go. Okay. Where we have reached a 5.30 so we can bring the Environmental Sustainability Committee to order. For our APRIL Let me start on the right and ask passengers introduce themselves. Thank you, MISTER Chair the crop. That's for thank you, MR. Chaired up a for cause District. 6. He didn't remember anything else in District 14. Thank you, MR. Chaired Jesse Brown District 13. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN Preand Illini District 2 in the North side. Left. Thank you. MISTER Chair Michael Partners or 20. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, thanks for the opportunity to sit in tonight. Then boost district 3. And I'm John Barth chaired the committee. So we have 3 items all of I think are really interesting. And one of them is a follow up 20 24. So we'll get to that here in a minute. Let's start with initiatives
on environmental sustainability for a bit. Turn it over to our friends from Lake o I'll say the how this number as a reminder to members of the committee, anyone watching we've focus this year spending some time at the beginning of each meeting, making sure we are acknowledging some of the great work that's going on by some of our. Partners in the city. Are are companies and universities and nonprofits. And heard some great information and some impressive work being done. I have been praising a link, has worked on percent forward. Percent from I wrote it. In percent for neighborhood percent our favorites. You have all of our favorite.
Thank you they had they took initiative and have a really impressive piece of public art that will be presented when their new building goes live. That really was put together in a very thoughtful and creative way and really represents or of what they're trying to with the building. And that led to a whole discussion what they Thinking about environmental sustainability in general. And so I asked him to come and present today and so we can turn over to representative from Blanco who is a former leader here and city government. You always does. Incredibly good job. And and let's just go ahead and give her some recognition for the hard work she did during lockdown during the pandemic. Really impressive work pulling together all the federal. Regulatory work and resources and so did the other for us very nicely socially it
McKenzie some some gratitude for that. And she's now working with Lincoln here to talk to us about their work. So thank you that seconds and turned over to you, MR. CHAIRMAN, quite the introduction. Thanks so much. Mckenzie Higgins representing Elanco animal Health. It's really a pleasure to be here. I was joking when I came in with the sheriff's deputy and said I hope it's like riding bikes been a while since I've been that committee. So it's been a lot of time in this room and happy to be back in front of you representing a I'm going walk through a couple images and talk about what we're doing with our new headquarter. Build out first. I gotta say we're really, really excited to be moving into downtown and incredibly honored to be able to be new residents in the Valley neighborhood it's really a monumental occasion to be able
to pull down town across the river. And I will just say as a resident of hillside, I'm incredibly excited to be in the Valley neighborhood in the very near future. And so as we putting together headquarter project, it was really important that we onto the space that we are building and really ensure that we were taking an intentional approach and thinking over the next 25 50 and 100 years for the company. For us. That meant making sure that we incorporated the White River and and into our design. And really you'll see water being a theme throughout. Most of you probably are aware there's a significant history with the river in the valley. There is a significant flooding event in 1913. Part of why it's
called the Valley and really the river has been somewhat of a barrier for them for many years. And so. Trying to take that turn on its head. You'll see this picture is actually from the backside of the building looking looking into downtown the front of the building faces in France, the river. One thing the building is leed certified I can talk some about, you know, the natural light, cetera, and the focus on human wellness. But water was the primary driver conservation of water. So you can see that word. The office starts up a bit on a podium that is their partners. A parking structure built underneath the office building to be able to prevent flooding if there was a 500 year flood
event. Additionally, there's a significant amount of native plantings that are throughout the campus. This is too help with storm water irrigation and sure the quality of water runoff into the river is is irrigated through natural means. This team around water continues public art piece that will sit in the front of the building. This is on the North. West corner of the intersection of Henri and the really reposition White River Parkway. This called water injecting river and you can see the quotes and themes around water that were the motivation behind the piece it's a bit challenging in this
to get a sense of scale, but it is very tall. Can promise you that so that just speaks a little bit about the building, how we're thinking about it, how we're thinking about honoring the neighborhood that we're going to be residents and and we couldn't be. We're excited to do it. So with that, I wanted to keep it brief. I'm happy to answer any questions. And open it to the to the committee. Any questions from members of committee. But around. Thank you very much. And yet it's a beautiful looking headquarters. If you talk at all about did you face any barriers to making something beautiful flight planning for a 500 year flood? Like I imagine there are at least like some elements of
corporate leadership are like, how much does that cost, you know, as the impact, the bottom line, how did how were you able to like end up with such a good results? Like what was that internal process like this really started with our our leader, Jeff Simmons Co said out a vision. When we were doing that, I was not with the company when we chose our relocation site, but I have Lent since joining the company a bit about what that process was like in year when they currently headquarters in Greenfield, primarily surrounded by farmland we're considering other alternative locations. We could have you know, corporate office partner. There are lots of choices that could have been made and he really was committed to creating. Not just ahead quarter, but a destination and
ensuring that the concept of a 5 minute walk will neighborhood and all of those elements of urban living were incorporated around the site. And so for him, there wasn't a ton of then seemed to do the right thing on behalf of the neighborhood because it was a position he took early-on. And I think the direction that you see and outcomes of all of that is really a trickle down from that initial vision setting. Had. Possibly. I think it's a much come. Other questions. Conservative. His Thank you, MISTER CHAIRMAN and thank you, Mackenzie, good to see you. Get to see Couple aspects. Is there much solar if any involved in ou recapturing the rain water from the structure? So there's a ton of I'm going to start with the rain water part of
it. There's a ton of storm water infrastructure, particularly along Henry Street that essentially serves as that capture mechanism not to be I don't think are utilized within the building but to prevent runoff and as you all are aware and neighborhood, there's often flooding, cetera. And so the way the green infrastructure is built, there's a quite you can kind of see it actually right behind the art piece. There's the trees that Walker that got run alongside the building is actually trees, then a green area, then a large sidewalk. Then the roads with green infrastructure in the middle of the median. So there's all of this intentional building in order to capture and gay, rain, water when it occurs. And that again is to prevent runoff and spillage into the river accident. We also have the new
White River State Park expansion that will be in our front yard. So it's really going to be emphasizing all of the natural storm, water infrastructure as a pose and we will obviously still have citizens, energy storm water. But hopefully not in that country much to it. And to be frank, I am not positive if there's solar on the building or but I am happy to follow up with that. I'm going for you. Is there any underground storage in the water structures or is it all being? Irrigated through green, seeing some sort of it is through the Green sings. I know that there and they is some sort of sustainable piping internally within the building. I'm not an engineer. Those use it to it out of the city. Sometimes I played one, I'm not exactly sure what that
means from a technical perspective. But I know that the but they got to the building. I don't have pictures of those are also environmental oriented to in order to get our leed certification. Thank about it. Yeah. Happy to be here. Great question about the storm water just for the committee's knowledge, planning a future meeting to talk more about climate change in the intensity of the storms we've been getting that's not going to change in the future. But I'm sure every dancer here has been dealing with downed trees and people complaining about concerns about the water pooling in The vw. As we recall, we put money in their budget be able to respond to But his last few weeks in
spring storms that really demonstrated how that's a critical issue pressing. We need to continue your preparation for it. On the innovation district, its hands, the since your is I think the founding and team there right with coming right on your heels are with you setting this stage of the lead building, thinking carefully about the environmental impact thoughtfully sort of integrating the visualization of the public art with the history of the neighborhood in the in the river being something about Do you? No, others who are coming behind, you're going to have the same kind of commitment are using as a lead to start thinking about these things. And and we would like to see a comprehensive approach to the rest of the development of the district so that everything feels cohesive throughout in the master plan that was released in the fall. There's a green belt that actually
