Carmel is Ready for the Holidays!
- Anita Joshi
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
Hello neighbors,
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family and friends, delicious food, and, hopefully, relaxation. This time of year makes me so grateful to be part of a true community, where neighbors actually take the time to get to know each other and lend a helping hand when needed.
I want to extend an invitation to all of you to attend and give feedback at our Land Use Committee meetings which take place every other Wednesday at the Carmel Clay Library in the board room on the second floor at 5:30 pm. We will be discussing the U.S. 31 Subarea Plan and we need your help! The next meeting is December 3.
As always, you can watch the entire City Council meeting here.
CITY COUNCIL MEETING UPDATES
Mayoral Comments
Deputy Mayor Nithi Vadadi, a 6th grader at Clay, gave us an update on Mayor Finkam’s activities. Including:
In collaboration with Parks and Recreation, she unveiled Carmel’s first “Happy to Chat” benches. Residents and visitors are encouraged to take a seat, start a conversation, and help make Carmel an even friendlier place, one chat at a time.
The Christkrindlmarkt ice skating rink is more accessible than ever; an aid is always there to assist skaters who need it.
Santa Tours have begun! From 5 pm to 8 pm on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, you can see Santa and friends bringing holiday magic. View the full schedule here.
Carmel is home to two “Light of the World Giving Machines,” a vending machine that allows you to give to those in need. They are featuring a local organization, the Carmel Youth Assistance Program. There are two locations:
One located between the Hotel Carmichael and the Payne & Mencias Palladium along the Monon Greenway.
And another is near Pies and Pints in the Clay Terrace Mall.
Land Use Committee
The Land Use committee will discuss the U.S. 31 Subarea plan and Ordinance Z-702-25 (see below) at the Carmel Clay Library in the board room on the second floor on Wednesday at 5:30 pm.
Carmel Redevelopment Commission
Progress is going well on our redevelopment projects, plus two new restaurants are open. Go check out:
There is some confusion about who can set the Redevelopment Commission's meeting times, but the important thing is that they remain consistent and accessible.
You can learn more about how to attend a meeting from their webpage.
Public Hearings
Ordinance D-2800-25
Approved
This ordinance appropriates funds to cover costs within the Local Road and Street Fund.
This will fund ditch and sidewalk projects in the Allman and Newark neighborhoods.
Ordinance D-2801-25
Approved
This ordinance appropriates funds from the 2024 General Obligation Bond Fund to support the remaining 2025 bond payment. As part of the adopted 2025 City of Carmel Budget, appropriations for the 2024 General Obligation Bond Fund were adopted at $2,694,294.00. Following the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) review and certification, the appropriation for this fund was reduced to $2,435,313.00.
After the Council approves the budget, the Finance Department sends it to the DLGF for review and certification. They suggested lowering it to this amount to be more accurate.
Ordinance Z-702-25
Sent to Land Use Committee
This ordinance amends the filing fees in Article 1, Section 1.29 of the UDO.
Mike Hollibaugh, director of Community Services, informed us about this ordinance.
It will increase the base fees for permitting, filing, inspection, application, and other fees that haven’t been updated for some time.
There are also adding services, permits, and inspections.
New Business
Resolution CC-12-01-25-01
Approved
This resolution transfers $429,272.00 from the Grant Fund into the Local Road and Street Fund.
Resolution CC-12-01-25-02
Approved
This resolution transfers $49,000.00 within the Engineering Department Fund.
Resolution CC-12-01-25-03
Approved
This resolution transfers $6,800.00 within the Redevelopment Department Budget.
This is related to the city’s recent salary study. This covers the cost for one employee to move up a grade, as well as the cost for a second-language pay bump.
Resolution CC-12-01-25-04
Sent to Land Use Committee
This resolution amends the Carmel Comprehensive Plan to incorporate a new subarea plan for the Home Place area and to make associated revisions to the menu of Street Typologies, the Thoroughfare Plan map, and the Mobility and Pedestrian Plan map.
Though Home Place is not a vast redevelopment opportunity, there is a lot of interest in building out this area.
This plan will help the city strengthen policies and provide clear guidance to potential developers.
The goal is to foster more places for neighbors to gather.
Learn more about the Home Place area plan.
Resolution CC-12-01-25-05
Held at the dais
This ordinance transfers $258,991.00 from the General Fund into the 2024 General Obligation Bond Fund.
Ordinance D-2804-25
Approved
An ordinance amending and clarifying requirements of Chapter 4, Article 6 of the Carmel City Code relating to the residential rental dwelling registration and permit program.
We are postponing the deadline for permits for the rental ordinance by a month to accommodate HOH approvals and other unforeseen issues.
Events Around Carmel
The Christkindlmarkt is open Wednesday through Sunday until Christmas Eve. Come and enjoy live music, ice skating, festive food, and more.
Join us this season at the International Winter Festival on Friday, December 12, at Carmel City Hall. Go on a walk through trees that represent each one of our sister cities.
Visit the Carmel Winter Farmers Market every Saturday from 9 am to 12 pm.
Enjoy seasonal lights on the Monon every day from November 22 to December 31.
Thank you all for reading this recap, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions.
Caring for Carmel,
Dr. Anita Joshi
If you have a fifth grade Carmel student who would like to give the mayoral update at a council meeting next year please reach out to me and I will be happy to put your student's name forward.
As always if you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please reach out to me. I’m always here to listen and advocate for you. If you wish to review the details of our city meeting, the recording is available here, and the meeting agenda is available here! If you’d like to attend a City Council meeting, committee hearing, or other council events, please visit our website for the calendar!
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