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Hi everybody, Jack Russell, President of OneZone.
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Welcome to another episode Beyond the Roundabout with my friend and Mayor, Mayor Sue Fenko.
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How are you today?
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Awesome.
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Happy Monday.
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Well, it's it's been a while since we've we have met, and just a couple things have happened.
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Uh couple since the last time we got together.
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Um so I thought the first and foremost, as we kind of talk about our conversation, we'll kind of go from probably right after our last podcast, some things happened uh in in the city, and really quite frankly, in Hamilton County.
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Uh, and then we'll kind of dive in some caramel, some more macro things when it comes to across the country that you're working on as well, some awesome, awesome things.
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So, but we'll start with caramel and uh let's talk about the flooding specifically.
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Um, you and your team, I you know, this again, x external perspective or somebody from outside uh the four walls of Seahall.
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Um, thank you for the work that you guys put together and did um during these flooding and during those um tough, tough times.
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I'm sure that was tough for your team.
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But the way that you guys handled it, the transparency, but also just the ability to get stuff done quickly.
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It was amazing.
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So I thought it'd be first and foremost, let's talk about that.
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Well, first, thanks for the comments about our response.
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I'm so proud of our team.
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Um, they care every day about how they get work done and how they deliver for our citizens.
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But you really saw it on display uh during this tragedy.
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Uh and it was such an interesting set of circumstances strung together.
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You know, first we're warning people to get out of their homes, um, then we're evacuating people out of their homes, uh, and trying to keep equipment and property safe as well.
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And and then all of a sudden we you know we realize wow, we've got a a different disaster under underway and with the bridge um starting to wash away.
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Yeah.
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And then realizing uh the power of the water and what its impact on the community, power on Martin Marietta, which is one of our major employers in the city of Carmel.
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And then, you know, all along is the people that were affected in homes.
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So I kind of liken it to what maybe cities have to go through with a raging forest fire, where it's just some every day there's something else and a new set of circumstances you have to deal with.
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So, you know, our main concern uh was we we didn't really talk about it.
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There's a line that carries jet fuel that goes through there.
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There's all the utilities.
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We obviously talked about the sewer pipe, but then we have our um our obviously our um you know utility plant right there for wastewater treatment.
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And just you know, we were really worried long picture how we're gonna do.
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So we're thankful that um our teams were able to jump into action and you know, credit to all the men and women who worked very, very long hours taking care of people.
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Um and you know, just to see the different teams come into play, and they all had a different role.
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Um, you know, police and fire were very active up front, uh, and then um our streets department, engineering department, um, you know, utilities department working in the middle of that along with our fire department when we hit when we brought in the Blackhawks.
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And then um after that, then you see our building department, our code enforcement really going door to door helping people, you know, who are just devastated with the losses they had.
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Uh so I just and then everyone who else kept things under control as the other teams are really doing uh quite amazing work in the field.
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So our communications department's fantastic, you know.
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Aaron, our new director of marketing and communications, I think that was where the weekend was.
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I was gonna say it had to have been like very early.
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Something like that.
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And so uh just a crazy set of circumstances.
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I'm thankful there was no loss of life.
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I'm thankful that our teams were safe, um, but I'm so proud of them.
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I'm just so proud of the team and just seeing them, it didn't matter what your title was, it didn't matter what department you work for.
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Everyone was just, you know, jumping in to help others, and that is what we're here for.
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Yes, and so super proud of that.
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It was it was awesome.
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And and you guys had a lot of external um outside not only the city, but you look at from a national perspective coming in, the county coming in, the state coming in, um, being able to see um, you know, everyone lives their lives and in the goal sometimes, especially probably in and as I think we probably would agree in government, is how do we let people live their lives and then let government exist?
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But when this is a perfect example of when something occurs, a tragedy, an accident, you know, big things occur.
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It's amazing.
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It was it was a it was amazing to see uh truly like government in action of like here's how we execute, here's how we do things.
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And quite frankly, uh uh now it wasn't you know it's not uh the size of a flood, but uh uh these things happen every day is how we're communicating to the public, how our engineering department, what they're thinking, how the street department, and every how everything looks and feels.
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And uh your team functions that way at a high level, uh and residents get to live their lives and do the things that they do.
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But when something like this occurs, you uh we as the public get to see it in action and prepare for that and get ready for that.
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And so um to see the work that your team did and how it worked along with the state and with the federal government and the county.
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Um, you and I were just talking about this before we started, like Hamilton County just is is uh there's just something special about it.
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Absolutely when when we need to roll up our sleeves, personalities are to the side, um, the plot the politics is to aside, the job is to take care of the business and take care of our residents.
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And it's just it was so powerful to watch.
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So I just want to say thank you.
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And I just thank you for that.
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Awesome.
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I think you know, our partnerships were were so key during this.
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Yeah.
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Uh Commissioner Altman was fantastic, you know, boots on the ground, and being there for the communications piece, which showed we're working together closely.
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So I'm thankful for her, you know, the highway department, the engineering department at the county as well, and lots more that I'm not naming, I'm sure.
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Uh, and then you know, our partners at the state, uh, you know, uh DHS in particular was wonderful, National Guard, uh, you know, um IDEM, uh, you know, DNR, the governor's office, and just so many.
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Our federal partners, you know, uh uh our entire delegation, both senators and congresswoman Sparts, were on the ground with us, um, surveying the damage and seeing how they could be helpful.
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Uh, and then of course, uh FEMA coming in and saying, hey, we're gonna pilot something here to make recovery better.
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It's still gonna be a long uh road uh for our for our residents.
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Um and there's so many things they have to work together with.
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And you know, first and foremost, we gotta know what their insurance covers.
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And then where does the state come in?
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Where does the federal government come in, and how do we get those uh folks uh supported, and then our incredible philanthropic partners uh Serve Village and um Samaritans Purse and Northview Church and Hamilton County Harvest Food Bank and Hamilton County Community Foundation, all of those and more are trustees in our different uh communities, just so helpful.
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And I often say, like, not everything has to be a.gov solution, it should also be.org um and dot com and dot ai.
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And so it's just all those coming together were so helpful.
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I thought the food, I mean, we didn't talk about this beforehand, but like even the food, the the food drive where people could drive through.
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Um I I can tell you we did our voices of leadership lunch and the day before we asked people to just donate items.
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Yeah, thank you.
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And we thought, you know, if we get maybe 10, 15 items, it would be that would be awesome.
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We got like 200 items for a for uh an email that was 24 hours in it, basically less than 24 hours in advance.
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We had 200 items, and then we showed up to um to Lucas States when we did when you did the drive and volunteering, and uh it was amazing it was amazing, you know.
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Because as you know, you you put on these things, you're like, okay, who's going to respond to this?
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Who is going to show up?
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I mean, car after car after car was so that's it makes you feel so proud.
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It doesn't there's this no matter how big your community is, you know, 100,000 people, to watch every car go by and and oh, I just picked up this, and I it wasn't even like half a bottle of Tide, right?
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Like I don't mean that in a bad way, like you can donate whatever you can donate, but it was like brand new bottles of Tide, brand new bottles of this and that, and trunks full.
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I mean trunks, and it was just it was so as somebody that was helping kind of get everything out of the cars and stuff, just the look on people's faces and the way that people wanted to give back, it just you know you have a great community, you know we know we have a special community, but then to see it on display, you're so right.
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I mean, I get goosebumps.
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I think about that.
