OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Metropolitan Economic Development Committee Meeting - June 8, 2026

City-County Council — Monday, June 8, 2026
BodyIndianapolis, Indiana
SessionCity-County Council
DateMonday, June 8, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:16:09
Transcript — Verbatim
1:14

Good evening.

1:14

I'd like to begin the meeting of the Metropolitan Economic Development Committee.

1:25

Thank you, Mr.

1:26

Chair.

1:26

Derek Cahill, District 23.

1:28

Thank you, Mr.

1:29

Chair Briandalini, District 2.

1:31

Thank you, Mr.

1:31

Chair, Jesse Brown, District 13.

1:33

Thank you, Mr.

1:34

Chair Nick Roberts, district four.

1:36

Thank you, Mr.

1:36

Chair.

1:37

Ron Gibson, district eight.

1:38

Thank you, Chairman O'Sully, Andy Nielsen, District 14.

1:41

Thank you, Chairman Osley, Kristen Jones, District 18.

1:44

Thank you, Chairman Osley Leeroy Robinson, District 1.

1:48

Thank you, Mr.

1:48

Chairman, Maggie Lewis, District 5.

1:50

All right, very good.

1:52

Let's begin this evening with proposal number one two four, which approves an additional appropriation of 42,000 dollars in the 2026 budget of the Marion County Recorders Office, the County Recorders Perpetuation Fund to be used for property fraud and veterans honors advertisement.

2:10

We'll begin.

2:11

Good evening, thank you, Mr.

2:13

Chair.

2:13

Good afternoon, or good evening, uh, council members.

2:16

My name is J.R.

2:17

Ryder, the uh Chief Deputy Recorder, Marion County, sitting in proxy today for uh recorder, Faith Kimbrough.

2:24

So as you alluded to, last November, November 17th, 2025, we uh there was an ordinance that was adopted so that we would be able to invest a portion of our cash perpetuation fund into an interest-bearing trust indiano account um in partnership with the Marion County Treasurer's office.

2:45

That money, 100% of that interest money will be used or is being used for uh advertisements such as billboards, indigo bus ads, radio and TV, promoting the uh property fraud and also the veterans' honors.

3:00

So today we just uh we're seeking an additional appropriation to increase our 2026 budget by the 42,000 just so we can have physical access to those funds.

3:14

Any questions?

3:15

Any questions from members of the committee?

3:17

Councillor Gibson.

3:19

Thank you, Mr.

3:19

Chairman, and uh thank you deputy for being here, and I really appreciate that you guys are doing something to honor veterans as a former veteran.

3:26

I as I should say as a veteran.

3:28

I appreciate you doing that, and uh look forward to supporting the proposal.

3:32

Thank you.

3:33

Very good.

3:33

Any additional questions from members of the committee?

3:35

Yes, Councilor Brown.

3:36

Thanks, Mr.

3:37

Chair.

3:37

Uh thank you, sir.

3:39

So am I correct to understand that this is basically a one-time fee to get you up and running?

3:43

And then the goal at least, we never know how interesting council do, but the goal would be that's uh it takes care of itself moving forward.

3:49

Great question.

3:50

So the interest, which is about 3,500 a month, equates to 42,000 for the entire year.

3:58

So we have that money already.

4:02

So we have to have an additional appropriation to the budget.

4:06

Does that appropriate meeting is moving the money for you to access it?

4:10

Yes, got it.

4:10

So this is an additional taxpayer expense at all.

4:13

Got it.

4:14

Very good.

4:14

Any additional questions from members of the committee?

4:17

Seeing none.

4:18

Is there anyone in the audience with an interest in proposal number one two four?

4:24

All right, seeing no one, I'll entertain a motion.

