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Residents press council on Grand Avenue overpass location and criticize pay increases
Summary
During public comment Mary Shones urged the council to reconsider plans for a proposed Grand Avenue overpass and a pedestrian bridge she said are not sited where people actually cross; another resident criticized council pay increases as excessive.
During the public-expression portion of the Dec. 8 Hammond council meeting, resident Mary Shones questioned the status and siting of a Grand Avenue overpass and criticized a proposed Briar Eastwoods project and associated pedestrian bridge as poorly placed and costly.
Shones said the project would raise a neighborhood feature (she used the phrase "raising of the Briar Eastwoods") and quoted estimated costs she associated with the work: about $11,000,000 to raise the Briar Eastwoods and about $19,000,000 in 2019 dollars for the overall project and pedestrian bridge. She argued the pedestrian bridge is "nowhere near where people are actually crossing" and urged the council to locate crossings where residents naturally walk.
Another commenter identifying himself as George (the record also contains the names George Stewart and Roberto/Robert Sale nearby in the transcript) criticized council pay increases, alleging the council gave itself a 22% raise and calling the move objectionable for part-time elected officials. The record shows the introduced ordinance (25-33) sponsors described a 2% pay increase for elected officials; the resident's 22% claim was made as public comment and not corroborated in the meeting record.
Council members did not take action during the public-comment period; the meeting moved on following the comments and adjourned after routine business.
