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Record of Proceedings

MCANNA Monthly Meeting – March 17, 2025: Indigo Blue Line, Neighborhood Advocacy & Transit Updates

Other Meetings (J-Z) — Monday, March 17, 2025
BodyIndianapolis, Indiana
SessionOther Meetings (J-Z)
DateMonday, March 17, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

I would like to welcome everybody this morning.

0:03

This is the regular monthly meeting of the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations, and my name is Kathy Burton.

0:09

I am the current president for McCannna.

0:12

For those of you who may be joining us for the first time or who are watching us on Channel 16, I want to kind of go through my standard of spiel about what is McCannna.

0:22

We were founded in 1990.

0:24

We are a 501 C3 night not for profit organization.

0:28

And our purpose is to be able to connect neighborhood and homeowners associations from all over Marion County so that we can talk with each other about the issues that are important to us, issues that we may be having in our neighborhoods that we need some help resolving where we can share experiences.

0:46

If somebody else has figured out how to do something, we want them to be able to share that with other neighborhoods so that we can kind of share resources and also then to bring to attention some of the issues that are upcoming in our community and to be able to support each other.

1:07

As we all know, there are some issues that are very specific to our own neighborhoods, but there are also issues that we may be battling in our neighborhoods, but they really do have countywide implications.

1:18

So we want to be able to lend support to each other.

1:21

We know in this day and age it is getting more and more difficult to keep people engaged in their communities.

1:33

But there are times when you know you just flat out have to have people show up.

1:38

And so we want to encourage neighborhoods to make those personal in-person connections and lend support to each other whenever they can.

1:50

We do meet on the third or third Saturday of every month at North United Methodist Church, which is at 38th and Meridian, so it is accessible by bus line.

2:01

We meet from 9 to 11 a.m.

2:03

And at those meetings, we have speakers that will address topics of interest to the community.

2:09

And our speaker this morning is Jordan Patterson with Indigo, at least we hope.

2:16

He's not here yet, so we're gonna just go along.

2:19

But we invite those speakers to come in and talk about issues that are of importance.

2:24

Often our speakers are representatives from government or quasi-government agencies, but we certainly don't limit ourselves to that.

2:31

And so if you know of a speaker who is who has information to share with neighborhoods, we invite you to let us know.

2:39

We're going to try and get those speakers brought in and so that so that they can share their information.

2:45

We let's see, I think I said we meet from 9 to 11.

2:48

We invite people to bring a contribution of a non-perishable food item to leave at the front desk as they come into the church to help support the community the church's community outreach.

2:59

And we also want to thank Channel 16 and 28, if I got that right.

3:06

Um they record our meetings and they they air or stream or whatever the proper term is so that people can watch them online at their convenience, and that makes a very good way for if you're not able to attend our meetings in person on Saturday.

3:23

It's a real good way for you to stay caught up on what's going on in our neighborhoods.

3:27

And I also have to put the plug in, they do air a lot of the city county meetings, committees, council meetings, zoning hearings.

3:35

They air those on channel 16 and 28 as well, and so that is another very good way to stay connected with what your elected officials may be doing on your behalf.

3:47

So we encourage you to watch and support channel 16 and 28.

3:52

I also have to remember that there are two now.

3:56

Um we would like to be sure and extend an invitation for people to come to our meetings on Saturday.

4:02

You do not have to be a member.

4:05

Um, your organization does not have to be a member.

4:08

If there's an issue in your neighborhood that you would like to bring up and look for support for, or if you just want to come and find out what's happening in neighborhoods, including finding out how to organize in your own neighborhood, um, come to our meetings.

4:22

Bring a friend.

4:24

Um I see some friendly faces here this morning who got up and braved the early morning hours and the stormy weather outside, and I'd love to see twice as many next month.

4:34

So please bring a friend.

4:35

But like I said, you do not have to be a member to participate in what's going on in our neighborhoods.

4:41

If you want to reach McCana, you can reach me by phone at 317-847-9959.

4:51

Um, you can also send me a text at that, or you can reach us through our Facebook page.

5:00

Okay, what did I forget, guys?

5:01

Did it all get all covered?

5:03

Oh, we do meet on the third Saturday of every month, except we do not meet in December because of the holiday season for a lot of reasons.

5:11

We just don't try and put that together.

5:13

I will tell you that our next meeting is on April the 19th.

5:17

Um, I am still working on lining up a speaker, but I did find out yesterday to let you know in plenty of warning that Virginia Kane, Dr.

5:27

Dr.

5:27

Virginia Kane, who's with the Marion County Health Department, is going to be our speaker in June on June the 21st, and she always brings a wealth of information about what's going on with Marion County as far as our health, um, our healthy environment.

5:46

Um she is an amazing speaker.

5:49

We are so fortunate to have her in Marion County, and I really encourage you to come on out and hear what the Marion County Health Department is up to.

5:57

They will do everything from helping with wellness checks, childhood vaccinations, dental clinics, environmental issues in your neighborhood.

6:09

So please plan to come and hear her.

6:12

Um with that, we are gonna go to announcements for um, and in just a moment, we're gonna have the mayor's neighborhood advocate come up, but I'm gonna ask if there's anybody that has an event going on in there in the community that you would like to announce.

