAP, it was started about 13 years ago. With that, there's an ILEAP council that reviews all accreditation processes. applications as well as the process, the scores, the analysis. And that's made up of members of the IML, the Illinois County City Manager's Association, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, Northwestern University for Public Safety, the Intergovernmental Risk Association, as well as the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Boards and others. They are the accrediting authority for the state of Illinois. They are the ones who look at the applications, look at the results, and decide whether or not a department meets that accreditation criteria. And I'm proud to say that not only does the Springfield Police Department meet it, it exceeds it. So with that said today, I'm here to talk about the good job that they're doing. And when it comes to the good job that they're doing, we look at accreditation as a way to manage risk, embrace best practice, but also as an administrative bulletproof vest. So if something goes wrong, even though you're following best practices, it helps lessen the blow of a lawsuit that may come from it later on. With that said, at this time, I'd like to just call Chief Veilford and his staff, present them. The reaccreditation plank and then open up questions you may have of me.

She said.

Any questions from the Alders? Chief Wenzel, welcome back. Good to see you. Thank you, sir. I have a question. I'm sorry, Alderman Williams.

Yes, you said they need 181 Standards? Yes, sir.

What is the possibility of standards? What's the max? The max, they're at the highest tier, tier two. They're at the very highest.

So they're... 181 is because you said they exceed.

Yes. So when you go through, you can score a score of up to 181. There's a range that you can score up from like 160 to 181 and receive your accreditation. They met all 181. Thank you, sir.

Congrats.

Thank you, Chief.

Good to see you, Winslow. Thank you, Chief Beal. Keep up the good work. I see you. All right, next we have ordinances tabled to the remaining committee. Mr. Clerk, could you please read those ordinances? Is there anyone who would like to remove any of these ordinances for committee consideration? Tabled ordinances 2026-339.

Ordinances for committee consideration. CWLP. CWLP. 2026 365 is in order to prove a one-year contract extension and authorize an additional funding in the amount of $250,000 under the contract UE 22-06-38 byproducts hauling for the Dolphin power plant with J. Oris Environmental Inc. in total amount payable at $250,000 to the Office of Public Utilities.

Second.

Hang on, I think we have... Any discussion? Alderman Gregory. Yes, thank you, Chair.

So I've got a few questions. This contract here, if I'm reading correctly, goes from approximately $500,000 to about $2 million. Scott? And I'm just wondering why so much? Is there any chance that it will be lower? Why only one bidder? And is there any chance for minority trucking companies to be involved?

So this was bid, I think it was two years ago. The original ordinance was, it looks like 22. I don't have a look at the exact date. But so it was bid out. They have not raised the price. And as you know, fuel pricing and everything else So the standard for extension is we look at what are the competitive markets at the time. Boros has not raised their price at all. So when you look at fuel pricing and where they're at, we couldn't compete with the price we're getting right now.

Okay. I appreciate you on that. So they haven't raised it or anything, but is there any chance that we're going to get to a point where it's a little cheaper?

Well, and so this is the authorized amount. It's a worst-case scenario. So typically we don't use this contract all the time every day. It's specific times of the year. Like we'll get gypsum during the summer when it's hot. Can't put it on farm fields. Can't store it on the farmers. Can't store it for more than 30 days on their fields. So we have to stockpile it. So our pile will get so big, what we'll do is we'll move it where we'll have two stockpiles. That way it's not one huge pile of land.

And I didn't see in the notes if they, on the minority participation, I didn't see any info on that.

Don't have any information? I'd have to ask Oros what their profile looks like. Okay.

I just think that when we have big projects, two millions, millions, millions, millions of dollars that we have to, See some good faith effort from these companies. You know they they haven't had to do it By forever since they've been getting this money and and those those times are changing We have to try to get involved. I appreciate you so that's all my questions. Thank you Alderman Williams.

Yeah, thank you, Chair. So I was just reading, and I guess I always tell you guys I'm trying to do better at this. So this is the fifth extension. But I'm thinking right when I say the extensions are driven by the pricing. Right. So you catch the price right, and then you extend it another year.

Is this kind of? In this case, the price has not changed. Right. So, yes, if the price changed and we felt it wasn't good, we would not extend it. We would go out for a bid for another one. Thank you.

Is that it, Alderman Williams? Yes. Okay. Alderman Purchase.

Thank you, Chair. So, Scott, I said it, I want to say it was over six months ago when you all came up in another department and I talked about CUF. I hear my colleague always asking about the minority participation and CUF is commercial useful function. So is there something that we can put in? Maybe Corporation Council, you can help me out with this. Maybe there's something we can put in because, like you said, sometimes you can't get other bids. But for people to see that transparency and know that you did put it out there with the commercial use for function, it shows the good faith efforts. Did you make a minimum of five phone calls to a directory? I think I've said it. I don't know if Director Posey is in here, but I've brought that up about the Illinois UCP that we had, too, when I worked at the state. It was a unification certification program, and it would just list all of the contractors, and it would give your prime contractors access to be able to reach out to those DBEs so that they would meet that goal. And if they didn't, if they weren't able to meet the goal, that's where the cuff came in at. I know that was a lot. I'm sorry.

What we can do is we can meet with purchasing, looking at our bids going forward. With this particular contract, it is an extension, so if we were going to... If we were going to add that in, then we would also open up to a new pricing structure by having to renegotiate this contract.

And Corporation Council, I don't think it should just be for CWLP, but just across the board.

Right, for broader terms and conditions with purchasing, and I'm happy to meet with Jim and also meet with you and look at getting that into our standard terms and conditions for bids.

Okay, thank you. Thank you, Scott.

Back to Alderman Williams.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Just real quick, so... And her answer, you said, his answer, I guess, dealt with expiration and then maybe at the next contract. Now, we're expiring at the end of this month, correct?

What is the date? I believe it is.

Yeah, it says August 31st, 2026. So corporate counsel, I think ultimate woman purchase has a point to follow through and make sure This is the time, too, before they come up with another contract and the date's way out and we get an answer that says, you know, to wait until the contract's up. So we're going to catch this right when it's doing it. And I agree with you, not just picking on this contract, but all city contracts. We could use the same system that other municipalities in the state is using to do better with these numbers. Thank you.

That's it. I think we have a motion for consent. All in favor? Aye. Against? Motion passes.

2026. 366 is an ordinance authorizing a one-year renewal for software subscription support services with Grego's Inc. for advanced operational technical cybersecurity monitoring of the electronic division's critical infrastructure infrastructure. and the amount not to exceed $99,000 to the Office of Public Utilities. Move to consent.

Second.

Any discussion?

All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Against? Motion passes.

2026.367 is an ordinance authorizing additional funding for the Dolman Unit 4 power plant hydrogen supply contract for the Office of Public Utilities for a total amount of $837,722. Move to consent. Second. Any discussion? Alderman Williams, are you...

That's over. I'm sorry.

Okay any discussion all those in favor.

I was against 20 26 368 is in order to authorize a reallocation of our funds from the water service line pothole protection port of a pothole Project to the lead line emergency replacement project in the mountain up to exceed nine thousand seven hundred twenty seven dollars for the office of public utilities for consent any discussion all those in favor It was against motion passed 2026 369 is an orange approving professional agreement with Andrews engineering Inc in the additional amount not to exceed $500,000 for consulting services related to disposal of coal combustion Residuals for the total amount of 1 million dollars for er IRF funds in the Office of Public Utilities Second any discussion I see alderman Gregory.

Yes, just real quickly Scott. I I'm sorry, can you stay close? I've got some walking shoes on. What's the long-term outlook of cost with this, and how much more, and are we anticipating any federal or state changes?

I'm not sure I'm going to let it in. It's all right.

I administer this one, and it's my fault. We ran out of money probably, so I'd want to make him answer for it if you don't mind. I mean, it's been hard to... estimate how much funding we need for Andrews because they provide all the consulting on the ash ponds. But, and your question was, are we guessing where we're headed?

Like long-term costs, how much more, and is there any anticipated changes fed state that will either speed up our process of trying to deal with these ash ponds or give us the time that I know you guys would like to deal with it?

So big picture, what's maybe changed recently, we're hoping that within this year that the US EPA will approve Illinois' permit program. So I'm having some optimism that this long period of waiting to get a permit will maybe next year see some real movement. But basically over the last year or so, as you know, a lot of the work that Andrews has had to do has been for US EPA. they are comfortable with all our plans and redoing our closure plans, which we're still waiting on a fair amount of feedback on that. So it's hard to know until we hear back from them. There are some changes proposed at the federal level, but they are not really going to impact the Ash Pond. They would impact like whether our closed landfill is pooled into the program or not. So there are some rollbacks kind of that have been proposed. As far as getting these Ash Pond closed, we're just proceeding according to normal. I don't see any major changes that would impact.

Let me ask it this way. Sure. As far as the consulting on what we need to do to take care of this issue that we have, and we know we have to take care of one way or the other, about how far is this consulting firm from really giving us an avenue? Oh, they're done.

I mean, we've been done, you know, guiding the feedback from consultants of what we should do. Now the work is just when the agencies want more information or they have questions and they ask for additional explanations.

You're not skilled enough to get into them. Sometimes.

Well, we do if we can. We do. But a lot of these, we've had, you know, we've put in some new wells. So Andrews comes in and tells us where they recommend that the wells should go. And they compile the reports at the end of the year each year, which start to keep getting bigger now. So it does. And also this contract is used to support us in our lawsuit at the Sierra Club. So that's been pretty quiet, but if that picks up, we want to have the funding available for that. You know, big picture, this is a very small part. This consulting piece is a very small part of what it's going to cost to close out the Ash Ponds. You know, the bigger part will be the construction piece, which is what our ERIRF fund is building up and building up.

I appreciate you on the education.

Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, you're speaking on alderwomen's purchase.

