Thank you, Madam Leader.

My name is Brian Mowray, District 25.

Thank you, Madam Chair, Nick Roberts, District 4.

Thank you, Madam Leader.

Kristen Jones, District 18.

Thank you, Madam Leader.

Brianne Delaney, District 2.

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

Thank you, Madam Leader, John Barth, representing District 7.

Thank you, Madam Leader.

Councilor Jarrett Evans, representing District 17.

Thank you, Madam Leader Lewy Robinson, District 1.

Yeah, my name is Maggie Lewis, District 5.

The first item on our agenda is proposal number 371, approves a 2026 budget of the Greater Virginia Avenue Corridor Economic Improvement District.

Who is presenting on that?

Sorry, I neglected to sign my name up here.

Should I write it down or am I okay?

Great.

Good evening.

It's quite a mouthful.

We, as you may be familiar, we're one of two and maybe three if you count in the same improvement districts in the city, along with our kind of sister district, Woodruff and downtown.

And we are a board of uh local property owners that basically uses that money to improve the desirability for retail and kind of commercial success in the corridor.

Um so we have a pretty straightforward annual budget that we're presenting this year.

It's um basically building on the successes of prior years, not making a lot of changes.

It's um a landscaping contract to keep things weeds in control and kind of um beautify some planters and that sort of thing.

It's um a district manager that we help contribute to their annual salary to kind of be the glue of the corridor uh and build relationships with uh retail tenants and plan events and that sort of thing.

That's uh Jeff Nordike.

Um then uh we contribute to keeping the fountains on.

If you've ever owned a fountain, it's an incredibly expensive and it gets more expensive every year.

Um so I'd encourage as a city to us to have fewer fountains for now.

Uh but as Fountain Square, it's extremely important to us.

So we're very happy to be uh a partial contributor to keeping those on.

Um so that's the the general highlights of uh what we're doing.

Uh we try to do some public art here and there and um work with the community.

Uh and uh but it's it's eighty thousand dollars, it's a fixed amount, so every time inflation goes up, it's worth slightly less.

Um things to improve maybe on the future uh resets for the districts, but um we're glad to have that funding to make our area better.

Thank you so much.

Questions from counselors, leader Maori.

Sure.

Thank you, Madam Leader.

Uh just a quick question.

So Woodruff Place has this Excel sheet here for us that kind of gives us an idea of breakdown of expenses and how the how where the money's going.

Obviously, 80,000 is not a lot to spread out all over the place.

So I didn't know if you guys had something like this as well that you could share.

And then uh just I just I'm I'm interested to see how how you make the dollar stretch so far because the I mean it's obviously a challenge for you, but um just I think it's just nice to see that this is what you're putting it towards.

Yeah, absolutely.

Um there I don't know which document you may have in your packet, but we do have a budget document with a brief on the budget side leader.

Um it is quite abbreviated.

Yep.

Um, but I'd be more than happy to provide more detail if uh if you would like that.

I appreciate that.

It's always interesting just to see what all is going on and what you're doing, what you're using the money for.

And uh it's you know, I've assumed you're doing a lot with what you have, and uh just it helps us tell the story as well that you're doing so much.

Thank you.

Yeah, additional questions from counselors.

Counselor Gibson.

Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair.

Uh Mr.

Taff, uh uh can you maybe explain more about the event security, the 12,500 and exactly what that's being used for.

Sure.

Um yeah.

So um you may know that we're a mixed-use district with uh businesses that are open um kind of throughout the evening, including several uh major uh music venues um and bars and that sort of thing.

So um one of the things that we provide are kind of on peak weekends, uh so generally summers, I think um Thursday, mostly Friday, Saturday nights, 10 to 2.

11 to 3.

Uh we might have moved that recently.

Um we have supplemental security off-duty officer that kind of does a circuit patrolling and then a kind of a text thread between business owners just to kind of keep an eye on with and in contact with the officer.

Um just so you know, things come up.

It's a it's a busy commercial district, um, so that's inevitable that situations happen.

Um, so it's a really useful thing to just have a little bit of extra uh communication and light work to um address those situations.

Thank you.

Councilor Delaney.

Thank you.

Uh Madam Leader.

The I just have a quick question.

The the businesses and or residents that pay in.

Could you clarify if that's um commercial versus residential or both?

Sure, yeah.

Residential uh properties are excluded from our tax district, so we have about a hundred commercial owners uh that generally pay uh something like $15 a linear foot per year.

Um and I think nonprofits pay a reduced rate from that.

Uh so that's the general setup.

Additional questions from counselors.

Is there anyone in the audience that wishes to speak to proposal 371?

CNN, I entertain a motion.

Councilor Gibson.

Madam Chair, I'm recommending we send proposal number 371, which approves the two 2026 budget of the Greater Virginia Avenue Court or Economic Improvement District to the full council final adoption.

