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Category Archives: Springfield City Council

Take My Council, Please: You Are My Resi-Density…

UPDATED 7/18/13 12:29PM: To reflect a quote from Councilor Fenton. SPRINGFIELD—Returning to the chamber for one of two summer meetings on Monday, the Springfield City Council finally moved several issues long-festering on its docket bringing closure after months of indecision.  Despite a substantial passage of

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Editorial: Filibuster Reform…in Springfield!…

Twelve days after the Springfield City Council suddenly veered off course from an assured passage of common sense, if painfully realistic residency ordinance reform, how it happened should get as much attention as that it happened.  The latest derailment of an agenda item came upon

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Take My Council, Please: Residency Evil Delayed Again…

SPRINGFIELD — Politics and its progeny populism were at play in Monday’s meeting which partially reignited an old debate while the other was just theater.  An issue long ready to be put to bed was put off as last minute and uninformed objections led to

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Take My Council, Please: City of Immigrants, County Repository?…

UPDATED 6/6/13 1:42 PM: For additional comments from DYS & the Atwater Park Civic Association. SPRINGFIELD—Once more the City Council faced another light agenda Monday as it made some final steps for ordinances affecting fees in the city and transferred funds within departments, a typical

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Take My Council Please: A League of Their Zone…

SPRINGFIELD—After years in the making, the City of Homes finally adopted a citywide revision of its four decade old zoning ordinance, which one activist described as so old it lacked the word “condo.”  In stark contrast the tepid to frosty reception many councilors and developers

Springfield

Take My Council, Please: When We Elect to Vote…

SPRINGFIELD—Although long, the City Council’s agenda was not particularly controversial or compelling.  A few items offered councilors the typical, out-of-context grandstanding, but even that was fairly spare given limited opportunities. At-large Councilor Kateri Walsh was absent from Monday’s meeting. The Council’s agenda was largely transfers

Springfield

Take My Council, Please: Casino Vote Jimmied & Other Vanities…

UPDATED 5/8/2013 10:45PM : To reflect a correction.  An earlier version of this post attributed to John Lysak an effort to move the Boston Road bonding to committee, which was incorrect and attributed to a misunderstanding; for clarity and grammar; and to add new details

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Take My Council Please: New Police On Life…

SPRINGFIELD—A rather short agenda made for the rare short meeting Monday night as the Springfield City Council took up a few housekeeping items, albeit ones that will have a notable impact. The items were mostly financial transfers within departments and a few grant acceptances.  At-large

Take My Council, Please: Amended Complaints…

SPRINGFIELD—Reversing itself fully from a meeting just two weeks ago, the City Council killed an amendment to its historic foreclosure ordinance and with it a settlement to a lawsuit launched shortly after its passage.  The rejection on Monday was arguably the most significant actions taken

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On the Move and On the Agenda for 3/18/13…

UPDATED 3/18/13 5:55PM: For additional details of special permit hearing. The below segment is a preview of key items on the upcoming Springfield City Council agenda.  Full report in “Take My Council, Please” after the meeting. The March 18, 2013 agenda of the Springfield City