Ms. Debbie? You too, Scott. Hey, Ms. Debbie. With some of the questions that Alderman Gregory just asked, I know that me and Alderwoman Conley sit on the committee for the CWLP to meet with you all. When things like this is finalized, is there some type of community meeting that would be had to be able to educate and discuss with the community and have a little bit of Q&A?

Unfortunately, probably a year ago when we were putting this contract in place, I said the same thing that I'm going to say now. But the next step is we have redone our closure plan. We have an updated, I think, better closure plan. I think everyone likes it better. And we have to go through the whole process again that we did several years ago of presenting it in a big public meeting and taking comments on it. But we want to get US EPA's comments first before we do that. So you have something to present and go off of. Okay, and you'll let us know so we can help you. Right, when they get back to us, we'll have like 90 days to schedule that meeting, but we have no control over when it will happen.

Okay, thank you.

Older woman, Conley.

Thank you. Thank you, Debbie. Just follow up on that real quickly. I know you tried to leave. So when we do get the final, I guess, concurrence from U.S. EPA, when we talk about that community meeting, is this something that would be separate and distinct from the IRP, or this would be, do you envision kind of having these as joint conversations?

No, it would have to be a standalone meeting that follows the rules for this outreach. Could you kind of maybe just I guess if you could kind of explain a little bit so people understand There are very specific requirements about around what that outreach looks like and you kind of just I mean it's true for both the IRP and the Ashpond closures that there's Requirements that require public meetings and it requires very specific types of comment periods and ways that you accept those comments So you have to just look at each one individually and make sure that your meeting is meeting and those basics. So when we did it the first time, we did it here because it was the easiest way for us to have video and that kind of stuff. But I don't think we made any of those decisions yet. But yeah, you have to take comments for a certain period of time. You have to incorporate a summary of what they were and that kind of thing. The IRP is a little different, very different. They have multiple.

I'm sorry, I probably should have distracted the IRP. There are very specific standards for how we accept comments and And the expectation is that you give people a chance to really look at what's going on and have meaningful feedback on this process and the plan, too.

The other piece of that is so that is a prerequisite to being able to submit your permit application. In this case, it would be an amended permit application. You have to have this meeting. But then when the agency does review your application and go out to issue your permit, they will also offer another public comment period. So there will be multiple.

And I think kind of to Alderman Purchase's question, if we could, and I'm going to be optimistic and just say when we get that permit issued, if we could be made aware so that at council level we're also letting people know, hey, look to IEPA, they're having a comma period again on this, if you have more things that you want to say, just so we can make sure that everyone has multiple opportunities to. Take that back to Amber. Thank you. Keep Amber busy.

Mr.

Clerk, you understand we have a speaker? Mr. Hanrahan, do you want to talk to this ordinance or do you want public comment?

You're presented with ordinances tonight, expensive ordinances relating to coal combustion residuals, coal ash, the toxic byproduct of burning coal. Tonight's bills are a reminder of massive recurring costs to do that. The ash is currently hauled down to an abandoned coal mine dumped down there under what passes in Illinois for coal mine reclamation. Better than pumping it into an ash pit on the border of Sugar Creek. Better than the original plan, which was to dump it in an open slurry pit at Foresight Hillsboro's mine from whence the coal came. a plan shut down by protesting people in Hillsborough. We're in bed with foresight for our coal, a terrible company that just had four of its managers criminally indicted for mine safety violations. All this as the planet breaks new records in every index of climate change, as the planet burns, as mass species extinction accelerates, as the jet stream and ocean currents weaken, as indeed Dolmen 4 pumps nearly a million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. I suspect a couple members of the horseshoe don't believe the science or do but don't care as long as somebody profits or maybe do but think we have all the time in the world to address what is becoming an existential crisis. So for their benefit, let's pretend. Let's ignore. Ignore all that. Ignore the environmental costs. Pretend nobody cares. Pretend It doesn't matter. Most of your constituents do care, but let's pretend not. You should still care about cost. These contracts tonight are a tiny part of total coal costs, $2 million tonight, but a tiny part, a big reminder of the immense outlays, like $25 million a year, excuse me, just to haul the coal, buy it. Buy it, haul it. Run it for 20 years like that, $25 million, 2.5% inflation rate. That's about $670 million. Then let's discount that to present value using reasonable figures, and we're talking about $400 million in today's money just for buying and hauling the coal, not counting coal and ash expenses, not counting the maintenance, repair, and operational costs that you pay here, like the hydrogen, almost every meeting costs that probably double that $400 million in present value of burning coal. For a coal plant that runs in a good year at 48% of its rated capacity, don't get me wrong, I know we owe $450 million on it, the same amount we owed 17 years ago, by the way, And we must pay it off. We know that. We know that it is the capability of generating power, our own power, when it's cheaper than buying off the grid. That gives CWLP a leg up in keeping our rates low. I know that. We all know that. We have to preserve that flexibility, but it doesn't need to be done with coal. Every expense like the ordinances here underscore the critical importance of this upcoming integrated resource planning. As you decide tonight and every future meeting to approve these massive costs of continually burning coal, keep utmost in your minds that we can plan right now for a future without it, still preserve our generating capacity and keep rates low for future generations. If we took that present value of just hauling and burning coal plan to deploy a generating capacity that doesn't have those massive costs, we could do it. $400 million of solar and wind with new battery storage systems could easily displace what Dallman Ford produces. Once built, it won't cost $25 million a year to haul the sun or to haul wind or return wasted sunlight and blown away wind to dump in an abandoned sunshine mine or wind slurry pit. I've never heard of those things. These coal combustion residual costs are an important reminder that we need an open, transparent, truly public discussion of the future of CWLP. And the state law sets out minimum standards for engagement of the public, minimum. We need more than the minimum. This is of critical importance. Thank you.

That's all we have. Thank you, sir. Do we have a motion? So moved. For consent. Motion. Second?

Second.

Those in favor? Aye. Those against?

20 26 370 is an ordinance authorizing additional funding the amount of $100,000 under contract NB 27-0 to you Representation in my sole stakeholder process with the prime group LLC with a total amount payable $125,000 to the Office of Public Utilities any discussion Second motion.

I got motion Second any discussion those in favor say aye yes, no surpasses I

20 26 371 is an ordinance approving purchase of relay panels with Schweitzer engineering laboratories and authorizing supplemental appropriation amount of not to exceed two hundred eighteen thousand eight hundred sixty three dollars to the Office of Public Utilities consent any discussion all those in favor say aye those against Public Works 2026-372 is an ordinance authorizing purchase of rock salt in the amount not to exceed $600,000 and a transfer of budget authority for the Office of Public Works.

For consent. Second. Any discussion? Those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against, no. Motion passes.

2026-373 is an ordinance authorizing execution of contract PW27-16 with Waste Management of Illinois Inc. for residential landscape waste collection. from 9-1-2026 through 8-31-2029, an amount not to exceed $4,152,836, and authorizes a supplemental appropriation amount of $150,000 for the Office of Public Works.

Move to debate. Second.

Any discussion? I see Alderman Gregory.

Thank you, Chair. Thank you for putting this on debate, gentlemen. I just had a few questions. Am I correct or wrong? Did Republican used to have this contract? Lake area. Lake area, sorry. Okay. And my question is, what's different going to be with this? Is there a representative from there? No? All right. I'll reserve my question.

I think they're going to come next week.

All right. Don't worry about it. They'll be here next week. Thank you, sir.

Alderman Gregg, would you, was this asking about the cost? Is there a price increase in this or something? I think Lake Area didn't want to bid on this because they were not getting any kind of a raise each year. I think, did we just talk about waste management and Republic coming down there and wanting a raise here the last couple weeks ago? No. I think Lake Area hasn't had a raise in some time.

Alderman, I can't speak for Lake Area, but I think there's a distinction between the cap on what the city allows waste haulers to charge and this contract, which is a separate contract just for yard waste.

Okay.

Thank you.

Alderman Gregory.

Real quick. So, Dave, the yard waste, and I'll never... Some years ago, we talked about possibly having some vendors, you know, help out with that in each quad. Because we was talking about our each quadrant. Because we was talking about the missed bags and have to call in on those things. Have we explored those options? I know we had spoken about that some years ago.

We put the contract out there. We had two waste haulers in response, and this was the lowest response.

Okay. And this is the total bid, $4 million? Yes, sir.

Okay.

All right. Do you know if they will have any, I know they have minority drivers. Will they have any help? Are they planning on doing it all by the trucks? How will they be executing?

My understanding is they're going to use their existing equipment and personnel. Okay. If they have to make additional, I'm sure they'll do.

All right. Thank you. I appreciate you.

Anyone else? I think we have a motion for debate. Yep. Those in favor? Aye. All those against? Motion for debate, go ahead.

2026374 is an ordinance approving change order number two with Truman Flatt & Sons Company Inc. for the FY2026 bituminous overlay program authorizing an additional $205,931.05 for a total amount not to exceed $8,321,361.93 for the Office of Public Works. Move for consent. Second. We have a motion for consent.

Any debate? Any discussion? Alderman Gregory.

Just a general comment for us to start thinking about. With all of these bike lanes that we're putting out through the city, I took a trip up to Chicago recently, and I just seen how their bike lanes were a little bit sectioned off for safety to add some things that kept. And the reason why I say that I have received over the last year about people parking in the bike lanes and trying to get somebody over there to deal with that, which we always don't have the time for that, But I think as we look for a more bikeable, walkable city, if we're going to put these bike lanes in, we have to start thinking about some type of safety measures for our bikers. That's my comment. Thank you.

All right. We have a motion for consent. Those in favor say aye. Aye. Against? Motion passes.

General City Business 2026-375 is in order to increase the number of Class D liquor licenses by one for AJ's 50-yard line, LLC DBA, AJ's 50-yard line located at 1374 Toronto Road.

Move to consent.

