Springfield activists call for City Council to open virtual meetings to all residents
Updated Feb 10, 2021;
SPRINGFIELD Activists are calling foul to the city’s restrictions on the number of people who can virtually attend the City Council’s Speak Out portion of their regular meeting.
Pioneer Valley Project Director Tara Parrish said a large number of the organization’s members will not be able to participate in a Zoom presentation of the public participation segment Monday evening before the regular City Council meeting. Only the seven people who have signed to formally address the council are allowed to be in the virtual meeting while the 89 others who wished to attend and view it in real-time will not.
Springfield councilors call for more money, testing, vaccines to battle COVID
Updated Feb 03, 2021;
Posted Feb 03, 2021
1/29/2021 - Springfield - A patient received his COVID vaccination from nurse Christa Feeney at Eastfield Mall site on Friday. (Hoang Leon Nguyen / The Republican)
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SPRINGFIELD The city needs more.
That was the message this week as city councilors met with local department heads and with aides to federal elected officials to plead for more money, more testing and more vaccines to confront the coronavirus pandemic.
Councilor Jesse Lederman, chairman of the COVID-19 Response Committee, said Wednesday that his meetings will continue weekly “as a platform to respond to the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and plan for a just recovery that serves all of our neighborhoods.”
Springfield city councilors urge Gov. Charlie Baker to expand COVID vaccine availability
Updated Feb 04, 2021;
SPRINGFIELD - A group of 10 city councilors submitted a plea to Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday, urging him to spread his coronavirus vaccine program to reach all neighborhoods of the city.
The councilors said it is “illogical” for the state to think that the nearly 160,000 residents of the city can be served by a single mass COVID-19 site now operated by the state at the Eastfield Mall on Boston Road.
A localized vaccine distribution plan with multiple neighborhood clinics is needed “to ensure equity and access,” the councilors said.
Springfield City Council President Marcus Williams said the council will begin accepting letters of interest from candidates on Feb. 8, for those residents interested in serving as a replacement for Ward 1 Councilor Adam Gomez, who announced his resignation.
Springfield council considers citizen board to address racial equity issues
Updated Jan 21, 2021;
Posted Jan 21, 2021
Springfield City Councilor Tracye Whitfield speaks during the painting of a Black Lives Matter mural outside City Hall in September. (The Republican file photo)
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SPRINGFIELD City councilors on Thursday initiated plans to create a citizen board to address racial equity issues in Springfield, including equity in city promotions, contracts and grant opportunities.
Council Vice President Tracye Whitfield, the new chairwoman of the council’s Civil Rights subcommittee, suggested the Racial Equity Review Board could evaluate community complaints about equity and fairness, and look for remedies. She suggested that the board consist of five to seven residents from diverse backgrounds.