Hammond City Capital Improvement Board approves multiple funding reallocations and projects

The Hammond City Capital Improvement Board approved a package of funding reallocations, change orders and contracts during a regular meeting, advancing design, sewer and street work and authorizing engineering and procurement expenditures.

Commissioner Moore told the board, “This evening we have $94,000 worth of funding allocations that are before us tonight,” and summarized that year-to-date receipts for the quarter were $1,569,497.90, bringing an estimated annual total to about $6.6 million and leaving roughly $2.68 million unallocated.

Why it matters: the approvals clear accounting and contract steps that allow street and sewer work to proceed, dedicate right-of-way in Memorial Park, and fund city engineering services and protective infrastructure on Homan Avenue. Moore also warned of a forecasted local contribution of about $800,000 for an upcoming federal Marquette Greenway bicycle-trail project and said she will be on maternity leave at month-end with Deputy Controller Tanisha Greenwell covering reporting duties.

What the board approved: the board voted on a set of items under Agenda 9, routinely finding the items to be funding-source corrections or contract authorizations rather than requests for new, additional spending beyond existing project budgets.

• 165th Street design (Item 9a): Approved a corrected funding-source designation for design by 1st Group Engineering in the amount of $92,300; staff emphasized that soft costs such as design are not eligible for community crossings reimbursement. The motion passed on roll call.

• Summer Street reconstruction change orders (Item 9b): Approved change orders 8 and 13–16 with Reith Riley Construction Company totaling $15,567.94 to correct the funding source; the controller’s office explained the accounting process for tracking state matching grants. The motion passed on roll call.

• Summer Street sewer change order #1 (Item 9c): Approved a $3,100 change order with Grimmer Construction for additional curb removal and restoration; staff noted a single basement reported about 4 inches of water but no widespread backups. The motion passed on roll call.

• Memorial Park street dedication (Item 9d): Approved $1,300 for American StructurePoint to prepare legal descriptions to dedicate 8–9 feet of city-owned property for Ray Avenue right-of-way. The motion passed on roll call.

• Disposal of salvaged building materials (Item 9e): Approved disposal with Dire Construction for $10,700 for demolition salvage stored on property formerly held by the Hammond Sanitary District; the low bid was selected from two quotes. The motion passed on roll call.

• 2026 general engineering services (Item 9f): Approved a $60,000 general engineering services agreement with NICE Engineering to cover ongoing city engineering needs. The motion passed on roll call.

• Homan Avenue bollards (Late Item 9gs): Approved $18,900 to fabricate steel bollards with Bands Industrial Incorporated to protect illuminated fixtures on Homan Avenue between Sibley and Douglas; the Department of Public Works will handle installation. The motion passed on roll call.

On traffic impacts and construction timing, the presiding officer and staff told members the Little Calumet River bridge work on Kennedy Avenue is a two-season project expected to run into mid-2028, with Kennedy raised roughly 3 feet and temporary lane phasing intended to keep businesses accessible. “We insisted, as a city, that they don't close the Carlson Drive for any significant length of time,” the presiding officer said, noting only limited overnight or single-day outages may be allowed to preserve access.

All motion votes reported in the meeting transcript carried without recorded dissent; roll-call sequences recorded affirmative votes from the assembled members on each item. The board called for public expression and received none. The next regular meeting is scheduled for July 20.