How Indy councilors are using $27 million in new spending

INDIANAPOLIS (MIRROR INDY) — Indy’s residential streets and parks are about to see some improvements.

That’s because the City-County Council approved $27.2 million in new spending, the money for which comes from supplemental income tax revenue. The decision came during a July 7 council meeting.

The lion’s share of the funding — $13 million — will go to the Department of Public Works to support road, infrastructure and stormwater improvements.

Some of the road funding includes $8 million for improvements to residential streets and $500,000 to make stormwater improvements to Washington Street as part of the construction of IndyGo’s Blue Line.

Meanwhile, $2 million in parks funding will go toward landscaping services at 33 parks, along with upgrades to basketball, tennis and pickleball courts across 28 parks. The money will also help pay for facility and fixture upgrades, including the HVAC system at the Garfield Park Conservatory.

Other funding will support a range of priorities from councilors and the Hogsett administration.

“Tonight, the City-County Council passed a fiscal package containing millions of new dollars set to be invested in improving our roads and public spaces, preventing crime and violence and strengthening our neighborhoods,” Mayor Joe Hogsett said in a statement July 7. “I’d like to thank the members of the City-County Council and my administration who worked together to fund projects and initiatives that are meaningful for Indianapolis residents.”

Here’s what else is in the package.

Snow removal

Councilors approved $2 million to purchase trucks for snow plowing and street repair.

They also approved an additional $2 million to hire contractors to remove snow from residential streets, which appears to be a reaction to the city’s bungled response to a January storm that left many side streets unplowed for weeks.

The Hogsett administration’s decision not to plow residential streets led to a change in the city’s snow removal policy, which now calls for DPW to plow all city streets if snow totals reach more than 4 inches.

Homeowner repairs

As part of its commitment to housing security, the Hogsett administration is allocating $2 million to the city’s Homeowner Repair Program.

The money can be used for everything from making repairs to foundations and HVAC systems to replacing appliances and improving sidewalks and entryways.

To be eligible for the program, residents must own their home and count it as their primary residence; be current on mortgage payments; be current on property tax payments; and meet income qualifications, which scale depending on the size of the household. The exact qualifications are listed online.

Crime prevention

The Office of Public Health and Safety is getting another $2 million to support crime prevention grants, but the funding comes with strings attached.

At the request of Republicans, the department is being asked to provide a detailed scope of work on the city’s Elevation Grant Program, which funds community-based organizations working to address the root causes of violent crime.

Republicans have expressed interest in learning more about how the dollars are being spent and whether they are yielding results.

Mayor Joe Hogsett created the Office of Public Health and Safety in 2017 to act as the coordinating agency for his violent crime reduction strategies and criminal justice reform efforts. The department also took over other functions that had been part of the now-dissolved Department of Public Safety.

Urban forest preservation

Indy’s most vocal defenders of urban forests have been a staple at recent City-County Council meetings. Those efforts appear to have paid off.

Following demands from groups like Forests for Indy, councilors agreed to allocate $1 million to urban forest acquisition, though it’s unclear which forests will be targeted for conservation.

City Controller Abby Hanson said in a May committee hearing that DPW will work with councilors to determine how the money will be spent.

Childhood literacy

The Circle City Readers tutoring program will receive an additional $600,000.

The program, launched in early 2023 with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, is intended to improve literacy rates among students in Indianapolis.

In the most recent school year, the program tutored more than 500 kindergarten through third grade students.

Advocates for the program say it has produced results. About 64% of Circle City third-graders passed the reading exam in the spring, up from 60% the previous year, according to WFYI.

Vision Zero

The package includes $500,000 to implement safety improvements recommended by the city’s Fatal Crash Review Team, supporting the overall efforts of the city’s Vision Zero initiative.

The team makes recommendations for improving dangerous intersections in support of the city’s “Complete Streets” policy, which defines a complete street as one that allows for safe access for all users.

Indy DPW is still working to design and price out projects, Hanson said.

Cultural districts

The city will spend $500,000 to support current and new cultural districts, which are designed to promote public art and market the city as a cultural destination.

Indy has seven designated cultural districts: Broad Ripple Village, White River State Park and the Canal, Fountain Square, Indiana Avenue, Market East, Mass Ave and the Wholesale District.

Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.

Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.

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