Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations Monthly Meeting - August 18, 2025
Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations Monthly Meeting - August 18, 2025
The Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations (McCanna) held its regular monthly meeting on August 18, 2025, from approximately 9:00 to 11:00 AM at North United Methodist Church. President Kathy Burton led a discussion-focused session without a scheduled speaker, covering the value of in-person meetings, strategies to increase engagement and reach younger residents, proposed initiatives to support neighborhood-specific issues, and the city budget from a neighborhood perspective. No formal votes were taken, but several actionable next steps were identified.
Discussion Items
Value and Future of Monthly In-Person Meetings
Kathy Burton opened by asking attendees whether the current monthly meeting format remains valuable, given declining attendance and the rise of digital communication. All members present expressed strong support for continuing the in-person meetings. Jim Spoholski (Near East Side Community Organization) noted that monthly meetings provide a regular touchpoint for sporadic participation. Alma Treywick (Keystone Millsville) emphasized that in-person interaction allows neighbors to learn from each other and network across the city. Pat Andrews (Decatur Township Civic Council) argued that face-to-face meetings cannot be replaced by online or televised formats, and that the meetings serve as a hub for cross-neighborhood communication. The group agreed that the frequency and format should be maintained, while also improving outreach.
Outreach and Technology Improvements
Several members suggested better communication methods to increase attendance. Adriana Riggs (Crown Hill Neighborhood Association) recommended sending meeting reminders a week in advance, along with an agenda. Chris Williams, a first-time attendee, offered to assist with automation tools for email blasts and social media. The group discussed the limitations of Kathy Burton's current email system (AOL), which splits large lists and may cause messages to be flagged as spam. Chris Williams volunteered to help set up automated reminders using free tools. The idea of recruiting an intern from a local college to handle technology and outreach was raised and welcomed. The group also discussed attending community events (e.g., IMPD Community Days, Feast of Lanterns) with a McCanna banner, though manpower is currently limited.
Engaging Younger Residents and Future Leaders
President Burton raised the challenge of involving younger generations in neighborhood organizations. Attendees shared ideas: meeting youth where they are (e.g., using digital platforms), providing structured volunteer opportunities, and offering educational components like edutainment (education through entertainment). Chris Williams emphasized that many youth lack awareness of existing resources and that intentional, action-oriented events (not just entertainment) are needed. Adriana Riggs shared data from a Crown Hill neighborhood survey (29 responses) indicating residents' top concerns: vacant housing, safety, street conditions, drug use, and lack of youth activities. She also noted that her younger sister (in her early 20s) expressed interest in serving on a committee and wanted to see more felony-friendly job assistance, addiction resources, and mental health support. The group agreed that direct outreach to neighborhood leaders and personalized invitations are more effective than mass emails.
Proposed "Neighborhood Support" Initiative
Kathy Burton proposed a new monthly focus: pick one or two days per township to concentrate attention on a specific neighborhood issue. For example, on designated dates, McCanna would coordinate email and social media blasts to city-county councilors and relevant officials about a particular problem (e.g., a dangerous alley, chronic code violations). The goal is to apply pressure and show cross-neighborhood solidarity. Attendees supported the idea, noting that concentrated complaints can sometimes escalate responses. Alma Treywick cautioned that the MAC center may treat multiple complaints as spam, so tactics may need to vary. The initiative would launch in October 2025, with Burton collecting specific issues from neighborhoods via email (CB7801@AOL.com) or Facebook (Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations). Details on the dates and townships will be communicated via email and Facebook.
City Budget Priorities
The group discussed how the city should prioritize spending in its upcoming budget. Each attendee shared their top concerns:
- Road maintenance (multiple speakers): Many said roads are in poor condition, with 38th Street cited as particularly hazardous.
- Parks and green spaces: Several members urged greater investment in park maintenance and park rangers, noting that parks are essential for community health and crime reduction.
