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Springfield councilors promise workshops, procurement follow-up as residents press for fair access to city properties
Summary
Residents and councilors pressed city staff for clearer notice and technical assistance for city property sales and contracting; staff said RFPs post on the Office of Procurement website and the treasurer maintains an email list, and councilors agreed to schedule technical‑assistance workshops and a procurement follow‑up meeting.
SPRINGFIELD — Residents at a November maintenance and development meeting urged city leaders to do more to make property sales and contracting opportunities accessible to longtime local buyers and minority‑owned firms, and councilors said they would pursue training and outreach.
"Any RFP or bid that the city puts out goes up on the Office of Procurement website," a city staffer said, adding that the treasurer's office maintains an email list that receives notifications whenever city property is offered for sale. "If it's a property that's being sold through a request for proposals, it will be on the Office of Procurement website."
Members of the public said that despite those channels, many neighborhood residents do not see notices and that out‑of‑town investors frequently buy local houses. A People for People representative asked, "What is the checks and balance for us that protects…
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