Attorney Ken Shea confers with At Large City Councilor Jose Delgado on council rules while City Clerk Gladys Oyola Lopez sits in the foreground.
Photo credit: Focus Springfield
SPRINGFIELD — In a year filled with contentious City Council debates, the meeting on Sept. 8 was no different.
At the end of an already long council meeting, Ward 6 City Councilor Victor Davila motioned to take up the issue of whether $100,000 worth of community preservation money should be awarded to a project that would redevelop the former Brightwood School into senior housing.
While most community preservation funding matters are routine, this one sparked intense debate in June when At Large City Councilor Justin Hurst made the case that City Clerk Gladys Oyola-Lopez’s connection to the developer, MPZ NNCC Plainfield Street LLC, was a conflict of interest that “reeks of corruption” and was “possibly criminal.” Oyola-Lopez is one of two managers listed for Brightwood Elderly Living Loving Assistance LLC, a subsidiary of MPZ NNCC Plainfield Street. She is also the president of the New North Citizens Council Board of Directors, to which the developer is connected.
Davila’s motion led to half an hour of debate over the rules governing the council and whether taking the item up requires the council vote on it immediately. On one side of the discussion, Davila and Ward 2 City Councilor Michael Fentin argued that the matter is rapidly approaching the 120-day deadline for a vote, after which it will expire.
On the other hand, Hurst objected that Oyola-Lopez, who is also the clerk of the council, would be present during the discussion. City Council President Tracye Whitfield agreed. “It’s the city clerk that I’m trying to protect,” she said. Attorney Ken Shea of the city’s Law Department was on hand to weigh in. He said the clerk was only there to record the vote, and her presence did not constitute a conflict.
Councilors Zaida Govan, Maria Perez and Kateri Walsh argued that no committee meetings had been held on the matter and it should be sent back to committee for that reason. Govan said there was ample time to have a committee meeting before the council’s last chance to vote on it at the Sept. 28 meeting.
Addressing Davila, Hurst said, “If you take this out and it gets voted on by our colleagues and we vote favorably on it, we are not part of the problem.”
Whitfield and Davila began speaking over each other, each arguing that they had the right to speak next. Davila said, “I am calling this matter for a vote.” Whitfield, who was attending virtually, insisted, “The bullying technique is not going to keep working every time Councilor Davila wants to speak.” At Large City Councilor Jose Delgado, who was presiding over the meeting, banged the gavel several times trying to establish order.
Shea clarified the council rule on taking items out of the “unfinished business” category and said once the matter is back on the floor, it can be voted on or referred to committee. Saying he would defer to Shea, Davila commented, “You are the city lawyer, and you deserve respect.” Whitfield laughed.
Throughout the debate, the tension in the chamber was visible, with multiple councilors getting up to stand behind their chairs or leaning against the wall.
“When I put my name on the ballot, I never thought it would be like this between everybody,” said Ward 7 City Councilor Gerry Martin, who is serving his first term on the council. “This is coming from both sides, the establishment and the counter establishment. It’s been a brutal year of people calling people names, throwing accusations. It’s just wrong. It’s politics as usual.” He said, “We should be better than this. We should be serving the people of Springfield.”
