Hammond City board approves CIB funding and engineering contracts for multiple street and drainage projects

Hammond City’s Board of Footboards and Safety voted to approve multiple Capital Improvement Board (CIB) funding allocations and related engineering contracts during a routine meeting.

Speaker 5 presented correspondence from Dean Button requesting $120,490 in CIB funding to improve an overgrown drainage ditch along JF Mahoney Drive and recommended awarding the construction quote to H3 Concrete based on NICE Engineering’s recommendation. Speaker 5 said the project will clear and line a stretch of ditch north of the sound wall near the interchange, add a concrete gutter to improve drainage, and make ongoing maintenance easier. On a motion by Speaker 4, seconded by Speaker 5, the board approved the funding allocation and the contractor award by recorded ayes.

The board then approved a $60,000 CIB allocation for continuing professional services with NICE Engineering for specialized tasks such as CAD work and surveys, again after Speaker 5 described the routine scope and noted the CIB approved the allocation the previous evening. Speaker 4 moved to approve the agreement; Speaker 2 seconded and the motion passed with ayes.

Members approved a $120,500 CIB allocation and a design agreement with First Group Engineering to realign Willow Court at State Street. Speaker 5 said the realignment is intended to reduce roadway departures at a curve that became more hazardous after a nearby traffic signal was removed and to prepare the corridor for an anticipated quiet-zone application near Norfolk Southern. Speaker 4 moved to approve the agreement and funding; Speaker 2 seconded and the motion carried with ayes.

Finally, the board approved a supplemental payment of $2,028.27 for Homan Avenue Phase 1 tree replacements with Reath Riley Construction, representing the city’s 50 percent share under an agreement covering early-season planting losses. Speaker 5 described the arrangement and asked for approval; Speaker 4 moved, Speaker 2 seconded, and the motion passed with ayes.

Each item was presented as correspondence from Dean Button and noted as having been reviewed or funded by the Capital Improvement Board at a meeting the night prior. None of the motions recorded any nays or formal abstentions in the transcript; votes were recorded as ayes. The board also approved a set of minor right-of-way permits and disposal authorizations elsewhere on the agenda.

The board did not set additional conditions on the funding approvals at the meeting; implementation and contractor scheduling were not specified.