OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Indianapolis City-County Council Meeting Summary: December 1, 2025

City-County Council — Monday, December 1, 2025
BodyIndianapolis, Indiana
SessionCity-County Council
DateMonday, December 1, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:28:34

Transcript — Verbatim
0:05

Good evening.

0:05

We will begin our meeting with a prayer and pledge of allegiance, led by Councillor Kay Hill.

0:23

Thank you, Mr.

0:24

President.

0:25

I have with us tonight Pastor Greg Pimlott from Christ Indianapolis United Methodist Church, located in my district, right down on U.S.

0:32

31.

0:34

I wanted to call out a few of the uh things they do for the community and for us as the uh city county enterprise.

0:42

Every Thursday, they have a food pantry that serves 70 people.

0:47

And uh they also are one of the roll call sites for IMPD Southeast District.

0:52

So if you ever want to come down and come visit, uh I'm sure he would be happy to have you.

0:57

So with that, I'm gonna turn this over to uh Pastor Pimwad for our blessings this Christmas season.

1:08

Thank you.

1:09

Let us pray.

1:11

Holy God, we give you thanks for the group of leaders gathered here today.

1:15

We give you thanks for their skills in leading and for the gifts and passion that they bring to their work.

1:21

Today we pray for them as individuals, and we also pray for them as a group.

1:26

We pray that you would fill them with a spirit of unity and compassion for one another.

1:30

We know that they have differences in opinion, in life experience, in political leaning, and we give you thanks for those differences.

1:38

They're what got each one of them elected.

1:40

At the same time, oh God, you know that we who live and work and play in this city also need them to see through those differences and to govern together in a spirit of unity.

1:49

We acknowledge that it's hard to be a lawmaker right now.

1:52

We acknowledge that it's hard to be a person right now.

1:55

But we know, oh God, that in spite of all those differences, each person here bleeds the same color blood, their tears are made up of the same stuff, their laughter comes from the same place inside them.

2:06

Each of them loves their family and friends and wants what is best for our city.

2:10

And so we pray for the elected officials and for the others gathered here who have power and authority to make decisions, that you would help them to love one another as you have loved them, and to lead with a spirit of collaboration, that they would serve as an example to the rest of us of how to live together as a community.

2:28

And we take time to pray together as one body in a spirit of unity for all those in our city who live in fear.

2:35

We pray for those who fear violence on the street where they live.

2:38

We pray for those who fear violence because the streets are their home.

2:42

We pray for those who fear the violence that could come at any time with a knock on the door, and we pray for those who fear the violence that doesn't need to knock on the door because it resides in their home.

2:52

Give our elected officials wisdom and courage to lead us, O God, and give to this your city your good gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love.

3:02

Amen.

3:08

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

3:31

Counselors, please select your green button to indicate your attendance.

3:43

There are 24 council members present.

3:46

I understand that councillor Wells uh has been um uh caught up in traffic with the uh with the snowfall.

3:57

We have no guests with us this evening who are not already part of the agenda, so this next item on our agenda is official communications.

4:03

Madam Clerk.

4:07

Thank you, Mr.

4:08

President.

4:09

Ladies and gentlemen, you are hereby notified that regular meetings of the City County Council, police, fire, and silent waste special collection collection special service district councils will be held in the city county building in the public assembly room on Monday, December 1st, 2025 at 7 o'clock PM.

4:28

The purposes of such the purposes of such meetings being to conduct any and all business that may come properly before regular meetings of the council.

4:36

Sincerely, Bob Osseli, President City County Council.

4:41

Ladies and gentlemen, pursuant to the laws of the state of Indiana, I call to be published in the Court and Commercial Record and in the Indianapolis Star on Friday, November 14th, 2025, a copy of Notice of Public Hearing on Proposal No.

5:00

343, 2025, said hearing to be held at the rules and public policy meeting on Tuesday, November 26, 2025 at 530 p.m.

5:08

in the public assembly room of the City County Building.