The motion has been properly moved and second.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Those opposed, same sign.

The motion carries.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

The next item on our agenda is proposal number 372, approves the 2026 budget for the Woodruff Place Economic Improvement District.

Good evening.

Hi, my name's Hannah.

I'm the president of the Woodridge Place EID.

Your last name?

Saunders.

Thank you.

Um so this year we did not use as much of budget as we expected this year, so we've got excess funds and really want to invest it well into our neighborhood next year.

And we're super excited that we found an exact replica of one of our original fountains.

So we're gonna be trying to restore that this year, and it's kind of pricey, like he was saying about fountains, they're expensive.

So our total budget for the year is 105,000.

That fountain alone is around 72, hopefully not more, but um, yeah, we've got other expenses towards our street lights, those get expensive too, as they're historical, and our trees, which make up one of the best parts of our neighborhood, those come into a lot of expenses too.

But um, yeah, we're excited for the next year.

Thank you.

Questions from counselors, Councilor Gibson.

Well, thank you, Madam Chair, and uh thank you for the very detailed budget line item and uh is very informative.

Uh on the street lights, um can you can you explain the difference between the the AES and city-owned street lights and and these are these historic lights?

They're historic lights.

AES pays for the electrical that goes to them, but we take care of the maintenance for them.

Okay, so they need um a lot of sandblasting, repainting, LED fixtures to try to reduce costs.

They're kind of a complicated um piece of infrastructure that we have, but they're important for safety and all other reasons.

Agree, I just want to make sure we're not even duplicate expenses.

Thank you.

Additional questions from counselors, Councillor Delaney.

Hi, um, thank you, madam chair.

I I'll ask you the same question.

Is it residential and commercial that pays into yours?

No, we're just residential.

Just residential.

Okay.

Yeah.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Other questions from counselors?

Is there anyone in the audience that wishes to speak to proposal 372?

CNN I entertain a motion.

Councilor Gibson.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'll move the resign proposal 372, which approves a 2026 budget of the Woodrow Place Economic Improvement District to the full council for final adoption.

Second.

The motion been properly moved and second.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Those opposed, same sign.

The motion carries.

Thank you so much for your presentation.

The last item on our agenda is a housing uh update from Director V from DMD.

And while the director is making her way to the microphone, I recognize we have some special guests in the audience.

If someone wants to come to the mic and tell us who you are.

Somebody uh good evening, everyone.

Um thank you for acknowledging us.

Um Chairman Lewis.

Um, sorry, Chairwoman Lewis.

Um, we are with the advocacy works group that is um we've been together for about six months, and our fearless leader is Representative Robin Shackelfort.

And so it's about 24 of us um community leaders that have come together to learn more about political advocacy and how to advocate for our communities and make change.

So thank you for acknowledging us.

Wonderful.

Thank you for joining us.

Director V, the floor is yours, ma'am.

Thank you.

Thank you, we're going to go for the opportunity.

Is your microphone on?

Oh, there we go.

Thank you.

Thank you, Leader Lewis, for the opportunity to provide some updates to the Medic Committee.

I did reach out to each one of you on Friday if you are interested in setting up a meeting with myself and some staff to go further in depth into our housing pipeline.

But I I think Leader Lewis and myself thought it would be beneficial just to give you a high-level overview of some of the process improvements that we're working on through our housing pipeline as just an intro into what we can discuss further at those meetings.

So first just wanted to give an overview of generally our intake process to support new development at DMD.

This is not a new graphic.

This was included in our budget presentation earlier this year, so it may look familiar.

But our housing pipeline is a part is one of those ways that developments we intake developments to who are seeking support from the city of Indianapolis.

But when we do receive new developments, we are looking to make sure that they're realistic, feasible, and fiscally responsible.

We're looking to make sure that they align with neighborhood priorities, and then we're making sure that they align with city priorities.

And then we have various tools in our toolbox to be able to support different developments.

And each one of these tools has its own regulations and requirements around them.

But I just again wanted to give a high-level overview of it.

So we have our tax increment financing, which comes before you all.

We have tax abatements, uh payment in lieu of taxes, which is uh gonna be a focus of this housing pipeline.

I'll get into that a little bit more.

Uh community development block grant and our home funding, these are federal funds that run through DMD.

We also have the housing trust fund that supports permanent supportive housing developments.

If we own property, we can reduce the property sale to support developments who are looking to build on those sites.

We help with pre-development.

Uh, this includes site prep and land remediation.

If uh, for example, if it's a brown field or if there's existing structures on the property that can be demolished.

And then we also support development through public space and infrastructure investments.

And so that's our toolbox that can change the tools that are in our toolbox, but generally um, those are our tools to support new development.

Today what I want to focus on is the housing pipeline and that payment in lieu of taxes tool.

