Carmel City Council meeting here at City Hall.

First up is agenda approval.

Move to approve.

Second.

Okay.

Invocation this evening will be done by Pastor Max Murphy of Cornerstone Lutheran Church.

Welcome, Mr.

Murphy.

Pastor Murphy.

We pray.

Almighty and eternal God, you've called us to live together in community.

You've established the authority of government to promote peace and order and justice.

We ask for your blessing upon the city council and all who serve our community.

We pray for our police, our fire, our emergency workers.

Heavenly Father, grant these leaders wisdom and understanding that they may navigate the issues of our city with integrity and compassion.

Help us to remember that we are neighbors to each other, recognizing your image in every person.

May the decisions made tonight uphold the common good, care for the most vulnerable, and promote the welfare of the city of Carmel.

Give these council members good courage, not the courage of self-will, but the courage to do what's right.

Guide their deliberations by your light that they may serve faithfully for the benefit of all citizens and for your glory.

In Jesus' strong name I pray.

Amen.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

And to the Republic, the Lord stands, one nation, under God, indevisible liberty and justice for all.

All right.

Well, this is going to be the opposite of most of our meetings.

There's not a whole lot to do this evening, but one of the things we do have are very important.

So it is my privilege to welcome Representative Victoria Garcia Wilburn and Representative Danny Lopez as they present Indiana House Resolution 29, recognizing the 50th anniversary versus of Carmel as a city.

Fifty years ago, Carmel became a city.

What followed was not accidental.

It was not inevitable.

It was the result of vision, discipline, and a community willing to invest in itself.

Sometimes boldly, sometimes controversially, but always with an eye toward the future.

Over five decades, Carmel has grown as a city from a quiet suburban community into a nationally recognized leader in innovation, public safety, arts, and culture, infrastructure and quality of life.

We are a city known for our roundabouts and our performing arts, yes, but more importantly for our neighborhoods, our infrastructure, our businesses, our veterans, our schools, our and our families.

Anniversaries are not merely about looking back, they are about recognizing the people who built the foundation we stand on and right recommitting ourselves to building something even better for the next generation.

House Resolution 29 affirms something we already know that Carmel's success is not luck.

It is the product of engaged citizens, thoughtful leadership, and a community that expects excellence, even from itself.

We thank our state delegation for formally recognizing this milestone, and we celebrate the citizens who make Carmel what it is every single day.

So please join me in welcoming Representative Garcia Wilburn and Representative Lopez.

Thank you so much, Mr.

President.

I actually have copies for every council member of the of the proclamation, so I will leave these with you, as well as this frame copy that Representative Lopez and I prepared.

And so if you don't mind, may I read it in front of the council.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um a resolution celebrating the 50th anniversary of the City of Carmel and the Carmel City Council.

Carmel's transition to a city began with a pivotal vote by residents in November 1974, following state legislators that allow towns to be designated fourth class cities.

After the first municipal election 1975, the inaugural council members took their seats exactly 50 years ago on January 5th.

Whereas on January 5th, 2026, the Carmel City Council recognized the inaugural Common Council seven members, including Dave Coots, Dr.

Walter Dean, Minnie Doan, James Garrison, Stan Meacham, Jane Riemann, and Fred Swift.

Whereas the original counselors played a crucial role during the City of Carmel's critical transition years, establishing essential services and infrastructures that facilitate its growth and paved the way for it to become the thriving city it is today.

Whereas the City of Carmel has a population of 13,500 at the time of the incorporation, and as of the 2020 census, 99,757.

Whereas Carmel is consistently ranked among the best places to live in the United States, and this year is ranked number two by U.S.

News and World Report.

The city also has one of the best public schools corporations in the state.

Whereas the City of Carmel attributes its success to its walkability, focused on robust parks and green spaces, and the development of its city center, including the 80 million center for 80 million dollar center for the performing arts.

Whereas along with infrastructure investments, Carmel has invested in businesses, attracting around 130 corporate headquarters.

And whereas the city of Carmel continues to be one of the best places to live and raise a family in both Indiana and the United States, thanks to the efforts of you all and the original Carmel City Council and all who have served since.

This resolution was enrolled in the House and it commemorates this 50th anniversary.

You should see what it looks like when I'm responsible for the brain.

More specifically the chairman of our uh sister cities uh mayor's board on Sister City, the guy that does all of our sister city stuff, umris Berzans, whose leadership has helped cultivate and strengthen the meaningful partnership between Carmel and our sister cities, specifically today, Kowachinagano.