goes. There's a U.S. Southern portion of the White River State Park expansion. That is to be determined what ends up happening. But in the master plan, the green belt flows through the site and then up through their remaining parcels so that you would actually have pedestrian passes that was fully like Greene, you know, trees and plantings. And most of those all of those would be natives and attempting recreating habitat. One that the work that we do as a company both the health of animals and health of plants and environment because that's what the animals eat about. 50% of our businesses, farm animals, 50% companion. And one thing we often as Hoosiers forget about is how robust our natural habitat is and how rare it is that we can just grow a vegetable garden and
heat out of every year. So being able to create recreate some of that throughout the district we think is going to be really important for it to feel and look like a place and a place that is welcoming to all types of animals. Any other questions that's going? Being a fairly new counselor at this point. Could you remind us what the site was prior to a coming there and how? It I know you talk a lot about the building, but I'm I'm really need to connect the dots between what was there and what's going to be there. I'm sure there's probably a lot of improvement that's happened. I was able to meet the groundbreaking of the Henry Street Bridge types of stood on the site it shocked me how beautiful it was standing on that side of the river and looking back at the city from over there. It's
like a perspective that he's never really been filmed or photographed probably until now. And so I just will be the talk a little bit more about that. And I wish I had your colleague council Jones here hit it. Does this spill probably better than I ever can, but I will do my best impression. And so the Valley neighborhood has been around since the earliest founding of the city. As I mentioned, there was a famous flood of 1912. It was really an industrial portion of the city always and that have the folks living in and around neighborhood where employees at those industrial sites. That's the history of the neighborhood that was then reinforced with the gm stamping plant. Which was at the time. I believe Chevy
again, don't quote me on that one. But were they were producing part of a car manufacturing that plant close. I believe it was an. 2011 and the site was and cleared. It is that there's a storied history of starts and stops for set. They can Santas just send a formal industrial site. For quite some time. And then when we relocated, they tore down the previous gm Stamping plant facility, the remnants of which are in the wire state park expansion parcel. You can see. And so that is the most recent history of the site. Thank you very much for coming. We appreciate it. And it's great to have you back here. Yeah, you're welcome anytime. Happy to be Thanks so much, Welcome director. Let me let me just
take a moment to praise the new director. Last time we were here, she was acting director and then as she is the director. So director migrant couldn't imagine anyone better and he's p# # # # # . And thank you for taking this on. I know it's a tough job and it's a complicated environment in which to taking on. So we appreciate it. Mentally kind of Thank you. It's my honor. I feel grateful and lucky to be in that position. And we're going you're going to an update on the solid waste. Actions. And but right before snake, something in on you. So this is the announcement of a program that we are conducting called thriving nonprofits. And if you haven't caught on to the theme of the office of Sustainability, we like things to be thriving. South Rive Indianapolis is our city's sustainability and resilience plan thriving buildings as our benchmarking and transparency
ordinance. Thriving nonprofits is a nonprofit granting program where we're partnering with Iff just a local cdfi that has a chapter in Indiana where we are making energy efficiency audits and upgrades in a dollar for dollar match to nonprofit. So they've got to have some skin in the game. We in effect through these implementations. We are further department ising building sectors and saving nonprofits, money. We were allowed this through a they'll drop it contribution. So we are very glad to our philanthropic partners for this. We are going to launch this program. MAY 7 and a press conference at 10:00am Eiteljorg Museum. Those that are we are going to invite all of you. Should you be able to
be there? I know a few of us have already been committed to being a part of our remarks. So thank you for that cause real Those that are interested in getting more information can contact crime, Indianapolis dot com. Going to put this up or contact sustain Indy dot And we will do our best to share that information. Just being that at that press conference is just an opportunity to learn more that it the application will be up shortly after that. And then that will be open to anyone who wants to appoint. Using our opportunity to speak to the world on channel 16 to talk about this particular program. Thank As a listen is exciting. Yes. So now we're going to talk about solid waste. And another theme you might see this evening as we're talking about water and I would say that would make an argument that solid waste has a direct connection to our water quality in that the more
we can do out of at in into ad sustained solid waste stream. The less will end up in our waterways and as litter. So I'm going to make a few notes here, but I also want to add that all of this was exactly as shown from the Public Works Committee last week. So there's nothing new here. I MAY make a few brief frames. One of these has to do with this timeline here, which is beginning solid waste. Minimization study, actually, even before 2021. Starting about 2019 between 2019, 2021. We had a pandemic. So it's slowed us down a little bit. But as you can see, this is a long term project. We are now in the planning stage and then in Twenty-twenty 6, we will the transition to these new solid waste contracts. I'm gonna move pretty quickly through Again, no difference in what was presented at the Public Works Committee last
week. The procurement team, I wanted to call out that after him and Phil Fall ski or incredibly well respected organization within the city out of the Chicago Land area. So we had very we had a wealth of knowledge from the industry leading us through this process the entire way through. And that our team. Did nondisclosure agreements as a part of this We were considering the fairness and just worthiness of this program is paramount. The entire process. Continuing to move swiftly. We from a sustainability side. We certainly and for that emphasized circular economy considerations, public education and economic drivers as the proverbial triple bottom line that we talk about in sustainability, people, planet and profit. If you can't make the argument for either those 3 together, then you're not making a very good argument for initiative,
especially in a state like Indiana. So this checks out on all 3. The other thing I want to call in a tension here is that if you remember about a year ago last year we had a 3 meeting series on solid waste where we put in front of you organizations in the central Indiana region that want the feed stock of recycled material. They want those plastics. They want the aluminum is they want the fibers that being source in central Indiana and not from outside the state, saves them money allows them greater staying power within central Indiana and continues to prove our economy. So there's excellent observation. And and argument for why sourcing that's feedstock in central Indiana is economically viable and advantageous. The disposal in processing here. 3 things
were going to call out. So w m is the recycling contractor Re World formally cove and to it's dedicated, solid waste contractor and the Southside Landfill is going to be the contractor for diverted solid waste and seasonal leaves. Again, no different than was seen at the Public Works Committee last week. A brief on 3 of our contractors, real world, the incineration of our solid waste feeds our steam loop of which in the Indianapolis as one of the largest in the United States. Which powers Miles Square through steam heat. It is a good alternative. Incinerating waste is a good alternative to land filling through energy generation and the regulatory framework. So this is an advantageous system for
Indianapolis. Sounds like land fill it were confident that outside landfill will continue to serve Indianapolis the way it has for many, many years. There's very little change in this particular contract. Wm will be our exclusive processor for recycling commodity materials and will be a part of the. Generation shifting universal Curbside recycling program that will begin in 2028. So there will be a 2 year. Transition between 2026 2028 where we will do all touch on that in a minute. But point to call out is that this universal Curbside program will begin a full transition and 2028. The other thing that's worth noting here is that it is really good for Indy in our region to have a second state of the art, Murph. And that's a commitment the w m has made
as a part of this contract. Trash collection. No change to the districts that you see in. This is how they are presented as current. You'll also note that dpw is maintaining the same districts that it has always maintained. Got a head on my notes here. Only the contractor serving them are the change. Within continuity of service. I just want to call that top line. The key goal to maintain existing services with minimum disruptions and alterations. That is absolutely the goal of Department of Public Works and the Office of Sustainability in supporting them that our constituency and improve service and very few changes disruptions to their existing service. Within recycling and organics. This tends to get a little bit into what our office does or what our likes
