Hello neighbors,
Before we begin, I’d like to take a moment to share this Current In Carmel article, along with an invitation to attend the Interfaith Banquet on April 6th where I will be honored as the Center for Interfaith Cooperation’s 2025 Interfaith Ambassador of the year! Learn more about the event and purchase tickets on their website.
Below you’ll find my updates and thoughts on this month’s City Council meeting. Take a look to stay informed on what’s happening in our city.
Carmel Fire Department Special Meeting 3/3/25
Carmel Fire Chief Joel Thacker presented the Fire Department’s 2024 data. He took us through an in-depth analysis of the number of calls and run times. He wants Carmel to continue to be a leader not just in Indiana, but also the country. As our city has grown, the fire department is being stretched; we have long known that we could fall below national standards if we don’t keep up with the personnel and equipment needed to ensure low response times. We need a new fire station to keep Carmel safe. As your West Side representative, I will advocate fiercely for this fire station, which I believe is long overdue, to be built and staffed as soon as possible. This will absolutely save lives!
City Council Meeting Updates 3/3/25
Mayoral Comments
Deputy Mayor & fourth grader Shravan Santhosh joined us to report on the success of the She L.E.A.D.S women’s professional empowerment conference. He also discussed the first meeting of the Carmel Benefit Committee, which aims to form partnerships that enhance the city.
Shravan let us know that the city is preparing for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in May, which will also celebrate a 30-year relationship with our Japanese sister city, Kawachinagano. A delegation from Kawachinagano will attend the rededication of our Japanese Garden during the event. I’m looking forward to seeing you all there!
Mayor Finkham has also spoken with Mayor Luciano Meoni of our sister city, Cortona, Italy, about sharing ideas and developing arts and culture. Finally, Deputy Mayor Shravan told us that Mayor Finkham is working with state lawmakers on property tax relief for homeowners. Thanks, Shravan!
Carmel Redevelopment Commission
Director Henry Mestetsky shared a quick update on current projects. Progress is steady on all developments! Some locations are pouring the foundation, while others are already leasing condos and retail space.
Economic Development Commission Biannual Report
Jeff Maurer, Council appointee on the Commission, reported that the Council approved $19 million in bonds for one of the development projects, the Proscenium III.
Resolutions & Ordinances
Reading of Ordinance D-2762-25
Remains in Land Use & Special Studies Committee
This would establish 15-minute parking space(s) at the beginning of each block along Main Street from Knoll Ct to 1st Ave SE, regulate parking on Range Line from Main Street to 1st Street, and remove inconsistencies and duplications of code
Resolution CC-02-03-25-07
Remains in Land Use & Special Studies Committee
This amendment would address the safety and security of Carmel citizens as it relates to group homes in residential areas
City legal has been working hard, and the Committee feels they can start progressing on this project at this weeks meeting
Resolution CC-02-17-25-01
Returns from Land Use & Special Studies Committee with a unanimous negative recommendation
This resolution refers to a list of several properties, including private homes, that the City of Carmel is interested in purchasing
Land use committee made the negative recommendation not because the intent of the resolution is bad, but because the scope of the list was too large. Councilor Snyder suggested narrowing down the list of several properties to just four.
These four were chosen because there are active plans on what to do with them. The plans include:
Making room for a roundabout and future park
Creating a new trailhead
Expanding Veteran’s Trail and Veteran’s Park
The Land Use Committee would return to the other properties at a later date
Jeremy Cashman, Chief Infrastructure Officer, said that this will allow him to be more transparent when approaching the Council with development plans
First Reading of Ordinance Z-696-25
Approved
This would rezone Jackson’s Grant Village to allow for a few more townhomes than previously planned. These are the same models of townhomes that have already been approved
First Reading of Ordinance D-2761-25
Approved
This ordinance would allow the Police Department to appropriate funds from forfeiture and seizures, already allocated for CPD, for the Law Enforcement Aid Fund
First Reading of Ordinance D-2764-25
Approved
This ordinance will appropriate $108,000 to increase the salaries of two City attorneys, as discussed in the last Common Council meeting.
This would cover not just their salary increases but FICA, worker’s comp, and other costs associated with payroll
First Reading of Ordinance D-2765-25
Approved
This ordinance refers to $1,067,420, initially earmarked for street repaving, to be appropriated to repair damages done to an overpass
Last year, a truck hit the overpass on 106th and Keystone, resulting in $1 million in damages. To be reimbursed by the insurance company, the city needs to fix the damages first
Once reimbursed, the funds will return to the general fund so that it can support street repaving costs, which it was originally earmarked for
I was happy to be reassured that the city will be reimbursed for this expense from the insurance company of the vehicle who caused the damage and that we have substantial legal grounds to pursue a case if we are not reimbursed
Besides fixing the damages, the team will also make certain parts of the bridge higher to make sure another accident like this doesn’t happen again.
The Council also approved an amendment to the language of the ordinance that would make clear that reimbursements would be directed to their funds of origin
First Reading of Ordinance D-2767-25
Sent to the Finance Committee
This is an amendment to the ordinance regulating the Ambulance Capital Fund.
Council Snyder suggested that the Finance Committee review this ordinance for several reasons, such as:
As it stands, Carmel charges among the lowest ambulance rates in the state. He’s interested in seeing if raising rates would make financial sense
Making sure that debt-collectors don’t hound people who do not have insurance and cannot pay
I’m looking forward to acting as a resource as a medical professional who understands the complicated ins and outs of medical billing!
Land Use Committee Meeting 3/5/25
A great majority of the meeting was spent discussing the importance of rules and expectations regarding Group Homes in Carmel. The importance of ensuring that any group home is safe and secure for the residents that may be living there is the singularly most important driving force for creating appropriate ordinances here. More to come as we continue to discuss. The rest of the meeting was discussing the importance of providing the council an opportunity to be briefed on developer projects before they go to the planning commission for a full review. This will also continue to be discussed at future meetings. The review of the UDO continues.
Exciting Things Are Happening in Carmel!
Sensory Day on 3/8 at 11am to 1pm. Come on down to Midtown Plaza for snacks, free giveaways and activities, and a family-friendly movie!
I’m forever amazed by the hardworking, brilliant people who give their all to make sure Carmel continues to be the best place to live in the country! In this one short snapshot, you can read that the Council discussed massive redevelopment projects, international exchange, expansions of public trails, new parks, and plans to make Carmel residents safer and more secure. But, all of those plans only account for a small portion of the new and exciting things happening here. To learn more about what the City has to offer, and what your public servants are working on, I urge you to check out this page on the City website. From Parks and Recreation to sustainability initiatives to information about our roundabouts, exploring this page is a great way to get acquainted with what’s happening in Carmel.
Caring for Carmel,
Anita Joshi, MD
If you have a fifth grade Carmel student who would like to give the mayoral update at a council meeting 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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