Public Works Committee Meeting: Budget Hearings and Flood Response Update - September 17, 2026
City-County Council — Thursday, September 17, 2026
BodyIndianapolis, Indiana
SessionCity-County Council
DateThursday, September 17, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 23:19
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:06
Good evening.
0:07
And welcome to our public works committee meeting for September 17th, 2026.
0:12
We will begin with introductions, counselors to my left.
0:17
Thank you, Chairwoman Jones.
0:18
Mike Dilk, District 24.
0:21
Thank you, Madam Chair.
0:22
Brian Mowray, District 25.
0:24
Thank you, Madam Chair, Nick Roberts, District 4.
0:27
Thank you, Madam Chair, Ron Gibson, District 8.
0:29
Thank you, Chairwoman Andy Nielsen, District 14.
0:32
Thank you, Dan Boots, District 3.
0:34
Thank you.
0:34
And I'm Kristen Jones representing District 18.
0:38
This evening we will begin with proposal number 263, which approves the tax levy and rate for solid waste special collection service district for 2026.
0:47
Thank you.
0:53
Good evening.
0:54
I'm uh Jenny Carter, budget manager with the Office of Finance and Management.
0:58
Um the proposal before you is an administrative action that you will act on as the counsel for the Solid Waste Special Service District.
1:06
This proposal adopts the budget tax rate and tax levy for the district for 2027.
1:12
And the information in this proposal mirrors that of proposal 264, which is the 2027 budget ordinance.
1:19
Um the information is found in section 3.01 subsection E.
1:26
Thank you.
1:27
Any comments, questions from counselors.
1:31
No?
1:31
Anyone in the public who wishes to speak on proposal number 263 2026?
1:37
No, all right.
1:39
Madam Chair, I move we sent proposal 263 to the full council to do pass recommendation.
1:43
Second.
1:43
It's been moved and seconded to sim proposal number 263 to 2026 to the full council with the due pass recommendation.
1:50
All those in favor say aye.
1:52
Aye.
1:53
Opposed say nay.
1:54
The ayes have it.
1:55
Thank you very much.
1:56
Thank you.
1:57
Next up, we have proposal number 264, 2026, which adopts the annual budget for the city of Indianapolis and Marion County 2026.
2:06
Public works portion only.
2:08
We have our CFO Barris and Deputy Director Stevenson.
2:12
Thank you very much for being here with us tonight.
2:14
And a lot of their team here in the audience with them to support them.
2:18
Thank you, Madam Chair, Counselors.
2:20
Um, as she said, Sam Barris, CFO for the Department of Public Works.
2:24
So for review and analysis, as is typically the case, we're mostly here to just answer your questions.
2:29
We've got uh most of DPW's senior leadership team here with us in the audience tonight, so hopefully we can cover a lot of ground.
2:36
Before we get into that, I just want to take a moment to address a few things that have come up between when we gave our budget presentation about a month ago and um and tonight's review and analysis session.
2:47
So uh we don't have a presentation prepared, but just gonna go through a few updates before we get into the QA.
2:53
So, first off, obviously um the day after our budget hearing was the day that the major flooding that impacted our community began in earnest.
3:04
Um DPW obviously plays a key role in response to flooding events.
3:09
Um our team is still active actively engaged in a variety of recovery efforts.
3:14
Uh soon we will be conducting a comprehensive post um post-event assessment.
3:20
Once we have the results of that, we will provide that information to this body to members of the public, and um, we're looking forward to having that conversation.
3:30
But at this point, um we're we're not really in a position to answer specific questions about the flood response itself until we've conducted that assessment.
3:39
However, we have received questions from the public media and some um counselors about damage to the city's infrastructure and potential impacts on our capital plan or budget, and so I just wanted to take a second to talk about some of those costs.
3:57
So, first off, the the largest um damage from a cost perspective is the damage to river road south of 96th Street.
4:05
This was a uh total uh total wash uh washout of that segment of that roadway.
4:12
So, as many of you know, we already have a contractor in place that's out there working on site.
4:17
They're currently working to drain the site so that the road can be restored at that location.
4:23
Our current estimate is about 2.5 million dollars for repairs to that segment of river road.
4:28
Um we will we will learn more once the uh draining process is complete and have a chance to get better sense of the conditions of the site, but at that point that at this point that's what we're thinking about two and a half million dollars.
4:41
We are also the good news is in communication with uh the U.S.