Second. Motion for consent and second. Do we have any discussion? Seeing none, those in favor say aye. Aye. Against?

20 26 376 is in order to increase the number of class a liquor licenses by one for primetime billiards Inc DBA primetime billiards located at 2301 Adelaide Stevenson Drive suite a Motion for consent in a second do we have any discussion?

see Seeing none those in favor say aye. Aye those against passes

2026-377 is an ordinance appointing Jason McKenzie, Sarah Kink, and Jim Peters to the Deferred Compensation Committee.

Move for debate.

Second.

Any discussion? We have a motion for debate. Those in favor say aye. Aye.

Against? Motion passes.

Do we have anybody who wants to say a... Mr. McKenzie.

How y'all doing? My name is Jason McKenzie. I'm the assistant business manager with IBEW Local 193. And I represent quite a few members of the city here in the electric division and among other places. And I'm glad you're considering me for this position. Thank you. Thank you, sir.

Is there a cake?

Good evening. I'm Sarah Kink, and I'm the Director of Human Resources for the City. I look forward to this appointment and working with the City better to serve our employees.

Great. Thank you. Jim Peters? All right. Maybe it'll be next week. All right. We have a... All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Against? Motion passes.

2026-378 is an ordinance-authorized payment in the amount of $44,069.41 to Phillip Johnson, a current Springfield firefighter, for settlement of workers' compensation claim for the case number 24-WC-014415. Motion for consent.

Second.

Any discussion?

Those in favor say aye. Aye.

2026.379 is an ordinance authorizing acceptance of proposal under RFP CS26-22, an execution of an agreement with Michael Sheehan. where the purchase of city-owned property consisting of one vacant lot at 1231 South 12th Street in the amount of $600 to the Office of Budget and Management. Motion for consent.

Second. Any discussion? Those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against? Motion passes.

2026.380 is an ordinance authorizing acceptance of a proposal under RFP CS26-22, an execution of an agreement with the denatry holder pride tent for the purchase of a city-owned property consisting of two vacant lots located at 1420 South 10th and a half Street and 1413 South 11th Street in an amount of $1,200 for the Office of Budget Management. Motion for consent.

Second.

Any discussion?

Those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against? Motion passes.

2026381 is an ordinance authorizing payment to execute transportation for the trolley service for the summer 2026 in an amount not exceeding $55,212.

the Springfield Convention any discussion the director could come up since we're extending this just let us know a little bit how it's been going feedback is yeah absolutely woman seen the trolley it looks like

Yeah, you can see that we wrapped it this year, and so it actually says history comes alive on the side. So last year was the first year we had the trolley as part of our history comes alive. It was very successful. So we're improving every year, and we actually added a day, and that's what part of this ordinance is for. It was under $50,000 last year, and this pushed it over the top for that $50,000 mark. So that's part of it. But, no, history comes alive. It's having a great – it's actually just ended. So it was a nine-week run. And we had a lot of international visitors, as you would expect this year, with the Route 66 Centennial, the FIFA World Cup. And then currently, the Women's Professional Baseball League is really pushing visitors here. And international visitors are really coming to town and enjoying not only baseball, but the Lincoln Sites and Route 66.

Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate it. I know it was a fun initiative that you started last year. I got good feedback on it. So I just wanted to give you a little chance to kind of promote what we were doing again this year to bring people downtown.

Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. And it's air conditioned. I think that's a big thing as well. So when it's hot outside, it's air conditioned. They can get around town that way.

Thank you. Thank you, Scott.

Scott, hang on for a second. Oldman Gregory. Thank you, Chair. Director, I'm looking at some of these routes and It's a good route, but it doesn't cross 11th Street. I just want to know your thoughts as we continue on with rehabilitation of places like Engine House No. 5, Dr. Lee Home, on and on, the sites. What are our thoughts? I know you've been working on a marketing plan. What are our thoughts to start adding those? I know that firehouse, they're probably about a couple steps from being done. I would really love to to see some additional sites.

Yeah, as we discussed and we had the marketing plan, when those sites are visitor ready, when they have regular hours, when they have storyboards, when they have some kind of interpretation, certainly we can add the trolley in that direction. But for now, those sites aren't ready. So we're taking them to sites that are visitor ready.

Okay. And so all of these sites, every time that they go to them, they're open. I know they're in Presidential Museum, but I see some of these other ones that, You know aren't all the time open so they're getting out going in all of these places Well, they have the option they could ride the trolley around the entire loop if they want We also took the trolley to the tomb this year as well And so that's it that's an important stop and the Great Western Train Devo right there on the train tracks is that open or is it closed?

Yeah, it's open they have regular hours and Certainly, that's where Lincoln provided its farewell address. All right, I appreciate it.

Yeah That's I think we have a motion for consent Any discussion? So those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against? Motion passes. Next is unfinished business. Mr. Clerk, is there any unfinished business to come before this committee? First would be Alderman Williams. Yes, thank you, Mr.

Chair. You know, I want to take this time to thank the citizens of Springfield. We did pass our landlord registry permit process, and it is at the county, and it will be on the ballot. Of course, this city council wouldn't do it, but our citizens have spoke. They want it on the ballot, and our campaign for... starting the campaign to get it approved and people to vote yes for it, we'll start momentarily. And I just want to let people know if they're interested in working on that, please contact us. Thank you.

Alderman Gregory.

Yes, no, I compliment you and the team on that. You guys definitely worked hard, got a lot of signatures for that. So great work to our citizens and the groups that... put in work to get that on the ballot. I've got a couple of comments, too. I'll try to condense them for the sakes of time and some other things that we need to talk about. Corporation Council, we some time ago, three or four projects agreement with the ordinance that we passed are still not signed, executed.

Yeah, and I know you emailed me about that on Monday. We drafted the amendment a couple weeks ago, and I'm trying to track down where that is. It's been drafted. It's been approved by my office. I think it might be lost somewhere. My assistant was out yesterday. So I'm trying to track it down, but it has been drafted.

Okay. I just want to let this council know that he is continuing to work the strategic plan that we set out to do. He is working without a contract. He is still executing those things for us. So it is imperative to try to get that done. We talked about city right-of-ways and water lines with our customers. So I have a couple unique situations, right? Long, long time ago. property use theory. I guess how we platted out the land and stuff like that. I have a resident who lives in a rental on 11th Street. Our house is on 11th Street, and the water line to fix it is way on yield. So this house owner has to go dig up our alley, and you know how we like our stuff in a specific way. So he's got about an $8,000 bill. And our resident is, our citizen is sitting in his house, you know, and he's trying to do the best thing. And I just, I just think those situations for a water department, I always look at Scott, but that ain't on you. I think those situations we really, really have to take a look at and try to help because that is, you know, it's causing some additional work on homeowners. Economic Development, Ms. Amy did a wonderful job really working with somebody who's in the Far East TIF area to get some help to fix this. Our older man here spent thousands on it. And what's most likely happening is whatever's in the... In the pipe. And right before it gets to go wherever it is down, it's on our side, but it's in his pipe and he's got to dig it all up and pay this. But these are starting to cause some serious situations. Luckily, this constituent's in a TIF area. We can help him out. But this other homeowner, a good property owner, a good landlord that I know well, he's in a box to spend $8,000 to try to fix this issue and dig up our property. an alleyway at that and I and I just you know think that we have to really really those situations not everyone that's on the city right away but those type of situations are really a detriment to to our whether the rentals or whether the homeowners and they can cost some significant money so I'm trying to rack my brain on how we help help that that gentleman out but he's definitely been on the line with me since Friday and this happened that Friday like a 4 o'clock, 4.30 or something, I was at a meeting, and I did make the emergency call, and they had been out there, and we're putting all of that on him. And this water line, like I say, she lives on 11th Street, and the water line connection is way on Yale to dig up. So that's certainly an issue for us, and I have sent messages to different directors, and hopefully we can do something to help. If not, I definitely... you know, hate to bring an ordinance to try to split this cost with this gentleman, but we can't just leave them out dry. It's not their fault. It's not the resident's fault. It's how we play in the city. I wasn't there. None of us was there, but we have a responsibility to ensure things go right like that. Thank you. And that's it for me. Alderwoman Conway.

Thank you. I just wanted to give everyone an update on the issue I brought up recently about Republic Waste Hauling and the issues around their different rates overcharging people in the city. I've had a number of people reach out and send screenshots of bills and explain how long they've been paying much more than $15 a month for ways that fell within the restrictions around in the city ordinance. I would like just to update everybody that Republic has been very responsive. I've heard from people who have already gotten, they're getting credits on their bills. I strongly encourage if you are still having an issue or if someone's checking their bill and you see that you're getting charged for more than you should, certainly reach out to your alderman. We're here to help navigate this with you. But Republic has been responsive to people who are calling them directly. And so I'm optimistic that this will get settled and sorted for Again, this is just for the residential garbage collection, not businesses, not yard waste, not any of the other things that we collect on. But I am seeing some progress, and I am encouraged by that. But again, encourage people, look at your bills, look at what you're paying, and understand that for residential garbage collection, it should be that one can is $15 a month, and that includes your recycling. So just want to keep people in mind of that, and again, thank the company for being responsive. Thank you, Chair.

Williams, unfinished business? Thank you. Yes, I forgot a few things. So the first thing was, well, related to what Sean was talking about, last year I had a situation similar where the guy had to go through our alley, our public alley, cross over into his neighbor's yard to the next street to get to the main. And he was required as well for those charges to the point that he had to sell. He had to sell his house. It sits vacant now and is a problem property right now, but it sits vacant. So it is something this council and this administration is going to have to try to figure out what do we do. I was told the reason why it exists is because it was farmland in the late 1800s and these early 1900s, it got plotted into city blocks over there on the east side. But it was one farm at one time. So that's why a lot of those homes over there, their water main is over on the next block or up around the corner, that kind of thing. And so when these problems exist and it's on their side, they do have to go through our public alley and through their neighbor's yard or whatever it takes to fix or either sell or get it demolished. That's the fix to it right now. But I'm hoping we can do something different. My second issue deals with uh, I just just got a question for you. So amendment for Well the citywide or whatever the program is called now. Have you received the amendment yet? I don't think you have but I just might ask why I got your attention for or changing some changes to Or the city like to tell them what the tree issue we talked about and dealing with some of the other issues. Have you received anything? Well

I've received a request to look at whether or not we can use TIF funds. And that's it, pretty much? To my knowledge, yes.

