OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations Meeting - Nov 17, 2025

Other Meetings (J-Z) — Monday, November 17, 2025
BodyIndianapolis, Indiana
SessionOther Meetings (J-Z)
DateMonday, November 17, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:12:54

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Well, welcome you to the regular monthly membership meeting of the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations.

0:05

We go by the acronym McCannna, but I was reminded recently that everybody has their own acronyms, and you can't always assume that when you're using an abbreviation that somebody knows what you're talking about.

0:16

So my name is Kathy Burton.

0:18

I'm the current president for McCana.

0:20

We are, I went last and I want to welcome everybody for coming.

0:23

This is our last meeting of the year.

0:25

We do not meet in December.

0:28

But before we get started, I want to kind of review what McCannna is and how we got started for those people who are here in person as well as those who are watching on channel 16 and 28.

0:38

We were founded in 1990 as a 501c3.

0:43

We are what our name says.

0:44

We are Alliance of Neighborhood and Homeowners Associations from all over Marion County.

0:50

And our purpose is to connect neighborhoods with each other to discuss issues that are affecting people countywide, as well as issues that are specific to our own neighborhoods in order to lend support to each other, share experiences, resources, and kind of help each other out so that we're not all starting over every time an issue covered up in our neighborhoods.

1:14

And as Merrian County continues to grow and develop, we have certainly learned over the last have to do the math.

1:22

40 years, 30 years, that what happens in somebody to somebody across the county can indeed affect us.

1:29

We can't just assume that what's going on in our backyard that we're the only ones that are affected.

1:35

And we certainly do need to lend support to each other.

1:38

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

1:43

We meet from 9 to 11 a.m.

1:45

at North United Methodist Church, which is at 38th and Meridian.

1:49

And for those who are watching, that is available and available and access accessible from the Indigo bus line.

1:55

So if you use public transportation, you will still be able to get here.

2:00

As we have found, everybody who's involved in neighborhoods is always very busy and can't always make meetings in person, and so we are fortunate that Channel 16 comes in and records our meetings and then airs them throughout the month on Channel 16 and then moves to channel 28 so that people who are interested in neighborhood issues and the things that are going around in our city can still stay up to date and stay connected regardless of whether they can make a meeting in person.

2:28

And so we are very fortunate as a city to have that resource available to us, and we want to thank them for their continued.

2:36

I don't know the right word to use, but letting people be able to use the airwaves and the channel and the government channel to connect with each other.

2:44

And we also want to thank North United Methodist Church, who has hosted our meetings, I think, since before the dinosaurs.

2:50

But they do make our church available to us, and since it's centrally located, that means neighborhoods from all over Marion County can get to us if they can navigate the road construction.

3:00

So good luck with that.

3:02

At our membership meetings, we always have speakers that address issues that are of interest to neighborhoods.

3:08

And if anybody ever has a suggestion for our speaker that they would like to have come in or a topic that they would like to have addressed, we certainly welcome your suggestions.

3:17

If you want to reach McCana, you can do so either through our Facebook page or you can reach me by phone at 317-847-9959.

3:30

I also can get texts that way.

3:32

We do have a PO box, and it's PO Box 1082, Indianapolis 46206.

3:38

But I don't get down at the post office box every day, and so if you're trying to reach us in a hurry, I suggest that you do so through one of those other three methods.

3:48

With that, I want to tell you that our next meeting, however, will be on January the 17th, weather permitting.

3:56

And I am still working on a speaker for that meeting.

3:59

We hope to invite back Todd Wilson, who is the director for the DPW.

4:03

But of course, being January, sometimes weather events happen.

4:08

So but as I said, the speaker will be announced, and again you can reach us through or see on the Facebook page who our speaker is going to be.

4:17

With that, I am going to ask if there is anyone that has an event coming up in their neighborhood that they would like for other people to know about.

4:30

Our next big community event is on Saturday, December the 6th.

4:34

It's Christmas in Wanamaker, one of the main streets that goes through the township.

4:38

There'll be a parade at 1 o'clock.

