Hammond council approves routine personnel fixes, event permits, Aldi liquor permit, vehicle purchase and airport plans

HAMMOND, La. — The Hammond City Council on Sept. 29 approved a slate of routine measures including corrections to civil-service terms, event permits for the Holy Ghost Parish Fair, a package-liquor permit for an incoming Aldi store, the purchase of a 2026 Ford Explorer for the purchasing department and two airport items that will allow staff to pursue state and federal funding.

Council members voted to correct the term end dates for Charles Deliberto and Stanley Campbell on the Hammond Municipal Police and Fire Civil Service Board after staff said previously filed paperwork required matching dates. There was no public opposition to those corrections and the council approved both resolutions.

The council also approved two related actions for the Holy Ghost Parish Fair, scheduled in late October within a defined downtown boundary. Caspi Langtry, identified as chair of the fair committee, answered brief questions about the event. Council members discussed limiting alcohol service and the open-container waiver to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; motions were made to approve the permits with those modified hours and the items moved forward with recorded votes and some abstentions noted.

Kya Young, who identified herself as district manager for Aldi and said she lives in Hammond, told the council the new store at 2302 West Thomas St. will open Sept. 25. "I'm district manager over the Aldi location I'll be opening in Hammond," she said. The council approved a permit authorizing Aldi Louisiana LLC to seek a package-liquor sales permit for that location; the vote included one abstention.

On procurement, the council authorized the purchase of a 2026 Ford Explorer for the purchasing department at a total price of $40,159 under state contract 4400023793. City staff explained they reviewed alternatives including vans and trucks and said the current vehicle (a Chrysler 300) had an appraised value of $3,308 while repair estimates (including a transmission rebuild) made continued use uneconomical; parts for the air-conditioning system were reported unavailable. Council members questioned the cost and asked for the documentation that staff said had been provided to council by email. The purchase resolution passed after discussion.

The council approved an agreement authorizing the mayor to accept $10,306.58 in general aviation reimbursement from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to offset eligible FY25 airport maintenance expenses. Charles Bauscher, the presenter on airport items, described the state program as a reimbursement process that typically covers a portion of eligible expenses and supplements the airport budget.

Council members also approved the Hammond North Shore Regional Airport—s FY26——2030 capital improvement plan, a five-year list required by the Federal Aviation Administration that the presenter said will be used to prioritize projects and pursue FAA and DOT funding.

The meeting concluded after a brief mayor/staff report noting a 30-day public comment period on Martin Luther King Park improvements under a Community Development Block Grant application and scheduling a second public hearing on the application.

Votes at a glance: Resolutions to correct civil-service terms and the airport CIP were approved by recorded "Aye" votes; the Holy Ghost Parish Fair permits and open-container waiver were approved with modified hours and a mix of "Aye" votes and abstentions recorded; the Aldi permit was approved with one abstention; the vehicle purchase and the DOTD reimbursement agreement were approved by recorded council votes.