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That's one of my probably one of my favorite moments as a president of the chamber was being able to I'm not kidding.
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I I work in handy hand.
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I mean, um representative Lopez being there with two of us were standing next to each other car after car after car, and we just rolled up our sleeves and we're you know, uh let's let's uh give everything out.
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The um Ingledo bringing the trucks and their team helping.
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I mean an amazing Lucas family.
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Yes, I mean it was community at work.
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And the community foundation being there, um Danielle and and her team, and they weren't just there to take, you know, what the the donations.
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I mean, Danielle was rolling up her sleeves, and let's get out there.
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And so it was fun to see so many community partners, but it was so fun to see residents show up bring basically an entire trunk, if not the back seat full.
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Yes.
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Um because they love their city and they love their community.
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And I think sometimes we we get so busy to doing our jobs and executing our jobs that I just want to say, you know, I thought it was so awesome for you and your for you to to host this thing uh because uh it's probably one of the top uh moments in my job is watching our community at work.
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It memory it reminds you why you do it.
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Absolutely.
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So I know I went, I wouldn't kind of fill away, I kind of talked too much about it, but but it was just something that always will stick with me.
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It was so cool to see our community wholeheartedly give back to those.
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I'm so proud, you know.
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As a mayor, your one of your roles is chief storyteller, yeah, right?
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And that's that's get to promote, which is I'm a promoter persuader by birth anyway, but uh you know, it was so cool just to see so many people helping it every step of the way and get to share that, you know.
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Right or wrong, Carmel gets knocked just like any community, but we get knocked for being snobby or what have you.
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And I will say there's not a community that would have come out like Carmel uh in this kind of uh disaster, so super proud of it.
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And I'm also proud of the fact that you know this touched this many of our population, right?
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Just a small amount.
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Um, but as you mentioned earlier, the rest of the community was able to live their lives and go to work and do that while still have carrying a heavy burden for their neighbors.
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Uh, but also like our team that was not on the disaster site was still keeping the wheels rolling.
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Yep.
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Uh lots of phone calls coming to City Hall.
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Carol had to answer lots and lots of questions.
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My office had to answer lots and lots of questions.
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Uh our city counselors did an amazing amount of work, you know, from an advocacy advocacy perspective.
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So I'm very grateful for them as well.
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So uh all hands on deck, really paid off.
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I love it.
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Well, um, well, let's transition from the flooding to uh let's talk about budget.
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So, budget time, tis the season.
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Yay!
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But the reason why I wanted to bring it up is because I think um the way that you have approached this budget season is is different than a traditional type of budget for most municipalities.
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Um I think the ability, and that's what we're gonna talk about and make sure people that are watching are able to go online and see the videos and things.
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But um I so far, I mean it's it's been really great to be able to pull up the videos.
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Number one, I think sometimes it's it's uh important for the community to see the people behind the scenes too.
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And so seeing the videos with Henry and Aaron and the rest of your team, being able to let them talk through their slides and talk through their budget, where it's not them sitting, you know, watching there's somebody at the dais, they're sitting there and more formal.
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It is it felt very personable.
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But I'm for some of those folks who are like, what are you talking about?
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Which is let's talk a little bit about the budget and and what you've decided to do this year and what you're asking those that are listening or watching um in our Carmel residence, what are your asks for them as well?
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So this year we did something a little bit different, and that was have each director record a video.
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Yeah.
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Um, most are three to five minutes long.
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Fire department Joel was very thorough.
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Yes, it's a little longer.
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Um, but no surprise.
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I know exactly.
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But uh that is a similar presentation that it would have given at council for a two-day presentation.
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When I was on city council for 12 years, uh that of that process evolved too, but I was felt they were very long.
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I felt the people who had the benefit were the ones who went first, the department directors who went first because you have more fresh thinking.
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Uh and as a city counselor had to take two days off work.
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Uh it's part of the deal, it's fine, but it just it just seemed like we weren't doing it uh justice.
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And um in this way, we can just make them very quick hits for our residents to see.
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Again, same presentation, but just separated out.
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Right.
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Uh counselors can go back to them if they want to see the fire department one a couple times and go right to it.
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So it someone said, Well, this is less transparent than you did in the past.
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Like, absolutely not.
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We pushed it out earlier.
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We pushed them out all out September 8th or 9th, I believe it was.
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Uh, and uh with the public able to see it.
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Um, and we put a budget at carmel.in.gov um address out there.
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So people have questions about the budget, they can send them in and answer that.
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Now we got a lot of non-budget questions through that.
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Yeah.
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So we try to point people to, well, that's a 311 uh or this goes to this department, uh, what have you.
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So we did try to because I think people get thinking when they see a budget presentation.
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Oh, yeah, well, what does that mean?
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Well, this isn't really budget per se, it's service operations.
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Like someone said, Do we have a street sweeping program?
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We do, and um, here's the streets department can answer that question a little bit more.
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So, and how do I get a street swapped, right?
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Was the next question.
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So, anyway, uh we present today, which by the time this airs will be in the past.
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Yeah, uh, we have a three hours reserved for city council to ask questions.
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Yeah, um, and then uh we'll kind of summarize those and put those up on the website as well.
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And then uh we introduced the budget October 5th.
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By state law, you have to have it um read and introduced.
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Uh well, we have to present it twice.
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Introduce it, can't be voted on, and then come back to the next um council meeting or separate meeting if we needed to.
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Yeah.
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Um so we'll have that in October, so hopefully voting on the 19th.
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By state law, we have to have it passed roughly by the end of uh October.
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So then it takes all the necessary next steps uh to get to DLGF, which is the Department of Local Government Finance, where they set the final one to get back to us in February, which is odd because we're already January, February, rolling with our budget.
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Uh and there are some tweaks you have to make usually every year.
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So um I'm happy about it though.
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I think I think when you talk about the transparency, I think in the the older model or the traditional model, um you could have multiple departments in one day.
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So if you're trying to, if unless you're, you know, I watch them all because you know, uh, but if you're somebody nerd.
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Yes, 100%.
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I love watching it.
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Usually it's like on the big TV in our office, and they're like, What are we watching?
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I'm like, we're watching Carmel Budget.
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They're like, guess what?
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Then Fisher's is next and we're gonna watch this one.
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Exactly.
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And but but I think for those that aren't that way, I think the the old model really was difficult to if you wanted to know about a specific department, you had to find it in that day.
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Yes.
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And I think that, and then even when you even when that occurred, it's the people factor, and I don't mean that in a bad way, just okay, so let's take um marketing communications.
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Well, there may be questions during it.
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Um the screen, you know, the the group does a great job of being able to display the screen, but it's not um you basically that's a business meeting that you're watching.
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Yep.
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And so it's you know, it's a little harder to follow if you're not used to the tradition used to that.
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So that's why I applaud it.
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I loved this model because I guess selfishly for me too, it was okay.
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So where's you know, in the old models, like, okay, you know, how do I find this person or that person?
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And when does economic development end and when does this department start?
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Whereas it's very clear on the website, hey, here's marketing, here's this one, here's that one.
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Um, and it gives me the chance of, okay, I can't remember, like as I'm looking at the budget, oh, I can't remember who that was.
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So then I pull up Henry again and I can I can watch that again.
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I I think it's a I think it's very innovative, and I think other cities should look at that type of model because, and like you said, even if it's not a question specifically about the budget, but something sparks somebody of, oh, how do I do this?