Nothing with language about proposing changes?

To the citywide program?

Yeah, to the ordinance, yeah. Okay, thank you, sir. That's the citywide. Alderman Gregory. Yes, Alderman Williams.

I have had some conversations with our director on just the cannabis portion and trying to get that in there. You know, I've researched the TIF statute before, and I think I've said it again, and tree work under TIF. under the TIF can only be executed under a redevelopment, under a redevelopment out of that program. So I do have some other thoughts on other, because cannabis is not a year-round thing. It has its times. But I do have some other thoughts on that. We are going to get added. I believe the director has some thoughts on how to make that transition on just the cannabis portion. And then we will have some thoughts on what else we can do.

Williams, are you good? Alderman?

Yeah, I'm just getting a timeline on where we're at on some of this stuff.

There's a lot of moving parts, so thank you. Anybody else? Very good. Next is new business. Is there any new business to come before this committee? Oh, Alderwoman Purchase. Thank you.

It's been a minute since I did an announcement. But before I touch on the announcement, I wanted to, it just popped up in my mind. I wanted to piggyback off of what Alderwoman Conley said and I don't want to sound like the squeaky wheel up here, but I think it's like their due diligence to bring us a report because if we didn't catch Republic Services, they would still be continuing to charge people over and over. And I'm really interested to see how far back this goes. You know, you came in and asked for an increase. I think you exceeded receiving an increase by double charging people on their bills every month or every quarter. So I would like to see, and I don't know, Director Fuchs, is this something that I could ask for our contact person in your office that deals with waste management and Lake Area, if they could reach out to Republic Services and ask them for a report to send to us? I know I could have did it individually, but I think it's something that all of us would like to know as we're receiving emails and text messages and screenshots about their bills. Thank you. And then? One more thing. At some point, I do think that they should come in and talk to us, and they can explain, you know. Sorry, did I miss the bus that they come in next week?

No, that's waste management on the yard waste.

Okay.

My guess, and I can't speak for Republic Services, but if you invite them, I'm sure they'd be glad to come.

Should I invite them, or could I ask you as director to... This is your chamber, ma'am. Can I ask you to send something that I think would everyone agree that you would want to hear a report and how things are going instead of one of us getting it and then distributing it out to everyone?

I'd be glad to make sure you have the contact information, but again, this is your chamber.

Make sure it's not recording. We're talking as a live person. Yes, sir.

Yeah, Erin, I'm not for sure. I'm sorry, Alderman Conley, I'm not for sure because I know we don't have to reach out to them to talk to them about the race that they want, and they come in and talk to us. So I'm not for sure. Have you been talking to them one-on-one? And do they have like a portal, like Alderman Rockford said, where they're not speaking to an automated machine or waiting for a long period of time? Can they send something through a portal to show what's going on?

So I have asked for both of those things, actually. Director, when I first contacted you about this, I asked for a full audit of Republic Waste and the billing structures. I've been in touch with Republic about that, and I have asked that they come in. The representative was here the first night and then had to leave early. He had a prior engagement. But I did ask that he come to a full council meeting and give us an update in person. So I have made that request. Have they responded to you? He said he would. So my hope, my expectation is that they would be here next week at a council meeting instead of just so we have a little more attention. Dialogue. Yeah. So I have asked that. And I did, again, when I first found this, My request at the time was that the city do the audit. I think realistically it needs to be more of an explanation from Republic in person on how they're doing their own audit process. I agree with you. We deserve an explanation from them and a more public description of how exactly they're handling this for everybody who's been reaching out. I mean, I am encouraged that I'm getting positive feedback from people, but they did take things down. I will say the number you call still sends you through fairly standard customer service where you have to push a button and hit one for this and four for that. take away a little bit of your life to wait for a person. But they are getting into people. That is how they've taken down the online portal so that people can't actually register online for new garbage collection because of the issues that they were experiencing around the differentiated rate. So I have asked that they come in.

And thank you. And I thank you for taking the initiative to ask them. But also, too, I think it's, becoming of them to come in and give us one message versus us having to go directly to you and say, can you ask them this? Can you ask them that?

I think it would be good for the company and for all of us and for the community as a whole that they come in and speak to the entire council. That's very important.

I agree with you on that. That was my request. Thank you. Thank you. And then moving into my announcement. So about two weeks ago, I had asked everybody, did you know what that week was? And it was the National Convention of the NAACP, and then asked, did everyone know how the NAACP was founded? Well, we have three hot days in August, the aftermath, and it's a four-day citywide observance of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot, but I think Director Gwynn would be so much better coming up here, so I don't steal your thunder to talk about the importance and what events are going on over those three to four days, and really encouraging the city to come out and participate so we can know our own history. Thank you. You're welcome.

I knew it was coming. I knew it was coming. So this committee has been at work since September of 2025 putting this program together. I am so proud that we are almost here. It has been a lot, a lot of work. It is a community-wide committee, and we have some very good things planned. Every day, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, DNR will start the day off with a walk. You'll walk around to the different race riot monuments. It takes like an hour, hour and a half. It depends on weather and who's in the group. And then we go on. We usually have some type of presentation. On Thursday, there will be two presentations. Both of them will be at the Illinois State Museum. One will be by Doris Bailey, and the other one will be by another writer talking about a lynching that took place in East St. Louis during the aftermath of the 1908 race riots. Thursday evening, we will be having a reception at the library. We will have speakers there. We will also have the gentleman that put the sculpture at our Union Station, he'll be there presenting on that as well.

Yeah, Preston Jackson. Thank you.

Thank you. And then on Friday night, we're going to have a really good day. We are going to have another service, not a service, but program at the Bunn Auditorium, and it's going to be a memorial of the people that lost their lives during the race for including there's a little baby that died as well as a result of the race riot. We have involved, there's going to be a time where the community can come in and they can participate in a soil dig where we're actually going to go to the sites where lynchings took place and you'll be able to participate in this act of putting soil into a jar that will later on be stored at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum as well as the EJI site further down in our country. And then on Saturday, we are going to have a closing ceremony at the African American Museum. And also, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the Hoogland Center will be featuring Outrage, Terror in Springfield 1908 by playwright Timothy Crawford. I've tried to dumb this down. There's a lot going on, guys, and I don't want to bore you with it, but it's not boring. It's fun, and there's been a lot of good things going on, and I think there's something for everybody. And then, this is the best part. Last year, we received some complaints that we didn't have enough for young people, but this year, we sponsored an essay contest, and we have three winners that we will be glad to announce later on. I'm really happy that they came from too much, but from Springfield, Southeast, and Lampard High School. We've got three winners from both three high schools. So I'm really excited about it, and I hope you guys can come out and participate in any way possible.

Thank you.

Thank you.

No problem, Director Gwinn. I will be there with my walking shoes on, but my last announcement I might miss a little bit Thursday evening because we got the State Fair Parade. I know. I know, and I love the State Fair Parade. Oh, man. We were trying to jinx the rain. I hope it passes over. But we have the State Fair Parade, and I encourage everyone to come out. But there's so much going on with you in the morning. I'll be there at 9.30, then 12.30, and then maybe 4, and have to run out there and get to the parade. So I'm hoping there's plenty for us to do, and I hope to see my colleagues there too. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Thank you, Chair. Alderman Gregory. Thank you, Ms. Gwynn. And I also compliment the NAACP. Mrs. Trees, I won't call her by her first name. I'll get beat up. But she has really, really contacted us, beat us over our head and make sure that we are there and we are knowledgeable of what's going on. We've tried to share that. as much as we can through our social media. So we appreciate you. We, you know, as a group, as a Black Caucus, we take these moments very, very serious. They are not forgotten upon us. And, you know, I have talked to them and working with our colleagues as well as Corporation Council Murdoch to really move beyond the ceremonial thing. We really want to look at our systems. We know that that event has left a lasting impression Detriment to our community and we really really want to look at all of our systems I'm here at the city of Springfield similar to what the state is doing with the reparations committee and You know, we'll deem this the 1908 race riot repair commission to really look at our systems such as minority and on and on and on to make sure that we are doing the best that we can for our citizens and We're so pleased to have this event and it empowers us to make to continue this fight on to represent these people. Of course, in my ward, I serve and represent the majority minority ward or the mostly black ward. And I just take it very, very seriously what we need to do. Those effects still linger, and they still have hindered our community from the growth that we need. Beyond what's documented, we know that there was many, many others killed, displaced from their homes that wasn't documented because they ran before somebody could get to them. So I look forward to coming and learning more. And, you know, I can tell you the more and more I come and the more and more I learn those things, the more and more it just empowers us to make sure that this city is doing right by all of its citizens. So I appreciate you and NAACP and all those who are taking part in this. Thank you.

I appreciate it. Am I good? Can I run?

Thank you, Director. All right. Now it's time for citizens' requests to address the committee. Are there any citizens who wish to address the committee? Mr. Clerk? As I remind new speakers, please pay attention. Five minutes on the monitor. We'll cut the mic at five, and we'll gently gavel at five. So, thank you. New to the process, man. New to the process.

