The Springfield City Commission met in regular session and approved a slate of routine contracts and budget actions while members of the public urged compassion for immigrant neighbors and additional services for people experiencing homelessness.

Public comment opened the meeting. Marcia Roth, a local teacher, thanked the commission and local nonprofits and asked officials to limit enforcement actions that would separate families, saying, “We value the gifts, talents, and efforts of our immigrant neighbors.” Gary Armstrong raised longstanding complaints about a former commissioner he said converted a single-family home into four rental units and described frustration with the law department’s response. Faith Moslin urged the city to treat immigrants as community assets, and Meg Foley warned that temporary protected status was due to expire on Feb. 3 and asked the commission to coordinate with county and state partners to help vulnerable children.

On the agenda, the commission heard first readings of several items, including authorization to issue notes in anticipation of bonds for public infrastructure in an aggregate amount cited in the agenda as $17,622,000; a purchase of an iBAK panorama sewer camera truck not to exceed $681,760.81 through the Sourcewell cooperative; and an amendment to a CDBG subrecipient agreement with the Conscious Connect Community Development Corporation to extend the period of performance to Jan. 29, 2026 and confirm related expenditures back to Nov. 19, 2025. City staff told the commission the additional sewer camera truck is needed while an older unit phases out and that the CDBG amendment covers expenses that arrived after the project’s original completion date.

Commission staff also described the annual note issuance as reissuing prior debt and adding new funds to support water and sewer improvements, replacement of advanced metering infrastructure, and the Thompson Avenue fire station. Staff said leveraging the Ohio Market Access Program saved the city about $155,000.

On second readings and votes, the commission:

- Approved rezoning of 6.72 acres near the CTC site to align city zoning for a parcel the city already owns (second-reading approval; roll call recorded).

- Authorized an amendment to update the contractor legal name for medical billing services from AccuMed Billing Incorporated to EMS Management and Consultants Incorporated and confirmed related expenditures dating to Oct. 1, 2025 (approved by roll call).

- Approved a contract not to exceed $98,900 with Tony Smith (d/b/a Tony Smith Wrecking and Trucking) for demolition of 325 West Columbia Street; staff said earlier grant-based estimates were roughly $160,000 and asbestos-abatement costs were estimated separately, and that the city intends to clear and market the site to improve saleability (approved by roll call).

- Authorized Shelley Company to perform the 2026 North Murray Street paving CDBG project for an amount not to exceed $497,035 (approved by roll call).

- Approved an amendment to the Windstream telephone services contract for the new fire station at 50 North Thompson Avenue, increasing the contract by $1,584 for a three-year total not to exceed $164,676.52 (approved by roll call).

- Confirmed change order No. 2 with Kinison Excavating for the Brook Hollow Drive/Redbud Lane waterline replacement, decreasing the contract by $24,830 to a total of $437,170 and extending the completion date to Oct. 6, 2025; staff said most savings came from using boring instead of open cutting (approved by roll call).

- Approved supplemental appropriations and other year-end budget true-ups for 2025 and supplemental appropriations related to the adopted 2026 budget; city staff said final payrolls and year-end entries required these adjustments and that supporting documents and purchase records are available online or via public-record request.

The commission also added and approved several appointments: Kevin D. Sanders to the Veil Service Commission and Greg Rogers and James B. McGregor Jr. to the Clark County Convention Facilities Authority board of directors; motions and roll-call approvals are recorded in the minutes.

City staff clarified that the hotel/facility mentioned by public speakers is in poor condition and likely not habitable, that an earlier RFP process produced only one response that was turned down, and that legal liability and procurement rules constrain the city’s ability to reassign the property immediately. Staff invited interested providers and ministries to engage in the city and county planning process.

Announcements included reminders about housing resources (findhelp.org), the community events calendar at greaterspringfield.com, and a Nehemiah Foundation request for food donations to support the Salvation Army warming shelter when temperatures require opening.

The meeting concluded after roll call adjournment.

Votes at a glance: all recorded roll-call votes in the transcript show affirmative roll-call responses and passage on the measures listed above (transcript records roll calls with commissioners responding 'Yes').