Public Works Committee Meeting: Budget Hearings and Flood Response Update - September 17, 2026\n\nThe Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council Public Works Committee met on September 17, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the City-County Building. The committee considered two proposals: the solid waste tax levy for 2027 and the 2027 budget for the Department of Public Works (DPW). DPW CFO Sam Barris provided updates on flood recovery costs and fuel tax reimbursements. Both proposals were unanimously recommended to the full council.\n\n### Public Comments & Testimony\n- No public comments were made on either proposal.\n\n### Discussion Items\n- Proposal No. 263, 2026 – Solid Waste Collection Special Service District Tax Levy: Jenny Carter, budget manager, explained that the proposal adopts the tax rate and levy for the district for 2027, mirroring information in Proposal 264. The committee voted unanimously to send it to the full council with a do pass recommendation.\n- Proposal No. 264, 2026 – Annual Budget (Public Works Portion): CFO Sam Barris provided updates on flood response costs, including an estimated $2.5 million for repairs to River Road (south of 96th Street) and $700,000 in other labor, materials, and disposal costs. The city is seeking reimbursement from the Federal Highway Administration for River Road and from FEMA for other costs. Barris also noted $14 million received from the state to offset the fuel tax suspension (ongoing through early October). The department received $15 million in GO bonds for a new operations facility. Questions from councilors covered ongoing $5 million annual stormwater fee contribution to roads, sidewalk and alley repair plans (with Chief Engineer Mark St. John explaining a master needs inventory and RFQ process for 2027), and appreciation for DPW's flood response. Councilor Gibson requested a district-level breakdown of sidewalk/ally projects; St. John indicated that locations would be selected by mid-2027. The committee voted unanimously to send the proposal to the full council with a do pass recommendation.\n\n### Key Outcomes\n- Proposal 263 passed unanimously (all ayes) to full council with do pass recommendation.\n- Proposal 264 passed unanimously (all ayes) to full council with do pass recommendation.\n- DPW will conduct a comprehensive post-flood assessment and provide results to the council and public.\n- DPW will provide a district-level breakdown of sidewalk and alley projects by mid-2027.\n- The committee adjourned after the votes.\n\nNote: No formal minutes were available; summary based on agenda and transcript. The date is confirmed as September 17, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. And welcome to our public works committee meeting for September 17th, 2026. We will begin with introductions, counselors to my left. Thank you, Chairwoman Jones. Mike Dilk, District 24. Thank you, Madam Chair. Brian Mowray, District 25. Thank you, Madam Chair, Nick Roberts, District 4. Thank you, Madam Chair, Ron Gibson, District 8. Thank you, Chairwoman Andy Nielsen, District 14. Thank you, Dan Boots, District 3. Thank you. And I'm Kristen Jones representing District 18. This evening we will begin with proposal number 263, which approves the tax levy and rate for solid waste special collection service district for 2026. Thank you. Good evening. I'm uh Jenny Carter, budget manager with the Office of Finance and Management. Um the proposal before you is an administrative action that you will act on as the counsel for the Solid Waste Special Service District. This proposal adopts the budget tax rate and tax levy for the district for 2027. And the information in this proposal mirrors that of proposal 264, which is the 2027 budget ordinance. Um the information is found in section 3.01 subsection E. Thank you. Any comments, questions from counselors. No? Anyone in the public who wishes to speak on proposal number 263 2026? No, all right. Madam Chair, I move we sent proposal 263 to the full council to do pass recommendation. Second. It's been moved and seconded to sim proposal number 263 to 2026 to the full council with the due pass recommendation. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed say nay. The ayes have it. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next up, we have proposal number 264, 2026, which adopts the annual budget for the city of Indianapolis and Marion County 2026. Public works portion only. We have our CFO Barris and Deputy Director Stevenson. Thank you very much for being here with us tonight. And a lot of their team here in the audience with them to support them. Thank you, Madam Chair, Counselors. Um, as she said, Sam Barris, CFO for the Department of Public Works. So for review and analysis, as is typically the case, we're mostly here to just answer your questions. We've got uh most of DPW's senior leadership team here with us in the audience tonight, so hopefully we can cover a lot of ground. Before we get into that, I just want to take a moment to address a few things that have come up between when we gave our budget presentation about a month ago and um and tonight's review and analysis session. So uh we don't have a presentation prepared, but just gonna go through a few updates before we get into the QA. So, first off, obviously um the day after our budget hearing was the day that the major flooding that impacted our community began in earnest. Um DPW obviously plays a key role in response to flooding events. Um our team is still active actively engaged in a variety of recovery efforts. Uh soon we will be conducting a comprehensive post um post-event assessment.