That is our main tool that we use to support affordable housing developments in Indianapolis, and this committee is no stranger to that tool, those come before you all for approval.

Uh so this policy in our housing pipeline, we've been looking at um just process improvements, and we're aligning that with uh streamline any streamline Indy, which is our initiative to just uh improve permitting and redevelopment processes that's in partnership with also BNS and the Department of Public Works.

And so this uh housing pipeline intake form is now on our new DMD development portal that is live.

Uh there'll be a QR code at the end of the presentation to that link.

Uh we've also looked at just how we're intaking new developments, so we want to make sure that uh we're promoting this to the right circles and the right people, and so uh if you all know of housing developers that would be interested in this, uh please share this information with them.

Um but we are looking at our intake process to make sure that's easy uh and clear for folks.

And we also want to make sure we have clear policies.

Um so we want to improve predictability and we want to reduce uncertainty for people who are looking to build affordable housing.

And so that's part of this pilot policy update is making sure that we have very clear policies on what's required if you are to receive a pilot and what is expected from the city of Indianapolis to get awarded a pilot agreement.

And then, of course, we want to provide excellent customer service and support.

Uh, the ultimate goal is to get more developments, and so we want to make sure that we uh do put uh customer service at the forefront of what we're doing.

So the housing pipeline itself, um there's this generic uh email, housing pipeline at indie.gov.

So if anyone has questions, feel free to email us at that uh email address.

But generally, the process uh how this would go is a development developer submits the intake form.

Uh there's a presentation to the pipeline committee, which is made up of internal uh staff members who are experts in those tools and in our zoning policies.

The committee provides feedback, and then the developer engages with DMD divisions as needed, and that could lead to the developer pursuing DMD funding.

So one of the one of the ways that we try to align this not just with our own local tools, but we also want to make sure that it aligns with the state housing resources.

A lot of housing developments, um, the only way that they happen is through the support of the state of Indiana with their low-income housing tax credit.

And so we want to make sure our housing pipeline aligns also with the state processes.

And so we have a special intake process early in the year, uh, and we're we're really uh formalizing that in 2026 to make sure that we receive housing developments that are gonna go for that LITEC uh award with the state to make sure that they submit to us early.

And so that's why we're coming to you right now uh with these process improvements and why we'd like to meet with you one-on-one starting in January, just to explain a little bit more in depth what that process looks like because we will want to come before you once we receive all of those LITEC applications, uh, probably I would say March or springtime uh with that list of affordable housing developments for approval.

That's a little bit different than how we've done it in the past, but we'd like to take it as a grouping before you all, um, but really would like to dive deeper individually and answer any questions that you have uh before we do come before this body.

So that is what I have for you today.

Happy to answer any questions that you may have.

And thank you for your time.

For the update.

Questions, comments from counselors?

Yeah, Counselor Gibson.

Uh well, thank you, uh Madam Chair, and uh thank you, Director.

I I think uh you are just doing an excellent job in what you're doing here, and and I really want to commend you and the mayor in terms of uh pushing housing in my district and uh affordable housing and just a variety of housing, and it's it's all part of the work that you and your department is doing, and just want to commend you in advance for that.

Um I I'm often approached about development in my district.

And one of the one of the questions I I ask a developer is uh is about their capital stack.

And often I find that capital is not there, and so I'd I I kind of shy away from those.

But when the capital is there, I I tend to listen more and be more engaged.

My my question to you, uh Madam Director, is uh I guess I know you vet the capital stack as well.

And what I mean is that a percentage you're looking for, or I mean, I guess any advice for for a person like myself in terms of trying to take uh developers serious.

Yeah, so there's a lot of things that we can look at while while we vet developments.

Uh we look at the sources and uses, so we're gonna talk about that capital stack, those are the sources of funds.

Um, and we can ask for you know backup documentation to make sure that those sources are real, we review proformas.

Um a sophisticated developer is gonna know the pre-development process, and so we ask questions about site control if they have site control, um, what have they done from a permitting or regulatory standpoint, any environmental considerations?

And so there's several questions we use to vet any certain development, but I would say really looking at the sources and uses if you're talking specifically the capital stack, looking at the sources and uses and really drawing a line to that source and making sure that it's viable.

Thank you.

Additional questions from counselors, counselor Evans.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

As you've probably heard me say throughout the course of my time on the council, it it's always somewhat um I feel somewhat disingenuous when I when I read these reports and go through this information, and I don't see something that is specifically targeting towards our aging townships, because in my experience now, 10 years on the council, what I see is development mostly occurs in the core and then jumps to the counties.

Now there are always a few here or there, but there's never the emphasis.

And Wayne Township, for example, is 150 something thousand people.

I think that would make it the third or fourth largest city in the state of Indiana if it was independent.