4:28

All right, so properly moved and seconded.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing████████████████████████████████████████████44%
Economic Development██████████████████████████26%
Procedural████████████████████20%
Active Transportation███3%
Public Safety███3%
Fiscal Sustainability██2%
Community Engagement█1%
Workforce Development█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Metropolitan Economic Development Committee Meeting - June 8, 2026

The Metropolitan Economic Development Committee met on June 8, 2026, to consider four main agenda items: an additional appropriation for the Marion County Recorder's Office, acceptance of the 2025 Tax Increment Finance (TIF) district financial report, a tax abatement for Zima International Inc. (Dandy), and a series of 21 Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) proposals for affordable housing developments. The meeting included presentations, council discussion, and votes. The tax abatement for Zima International resulted in a tie vote and did not pass from committee; all PILOT proposals were approved.

Proposal 124: Additional Appropriation for Recorder's Office

  • The proposal approved an additional appropriation of $42,000 in the 2026 budget of the Marion County Recorder's Office, sourced from interest on the County Recorder's Perpetuation Fund.
  • Funds are designated for property fraud and veterans honors advertisements, including billboards, bus ads, radio, and TV.
  • J.R. Ryder, Chief Deputy Recorder, explained that the interest earned on the cash perpetuation fund is about $3,500 per month, totaling $42,000 annually.
  • Councilor Gibson, a veteran, expressed support for the veterans honors component.
  • Councilor Brown confirmed this is not an additional taxpayer expense; the money already exists and the appropriation allows access.
  • The motion passed unanimously.

Proposal 127: Acceptance of 2025 TIF Financial Report

  • Jenny Carter, budget manager with the Office of Finance and Management, presented the report covering 51 active TIF districts in Indianapolis for 2025.
  • Total revenues were $157 million, expenses $217 million, resulting in a net position change of -$60 million.
  • All expenditures are approved by the Metropolitan Development Commission.
  • Councilor Brown asked about negative fund balances; Carter explained these are developer-backed bond TIFs where timing differences and developer payments cover variances.
  • The committee voted to accept the report into the record.

Proposal 164: Tax Abatement for Zima International Inc. (Dandy)

  • The proposal sought approval of a Statement of Benefits for a 7-year personal property tax abatement for Zima International (dba Dandy), a dental lab manufacturer, at 429 FinTail Drive (formerly 6900 English Avenue).
  • Investment: $42.8 million in machinery and IT equipment; creation of 350 net new jobs by 2033 at an average wage of nearly $25/hour.
  • The project is in District 20, supported by Councilor Hart. Community benefits include $10,000 to Cumberland CDC for a study and $82,628 for Pennsy Trail improvements (signage, waterfalls, maintenance).
  • Representatives (Tom Tate, Amy, Jacob, Vincent Ash) presented. Discussion included questions about community benefits location (Councilor Nielsen noted the site is near District 14, not Cumberland), MBE/union labor (representative did not have details), and company stance on unions (no current unions, would entertain if raised).
  • Councilors Gibson and Brown asked about minimum wage and union support; no specific minimum wage provided.
  • Vote: 5 ayes (Osley, Brown, Cahill, Delaney, Roberts) and 5 nays (Jones, Nielsen, Lewis, Robinson, Gibson? Actually, Gibson voted yes? Transcript shows Gibson said "Yes" but then tally listed him with yes? The final tally recorded 5 ayes and 5 nays, a tie. The motion did not pass. It can be moved to full council with a "do not pass" recommendation.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made on any agenda item.

Discussion Items: PILOT Proposals (165-177, 179-186)