to work in. So as I said in 2028, we're going to begin the transition universal curbside. There's a lot of work to do in that 2026. To 2028 years. And so. We hope, but not only will you be partners in this with us. As council members representing your district, but that we can all work really thoughtfully in that coming years that two-year timeline because this transition will require a lot of public education. A lot of very can full, considerate education. And it's going to take all of us rowing in the same direction. Within organics, the office and abilities also being very thoughtful about our approach organics and not displacing the existing organizations that currently are active in
Indianapolis and while also creating room for growth because there is quite a lot of underutilized organics not being diverted. Lakeshore cycling, 2 features to call here. They will have a full time local educator and they had a number of sustainability initiatives and considerations within their applications. So we think those are 2 certainly ways that they will be advantageous for to serve our community. They will be our recycling and trash collection service at the curve where it's not a dpw. To make sense. So so far we've talked about our processors. This is on the falling in or that collection and hauling side. And maybe cfi wants to make a point on
this particular slide. But overall, there are savings for our city and our constituents within these new contracts. And so we surprised and happy to make these contracts in order to see that achievement. Notes from you. For the record chief financial officer for the kind of let know, a guy, this presentation since we presented all this material in debt at the Public Works Committee last week. I think if any, but one wants to go into more depth on That committee covered a lot of ground and I know we have several members that overlap with both committees. That said if there's any specific questions on this or any of the slides that follow here and happy answer any questions on that. Let me jump in effect. Shut. So I've been involved in government contracting for a long time. And one of the patterns, a scene repeated over and over
is someone been low. And then once they start all of a sudden the costs go up and they want to renegotiate. So I'm concerned that. Might have a situation here where are we confident that we're not being penny wise and pound foolish air with that kind of a situation coming down the line. Yeah. Thank you. Council part. That's that's absolutely a good question. And was a primary concern throughout the proposal process. You know, certainly. As we got into the proposal process and we're preparing receive pricing back. We hope that we would see savings, but easily could have seen it go the other way where we saw more expensive proposals just for the same service. So while it was a relief to open it and see very competitive proposals, we received a number of proposals from several different well
qualified companies with competitive pricing. Of course, especially with the company that doesn't currently operate in the Indianapolis market, making sure that we thoroughly vetted their transition plan, the background research that they've done in our community actually having people come out, drive the routes, understand the landscape, think through the different capital investment that would have to be made, make sure that they really done their research was very important, you know, because a lot these corporate decisions are, you know, not laid out there publicly. We can only speculate about some things, but I'm certainly for lrs, as they said at the Board of Public Works when we presented this contract to our board for approval. You know, we are a
very attractive market to do business and by, you know, putting together a competitive proposal by running our business for our residential contract that allows them to expand into our market, presents other opportunities for them. And you know, we're confident that they've done their research, that they can deliver. Ultimately, the contract includes quite a few protections for the city, you know, liquidated damages if they're unable to service all the addresses, they say they can. And so, you these are 10 year contracts the company citing and so, you know, we feel we're adequately protected in the event that they can't deliver. But we're confident that they can based off of the breath of experience, the fact that we
were not going to be their largest contract that currently pick up recycling for about 600,000 units in the city of Chicago. So we're confident they can deliver, but world will make sure that their help to bat. Thank you. That's good answer. Didn't just want question to send their background. They a publicly traded for-profit privately-held letter and the tr they Kurt Good question. They are not a publicly traded company. They are in the top 10 privately held solid waste collection companies and their country in this country, not their country reside in the United And they went into a little bit of background at their board the Board of Works meeting they have access to capital through private equity. Again, they hot. They have. I think. 100 and 25 plus residential communities that currently pick up trash for
spread across 8 different Well, they're not a publicly traded company like some of the really big ones, very large company. They're not. They're not a startup. They've been around for decades and they've been experiencing a lot of communities in the Midwest. Thank It MAY be at the General Assembly, a successful in the end. I sing some Illinois counties will become a different country. We were quite judicious and checking with our peers in other cities that are within them and other vendors to see what their experiences were like in got a wealth of information. Let me go back to your as I jump in here. Presentations. I'm glad. I only have a few more things. One is that the emphasis on a successful program here for us will be. In order have a successful program. The the topics of contamination, keeping it low commodity value program utilization. These are
all things that can fluctuate and really affect the success of the program. And one of the best ways to counteract that will be public education. So that brings me back to we hope we can bring all of our partners around within the beginning of 2026. In into 2027 towards 2028. Toward. Doing as much education and outreach as we possibly can so that we can have a successful program for community. Again, not a lot here. That is different. There will be a slight decrease in 2026. 2027 for currents, recycling subscribers, which is a lovely benefit. Some ways that are transition. As mentioned earlier, this is going from the existing haulers and recycling to lrs. Not a We hope to maintain key services and not see a lot of disruption. And then we've got into questions. Means all asked a question of the
committee just one more question when we did a series in this committee on recycling up for last, we spend a lot of time thinking about how Maintaining a curbside recycling program. Relies heavily on consistent education and you reference that in the bed and that there's an educator by 10, maybe this is work to be done. Many don't have the details yet. But so 2 things strike me. One. The transition to the new vendor coming up just for normal operations. But then for recycling. And 28 Kate, anything you can expand upon their with education planning. Yes. So what we know is that our office, along with dpw are seeking grant funding for existing streams that we've been tracking for the last few years to add as many resources
as possible to that existing effort. What? Because one person in a community of 279,000 households will not suffice in terms of public education, even if we utilize every partner possible. So that's what I can say right now is that we know that Lrs bmw m will both have dedicated folks, maybe not w m's capacity can a solid airily to this market. But with l r s they will and then our office will come along with as many resources possible as we're able to gain within grants and in the last couple years, we've been fairly successful, were bullets. Others areas of the brain cancer. Thank you, MISTER Chair good job the criminals for a special presentation. One question ahead is. Ali. We have move opt-in system repay ends like
the republic where all my it's a get their trash service from. Is this current new contract? Will they opt in to that rule everyone automatically or cycling been? What's the process for that? 2026 to 2027 willing. We will subscription model and then in 2028 it will be part of the regular solid waste services. The same way trashes tips gets a recycling bin for So it's awesome. Everyone that's currently served by the city of Indianapolis in that single family or up to 4 units multifamily. So that's where that's where we draw the line of residential versus commercial. Over 4 units is considered commercial. Even if it is a residential dwelling. That's where we draw the line and solid waste between residential portion. Also about to thank you for
clarifying. Other questions. Ok, I've got a question about has been please chip. Couple quick with nps. Congratulations. Glad that you're the director now so just from employee rights standpoint, I'm a little disappointed. See, we're not expanding what we're doing with the union dpw Labor do we know anything about the projected salaries and benefits from some of these other vendors who are going to be taking over like irs or do we have salary ranges for the contractors comparable at all talk about that. Question we know they're extremely competitive. We know that within the solid waste market, they're usually folks that don't get displaced between contractor contractor handoffs most of the time. There is a seamless transition between those 2 folks. There anything you want to add? A great
question. Obviously, both perspective of fairness to existing workers. I mean, Republic is is not just a contractor with Derby and it's not just a contractor. These partners to the city that we've done business with for a long time. And so making sure that both the existing companies and new companies have a plan to do right by them is important. Both morally. But also we want to make sure our service functions as well as possible. So these are people that are out there driving routes in Indianapolis right now. That know that know the landscape know how to know how to drive those routes officially. So. You know, Al r Us is going to very closely and very hard with existing companies. 2, make sure the options are available for those workers. Obviously, these are private companies that we're not in control of, but we're going to be coordinating very closely
