OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

McCanna Neighborhood Alliance Meeting with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful - June 23, 2026

Other Meetings (J-Z) — Tuesday, June 23, 2026
BodyIndianapolis, Indiana
SessionOther Meetings (J-Z)
DateTuesday, June 23, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:09:52
Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Okay, well let's go ahead and get started.

0:02

It is 902, so we're running late.

0:06

I'm Pat Andrews.

0:08

I'm a director of the Canada from the Cater Township.

0:11

I was out of the corner.

0:13

And Kathy is still under the weather, so um you again have the B team here.

0:21

And I'm gonna continue to do my best.

0:24

The first thing is any community community announcements, Alma or Jim?

0:31

No.

0:32

We've got uh fundraiser on the 31st hatch.

0:41

NESCO.

0:42

NESCO, is that Tuesday?

0:45

I think it's uh Thursday or Friday.

0:48

Oh, could be sorry, I'm not really quite sure of the date.

0:53

But the 30th.

0:55

Yeah.

0:57

It's the 30th.

0:58

I think it's a Thursday.

1:00

Okay, and what how do people register?

1:03

They just show up.

1:04

Yeah, they show up.

1:05

They say they're they're from NESCO, and you get a chunk of the profits.

1:11

Oh, okay.

1:13

So it's uh you you buy food and either eat it there or take it home?

1:18

Yeah, you can either eat it there or take it home.

1:22

You want to give the general uh location?

1:25

Name again, New York and State Street.

1:30

Did you say it was Prada?

1:33

La Prague.

1:36

Okay, anything else?

1:38

You guys always have stuff going on this summer.

1:41

Okay, that's that's it right now.

1:42

Well, we've got our uh IMPD East District Community Day on Tuesday the 7th, July 7th.

1:57

Uh Brookside Park.

1:59

Okay, excellent.

2:01

Well, you know, we have National Night Apple coming up on August 4th all over the city.

2:06

Uh, but the one I attend is in Washington Park and it's from 6th until 9, I think, on August 4th.

2:15

Okay, great.

2:17

And most of the stuff out there is free.

2:19

You know, they normally have like health screening, you know, the health department out there, and a lot of things for the kids to do, a lot of drawings and rambles and stuff like that.

2:33

Wow.

2:34

It's it's usually one of the parking is usually the biggest one.

2:38

It's huge.

2:39

I mean, people show up, you know, so thank you.

2:46

I see Julie, any uh community announcements, next weekend and wine maker is the annual community festival.

3:02

Cool.

3:03

Next Saturday, night three.

3:08

Yeah, and car show and food.

3:13

Is that the settlers day?

3:14

Yeah, yeah.

3:16

Cool.

3:17

Okay, and um I'll just note that uh on this is it's kind of it's of community interest.

3:24

The um Metropolitan Development Commission on July 3rd is at this point scheduled to vote on the July 1st.

3:36

Sorry, thanks.

3:36

It's a Wednesday, Wednesday, July 1st, then is scheduled to um vote on the what is currently a draft ordinance for data centers.

3:50

So that's at one, it should be a public hearing.

3:53

So folks who have an interest in data centers one way or the other are always uh encouraged to show up and speak up.

4:01

Um so at that point, um assuming that they pass the draft, then it would go to City County Council as the next step.

4:11

So and that same meeting, the Warren Township Easy Blocks Data Center, that's right.

4:20

That's right.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Environmental Protection█████████████████████████████████████████████53%
Community Engagement███████████████████████27%
Parks and Recreation███████8%
Procedural███4%
Youth Programs███4%
Public Safety██2%
Workforce Development██2%
Summary of Proceedings

McCanna Neighborhood Alliance Meeting with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful - June 23, 2026

The McCanna (Marion County Neighborhood Alliance) met on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 9:02 AM at North United Methodist Church (38th and Meridian). The meeting featured a presentation from Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) covering their programs, 50th anniversary, and capital campaign. Community announcements included upcoming events and a reminder about the Metropolitan Development Commission vote on data centers.

Community Announcements

  • A fundraiser at NESCO (New York and State Street) is scheduled for Thursday, June 30.
  • IMPD East District Community Day will be held on Tuesday, July 7, at Brookside Park.
  • National Night Out is set for August 4 at Washington Park, 6–9 PM.
  • The annual community festival (Settlers Day) takes place next Saturday, June 27, featuring a car show and food.
  • The Metropolitan Development Commission is scheduled to vote on a draft ordinance for data centers on Wednesday, July 1, at 1 PM, with a public hearing. The Warren Township Easy Blocks Data Center appeal (filed by the curving community council) will also be considered.