- Code enforcement: Participants criticized slow response times (up to a year), inadequate penalties for chronic violators, and lack of follow-through. Suggestions included daily fines for ongoing violations and more personnel for the Business and Neighborhood Services (BNS) department.
- Affordable housing and homelessness: Speakers highlighted the need to help seniors age in place, address gentrification, and provide support for the unhoused population without relying solely on law enforcement.
- Mental health and addiction services: Chris Williams and Adriana Riggs stressed the importance of accessible mental health education and trauma-informed resources, especially for youth.
- Sidewalks and streetlights: Poor maintenance of sidewalks (including tree root damage) and numerous out streetlights (especially on major corridors like Meridian and 38th Streets) were raised as safety and quality-of-life issues.
- Transparency in economic incentives: Several members questioned the city's focus on attracting tourists and large corporations, asking for a clear accounting of the return on investment from tax incentives and whether some of those funds could be redirected to neighborhood needs.
Pat Andrews added a note about AES electric rate increases and suggested inviting the Citizens Action Coalition as a speaker to inform neighborhoods how to respond. She also recommended the Indiana Forest Alliance for those concerned about open space preservation.
Specific Neighborhood Issues
Attendees shared immediate problems needing support:
- Stop sign at 39th and Tacoma: Overgrown bushes block sight lines, leading to frequent crashes into a neighbor's yard. Previous trimming by the health department grew back. This is a code enforcement site distance issue.
- Narrow roads with overgrown vegetation: On the near east side, vegetation narrows roads until they become single-lane, forcing cars to scrape against bushes.
- Illegal dumping: Jim Spoholski identified this as a widespread problem throughout the near east side.
- Homeless encampments in vacant buildings: In Crown Hill, unhoused individuals use abandoned homes, and there are challenges with trespass enforcement and health concerns.
Key Outcomes
- Continue monthly meetings: The group affirmed that Saturday morning meetings at North United Methodist Church (9–11 a.m., third Saturday) should continue, with enhanced outreach.
- Improve communication: Chris Williams volunteered to help set up automated email reminders using free tools. Attendees were encouraged to send their contact lists to Burton for more effective distribution.
- Launch "Neighborhood Support" initiative in October 2025: McCanna will coordinate monthly concentrated advocacy for specific neighborhood issues. Neighborhoods should submit their problem details (location, duration, contact person) to Burton.
- Draft a priority letter on the city budget: Burton will compile the discussed priorities (roads, parks, code enforcement, affordable housing, mental health) and send a letter to the City-County Council and the Mayor's office.
- Recruit interns and volunteers: The group will explore partnerships with local colleges for unpaid interns to assist with technology and outreach, and seek grants through the Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center (INRC) to cover small technology costs.
- Next meeting: Scheduled for September 20, 2025; speaker to be announced. Suggestions for speakers are welcome, especially those who can help make personal connections.
