Posted on March 21, 2022
EAST CHICAGO — The Common Council is considering an ordinance that would provide $200,000 for restoration at Jeorse Park Beach.
Natalie Adams, the city’s marina director, told the council at its most recent meeting that the beach has been closed the past two years not only because of the coronavirus pandemic but also due to a lot of erosion activity that has occurred up and down Lake Michigan.
“Now that COVID has waned, there’s really no reason not to try to clean and restore the beach and open the beach back up to the public,” Adams said.
Adams said the hope is to have the beach open for Memorial Day weekend.
The $200,000 would be an additional appropriation that would come from the city’s gaming fund.
The council approved the ordinance by a vote of 8-1 on first reading. It would still need to be approved on second and third readings.
Council President Monica Gonzalez, D-1st, was the only member to vote against the ordinance.
She wanted to know what plans are in place to combat erosion in the future if the additional money is awarded.
“I just don’t think that they are giving us enough information.” Gonzalez said.
In other city news, the council voted unanimously to authorize Common Council attorney Angela Jones to draft and file a writ of mandamus to have the court system get involved in the enforcement of an ordinance.
“It has come to my attention in the past couple of weeks that an ordinance passed by this council is not being enforced by the city,” Jones said.
She said the ordinance was approved Oct. 13 and deals with the salaries for police and fire personnel.
The ordinance was vetoed by Mayor Anthony Copeland, but that veto was then overridden by the council.
Jones said the council passed an amended version of that same ordinance Feb. 9 after a clerical error was discovered.
Jones said it is her understanding that some or all of the ordinance is not being followed for both police and fire with respect to salary and vacation days.
