Environmental Sustainability Committee Hearing on Health in All Policies and Bird Safety – February 23, 2026

The Environmental Sustainability Committee of the Indianapolis City-County Council met on the evening of February 23, 2026, to hear two presentations: one on Health in All Policies (HiAP) from the Marion County Public Health Department, and one on bird-safe building design from Bird Safe Indy (a committee of the Amos Butler Audubon Society). Committee members discussed integrating health considerations into city policy and explored potential legislative measures to reduce bird-window collisions. No formal votes or decisions were taken.

Health in All Policies Presentation

• Sydney Granland, Planning and Collaboration Coordinator in the Chronic Disease Department at the Marion County Public Health Department, presented on the social determinants of health (SDOH) and the HiAP framework. She displayed a life expectancy map of Marion County showing disparities (e.g., lower life expectancy in the near east side compared to the Geist area) and explained that only one-fifth of health outcomes are attributable to healthcare access.
• Granland emphasized moving upstream—addressing root causes of poor health—and described the HiAP approach as cross-sector collaboration to embed health considerations into all policy decisions. She noted that the city’s sustainability plan (Thrive) already references HiAP and highlighted overlaps between environmental and public health goals (e.g., improved air quality from climate strategies benefits respiratory health).
• She offered a menu of implementation options: conducting an inventory of existing health-conscious policies, creating a HiAP working group, adopting health impact assessments or checklists for projects (citing the Kansas Health Institute’s tool and Chicago’s decision-support tools), adding health requirements to zoning and land use, integrating health reviews into contracting/bidding, and requiring health impact statements for projects seeking Board of Zoning Appeals or Metropolitan Development Commission approval.
• Granland shared a quote from Councillor Hart’s newsletter: "Indianapolis talks about health like it is only a doctor visit problem, but the healthiest communities treat health like infrastructure, the same way we treat roads, public safety, and utilities."
• Committee members asked questions about quantifying health costs, engaging neighborhoods, and breaking down silos. Councillor Brown requested metrics to compare health outcomes against economic development claims; Granland agreed to research that. Councillor Delaney noted the city already has pieces of HiAP (e.g., tree preservation, Vision Zero) but lacks an umbrella framework. Councillor Hart praised the presentation and linked public health to public safety.

Bird-Safe Building Initiative Presentation

• Jesse Green, Community Outreach Coordinator for Bird Safe Indy, and Wesley Homoya, Head of Surveys for Bird Safe Indy, presented on bird-window collisions. They showed radar imagery of 420 million birds migrating over the United States in a single night, and noted that Chicago’s McCormick Place had recorded 40,000 bird deaths since 1978—including 1,000 in one night. Nationally, an estimated 1 billion birds die from window strikes annually, and the 2025 State of the Birds report indicates ongoing population declines of 29% since 1970.
• In Indianapolis, Bird Safe Indy surveys have documented thousands of bird strikes. They cited examples of 30+ birds found in a single morning on one survey route. The presenters argued that bird mortality harms Indianapolis’s image as a clean, healthy city for conventions and tourism, and that the outdoor recreation economy tied to birding generates $108 billion in national spending, 1.4 million jobs, and $38 billion in tax revenue.
• Green described a three-pillar approach: Lights Out (turning off non-essential lights during migration), Windows (using bird-safe glass in new construction, especially within the first 100 feet where most collisions occur), and Action (adopting a bird-safe building policy/ordinance). They requested that the council support moving toward bird-safe standards for new commercial buildings, using model ordinances from the American Bird Conservancy.
• Green and Homoya noted existing local partnerships: Eagle Creek Park (treating windows), NCAA (working on solutions), DNR (formed a working group on government buildings), IU Indy (conducting research), Feather Friendly (window treatment provider), and the American Bird Conservancy.
• Committee members expressed interest. Chairman Barth asked why bird-safe design is not standard practice; Green responded that awareness is relatively new and that developers may perceive added cost. Councillor Brown requested data on the percentage of total project cost for bird-safe treatments (e.g., for a 100-foot-tall building) and suggested incentive structures (e.g., fast-track permitting, recognition programs). Councillor Delaney pointed out that the city’s Holiday Park Nature Center already has bird-safe dots, which can serve as an educational example. Councillor Doak inquired about residential solutions; Homoya listed options including stickers, films, chalk, strings, and mesh.
• Green offered to coordinate a survey walk so committee members can observe the problem firsthand and to connect the council with leaders from cities that have already passed bird-safe ordinances.

Key Outcomes

• No ordinances were introduced or voted on. The committee expressed support for continuing the dialogue.
• Chairman Barth suggested coordinating any survey walk through the Office of Sustainability to facilitate participation.
• The committee requested follow-up information from Bird Safe Indy: cost data from other cities, developer incentives, and contacts with jurisdictions that have adopted bird-safe standards.
• The committee acknowledged the need to engage developers and other stakeholders in a 360-degree review before advancing a potential ordinance.
• Councillor Delaney honored the memory of Officer Brian Elliott, who died in the line of duty, and thanked Councillor Hart for also attending the funeral.