Sister City relationships are more than formal agreements.

They are built on shared experiences, educational exchange, and genuine friendship through the work of our dedicated leaders and educators.

Students in both of our students in both of our communities gained the opportunity to broaden their horizons, as does every individual that calls Carmel home.

It helps us understand the world beyond our borders.

We're honored to host distinguished representatives from Coach Nagano this evening during their visit to Carmel.

Their presence here is a testament to the strength and longevity of its international partnership.

So at this time, Andres, would you please introduce our honored guests from Japan?

Please go on today.

Okay.

No, you can go on the microphone.

All right.

Good evening, and thank you very much.

I'm very excited tonight to introduce our friends from Nagano High School.

We have Kazumi Fujiwara, the principal of Nagano High School, as well as Kyoshi Moramoto, who is International Studies Director.

And they're going to spend the next few days here as we establish a sister school partnership between Nagano High School and University High School.

We're very excited about that opportunity.

Very grateful to University High School for agreeing to this partnership.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you.

May we ask a photo?

Absolutely.

It's like the holidays.

Hey Jack, you're a student of university.

We have no one wanting to address us this evening.

That makes me sad.

Council Merrill comments and observations, Mayor Finkham.

Good evening, City Councilors.

My name is Sam Henry.

I'm a sixth grader at Creekside Middle School, and I'm honored to share tonight's deputy mayor report.

This morning, Mayor Finkam had breakfast at Forrestdale Elementary with the school superintendent to recognize National School Breakfast Week.

While she was there, she met three students who took part in the science fair.

Their project studied bacteria and water from different places around the city.

And the mayor was very impressed by their hard work.

She even gave them each a special golden ticket to tour the Carmel water plant next month.

Today, the City of Carmel has also completed the first of two of the first two of six all-team meetings.

These meetings are held at Brookshire Golf Course Clubhouse and bring city teams together to recognize team members' valuable work in 2025 and discuss goals for 2026.

Finally, the City of Carmel is also working to support families who have trouble getting access to healthy food.

A new mayor's advisory commission on food access has been created to study where people are struggling and how the city can better connect with the them with local resources.

Thank you to Councillor Warell for agreeing to lead this important effort.

Thank you.

You did a great job.

You're very articulate.

Better than me.

So great job.

I will say the first item was delayed till Thursday because of the surprise snow we got this morning.

So looking forward to see those young ladies who did a great school project, and they're super excited to see our water plant.

So that'll be fun for the team out there.

I also just wanted to note I believe the city council has seen this notification.

It was actually surprised us when it came out in the Indy Star.

We didn't get notification.

But USA Today's 10 best listed, the Karma Art and Design District as the fifth best district in the country.

So that's great news for the incredible galleries, the small businesses like the coffee shops, the business owners down there like Joe's butcher shop, and many more who make that a special district.

So I think that's something we should all be very proud of.

And I was just thrilled to see that notification come out on Friday.

So thank you very much, sir.

Thank you.

Yes, ma'am.

Matt, this is our excuse me.

Mr.

President, this is not council business.

But since you did it at the last council meeting, I would just like to wish my daughter a happy 31st birthday tonight.

I told her I would give her a shout out.

So happy birthday, Chloe.

Happy birthday, Chloe.

Anybody else?

Is this council comments?

Yes, sir.

Well, I yes, I do have an announcement, but I also I attended the um all team meeting this afternoon.

That is a great presentation, Mayor.

Any chance you would ever share that you know, publicly or at a council meeting, because it really uh it was very eye-opening for me, and I hang out at the city, but it was uh very eye-opening, all the things that have been accomplished, why you're doing what you're doing, and I I just thought it was really good.

But so anyway, um so uh Project Civility is uh hosting a um community-wide conversation regarding housing challenges in Carmel.

And that is an online event using some new software that we've been chosen to uh test.

Uh the company is called All Sides, and um we are going to run a 2 o'clock and a 7 o'clock event where you will actually be placed into living rooms with four to six other people whom you most likely do not know, probably disagree with based on a questionnaire, and uh we are then going to use all the information from those living rooms in order to hopefully pass on some information to my colleagues and the mayor about what the people in Carmel think.

And we are then going to use all the information from those living rooms in order to hopefully pass on some information to my colleagues and the mayor about what the people in Carmel think.

So if you ever think that we're not listening or that uh your voice is not heard, this is your opportunity.

