OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations Meeting – March 17, 2024

Other Meetings (J-Z) — Sunday, March 17, 2024
BodyIndianapolis, Indiana
SessionOther Meetings (J-Z)
DateSunday, March 17, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
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0:01

So I would like to welcome everybody this morning.

0:04

My name is Kathy Burton.

0:05

I'm the current president for the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations.

0:10

I want to give you just a little bit of information about who we are since we're going to have some new people in the room.

0:15

We were founded in 1990 as a 501 C3 not for profit neighborhood based organization, which is a big mouthful.

0:24

But our purpose is to try and connect neighborhoods all across Marion County to share information, resources, give information about events that they may be hosting or issues or problems that they may be trying to address in their own neighborhoods to try and keep people up to speed on what's going on in Indianapolis, not just with our government, but with all of the other wonderful organizations that provide resources to neighborhoods in Marion County, which is kind of where we're going to be going with our speakers this morning.

0:56

But again, it's also to connect neighbors with each other because you find oftentimes the problems that you may have in your neighborhood are issues to address.

1:04

Somebody else may have already dealt with or have some new ideas that they might have to help you try and get past that.

1:10

And so this is an opportunity if you have an issue in your neighborhood to kind of get up, speak your piece, find out if there are others that might be interested in joining in your efforts or assisting you with whatever problems you may have.

1:25

We do meet on the third Saturday of every month, except for December.

1:30

We take that month off.

1:31

We meet at North United Methodist Church, which sits on the North East.

1:36

I was having North Portland.

1:39

I always have to stop and you know turn the right way.

1:42

But it's at the corner of 38th and Meridian.

1:45

These pubs, these meetings are open to the public.

1:48

Whether you are a member of McCana or not, if you happen to hear of us from a neighbor or see us on Channel 16 and you're interested in neighborhood issues, you're welcome to come to our meetings.

1:58

We do try and bring in speak a speaker or speakers at every meeting that will have information that the neighborhoods could share and take interest in.

2:22

For kind of coming in at the last minute.

2:25

We had kind of a curbuccal with our scheduled speaker, which happens sometimes, you know, especially on a Saturday morning.

2:33

But over the years, we have found that Saturday mornings is really the best time for us to meet, especially for those of us, those that are still working.

2:40

I'm recently retired, so I'm not over working during the week.

2:46

If you need to reach us, my phone number is 317-847-9959.

2:53

I can also receive texts at that number, but as I am reminded frequently by the younger members of my family, um I cannot I carry a flip phone, so don't send me a link to something on my and a text because I can't get there.

3:09

You can also reach us by mail at PO box 1082-46206, or you can reach us through our Facebook page.

3:18

We do have a website address that is McCanaindi.org that will take you to our Facebook page right now as we're still trying to rebuild our board and kind of our administrative portion of McCana, keeping up a Facebook page and a website was a little more than we could wrap our arms around.

3:36

So if you type in McCannada Indy.org and it takes you to the Facebook page, that's the right place.

3:45

Thank you to the church for providing us for meeting space, which they have been doing literally for decades.

3:51

I remember sitting in this basement in 1989 as McCano was forming.

3:57

So North United Methodist has been a good partner for us for many years.

4:01

And I also want to say thank you to Channel 16 who airs our meetings every month so that those neighborhood people who can't be here in attendance will still have an opportunity to gather the resources and absorb the information and to see what's going on in Marion County.

4:19

Um with that, um, we do have a couple of topics that I did not get on the agenda that we're going to address after our main speakers this morning.

4:28

Um, one is to address a bill that is currently working its way through the state legislature that is Bill 1338 that has to do with some legislation that if I have the number right, Clark.

4:39

1338.

4:40

Okay.

4:41

That has to do with some additional restrictions being announced about public access.

4:46

Um and the other one is to have an update on what's going on with the issue with digital billboards in Marion County.

4:52

We've been having a very energetic fight to try and to maintain Marion County's sign ordinance that will keep digital billboards off of our streets and highways.

5:03

So we will do that afterwards.

5:05

But for right now, at the beginning, I would like if there's anybody that has an event coming up in their neighborhood that they want to announce.

5:12

I know we've got a lot of cleanup public cleanups or community cleanups coming up.

5:16

Now's the time to do that.

5:18

And I'll kick it off.

5:20

Franklin Township's community cleanup day is scheduled for May the 11th.

5:26

We'll start at 8 o'clock.

5:27

You can stop by the civically, our Franklin Township Civic League building to pick up trash bags and find out where you can go and find trash, although it's pretty obvious.

5:38

And then is there anybody else that had would like some information or has an uh event to announce?

5:44

Alma, uh Keystone Millennialsville is having a cleanup in May on May 18th.

5:49

Uh we will start at 9 until 1.

5:52

We're meeting at Avondow Meadows uh YMCA, which is 3902 Meadows Drive.

6:01

Okay.

6:02

May I'll yes, sir.