00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:02.720
Because of the way you guys are set up, oh okay, the street sweeping, right?
00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:06.319
Yeah, oh well, not a budget question, but hey, we can send this to you.
00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:07.920
Well, they may not have ever asked that question.
00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:08.480
Exactly.
00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:15.519
So I look at this as just a complete, I mean, that was one of the biggest pillars when you ran two and a half years ago was how do we create transparency?
00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:19.920
And I think it this matches also the innovative side that you ran on as well.
00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:22.160
And how do we become transparent, innovative?
00:17:22.240 --> 00:17:30.240
And quite frankly, how do we take our directors who are behind the scenes and let them share a little bit more who they are and what they do and put a face to the name?
00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:33.119
And so I think this is a great model.
00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:41.440
I think it'll be exciting as you go through this process um for other communities to look at this as a model because um I I love it.
00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:45.599
As somebody that, and of course, as a government nerd, I love it because then I can break down everything.
00:17:45.839 --> 00:18:00.720
But I think if you're just um like we talked about, how you know people are just living their lives, but they read something in the current or the reporter, or they go to the website and they are interested and they want to learn something, there's a whole link and there's the next link, and there's the next link.
00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:04.240
So I I think it's fantastic, but I did want to bring it up because I think it's so innovative.
00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:11.039
And you ask what I want residents to do, yeah, and then what I want them to do, if nothing else, is go pull up uh the budget overview video.
00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:11.279
Yeah.
00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:14.720
Because it really shows the external environment that we're working in and the challenges that we have.
00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:16.480
And I've been really proud of our team.
00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:19.359
We're continuing to just tighten up things.
00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:23.920
For instance, we're moving all the fleet operations out of the police department into the street department.
00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:29.920
The police department are really, really good at many things, but why should they also have to be fleet experts?
00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:36.319
Yeah, and so their teams, which have taken great care of our equipment, are just merging into the um street department.
00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:42.400
So, and then we want to do the same thing with the fire department over time because uh I think there's some efficiencies we can have there.
00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:43.920
So we continue to look at those things.
00:18:44.079 --> 00:18:44.720
Hey, you know what?
00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:47.920
And there's gonna be things we tried that don't work, and then we just go back to the old model.
00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:50.720
Uh, we did that kind of with the quartermaster system we had.
00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:51.920
That's learning.
00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:55.680
Yeah, and I think that's what we're gonna do with this budget process too.
00:18:55.839 --> 00:18:59.839
We rolled it out, we're gonna get feedback and see um what we want to do moving forward.
00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:02.799
I'm glad you said it felt personal because that was a goal.
00:19:02.880 --> 00:19:09.599
We want to direct a camera with the um uh you know presentation over their shoulder, so it was very easy to read.
00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:12.720
Uh, it was the letting the departments have their personality come through.
00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:18.480
Now, I will say 99% of them hated the thought of doing a video, but I'm like, you already do a video, right?
00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:20.400
You're already in a in the giver.
00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:24.160
Um so that was kind of funny too.
00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:25.759
They all did very, very good.
00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:32.079
Um, we only had to re-record one, and that's because she wore black, and so her head was just floating on the on the dark background.
00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:33.359
So we had to record that.
00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:35.359
But you know, again, we learn and have a little fun.
00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:36.079
Of course.
00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:40.400
Um, I should have done a contest, like we can do vote whose is the best, but we didn't do that.
00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:41.200
I'm a good idea.
00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:42.000
It's next year.
00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:42.400
Exactly.
00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:46.240
I always want a contest for everything, so I try not to do that, knowing that everyone does feels that same.
00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:47.279
That's hilarious.
00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:48.240
That's so funny.
00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:55.279
Well, I I like I said, I that was one of the things I wanted to make sure we had a conversation today because, like you said, for residents, please go check it out.
00:19:55.359 --> 00:19:56.559
We'll make sure we add a link.
00:19:56.640 --> 00:20:04.480
Um, obviously, this will be, but I think even though it's passed, I think it'll be important for people that if they want to see um what we're talking about, we'll have that provided for them.
00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:05.680
But and we're gonna find it.
00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:10.480
If you just Google Carmel Budget 2026, there you go, it'll pop up, but it's on our website.
00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:12.880
Um, and you can again put the search bar and budget.
00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:14.480
I think there might even be a link on the homepage.
00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:19.359
I'm not sure only because all the flood information we still have out there, but um super easy to find.
00:20:19.599 --> 00:20:20.079
I love it.
00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:24.720
All right, next thing I have for us, it's uh we're gonna go from the n now we're gonna go to national level.
00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:25.039
Okay.
00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:31.200
Um, so you were just appointed as the vice chair of Mayor's Alliance to End Childhood Hunger.
00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:33.599
And uh I would love for you to talk about that.
00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:39.759
I'd love for you to kind of break down um what the organization is and then what the goals are uh for this group.
00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:45.759
And and uh for us to be on a national stage is a big deal, especially when we talk about uh childhood hunger.
00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:48.880
It's a huge issue no matter where you live, no matter where you are.
00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:51.839
Yeah, and it's a passion project for me.
00:20:51.920 --> 00:21:00.640
I thankfully was never a kid growing up that had a challenge for food access, but I know they're out there, they're in our community, um, and the numbers are growing.
00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:07.279
So this Mayor's Alliance to End Childhood Hunger is part of No Kid Hungry, uh, which is also part of Share Our Strength.
00:21:07.359 --> 00:21:12.319
So it's a um nonprofit heavily focused on food and nutrition across the country.
00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:20.720
This uh organization that I'm uh vice chair of this year and should have the pleasure of getting re-elected in 2027 will be then assented chair in 28.
00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:26.000
Uh will um it leads uh, I think it's just under 700 mayors.
00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:26.400
Wow.
00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:33.119
And that excites me as well because this is a nonpartisan uh group, or I should say bipartisan, really.
00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:34.640
Actually, probably multipartisan.
00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:36.799
We really want to make technically a government nerd.
00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:44.319
Um that uh multipartisan group of mayors across the country who don't care about how they got elected, uh what the vote count was.
00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:56.880
We just want to make sure kids are healthy so they can grow up and developing their bodies, their brains and their bodies the right way, so they can be productive members of society and um take care of their families.
00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:59.759
We want to end this um perpetual poverty.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:02.240
Whatever the reliance relates around food.
00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:09.440
So I'm super excited to be and really honored and humbled to be part of this group because it matters so much.
00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:11.920
And I've tried to get involved with food.
00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:18.319
You know, Mayor Willis and I did a little food challenge last year around the Carmel Westfield football game.
00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:20.400
He won on the field, but we went off the field.
00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:21.519
We were able to raise a little more money.
00:22:21.759 --> 00:22:22.079
We did.
00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:28.400
But again, we were super proud to be able to deliver over 50,000 to our food bank here in Hamilton County.
00:22:29.359 --> 00:22:32.319
This year, so much went to the food bank because of the flooding.
00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:38.480
And so but there's a lot of legislation that we have to focus on as well.
00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:44.799
You know, there's been a lot of uh concerns and challenges around the SNAP program uh and cuts in that program.
00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:47.759
Some are for the right reason to make sure we don't have fraud and abuse.
00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:53.839
Unfortunately, sometimes those programs for the right reason may have uh hard hard hitting effects.
00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:56.400
So I'm interested in learning more about all of that.
00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:56.799
Yeah.
00:22:56.960 --> 00:23:06.960
Um and I've been on this project to read, and I've got a stack of materials on my desk that are scary uh to read more and better understand where we're headed.