with them to make sure that those opportunities there. Republic w m might choose to realize some of those employees and other markets or you know, they're both still going to have contracts here that they're for commercial clients where other communities in the area. But we imagine a lot of those workers transitioning to the new companies the new company in terms of pay again, don't have access to all of out their private salary information. But our understanding is that their plan will be to be very competitive and very close to what incumbent haulers. Okay. This is not a unique transition. Well, this is unique just 18 plus. It is not even need to transition across United States and. 2 from what we have learned through the deliberation process. This is
very common for follow companies to say, yes, we understand were coming in assuming a contract. But we understand those staff that are there. Those personnel are already very good at their job to point. And we're going to want to take advantage of Yeah, think that's just good business at that 0. One could you say I know you have not disclosure agreements but was there any discussion about why could the city take on more area different areas that we could have more union workforce and expanded. Our dpw is absent in wasn't part of our deliberation. So although something we have to have asked me there for for themselves, I think correctly, I can't speak with complete confidence on that because, you know, you saw the timeline for the rfp process itself, which was long making decisions about which areas are serviced by the city versus not with, you know, those decisions would have had
to have been baked you know, many years and I do think, you know, in terms of comparing that. The business models expanding our scope of work would be a, you know, a significant lift. You know. These these companies have a little bit easier time scaling up are scaling down their operations just because they're a private company and they make revenue. It's easier play the revenue versus where government and pay things through taxes that are, you know, a little bit less flexible but, you know, I think we felt like the current mix of service in different areas of the city was working. Well, we thought it's work well with the existing partners. Of course, we're always looking for areas where we can get better efficiency
by bring Stephen House. But we felt like continuing the status quo in the division of responsibilities was was the best path forward at this point? It's a Indianapolis is not for public private partnership. And that's exactly what this is. Vessel public credit for that. You got them. Okay. So let's go to cancer. Foods MAY get some meals. Thank you, CHAIRMAN. Welcome director. I'm excited to say actual director and not just interim, whoever reluctant you might have once been. I'm thrilled we'll be excited to see you blossom into this leadership role. Thank you I've slept since last week at the public works. Can you just give a summary of what's going to happen here in 26 with respect to the current colors and vendors and yes,
waste management versus our own bp trucks. Who's going to pick up food to be a switch? Yes, absolutely. So the as it stands now and that's what will work based on our districts here. The existing dpw districts. 5.11, 8 straight. They're in the just not that Beech Grove in the yellow and 7. And get I-seventy 11 overall remain trash service by dpw. For cycling in 26 27 by subscription. Only serviced by Lrs. Whereas the recycling for the entire county city county will be processed by w m. As it is now processed by Republic. So the only difference in the private
district is where you see waste management now w m all the way in North West. The rest of the district's republic. And you know that sort. Of course, you that district will also be serviced by the same contract as the others. Service by picked hauling by lrs trash recycling and cycling process isn't where it goes, where we call that in the industry or a materials recovery facility who that will all be w m the trash will go to covid now re world for incineration, the diverted trash that does not go to the incinerator. On rare occasion, we'll go to South side. The seasonal leaves will go to south side. So at the current you will have either arrests for city. Plus l r s. All the recycling in Twenty-twenty 6 will go to w m
to be processed. All the trash will go to. Were all a suspect. How about diversion out there? Sorry. I have one quick at the risk of making this even more confused, which I like to do the w m contract is to process. The city's respect, the recycling stream. So in 2026 2027, the city's recycling stream is actually just the drop-off program. That's That's it. Recycling from the subscription program where we control the pricing for that through the contract would basically tell the contractors this is the most you can charge a resident. That is a private deal between them and the citizen. And so where that material goes is actually up to them that they MAY use wn. They MAY not, but we don't have direct control over that. But every
everything else was correct. Yeah. So just the cabbie out where it's going, you know, in that 2 years, while still in description before it universal curbside word is diversion. Go from recycling so ways that cannot be recycled but is included initially industry in the unfortunate case that that does occasionally happen. It will go to the So radar, if for some reason contamination is too high, which occasionally happens, we mostly see that unfortunately of the drop-off sites. Yeah. That's the benefit of our education program, correct? And moving to a universal curbside system as opposed to now the meeting, everyone's recycling at a public station that does occasionally get contaminated yet. Thank you to the foregoing canceled. Just a quick clarification and all
that on one of the so a long journey on issue since 2011 really. In one of the issues that's always been complicated in this is that diverting a higher amount of recyclables from the covid this luxury world. Had some complications because of tipping fees and the need for material to fuel the steam power downtown right. And so now in we we expect and hope planning for a greater, much more significant level of diversity. Recyclables. So it does the newry world contract. Take that into consideration. I hear you, however, some of what the details were in previous will rewrite contracts having to do with the amounts that necessarily want to re world are not a part of the So that's not as
much a concern. I would also say that the regionalism of utilizing real world has grown in the last 15 years. So I wouldn't say we have the exact same concerns as we did at that time. Great thank you The CHAIRMAN. So first, maybe this question actually for Sam. Just real quick firsthand. Is the how long was the previous? So the contracts that are expiring over the terms of contracts for the ones that this is going to be replacing another councilor Nielsen. These are always 10 year agreement, but the last agreements were extended by 10. Also, they were Taylor effect. They were effectively 20, but can each we do these your income? Think you stand or best practice focuses our sites because that was the
next question was going to ask you. I mean, that's as I CHAIRMAN Bart has been a incredible advocate on this issue He's been on the council water as we move to universal service and you're looking at peer cities. We're doing this analysis. I mean I'm sure you are looking what have been some of the mistakes that other cities have made with this with this rollout, like what Not to put you on the spot, right? Because I know this is going to be ongoing thing because I want this to be very successful. We kind of got this into this little bit last week with and dpw was just I would I would say that MAY be the largest from the risk to this is as financial
risk rate is the idea of of a contract becoming more expensive in the provider coming back to the table moving to this. Removing subscription models, right? And providing at a at a lower cost to the taxpayer. But they were not passing that cost along. And so I guess what are some other? Concerns, though? I mean, things that we've had to be mindful of given that this is another 10 year commitment is not as a 10 year on solid waste, but also tenure on recycling. Also my thoughts on that. And then maybe you've got an idea that you'd like to add But what I've observed other municipalities occasionally struggle with and I won't call out any of my colleagues. Is that another is that they either haven't been able to stay the course on that commitment had to go back and forth, which occasionally a time you're doing anything on
a broad spectrum for your constituency, change the messaging that gets far too confusing. I would say maintaining the course. A thoughtful rollout, which is why I'm really glad we have that amount of time to do that delivery and dedicated public education. Now. I hope that we are successful as we believe, we will be aligning those resources. Who knows what the future holds. But with intention of understanding that there's some available funding sources to come alongside this effort, understanding that we're committed to this process and understanding that we have a thoughtful time period for being able to do that. Public education, I think is a recipe for success. Thank you making time. Anything. The only thing I would add I did talk through
this a little bit last week of public Works committee. But in terms of financial risk, one of the Nunes with a program like this Universal Recycling program is what it will take to process the materials the way this works is we pay a processing fee. That's actually, you know, higher than the tipping fee. Petco van to Word Southside Landfill. But you get a substantial rebate back based off the value of the recycled material stream. So if you have a low contamination rates in your recycling is really good. The program does better financially and their stuff. We can control commodity values for different types of recycled goods and what the markets are like for those things that have same impact
