The Springfield City Commission added an emergency item and approved a subrecipient funding agreement authorizing the city manager to enter into a CDBG subaward with Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign and Logan Counties for up to $50,000 to support food distribution and community food security services within the city.

Logan Cobbs, director of community development, told the commission the funds are intended to cover food, transportation, labor, fuel, packaging and maintenance fees for local pantries. "Our food bank, Second Harvest, and partner agencies are seeing and will likely continue to see record demand," Cobbs said, noting recent SNAP delays and earlier federal cuts that have stretched local resources.

Alex Jackson, executive director of Second Harvest, described operational strain: "We have seen a drastic uptick in need recently. We have reduced staff by 4... We serve over 50,000 individuals every year." Jackson said the food bank has already expended roughly $100,000 of next year's food budget and recently ran out of food at a mobile pantry; he also cited a distribution of more than $20,000 in food to federal workers at the local Air Force base who had not been paid.

Commissioners emphasized the need to share volunteer and donation information publicly and asked staff to post a consolidated resource list. City staff said the communications team has already distributed information on social media and will work to maintain an up-to-date list of pantries and distribution sites on the city website.

The motion was adopted by roll call. Commissioners voted in the affirmative (unanimously on the roll calls recorded for the emergency item). The funding is intended to provide short-term relief while regional SNAP and federal processes are uncertain.