City Council

M INUTES OF THE COM M ON COUNCIL FEBRUARY 9, 2015 The regular meeting of the Hammond Common Council of the City of Hammond, Lake County , Indiana was held on February 9, 2015 in the Hammond City Council Chambers. Council President M ichael Op inker p resided. City Clerk Robert J. Golec facilitated. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was recited by all. Invocation by Councilwoman Venecz. ROLL CALL PRESENT: M arkovich, Sp itale, Venecz, Kalwinski, Uy laki, Higgs, Emerson, Hinojosa, Op inker ABSENT: None TOTAL: 9 READING OF THE M INUTES Councilman Sp itale, sup p orted by Councilman Kalwinski, moved to accep t the minutes of January 26, 2015 and p lace on file. AYES: ALL APPROVAL OF CLAIM S Councilman M arkovich , sup p orted by Councilman Higgs, moved to ap p rove the claims from January 21, 2015 through February 4, 2015. Claim #552 through claim #919, inclusive. ROLL CALL VOTE AYES: M arkovich, Sp itale, Venecz, Kalwinski, Uy laki, Higgs, Emerson, Hinojosa, Op inker NAYS: None ABSENT: None M otion carried 9/0/0 CLAIM S APPROVED PUBLIC HEARINGS None COM M UNICATIONS Councilwoman Venecz read a letter from one of the residents regarding snow removal. Councilwoman Venecz read an email regarding snow removal on Conkey . Councilman Higgs read corresp ondence regarding vehicles and snow removal. Prepared by Robert J. Golec Hammond City Clerk 1 M INUTES OF THE COM M ON COUNCIL cont. FEBRUARY 9, 2015 COM M ITTEE REPORTS Council as a Whole - Councilman Emerson - Brought out 15-01. ORDINANCE 3R D READING - FINAL PASSAGE cont. 15-01 An Ordinance Amending Ordinance 4631 and Title VII of the Hammond M unicip al Code Traffic Schedule III and Setting a Uniform Sp eed Limit for Hohman Avenue Councilman Emerson, sup p orted by Councilman Hinojosa, moved for final p assage. Councilman Emerson, sup p orted by Councilman Sp itale, moved to amend Section A, first sentence, to rep lace 25 miles an hour with 35 miles an hour. ROLL CALL VOTE (amendment) AYES: M arkovich, Sp itale, Venecz, Kalwinski, Uy laki, Higgs, Emerson, Hinojosa, Op inker NAYS: None ABSENT: None M otion carried 9/0/0 AM ENDM ENT ADOPTED ROLL CALL VOTE (as amended) AYES: M arkovich, Sp itale, Venecz, Kalwinski, Uy laki, Higgs, Emerson, Hinojosa, Op inker NAYS: None ABSENT: None M otion carried 9/0/0 ORDINANCE NO. 9283 PASSED (as amended) INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCES 15-03 An Ordinance to Ap p rop riate M onies into the 2015 Gaming Fund Councilman Kalwinski, sup p orted by Councilman Higgs, moved the p rop osed ordinance to 1st and 2n d reading by title, referred it to the Council as a Whole Committee with a Public Hearing set for M arch 9, 2015. AYES: ALL Councilman Higgs - I’ll briefly go over this. This is money from 2014 that is going to be reallocated for 2015. 2014 1st District Balance $13,073.88 2014 2n d District Balance $1,374,846.60 2014 3rd District Balance $407,485.66 2014 4th District Balance $1,336,140.04 2014 6th District Balance $200,793.86 Prepared by Robert J. Golec Hammond City Clerk 2 M INUTES OF THE COM M ON COUNCIL cont. FEBRUARY 9, 2015 INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCES cont. Councilman Higgs cont. 2014 M ayor Balance $1,621,165.13 2014 City wide Engineering $1,073,934.68 2014 City wide Parks $11,438.67 2014 Shared 10% $30,563.59 2014 1st District Park $91.64 2014 2n d District Park $100,000.00 2014 3rd District Engineering $1.12 2014 3rd District Park $30,590.00 15-04 An Ordinance to Ap p rop riate Funds in the Hotel/M otel Innkeep ers Tax Fund for the Planning & Develop ment Dep artment ($47,046.71) Councilman Higgs, sup p orted by Councilman Sp itale, moved the p rop osed ordinance to 1st and 2n d reading by title, referred it to the Council as a Whole Committee with a Public Hearing set for M arch 9, 2015. AYES: ALL Councilwoman Venecz - Who’s the sp onsor of that ordinance? Council President Op inker - Councilman Sp itale. RESOLUTIONS 15R-03 Re-Ap p ointing Diane Kaminsky to the Hammond Port Authority Councilman Kalwinski, sup p orted by Councilman Sp itale, moved for adop tion. Councilman Kalwinski - Diane has served in all offices of the Hammond Port Authority over her length of terms and has been a very good addition to that board and has been dutiful in her services to