on what we're paying the processes material. So I think getting, you know, getting the education and outreach part done well isn't just important for making sure we're recycling materials and taking care of the planet. But it's also very important for the financials of this contract to make sure paying as little as possible to process the materials. So you know that that is unknown factor. That, of course, can be very important. And truly something that. People spend their entire careers trying to produce like our office. No one in the city could could predict that market. It values are going on Okay. Thank you, CHAIRMAN. Thank you. Director. Any questions of accountability? I currently a
republic. I'll say solid waste customers well as recycling customer did they on the project? If you can even talk about and then be a farmer's government employee and transitioning vendors with things that happened in the city over and over and over again. That can be a very difficult process when you have all the people and employees and everything is here and then now we're going over here and that transition can be rocky for a while. It's you know, so I was wondering if you could talk about. Essentially like why, if what, what, why Republicans in a part of new set up and then too, what plans you have to try to make the transition as smooth as possible. What are
we constructed? I should just set up act. And, know, I'm ok at yeah. I think you know where you can definitely be comfortable saying that the Republic. Did You know, without going into the specific pricing that each company that did offered, you there was a a strong fiscal incentive to go in a different direction you know, Republic I think has been a good partner to the city. This isn't indictment on, you know, the work that they've done, the services that they provided their personnel, anything like that. This reflected, you know, an opportunity to realize significant cost savings for the city do that in a way that made it possible to make this push forward with with a long-standing city priority on the recycling site. So I mean, I think terms of involvement for a public,
obviously, you know, we looked at a variety of options, but at the end of the day, we scored these proposals based on a specific criteria that have, you know, predetermine categories and, you know, following that process is really important. And that's what we did. And this by no means that republic is no longer in the Indianapolis market. There's still significant commercial interest in industrial interest for an organization like Republic. This just means that 279,000 households with is the city's largest, always contract does not belong to Republic. Thank you. And I I have been a part of process. I understand that Flake, you know, in my bones in terms of what you're saying, but appreciate you. Explaining for everybody else and those sitting at home because it. It
often people think or understanding know what's going on You know, I do. Anderson used have to by law stick to that strict square that got in there are few places to wait all but not a lot. So thank you. And that's also why we've really deliver aid. I mean, there was a a lot of time and consideration spent understanding not only like yourself a really apt. Able recycle someone who has the time and means and resources to consider these topics and those that don't. And how do we serve that resident as well as those that can be or are able to be mindful about this topic. Let's make sure we're addressing. All of our constituents. Not just one category. Counselor, you also
mentioned some some concerns about transition of services, not just the recycling piece, but obviously for trash. At this point, I just want to say and made this point. It Public Works Committee last week we're a clear-headed about the challenges that a transition of this magnitude will entail. I we're already having routine conversations with both new and existing vendors. We're going to keep our public works. Committee consistently updated on this transition discussions. There's there's going to be bumps were removed swapping out carts. People are learning new routes. There's going to be different color trucks on the road. And so we're not under any impression that this is going to an easy thing to pull off. And I think it's important that you know, we have the council in our corner when it comes to
messaging to their constituents about any changes, any information about any disruptions we might run into and just helping us with the communication piece of that's gonna be really important to the success of both the rollout for trash recycling this well, thank you for jumping into the I am not on the dpw Committee. So all of this is new to me and I appreciate you jumping in now with expectations setting for me, right? Like you need to start with us so we can then communicate it. So I really appreciate you guys and your responses. Yeah, we hope to argue with everything you need it for some reason during this transition, you think a tool that would be useful. Please let us know. One final
question from Kuz rent. Yes, thank chair. And they want to go night with this. And I know CHAIRMAN Talking all night one of my peers over the fears Just quickly on the money. You your about brought up kind of one way of asking another way of asking is like, how are they able to? I want to 25 to 7. It is a very significant. Discount. I know we get kind of like the bubble. Great thinking of it from an 80 into perspective, right? Because we're now mixing recycling and with it. So they're able to profit off of that. Is that like how they justify that lower cost? And it seems like unless we're currently getting just massive profits existing partners like where's that money coming from? And then the other side of that is from my understanding, doing like
right along with solid waste, et cetera. Currently, that's always fees that citizens are considered paying are nowhere close to actually paying for the cost to and it's always in the city with the new, like the structures building. And I think it's sad like $3 and change on the recycling becoming closer to bridging that gap. What we're trying to do like I hope the more progressive tax structure, structure for salting that many kids that quickly, I could take private online. But to me your but I would say there's a new all you were working at. So that's a part of this as well. Councilor want to make address a couple of things. So. I might have to have your repeat a couple
things here. But first, I just want very clear on the recycling fee structure that was shown, I think 2 sides after this one, if you could never get back to Yeah. So this 3, 7, per unit per month is a fee paid by the city to the vendor. It's not additional charge that's going to show up on people's bills. This isn't this is the way we pay our vendor monthly based on how many units are servicing. So just wanted to be clear about what that represented the way confusion. In terms of. Again, the pricing that we received by dollar U.S. Because, you know, we don't have access to how profitable this contract is for incumbent vendors. Work
will be for future vendors. Hard to answer specifically the guidance that we consistently received from solid advisor with behavior of consultant was that the really big companies that the biggest of the big like the Republic's of the world have been have have been. Pursuing contracts based on price in major markets recently. I know that, you residential contracts are not always necessarily the most profitable for these companies. And that might be the reason why. But hard to say specifically, I think the fact that we did offer a bigger bundle of services out there, you know, getting one wasn't necessarily contingent on getting the other. But we offered a and a bigger overall contract for market. So there could be a variety of reasons
why they offered lower pricing. But again, that the contract is the contract. The pricing that's in the contract is what they get to charge us. And if they fail to deliver on the services that they're required to provide, you know, there are consequences for the way out of the contract. Yeah, I just really must acknowledge so-called skin damoose again for being excellent advisors all the way from 2021 to today. They haven't let us just the way we would not have been able to lead our self, especially understanding the industry, understanding the Midwest, understanding the nuances of all these things. We had arguments in between our deliberation process like we really. Pull that apart and look at all the pieces and put it back together. Thanks to everyone. Thanks for for the
right questions things to the track during the cfo for speaking. Appreciate it. Make my final comment was one of the things I care a lot about as organics and so let's and I think spend more time on that as we closer to 2028, because that's going to be pretty material and meaningful change for people. I will just share the center that I was in San Francisco recently for several days and was there over the course of that solid waste and recycling pickup in the this plan that the the homeowners and show was pretty impressive far as how they separated have organized and how everything was picked up. It was a very well thought out and people were all following the rules very well. But that said, Francisco with many, many decades of doing this work. So
we have a lot to do to get to that level. Having lived in Boulder, Colorado, as part of my myself, I can relate and our office is extremely thoughtful about this. Again, as I said, not wanting to displace existing providers, but also more about a universal system, taking that 40,000 Square view. There is a Indiana chapter of the U.S. Composting council being developed. There are some. Again, public private partnerships around processing organic. So I think it's really interesting if you'll pardon the pun. I think these things need to happen organically in order to create a sustained system that isn't just trying to find a solution to find a solution. Let's find something that actually serves our region. That's good All challenging. Is that every time you talk about against I
