HAMMOND | A proposal to place signs listing phone numbers of city officials near infrastructure projects was pulled following a disagreement on names that should appear.
City Councilman Bill Emerson, D-4th, said he plans to rewrite the ordinance that was intended to increase the flow of information to residents and city departments on the scope and duration of the projects.
The initial version calls for a sign to be posted at city streets, sidewalk or underground projects with the name and phone number of the project manager and contact information for the mayor and the district council member where the project is.
“I wanted to make it easier for residents and other department heads to get information on the project,” Emerson said. “Rather than a lot of times it's being done, they don't know who to call.”
Council members briefly spoke about the ordinance in caucus before a meeting last month.
City Councilwoman Janet Venecz, D-at large, asked for the signs to include the at-large council members because they serve the entire city and field questions from all districts.
“As council at-large, the entire city is our responsibility,” Venecz said. “I would think it's a matter of professional courtesy to include our names on that.”
But City Councilman Anthony Higgs, D-3rd, criticized the idea, arguing that adding more contact numbers would confuse constituents.
“I prefer them to just call me,” Higgs said. “I don't want to include anybody else.”
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