City Clerk's Office

About the City Clerk's Office

The Council elects the City Clerk. The Clerk's office processes zoning ordinances, special permits, financial transfers, and ordinances, collects fines for non-criminal violations of certain ordinances, and records births, deaths, and marriages. Notices of meetings of public boards and commissions are filed with the City Clerk and posted on a bulletin board in the main lobby of City Hall and on the City of Springfield website. The Clerk's Office maintains files of business certificates, uniform commercial code filings, city contracts, and state tax liens. Licenses for marriages, raffles,  solicitation permits, dog licenses, and yearly auto stickers for entrance to Forest Park, Blunt Park, and Five Mile Pond may be obtained at the clerk's office.   Municipal records, some going back to the founding of Springfield, are maintained by the clerk and are available for research purposes. Visitors to City Hall may receive parking validation for municipal lots at the Clerk's Office.

Meetings and Agendas

City Council Meetings - View the schedule, agendas, vote results, documents and video for City Council meetings 2013 to present. Meeting notices are also posted to the city calendar.

Open Meetings

In the State of Massachusetts, M.G.L. Chapter 39, Section 23B states all governmental bodies must have meetings that are open to the public and readily available to anyone who wishes to attend.

The Massachusetts Open Meeting Law applies to governmental entities at the state and local levels.  In general the Law requires that meetings of such entities be open to the public, that notice of such meetings be publicly posted and that accurate records of the meeting be kept and made available to the public.

The City of Springfield provides access to meetings online in a variety of ways.  First, by listing on our Municipal Calendar the scheduled meetings that will be taking place today along with those that will be taking place in the near future.  Regularly scheduled meetings are held in Springfield by the City Council, Standing Committees and Boards & Commissions.  Meetings of the City Council are televised live on Springfield's Government Channel 17.  Additionally, agendas and minutes for the meetings as well as supporting documentation for agenda items are posted for public review.

The City of Springfield has a strong commitment to keeping everyone engaged in local government.

View the Municipal Calendar for meeting agendas and notes >>

Information of the Open Meeting Law from the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office >>