Hammond council approves $8.75 million in claims, adopts ban on parking in bicycle lanes and passes Cameron Avenue lighting interlocal resolution

The Hammond Common Council on June 22 approved a set of financial claims, adopted an amendment to ban parking in bicycle lanes and approved a county interlocal agreement to complete a street-lighting project.

Councilman Raykos moved to approve claims dated June 3 through June 17, 2026 totaling $8,746,844.49; Councilman Warpel seconded the motion. The clerk conducted a roll-call vote and the measure passed unanimously, nine in favor and zero opposed.

On ordinance business, Councilman Warpole moved final passage of ordinance 26-18, amending Title 7, Chapter 72, §72.003 of the Hammond Municipal Code to add prohibited parking in "any bicycle lane, buffered bicycle lane, green bicycle lane, or areas where bicycles are intended for primary use of a roadway." Councilman Salinas seconded. The roll-call vote was unanimous and the ordinance was adopted.

Council also moved first-and-second reading on ordinance 26-19, an amendment to Title 7, Chapter 76, Schedule 15 to add several named bike paths including Marquette Greenway, Erie Lackawanna, Monon Trail, Wolf Lake bike trail, Lake George bike trail, Little Calumet River bike trail and the downtown Wolf Lake connector; the motion passed unanimously.

The council approved resolution 26-R-15, introduced by Councilman Kalwinski, to enter a joint interlocal cooperation agreement with Lake County to fund the Cameron Avenue lighting project. Councilman Kalwinski said he worked with Lake County Commissioner Mike Repay and Lake County Councilwoman Christine Cid to secure county financial support and thanked them for backing the project. The resolution passed on a unanimous roll-call vote.

The Capital Improvements Board reported three earlier funding allocations: a $122,500 award to Seller Plumbing for a sportsplex grinder; a $300,000 resurfacing project for 179th Street with Hammond's share noted as $100,000; and a $300,000 2026 sidewalk program awarded to JJ Newell Concrete (broken down roughly as $50,000 per district).