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Residents press Hammond council on parks, drainage and downtown safety; mayor outlines stepped‑up enforcement and lighting
Summary
During public comment and mayoral reports, residents and council members raised concerns about broken park fountains, cancelled swim lessons, drainage and lighting downtown; the mayor said the city has added officers, is installing additional lighting, and expects private donations to help improvements.
Multiple residents used the public‑comment period and council reports to press the city for action on parks, recreation programming and public safety.
Bobby Carter said his granddaughter’s swim lessons were canceled by weather without a make‑up or refund and asked the city to resolve the matter; staff said recreation staff will follow up and contact participants. Several residents and councilmembers requested quicker action to restore drinking water in Mooney Park and to repair splash‑park equipment. Staff suggested possible bottle‑filling stations as an alternative and promised to follow up with the recreation and water departments.
On public safety, the mayor reported recent downtown incidents and said the city has added officers, will add approximately ten new lighting fixtures where possible and will enforce the open‑container law more strictly. A downtown property owner (Ryan) said property owners are organizing with the Downtown Development District and the city to coordinate safety responses and resources.
Councilmembers also raised routine service issues including code enforcement staffing, tree trimming near downtown lights, and cleaning drainage catch basins in neighborhoods. Staff committed to e‑mail follow‑ups on specific ditches and to provide additional updates on flood‑map work.