5:11

A copy of notice of public hearings on proposal numbers 328 through 331, 333, 338, 340 through 343, 344 through 346, 349, and 368, 2025.

5:29

Said hearings to be held on Monday, December 1st, 2025 at 7 o'clock PM in the public assembly room of the City County Building.

5:39

Ladies and gentlemen, I have approved with my signature and delivered this day to the clerk of the City County Council, Yolanda Winfield, the following ordinances.

5:47

General ordinance number 39, 2025, and special resolution numbers 17 through 20, 2025, Joseph H.

5:56

Hawksett Mayor.

5:57

Mr.

5:58

President, this can concludes the official communications.

6:02

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

6:03

The next item on our agenda is adoption of the agenda.

6:06

I believe, Councilor Jesse Brown, you have a comment or an amendment to make to that.

6:12

Yes, Mr.

6:13

President.

6:13

Mr.

6:14

President, I move to modify the proposed agenda by adding proposal number 406, 2025, which is a special resolution urging data center developers to heed community voices as a new proposal under presentation of petitions, memorials, special resolutions, and council resolutions this evening.

6:30

Council should have a copy of the motion and proposal in front of them.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural████████████████████████24%
Public Safety█████████████████17%
Community Engagement████████████12%
Public Works██████████10%
Personnel Matters█████████9%
Economic Development█████████9%
Arts And Culture████4%
Food Access███3%
Zoning and Land Use██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Indianapolis City-County Council Meeting Summary: December 1, 2025

The Indianapolis City-County Council convened on December 1, 2025, beginning with a prayer and pledge of allegiance led by Councillor Kay Hill. The meeting featured the honoring of local community leaders and organizations, the passage of numerous budget appropriations, the reappointments of various board members, and the introduction of multiple local ordinances regarding traffic and parking. The session concluded with a special adjournment in memory of several community members.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of the meeting agenda (amendment to add Proposal 406 failed due to lack of a second).
  • Approval of journals for October 6, 2025.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Larry Vaughn: Spoke against Proposal 329, expressing strong opposition to the appropriation of $510,000 for legal fees. He stated that the funds were being used to pay for personal issues and lack of professionalism by the executive branch (specifically mentioning the Mayor and Thomas Cook), arguing it was unfair for taxpayers to pay for these personal struggles.
  • Councillor Jesse Brown: Explained his opposition to Proposal 340 (Sheriff's Department budget) and Proposal 344 (FOP agreement). He stated he could not support the funds in good conscience, citing multiple deaths at the criminal justice center and a discrepancy between the staffing level committed to in the agreement (1,743) versus the actual count (1,300s).
  • Councillor Leah Cahill: Expressed strong concern regarding infrastructure and commerce. She argued that current infrastructure planning, driven by grant availability rather than actual budget constraints, was destroying thoroughfares and making commerce impossible. She warned that pursuing a goal of zero traffic fatalities by 2030 without addressing transit needs was causing significant economic and logistical disruption.