think thank And then we have a final presentation and engagement with the White River Alliance with engage with us for many years now in the committee remember that last year they presented outcome of the report card. But we asked him come back to talk about what we can do in response to that. So we appreciate you both coming back. We know it's lot to coming to visit us, but we really value your information, the work you're doing. So thank you very much. Are you kidding We love what we can come talk to public officials. I thank you very much for having us, everybody and Joseph had the pleasure to meet all of but certainly worked with some of closely. And the director for the alliance, an event in this for almost 20 years. So got a lot of history with the river have. But I'm here with my
colleague Kelly Brown, serves as our environmental coordinator, who tests all of the tributaries coming into the river. So she MAY know even more than I believe I was going start off with a quick reminder about who we and we are going to try to take just back in time. Just a bit to remind you the report's findings and forward in time, I hope so. Later Reliance we have been around since 1999 nonprofit organization run by a board of directors. Pretty typical nonprofit pretty atypical in the sense that board of directors represents a really diverse group stakeholders. So we try to look at water from all perspectives from large agricultural, like the court inside alliance to industry like Eli Lilly and Coca-Cola. 2 are selling water conservation districts to academic researchers and
consultants and the like. So cities and towns sit on the board. In fact, Indianapolis currently serves on a board is one of our municipal representative. So thank you for that and your time. Our mission is pretty simple. Words here to protect and improve water resources here, particularly in central Indiana. But we do provide a lot of leadership statewide as the largest watershed organizations, state. All those interests. Give us a pretty great perspective on how to steer the river. We try to do this mostly through projects, education, voluntary means we don't have any sort of regulatory programs. Okay. We are going to talk about some regulatory stuff, though. So with Great River Park her I'm gonna turn that over to Kelly who led this effort to remind you of where we've and then I'll jump back in with some solutions that work in
yeah. So at the end, I will give you guys a physical copy. Won't give it up. Now looks good people get distracted with pretty good behavior. He could lead has a So this was launched in 2023. And it was looking at multiple years really the whole goal of measure community progress. So this is the football called we achieved. It was kind of the baseline. Well, we all going to come back and re-evaluate in great everything again beyond measure that progress we also wanted to use is a way to align partners and really bring together activities across the whole watershed. So this does look at the whole point of the watershed 16 counties. And lastly, we also want to inspire change. So we want to unite people and we want to inspire us to walk to get those that we can't have measurable change and both of
the water, quality land, quality and community around the wake of all, we looked at this in a very holistic way. So this is a pinwheel. It's not atypical call. You guys probably see when your kids bring something home when we that in. Will those kind of shows how interconnected everything is, how much really it all has equal value. So a lot of qualities important, but also how does a lot of resources impact economy? How does how usual and impact a lot of quality all you know, impact the development opportunities that we have in our community. So this is everything we grade it. So we exit 18 indicators. So they're 6 and each of those categories not to go through them all into the kind of highlight this key ones. We didn't detailed Go key guys really just want to come back and head of talk about how the base that grade. So this is a reminder that what is the current great. So overall, the
White River watershed has a c so kind of that those great. If you change by to those indicators and I can see that pinwheel has those grading systems and what's particularly important is regional. So we have 9 regions. We looked at Marion County of primarily consists of 3 major regions, which is Stoney Creek Inn, Cookie Creek, up We have Legal Creek reservoir and then we have low of Fall Creek, Pleasant run, kind of kind of downtown area. So looking particularly at those agents because those great really change when you start thinking about those regional outcomes. So we actually have those report cards separated from each of those great season. Regions. So Stoney Creek overall has a c minus but then what great we want to improve. So, you sees 5, we can still definitely really want to focus in. Well, we all struggling in the And
so we can kind of see across each of these all of that. All of these c to c minus. But consistently we're seeing that we're feeling and wetland change. So that is the amount of wetlands highlight exactly what used to get those grades in a second. Also tree canopy and environmental. There's another big one that looks at a variety of things like air quality. So will cancerous things like that. We're going to have died in each of those of that mall and talk about what a possible solutions, particularly looking like ways to raise those grades. So we've been walking on is this tool kit and so this is still under development website. Not like be happy to come back in. The continued to present things. But what's kind of the way approaching? This is
wanting to look at it from multiple perspectives. So we have those indicators and we have different kind of solutions and activities. You can do. This is just coming in a little bit more and say you can even select Biden and see what activities you can do. You can look at what type of action you want to take. So almost all of all indicators, we've look nationally at what other people are doing and we find things like model Who's the expert? You want to talk to you if you really want along mall also like what kind of positive incentive programs out there, the different processes we can take. Is it just really how we do something that needs to change? Big projects like investment we need to do to really raise the grade. And then there's also might be training opportunities today.
We just need to inform educate, train, all population to have a change of course, funding always have a big impact. So when this is live, which is not yet, this is also just a that might look a little bit from it. All comes done. You can kind of the ultimate that way today, though, we're just going to focus key examples, kind of care covering those los going indicators. And then just the different types of varieties of outcomes that they get passage to jail. Talk about wetland change and what that means okay. I just want to say that I could give a run for her money as long as she wants to sit here and talk about solid I could sit here and talk about water quality and
our environment. So but she did constrain us to I think 20 minutes. So if this feels rushed, I just tell her that you want you know, I can I can go toe to toe with her for as much time as you guys want to give us that there's a lot to consider on this report card. We did try to focus in his county mention and the lowest scoring indicators as well as our perspective and focus is water. As I mentioned 2 years as our mission. So couple things quick here. Just a reminder on, you know, when you say most of our region's in throughout watershed are either failing or at a d minus well and change. What we are measuring is not in fact, even the car polity of wetlands were just simply measuring change over time. And I'm not talking about historic Lawson
talking about loss from the 2 thousands to now. So that's recent loss. So I'm way past the time when farmers trained. Well, we're talking about a lot of development impacts here. So in those 3 regions that cover Indianapolis, you can see the percent change is there and what results in That's pretty dramatic when you consider how little we have left. So that's what we were measuring. I did just want to give you a little bit of framework here for a few of these things were going to talk very briefly about. We have had a number of regulatory setbacks that continue to cause us challenges at the state level or at the federal level, which is why we're like I said from the beginning, happy to come here. Any time to talk to our local leaders about what can be done locally. As you know, a lot of problems need to be
solved at that level that can't be solved. Oftentimes at the other levels. But just to help frame some of we did have a Supreme Court decision for the roll back. A lot of protections for federally listed wetlands just a couple of years ago within the last year and a half or so, which took a lot of federally protected wetlands out of protection. We have had similar initiatives twice 2 legislative sessions in a row by our state legislator two's to reduce protections of state, regulated or isolated wetlands. So we're in an environment where the regulations at the other 2 levels are are continuing to see last. So related to something else. We're going to
talk about today. There's a new House bill this session that is headed to the governor's desk. Is sort of in line with a lot of the rollbacks on environmental protections that come out of the state, which includes what they call in a more stringent than kind of standard number stringent. Then state or federal protections. So this is around storm, water regulation, sediment and erosion control on certain sites on site under construction. It also impacts post-construction. So they're all back here has set us for a step backwards terms of even storm water, detention requirements and what the cities are allowed to do. So we are losing ground on some of these issues where we have failing grades. So that's why
we're on a road show sorts to listen to come out and talk to as many local officials that have capacity to make change at the local level. Okay. So relative to that change when I see all those rollbacks happen, the inclination might be to show up with new regulations at the local level. But because of that temperament that I was expressing to you of a no more stringent than we see that kind of legislation introduced a lot. I think we need to tread cautiously when we talk about implementing local regulations on a resource like wetlands where we've seen the state rollback so I want to say that to say that some of the things in the tool Kit Kelly mentioned to you, our model ordinance. Is there our communities doing local regulation of something like