It's new technology, so I know you don't know what I'm talking about, but if you'll go to ProjectCivility.com or current and Carmel, or excuse me, you are current.

Uh current in Carmel is the sponsor uh with uh Project Civility and All Sides.

Would love to have a large group participate and let your voices be heard.

Ninety minutes, all free.

Uh you have to bring your own beverages.

So anyway, project civility.com if anyone uh is interested.

This is gonna get old because Carmel High School is the best high school ever.

But congratulations to the voice swimming team for winning the state championship last weekend.

Uh they're 12th in a row, and I what what number does that make us for how many state championships do we have?

I'm not sure.

Congratulations, yes.

I will continue to make sure I always congratulate these state champions in the city of champions.

Teresa, for your fact check, it's a 205th overall team title and the 185th IHSAA team title.

It's five state championships this school year.

That is awesome.

That is awesome.

Thank you.

Go ahead.

Actually, I'm I do have uh city business, so thank you for indulging me one more time.

President Snyder.

Um March 26th, the mayor's commission on housing is meeting with a company called Opticos, who is right now currently doing a um a review of our UDO trying to figure out where our missing middle is.

I love the idea of what Jeff's doing with the round table because that will help our commission actually help us work to get some of the excuse me guidelines sent forward to city council with hopefully to make some changes at some point.

So I would encourage anybody who is interested in seeing any type of housing, whatever it may be, to come to our meeting on March 26th.

That's a Thursday, starts at 9 a.m.

And there's going to be workshops afterwards working with Opticos.

So I would just encourage everybody who has an interest in that to please attend that meeting.

So thank you.

All right.

Well, everybody, great comments, Teresa.

Yes.

I I don't think people understand the the magnitude of those championships.

I mean, five in one year is more than schools win in a century.

So I I love it.

Uh they are the school of champions.

Um then to Jeff and the mayor's point.

Um I love hearing more about your hunger thing, and I'll be the first one to admit when the mayor first mentioned it to me, I thought, uh, really?

And then I heard you talk about it, and I thought, okay.

And then I talked to Senator Young's office, and then we have more, and I talked to the mayor again, and really it's not this far-fetched mission to end hunger, it's really a holistic approach to all sorts of things that I have since found fascinating.

So a lesson to me, um, not judging something based on just the name, uh, but uh I love what you're doing, so I'm sure I look forward to hearing more about it.

Thank you, Mayor.

Jeff.

Okay.

Um consent agenda.

Approval of minutes from February 16th.

Move for approval of the minutes from February 16th.

Second.

All right.

Claims, payroll in the amount of $4,800,783, and CFD vacation sick day buyback payouts, 217,718 dollars fifty-eight cents.

General claims, two million nine hundred forty-six dollars forty-six thousand, two twenty-two dollars and thirteen cents and purchase card 24,003 and 10 cents.

Move for approval.

Second.

Mayor Alvito's none.

Committee reports, uh, land use and special studies.

Dr.

Joshi.

So we are currently looking at two of the one PUD of Illinois Street and the or sorry, Illinois Street Townhomes, and the other is the commonly called Restoracy project.

Those are still in conversation and will be discussed on Wednesday's meeting.

The preliminary discussions happened last week.

And on we will also be hopefully finalizing the US 31 uh plan.

So we've been working on that as well for the last several meetings, and think that we have come to some good resolutions on this.

So expect to hear from us again on Wednesday at 5 30 at the Carmel Library.

Thank you, Doctor.

Counselor Taylor, Finance and Rules Committee.

Thank you, President Snyder.

The Finance and Rules Committee will meet on Wednesday, March 11th at 5 30 p.m.

That agenda uh should be posted soon.

Thank you, sir.

Henry.

Good evening, City Council.

Henry Mistetsky, Carmel's redevelopment director.

We'll just quickly fly through the activities of last month.

Um I will remind you all that the weather was uh terrible and nothing, no construction happens when the weather is terrible.

No and Windsor uh they look the same on the outside, really.

The build out is happening on the inside.

Um this is a kind of updated picture of Monon Square North.

Um you don't see it in that picture, but there are three cranes up in the air over that site right now, which is those are uh it's the best thing ever for me to me.

Cranes in the air.

Uh Magnolia is continuing its uh construction.

Uh as I mentioned last time, use is now all filled out as far as retail on the first floor.

Hope everyone's had a chance to visit some of those first floor retailers there.

Six word condos are I believe there's one more left to be sold on that one.

Um they're going through their inspection right now.

