Council easily passes mayor’s $580K strategy to fight food insecurity
The Indianapolis City-County Council on Monday voted 20-4 to approve Mayor Joe Hogsett’s plan to “test strategies” to combat food insecurity in Indianapolis.
The Indianapolis City-County Council on Monday voted 20-4 to approve Mayor Joe Hogsett’s plan to “test strategies” to combat food insecurity in Indianapolis.
Republican mayoral candidate state Sen. Jim Merritt on Thursday criticized Mayor Joe Hogsett’s plan to spend about $580,000 on programs to combat food insecurity in Indianapolis and said it “will likely make the problem worse.”
State Sen. Jim Merritt, a Republican running against Mayor Joe Hogsett in this year’s mayoral election, accused Hogsett of “purposely inflating” the number of blighted properties his administration had “improved” in Indianapolis.
City officials said the area is primed for redevelopment, especially after being designated a Lift Indy neighborhood, which means the city will direct about $4 million in investments to the area over three years.
The Indianapolis City-County Council’s public works committee on Thursday unanimously approved a plan to spend about $8 million in returned local option income tax dollars.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s new initiatives to combat food insecurity were advanced by a vote at an Indianapolis City-County Council committee Wednesday. The overall plan involves spending $580,000 on four programs.
Stephen Clay was persona on grata on the council after being expelled from the Democratic caucus for a leadership coup in 2018.
The Indianapolis City-County Council on Monday overwhelmingly approved proposals to help fund the Capital Improvement Board’s long-term strategic plan, including chipping in $270 million to help fund a massive overhaul of Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The 254-unit Nora Pines would be renamed but remain affordable housing. TWG Development is asking the city to issue $17.6 million in bonds for the project, which the developer would be responsible for repaying.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett outlined plans to tackle food insecurity in his state of the city address, stating that he would soon submit to the Indianapolis City-County Council a “significant investment for programming.”
The mayor’s office says the strategy is a way to meet the city’s growing infrastructure needs—which amount to $160 million per year—without raising taxes. But the proposal would create winners and losers among area counties, even as it addresses what’s considered a regional problem.
The city of Indianapolis has called the 19-acre property southeast of the intersection of 42nd Street and Post Road a “threat to public health, safety and welfare.”
Eight 0f 25 city-county councilors won’t be on the ballot this fall. And five members elected in 2015 have since resigned, retired or been promoted to higher office.
City of Indianapolis officials voted overwhelmingly this week to authorize the creation of a flood control improvement district in the area between the White River and the Central Canal, which would help fund the construction of a new levee along the White River.
The project, known as Block 20, consists of developments on two sites near Mass Ave and is estimated to cost $40 million.
Lyft, the San-Francisco-based ride-sharing company, has plans to deploy as many as 1,200 scooters in Indianapolis after receiving final approval from the city Thursday.
The often-bipartisan Indianapolis City-County Council cast a rare politically divided vote Monday night on a proposal that would, among other things, spend nearly $850,000 to buy new vehicles for city employees.
The city has approved a scooter license for Spin, which was acquired in November by Ford for upwards of $100 million and is planning to launch in 100 other cities.
The council voted 19-6 to approve Lilly’s request, which is tied to the firm’s pledge to spend $91 million on a building at its Lilly Technology Center that will house the company’s biosynthetic human insulin production operations
The council’s Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee voted unanimously to approve the creation of the two new tax-increment financing districts.