4:41

It is from 10 to 3 vendors and craftsmen and community organizations from all over the township and beyond.

4:47

We'll be there too for people to come and enjoy some holiday activities and craftsmanship and booths where you can do some great Christmas shopping.

4:55

There'll be pictures with Santa, and as I said, there's a parade at 1 o'clock.

5:00

Also in Franklin Township, we are currently having our community Christmas drive, which is now 44 years old, or 54 years old, where we um collect new clothing and toys and food for families in the township that are facing some challenges so that we can provide some support from them for the holiday.

5:18

And if you want to find out what you can do to help with that Christmas drive or make a donation, you can reach us through our Civic League website, which is FTCivic Lead.org.

5:30

Having said that, if there's nothing else, uh Pat, sorry.

5:35

Um well, happy holidays, everyone.

5:38

I don't know why petitioners always seem to take the worst um uh impact uh petitions and voiced them on us during the holidays, but that is what we're dealing with in Decatur Township.

5:51

Um there is a proposal for a data center, a 250 megawatt data center.

5:58

Uh on Tuesday, uh this month um was that the 18th.

6:06

Um, they already have a petition schedule.

6:09

They've submitted um on the 18th.

6:12

The uh petitioners are having their own open house glossy artist renderings as you like.

6:20

Um, the Decatur Township Civic Council land use committee, though, will be meeting on um December 18th, and the public is welcome.

6:32

We will have you ask some of our nerdy questions, but then we'll open it up for questions from the public.

6:38

That is going to be held um in the community room of the Decatur Township School for Excellence, which is on South High School Road.

6:48

Um, and again, everyone's welcome.

6:50

That's at 6 o'clock, December 18th.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████████████25%
Homelessness██████████████████18%
Data Center Regulation████████████12%
Affordable Housing████████████12%
Community Engagement████████8%
Transportation Safety████4%
Youth Programs████4%
Waste Management████4%
Environmental Protection███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations Meeting - Nov 17, 2025

The Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations (McCanna) held its final membership meeting of the year on November 17, 2025, at North United Methodist Church. President Kathy Burton opened the session by reviewing the organization's mission to connect neighborhoods and sharing upcoming holiday events and a December land use meeting regarding a proposed data center in Decatur Township. The meeting featured a detailed presentation by Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, who discussed the office's operational challenges, the impact of technology on case solutions, and the critical connection between housing instability and the criminal justice system. The session concluded with an extensive community discussion on the growing threat of data center proposals across Marion County, with members expressing significant concern over environmental hazards and urging the development of a unified countywide policy.

