The Gary Common Council, on Tuesday, approved two ordinances that create separate funds within the city.

All council members were present at Tuesday’s meeting, and both ordinances passed unanimously.

The council accepted a grant award from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to help establish a budget within Gary’s Office of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs.

Director Brenda Scott-Henry said the department received a $317,840 grant over two years that will help create a compost training program in 100 Gary households.

“Every household that will participate will go through this training program on how to compost,” Scott-Henry said at the May 29 Ways and Means committee meeting. “Then we will buy the containers for them to demonstrate this. Then, once they are producing compost, the goal is for them to either have gardens themselves or share compost with those who are growers.”

The Office of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs will partner with the Gary Food Council to help connect residents with local farmers who would want the compost. Councilman Kenneth Whisenton, D-at large, encouraged Scott-Henry to connect with Faith Farms on this partnership as well.

Scott-Henry believes the program will be beneficial for households throughout the city. Residents in houses or apartments can participate, she said.

“We’re not talking about massive amounts of composting — just what goes on in your household,” Scott-Henry said. “Let’s show you how to not put (food waste) in the trash can, let’s put it in this container, which rotates it how it needs to be rotated to create compost.”

The Gary Common Council also approved an ordinance that creates a parking fund within the city. Corporation Counsel Carla Morgan said the ordinance was created to address increased traffic near Gary’s beach areas near the lakefront.

The city is going to a cashless system to collect parking fees, Morgan said. The meter fund will also help authorize the city to collect fees and designate a special fund for collected fees.

Money collected will help pay for signage, updates to traffic signals, curbs and greenery and more land to increase parking.

Chief of Staff Ellis Dumas showed his support for the parking meter fund at Tuesday’s meeting, saying it could extend into other parts of the city, if successful.

“As we grow, and with council support and development in other areas, we can hope to bring it to other areas, we can hope to bring it to downtown,” Dumas said. “It’s definitely our opportunity to expand throughout the city, but again, only in areas where development is happening, where we are seeing tourism.”

mwilkins@chicagotribune.com