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Residents press council over bridge plan, tax abatements and transparency; some call USCO abatement troubling
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Summary
Residents used public comment to question a proposed $20 million pedestrian-bridge plan, criticize a 10-year 100% tax abatement for a $25 million project, and press for clearer transparency language. Speakers warned of safety and environmental issues and asked for more specific policy language on practicability.
Several residents used the public-comment portion of the April 27 Hammond council meeting to raise concerns about recent projects and city incentives.
Mary Shones told the council she opposed the Grand Avenue overpass/pedestrian-bridge plans and questioned the use of state and local funds for a structure she described as misplaced. "We're going to spend $20,000,000 to put a pedestrian bridge a mile over a mile away from where it's needed," she said, adding concerns about environmental impacts and that the bridge would see limited daily use.
George Stoya and Ken Rosic echoed skepticism about planning choices and raised questions about tax incentives the council approved for the USCO project. Stoya said he shared concerns about broad use of tax abatements and asked for greater clarity on the offers the city had made on the seven-acre parcel subject to condemnation; he referenced Kelo-style property-acquisition litigation as a potential risk. Rosic focused on the pedestrian bridge history, arguing it was conceived after public hearing feedback showed existing designs did not solve safety problems.
Jim Acurso, a public-affairs specialist with the Small Business Administration’s Office of Disaster Recovery, briefed the council on an economic-injury disaster loan program for businesses affected by a recent tornado; he said businesses could be eligible for loans up to $2,000,000 and noted application centers and deadlines.
Several councilmembers and the mayor listened and responded briefly. The record shows community skepticism about large incentives and infrastructure placement, and calls for improved transparency in policy language; one councilmember suggested removing ambiguous terms like "practicable" from the transparency resolution to reduce wiggle room. No formal staff technical responses to the environmental or traffic claims were made during the meeting.