Meeting Transcript
So, for those of you who are joining us for the first time, which is um, well, not anybody. Well, you don't know what they're but for channel 16. Um, my name is Kathy Burton. I am the current president for the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations, and for those of you who may be watching Channel 16 for the first time and viewing McCannna's meetings. We are a not-for-profit 501 C3 neighborhood-based organization that covers the entire county. We were founded in 1990 as a way for neighborhoods from all across the county to connect and communicate with each other and talk about the issues that impact the neighborhoods on a countywide level as well as local issues that affect your specific neighborhoods to lend support to each other when we are trying to resolve an issue and to become more engaged in local government. All neighborhood-based organizations, including HOAs, are welcome to join McCana. These are open public meetings. Our general membership meeting is on the third Saturday of every month from 9 to 11 in the morning at North United Methodist Church, which is at 38th and Meridian. And you do not have to be a member of a neighborhood organization to particularly attend. If you are just a community member that is interested in issues that are going on in your neighborhood or your city government, you're welcome to come and join us. If you would like at our we do not meet in December, by the way, almost forgot that. If you want to contact McCana, you can do so by email at CV7801 at AOL.com. You can call me call or text me at 317 847 9959, or you are also welcome to visit our Facebook page. We don't currently have an active web page. I think we may be working on that, but um to get information, you can contact us through our Facebook page. At our meetings, we talk about issues or have speakers that are top that are on issues, excuse me. We discuss issues or have meetings on topics that are of interest to the neighborhoods. So we always welcome suggestions if you have someone that you think might be a good speaker for neighborhoods to listen to what they're doing in the area. Um today we are taking a step back from having speakers, however. Um we want to talk about things on a very from a very neighborhood-based perspective. We often see initiatives that are being launched on behalf of neighborhoods, but we want to talk about whether or not those issues are what are the priorities for the neighborhood leaders who are actually out talking to their neighbors, walking the streets, dealing with the issues in the alleys, the streets, the vacant lots, the parks, um, and then also to talk about the city budget, which is currently undergoing all of its hearings, and talk about from a neighborhood's perspective, what do we think the city's um priorities should be with how they spend their large but limited pool of money. Um so we are and I apologize, um, we normally have a mayor's neighborhood advocate with us to talk about to just give us some high-level information about issues going on in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, due to a death of a family, the MA that was scheduled to be with us today wasn't able to be here. Um, but I want to start and ask if there is anybody who is here, and there are not many of us in the room, um, that have uh any events going on in their neighborhoods that they would like to make people aware of. Upcoming meetings, events. Okay, everybody's thinking. Okay. Well, I'm gonna kick this off by saying um McCannna has been meeting every Saturday, except during COVID, um, since 1990. Sometimes our attendance is very sparse, depends on what else is going on in the city. Um lots of neighborhood leaders who are advocates and active always have things going on in their own neighborhoods on Saturday. Um we do have the good luck to have channel 16 with us to um tape, air, stream, record, whatever the current term is, um, so that people who are not here on Saturday can still get information, be aware of what's going on in their neighborhoods and share that. And as we kind of move into the digital age, that is becoming a more and more common way for people to get their information and become engaged in their neighborhoods. But one of the challenges that we then face is those of us who are here in the room and who have been active in our neighborhoods for a long time, know that sometimes you can't replace that face-to-face meaning and communication ability to bounce ideas off of each other in real time. Like many other neighborhood organizations, McCana is facing those same challenges. Um it is getting more and more difficult to get people to come to our meetings on Saturday. Um, not because people are not interested, but because they're busy and because means of communicating have changed. So one of the things that I want to talk about and get feedback from is having these meetings every month still a valuable tool for the neighborhoods. So I'm gonna open up and hear what you have to say. I think it is. So those things can be discussed as people want to do. But yeah, there are a lot of neighborhood groups that are active, and recruiting younger people is an issue for everyone as far as I can tell. Whatever organization you might be a part of, whether it's a neighborhood group or a civic uh organization, um, so just having something regular where people can plug in and maybe sporadically, but they can still plug in and um find out what's going on and learn things from each other. So I I um I advocate for keeping it kind of the way it is. Once a month isn't strenuous, but still it's an opportunity for everybody to land as they wish. Well, you know, I do think it's valuable because it is a means to try and plug into other means of communication besides in-person meetings, and I don't want people to get discouraged because they don't see a crowd full of people. You know, this isn't this isn't a photo op or press conference opportunity, it's a chance for neighborhoods to really talk to each other. Um, when I leave the meetings on Saturdays, if my time allows, I always try to drive through another neighborhood in the in the city. It's you know, it's real easy for us to and and human for us to focus on what is closest to home and to be very familiar with our neighborhoods. But I think about you know, we get so busy trying to deal with the issues that are right here, right closest to us, that sometimes we forget that those folks that live across town from us may be having the same trouble, or they may be having an issue that we've that's that we've dealt with that they haven't, and where we could lend some expertise.
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