00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:08.880
And I look forward to talking to our delegation.
00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:10.000
Um I attend the U.S.
00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:28.640
Conference of Mirrors every January in DC and always hit our delegation's offices and not just like the three that represent Carmel, but I usually try to hit anyone I can get in front of that is a congressman, uh Congressman or woman or senator for the state of Indiana and talk about issues that affect the state and where they can be helpful.
00:23:28.799 --> 00:23:31.359
This is the top of my pile uh when I go back.
00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:36.640
Um but um like Senator Young's office, I'm like, help me understand more about the food programs at the federal level.
00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:39.200
And the you know, their staff sent me some great reading material.
00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:49.519
So they're very helpful, even if you know, um in ways that aren't just being on the on the floor pounding the pulpit and talking about or the dais talking about uh what's important with food.
00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:49.839
Yeah.
00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:51.519
So I'm interested in learning more.
00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:53.440
I'm interested in hearing from other mayors.
00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:58.799
Clearly, Carmel's an affluent community, and we aren't hit as hard with the food access challenges.
00:23:58.960 --> 00:24:03.440
Um and I also want to give a plug out to our food access commission chaired by counselor Worrell.
00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:03.920
Yep.
00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:06.079
That commission's been fantastic.
00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:11.200
And if anyone has an interest in learning more about food access, uh that information is also on the website.
00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:16.880
I think we're we've been changing some stuff about how that website is out there, but uh how the information is presented on that website.
00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:26.960
But you know, we're hearing from our churches that supply amazing uh services to our nonprofits like Gleaners, Hamilton County Food Bank, um, and just on and on.
00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:44.880
And uh for instance, Jeff Orell and I just sat in a call, it's I say just, it was right before the flood sit, so mid-August, uh, with a really innovative program out of Wisconsin where a nonprofit has come together with a a group that produces greenhouses, like greenhouse kits.
00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:47.119
Yeah, yeah, and a workforce development initiative.
00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:52.960
So they grow food, they have a workforce initiative where uh kids from the school are learning valuable skills.
00:24:53.119 --> 00:24:54.559
The foods donate to food bank.
00:24:54.720 --> 00:24:59.039
In the meantime, this private company got a grant greenhouse sold, the nonprofits helping provide food.
00:24:59.119 --> 00:25:01.200
It's just a you know quadruple win.
00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:01.440
Yeah.
00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:03.680
So we're looking at something interesting like that.
00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:05.599
So I don't know if something we could do here.
00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:09.119
I don't know if it's something that we want to do here yet, but doors are open.
00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:12.400
So if anyone has any great ideas or sitting out there listening, yeah, please let us know.
00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:20.640
I think that's what's important when you talk about things at a national level, like us at a smaller level, SS Chambers, we have our national groups.
00:25:20.799 --> 00:25:38.240
And the reason why we're part of them and we sit in on these meetings is instead of recreating the wheel, what is going on out there and what are ways that if if I, you know, if I can take one thing from that idea and concept and implement it in my community or you know, what I'm doing, how can I move my own community's needle forward?
00:25:38.400 --> 00:25:48.400
And I think that's where being on a national stage in in learning from other mayors of maybe areas in which they do have significant uh child, you know, they do have significant needs.
00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:51.519
But can we take one thing or another thing and how do we all work together?
00:25:51.599 --> 00:26:03.039
Because at the end of the day, no matter if it's a kid in California, kid in Boston, kid in Florida, kid in Indiana, um, being able to provide basic uh opportunities and basic nutrition is is key.
00:26:03.119 --> 00:26:15.680
But I think that's the best part of collaboration is no matter the size of the city, can you take one concept, one idea, turn it into reality to make your community just move that needle just a little bit?
00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:16.240
Absolutely.
00:26:16.559 --> 00:26:19.119
I think that's the whole reason why we all try to do what we do.
00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:34.160
And I think that's why being a part of these national associations and national parts uh groups is so important because you're gonna learn, I mean, uh the the idea that you can learn from multiple 700 different mayors and you find that one mayor is doing something really unique.
00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:40.720
Well, I want to learn about it, and then how do I implement maybe not all of it, but how do I implement something that can make a difference in my community?
00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:42.160
That's that's why we're here.
00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:43.039
That's what we're trying to do.
00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:43.359
Yes.
00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:44.799
So I love it, I love it, I love it.
00:26:45.519 --> 00:26:45.839
All right.
00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:50.160
So my next thing for you, mayor, is um, so we're gonna talk about central Indiana mayors.
00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:52.720
You guys just convened on your third public safety meeting.
00:26:53.200 --> 00:27:00.400
Um, you've been really kind of the lead on this, and so uh let's talk about how the how the meetings have gone and how you're feeling about this.
00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:06.720
I know this is a you're very passionate about this, and this is a huge part of being a mayor is the safety of your community.
00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:07.039
Yeah.
00:27:07.200 --> 00:27:11.039
Um, but it starts not only in your city, but how do we work together as a region?
00:27:11.200 --> 00:27:12.720
And so I thought I'd let you talk about that.
00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:13.599
I think that's a good one.
00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:15.039
Thank you for the opportunity.
00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:25.039
I think um we knew from the beginning this is gonna be a hard set of conversation because a set of conversations because uh we're trying to bring in new people every time, so we have to revisit it.
00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:42.640
So uh we first start with mayors and police chiefs or their deputies, um, and just had some really good, honest conversation about what's happening in our communities, um, how are we influencing each other as it relates to crime rate, types of crime, especially violent crime, especially those are repeat offenders.
00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:45.519
Um and you know, it was interesting to me.
00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:54.880
Not everybody knew each other in that room, and so I thought this is an opportunity in and of itself uh to help our central Indiana region get uh more collaborative.
00:27:55.119 --> 00:28:01.279
The second meeting we had uh was again the mayors and the police chiefs, and we brought in prosecutors.
00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:05.759
That was very interesting as well, so uh different opinions and different counties.
00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:17.119
Um and uh you know, I think we've tried to um keep the conversations as productive and positive as possible, knowing that there's friction points.
00:28:17.200 --> 00:28:17.359
Yep.
00:28:17.519 --> 00:28:20.480
Uh and I think we were able to do that in the second meeting, first meeting too.
00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:30.640
Third meeting was uh super um helpful in that we brought in members of the General Assembly that are in that are in um committees uh that kind of touch public safety.
00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:31.839
Um we couldn't get everybody.
00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:35.200
That's you know it's still their their off season, so to speak.
00:28:35.359 --> 00:28:39.359
Yes, because it is a part-time legislature, even though I think the load that they carry is probably full-time.
00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:44.400
Um but we were thankful for those who were able to make it and we had some good uh conversation.
00:28:44.880 --> 00:28:48.079
Um now we're in the process of kind of distilling all that information.
00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:51.440
There are some ask for the legislature on funding.
00:28:51.599 --> 00:28:57.440
There are some opportunities we have to improve the way our police departments work from an interoperability standpoint.
00:28:57.680 --> 00:29:05.519
There's opportunities to change the laws it relates to you know, Department of Corrections, for instance, or other things like that.
00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:11.599
So I think we have to work hard now, which we are behind the scenes trying to pull together all that we've learned.
00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:16.160
I think there's an opportunity for certain groups to own pieces of that as we move forward.
00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:21.599
Um but I think there's also an opportunity for this group to maybe get together a couple times a year or annually.