It was almost insulting. I mean, you know I know the rules. I skirt them all the time. Boundary pusher, I know that. You know, I was disheartened to read that we're just suspending somebody who got a DUI and ran from the stop. I mean, we're demoting them. But where are we demoting them? Is it to patrol? Does that seem counterintuitive? I mean, I know people who get DUIs and we don't usually let them wander out on the streets, right? They don't get to drive for how long? Six months minimum? I assume, because it wasn't in the press release, on the transparency page, of course, that she may not be the driver in that vehicle. One would hope, right? I mean, her license is likely to get suspended automatically for a DUI like most people's. I would hope. But who knows? We never really know the answers to a lot of things like that because it stays behind closed doors. which is pretty upsetting if you think about it. I mean, you're supposed to be leadership. And your judgment out there is that not only do you get a DUI, but you ran from the stock from your own colleagues, professional colleagues, obviously, not similar to the same department. But, I mean, that says something, doesn't it? A level of disrespect even for your own colleagues in law enforcement, and yet you get a 30-day suspension.

30 days.

have the chief up here talking about 14-year-olds knowing what a Terry stop is. So I'm just curious if we extend that same level of expectation to the very people enforcing the law. I wonder what her attitude will be the first time a citizen brings up her DUI, possibly during her license suspension. You think she'll be magnanimous about it? You think she'll be welcoming to those comments from the community that she's born to serve and protect? Thoughts of serving and protecting their state program shows the drinking and driving leads to what, guys? All right. So I just got to tell you, it's disheartening at the very least.

And it's even more disheartening that the only reason I found out about it is because somebody sent me the transparency paper.

You guys see any public notice about that? Yeah, me either. So it's not an attack. I'm happy they made the transparency about that with the citizenry. Speaking of press releases, we finally got an answer all these months later about what happened in January with that shooting. Now, I'm not going to deny that the individuals may be dangerous, and they were in fact armed. Nobody's questioning that. Wow, 48 hours for having your fine camera off when you shoot a citizen in the back, huh? How long was that camera off? When was this taser test? How many days did they go without it on? We don't know. It's not on the transparency page.

We may never know.

So we void it, get it denied. You know, it's frustrating because I do see that the police are making an effort. I see it in the way people tell me about their interactions with the officers on the street. It's not an attack on every single person with a badge in the city. I just... It's not even stating that the officer did something nefarious. I'm not telling you he, like, purposely shot this kid in the back and had his body came off because he meant to do all of those things. But it's the idea that you're asking a community that's already very short and thin on trust for the police department due to past interactions, due to decades of malfeasance, and you're asking us to trust that. Well, give us a reason to trust it. Do more than just a blanket boilerplate press release like that when it comes to citizens I digress. You know, it's really hard sometimes to come up here and act like I'm not deeply, deeply upset. I appear peaceful a lot of times, but I mean, my heart is always driven towards liberation. I think that if you want things to go well, you've got to work to get the boot off people.

Thank you. Thank you. Veronica Glass. Veronica Glass. Tara Lee.

Good evening. Excuse my nerves. I know I only have five minutes. I may need seven. Good afternoon. My name is Tiara Lee. At the July 28 City Council meeting, The April 2025 incident pertaining to my home was riled up by Alderman Larry Rockford. You can reference this at approximately timestamp 5235 in the public video. However, what was presented that day was not my truth. It was not a true representation of the situation. Firstly, I would be remiss if I did not publicly acknowledge and thank Alderman Sean Gregory for his work the entire 16 months that my family has been displaced, please keep in mind that Alderman Gregory is not my alderman. I would also like to thank my alderman, Alderman Larry Rockford, for your diligence to this matter in bringing it back before city council. I'm going to circle back around to you in a second. On April 25th, 2025, my family and I attended my uncle's funeral who passed away unexpectedly. We left home early that morning and were gone until about 5.30 p.m. that afternoon. When we came back to my home after an emotionally exhausting day, we walked into what I can only describe as a nightmare. There was a black, tarry, thick substance that looked like it exploded out of my basement toilet onto my walls. There was a mucky, smelly, Water substance covering my downstairs floors that had particles and tissue residues in it. My downstairs walls were covered. My toilets and my walls were covered. Contaminated water and waste had traveled not only out of my bathroom downstairs, but it also affected my kitchens and sinks upstairs in my home. I immediately went outside because I remembered that the city had contracted a company by the name of Acitra Forum to do water jetting in my community. Upon going outside to the essential form truck, I was greeted by the project manager. I immediately told him that something occurred in my house and that he should come and look at it. What he said to me has stuck with me. He said this is the first lateral house on the right. At that time, I didn't understand how he knew that or where he knew that I came from because he didn't see me walk down the street to find him. He came into my house. He did a walkthrough through the contaminated water. He took photographs and he made a phone call. He stated again that that first lateral house on the right has damages and that they were responsible for it. However, he then stated that he would send service master to come out and clean my house if I wished, of course. At that time, I wasn't aware that it was a level three contaminated raw sewage until service master entered my house after midnight on the 25th. Service master notified my family that we cannot inhabit the house because this is a level three raw sewage contaminant. I then placed myself with my own funds, myself and my family, into the Crowne Plaza and so that I could contact someone Monday morning, which was April 27th. I did my own due diligence to find out that I needed to speak with Tyler Borski at Public Works. Tyler Borski was unaware that we were displaced and that anything that had even occurred because the company that the city contracted didn't feel the need to let the city know, although Tyler Borski had been in contact with him the entire weekend in that Monday morning, that they had displaced my family due to this disaster. Sorry, please, this is a lot. After this, I contacted Alderman Gregory. He put me in contact with Alderman Larry Rockford, who was immediately concerned that the city had not come out to visibly see the damages to my home that the company that they contracted caused. It wasn't until May 6, due to Larry Rockford's due diligence, that the city did come out to my house. They walked through it. They saw it. They smelled it. They saw the nightmare that my family and I had been living. For the last 16 months, my children have had questions that I have no answer to because I have no answers from anyone. Again, this is a company that the city had contracted. We can see from the very, very beginning that they had no intentions on rectifying the situation, meaning that they didn't even contact the city to let them know what had happened. This is not the first or unfortunately the last time that communication was dropped with this company. This company has left my family in limbo several times, refusing to extend the extension for our hotel. On that video from July 28th, corporate counsel stated that he has been in contact with myself in mediating this. That is not true. I have not heard from the city.

Ma'am, thank you. Your five minutes is up. I'm glad that Alderman Gregory and Alderman Rockford took care of the situation, and I think this was brought up to us a couple weeks ago.

Can we have a vote on whether or not to give her more time? Because this is insane.

Well, we try to keep consistent every week.

I understand.

We try to.

Ma'am, we haven't taken a vote.

Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker.

No, no, no. We have comments.

Me too.

Just to be transparent, she is saying that your office has not communicated with her and did your due diligence. Can you speak to that? I want to hear you, but I want to let him answer from what you said. I just want to ask you, Corporation Counsel, have you spoke to her?

Yeah, we spoke in 2025, like like she just said, when this first came about. And she's been dealing with a third party insurance company for the contractor. It's my understanding there was a tentative agreement in place or a package proposal in March of this year. I don't know what happened as it fell through. The negotiations and the payment is taking place between an insurer that is not the city and Miss Lee.

So we- And has she been made aware of that?

Well, it wouldn't be my place to make her aware of that. I would assume she's dealing with these individuals.

So then my next question, while she's pausing, is when we have contractors that do these type of things, do we have a clause that they can no longer do work when we see that they're at fault?

I mean, they have their liability procedures. Okay. Our contractors, they cause damage, they need to go replace it, but we don't stop a contract at that time.

And this is helping to bring my next question, so I'm not attacking you, but when it comes to contractors doing what they just did to this young lady, there should be something in place so that they don't continue to do it to other people. Because, I mean, I've never seen the photos before. I wasn't staring at y'all, I was staring at the photos. so that I could see what she was talking about. And we don't want that to happen to other people. So we're seeing, like, it's facts out there of what they did. And I understand, too, because, you know, I'm in the business of having houses and doing this. But you have to have something in place so that they don't continue to do it, just like they bring up the landlord situation. You want something in place so landlords don't continue to not do their job. So do we need to think of a policy or put something in place to ensure that this doesn't happen again? Or do we have something that you get so many strikes? I'm just trying to understand.

We don't have that in place. If this was a regular occurrence, I'm sure we would terminate the contract. I don't think that anybody is satisfied with how this contractor and their insurance company is dealing with Ms. Lee. The fact that she's been out of her home for 16 months is absurd. It's ridiculous. But...

Effectively dropped the claim in as of August 14th this Friday They denied payment for me and my children to continue to be in the temporary housing So if the city was in mediation with this is this something that you knew and that you were aware of and what are we?

Going to do about it and without us being involved again. This is an issue between between miss Lee and the insurance company there are certain things that the city can do and I don't know why they dropped the coverage. There are communications that are happening that we are not privy to, certainly in the legal department of the city. And so without all of the facts, I can't address it.

Okay. So can you follow up with an email to give him everything?

I have been cc'ing Missy Butcher since September 25th of 2025. She has never acknowledged my family and I. She has never commented back.

And as I instruct all of you, if we're in active litigation, we let my office handle it.

I have not had contact for you, which is also in here, since September of 2025, when I began to CC her in the What if this was her house? Would her and her family still be displaced 16 months later? I'm not asking to sue the city. I'm not asking for a lawsuit. I'm asking to put me and my children back in my house that I have been paying my mortgage on for 16 months and I cannot return back to my home.

