Greenway Funding Clash and 19th Street Promises

The council weighed risking a $2.7M Greenway grant against long-promised 19th Street rail corridor fixes, with staff outlining bond dollars and a new feasibility study. Residents challenged speech rules, pressed for proactive public safety investments, and called for a stronger, independent police review commission. 13mins

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Original Meeting

Tuesday, November 4th, 2025
3790.0
Full Meeting on YouTube
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Zach Adams
Springfield IL
I am a Photographer/Videographer working for Illinois Times
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In This Video
  • Corporation Counsel Moredock explained that Greenway funding is separate from the current item and warned that delaying Greenway work during the 19th Street feasibility study could risk losing a $2.7 million grant allocation.
  • Alderman Gregory opposed prioritizing Greenway funding over long-promised 19th Street rail corridor improvements, arguing that the east side had been repeatedly promised projects that never materialized.
  • Nate clarified that the $3.578 million Series B bond ordinance was separate from the $10 million grant, and noted a forthcoming ordinance for $500,000 to fund a 19th Street feasibility study that could position the corridor for a future Greenway if the rail line is vacated.
  • Alderman Gregory expressed skepticism and insisted on tangible progress, crediting a senator’s intervention for advancing the 19th Street feasibility study and warning that the community had long been forced to wait.
  • Director Posey announced a Police Community Review Commission meeting scheduled for November 6 in the council chambers and introduced a new outreach team member, who was welcomed by Mayor Buscher.
  • Caleb McGuire questioned the city’s rules on cursing during public comment and criticized officials for leaving while residents were speaking, calling it disrespectful to the public’s time.
  • Aaron Cahill presented crime and population data, argued that intra-racial violence is common across groups, and emphasized structural causes—such as poverty, segregation, illegal guns, and disinvestment—over the “black on black crime” narrative while critiquing the city’s lack of proactive interventions.
  • Ken Pacha criticized the Police Community Review Commission as ineffective and urged the council to make it independent and empowered, noting personal difficulty in getting a response after applying to serve.
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