00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:23.519
Well, I want to get the opinion of the group, yeah.
00:29:23.680 --> 00:29:28.079
Uh because I think this feedback is probably pretty valuable to to continue.
00:29:28.559 --> 00:29:35.599
Um just the fact that they are m some of them are meeting another person right in their own backyard for the first time.
00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:35.839
Yeah.
00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:36.640
I think that's huge.
00:29:36.880 --> 00:29:47.519
I think you collaboration and conversation and having those knowing who's in your backyard and how can you rely on each other, I mean that's that's what the goal is.
00:29:48.079 --> 00:30:03.920
Yeah, and a couple of the prosecutors are incoming prosecutors that attended the last meeting, uh, where you know the prosecutors are not running again, and um, we've got a you know a new person that's up and coming into those roles, and I think having them, and one was very vocal, which I was like, hallelujah.
00:30:04.400 --> 00:30:10.480
Uh so I I think that that's been part of our challenge is you know, the mayors maybe aren't public safety experts.
00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:17.119
And then you have uh police chiefs who aren't elected and are appointed by the mayors are sensitive about speaking out, maybe.
00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:31.839
Uh the the prosecutors are also uh respectful of their law enforcement um partners as well as their peers that are pro other prosecutors, and then we have the General Assembly who's just trying to learn what we've been talking about and want to be supportive.
00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:34.079
So I think this has been really positive.
00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:42.720
It's you know, I knew that we were gonna we weren't gonna boil the ocean, so to speak, in these meetings and be able to solve every problem, but there'll be some key things we take on and other things we decide to work on, I think.
00:30:42.799 --> 00:30:43.599
So that's awesome.
00:30:43.839 --> 00:30:45.599
Um I'm I was very encouraged.
00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:52.240
I was I'm very thankful for the mayors and police chiefs that have put their time in, knowing this is hard, um, hard rowing.
00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:54.640
So uh we got one more.
00:30:54.720 --> 00:30:57.359
We're trying to figure out if we can get judges together or not.
00:30:57.440 --> 00:31:00.559
You know, they have some limitations on uh what they can and can't do.
00:31:00.640 --> 00:31:03.920
So I'm trying to figure that out because it was brought up that maybe talk to the judges.
00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:08.160
If we can't bring them to the whole group, maybe a subset of us goes to talk to them.
00:31:08.319 --> 00:31:11.359
Um so we're working on that, but maybe maybe it's a fifth meeting.
00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:11.680
Yeah.
00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:14.400
Um, so more coming.
00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:14.799
Yeah.
00:31:14.960 --> 00:31:19.200
I just thought it was valuable to make sure that people understand that these it's not just a one-time thing.
00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:22.079
This is we're on meeting three, we're gonna continue to collaborate.
00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:30.160
Um, but as you know, not only for each of our communities is public safety probably the the large is the largest bud budget item, but also how are we collaborating together?
00:31:30.559 --> 00:31:36.799
Um because uh you know um crime doesn't stop in one area.
00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:46.640
It can find ways to be everywhere, and uh if there's not ways to combat it or try to find ways as a as a team um to work together, it doesn't get better uh as it goes.
00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:50.880
We want to make sure we can continue to make this uh central Indiana an attractive place.
00:31:51.119 --> 00:32:08.000
Yeah, and I think there's a lot of value in educating our communities who again we want them to go about their merry way and live their beautiful lives, but also they need to be understanding of what our restrictions are, what our barriers are, um, what our successes are, uh so they can support that which works.
00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:14.880
Um and I know there's been some social media in very small amount, but social media hits about where's the results?
00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:25.119
Like, well, we couldn't get this group in the same room and decide what we wanted for lunch, uh much less, you know, trying to figure out how to attack repeat uh uh offenders in our community.
00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:33.200
So um I think you know the fact that um I made a little noise and we're actually getting together is a huge win.
00:32:33.440 --> 00:32:33.680
100%.
00:32:34.240 --> 00:32:36.240
And um you have to start somewhere.
00:32:36.480 --> 00:32:38.240
Yeah, we have to start somewhere exactly that.
00:32:38.319 --> 00:32:39.519
And it starts with talking.
00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:43.200
Um, you know, if it's all political, we're all gonna lose.
00:32:43.359 --> 00:32:49.359
So we have to talk and collaborate and um put our residents' hats on, say, what is it our residents need?
00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:54.400
So um I think we're making good progress given the time we've had.
00:32:54.480 --> 00:33:00.640
We had a flood in the middle of it, right, that affected several of the counties that are that are represented there and communities that are represented there.
00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:02.160
So um more to come.
00:33:02.400 --> 00:33:02.799
I love it.
00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:03.200
That's great.
00:33:03.359 --> 00:33:04.480
Well, I have one more thing.
00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:07.839
Uh, community leaders of America, share with us a little bit more.
00:33:07.920 --> 00:33:09.920
I think they're they're hanging out in Carmel this week.
00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:10.559
They are.
00:33:10.640 --> 00:33:21.839
Uh this is a nonprofit that is focused on uh getting like leaders together to look at um wins across the country in different communities, and I'm honored to be able to host that this year.
00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:24.880
Uh and this actually meets twice a year, so the fall meeting.
00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:38.960
Uh I was in uh Fort Worth in April, uh, and they pay for uh mayors and community members to come to the community, so this isn't a taxpayer provided burden, and um so I'm super excited to show off Carmel.
00:33:39.279 --> 00:33:42.319
I know the organizers have been here and so what an amazing community.
00:33:42.400 --> 00:33:47.920
So we're talking about the Carmel way, so to speak, and what's gotten us here and what um how we work together.
00:33:48.160 --> 00:33:54.640
And our only challenges this week just happens to be when a lot of our staff is at conferences or vacation.
00:33:54.799 --> 00:33:58.319
So uh trying to get the right group of leaders in the room to talk about it is interesting.
00:33:58.400 --> 00:34:08.559
But we're talking about energy, we're talking about data centers, we're talking about um uh uh the quality of life that communities can bring, we're talking about workforce development, so all these big things every community faces.
00:34:09.039 --> 00:34:22.559
So it's mayors, it's um uh county counselors, it's um some county commissioners, uh about 110 of them coming across the country and and and business leaders who are sponsors that support this, yeah.
00:34:22.719 --> 00:34:24.239
They're again helping to educate.
00:34:24.400 --> 00:34:25.840
So it's it's very positive.
00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:29.039
I've been really thankful since 24 to be a part of this group.
00:34:29.440 --> 00:34:32.960
And I serve as a steering member committee for this organization too.
00:34:33.119 --> 00:34:39.440
And uh they've done a great work for many, uh, many, many years, and I was able to kind of happy to jump right in.
00:34:39.599 --> 00:34:40.000
I love that.
00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:52.000
I don't I think people will be surprised how many times between the two of us working together, our teams working together, how many communities choose Carmel for their uh visits, you know, their once-a-year visits.
00:34:52.400 --> 00:35:10.239
Um I think since I've been, since you have been mayor and I've been since we've been working together, I want to say we're probably at probably more than six, but I can name at least from Alabama to, I mean, I can name probably at least five, six states that fly in um just to see Carmel.
00:35:10.400 --> 00:35:10.480
Yeah.
00:35:10.639 --> 00:35:12.639
My favorites always when they say, This is my favorite.
00:35:12.719 --> 00:35:15.039
I I can't remember, I think it was maybe it was Fort Wayne.
