Mayor (name not given on the record) delivered a multi-topic report at the Jan. 13 Hammond City Council meeting, summarizing recent meetings with developers, regional media interviews about the Chicago Bears, staffing concerns in the Sanitary District and an update on proposed railroad quiet zones.

The mayor said he met with developer Amit Patel about a proposed RV and boat storage park on the 3500 block of Sheffield and with Cody Detimore of CD Development about two potential restaurants adjacent to the Hammond Sportsplex. He described the discussions as encouraging but said the restaurant plan was "too early to talk about it" publicly.

Regarding jobs, the mayor said the Hammond Sanitary District needs certified operators, described the work as shift-based and said properly certified employees can "make six figures" with overtime. He asked council members to refer candidates for those positions.

On transportation, the mayor reported that engineering has produced cost estimates for establishing railroad quiet zones at several crossings, including the IHB line downtown (affecting Renaissance Towers) and multiple Norfolk Southern crossings in Hessville and elsewhere. He characterized the work as expensive but stated it is something the capital-improvements office is pursuing for quality-of-life reasons.

The mayor also described several media interviews and regional outreach about the possibility of the Chicago Bears relocating to Hammond. He framed the potential move as a major economic opportunity and said the city should aggressively pursue such prospects.

The council did not take any immediate policy votes on the projects described during the report; several items were noted as coming before the council at future meetings.