Inspections for uh uh are in punch lists there, which is really exciting.

Uh Hamlin Crossing continues as this is the Republic uh Airways campus.

It continues its construction of the hotel that's gonna wrap that large parking garage, which is exciting stuff.

Um continues its build out.

That plaza will be ready, unfortunately, after the World Cup, but later later this year.

ATT site with the merchants bank expansion and the portrait, that's the name of that multifamily is uh moving forward along with the uh third avenue residences.

That's uh that's a condo building uh discussed previously.

Artalam Plaza is also moving forward as well.

And I will just mention that uh on Tuesday, March 24th at 11 30 at the fire department headquarters is the first meeting of the Carmel Small Business Network sponsored by State Bank.

I said I said the words.

Okay.

Uh with that that concludes my uh report for the activities of last month, and I'm happy happy to answer any questions that uh council may have Henry.

I uh hearing no questions.

Um I have a question completely unrelated to you, and it's actually a statement, but I forgot I promised I would mention this and forgot, so I'm doing it in form of question to you in the wrong spot.

Um there were a lot of questions, and I got an email again last week about this, and something I've been harping on.

Um about the 106th Street Bridge project cost versus insurance reimbursement, and I want to clarify that the probable opinion of cost for that construction was $947,523.

The project cost was the project was delivered at $1,074, $842.23.

The city received a check for that exact amount from the insurance company.

So we have been made whole on that insurance claim on 126 on 106th Street Bridge.

So I wanted to clear up the record on that, and however that impacts you in redevelopment, you can take that knowledge with you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Mayor's Advisory Commission on Senior Living.

Counselor Taylor.

Thank you, sir.

We don't have a full presentation, but just an update for this month.

We have received uh thank you to Dr.

Malaz Bustani and his team at the IU School of Medicine.

Uh they've conducted a thorough community assessment, um statistically valid survey as part of the process to become an AAARP age-friendly community designation.

This is the first step in the process.

It has been completed.

They're compiling the results, and we'll um we'll be presented at our April uh Mayor's Advisory Commission on Senior Living Committee meeting in April, and then uh we'll be working with the mayor and the administration to develop an action plan uh related to the uh the responses and the data we receive uh through that assessment.

So look forward uh we look forward to this presentation.

That meeting will be held on, I apologize, April 2nd at 5:30 p.m.

here at the council chambers.

Rich, can you confirm that date again?

Yes, it's always the fourth Wednesday of the month.

5:30.

Uh yeah, but we have five Wednesdays in April.

Okay.

Yep.

So um the first is the first Wednesday of the month.

Okay, thank you.

All right.

That concludes our committee reports.

Um old business.

Section 12.

Everything is in committee.

We will move on.

That skips us to public hearings, and there are none.

New business.

One item.

Resolution CC 0302-2601 resolution of the common council of the city of Carmel, Indiana approving the suspension of short-term rental residential rental ordinance during certain periods of the year.

Uh Council Warell, would you explain further, please?

Sure.

Move to introduce.

Second.

All right, this approves dates submitted by the mayor for the suspension of the unified development ordinance, section 5.72, short-term residential rentals in 2026.

Um Jessica is trying to pull it up because it's not in our team's uh packet, and you didn't read every ordinance like I thought you were going to, so uh what's in committee.

So we're we're struggling to get it up here, but in essence, this is an annual event of listing dates when the uh that would not apply to short-term rentals who are following the number of visits that they can have.

So things like Thanksgiving.

And I know uh President Snyder sent out an email earlier.

Um so if if you want me to read the dates into the record, we're hurrying, um, but if everybody had a chance to look at those ahead of time, because I don't have a memorized but Indy 500, Thanksgiving, uh Carmel Marathon, etc.

So by ordinance there's a maximum number of days that can be suspended, correct?

Yes, yes, that's correct, in essence.

Yes.

Okay, so um those dates are uh April 3 through 4, April 17 through 18, 21 through 24, May 8th through 9, 23 through 25, July 3 through 5, and 24 through 26, August 21 through 23, 28 through 29, September 5 through 6th, October 10th, and November 25 and 27.

And the impetus for this is we want to make sure that families coming in for citywide events and holidays have places to stay, um, especially during some of our bigger city events when hotels may be full.

We want people staying in Carmel, not McCordsville or downtown where the closest room might be.

So I'm gonna ask that we approve this.

Uh I would make a motion to do so.

Second.

Any further discussion?

Okay.

We have no agenda add-on items.

We have no other bit.