Board awards grinder contract and approves ditch change order; accepts several street and event permits

The Hammond City Board of Public Works and Safety approved a contract award, accepted a no-cost construction change order and cleared several street-closure and special-event requests during its meeting.

NE Engineering recommended awarding the Hammond Sportslex grinder project to Sawer Plumbing as the lowest responsive, responsible bidder at $122,500; the board approved the recommendation and staff said the funding will come from the CIB with a green-sheet to follow. The board also approved change order No. 1 for the JF Mahoney ditch improvement project; staff described the change order as no-cost, with some items removed and some added.

The board accepted a notice from INDOT that a southbound Indianapolis-to-eastbound ramp closure will occur (midnight June 22 through noon July 2, 2026) for installation of gantries and fiber optic cable related to a flex road project; staff said no board vote was required because INDOT controls the facility. The board approved street closures requested by the city of Whiting for its Fourth of July parade and approved multiple special-event permits, including outdoor movie nights at Purdue University Northwest and a graduation party with an adjusted end time.

Why it matters: The contract award and change order allow City projects to move forward; INDOT closures and local event approvals affect traffic and community access, and CIB-funded purchases may require subsequent formal documentation.

Quote: "We asked that you approve the recommendation so that we can get this project moving as quickly as we can," a staff member said when presenting the Sportslex grinder recommendation.

Next steps: Staff said they will return with a green sheet for formal CIB approval and will proceed with the procurement and construction scheduling described in the meeting materials.