Hammond Mayor Thomas M. McDermott and the City Council agree upon citywide sidewalk repairs of $600,000. The six district councilmen will provide a combined total $450,000 of their gaming monies to the sidewalk repair program with Mayor McDermott contributing $150,000.
Approximately 1 to 1.5 miles of sidewalks are repaired each year throughout the six districts typically at a cost of a half a million dollars. On average, 25 feet of sidewalk is replaced per residence. Repairs are done on deteriorating sidewalks or ones that have been lifted by a tree making them a tripping hazard. The program does not cover replacement of sidewalks for aesthetic purposes. “It’s a great program,” stated Mayor McDermott. “There is no cost to the residents for these repairs as the program is funded 100% through gaming revenues.”
For repairs, residents should call the Engineering Department at 853-6336 at which time their address is put on a list, an employee inspects the sidewalk and repairs are made when funding is available. The program is on a first come first serve basis.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to repair some of the dangerous sidewalks that exist in our fine old city,” stated Janet Venecz, Councilwoman at Large.