Consent Calendar

  • The meeting proceeded with the standard monthly schedule, including announcements for the Christmas in Wanamaker parade and the ongoing Franklin Township community Christmas drive.
  • No formal motions or routine votes requiring a consent calendar were recorded beyond the administrative scheduling of the next meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Ryan Mears (Marion County Prosecutor):
    • Expressed concern regarding the rising severity of the self-defense issue, noting a shift in homicide cases from drug-related or domestic disputes to arguments over trivial matters like honking horns or social media posts.
    • Stated that technology, specifically cell phone data and GPS, has fundamentally improved the prosecutor's ability to build cases, resulting in a 33-36 conviction rate for murder trials, though he emphasized that the underlying causes of violence remain rooted in lack of housing and gun availability.
    • Advocated for "Housing First" solutions, stating that the lack of affordable housing directly contributes to recidivism and public safety issues, and urged the community to view housing as a root cause solution rather than a band-aid.
    • Highlighted that the majority of violence involving young people is triggered by online interactions and social media beefs, necessitating leadership and mentorship programs to counteract digital toxicity.
    • Expressed frustration that the prosecutor's office lacks the budgetary resources to directly fund housing initiatives, though he emphasized the office's commitment to removing legal barriers (like criminal records) that prevent people from accessing housing.
    • Noted that the repeal of permitless carry has severely hampered law enforcement's ability to temporarily seize firearms, which previously served as a vital tool for solving non-fatal shootings and homicides.
  • Susan Martinez (Mayor's Neighborhood Advocate):
    • Announced the temporary closure of the "Birth Fund" applications due to high demand, while noting future expansion plans.
    • Warned that illegal dumping is increasing during the winter months and advised residents to install cameras and utilize free "No Dumping" signs to deter offenders.
  • Community Members and Attendees:
    • Several residents expressed frustration with the lack of enforcement regarding unhoused individuals residing in senior citizen building common areas and requested that police respond to trespassing incidents rather than dismissing them.
    • One attendee argued that the city leadership is passing the buck and demanded that the Prosecutor's office and the community form a coalition to demand accountability and immediate micro-solutions for housing, stating that waiting for large-scale government projects is not viable.
    • A parent expressed concern about the impact of eviction and homelessness on children's education, noting that instability is the primary reason for school absenteeism in Warren Township.
    • Multiple residents criticized the Metropolitan Development Commission (MDC) for awarding millions in tax abatements (TIFFs) to projects that fail to meet affordability goals or deliver promised housing, citing the Angie's List expansion as an example of funds being wasted without public benefit.
    • Opposition to Data Centers:
      • A representative from the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood expressed strong opposition to a proposed data center, citing fire hazards associated with diesel fuel storage and water consumption.
      • A member of the Greater Troy Neighborhood Association stated a blanket opposition to data centers near residential areas, arguing that corporate proponents mislead stakeholders and that no positive outcomes exist for nearby residents.
      • Attendees raised concerns about the electrical grid's capacity, the environmental impact of diesel generators, and the risk of "white elephant" projects if the AI investment bubble bursts.
      • Several residents voiced distrust in data center proponents, noting a lack of transparency regarding environmental safeguards and the true cost to the community, and argued that the cheapest storage tanks (flat-bottom) pose a significant leak risk.

Discussion Items

  • Housing and Criminal Justice:
    • The group engaged in a debate on the Prosecutor's role in housing solutions. While the Prosecutor acknowledged the office is not a landlord, he affirmed support for "Housing First" models, second chance fairs for expungements, and partnerships with organizations like Horizon House to connect the justice system with housing resources.
    • Attendees pressed the Prosecutor on why more is not being done given the data he possesses, leading to a discussion on the need for community pressure to shift city priorities from tax abatements to direct housing investment.
    • The conversation shifted to tenant rights, with a Health Department official noting that the lack of tenant protection laws in Indiana leads to high eviction rates and that landlords often intimidate tenants into silence.
  • Data Center Policy Development:
    • President Burton and other members initiated a discussion on whether McCanna should develop a formal policy regarding the placement of data centers in Marion County.
    • Participants noted that data centers are appearing rapidly in Franklin, Pike, Martindale-Brightwood, and Decatur townships, often bypassing standard council review via variances.
    • The consensus was to form a subcommittee to gather technical information on energy usage, water consumption, fire safety (specifically diesel storage), and environmental impact to inform a future policy decision.
    • It was clarified that any McCanna policy would aim to support neighborhood efforts and provide a countywide resource, rather than overriding specific neighborhood decisions or opinions.

Key Outcomes

  • Next Meeting Scheduled: The next membership meeting is set for January 17, 2026, weather permitting, at North United Methodist Church.
  • Data Center Subcommittee Formed: McCanna agreed to initiate a subcommittee process to research and draft a policy on data centers, inviting both pro and anti-development participants to collaborate on information gathering before the first of the year.
  • Call to Action: The community was urged to contact McCanna via Facebook or email to volunteer for the subcommittee and to engage with local officials regarding affordable housing and the accountability of MDC/TIF spending.
  • Announcements: Information was distributed regarding the Christmas in Wanamaker parade (December 6), the Franklin Township Christmas drive, and the upcoming Decatur Township Civic Council land use meeting on December 18 regarding the local data center proposal.