6:28

Um, and I will tell you if you do have an event in your neighborhood and you want to try and get the word out again, come to our meetings, use channel 16 as another way to get the word out to the community.

6:39

A whole lot of people watch the government channels.

6:42

Um, so if you're looking at your own membership, going, how do we get people involved?

6:47

What do we do?

6:48

Here's another way to reach out to them that doesn't cost you anything.

6:54

Um I want to remind people of a couple things.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement██████████████████████████26%
Public Transit████████████████████████24%
Public Transportation██████████████14%
Public Safety█████████9%
Transportation████4%
Zoning and Land Use████4%
Public Engagement████4%
Property Tax Assessment███3%
Budget███3%
Summary of Proceedings

MCANNA Monthly Meeting – March 17, 2025

The Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations (MCANNA) held its regular monthly meeting on Saturday, March 17, 2025, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at North United Methodist Church (38th & Meridian). President Kathy Burton opened with an overview of MCANNA (founded 1990, 501(c)(3)), its mission to connect neighborhoods across Marion County, and upcoming speakers. The meeting featured a presentation by Indigo Special Programs Manager Jordan Patterson on Bus Rapid Transit and community programs, along with updates from the Mayor's Neighborhood Advocate, discussions on the comprehensive plan, property taxes, and neighborhood concerns.

Consent Calendar

  • No consent calendar was noted.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Alma (MCANNA board member) expressed dissatisfaction with the removal of her photo from the "People of the Purple Line" campaign at Indigo stations, noting that older riders are underrepresented. Jordan Patterson explained the removal was a safety compromise (blind spots) and that the photos are being repurposed.
  • Tony Knight (via remote) asked about half-fares for youth and park-and-ride options. Indigo confirmed half-fare for riders 18 and younger and seniors (85 cents per trip), and that park-and-ride is under consideration.
  • A member from Decatur Township described a case where Indigo refused a free bus shelter donation, citing maintenance concerns. Patterson offered to look into the issue.
  • Out-of-town visitor comment (relayed by a member) noted confusion about bus lane markings on Meridian Street, especially where pavement is not fully red. Patterson suggested including BRT in driver education materials.

Discussion Items

  • Mayor's Neighborhood Advocate Update – Mina Moose (Area One):

    • Encouraged reporting potholes via 311 or RequestIndy app; DPW typically addresses within two weeks.
    • Announced a new trash service provider (starting January 1, 2026) and universal curbside recycling coming in 2028.
    • Promoted summer jobs with Indy Parks ($13-17/hour, $500 signing bonus before April 4) and an EmployIndy hiring event on March 28 (11 a.m.-2 p.m. at 4410 N. Shadeland Ave.).
    • Q&A: MAs do send monthly newsletters; neighborhood organizations should update their registration with the city (many listings are outdated).

  • Neighborhood Concerns Raised:

    • Alley behind post office at 30th & Sherman: Poor condition, complaints for 3 years, even elevated to mayor's office. Mina offered to follow up with a recent case number.
    • RequestIndy app limitations: Pothole reporting requires an address; users cannot drop a pin. Mina agreed to relay to IT.
    • Washington Square Mall: Abandoned condition; no new city actions shared.

  • President Kathy Burton's Agenda Items:

    • May 2025 meeting concept: Neighborhood organizations are invited to present their successes and best practices for 5-10 minutes. Members supported the idea, with planning for refreshments.
    • Comprehensive Plan Update: Logan Lane (DMD) indicated the process will begin this year with only one meeting per township, plus a countywide wrap-up. Members criticized lack of transparency and limited public engagement. Questions remain about scope and timeline.
    • Call for Legislative Monitors: Volunteers needed to track state and city-county legislation affecting neighborhoods, especially property tax reform and federal funding impacts. Discussion noted that 44% of Indiana's state budget comes from federal sources.
    • Property Tax Concerns: Rising home assessments and proposed caps threaten services funded by property taxes (schools, fire departments, libraries, health department). Members urged monitoring of state-level proposals.

  • Indigo Presentation – Jordan Patterson (Special Programs Manager):

    • Overview of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): Red Line (2019), Purple Line (Oct 2024), Blue Line (broke ground Feb 2025, 24 miles from Cumberland to airport, first major closure ~June 2025 for 130 days).
    • BRT features: dedicated lanes, station platforms, level boarding, transit signal priority.
    • Economic impact: $90 million in development along 38th Street after Purple Line.
    • Community programs (Indigo Cares): Wellness in Transit (free health clinic at transit center, first/third Tuesdays), Music in Transit (Emmy-winning video series), Food in Transit (free produce, cooking demos starting June).
    • Funding for Indigo Cares: Mostly federal grants and partnerships; Indigo provides space.
    • Q&A:
      • Fare evasion: Trust system with Mikey card/phone app; fare inspectors random; technology upgrades planned. State requires ~25% of funding from fares; Indigo meets requirement.
      • Blue Line funding: Federal grant already executed and money is in hand; leadership is confident despite federal uncertainties. (Member asked for specific plan B if funds are cut.)
      • Business support during construction: Community toolkit (signage, access maps, free promotion), Bus Line and Dine program, construction liaisons visiting every business.
      • Decatur Township bus shelter: Patterson will look into past refusal.
      • Expansion to outer townships (Franklin, Decatur): No current plans; Indigo conducts Comprehensive Operational Analysis every 5 years; public comment can help drive demand.
      • Indigo Transit Ambassadors: Paid volunteer program (indigo.net/ambassadors) for community engagement, free transit access.
      • Driver recruitment: $3,000 signing bonus for coach operators and mechanics; no CDL required, paid training (indigo.net/employment).

