Good evening and welcome to our public works committee meeting for October 23rd, 2025.

And we would like to wish our Madam Clerk Kim a belated birthday for yesterday.

We're so glad she's back with us today.

Thank you.

And I'll begin with introductions with counselors to my left.

And Councilor Bain, please introduce your your special guest too.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Josh Bain, District 21, have the whole clan with me tonight.

So we have Amelia and Maddie and my wife Ashley.

So celebrating our wedding anniversary.

Oh, congratulations.

Here with you all.

Congratulations.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and happy anniversary, Counselor.

I'm Brian Mowray, District 25.

Thank you.

Chairwoman Andy Nielsen, District 14.

Thank you, Madam Chair Nick Roberts, District 4.

Thank you, Madam Chair, Ron Gibson, District 8.

Thank you, Madam Chair, Dan Boots, District 3.

Thank you, Chair, Councillor Jared Evans, representing District 17.

And I'm Kristen Jones, representing District 18, and happy anniversary to the Bains.

Oh, and the Maories.

I'm sorry, having missed that.

You have the same anniversary.

Happy anniversary.

Yours is today.

Happy anniversary.

We have lots of celebrations here today.

It's a good day here at Public Works Committee.

With consent, I would like to move proposal number 322 to the beginning of the agenda.

Thank you.

Proposal number 322 2025, which reappoint Sebeka Jawanza to the Board of Public Works.

Sir, can you please come forward and tell us a little bit about yourself and why you would like to be reappointed?

All right.

Greetings, everyone.

My name is Sabaco Jawanza.

Um I believe I've been on this board for more than two or three years, I think 2021.

Um, and it's uh it's been a pleasure.

I did not know what I was getting myself into.

Uh what I enjoy about being on this board is one, I get to uh actually vote on some things that really improve our city on a day-to-day basis.

People's travels and the way that our city workers are able to do their jobs.

But also it gives me an insight on things.

Um I work primarily on the west side, and so understanding that that 30th Street Bridge was going to close, and we were making decisions about the 16th Street Bridge and the conversion of 30th Street and 29th Streets into one way, and really asking those hard questions about how that's going to impact our community.

I feel like that's one of the most important parts about being on this board is being able to ask how is this going to impact our community and are we actually thinking about things in a way that would make it easier for people, even though we have to do a lot of construction and a lot of things that would be inconvenient.

Thank you.

Are there any comments or questions from counselors?

Anyone in the public who wishes to speak on proposal number three two.

No, counselor Boots.

Yeah, Madam Chair.

Uh I'd like to move for um proposal 322 being recommended to the full council with a due pass recommendation.

It's been moved and seconded to send proposal number 332 to the full council with the due pass recommendation.

All those in favor say aye.

Opposed say nay.

The ayes have it.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you very much for your continuing and willingness to serve, and we look forward to seeing you again.

Yes, thank you very much.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any word from Leslie?

She did say she's coming out from the post today.

Oh yeah.

Oh, I say we'll wait just a few more minutes for Leslie.

Somebody call her.

Yeah, I don't know.

Oh, here she comes.

All right.

Hi.

Next up on the agenda is proposal number 321, which appoints Leslie Shulte to the Board of Public Works.

Welcome.

Thank you.

You can come on up.

You are up.

You just come up, introduce yourself, and let us know why you would like to be reappointed.

Tell us a little bit about your last term.

Tell us something may be interesting about and why you would like to serve again.

Thank you so much for being here.

Hi there.

My name is Leslie Schulty, and I have another mic now.

Right there on the bottom.

The gray button right there.

Thank you.

Hi there.

My name is Leslie Schulty, and I just completed my first year on the Board of Public Works.

I was appointed after I participated in the city's community power, or what is now called the city's community powered infrastructure program, where my neighborhood was able to transform temporarily East 10th Street from a public space where we saw a crash multiple times per day, where it was possible to drive at more than a hundred miles per hour down the center journaling.

Um at rush hour to a safe space for everyone, drivers, walkers, people that live here, people who are just visiting this tier in for dinner.

To a really neighborhood feel.

So I deeply believe that our public spaces can be safer for everyone, and I bring that thought to our public projects that I'm approving on the board to our budget where we're setting our goals for the next year.

I bring this to our when I'm approving change orders or uh accepting projects as complete, or when we're approving new contracts for engineering firms, for inspection services.

I really want to see public safety be at the forefront of all of our decisions.

My background, of course, is in engineering, where public safety is always at the foreprint of our minds.

That's our number one purpose of that profession is to keep the public safe.

So I would be honored to be reappointed to this board.

And I thank you for the opportunity to continue to serve.

Thank you, Leslie.

Comments or questions from counselors?

Counselor Bain.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Ms.

Schulte, for your willingness to continue serving on the Board of Public Works.

Um, I've watched a few of those meetings.

You can probably imagine which ones those are.

And I think you've done a very good job of advocating for the council on those.

Um, something that I think uh the council's taking a closer look at recently is kind of the grants and contracts awarded by the city.

Um you kind of give us a brief understanding of what kind of contracts, grants uh you would be voting on on the public works committee, and are any of those overlapping with your um with your day job doing any kind of engineering services here in the city of Indianapolis?

That is a really great question.

So the engineering contracts that I am or the contracts that I'm approving are related to stormwater, trash service, uh paving, asphalt, design services, public spaces.

My day job is in a completely different type of engineering.

So I am a mechanical engineer and a chemical engineer by training.

Um my license is a mechanical engineering, primarily focused on heating and air conditioning systems.

So while I do bring the mindset, I am not a civil engineer.

Which is who is primarily being awarded engineering contracts.

Thank you, appreciate it.

Thank you.

Councilor Nielsen.

Madam Chair, uh, I moved to send proposal number 321, 2025, to the full council with the due pass recommendation.

Oh, sorry.

Yeah, hold on.

Anyone in the public who wishes to speak on proposal 321 2025?

No, Councilor Nielsen.

All right, thank you, Chairman.

Thank you, Councilor Roberts.

Um, I move that we send proposal number 321 to the full council's due pass recommendation.

It's been moved in second and proposal number 321 to the full council with a due pass recommendation.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed say nay.

The ayes have it.

Congratulations, Leslie, and thank you very much for your service.

We appreciate it.

I will accept a motion to adjourn.

So councillor Bain and Leader Mowery can go celebrate now with their families.

Thank you.

Thank you.