Indigo Board of Directors Meeting – July 17, 2025
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Indigo Board of Directors Meeting – July 17, 2025
The Indigo Board of Directors met on July 17, 2025, to recognize employee achievements, approve several action items, and introduce the proposed 2026 budget. The meeting included awards for safe driving, employees of the month, and a retirement celebration, followed by committee reports, resolutions for property transfer and advertising policy, design service approvals, and financial reports.
Awards & Recognitions
- Safe Driver Recognition: Patrick Gray (19 years safe driving, 20 years service) and Dexter Davis (22 years safe driving, 30 years service) were recognized for May and June respectively.
- Employees of the Month: Johnny Root (Fleet, May), Gabriel Emmons (Operations, June), Alfonso Perez (Garage, July), and Dwayne Sims (Operations, July) were honored for their performance and dedication.
- Retirement: Maintenance Supervisor Chuck Summers, after 45 years of service, was celebrated. He was not present but will be recognized via recorded meeting.
Consent Calendar
- Committee reports from the Service Committee (June 12, 2025), Finance Committee, and Governance and Audit Committee (both July 10, 2025) were entered into the record without objection.
Discussion Items
- Action Item A1 – Approval of June 18, 2025 Board Meeting Minutes: Approved by voice vote with no opposition.
- Action Item A2 – Resolution 2025-05: Transfer of Real Property (Pearl Street): Chief Legal Officer Robert Fry presented. The resolution authorizes acquiring the south half of vacated Pearl Street from the City of Indianapolis at no cost for the Carson Transit Center. The property is 0.14 acres. The Metropolitan Development Commission approved the transfer on June 4, 2025. A roll call vote passed unanimously (Director Hahn, Gardner, Wilson, Fagan, Slash all aye).
- Action Item A3 – Resolution 2025-06: Adoption of Advertising and Sponsorship Policy: Fry explained the updated policy aligns with First Amendment court decisions, replacing outdated and vague language with clear, viewpoint-neutral standards. The resolution passed unanimously via roll call.
- Action Item A4 – Additional Design Fee for 1501 Trench Drain Replacement Project: Andrea Hermer presented. The project requires redesign due to an unexpectedly high fuel line. HDR Engineering will provide additional design services for $23,060. The board approved by voice vote.
- Action Item A5 – East Campus Design Services: Hermer requested authorization for a task order with CDM Smith for $1,107,220 to advance the East Campus expansion from conceptual design to 30% design by end of 2025. The project is contingent on a $33 million federal grant (decision due by September 30, 2025). The board approved by voice vote.
- Information Item I1 – Finance Report (June 2025): CFO Bart Brown reported total revenues over budget by $2.13 million for the month and $2.58 million year-to-date. Total expenditures under budget by $1.24 million for the month and $16.92 million year-to-date. Notable savings in fuel and lubricants ($923,672 under budget year-to-date) and personnel services. Two unbudgeted items were noted: $20,000 for additional engineering and $10,060 for environmental services related to the trench drain project.
- Information Item I2 – Introduction of 2026 Proposed Budget: Brown and Budget Director Justin Burko presented the $432 million total budget ($153.9 million operating, $257.6 million capital, $21 million debt service). Key highlights: zero-based budgeting methodology, 4.85% increase in operating budget, 919.5 FTEs (up 3.5), $25.9 million in stimulus fund balance to balance operating, and $49.5 million in transit income tax for operations. Capital projects include Blue Line BRT construction, East Campus facility, and fleet replacement. Public hearing scheduled for July 31, 2025; adoption anticipated August 21, 2025.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Minutes of June 18, 2025.
- Adopted: Resolution 2025-05 (property transfer) and Resolution 2025-06 (advertising policy) via roll call votes.
- Approved: Additional design fee of $23,060 for trench drain replacement.
- Approved: East Campus design services task order for $1,107,220.
- Information Received: June 2025 financial report and introduction of 2026 budget; no action taken.
Meeting Transcript
Bob. Item number two, our awards and accommodations, and our president and CEO Jennifer Peirce will present those and accommodations we have for June and July. Excellent. Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. This is Jennifer Pierce, President CEO. And I will say, because of the public hearings that we held during last month's board meeting, we chose to postpone postpone June's awards and commendations to this month. So I have double double the fun and honors today. So first we're going to start off with our safe driver recognition. The operators listed here were recognized in May for their safe driving record. And as always, received a National Safety Council patch pen and certificate. I'd like to recognize Patrick Gray at the top of this list. He has been working with us for 20 years and has 19 years of safe driving. Next is a list of our June safe drivers. Again, the operators listed here were recognized in June for their safe driving and received the same touch pen and certificate. From this list, I'll recognize Mr. Dexter Davis from the top there. He has been working with us for 30 years and has 22 years of safe driving. So a thank you to Mr. Gray and Mr. Davis for your exemplary service to Indigo and to our community. All right. Next we have our employees of the month. Again, we're doing two months' worth. So first we have Johnny Root. He from our fleet employee of the month category. Mr. Roots nominator wrote, Mr. Johnny Root is an overall team player with a great attitude who goes above and beyond to help. Johnny consistently maintains an impressive KPI of over 21 buses serviced every night, and he does not mind training new employees. His conduct and work ethic reflect a high level of professionalism and dedication, making him an asset to the team. Multiple new general laborers have started, and Johnny was able to assist in the training for all. Johnny has consistently exceeded his daily expectations and performance standards, reflecting his strong commitment to Indigo. So congratulations to Johnny Root. Next is our June 2025 operations employee of the month, Coach Operator Gabriel Emmons. The person nominating Mr. Emmons wrote, Gabriel approaches the service center every day with purpose, eagerly inquiring if any runs need coverage. His proactive nature demonstrates his commitment to the job and his willingness to support the team whenever possible. In terms of professionalism, Gabriel stands out. Gabriel has established the habit of arriving at work early, which gives him ample time to prepare for the day ahead. He takes the initiative not only to complete his tasks, but also to his assist his co-workers as needed, fostering a cooperative atmosphere. His attitude is consistently positive, radiating enthusiasm that's palpable to colleagues and passengers alike. This bright disposition not only enhances his work, but also uplifts those around him, reinforcing forcing a sense of community within the Indigo team. So congratulations, Gabriel. Next is our July Garage employee of the month, mechanic Alfonso Perez. Mr. Perez's nominator writes about him. Mr. Perez has exceptional work ethic. He consistently goes above and beyond taking pride in his work and always looking for additional tasks when his primary duties are completed.
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