Presentation: Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB)

  • Mal Chamberlain (Manager of Community Engagement) and Jeremy Kranowitz (CEO) presented.
  • KIB is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit and the largest affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, with 36 staff and ~400 projects annually.
  • Key statistics: collects nearly 1 million pounds of litter per year, plants around 3,000 trees per year.
  • Programs include:
    • Adopt-a-Block: residents adopt a block and clean it at least once a quarter; KIB provides tools.
    • Great Indy Cleanup: neighborhoods can request a dumpster truck and supplies for a community cleanup (April–October).
    • Clean Waterways: dedicated manager supports five waterway committees.
    • Plogging: jogging while picking up litter, often hosted at breweries.
    • Keys to Work: hired crews clean 22 busy thoroughfares (e.g., 38th Street saw 6 tons of litter initially; subsequent cleanups show improvement).
    • Habitat Restoration: removes invasive species (e.g., Asian honeysuckle) and replants native plants.
    • Community Forestry: plants free trees in the public right-of-way (first 5–6 feet of lawn or tree lawn). Trees are maintained for three years (watering, mulching, pruning). Neighbors can choose species from a menu.
    • Project Green Space: converts underutilized or vacant lots into community green spaces (66 across the city, typically under 0.5 acre). Applications open in 2027.
  • Youth workforce development:
    • Youth Tree Team: 60 high school students (age 14+), paid $13/hour, 20 hours/week, lunch provided, bus passes available.
    • Urban Naturalist: 14 college‐age participants, paid $17/hour, 30–40 hours/week.
    • Both programs include enrichment (budgeting, financial wellness) and certifications for green‐collar careers.
  • 50th anniversary capital campaign: upgrades to existing green spaces and three large new spaces (bike safety course on West 29th Street, P30 community center on east side).
  • Research cited: converting vacant lots to green spaces correlates with a 12% reduction in violent crime (half‐mile radius) and improvements in lung, heart, and mental health (University of Louisville).
  • Funding sources: city contract with DPW, corporate sponsors (Citizens Energy, AES Indiana), foundations (Lilly Endowment), and individual donations.
  • KIB does not advocate for legislation or ordinances; they referred tree preservation advocacy to the Hoosier Environmental Council.

Discussion

  • Attendees asked about honeysuckle removal; KIB offered resources and contact information for their habitat restoration team.
  • Questions about vacant lot ownership: KIB requires clear ownership and long‐term commitment (e.g., churches or community organizations). They cited a past failed project due to landlord issues.
  • Tree relocation: possible but survival rates drop; KIB sometimes audits large planting projects (e.g., North Split).
  • KIB can provide advice on landscaping and native plants (e.g., for small businesses or churches).
  • A question about a 10‐foot median and tree evaluation: KIB offered to help audit if contacted.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes were taken.
  • McCanna encouraged members to attend the July 1 MDC public hearing on data centers.
  • KIB representatives offered to speak at neighborhood association meetings and accept requests for trees, green spaces, and cleanups.
  • Contact: Mal Chamberlain, mchamberlin@kibi.org, 574-383-0024; website www.kibi.org.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, well let's go ahead and get started. It is 902, so we're running late. I'm Pat Andrews. I'm a director of the Canada from the Cater Township. I was out of the corner. And Kathy is still under the weather, so um you again have the B team here. And I'm gonna continue to do my best. The first thing is any community community announcements, Alma or Jim? No. We've got uh fundraiser on the 31st hatch. NESCO. NESCO, is that Tuesday? I think it's uh Thursday or Friday. Oh, could be sorry, I'm not really quite sure of the date. But the 30th. Yeah. It's the 30th. I think it's a Thursday. Okay, and what how do people register? They just show up. Yeah, they show up. They say they're they're from NESCO, and you get a chunk of the profits. Oh, okay. So it's uh you you buy food and either eat it there or take it home? Yeah, you can either eat it there or take it home. You want to give the general uh location? Name again, New York and State Street. Did you say it was Prada? La Prague. Okay, anything else? You guys always have stuff going on this summer. Okay, that's that's it right now. Well, we've got our uh IMPD East District Community Day on Tuesday the 7th, July 7th. Uh Brookside Park. Okay, excellent. Well, you know, we have National Night Apple coming up on August 4th all over the city. Uh, but the one I attend is in Washington Park and it's from 6th until 9, I think, on August 4th. Okay, great. And most of the stuff out there is free. You know, they normally have like health screening, you know, the health department out there, and a lot of things for the kids to do, a lot of drawings and rambles and stuff like that. Wow. It's it's usually one of the parking is usually the biggest one. It's huge. I mean, people show up, you know, so thank you. I see Julie, any uh community announcements, next weekend and wine maker is the annual community festival. Cool. Next Saturday, night three. Yeah, and car show and food. Is that the settlers day? Yeah, yeah.

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