  • DMD staff (Ashley Miller) presented an overview of the PILOT program and 21 proposed affordable housing projects seeking council approval for payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements.
  • Projects are multifamily rental, all with average AMI ≤60%. They include new construction and rehabilitation, with seven rehab projects including former Indianapolis Housing Agency properties.
  • Key policy priorities: low-barrier tenant screening, eviction prevention plans, housing stabilization services, credit-building, on-site property management, and resident services (economic mobility, health, food access, youth enrichment, community investment).
  • Three 100% Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) projects received a 90% PILOT discount. Six senior-focused projects set aside 100% of units for seniors; one project set aside 25% for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities.
  • Projects range from 30 to 321 units, averaging 116 units. Average AMI across 13 projects is 50% ($55,150 for family of four).
  • Councilor Cahill asked about services for residents with disabilities at Washington and State (Proposal 183); Brian Kahn from Our Door identified partner Village of Marichi.
  • Councilor Cahill also raised concerns about Hannah Commons Phase I (PSH) and Phase II improvements; Michelle Straw Salinas described lessons learned including better case management and security.
  • Councilor Roberts praised the volume of projects; Councilor Nielsen asked about rental subsidies for PSH projects—confirmed they receive project-based vouchers from IHCDA.
  • State Senator Jeanette Jackson expressed support for Grassy Creek Commons (senior housing, Proposal 179) and noted Congressman Carson secured $1.6 million in appropriations.
  • Councilor Gibson highlighted seven projects in District 8, including rehabilitation of former IHA properties (Twins Hills, Blackburn, Beechwood Gardens, Hawthorne Place, 16 Park). Brooke Kim from Vitus described immediate needs including $3 million in improvements and a goal to turn 300 units by August 30, 2026.
  • Councilor Brown asked about annual compliance reporting; DMD confirmed annual reports and resident surveys will be required.
  • The clerk read the full list of 21 PILOT proposals.
  • No public comments were offered.
  • The committee voted unanimously to recommend approval of all PILOT proposals.

Key Outcomes

  • Proposal 124: Approved unanimously.
  • Proposal 127: Accepted into record.
  • Proposal 164: Motion failed on a 5-5 tie vote; can be forwarded to full council with a "do not pass" recommendation.
  • All 21 PILOT proposals (165-177, 179-186) were approved by the committee and will proceed to the full council in July 2026.
  • DMD will issue PILOT commitment letters conditioned on projects receiving Low-Income Housing Tax Credits; projects have two years to execute PILOT agreements or the ordinance sunsets.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. I'd like to begin the meeting of the Metropolitan Economic Development Committee. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Derek Cahill, District 23. Thank you, Mr. Chair Briandalini, District 2. Thank you, Mr. Chair, Jesse Brown, District 13. Thank you, Mr. Chair Nick Roberts, district four. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Ron Gibson, district eight. Thank you, Chairman O'Sully, Andy Nielsen, District 14. Thank you, Chairman Osley, Kristen Jones, District 18. Thank you, Chairman Osley Leeroy Robinson, District 1. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Maggie Lewis, District 5. All right, very good. Let's begin this evening with proposal number one two four, which approves an additional appropriation of 42,000 dollars in the 2026 budget of the Marion County Recorders Office, the County Recorders Perpetuation Fund to be used for property fraud and veterans honors advertisement. We'll begin. Good evening, thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon, or good evening, uh, council members. My name is J.R. Ryder, the uh Chief Deputy Recorder, Marion County, sitting in proxy today for uh recorder, Faith Kimbrough. So as you alluded to, last November, November 17th, 2025, we uh there was an ordinance that was adopted so that we would be able to invest a portion of our cash perpetuation fund into an interest-bearing trust indiano account um in partnership with the Marion County Treasurer's office. That money, 100% of that interest money will be used or is being used for uh advertisements such as billboards, indigo bus ads, radio and TV, promoting the uh property fraud and also the veterans' honors. So today we just uh we're seeking an additional appropriation to increase our 2026 budget by the 42,000 just so we can have physical access to those funds. Any questions? Any questions from members of the committee? Councillor Gibson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and uh thank you deputy for being here, and I really appreciate that you guys are doing something to honor veterans as a former veteran. I as I should say as a veteran. I appreciate you doing that, and uh look forward to supporting the proposal. Thank you. Very good. Any additional questions from members of the committee? Yes, Councilor Brown. Thanks, Mr. Chair. Uh thank you, sir. So am I correct to understand that this is basically a one-time fee to get you up and running? And then the goal at least, we never know how interesting council do, but the goal would be that's uh it takes care of itself moving forward. Great question. So the interest, which is about 3,500 a month, equates to 42,000 for the entire year. So we have that money already. So we have to have an additional appropriation to the budget.

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