the board and I’m asking for a re-app ointment. And when talking to the other board members they all highly endorse her. Thank y ou. ROLL CALL VOTE (adop tion) AYES: M arkovich, Sp itale, Venecz, Kalwinski, Uy laki, Higgs, Emerson, Hinojosa, Op inker NAYS: None ABSENT: None M otion carried 9/0/0 RESOLUTION R03 ADOPTED Prepared by Robert J. Golec Hammond City Clerk 3 M INUTES OF THE COM M ON COUNCIL cont. FEBRUARY 9, 2015 NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS Councilman Higgs - I want to p ersonally send my condolences to Ronald Jefferson’s family who p assed away who was a former fireman in the city of Hammond and he will be funeralized on Saturday . And also as we observe Black History month there will be some p acifically some individuals from within the community who made such a contribution to the entire city that I will be identify ing them at the next council meeting. Councilwoman Venecz - For those who wish to do good in their community and know what’s going on in their neighborhood, I’d like to announce some up coming crime watch meetings. On Tuesday , Feb. 17th the East Hammond Pullman Crime Watch will meet at the Op helia Steen Center at 6:30. The Hessville Crime Watch will meet on Thursday , Feb. 19th at the Jean Shep herd Center at & p .m. The South Hammond Crime Watch will also meet on Thursday , Feb. 19th at 7 p .m. at the Hammond Housing Authority Building. And the Whiting Robertsdale Crime Watch will meet Thursday , Feb. 12th at Calumet College at 6:30 p .m. And that is how change hap p ens, one gesture, one p erson, one moment at a time. Councilman Higgs - Received a corresp ondence from the Boy s and Girls Club as well as the Op helia Steen Center thanking them for the contributions that I were made to them at the end of the y ear. So I want to p ersonally say thank them for serving my district and the city of Hammond. Council President Op inker - At the last meeting Councilman Hinojosa asked for that rep ort from the Controller. She did hand a cop y to me. So I do have that here for y ou. Councilman Emerson - Received an email today about the Buffalo Wild Wings Benefit Night. Come out and sup p ort the Eggers M iddle School Community based education classes and have a fun night out at Buffalo Wild Wings. 15% of the food sales will go towards our moderate and severe sp ecial needs classes. It’s Wednesday, Feb. 25th from 5:00 to 9:00 p .m. Only at the Hammond location. 2942 Carlson Drive. You may contact Judy , 933-2581 for more information. Councilman Hinojosa - While we have in the audience Gary Gleason and his staff on the Street Dep artment. I’d like to thank them p ersonally for all the hard work they ’ve been doing. I know my self, in the steel industry at Arcelor M ittal, that’s what I do. I work straight day s on the p ay loader and believe me, even today , it’s been quite a few day s already , we’re still cleaning up from that disaster storm that we have. I know y ou guy s p ut in a lot of hours and hard work out there so I’s like to congratulate all of y ous on doing every thing y ou could to make our streets as safe as p ossible. I know there’s a lot of negative comments out there. M ainly about salting. I think may be for the first day I think that’s when some of the salting, in my op inion, could have been done. I know, ourselves, when the temp erature is 20 degrees or colder we still p ut down salt and it does help some and it help s get traction. That’s the only negative thing that I seen. But otherwise than that, that’s a lot of hours and back and forth and back and forth and I commend y ou guy s for doing a good job. Councilman M arkovich - I would like to echo the same thing. I mean I know it’s tough out there. It wasn’t easy . Picked the wrong day to do it, Sup er Bowl Sunday . It seemed like last y ear we got all this snow on the weekends, Friday , Saturday , Sunday . You know the guy s were say ing they were working 24 hours. I was shoveling snow at the in-laws from 10 to 2 o’clock Sunday and got a call that I didn’t have p ower at my house Prepared by Robert J. Golec Hammond City Clerk 4 M INUTES OF THE COM M ON COUNCIL cont. FEBRUARY 9, 2015 NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS cont. Councilman M arkovich cont. - from 2 to 9: 30 at night. So taking a