Once? Here, I would just urge that there's a few steps we want to take before we consider something like that, which includes having some strong technical expertise, in-house kind of the same way. You guys have been investing in stormwater staff having some staff that really understand what was science would be key. Thoughtful process ii sitting down with developers in creek on meetings to protect these resources prior to looking at something like ordinance development. I guess when we put this tool kit together, as Kelly mentioned, there's a lot of different types of strategies, ordinances are one thing. And ultimately we do need protections around our wealth and resources. We would also need education and enforcement of those in to do that. Well, we need to have the right staff in place. We need to have some processes that are really thoughtful to
working with developers in advance. So I for just to be clear, you're suggesting strategically engagement with the development world. And trying to ensure our goals are achieved rather is a better process trying to. Pass ordinances that don't have heat or the capacity to be into at this time. I think we'll have more success because I fear in the atmosphere that I just described to you at the state has that we would see a response from the development community that would push us know more stringent than path again. Yes, I'm And I think that's very fair. So with that in mind, while I can in the tool box will point you to communities like Michigan that have entire documents on how
to do local wetland ordinance, implementation. Those tools exist. But I think at the moment strategically having some our in-house experts and committed staff to to doing a few things working in that pre development process to get those resources called on site plans and protected in advance, coordinating with agencies that were notified when it is receiving wetland impact permits that our city is well informed about those and can respond accordingly. And then working across departments. So if you're doing come planning and identifying sensitive resources that these things are called out and protected in documents across that the drive ordinances across all I think we have some work we can
do in this phase so that we would be better ready. That said ultimately without an ordinance, there is nothing to enforce or protect. So but I think we can be smart about it and make sure that it our community. Well, including our development community. So that's on the wetlands front of the last thing I wanted to include there for was a we have we as a resident have been working a program with dnr is called in leafy program. So this means when people having that loss and change, people are having to mitigate those impacts and one way that they can do that if they can't find property to mitigate the impact of the
loss, Whelan is to pay into a program. A dnr called the in program and then dnr goes out looking for properties with which to do the mitigation. And frankly, sometimes those are more successful because they have long-term maintenance dollars tied to them versus individual mitigation, which tends to be released after about 5 years. So opportunity exists here because there's so much development in the upper White River watershed in the mitigation has to happen within the watershed that's across the 16 county area that if we can identify property which Shannon Killian years stormwater manager doing spent a lot of time doing looking at your existing city properties strapped properties you might call them for more than those properties perks properties. Are there opportunities for us
to take advantage in leafy dollars and get some wetlands restored here in the city that would help mitigate some of that lost. So really diving into this program and finding ways that we can work with dnr, bring some of fee money here to get resorted mitigated in the city is is a great opportunity. So continue to invest in that and then strategic property acquisition that's tied to those opportunities really important so he can gain some ground on wetlands by participating that way as well. So kind of stopping continued last through some different strategies and then mitigating or restoring to bring back. But we have lost is the only way we're going to raise that great. And one of the next focus areas, tree canopy coverage that really that is the percent change in that canopy. Couple of time. We
actually did a short time frame of 2011 to 2019, just based on data. We have seen in that time frame that there was 2% loss of Tony Creek, one percent and local creek. And not too much, though. And Eagle Creek, just a 0. One but really the goal is no lost. So see is no Once you start saying last and even start having them on negative, great so wanting to highlight kind of a different is incentive programs. So really what kind of just looking at multiple ways we can raise grades. And this often like an individual level. So, for example, Portland, Oregon has tree bait and this is a credit where you can get a cut from your bill planting a tree home. If you look at melons, they're spread. You leaves coupon where they actually partner
with local, not trees to provide 50's $50 off a new trees, native trees up to 6 trees. Obviously, this would take additional funding that would ice ideally be one of those, you private public partnerships. Just put a lot about. Do you Put No is no gifts, not profit funding to help set of eyes up with a local now profits or do a lot of planting, but recognizing well, that is a lot of good things going on, especially like Storm Waddle planting and, you thousands of trees Aecio those public areas launch. Lisa happened. We also have individuals start planting more trees in their backyards because that really base that's great and has impact. We think, Pete, I love the fact. Think a lot of quality air quality. There is a much larger will trickle down effect to just one tree
and then area that we have low scores environmental It's a pretty complex So what is going to kind of focus in on one? But this is a a c d c based data that gets all the way down to the census blocks. Are you actually saying zoomed into Marion County Bison? So we were able to grade each census block and we didn't get out overall grade for those regions still. But can really understand where focus in that looked at things like air quality to clean air quality, causing cancer risk hazardous sites. Those things like Brownfields, Transportation, infrastructural. So that's like highways, railroads, things like that lead based paint and then water pollution is the one. I'm Ana ca talk a little bit more about. So those all waterways that listed as impaired. So that means that there's something wrong with them, but they're
not safe for recreation. Maybe all heavy metals and things like that. So looking at all those different impairments and how that could have a negative human impacts so one of the big things we could do to help improve in middle Putin's call about a lot of pollution. It's been infrastructural because a lot that is the source of a lot of buckets into a lot of ways. Is that storm model? How do we manage that Have we think about it? And this is also something felt like would be important to talk to you all about from the city county perspective. So that is a lot. What do know going locally here around that? But just wanted to highlight a few of those types of approaches, particularly Philadelphia has a stoning bonus approach. So that's looking at things like providing height, bonuses to development. If they include things like tension storm, a storm drain management to
things like that. So lot of restrictions on where those type bonus this could happen. But it just helps incentivize without actual cost to have more of those green infrastructure is maintained by the developers. Another example is of having development as a green move, then you could also have extra units years owning ordinance for multi-use on multifamily development. So these are just examples of what other cities have done is the actual full details in to look at what it's like actually be how they did it and see the examples also wanted to highlight development practices. Well, this is actually something we have a c and c plus and locally. It is mix of so this looked at a variety of things density floodplain
development, flood damage risk, especially flooding has been recent conversation. So we just kind of wanted to talk about some approaches to help improve those schools, particularly around flood damage. Trust of so that think actually, I wasn't Jill take just one side taking I was gonna say you guys want to early talking about green infrastructure at guys seem well versed on that. So we don't try to tell you how important it is that we are trying to give you some options for really integrating that into the community. And Kelly mentioned on that matrix, basically, we looked an incentive option for every indicator, right? Could we find examples of incentive could be fined. Examples of ordinance could be fined examples of funding. So we're
just trying to warm up your appetite for. There's a lot of ways to go at these things. The green infrastructure in particular, many cities are making huge strides those tradeoffs inside of the development world. So I we kind of honed in on that related to that one of the ways a lot of places including around here are making strides on the flooding stage, which is is pretty challenging is to talk a little bit about compensatory storage requirements. So most of our neighboring communities have stricter requirements are people that build in the flood plain. And so then Indianapolis to. So we're a bit behind, frankly on that. And that is what goes into that development. One of those