My children have ended a school year, started and completed a school And as of Friday, we don't know what we're going to do because they dropped the contract and they no longer pay for our housing. What is the city going to do for me? It is not your job to protect us, but you continue to contract this company. I saw them. I have pictures of them on our city streets. But you continue to pay them and they have not put me back in my home. And to hear you say that you've been in mediation and you've been in contact with me and I have every documentation I have not heard from you since September of 2025. You have left me to fight this company that the city contracted by myself. Outside of Larry Rockford and Sean Gregory who have emailed back the company and myself every time on the same chain that your mayor is on. And nobody responds to me but Sean Gregory, who's not my alderman, if you have no questions for me. I have been humiliated, dehumanized, and embarrassed time and time again. Even Senator Doris Turner stepped in on a Friday evening when the companies malicefully denied the extension on a Friday night. I had to work the wee hours of night Yes, and that's all in here. Senator Doris Turner. Ma'am, we have a couple more questions.

Alderman Williams.

Thank you. You know, I appreciate you trying to be a good chair and follow the rules, but I think in a situation like this, I'm making a motion that we bypass our rules, the council rules, And give this woman a chance to complete what she has to say. I think she is with the question.

I made a motion, and it's a second. Just do your job. Thank you. Do we have a second? Yeah.

I said second.

Those in favor? Aye. Aye. Those against? Motion.

Thank you. So I think she should be allowed to continue.

Thank you. And I just wanted to say, Autor Woman Ward 6, I saw the July 28th meeting. I thank you for trying to attempt to extend resources to me that no one has. And I saw that you were immediately shut down. I saw your expression. I saw your body language. I didn't hear what it was. But to not offer me resources, I am still paying a mortgage on a house that I cannot afford.

Occupy. I just don't understand. My youngest child is speech-delayed and autistic.

His safety, routine, and consistency are extremely important to him. The consistent hotel moves, the different environments, the smells trigger him, different people. The lack of stability has caused significant difficulty with regulation and adjustment. This has been documented through his IEPs, his teachers, and the school system.

And while my children are experiencing this disruption, I'm still paying that mortgage for a house that remains inhabitable. There are currently no usable things.

I'm not sure if you guys can see. My house has been an empty shell. They removed walls. I have recordings from the company that the city contracted stating that after I left my uncle's funeral that it looks like I went in my house and damaged my house myself. Because what they were doing doesn't equate to the amount of damage that they have.

So after I left my uncle's funeral, I went into my house, I dug in the sewers, rummaging around for all of my neighbor's fecal matter, and I smeared it all over my house. I have a recording from this company saying that. Why have I had to fight this hard to get back into my home and to keep my children safe? I've heard that mediation was taking place between the city and the company.

I've heard that people are working on this matter, but no one is talking to me. You even stated that you would speak to Alderman Larry Rockford about the situation. That was July 28th. What conversations did you guys have? I don't know, because everyone's having conversations, but no one's conversing with me. I am asking this council for accountability, transparency, and action to see the Ascension Forum truck still on the streets of Springfield after they displaced me and my family for 16 months is disheartening, is disgusting, is sad because the city of Springfield has failed me. You guys don't care about me. You don't care about my children. You don't care the... Because I'm incurring. This company has not provided us with stipends for food. They have not replaced any of my children's clothes, uniforms, shoes, our daily essentials. And I have been paying... scalable amount to not only wash our clothes because washers and dryers are provided to us for free of course so I'm washing our clothes I'm providing fast food for us because we're living in a hotel I've had to rebuy all of my children's uniforms school things things that could have been reusable because this company has not done anything and then to drop us without explanation because if they don't have the answers to the city why should they have to answer to me You guys aren't holding them accountable. And again, you guys contracted them. I did not bring them to my house. I didn't ask them to come to my house and to go so far as to say that it looks like I did this myself after leaving my uncle's funeral.

I don't understand. I don't understand. What is the city's plan for my family when Friday, August 14 comes and we're due to check out of this hotel at 11 a.m.?

What are we going to do? Because it doesn't seem like anything. I hope you guys know that you not only failed me, you failed my children. I have done everything that has been asked of me from this company. I've sought out contractors. I got bids. I did everything that I was supposed to do. I thought that my time was cut short, so I never even touched on the issue with CWLP and how they ran my bill so high, and I felt that I was not responsible for that because of the machinery that they were running. My services at my house were cut off and suspended. During that time, and I have pictures of that as well, during that time, the screens on the lower level of my house were taken out and cut. It seemed that someone was tampering with my home. Can you imagine the fear that I feel that there might be squatters in my house? The safety concerns that I have when I go to my house, every time I go to check my mail or to check my house, that there might be someone in my house. And then what can I do? Because squatters have rights, too. Everyone has rights but me and my kids.

Alderman Gregory, you have a question?

How about Ms. Lee and, you know, I don't know. I can say on behalf of the city as a representative that I apologize that you're even experiencing this. I've been privy to a lot of the messages back and forth. Whoever the insurance company is and whoever is dealing with that is just horrible. That's a terrible company to have in our city. We just don't have any, from a council standpoint, we're all together. We can point out whoever. It's the empathy. Like, you know, they're probably told not to talk to you because, oh, we get a lot of people who really, you know, sometimes overdo it and things of that nature. But this young lady has a real problem. A real problem. And then, you know, I know we're shaking our head like, yeah, we agree. But then we don't even have the empathy to let her continue. This isn't a normal conversation. This is something that affects our residents and children. and children. And then we want to cut her off and not let her speak. This is a situation that we need to hear about. And I've tried not to speak on it because it's not in my ward and let Larry handle it. And Larry has been handling this stuff. But I know her. I see her out in our community a lot. I see the family out a lot. So it's hard to not get involved and try to help the best way that we can. And so for us, from a city perspective, I don't know how much, and we'll talk a little bit later, More work needs to be done to get you back in your house. But that's what we need to be doing.

The work hasn't started, Alderman.

The work hasn't even started.

They didn't come to a settlement agreement. And the reason I felt that my family was dismissed from this company, because on July 16th, I emailed them and I said that the financial responsibility isn't mine. However, for us to get out of this hotel, I have found proper accommodations for my family in a house apartment. saying that it's far more or less than the almost $10,000 a month they have been spending to house us. I notified them that since 734 days ago when they placed us in this hotel, they have spent an estimate $155,000 to house us in temporary housing. I stated that they could have sold a long time ago, fixed my house, and put me and my children back in my house. But at price. That was... Again, that was July 16th. I put Trahan from ESUS in contact with the landlord who was going to provide my children and I with a home setting. That landlord then notified me that I should contact them back because effective immediately they are dropping your claims. I would have never known had I not been, if God didn't provide a ram in the bush for me in this landlord. Had she not reached out to them on my behalf to put us in a house instead of a hotel with three children, I would have never known that they were dropping me that day and not providing housing after August 14th, this Friday. This is how they have mishandled me from the very beginning, back to April 25th, 2025 when this occurred, when they didn't even let the city know that they were contracted through, that they had displaced us. They have mishandled me in the worst way, dehumanized me, embarrassed me. I'm a mother, a provider, and a protector, and I thought I was doing the right thing purchasing a house in Springfield, providing those very things for my children because I thought that Springfield would protect me. You guys have failed me, and tonight you continue to fail me by wanting to cut me off and not even hear my concerns. Would this be different if I was in your ward, Alderman? Would you fight differently? What if this was your house like I asked Mayor? What if this was her house? I live several blocks from her. How would the situation be rectified? You guys all go home every night. Do you know the stress of having an autistic child in itself? My baby is now in somewhere that is unfamiliar with him. My fear of my child waking up and getting out of that hotel room and I wouldn't know which room he's in. We're the start to look for him. And no one cares.

We have some more questions. Hang on. Alderman Notriano.

So my question is really directed toward Corporation Council. How do we terminate our contract with this company?

I would need to pull the contract and look at the termination clause.

Okay, what do I have to do? What can we do to get that on emergency passage or do that as soon as possible?

I would need to pull the contract and tell you how to terminate the contract.

Okay, because the fact that this company is out and still working and could potentially do this to another homeowner or resident is wild to me. I am so sorry that you are going through this. I can't imagine. And I share your inclination that this is the city's problem. Absolutely. Thank you. I completely agree with that. And I, yeah, the city has to do more. to rectify this situation because you're right. It was our contractor doing work on our behalf and the buck stops with us. So whatever we have to do to get this right, I'm pretty sure we have six votes up here to make it right for you and definitely terminate the contract of this contractor. Thank you.

Olderman Rockford. Yeah. So, you know, back when this occurred, my question, because I've been in this line of work for many years, and I know what goes on, and one of my first questions was, where was the supervisor that should have been on the spot overseeing these contractors? I don't know why we put our faith and trust in these contractors, and this is what happens. Okay. This happens and all of a sudden they put their tail between their legs and they want nothing to do with it. And this is a perfect example. But I just think it's a lack of accountability for people not to step up and say, you know what, I wasn't at that job site. Because I know they wasn't. They told me they wasn't at the job site. I don't know what kind of pressure they were blowing in your line, but it was way too much. To blow that through your toilet in the basement. It shouldn't happen. So they're definitely at fault. I'm all for finding out if they're still working. They shouldn't be working. And somebody needs to be held accountable, whether it's their insurance company or whoever, for them not to go in and fix this. Another company come in and say you can't even be in the house because of the sewage I think it's wrong we should have been in there that day that night and Started working for her to put her back in her house and redo her house I think it's a it's a big embarrassment on the city of Springfield in the City Council not and I'll take a lot of that Responsibility because it's my ward and I did fail her because I should have been pushing this a long time But when you when you ask questions, you don't get no response It's hard to get answers So I apologize on my behalf, but I think the whole city and this contractor should be responsible.

