Springfield — The City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance awarding contract PW26-08-31 to GreenTrack LLC for abatement and demolition work and added new workforce conditions after hours of questioning about minority and local hiring.

The ordinance, originally presented to accept GreenTrack’s bid and authorize a supplemental appropriation not to exceed $977,857.28, became the focus of a lengthy discussion about the city’s ability to prioritize minority and local workers on public contracts. Alderman Sean Gregory pressed staff and the administration for clearer evidence that bidders had performed outreach and would hire local and minority workers on the project.

“I would love to see us at least be at the 50% for our local,” Alderman Gregory said during debate, calling the historically reported participation numbers “troubling” and urging stronger expectations from prospective contractors. Purchasing staff and Public Works officials told the council that GreenTrack’s past contract records showed roughly 25–29% minority participation on prior jobs and about 9.7% city-resident workforce on one contract, while the lower bidder, Schaeffer, had reported minimal or zero participation on prior certified payrolls.

Schaeffer’s representative, Sam Shaffer, told the council his company had minority workers on past jobs and disputed staff statements that there had been no minority participation. “The truth matters,” Shaffer told the council during public comment, and he said he expected about 20% minority participation on the current project.

Faced with the trade-off between price and prior performance, the council considered amendments. Alderman Gregory proposed awarding the contract to the low bidder provided that company demonstrate outreach via a commercial useful function and engage local unions and minority workers before work began. That motion prompted questions about enforceability and timing. The council then adopted an alternative amendment that kept the award to GreenTrack but added two conditions: the contractor must document a commercial useful function to show outreach and engagement within 45 days prior to starting work, and the contract sets a 33% minority participation goal for the project.

The amendment passed on a roll-call vote (8–1). Council then adopted the ordinance as amended by a recorded vote (7–2), sending the award forward with the new outreach and participation requirements.

Council members who supported the amendment framed it as the city putting its policy priorities — workforce diversity and local hiring — into contract terms. Dissenting members said they were troubled by paying roughly $300,000 more than the low bid and worried about creating barriers for new firms.

The ordinance includes a supplemental appropriation to fund the contract; council minutes indicate the administration will monitor contractor reporting through the city’s certified-payroll uploads and the ePRISM system. City staff also said they will follow up with the unions and with the council if more detailed demographic reporting options are available from ePRISM.

The council’s action changes how the city will balance price and equity on at least this demolition procurement, and council members said they expect to revisit procurement language and monitoring procedures in future solicitations.

The council moved on to other business after the vote.