shower in the dark with a candle wasn’t to romantic but y ou know how that goes. But I was able to make it to one of the p arties because there’s nothing to do at home, y ou have no p ower or any thing. But I got stuck in the alley going to the game. But, hey , that’s just the way it is. Things hap p en. They did the best they can y ou just have to deal with it. At least we didn’t have 84 inches like we had last y ear. We got it all at once and hop efully , may be, not too much more. But I ap p reciate every thing y ou did. I know the may or got on the radio, he did the best he could with that exp lanation and that’s what it is, it’s an act of god and we just have to deal with it and do the best we can. Thank y ou. Councilwoman Venecz - I would like to echo those sentiments. I know I sp oke with Gary daily during that whole ordeal and y ou guy s did a great job. You were out there again today , try ing to move some of the p iles from where cars were snowed in. So, I know it’s a thankless job but I want to thank y ou. Thank y ou very much. Councilman Sp itale - They alway s do a good job. Councilman Higgs - I’m gonna read a letter that I received from the Board of Directors, from which I sit on for twenty something y ears, it’s from Greater Hammond Community Services, Inc. Dear Councilman Higgs, we are very grateful for y our generous donation, contribution does y ours goes far in p roviding the needs for the p eop le who have so little. Greater Hammond p rovides itself as being a leader in the delivery of social services for the p eop le in the community who truly are in need. Greater Hammond strides to bring together a variety of funding sources and volunteers to meet the needs of the entire community . Because of many cut backs in the state and federal funds we are more than ever dependent on local donation to efficiently serve our community . Sincerely , Timothy P. Cunningham, Executive Director, Greater Hammond Community Services. Councilman Kalwinski - Going back to the snow removal, I too want to thank the Street Dep artment or the Board of Works. Not only do they do streets, our alley s were taken care of. The trails at the p ark were eventually cleaned and they even had some time to work on the skating rink as such. So, I love y ou guy s. You’ve been really great to us and thank y ou from North Hammond, Pulaski Park esp ecially . Councilman Op inker - Likewise from the 5th District. Jaime does a hell of a job with his crew. Councilman Emerson - I don’t want to feel left out. I believe it was Sup er Bowl Sunday I was snow blowing my own driveway and Pat M oore, 4th District Sup ervisor, came by and he did not do my driveway , I did, so he was out sup er Bowl Sunday and thank y ou guy s. I think y ou did a really good job. Councilman Uy laki - I’d like to thank them too. They did a good job and I had one comp laint out of the whole 2n d District and they all said y ou did a great job so I ap p reciate the job. Councilman Higgs - I also received a card that Councilman M arkovich just gave me and it say s thank y ou and it’s from the Hurricanes Inc., Willie D. White, Jr. Prepared by Robert J. Golec Hammond City Clerk 5 M INUTES OF THE COM M ON COUNCIL cont. FEBRUARY 9, 2015 PUBLIC EXPRESSION Diane Kaminsky - Thanked the council for re-ap p ointing her to the Port Authority . Thanked the M ay or for requesting a referendum in regards to the RDA and the South Shore Tax. The money would be better used here in Hammond. It will reduce the South Shore ridership here. Carlotta Blake-King - The Hammond School Board has changed their meeting dates so they will no longer conflict with the Hammond Common Council meetings. Alvin Cheeks - Presented Councilman Higgs with Cannoli oil that had traveled through and touched many hands in Italy . Steve Winn is p ersonally coming into town to bless Councilman Higgs and asked that the Cannoli oil be given to him on his behalf. Thanked Councilman Higgs for his hard work in the community . Councilman Hinojosa, sup p orted by Councilman Sp itale, moved to adjourn. AYES: ALL M ichael Op inker, President ATTEST: Hammond Common Council Robert J. Golec, City Clerk M inutes ap p roved at the Common Council M eeting on February 23, 2015. Time: 6:30 p m cb Prepared by Robert J. Golec Hammond City Clerk 6