And yet I really don't see a lot of development.

And so I'm only saying this not to get a response to say that I still ask you all to figure out maybe I'm completely wrong and someone needs to show me the data that I am wrong.

I had one foot in development for a couple years, and I know from the experience of that, and then what I've seen on this council, we need to come up with an additional incentive for the aging townships.

I just yeah, I'm not gonna you you know how I feel.

I'm not gonna I'm not gonna kick a dead horse here, but what I see, I I just don't see something that is going to give me hope that we're gonna see that investment in the townships that I'd like to see.

Developers even taking a look at the townships.

Um so I ask, is there potential things like for example on the tax abatement?

Should we maybe be looking at the State House and trying to lobby for would it make a difference if we had a 15-year tax abatement or a 20-year tax abatement?

Would that be enough to incentivize development that we could be specific?

We're not going to do this in Fountain Square.

We're not going to do this in areas that already have plenty of investment.

It's specific to communities that are dying for investment to happen in their communities and neighborhoods.

Thank you.

Additional questions, comments.

Councillor Barth.

I I think Councilor makes a really good point, and something that I've been concerned about for a long time is the focus of development being mostly downtown.

Even though uh Councilor I was just referenced Brotherville as a place to have plenty of investment, the the uh challenge is whether well some apartments have been built investment in community economic development, um, not as much, and that's been a struggle.

Um recently, the new economic development entity has been um partnering with us, and that's really only because local business leaders were able to put some skin in the game and get a consultant to help um uh uh make things proceeding.

But in general, the entire city needs to be looked at um from uh economic development perspective that's community-driven uh um and really focused on what the priorities and the uh areas of focus that the folks who live there want to see.

And I think your idea of thinking more broadly about how we can have some economic tools come from the state house that we could target specifically to certain areas around the county that are not are not downtown to really attract people to to live in the city um and to retain them, I think is a really good one.

So I think that's an opportunity for partnership.

Thank you, Councilman Delaney.

Um thank you, Madam Chair.

I wanted to follow up on my colleagues' questions, and I think given that um you know housing is a priority for us as a council, that it's important for me to ask this question, but why are we not seeing development out in the townships?

Um, why is it concentrated in center township?

If you could just take a moment to briefly explain that.

Yeah, thank you for the question.

Um, so I first just want to say that these tools are not exclusive to any one area of the city.

So they they are able to be deployed in all corners of Marion County.

So I just want to make that clear for um you know anyone who is interested in using these tools.

I would say that downtown is a denser area.

It's our densest area of the county.

And so just through that, you're gonna see more development if you look downtown, right?

You see a lot more development than you would in other areas of the city just because of the nature of what a downtown is.

And so you do see more development in higher density areas of our city, and I would say that's true for any city across the country.

I'm not sure if that answered her question or not.

Councillor Delaney.

I I mean it's just seems very vague, I think, is kind of what I feel like my colleagues are getting at, and it felt vague to me, but um, you know, I know you've offered to set up meetings with us, so I think that's something that I'll explore further in our personal meetings.

Yeah, and I guess if I sorry, I I didn't mean to be too generic with it.

There are barriers to the different market conditions in other areas of Indianapolis.

I don't I couldn't speak to that generically across the different counties uh or the townships, but happy to look at the specific areas and what the market conditions are and and why there are barriers to development in specific areas of Indianapolis.

Councillor Evans.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

So just to add on that, I I would think that that DMD would want to know.

I mean, the her question is something you guys should know the answer to, actually.

And so perhaps in January or February at our different time next year, we could come back to this conversation after you guys have had time to maybe talk to the community and say what are those barriers?

Because it's this is nothing new.

I mean, I've been mad about this for years.

And it's this is a part of our job.

We need to figure out what tools do we need.

If we don't have it, what do we need?

Which is why I'm suggesting.

Do we need to go to the State House and say, look, can we do a 15-year or would a 20-year tax abatement work?

And also streamline the process.

I I've talked with uh Jenny Fultz about this, Pittsburgh, for example.

The developers, it's all just it's a streamlined process.

That the criteria is there, if you meet the criteria, you get an automatic tax abatement.

There is no going to their DMD and back and forth and all these things.

Time is money for development.

So I'm just asking for a more proactive conversation because we know it's not happening.

I mean to your point about the urban cores, okay I I agree with you on that, but like I said, there are other cities in the state that are smaller than my township who are getting development.

And so if it's if it's uh just having condensity let's figure out where we do that at right West Washington Street, Chapel Hill, let's focus in on those communities and say how do we start getting redevelopment in those communities?

Like what are the tools that would incentivize our developers to come here?

Thank you, Director.

Thank you, Counselor.

Any additional comments thank you so much for your presentation.

Seeing no other business before this committee I'll entertain a motion for adjournment.

We are adjourned.