Meeting Transcript

Well, welcome you to the regular monthly membership meeting of the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations. We go by the acronym McCannna, but I was reminded recently that everybody has their own acronyms, and you can't always assume that when you're using an abbreviation that somebody knows what you're talking about. So my name is Kathy Burton. I'm the current president for McCana. We are, I went last and I want to welcome everybody for coming. This is our last meeting of the year. We do not meet in December. But before we get started, I want to kind of review what McCannna is and how we got started for those people who are here in person as well as those who are watching on channel 16 and 28. We were founded in 1990 as a 501c3. We are what our name says. We are Alliance of Neighborhood and Homeowners Associations from all over Marion County. And our purpose is to connect neighborhoods with each other to discuss issues that are affecting people countywide, as well as issues that are specific to our own neighborhoods in order to lend support to each other, share experiences, resources, and kind of help each other out so that we're not all starting over every time an issue covered up in our neighborhoods. And as Merrian County continues to grow and develop, we have certainly learned over the last have to do the math. 40 years, 30 years, that what happens in somebody to somebody across the county can indeed affect us. We can't just assume that what's going on in our backyard that we're the only ones that are affected. And we certainly do need to lend support to each other. We do meet on the third Saturday of every month except for December. We meet from 9 to 11 a.m. at North United Methodist Church, which is at 38th and Meridian. And for those who are watching, that is available and available and access accessible from the Indigo bus line. So if you use public transportation, you will still be able to get here. As we have found, everybody who's involved in neighborhoods is always very busy and can't always make meetings in person, and so we are fortunate that Channel 16 comes in and records our meetings and then airs them throughout the month on Channel 16 and then moves to channel 28 so that people who are interested in neighborhood issues and the things that are going around in our city can still stay up to date and stay connected regardless of whether they can make a meeting in person. And so we are very fortunate as a city to have that resource available to us, and we want to thank them for their continued. I don't know the right word to use, but letting people be able to use the airwaves and the channel and the government channel to connect with each other. And we also want to thank North United Methodist Church, who has hosted our meetings, I think, since before the dinosaurs. But they do make our church available to us, and since it's centrally located, that means neighborhoods from all over Marion County can get to us if they can navigate the road construction. So good luck with that. At our membership meetings, we always have speakers that address issues that are of interest to neighborhoods. And if anybody ever has a suggestion for our speaker that they would like to have come in or a topic that they would like to have addressed, we certainly welcome your suggestions. If you want to reach McCana, you can do so either through our Facebook page or you can reach me by phone at 317-847-9959. I also can get texts that way. We do have a PO box, and it's PO Box 1082, Indianapolis 46206. But I don't get down at the post office box every day, and so if you're trying to reach us in a hurry, I suggest that you do so through one of those other three methods. With that, I want to tell you that our next meeting, however, will be on January the 17th, weather permitting. And I am still working on a speaker for that meeting. We hope to invite back Todd Wilson, who is the director for the DPW. But of course, being January, sometimes weather events happen. So but as I said, the speaker will be announced, and again you can reach us through or see on the Facebook page who our speaker is going to be. With that, I am going to ask if there is anyone that has an event coming up in their neighborhood that they would like for other people to know about. Our next big community event is on Saturday, December the 6th. It's Christmas in Wanamaker, one of the main streets that goes through the township. There'll be a parade at 1 o'clock. It is from 10 to 3 vendors and craftsmen and community organizations from all over the township and beyond. We'll be there too for people to come and enjoy some holiday activities and craftsmanship and booths where you can do some great Christmas shopping. There'll be pictures with Santa, and as I said, there's a parade at 1 o'clock. Also in Franklin Township, we are currently having our community Christmas drive, which is now 44 years old, or 54 years old, where we um collect new clothing and toys and food for families in the township that are facing some challenges so that we can provide some support from them for the holiday. And if you want to find out what you can do to help with that Christmas drive or make a donation, you can reach us through our Civic League website, which is FTCivic Lead.org. Having said that, if there's nothing else, uh Pat, sorry. Um well, happy holidays, everyone. I don't know why petitioners always seem to take the worst um uh impact uh petitions and voiced them on us during the holidays, but that is what we're dealing with in Decatur Township.

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