6:05

Uh yeah, James Woodfield, president of Ohio and Sandy Neighborhood Association.

6:09

Uh, we're having uh our cleanup as well last Saturday of April.

6:15

All right.

6:16

And our usually meet at 29th in Capital.

6:22

All right.

6:22

At what time?

6:23

At nine o'clock.

6:24

Alrighty.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Health████████████████████████████28%
Disaster Recovery████████████████████20%
Public Safety███████████████15%
Public Engagement██████████10%
Emergency Management███████7%
Public Records Management███████7%
Community Engagement██████6%
Sign Regulation███3%
Mental Health Awareness██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations Meeting – March 17, 2024

The Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations (MCANA) held its regular meeting on Saturday, March 17, 2024, at North United Methodist Church. President Kathy Burton welcomed attendees and outlined the purpose of MCANA. The meeting featured two main presentations: a solar eclipse safety briefing by the Marion County Public Health Department and a disaster preparedness talk by the Mesh Coalition. Additionally, updates were provided on the ongoing digital billboard battle and concerning state legislation (HEA 1338) that weakens public access laws.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Several neighborhood representatives announced upcoming community cleanups: Franklin Township (May 11, 8 a.m.), Keystone Millennium (May 18, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at Avondale Meadows YMCA), and Ohio and Sandy Neighborhood (last Saturday of April, 9 a.m. at 29th and Capitol).
  • Members expressed interest in having Mesh provide naloxone training at a future MCANA meeting.

Discussion Items

Solar Eclipse Preparedness (Marion County Public Health Department)

  • Cassandra Jompe (Emergency Preparedness Director) and Courtney Gordon (Deputy Director) presented a detailed overview of the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. Key points:
    • The path of totality will pass over Indianapolis, with totality from 3:06 p.m. to 3:09 p.m. (3 minutes 49 seconds).
    • Up to 500,000 visitors expected, causing major traffic disruptions and strain on emergency services.
    • Free eclipse glasses will be distributed at three drive-through events: April 2 (Lafayette Square, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.), April 4 (Washington Square, 2–6 p.m.), and April 6 (Health Department open house, 3838 N. Rural, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.).
    • Primary public health threat is ocular injury; viewers must use certified glasses except during the brief totality.
    • Safety recommendations: full gas tank, food/water, charged phone, and a go-kit. Schools in Marion County will either close or use e-learning; charter/private schools remain open.
  • A question about using parks/greenways for eclipse viewing was raised; health department encouraged checking Indy Parks for events.

Mesh Coalition (Managed Emergency Surge for Healthcare)

  • Jim Floyd, Administrator of the Mesh Coalition, described the organization's role in managing healthcare surge during disasters. Mesh, a 501(c)(3) formed in 2008, focuses on whole community support, operational support, education/training, and planning.
  • Statistics shared:
    • 80% of socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals perceive disaster risk, but only 41% are prepared; 21% have essential documentation/insurance.
    • June 2023 saw 5,621 severe weather reports (1,095 above the 2013–2022 average).
    • In Marion County, 135,340 residents have a disability; life expectancy varies by 20 years between some census tracts.
  • Mesh offers an Emergency Preparedness and Resilience Coach (EPRC) training (12 hours over 4 weeks) covering psychological first aid, practical preparedness, and community coaching. The next sessions are in April.
  • Free naloxone training is provided every two months; the next is May 30 (about one hour).
  • Floyd emphasized meeting people where they are, addressing barriers like lack of emergency savings (average $400, but real expenses ~$1,400; evacuation costs $1,200–$5,000).
  • Questions addressed coordination with DPW sustainability, mental health crisis response (MCAT teams with IMPD), long-term recovery support, shelter and family assistance center planning, and donation management. Floyd stressed the need for neighborhood-level relationships and a buddy system for vulnerable residents.

Digital Billboard Update (Ed Locke)

  • Ed Locke reported on the ongoing effort to maintain Marion County’s ban on new billboards inside I-465 (in place since 1971) and digital billboards (since early 1990s).
  • In 2013 and 2019, city council unanimously reaffirmed the ban. However, a Texas company (Reagan) is exploiting loopholes from I-69 construction displacements and state law changes.
  • Recent Board of Zoning Appeals hearings have resulted in split votes (2-2) on special exceptions; variances have been rejected. The latest hearing (March 12) ended in a tie, requiring a re-hearing in May.
  • A legislative amendment in January 2024 aimed to further undermine the ordinance; the fight continues. Locke called for neighborhood support and contacting state legislators.

Public Access Legislation (Clark Cowell)

  • Clark Cowell discussed HEA 1338, now on Governor Holcomb’s desk. The bill alters the state public access counselor’s term to at-will employment and restricts the counselor to only using the public access law and court rulings (no dictionary or context).
  • Cowell read excerpts from an Indianapolis Capital Chronicle editorial by Nikki Kelly (March 8) criticizing the process: the language was inserted late without public hearings or vetting.
  • Cowell urged attendees to email Governor Holcomb (govholcomb@gov.in.gov) and ask him to veto the bill, emphasizing that it weakens transparency and civic engagement.