development rating so just to give you an example, our neighboring Hamilton County. They have a starting point for development, which is a strict know fill in the flood plain. And then you have to get a variance past. Any of it. And that variance can require you to mitigate that filled by 3 to one ratio cubic feet of mitigation and in extreme cases, 10 to one mitigation ratio. So I need to replace that storage in that floodplain at the sub watershed scale and at the same elevation. So there are pretty nearby examples. People taking a stricter look at protecting those most critical resource like floodplain development, which impacts that development in Des indicated that Kelly was mentioning. So something worth considering also worth considering as most of the
other counties around us have a more typical drainage board structure for managing the regulated dreams. And a bit unique to Indianapolis is that we don't collect assessments on those regulated rain. So we have regulated rains here. And the in most counties, the county surveyor is a dedicated staff person that manages the drainage board made up of county commissioners and such and those assessments then can go to support the maintenance on infrastructure. Whether that infrastructure is levees or, you know, building new infrastructure inside the streams like to stage ditches which can help with flooding by building a floodplain inside of the banks of the stream. So when they collect those assessments, they they have a source of funding. And that is common in all 91 around. It's just a factor of
are sort of when the marriage to the unit County city kind of government. We don't have that exact same structure history anymore drainage assessments. And so tend to not see that same level of investment in those regulated drains. So opportunities really close by here in the tool kit to look around at our neighbors and and find some solutions that so again, that larger the tool kit that we keep mentioning is really designed to look at both what's available to raise the grade in each indicator and then what sorts of solutions. So you can kind of pick and choose like we're not into ordinances here or we don't have any money. And so we have to do something else. So training might be the solution. So with that, I
guess I just remind you if you have interest as Kelly mentioned, a lot of this data that is especially the environmental burden data. It's down to the block levels. If you want to see your districts and your impact on the Web page, under the grades we can. You can either sort this by picking a particular indicator and having map for picking a region and having it change colors across indicators or across the regions. And then again, if you need any more additional day to your you want to see any of the stuff we can certainly provide that to you. A last pitch here for a couple of things. The Indiana Water summit is the place where we try to have big conversations
about those impacts at the state level or federal level as well as at the local level solutions. We have speakers come in. It's a two-day event. It's really grown to be quite popular It's a place to kind of coalesce all water users in one place. And we have every year we get more and more participation from public officials, including our state legislators. So just reminder that that's coming up in on AUGUST in the first day is focused on regional water planning. You have that more localized interest, that would be the good day to come. Last year at the summit, we did actually end up recognizing you guys with one of our sustainability watershed stewardship of where they should say special recognition of your mess for coordinator gave voice in who is on a
tremendous amount along the Shannon Killian to increase the conversations around green infrastructure. The more thoughtful about our construction site management practices. And I guess just goes back to what we said at the beginning. Investing in staff that have technical expertise that can stand up programs with consistency and thoughtfulness. He's going to go a long way. Guys it's probably the biggest change I've seen in the city in a long time in regards to improvements to water, quality forsman and engagement with the public and all of those things. We did great recognize you guys as our distinguished member of the year last year. So just want to thank you for that. Because those those things don't happen without leadership from the council.
So continue to invest in those programs. And staff is really critical. So. With that, I think we enough in 20 minutes. Thank you for this. This is very thorough and very helpful and I really appreciate the structure with these actions. I appreciate you. Being aware of the complicated political environment in which we function. But some of the ideas you put on the table. A council vote tonight been working on. Canopy it reaches for a long time that give us some idea. So we will be following up with you. I think think those those ideas in some more detail, but many other members of the committee giving questions for our guests. Now that we're allowed to have this report I that va. Yeah. Yeah. Question. Yes. Thank you, John Kelly, for
coming tonight. 3 quick questions. If we allowed to do this urban forest in Marion County to be taken away with that lower lower or Increase are great here. So they're going is we allowed indigenous forests Indianapolis that might have seasonal wetlands. Yeah, the pass of the be destroyed. With that improve or decrease are great decrease resource that we can. It be great. And the weapons grade. If there are weapons in forests, I know that was a borderline rhetorical question, but want to hear it out loud on record. It's record. Yes, that's not what you would advise your to do about their report card. And so this is not for county and Randy aspects that I hear correctly that 91 out of our 92 counties in our state have it. And we're the only one that does I should probably
confirm that. But my experience traveling the state is the most counties have drainage boards and almost all of them assess fees, drainage assessment fees for the regulated rents to support their maintenance. Now, I will also admit that sometimes that maintenance activity can be damaging to water, quality and habitat when Inc done to strictly promote drainage to like move water faster. Sometimes we see those assessment fees used in ways that street and our streams are drenched them to move things. But we also see them used for logjam removal, which can cause, you know, additional 7 men heroes are problems. We also see the news for to stage ditches and other practices that are beneficial. It's just a it's because it just really honestly depends on who the surveyor is and what the objectives of the county are at the time. But it
allow you some kind of funding to maintain things are to improve their condition. That coupled with money from the in leafy program, we could do a lot of good things inside of our streams to promote storage and water quality. They cause any other questions. I did have one world couch with a that there are 3. I was missing They can do that and I can't. The the in our Inland program yet. So theres approach. Uses 16 counties is our detective. You will. Roughly what's the geographic circle? Is it going northeast towards the central Indiana new show? And yeah, just a see back here to the first that should even though. Alliance has out enough, it's the best
not but so there actually starts east Randolph County. So a sliver of Randolph County, but most Delaware County Muncie is their son made there about 5 counties where the entire county is in the watershed. So like Delaware, Madison, Hamilton and Marion. Those ones they almost entire county is included in the watershed and then parts of the other ones out up to those 16. So what you should know about wetland loss is that we could have a loss here and we could mitigate it up in Randolph County. So that's why compensatory storage inside of the floodplain important and why people like Hamilton County are saying, hey, no, look at the sub watershed level, we want you to mitigate this. You know, because this mitigation, I mean, it's functional loss right when it's mitigated so far away.
That thing is not serving the flood storage water quality that it served. Where was so but in and that is it. That is a criticism sometimes of in leafy is that you to get such a big scale. All I'm saying is that the better we can position ourselves to take advantage of in leafy and get well restoring here on the dime of this state or developers, the better off Indianapolis. It's to absorb those flood waters and protect our communities from pollution. So well, you answered led to my question. With the so a lot of these 16 counties, we can pick 15 that have mitigation projects and bring that money to Marion County. Yeah, it's already being aggregated at dnr. They have the funds already in a pot of money. They're just looking for sites. So Shannon, Killian to her credit has done
a pretty good analysis with the help of some consultants to see how many of city properties would be a good fit and has had dnr coming out to look at some of those. There's a project in Grassy creek that they were just out. Taking a look at. But then on top of that land acquisition in areas where we needed to mitigate these things could also be another way. So if we can get the property or if we have the property dnr shows up with the money and the monitoring and the maintenance. It's a good deal. We use that property. There's local. They like it's in the control of some kind of, you know, either list,
sometimes land trust Kunshan control at city parks can control it. But whoever owns it, you know, committed they don't like to do that necessarily with individual property owners because it, you know, it can change, you know, hand get in and challenges that you have a laugh love to work with city. So this is a way that we could bring more of those mitigation dollars here and get more done inside of our county boundaries to protect us from flooding and water, quality problems. Thank you. You're welcome. Questions. All right. Well, thank you both. The really exceptional. And it's going to be a tool for us to use he going for it. So really appreciate your coming tonight. Well, thank you. And we hope to be and that has to come back bring new ideas. This is more of it. False. We
really, really appreciate the And your leadership as a sustainability group. Not every city has that either. So you should be commended for this committee's focus that thank you. Thank you. With tonight's meeting is the only