00:35:15.119 --> 00:35:16.719
I don't want to call them out, but I just did.
00:35:16.880 --> 00:35:29.360
But I think it was Fort Wayne because we were going over their their itinerary, and uh the lady that was working with me, she goes, So we're gonna be going to arts and design district, midtown, and city center.
00:35:29.440 --> 00:35:33.360
But it says we only have like five, 10 minutes between each one.
00:35:33.440 --> 00:35:34.880
Are we gonna be able to get there on time?
00:35:35.119 --> 00:35:39.679
And I said, Well, if you can walk basically like a mile and a half, two miles, like you'll see it all.
00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:41.119
She's like, I don't understand what you're talking about.
00:35:41.199 --> 00:35:42.800
I said, We're not getting in a car.
00:35:43.039 --> 00:35:46.639
We're you'll walk from arts and design to midtown to Carmel City Center.
00:35:46.880 --> 00:35:54.960
And uh, so when they showed up, I think it was Fort Wayne, they they came down and we we started at the Arts and Design, she's like, Oh, you weren't kidding! Like, it's we just go, we walk this.
00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:56.639
This I said, yeah, this is it.
00:35:56.800 --> 00:36:00.800
And I think that is just um it's mind-blowing to them.
00:36:00.880 --> 00:36:10.239
And I love being able to have cities from across the country uh choose Carmel to show their community who's doing it right and how to do it.
00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:21.440
Um, and so I use that not only with this wonderful group, but it's I think people would be surprised how many cities uh call us or you guys and say, hey, we'd love to make Carmel our spot to come visit.
00:36:21.679 --> 00:36:22.960
It's an honor and I love it.
00:36:23.119 --> 00:36:26.639
And um it's always fun to see their faces.
00:36:26.800 --> 00:36:35.360
As some like sometimes I think we take for granted like some of the things we have and some of the beautiful things and all the work we're doing, not only just the beautiful buildings, but how to create quality of life.
00:36:35.440 --> 00:36:37.679
What are the what are we investing in and what your team's doing?
00:36:37.760 --> 00:36:44.320
And so it's fun to watch their faces and in some of the meetings because they're like, wow, like uh I usually get them after lunch.
00:36:44.400 --> 00:36:50.400
So I usually have like a tour with Henry, and then they have then I go visit with him and they're like, What is this place?
00:36:50.480 --> 00:36:51.360
Like, this is unbelievable.
00:36:51.519 --> 00:36:58.159
So I think it's so fun to be able to share not like business community leaders uh from across the country.
00:36:58.320 --> 00:37:02.480
I just don't I think sometimes we gotta take a step back and realize we have a pretty amazing city.
00:37:02.559 --> 00:37:06.880
Yeah, it's pretty cool to see that people from all over the country uh want to come visit us.
00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:08.400
I think it is special, yeah.
00:37:08.559 --> 00:37:11.760
And I think our our reputation continues to grow each and every year.
00:37:12.079 --> 00:37:12.400
100%.
00:37:12.800 --> 00:37:24.239
So uh I was at an event that I'm thankful to the Carmel Rotary and the city council for putting on uh that was you know in celebration of our um 250 years, but also Carmel's 50th.
00:37:24.320 --> 00:37:24.719
Yeah.
00:37:24.960 --> 00:37:28.880
And uh it was just a couple weeks ago, we had another beautiful evening.
00:37:29.119 --> 00:37:39.920
And in addition to our long-standing residents coming up saying thank you, I was blown away at the number of residents that are newer who just wanted to tell me about their experience.
00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:41.599
And you may see a social post on the soon.
00:37:41.679 --> 00:37:42.000
I love it.
00:37:42.079 --> 00:37:44.800
So I've been kind of working through it, trying to make it not a mile long.
00:37:44.880 --> 00:37:47.440
But uh, it started with this young guy saying, Are you the mayor?
00:37:47.519 --> 00:37:49.920
I'm like, Yeah, can I tell you my story?
00:37:50.159 --> 00:37:55.599
And uh moved from Seattle and you know to find a safer place, a different uh environment.
00:37:55.679 --> 00:37:57.679
And then his parents followed a year later.
00:37:57.920 --> 00:38:03.519
And then you know, I turn around and here's a here's a family from California, had their home broken into three times.
00:38:03.679 --> 00:38:07.840
Their son almost abducted one of them, the last one, which is maybe like, This is it, we're moving.
00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:09.840
Google best places to live, safest cities.
00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:11.599
Carmel's on the top of both of those lists.
00:38:12.079 --> 00:38:15.760
And the seventh grader son says, and those lists are so accurate.
00:38:15.920 --> 00:38:17.760
And I was like, I love it, he's into it.
00:38:18.239 --> 00:38:32.079
Um, and you know, then turned around another lady who just moved here from Brazil, had got a promotion with a large um uh biotech firm, could live anywhere east of the Mississippi, chose Carmel because of the high-performing schools, because she's got a high-performing child in school.
00:38:32.239 --> 00:38:37.840
Uh, turned around another couple, they're from two different countries in Europe, moved to Chicago, hated it, moved to Carmel, love it.
00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:39.039
They can again live anywhere.
00:38:39.119 --> 00:38:43.440
He's a metallurgical engineer, so near the steel plants is all he needed to be.
00:38:43.599 --> 00:38:52.159
And another one from Boston who where they were pregnant and decided they were gonna move and they're trying to decide when, and they said, we want our baby born in Carmel, not just in Boston, then they moved here.
00:38:52.480 --> 00:39:06.800
And just like story after story after I literally could just move, turn, yeah, I can do a set of degrees, and there's someone else wanted to tell me how great with fresh eyes that they see the city of Carmel, and I just that's so meaningful.
00:39:06.960 --> 00:39:08.880
But again, our long-standing residents feel the same way.
00:39:08.960 --> 00:39:14.079
Yeah, but just it was just I think it's because they were so packed in, it was just as far as story after story.
00:39:14.159 --> 00:39:21.519
It's exciting, and we should we have a lot to be proud of, and yes, our city staff does a lot, but also our residents do a lot too to make sure it's special.
00:39:21.599 --> 00:39:27.920
All the volunteers for the events, um, all the questions and the comments, because we also have a community that travels a lot.
00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:40.079
Yeah, and um, they travel all around the world and they see things they like and come back with an idea or um a suggestion, or again, kudos like I saw walkability here and I didn't like it as much as I like it at home.
00:39:40.639 --> 00:39:46.239
So I love our I love our uh I was gonna say little city, but um it's medium-sized city, right?
00:39:46.800 --> 00:39:50.480
Um and I think I feel like we just have so much for people to offer.
00:39:50.719 --> 00:39:51.039
I know.
00:39:51.199 --> 00:39:57.199
I it's I love I I just love there's something about our city that is um you're right.
00:39:57.280 --> 00:40:06.559
I mean it mid-sized city, but there's just so there are so many ways in our city to make it feel uh small, make it feel local.
00:40:06.719 --> 00:40:15.280
Make it if you have a passion, if you want to be connected to something in the community, no matter what walk of life you come from, um we have that.
00:40:15.519 --> 00:40:16.159
Carmel has that.
00:40:16.320 --> 00:40:37.599
Makes you give you the ability to connect with your community, and that's why you know, that's why you invest in quality of life, that's why you invest in these things, so that somebody from whether they're in California to Boston uh or they've been a Carmel resident since they were born, um they can all three share the same thing that they love their community, that they love the things that are going on in their community.
