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Council confirms Amy Raising as director of planning and economic development
Summary
Amy Raising, previously operations coordinator for grants, was confirmed 9-0 as director of the Office of Planning and Economic Development following questions about her experience and plans for grants and downtown development.
The Springfield City Council voted unanimously (9-0) on Jan. 7 to approve ordinance 2024-536, appointing Amy Raising as director of the Office of Planning and Economic Development (OPED).
Raising told the council she had served 1½ years as operations coordinator for grants in the office and described more than 35 years of community-service and community-development experience. "My name is Amy Raising. For the last year and a half, I've served as an operations coordinator for grants in the Office of Planning and Economic Development," she said, adding she has experience with partnerships and small-business outreach.
Council members asked about specific program areas, including cannabis-related grants and long-term plans for downtown and business retention. Raising said she had not yet had time as interim director to review every specialized grant or project in detail and pledged to follow up: "I am the type of person that if I say I'm gonna get your information, I will. So I would be happy to come back and talk about that."
Council members praised her recent work addressing grant reporting and noted the city earlier faced state restrictions on grant reimbursements that staff said were resolved after improvements to processes. Mayor Misty Buscher thanked Raising for addressing reporting problems and said her work helped restore the city's standing with state grant managers.
Votes at a glance: Ordinance 2024-536 — Appoints Amy Raising as director, passes 9-0.
