Finance committee reviews Jewel Parks construction budget and proposes a project manager in opioid-settlement plan

City Controller Salita Green told the Gary City Finance Committee the administration seeks council approval of CPO 2025-15, which would set salary and operating appropriations for the Gary Park Department construction fund (Jewel Parks) and the health department’s opioid settlement restricted fund for calendar year 2025.

“The revenues that are attached … when the council approved in the general fund, for the Jewel Park's budget to be set in the general fund, it lapsed because property taxes lapse every year,” Green said, explaining the administration’s request to reestablish appropriations in a multiyear park construction fund so those appropriations do not lapse.

Green outlined the Jewel Parks construction fund request as presented to the committee: $5,000 for other materials; $75,000 for professional services; $50,000 for property insurance; $300,000 for contract maintenance; $10,000 for equipment repairs; and $320,529.91 in capital outlay — a total appropriation of $755,529.91. Green also said the department has roughly $600,000 in purchase orders, bringing the total program cash need to about $1.3 million.

To cover those obligations the controller said the administration proposes transferring $1,220,184 from the general fund; combined with a construction-fund cash balance of $156,616, Green said the total would be $1,376,799.81 to cover purchase orders and other expenses.

The parks director — who appeared at the meeting to answer operational questions — agreed more planning is needed before major construction work resumes. “I and I do agree. The 2 months that I've been here as the parks director, I totally agree that we need more of of a plan where the, contractors can go out and follow on each site. So we can finally complete each Jewel Park,” the parks director said, adding the department and construction manager plan weekly site reviews once contractors are hired.

Council members emphasized investing in stronger site plans or hiring a landscape architect or engineer to produce definitive specifications. One councilmember said such planning would help ensure the money’s intended results: “...the money that we've spent so far, I don't think that we've seen the over a million dollars that we've spent in the parks. And I think now would be a good time for us to change course and get more direction,” the councilmember said.

On the opioid settlement restricted fund, Green said the proposed budget adds a project manager at a $70,000 salary. The administration presented personnel and operating line items totaling $339,166, described as: $113,245 in total personnel costs (including payroll taxes), $175,000 for professional services, $5,000 for printing, $25,000 for advertising, $5,000 for current charges, and $15,921 for other building costs. Green said anticipated revenues for the fund this year are $423,877 and a rollover balance of $766,860, producing total available resources of $1,190,737.

Councilwoman Linda Barnes Caldwell questioned overlap between the proposed project manager and existing local providers. “I'm still talking about the project manager, that position, and I'm still talking about the footprint of, Edgewater because everything that everything that the project manager is supposedly doing, that's some of the same things that Edgewater is doing,” Caldwell said, asking how the city would sustain the salary. A health-department representative responded, “This is a, settlement that we received last 2022, and we will receive 16 years of this settlement,” and later clarified the $70,000 salary would be paid from the restricted settlement fund.

Committee members pressed whether the position would be a new hire or filled by existing staff after layoffs. The health-department representative said the project manager must be a licensed social worker and that no current health-department employees met the qualification; the position therefore would be a new hire rather than a rehiring of laid-off staff. The committee noted the health department had two layoffs thus far.

No roll call vote on CPO 2025-15 is recorded in the meeting transcript. Committee members asked that presentations and project updates be shared with council members and requested further detail on project-level planning before large construction contracts proceed.

Votes at this meeting: none recorded for CPO 2025-15.