00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:50.880
And as you know very well, and I and I know, when there are suggestions or ideas or there's something that they they love and there's something that they don't like, um, because they're very proud of where they live, they do they they will find a way to let let us know.
00:40:51.039 --> 00:40:51.599
Yeah, exactly.
00:40:51.840 --> 00:40:53.039
And honestly, that's the best part.
00:40:53.119 --> 00:40:53.679
I love that.
00:40:54.000 --> 00:41:02.159
I see that from the business side is um there is a reason why they're spending their dollars in Carmel, and they are very passionate about it.
00:41:02.239 --> 00:41:04.960
And when there's times for us to collaborate, we collaborate on those things.
00:41:05.199 --> 00:41:06.079
So I don't know.
00:41:06.159 --> 00:41:12.239
I love that we're ending it this way because Carmel is a special place, as we well know, and as we've talked about for our time to together.
00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:15.119
Um, but probably something we all already all knew.
00:41:15.599 --> 00:41:16.320
That's pretty awesome.
00:41:16.559 --> 00:41:18.880
Okay, I think we just need it for a front, right?
00:41:19.199 --> 00:41:20.239
Yes, yep, for sure.
00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:21.440
So thanks for being part of it.
00:41:21.599 --> 00:41:22.880
Yeah, well, thank you, Mayor.
00:41:22.960 --> 00:41:26.239
As always, thank you so much, and thank you all for watching.
00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:09.519
Hi everybody, Jack Russell, President of OneZone.
00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:14.000
Welcome to another episode Beyond the Roundabout with my friend and Mayor, Mayor Sue Fenko.
00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:14.480
How are you today?
00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:14.960
Awesome.
00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:15.519
Happy Monday.
00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:20.960
Well, it's it's been a while since we've we have met, and just a couple things have happened.
00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:24.559
Uh couple since the last time we got together.
00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:36.799
Um so I thought the first and foremost, as we kind of talk about our conversation, we'll kind of go from probably right after our last podcast, some things happened uh in in the city, and really quite frankly, in Hamilton County.
00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:44.240
Uh, and then we'll kind of dive in some caramel, some more macro things when it comes to across the country that you're working on as well, some awesome, awesome things.
00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:48.079
So, but we'll start with caramel and uh let's talk about the flooding specifically.
00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:57.520
Um, you and your team, I you know, this again, x external perspective or somebody from outside uh the four walls of Seahall.
00:00:57.600 --> 00:01:04.480
Um, thank you for the work that you guys put together and did um during these flooding and during those um tough, tough times.
00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:06.079
I'm sure that was tough for your team.
00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:12.159
But the way that you guys handled it, the transparency, but also just the ability to get stuff done quickly.
00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:12.879
It was amazing.
00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:15.280
So I thought it'd be first and foremost, let's talk about that.
00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:18.000
Well, first, thanks for the comments about our response.
00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:19.680
I'm so proud of our team.
00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:25.760
Um, they care every day about how they get work done and how they deliver for our citizens.
00:01:26.079 --> 00:01:30.000
But you really saw it on display uh during this tragedy.
00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:36.799
Uh and it was such an interesting set of circumstances strung together.
00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:47.840
You know, first we're warning people to get out of their homes, um, then we're evacuating people out of their homes, uh, and trying to keep equipment and property safe as well.
00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:59.040
And and then all of a sudden we you know we realize wow, we've got a a different disaster under underway and with the bridge um starting to wash away.
00:01:59.200 --> 00:01:59.519
Yeah.
00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:09.520
And then realizing uh the power of the water and what its impact on the community, power on Martin Marietta, which is one of our major employers in the city of Carmel.
00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:15.120
And then, you know, all along is the people that were affected in homes.
00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:25.199
So I kind of liken it to what maybe cities have to go through with a raging forest fire, where it's just some every day there's something else and a new set of circumstances you have to deal with.
00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:30.159
So, you know, our main concern uh was we we didn't really talk about it.
00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:32.639
There's a line that carries jet fuel that goes through there.
00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:34.080
There's all the utilities.
00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:42.639
We obviously talked about the sewer pipe, but then we have our um our obviously our um you know utility plant right there for wastewater treatment.
00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:45.520
And just you know, we were really worried long picture how we're gonna do.
00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:58.000
So we're thankful that um our teams were able to jump into action and you know, credit to all the men and women who worked very, very long hours taking care of people.
00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:03.439
Um and you know, just to see the different teams come into play, and they all had a different role.
00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:19.520
Um, you know, police and fire were very active up front, uh, and then um our streets department, engineering department, um, you know, utilities department working in the middle of that along with our fire department when we hit when we brought in the Blackhawks.
00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:29.520
And then um after that, then you see our building department, our code enforcement really going door to door helping people, you know, who are just devastated with the losses they had.
00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:38.159
Uh so I just and then everyone who else kept things under control as the other teams are really doing uh quite amazing work in the field.
00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:41.039
So our communications department's fantastic, you know.
00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:44.560
Aaron, our new director of marketing and communications, I think that was where the weekend was.
00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:46.560
I was gonna say it had to have been like very early.
00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:47.680
Something like that.
00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:50.960
And so uh just a crazy set of circumstances.
00:03:51.039 --> 00:03:52.479
I'm thankful there was no loss of life.
00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:56.240
I'm thankful that our teams were safe, um, but I'm so proud of them.
00:03:56.400 --> 00:04:03.599
I'm just so proud of the team and just seeing them, it didn't matter what your title was, it didn't matter what department you work for.
00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:08.479
Everyone was just, you know, jumping in to help others, and that is what we're here for.
00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:10.240
Yes, and so super proud of that.
00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:11.280
It was it was awesome.
00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:33.759
And and you guys had a lot of external um outside not only the city, but you look at from a national perspective coming in, the county coming in, the state coming in, um, being able to see um, you know, everyone lives their lives and in the goal sometimes, especially probably in and as I think we probably would agree in government, is how do we let people live their lives and then let government exist?
00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:40.959
But when this is a perfect example of when something occurs, a tragedy, an accident, you know, big things occur.
00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:42.000
It's amazing.
00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:48.399
It was it was a it was amazing to see uh truly like government in action of like here's how we execute, here's how we do things.
00:04:48.639 --> 00:05:02.800
And quite frankly, uh uh now it wasn't you know it's not uh the size of a flood, but uh uh these things happen every day is how we're communicating to the public, how our engineering department, what they're thinking, how the street department, and every how everything looks and feels.
00:05:02.959 --> 00:05:08.879
And uh your team functions that way at a high level, uh and residents get to live their lives and do the things that they do.
00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:16.000
But when something like this occurs, you uh we as the public get to see it in action and prepare for that and get ready for that.
00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:22.720
And so um to see the work that your team did and how it worked along with the state and with the federal government and the county.
00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:30.000
Um, you and I were just talking about this before we started, like Hamilton County just is is uh there's just something special about it.
00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:39.680
Absolutely when when we need to roll up our sleeves, personalities are to the side, um, the plot the politics is to aside, the job is to take care of the business and take care of our residents.
00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:41.680
And it's just it was so powerful to watch.
00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:42.800
So I just want to say thank you.
00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:44.079
And I just thank you for that.
00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:44.560
Awesome.
00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:47.439
I think you know, our partnerships were were so key during this.
00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:47.680
Yeah.