Thank you. You did not fail me, and I thank you. But to speak to this company again, each of you were presented with this. This company has not only lied. You don't all have it, but I have it, and I can send it to you. The company has also lied to the city. This is a document of damages of a house that is not mine. These are not my items. This is not my house. So this is the company, again, that the city has contracted that's sending you these things. This is not my house. These are not the items from my house. This isn't my name or the claim number on the document. And this is also an email that our mayor was cc'd in, that they sent directly to corporate counsel, to Tyler Borski, to Public Works. Like, it's endless. But thank God I am who I am. I am diligent. I am educated. I am smart. I persevere. I have documented and kept everything from day one, not knowing that 16 months later, my children and I will still be displaced. I have printed every document, every correspondence. That's how I know the last conversation and correspondence with Corporal Counsel was September of 2025. That's how I know that your mayor has been CC'd and made privy even to the information that they are canceling and backing out of the claim and leaving us in the air this Friday at 11 o'clock. So not only am I forced to figure this out, continue to miss work, to provide for my children, the basic necessities when I have that in our home, the safety of our home.

Let me ask Alderman Gregory or Alderman Rockford before we move on. Has Posey been involved in this? Ethan been involved in this? He absolutely has, and he's been cc'd as well. Okay. All right, Alderman Conley has a question.

Thank you. First of all, Ms. Lee, I want to tell you this is unacceptable. Thank you. What you've been dealing with, my heart just breaks for you, and I'm so sorry. I just want to tell you that. Thank you. I've been trying to look through these emails also, and I have to say... Your patience and perseverance with this company is remarkable, and you shouldn't have had to have been that remarkable.

Thank you.

Because I trusted the city to handle it. Well, this is astonishing to me. So I do have some questions about insurance requirements for our contracts. So... Again, this was a contractor who caused this issue. We require all of our contractors to carry liability insurance.

That's correct.

What are the limits on their liability insurance that they can somehow transfer that insurance to a different company that's now making a decision to drop her case without resolution? I mean, that's unthinkable. What we're hearing tonight is just beyond the pale of unacceptable. So what do we as a city have in standing with our contracts with the company where their liability then transfers and they back out of their obligations?

So that would be news to me today here that they're not providing liability, and it would be a breach of their contract with us. I think that in the past, in this particular case, they've admitted liability. So if they're dropping coverage, we would need to know about that.

And that would be part of their existing contract with us.

We would need to know the reason why they're not providing coverage.

So under those types, and I'm going to ask this in sort of a general term, because obviously we don't have the contract in front of us right now. But generally speaking, when something like that happens, do we as a city have recourse to also then get involved at this level since they've Since they're denying liability, they're denying coverage at this point, does that breach of contract, do you think, possibly give us an avenue to be more?

I would need all the facts of the situation.

So corporate counsel, when you stated again at timestamp 5235 that you were in mediation and that you were helping me with this, were you in fact privy of the information that I CC'd your mayor in? Letting her know that August 14th at 11 o'clock that my family was no longer going to be temporarily housed for the company that you contracted? Was that true or was that not true?

This has been going on for... Was that or was that not true that you stated? I don't even know what your question is and I'm not up here to answer your questions.

Oh, because you felt me. Okay, thank you.

Chair, again, I want to say you have everyone's attention. This should never have gone this long. I think when we were probably, when I was your age, I also was a single mom of three kids. This is devastating. And what that's done to your children is what really hurts my heart. And so please do keep...

Like, do I keep you guys in the loop? Because he doesn't know what he said July 28th at time stat 5235, that he's in mediation and that he has been helping me. But he said tonight that he hasn't talked to me since September of 2025. Who do I tell besides Sean and Larry? Because they're the only ones that listen. I thank you two. I really do. But who do I tell? Who do I go to? No one cares. He got up and what? He wanted me to stop 15 minutes ago and we're brushing the surface.

They don't care. I do think, I will tell you, I think people do care. And that's what I wanted to follow up with, which is to say that I would hope that we can have a more formal report and understanding of this by next week so that we can address this. Because I know this is the kind of issue. We deal with contractors that cause damage to people's property at different degrees. This is the worst. This is the worst I've ever seen. But we've dealt with this in the past, so there certainly is a criteria here where we have every single ward, every council member has an interest in this because any one of our residents could be, you know, could have a contractor who's working for us fail under their legal obligation to carry insurance that makes her whole. That's the point of insurance is to make the impacted person who did nothing wrong make them whole. She's nowhere near that. You're just dealing with holes right now. So I want you to know my request is that we get a formal response, not just as an email to the group, but at council next week so we can understand repercussions for this for other contracts, too, and insurance expectations of the city.

Sure. I'm happy to provide the council with my involvement in this and then all of the other attorneys of my office who have been working on this.

Thank you very much corporation council all the woman purchase.

Thank you. I had some more following up I had one to ask you and I understand all the woman kindly wants a report, but you just said something that's alarming You're gonna be out at 11 o'clock from the Crowne Plaza. Did you say on Friday?

We're no longer at the Crowne Plaza That was the first initial Hotel that I had to pay for out of my pocket and so I could speak with someone to get a temporary house But yes 11 o'clock Friday. I'm sorry, just one thing before you continue. So we see the blatant disregard. We need more than something that's going to occur next Tuesday.

So that's what I was about to get to. So that's why I asked you about your specific time frame. And I wanted to ask that we do an emergency for her to be in shelter. Her kids got to start school. And it's been 16 months. And I understand that you're hearing of things today. But we've seen things like this come forward before where I know community relations that Director Posey has helped to also get people housed as well. Can we do something like literally now to help her get housing and stable? And then, okay, I see Director Posey raising his hand. Use the mic.

I don't know, Holly, I just called Josh Salo.

Okay.

Would you like to schedule a meeting and sit down tomorrow with the kids? Anything, can you speak in the mic? Sorry, I went out of the hallway. I spoke to Josh Sabo. We're going to schedule a meeting with you in the continuum of care tomorrow. He said, please bring all your documentation, but they're going to try to find whatever way, whatever pots of money they can find to help you, whether that be the security deposit and first ones rent to get you into the home with the landlord that you're talking about. But again, that's why we work so closely with you. No, because there's things that they're able to do in situations where we as a city legally may not be able to do something But I literally just spoke to Josh three minutes ago and we'd like to sit down with you Whatever time works for you first thing in the morning.

So we can we can help our best Thank You director Posey and I want to thank you for coming in here and talking about this today Because that's how you're getting a meeting tomorrow. You said this been going on for 16 months, right? You said, I didn't get to catch it that quick, but you said $100,000 and how much?

$155,000. That's a rough estimate.

And I wasn't trying to be funny when I said they could have redid your whole entire house with $155,000. Absolutely. And then do you have an estimate of how much the damages are in the house, or will they not?

So, again, the company continues to insult me. The first quote that they gave that I sent over to Corporation Council September 2025 was a 98-page document stating that it was $36,000 to repair. The contractor laughed and he stated that the material that he needs will exceed $32,000.

So material was $32,000 and what was $36,000?

It will exceed the $32,000 or $36,000.

Just material, but he didn't tell you labor?

No, but I have the quotes as well in these packets from the contractor.

And that's what we have in the yellow? Yes. Okay.

And if they're not, I could get them to you.

I think we need everything to see this. And that was the first question I asked was a clause. Every contract has a clause. When I worked at IDOT, you wouldn't be able to move on to another contract until you made good with what you just did to a, as they call it, a company.

But the company that they contracted see that they could mislead and misguide them and not have to be responsible. So why do they feel like they have to be responsible to me and my family?

I totally... Understand where you're coming from and that's why I asked those questions to corporation council to hear Where they were as the city with dealing with this entity they cannot drop you There's some type of game being played. There's a silo that's happening right now, too Well, we're not hearing that information and they're able to play this game The mayor of the seed in all of that correspondence Thank you Thank you, and I defer over to my colleagues. Like you said, Sean was communicating with you, and we talked about this over the weekend because we were only made aware, at least the rest of us was made aware of your situation. I have houses. I would have put you in one of my houses if I heard that you was in a hotel for 16 weeks and your kids got to start school next. I mean 16 months. I'm sorry. 16 months and your kids have to start school next week. Every single backpack, and I got emotional listening to you. First off, seeing another woman, a woman of color, going through a situation like this, this is bullshit. And I'm not trying to make you upset at all, neither. And I know that you feel like some of us don't care up here, but we do care. And we only can help when you come and talk to us. We don't know what else is going on. We're not privy to all the information. You could have been had a meeting with Josh Staple when you were sitting in a hotel for 16 months. So to hear that you've been doing that and spending your money and your kids got to start school. And I just talked about how kids want to feel confident, prepared, and ready when they go for their first day of school. And you can't even have that with your kids right now.

So imagine how hard it has been to be my kid's protector and provider and hide all of these emotions My storms will never touch my kids. So imagine how many nights I've been in this hotel in the bathroom crying because they failed to extend us on a Friday night multiple times. And the city blatantly disregards us. But Senator Doris Turner can stop on a Saturday morning from Chicago to send Fifth Street Renaissance to rescue us. Imagine how it feels not to have the answers for my children who look at me as everything.

Well, I just want to say you're brave. You're brave for coming in here today. You're brave because people are watching this on TV right now. And my children still don't know that. You are very brave to be able to bring this forward and share what us was going on with you and figure out how we can help you. and I want to see the report, but we need to do our due diligence and help you starting tonight. Get all your information turned in so that he can look at the clause, but there's nothing else outside of him doing his due diligence and reading the contract. They shouldn't have a contract no more. I asked those questions earlier because I don't know what we have. Our job up here is ordinances. We don't look at every single contract that comes through. And that's why we have corporation counsel. But when we have things like this that come up, we're able to speak to it and see what policies can be put in place. Just like you heard me ask earlier, you keep hearing about contracts. You keep hearing him talk about minority participation. I brought up a cup. Like, we're not stupid. We understand what's going on. But we don't get to put action into place until we hear from you. And I think this was something all 10 of us needed to hear tonight.

They absolutely didn't expect my strength, my courage. They didn't expect me to be able to go round for round with a company for 16 months on my own. No lawyer to help them check GPT on several long nights, but I did as much as I could.

I'm echoing my colleagues. I'm going to speak with you afterwards, but I do want to give my apologies for this even happening to you. I can only imagine what you're going through, and we will continue to help you get through this.

