On May 13, the Springfield Committee of the Whole moved forward with nominations for the positions of Fire Chief and Chief of Police.
Final approval is now required at next week’s city council meeting before Nicholas Zummo and Joseph Behl as Chief of the Springfield Fire Department and Police Department respectively. The two nominees are highly regarded within their departments, and so no objections are anticipated at council.
Zummo was not available to speak before the committee, but Behl did step before the alderpeople to take questions — he explained that one of his core priorities is physical and mental fitness of the police force as a way to reduce use of force incidents. The prospective Chief told Alderman Jeffrey Cox of Ward 1 that the department intends to continue to focus on community engagement: the work that outgoing Chief Ken Scarlette did to build relationships with is, in his eyes, tantamount to the department’s success.
“We have to continue those relationships,” said Behl.
Updates to city code would finally expand ambulance service
The committee advanced an ordinance to update the city’s code to increase the number of required operational ambulances throughout the city. The local ambulance fleet has been a longstanding focus of outgoing Fire Chief Canny; the city’s requirements for emergency medical service vehicles have not been updated in many years despite drastic changes in residential demographics and a decline in effective coverage. The problem has been severe enough that last year the Chief floated the idea of purchasing a municipally owned ambulance to patch over desperately needed increases in the private medical services’ fleets.
“We’ve been meeting over the last year to discuss this ordinance and determine what makes the most sense for the City of Springfield,” said Canny, in one of his final remarks to the council before his retirement from the SFD. The Fire Chief reported that the city’s emergency medical service operators had all agreed to the terms of the changes.
If the update is approved, a minimum of three ambulances would have to be operational at any time with each of the three EMS providers during peak hours in the City of Springfield – thus the total ambulances operating in Springfield at a critical time would be nine.
Downtown enhancement plan progresses
Another measure sent to the city council’s agenda is the Downtown Springfield and Mid-Illinois Medical District Master Plan.
The plan seeks to revitalize the flagging historic downtown area by improving access for non-automobile travel, primarily through the use of bicycle lanes and better sidewalks and new street overlays to improve flow of traffic, and subsequently breathe new life into downtown businesses.
Community engagement is another major element of the plan, with OPED Director Amy Rasing hoping to energize community organizations to help with beautifying and maintaining the downtown area.
After Rasing finished speaking, Downtown Springfield, Inc. Executive Director Carlos Ortega spoke, declaring that while the plan would take many years to fully realize, 2025 is a key opportunity to hit early milestones with the completion of renovations to the Old State Capitol and other tourist sites, as well as a slew of special events coming to the city in the summer and fall.
Carlos Ortega of Downtown Springfield, Inc., Springfield Committee of the Whole, May 13, 2025 (Photo cred. Stan Anders, WMAY)
Ortega invited the Springfield public to participate in Downtown Springfield, Inc.’s all-member meeting set for 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM on June 26, at the Horace Mann Building.
City frustrated over county animal control services
Moving to the city council’s debate agenda was a backbill of up to $400,000 for animal control services from Sangamon County for the period of March 1 of 2024 to February of 2025. Alders worried about an increase in the amount of complaints over the spread of stray animals throughout the city, which prompted extensive complaints last year. The situation was severe enough that last summer the council considered the need for dog breeding licenses, as local shelters warned that backyard breeders were contributing to overflow at Springfield’s animal rescue facilities.
“The calls about dogs have increased even for me,” said the evening’s Committee Chair, Ald. Shawn Gregory of Ward 2.
Gregory observed that despite the money paid to the county for its services, many of his constituents report that animal control calls go unanswered.
Ward 8 Ald. Erin Conley stated her displeasure at the fact that the city does not have a seat at the County’s Health Board despite the city’s contribution to animal control services. Other alderpeople concurred, observing that the needs of city residents were seemingly being overlooked by the county — a sentiment which has become increasingly common at council.
“We as city residents, we as city fee-payers need to have a place at that Board,” said Conley. “We are a policy-deciding body, and in that vein we should have a seat at the table where the county is also making policy decisions around animal control.”
Alderwoman Erin Conley speaking to the need for changes to the city’s relationship with county animal control, Springfield Committee of the Whole, May 13, 2025 (Photo cred. Stan Anders, WMAY)