Key Outcomes

  • Solar Eclipse Preparedness: Free glasses distribution events announced; residents encouraged to plan ahead for traffic and safety.
  • Mesh Coalition: Will arrange naloxone training at a future MCANA meeting; EPRC training in April is open to all. Neighborhood associations are urged to build connections and use Mesh’s resources.
  • Digital Billboards: The fight continues; neighborhoods are encouraged to attend BZA hearings and contact legislators.
  • HEA 1338: A call to action to email Governor Holcomb requesting a veto of the bill.
  • Next Meeting: April 20, 2024, will include board elections (dues must be paid to vote) and a speaker from the Indianapolis Recorder.

Meeting Transcript

So I would like to welcome everybody this morning. My name is Kathy Burton. I'm the current president for the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations. I want to give you just a little bit of information about who we are since we're going to have some new people in the room. We were founded in 1990 as a 501 C3 not for profit neighborhood based organization, which is a big mouthful. But our purpose is to try and connect neighborhoods all across Marion County to share information, resources, give information about events that they may be hosting or issues or problems that they may be trying to address in their own neighborhoods to try and keep people up to speed on what's going on in Indianapolis, not just with our government, but with all of the other wonderful organizations that provide resources to neighborhoods in Marion County, which is kind of where we're going to be going with our speakers this morning. But again, it's also to connect neighbors with each other because you find oftentimes the problems that you may have in your neighborhood are issues to address. Somebody else may have already dealt with or have some new ideas that they might have to help you try and get past that. And so this is an opportunity if you have an issue in your neighborhood to kind of get up, speak your piece, find out if there are others that might be interested in joining in your efforts or assisting you with whatever problems you may have. We do meet on the third Saturday of every month, except for December. We take that month off. We meet at North United Methodist Church, which sits on the North East. I was having North Portland. I always have to stop and you know turn the right way. But it's at the corner of 38th and Meridian. These pubs, these meetings are open to the public. Whether you are a member of McCana or not, if you happen to hear of us from a neighbor or see us on Channel 16 and you're interested in neighborhood issues, you're welcome to come to our meetings. We do try and bring in speak a speaker or speakers at every meeting that will have information that the neighborhoods could share and take interest in. For kind of coming in at the last minute. We had kind of a curbuccal with our scheduled speaker, which happens sometimes, you know, especially on a Saturday morning. But over the years, we have found that Saturday mornings is really the best time for us to meet, especially for those of us, those that are still working. I'm recently retired, so I'm not over working during the week. If you need to reach us, my phone number is 317-847-9959. I can also receive texts at that number, but as I am reminded frequently by the younger members of my family, um I cannot I carry a flip phone, so don't send me a link to something on my and a text because I can't get there. You can also reach us by mail at PO box 1082-46206, or you can reach us through our Facebook page. We do have a website address that is McCanaindi.org that will take you to our Facebook page right now as we're still trying to rebuild our board and kind of our administrative portion of McCana, keeping up a Facebook page and a website was a little more than we could wrap our arms around. So if you type in McCannada Indy.org and it takes you to the Facebook page, that's the right place. Thank you to the church for providing us for meeting space, which they have been doing literally for decades. I remember sitting in this basement in 1989 as McCano was forming. So North United Methodist has been a good partner for us for many years. And I also want to say thank you to Channel 16 who airs our meetings every month so that those neighborhood people who can't be here in attendance will still have an opportunity to gather the resources and absorb the information and to see what's going on in Marion County. Um with that, um, we do have a couple of topics that I did not get on the agenda that we're going to address after our main speakers this morning. Um, one is to address a bill that is currently working its way through the state legislature that is Bill 1338 that has to do with some legislation that if I have the number right, Clark. 1338. Okay. That has to do with some additional restrictions being announced about public access. Um and the other one is to have an update on what's going on with the issue with digital billboards in Marion County. We've been having a very energetic fight to try and to maintain Marion County's sign ordinance that will keep digital billboards off of our streets and highways. So we will do that afterwards. But for right now, at the beginning, I would like if there's anybody that has an event coming up in their neighborhood that they want to announce. I know we've got a lot of cleanup public cleanups or community cleanups coming up. Now's the time to do that. And I'll kick it off. Franklin Township's community cleanup day is scheduled for May the 11th. We'll start at 8 o'clock. You can stop by the civically, our Franklin Township Civic League building to pick up trash bags and find out where you can go and find trash, although it's pretty obvious. And then is there anybody else that had would like some information or has an uh event to announce? Alma, uh Keystone Millennialsville is having a cleanup in May on May 18th. Uh we will start at 9 until 1. We're meeting at Avondow Meadows uh YMCA, which is 3902 Meadows Drive.

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