Alderman Donnelly.

Thank you, Chair. Ms. Lee, thanks for coming. Your strength is appreciated. I just don't know what to say as far as this should never have gone on 16 days, let alone 16 months.

Thank you.

I know my colleagues well and Say it without even talking to them about it. I know that they would do anything To help you as quickly as possible What I struggle with is we have an issue obviously on the city side that I'm not going to address I think it's been covered but when I get calls from constituents and they aren't problems this bad and They're bad when it impacts people. Don't get me wrong. This is the worst I've heard. This is why we're here to help people that are in need like this. And if you didn't come, and everybody's aware now, believe me, this has gotten some attention. And you don't know how much it's appreciated. And I'm just sorry you had to do it. But what we need to do is we need to have an advocate for people in situations like this. My business, what I do for my daily job, I'm in the insurance industry. All I heard all the time you were talking is a liability on this private company. And we talked about the insurance. Believe me, they're able to assist you. The insurance is capable of solving this issue. We just got to get the right advocates with you to help you through it so we can get it past the finish line. And I know I'm stating the obvious, but this is absolutely ridiculous. Don't think just because the meeting's over tonight you can't pick up the phone or send a text or what have you. We collectively probably know other entities that we haven't even thought of that can help you. But I want to talk to you offline on an idea I have. I think you need a very strong advocate. But again, I'm not going to ramble on. I can't say enough about your strength in coming tonight and your willingness. You're pretty darn stoic. It didn't break down. You did a good job, and Alderman Conley, Alderwoman Conley and I are going to share the documents so she can get a copy of myself, but we'll sit here all night if we have to. Thank you.

I appreciate that.

Alderman Williams.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. I would say she has the city's attention. We have a plan, and I appreciate her coming. It served its purpose for coming, and I have the faith that things are going to be much better and move forward, and we're taking care of the immediate 14th situation.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am. It sounds like you have the full force of the city behind you now, and thanks for elevating it, unfortunately, after 16 months. Thank you.

Thank you for your change of heart.

Thank you. Next clerk.

Ready? Yeah. Matthew Young.

Thank you for allowing me to talk here today. My problem that I started with was back in last Thursday. I had received a parking violation and I want to make it clear that I wasn't at my parking spot maliciously. I wasn't harming no one. I wasn't bothering no one. I work for a home help agency where I take care of a client for 25 hours a week. up at near North Village. I work from 10.30 to five, Monday through Wednesday. I work 10.30 to four on Thursdays with the client. I have to find a parking spot around the building so that I can go and tailor my care for this client of mine. So for me to get a parking violation, I just wanna be able to go into my work park at a convenient spot and go take care of my client without being harassed with repeated violation after violation. I know that there are some people out there that would pretty much abuse the system, but I'm not one of those people. I want to just go in, take care of my client, leave that apartment building, and go home without having to be fearful of getting a parking violation every time I park around her building. We have to be patient-centered, care for our clients. It's required by Illinois state law that we have to care for the clients. We have to tailor to the client's needs. And my client requires me to be in her apartment from the time that I go into the building to the time I leave the building. And I'm there. And like I said, I'm there for six and a half hours Monday through Wednesday. Wednesday and five and a half hours on Thursdays and I know that you guys like to have continuity like everything is like a cookie cutter that everything has to conform to right angles and straight lines and perfectly rounded circles but shouldn't there be at least some consideration and some leniency for people that are in my situation. Anybody have any questions?

Yes.

So, you know, if it's the building I'm thinking about, they don't allow, you know, the underground parking.

No, it's for the residents only. Okay.

Not here. Well, okay, so because my first question to you is, so who's responsible for your parking?

I have to be responsible for it because I have to find a parking spot around the building to park my truck so I can go on in, work for my client, and go back home. I don't want to have to be harassed every time for a parking violation that's going to cost me money out of my pocket.

Okay, so I know that, well, this was several years ago, there were like two or three spaces, and it was a fight because it's a senior type area or building full of a lot of people that need the home care or the workers, the health workers, but for the city, What you're saying to me is you're just parking in one of our regular spaces on one of our off the street. And then they ticketed you.

And I'm not bothering no one. I'm not causing anyone... physical, emotional, or spiritual harm. I'm not out destroying property. All I'm just doing is going to work, working for my client, and coming out of the apartment building. And I don't want to have to be harassed every time for a parking violation. I think there needs to be some wiggle room with the parking as far as people actually working for elderly people.

Well, is this a parking space with a meter or is it just a sign with a time?

I always park on the 4th Street because my client lives on the 4th and Madison side, and I just want to be able to park someplace. so that I can go in and take care of my client and then go back home without fear of getting something like this every time.

But I'm asking, is it because you stayed in that park too long or because it was at a meter and you didn't fix it?

this one it was just a motor vehicle was parked too long but like i said i work six and a half hour days monday through wednesday and five and a half hours on thursday and i don't want to have to be harassed by a parking violation thank you all right any other questions thank you sir what would be what would be the remedy for something like this if someone

I think the best thing to do is talk to your older person, whoever that would be.

Well, I don't live in Springfield.

I live in Riverton. But I needed to come here to address this because, like I said, I wasn't harming no one. I wasn't causing damage to a property. All I was just doing was go parking.

I think it's all the woman purchase as I understand so I would talk to all that I think she's probably on the hall Next speaker James Johnson.

You all ready for me? Well, I'm going to wait until they finish talking.

Go ahead, James.

James, go ahead. I'm not going to talk about what's on the paper now. After 16 months, I'm going to postpone my speech to the chief and the mayor to next week. But 16 months, ultimate failure. It took 16 months. What question I ask is, who else is going through something like that in our community? Who else? And y'all knew about it? Nobody's done nothing. And here, let me make a suggestion before I lose it. Whoever that contractor is, before you terminate them, you need to stop payment and make them go fix they mess immediately. Pull them off whatever job they on and make them go fix it. And then terminate them. I would love to know. So after you terminate them, Put that company name out there, because we don't ever want to see them again. Ever. The Corporation Council, I don't really want to have to jump on you guys, but we had police officers drive on my grass, and your office thought that that didn't do no damage to my property. So I can understand what some people are going through and whatnot. But if I drive on your grass and I turn around on it, it does damage to the lawn. My claim was denied in your office. But that ain't why I'm up here. But 16 months. If you didn't get emotional with them talking and then when LaKeisha did what she did, I thought I was going to have to walk out. As a city. Failed. Y'all will give the police department how many millions? You give the CWLP how many millions? We just did an emergency contract for the police department again? How much money we give away? And we got people living in hotels with families. Man, this is so sad. For our city. For our leadership. If y'all don't rectify this, all y'all need to go. Starting from the mayor down. Anybody that comes up here and needs that kind of help, it shouldn't even take 16 months. I'm not even taking up all my time. 16 months. Sad.

I'm not gonna ask the mayor to step up to her seat, but I will ask that she listened with her open mind heart and ears and I think we all know why I'm here today. You've heard the stories, now it's time to hear mine. I moved to Springfield because God asked me to, to build a small home for myself after going through homelessness, divorce, being an orphan at the age of eight, having not had a place of my own. for literally 30 years. This city worked tirelessly to evict me from my home that I built on my own land with money that was raised from my friends, my family, and colleagues. I was denied access to this building to approach this very council. After multiple attempts and asking why, Corporation council need to be fired resigned you have no business working for this city. You should be ashamed of yourself Sean Gregory needs to be up here. I would ask you pause my time until he returns Then I would like for a motion to extend my time Sean has not returned any of the calls that This has happened in his ward. Sean's Mimitorium restricts tiny houses with no cause for religious use property. This tiny house that I built is for religious purposes. I have made that very clear. So to that, I'm going to go ahead and close with this. To the people of Illinois and to every American who values liberty in one nation under God, today I speak not only for myself, but for every person who believes that a home is more than wooden walls. A home is where families are raised, where prayers are spoken, where faith is practiced, and where the relationship between an individual and God is lived out in peace. My case is more than about one structure and one address. It raises broader questions about the balance between government regulation, property rights, religious liberty, and equal treatment under the law. I believe that every citizen deserves an opportunity to seek justice when they feel that those fundamental freedoms are burdened. The freedoms protected by our Constitution were not established for the powerful alone. They exist to protect every citizen, especially those whose voices are overlooked. If government regulations unnecessarily burden this practice of faith within one's home, then those concerns deserve careful review through our courts and democratic institutions. As Christians, we are reminded that our first allegiance is to God. Scripture teaches us to love our neighbors, pursue justice, and defend those who cannot defend themselves. We are also instructed to respect lawful authority while holding it accountable to the principle of justice and equality. These responsibilities are not in conflict. They strengthen one another. This discussion extends beyond my own circumstances. If any person believes their constitutional civil rights have been unfairly restricted, every American has an interest in ensuring those claims receive a fair hearing. Liberty is strongest when it's protected by equality for everyone, regardless of income, status, or background. I call upon our elected officials, community leaders, and fellow citizens to engage in respectful dialogue about housing policy, religious liberty, and dignity for every human being. We can uphold public safety while also preserving the freedoms that defend our nation. The Christian faith teaches that every person is created in the image of God and possesses inherent dignity. Our law should reflect that principle by promoting justice, compassion, and equal protection under the law. I will continue to pursue my concerns through lawful and peaceful means. I ask those who share the values to pray for wisdom, justice, reconciliation, not only for me but for every family facing uncertainty and every public servant entrusted with making difficult decisions. May we never lose sight of the truth that freedom requires vigilance, justice requires courage, and faith requires perseverance. May God bless our communities, our state, and the United States of America. My name is Chase Hadis, and I confirm this message.

Thank you. Counsel, is there any need for executive session?

No, sir. Let's do adjourn.

Ask. Sorry.