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Council summary: sign replacements, EV chargers and Columbia Avenue construction funded
Summary
The council's capital improvements board reported three allocations: $45,000 for citywide sign replacement (90/10 match), $144,465 for high-capacity EV chargers at City Hall and the Sportsplex, and a nearly $1.5 million construction allocation for Columbia Avenue under a Community Crossings grant.
The Hammond Capital Improvement Board on March 3 approved three funding allocations that the council reported at the March 10 meeting: a sign replacement allocation, funding for electric vehicle chargers and a large community crossings construction allocation for Columbia Avenue.
Councilman Salinas described Allocation 232 as $45,000 in sign work tied to a $540,000 Indiana Department of Transportation safety grant; the local net cost was described as about $4,500 under a 90/10 match. The council also reviewed Allocation 233, listed at $144,465 for hardware for new high-capacity rapid chargers to be installed at City Hall and the Sportsplex; site work and final approvals were to be determined later. The third allocation was described as a 2024 CCMG construction award for Columbia Avenue (work referenced as just under $1.5 million and part of a 50/50 match under the Community Crossings program).
Why it matters: The sign program is intended to replace noncompliant signage across the city; the EV charger hardware will expand fast-charging capacity at two municipal sites; and Columbia Avenue improvements respond to longtime resident complaints about the roadway.
Council members asked practical questions about sign placement and counts in neighborhoods. Councilman Tyler and others noted the Columbia Avenue allocation addresses a corridor that has drawn complaints for years; engineering will handle the project and follow-up reporting to the council.
Site work and construction contracts for the charger installations and Columbia Avenue project were not approved at the March 10 meeting; the allocations covered equipment and the construction award but additional approvals remain required.