Discussion Items

  • Proposal 397 (Honoring Stephen Quick): Councillor Osley presented a resolution recognizing Stephen Quick for his 41-year career as a heavy equipment operator and President of AFSCME Local 725 for over 30 years. Stephen Quick spoke, thanking the council and recognizing his 600 employees and successor, Vince Gordon.
  • Proposal 398 (McAllister Machinery): Councillor Jesse Brown congratulated McAllister Machinery on its 80th anniversary, highlighting its contributions to the economy and civic life. Chris McAllister spoke on behalf of 3,200 employees regarding the company's future and leadership transition.
  • Proposal 399 (Indianapolis Recorder): Councillor Olseley presented a resolution recognizing the 130th anniversary of the Indianapolis Recorder. Robert Shigog (CEO) spoke, emphasizing the newspaper's role as a movement and its commitment to journalism and community service.
  • Proposal 400 (Hunger Relief): Councillor Jesse Brown introduced a resolution thanking volunteers and organizations like Gleaners Food Bank for their work during the 2025 federal government shutdown SNAP disruptions. The resolution highlighted the volunteer efforts at Boulevard Place Food Pantry.
  • Proposal 401 (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority): Councillor Perkins presented a resolution declaring December 1, 2025, as Alpha Kappa Alpha Day at City Hall. Alexandra Hall and Natisa Woodard spoke, thanking the council for recognizing the sorority's advocacy for mental health, maternal health, and social justice, and announcing the upcoming 2026 Central Regional Conference.
  • Appointments: The Council reappointed David Baker, Cathy Good, Kathy Warpool, Joseph Wins, and Emily Rubin to their respective committees/broards. Proposal 339 to reappoint Andrew Harrison was withdrawn as he no longer resides in Marion County. Proposal 347 reappointed Dan Haig.
  • Budget & Appropriations: Extensive discussion and voting occurred on budget proposals (328-346, 368) covering legal fees, IT transfers, animal care, parks, sheriff's department, FOP agreement, IFD, and public works. Several items included specific conditions or concerns regarding staffing, winter contingency, and community impact.
  • Traffic & Parking Introductions: Multiple proposals were introduced (371-396) regarding budget approvals for economic improvement districts, speed limit reductions, U-turn restrictions, and parking zones across various districts.