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes were taken.
  • Directives for follow-up:
    • Mina Moose will follow up on the 30th & Sherman alley condition (case number needed).
    • RequestIndy app improvement suggestion (pin-drop for potholes) to be forwarded to IT.
    • Kathy Burton will coordinate a neighborhood showcase for the May 2025 meeting.
    • Members were urged to sign up as legislative monitors; contact MCANNA Facebook page or email.
    • Jordan Patterson agreed to provide a specific status on Blue Line funding security and plan B.
    • Patterson will investigate the Decatur Township shelter refusal.
  • Next meeting: April 19, 2025 (speaker TBD). June 21, 2025: Dr. Virginia Kane (Marion County Health Department). No meeting in December.

Meeting Transcript

I would like to welcome everybody this morning. This is the regular monthly meeting of the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations, and my name is Kathy Burton. I am the current president for McCannna. For those of you who may be joining us for the first time or who are watching us on Channel 16, I want to kind of go through my standard of spiel about what is McCannna. We were founded in 1990. We are a 501 C3 night not for profit organization. And our purpose is to be able to connect neighborhood and homeowners associations from all over Marion County so that we can talk with each other about the issues that are important to us, issues that we may be having in our neighborhoods that we need some help resolving where we can share experiences. If somebody else has figured out how to do something, we want them to be able to share that with other neighborhoods so that we can kind of share resources and also then to bring to attention some of the issues that are upcoming in our community and to be able to support each other. As we all know, there are some issues that are very specific to our own neighborhoods, but there are also issues that we may be battling in our neighborhoods, but they really do have countywide implications. So we want to be able to lend support to each other. We know in this day and age it is getting more and more difficult to keep people engaged in their communities. But there are times when you know you just flat out have to have people show up. And so we want to encourage neighborhoods to make those personal in-person connections and lend support to each other whenever they can. We do meet on the third or third Saturday of every month at North United Methodist Church, which is at 38th and Meridian, so it is accessible by bus line. We meet from 9 to 11 a.m. And at those meetings, we have speakers that will address topics of interest to the community. And our speaker this morning is Jordan Patterson with Indigo, at least we hope. He's not here yet, so we're gonna just go along. But we invite those speakers to come in and talk about issues that are of importance. Often our speakers are representatives from government or quasi-government agencies, but we certainly don't limit ourselves to that. And so if you know of a speaker who is who has information to share with neighborhoods, we invite you to let us know. We're going to try and get those speakers brought in and so that so that they can share their information. We let's see, I think I said we meet from 9 to 11. We invite people to bring a contribution of a non-perishable food item to leave at the front desk as they come into the church to help support the community the church's community outreach. And we also want to thank Channel 16 and 28, if I got that right. Um they record our meetings and they they air or stream or whatever the proper term is so that people can watch them online at their convenience, and that makes a very good way for if you're not able to attend our meetings in person on Saturday. It's a real good way for you to stay caught up on what's going on in our neighborhoods. And I also have to put the plug in, they do air a lot of the city county meetings, committees, council meetings, zoning hearings. They air those on channel 16 and 28 as well, and so that is another very good way to stay connected with what your elected officials may be doing on your behalf. So we encourage you to watch and support channel 16 and 28. I also have to remember that there are two now. Um we would like to be sure and extend an invitation for people to come to our meetings on Saturday. You do not have to be a member. Um, your organization does not have to be a member. If there's an issue in your neighborhood that you would like to bring up and look for support for, or if you just want to come and find out what's happening in neighborhoods, including finding out how to organize in your own neighborhood, um, come to our meetings. Bring a friend. Um I see some friendly faces here this morning who got up and braved the early morning hours and the stormy weather outside, and I'd love to see twice as many next month. So please bring a friend. But like I said, you do not have to be a member to participate in what's going on in our neighborhoods. If you want to reach McCana, you can reach me by phone at 317-847-9959. Um, you can also send me a text at that, or you can reach us through our Facebook page. Okay, what did I forget, guys? Did it all get all covered? Oh, we do meet on the third Saturday of every month, except we do not meet in December because of the holiday season for a lot of reasons. We just don't try and put that together. I will tell you that our next meeting is on April the 19th. Um, I am still working on lining up a speaker, but I did find out yesterday to let you know in plenty of warning that Virginia Kane, Dr. Dr. Virginia Kane, who's with the Marion County Health Department, is going to be our speaker in June on June the 21st, and she always brings a wealth of information about what's going on with Marion County as far as our health, um, our healthy environment. Um she is an amazing speaker.

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