Board Of Parks 8-25-26

The City of Gary Board of Parks held a meeting on August 25, 2026, focusing heavily on procurement and contract approvals related to park maintenance and recovery efforts following a significant storm. The board approved several professional services contracts, including one with ACCI Construction LLC for pedestrian access path work at Barry Park, a contract with Jazzy Ladies for park programming services not to exceed $2,000, and a change order for asphalt resurfacing at multiple parks totaling approximately $54,434. Additionally, a contract for contracted security services was approved. The meeting also addressed storm recovery operations, including debris removal and infrastructure repairs, with an estimated $8.5 million in recovery costs. The city has engaged firms such as Eegis for FEMA and HUD recovery management, Townson for monitoring compliance, and Ashbrit for debris removal. Updates on park programs, event rescheduling, and new initiatives like the installation of license plate readers and Park Mobile payment systems were discussed. The board also considered a grant proposal from the Westgary Quality of Life Partnership for environmental and community engagement projects. An executive session was planned to further discuss this grant. Overall, the meeting combined routine procurement approvals with significant focus on storm recovery and future funding opportunities.