Key Outcomes

  • Proposal 397: Passed unanimously to honor Stephen Quick.
  • Proposal 398: Passed unanimously to congratulate McAllister Machinery.
  • Proposal 399: Passed unanimously to recognize the Indianapolis Recorder.
  • Proposal 400: Passed unanimously to recognize hunger relief volunteers.
  • Proposals 309, 311, 313: Passed 25-0 to reappoint David Baker, Cathy Good, and Kathy Warpool.
  • Proposal 314: Passed 25-0 to reappoint Joseph Wins.
  • Proposal 316: Passed 25-0 to reappoint Emily Rubin.
  • Proposal 317: Passed 25-0 to reappoint Alexandra Hall.
  • Proposal 347: Passed 25-0 to reappoint Dan Haig.
  • Proposal 309, 311, 313, 314, 316, 317, 347, 368, 377-396: Passed out via committee and on final vote as described in discussion.
  • Vote Tally Specifics:
    • Proposal 328 (Appropriations): Passed 24-0, with 1 abstention (Councillor Delaney).
    • Proposal 329 (Legal Fees): Passed 24-0, with 1 abstention (Councillor Delaney).
    • Proposal 330 (IT System Transfer): Passed 25-0.
    • Proposal 331 (Animal Care Services): Passed 25-0.
    • Proposal 338 (Parks & Recreation): Passed 25-0.
    • Proposal 340 (Sheriff's Dept): Passed 24-1 (Councillor Jesse Brown voted No).
    • Proposal 341 (Sheriff's Dept Personnel): Passed 25-0.
    • Proposal 342 (Public Defender Agency): Passed 25-0.
    • Proposal 344 (FOP Agreement): Passed 24-1 (Councillor Jesse Brown voted No).
    • Proposal 345 (IFD Budget): Passed 25-0.
    • Proposal 346 (IFD Budget): Passed 25-0.
    • Proposal 349 (Public Works): Passed 25-0.
    • Proposal 368 (Urban Forestry): Passed 25-0.
    • Proposal 332 (Recorder Expenses): Passed 25-0.
    • Proposal 333 (Downtown Budget): Passed 25-0.
    • Proposal 334 (Building Code): Passed 25-0.
    • Proposals 335, 336, 337 (Affordable Housing): All passed 25-0.
    • Proposal 343 (Fiscal Impact Report): Accepted; no further action required.
    • Proposal 350 (Franchise Agreement): Passed 25-0.
    • Proposals 351, 352 (Outdoor Refreshment Areas): Both passed 25-0.
  • Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at the motion of Councillor Mowery. The Council moved to adjourn in memory of Don Lewis, Brian Hay, Susie Blesh, Stanley Paul, Chris Kopke, Finn, Doyle, Mike Nance, Terry Iwo, Cheryl Foster, Kareem, Priscilla Keith, and Micah Rose (as listed in the motion). The request to send official letters to families was granted. Mr. Greg Stowers (Chief Administrative Officer) received thanks for his three years of service.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. We will begin our meeting with a prayer and pledge of allegiance, led by Councillor Kay Hill. Thank you, Mr. President. I have with us tonight Pastor Greg Pimlott from Christ Indianapolis United Methodist Church, located in my district, right down on U.S. 31. I wanted to call out a few of the uh things they do for the community and for us as the uh city county enterprise. Every Thursday, they have a food pantry that serves 70 people. And uh they also are one of the roll call sites for IMPD Southeast District. So if you ever want to come down and come visit, uh I'm sure he would be happy to have you. So with that, I'm gonna turn this over to uh Pastor Pimwad for our blessings this Christmas season. Thank you. Let us pray. Holy God, we give you thanks for the group of leaders gathered here today. We give you thanks for their skills in leading and for the gifts and passion that they bring to their work. Today we pray for them as individuals, and we also pray for them as a group. We pray that you would fill them with a spirit of unity and compassion for one another. We know that they have differences in opinion, in life experience, in political leaning, and we give you thanks for those differences. They're what got each one of them elected. At the same time, oh God, you know that we who live and work and play in this city also need them to see through those differences and to govern together in a spirit of unity. We acknowledge that it's hard to be a lawmaker right now. We acknowledge that it's hard to be a person right now. But we know, oh God, that in spite of all those differences, each person here bleeds the same color blood, their tears are made up of the same stuff, their laughter comes from the same place inside them. Each of them loves their family and friends and wants what is best for our city. And so we pray for the elected officials and for the others gathered here who have power and authority to make decisions, that you would help them to love one another as you have loved them, and to lead with a spirit of collaboration, that they would serve as an example to the rest of us of how to live together as a community. And we take time to pray together as one body in a spirit of unity for all those in our city who live in fear. We pray for those who fear violence on the street where they live. We pray for those who fear violence because the streets are their home. We pray for those who fear the violence that could come at any time with a knock on the door, and we pray for those who fear the violence that doesn't need to knock on the door because it resides in their home. Give our elected officials wisdom and courage to lead us, O God, and give to this your city your good gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Counselors, please select your green button to indicate your attendance. There are 24 council members present. I understand that councillor Wells uh has been um uh caught up in traffic with the uh with the snowfall. We have no guests with us this evening who are not already part of the agenda, so this next item on our agenda is official communications. Madam Clerk. Thank you, Mr. President. Ladies and gentlemen, you are hereby notified that regular meetings of the City County Council, police, fire, and silent waste special collection collection special service district councils will be held in the city county building in the public assembly room on Monday, December 1st, 2025 at 7 o'clock PM. The purposes of such the purposes of such meetings being to conduct any and all business that may come properly before regular meetings of the council. Sincerely, Bob Osseli, President City County Council. Ladies and gentlemen, pursuant to the laws of the state of Indiana, I call to be published in the Court and Commercial Record and in the Indianapolis Star on Friday, November 14th, 2025, a copy of Notice of Public Hearing on Proposal No. 343, 2025, said hearing to be held at the rules and public policy meeting on Tuesday, November 26, 2025 at 530 p.m. in the public assembly room of the City County Building. A copy of notice of public hearings on proposal numbers 328 through 331, 333, 338, 340 through 343, 344 through 346, 349, and 368, 2025. Said hearings to be held on Monday, December 1st, 2025 at 7 o'clock PM in the public assembly room of the City County Building. Ladies and gentlemen, I have approved with my signature and delivered this day to the clerk of the City County Council, Yolanda Winfield, the following ordinances. General ordinance number 39, 2025, and special resolution numbers 17 through 20, 2025, Joseph H. Hawksett Mayor.

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