00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:55.759
Uh Commissioner Altman was fantastic, you know, boots on the ground, and being there for the communications piece, which showed we're working together closely.
00:05:55.920 --> 00:06:02.240
So I'm thankful for her, you know, the highway department, the engineering department at the county as well, and lots more that I'm not naming, I'm sure.
00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:17.360
Uh, and then you know, our partners at the state, uh, you know, uh DHS in particular was wonderful, National Guard, uh, you know, um IDEM, uh, you know, DNR, the governor's office, and just so many.
00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:28.879
Our federal partners, you know, uh uh our entire delegation, both senators and congresswoman Sparts, were on the ground with us, um, surveying the damage and seeing how they could be helpful.
00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:34.959
Uh, and then of course, uh FEMA coming in and saying, hey, we're gonna pilot something here to make recovery better.
00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:38.879
It's still gonna be a long uh road uh for our for our residents.
00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:41.120
Um and there's so many things they have to work together with.
00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:43.920
And you know, first and foremost, we gotta know what their insurance covers.
00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:45.920
And then where does the state come in?
00:06:46.000 --> 00:07:10.000
Where does the federal government come in, and how do we get those uh folks uh supported, and then our incredible philanthropic partners uh Serve Village and um Samaritans Purse and Northview Church and Hamilton County Harvest Food Bank and Hamilton County Community Foundation, all of those and more are trustees in our different uh communities, just so helpful.
00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:17.279
And I often say, like, not everything has to be a.gov solution, it should also be.org um and dot com and dot ai.
00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:20.000
And so it's just all those coming together were so helpful.
00:07:20.399 --> 00:07:26.319
I thought the food, I mean, we didn't talk about this beforehand, but like even the food, the the food drive where people could drive through.
00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:33.439
Um I I can tell you we did our voices of leadership lunch and the day before we asked people to just donate items.
00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:34.240
Yeah, thank you.
00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:39.199
And we thought, you know, if we get maybe 10, 15 items, it would be that would be awesome.
00:07:39.439 --> 00:07:46.399
We got like 200 items for a for uh an email that was 24 hours in it, basically less than 24 hours in advance.
00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:56.800
We had 200 items, and then we showed up to um to Lucas States when we did when you did the drive and volunteering, and uh it was amazing it was amazing, you know.
00:07:57.120 --> 00:08:01.199
Because as you know, you you put on these things, you're like, okay, who's going to respond to this?
00:08:01.279 --> 00:08:02.720
Who is going to show up?
00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:08.560
I mean, car after car after car was so that's it makes you feel so proud.
00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:21.680
It doesn't there's this no matter how big your community is, you know, 100,000 people, to watch every car go by and and oh, I just picked up this, and I it wasn't even like half a bottle of Tide, right?
00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:28.959
Like I don't mean that in a bad way, like you can donate whatever you can donate, but it was like brand new bottles of Tide, brand new bottles of this and that, and trunks full.
00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:47.919
I mean trunks, and it was just it was so as somebody that was helping kind of get everything out of the cars and stuff, just the look on people's faces and the way that people wanted to give back, it just you know you have a great community, you know we know we have a special community, but then to see it on display, you're so right.
00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:49.279
I mean, I get goosebumps.
00:08:49.440 --> 00:08:50.000
I think about that.
00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:56.240
That's one of my probably one of my favorite moments as a president of the chamber was being able to I'm not kidding.
00:08:56.320 --> 00:08:57.759
I I work in handy hand.
00:08:57.919 --> 00:09:09.039
I mean, um representative Lopez being there with two of us were standing next to each other car after car after car, and we just rolled up our sleeves and we're you know, uh let's let's uh give everything out.
00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:12.480
The um Ingledo bringing the trucks and their team helping.
00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:14.320
I mean an amazing Lucas family.
00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:16.480
Yes, I mean it was community at work.
00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:25.279
And the community foundation being there, um Danielle and and her team, and they weren't just there to take, you know, what the the donations.
00:09:25.679 --> 00:09:28.240
I mean, Danielle was rolling up her sleeves, and let's get out there.
00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:36.960
And so it was fun to see so many community partners, but it was so fun to see residents show up bring basically an entire trunk, if not the back seat full.
00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:37.360
Yes.
00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:40.480
Um because they love their city and they love their community.
00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:59.279
And I think sometimes we we get so busy to doing our jobs and executing our jobs that I just want to say, you know, I thought it was so awesome for you and your for you to to host this thing uh because uh it's probably one of the top uh moments in my job is watching our community at work.
00:09:59.440 --> 00:10:01.279
It memory it reminds you why you do it.
00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:02.320
Absolutely.
00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:09.039
So I know I went, I wouldn't kind of fill away, I kind of talked too much about it, but but it was just something that always will stick with me.
00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:14.080
It was so cool to see our community wholeheartedly give back to those.
00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:15.200
I'm so proud, you know.
00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:18.240
As a mayor, your one of your roles is chief storyteller, yeah, right?
00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:32.480
And that's that's get to promote, which is I'm a promoter persuader by birth anyway, but uh you know, it was so cool just to see so many people helping it every step of the way and get to share that, you know.
00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:37.840
Right or wrong, Carmel gets knocked just like any community, but we get knocked for being snobby or what have you.
00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:45.200
And I will say there's not a community that would have come out like Carmel uh in this kind of uh disaster, so super proud of it.
00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:49.919
And I'm also proud of the fact that you know this touched this many of our population, right?
00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:51.279
Just a small amount.
00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:59.279
Um, but as you mentioned earlier, the rest of the community was able to live their lives and go to work and do that while still have carrying a heavy burden for their neighbors.
00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:04.159
Uh, but also like our team that was not on the disaster site was still keeping the wheels rolling.
00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:04.799
Yep.
00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:06.639
Uh lots of phone calls coming to City Hall.
00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:08.320
Carol had to answer lots and lots of questions.
00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:10.639
My office had to answer lots and lots of questions.
00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:16.000
Uh our city counselors did an amazing amount of work, you know, from an advocacy advocacy perspective.
00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:17.759
So I'm very grateful for them as well.
00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:20.320
So uh all hands on deck, really paid off.
00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:21.039
I love it.
00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:27.039
Well, um, well, let's transition from the flooding to uh let's talk about budget.
00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:29.519
So, budget time, tis the season.
00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:30.240
Yay!
00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:41.519
But the reason why I wanted to bring it up is because I think um the way that you have approached this budget season is is different than a traditional type of budget for most municipalities.
00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:48.639
Um I think the ability, and that's what we're gonna talk about and make sure people that are watching are able to go online and see the videos and things.
00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:53.440
But um I so far, I mean it's it's been really great to be able to pull up the videos.
00:11:53.679 --> 00:11:58.960
Number one, I think sometimes it's it's uh important for the community to see the people behind the scenes too.
00:11:59.120 --> 00:12:12.080
And so seeing the videos with Henry and Aaron and the rest of your team, being able to let them talk through their slides and talk through their budget, where it's not them sitting, you know, watching there's somebody at the dais, they're sitting there and more formal.
00:12:12.240 --> 00:12:13.840
It is it felt very personable.
00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:16.480
But I'm for some of those folks who are like, what are you talking about?
00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:28.480
Which is let's talk a little bit about the budget and and what you've decided to do this year and what you're asking those that are listening or watching um in our Carmel residence, what are your asks for them as well?
00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:33.039
So this year we did something a little bit different, and that was have each director record a video.
00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:33.440
Yeah.
00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:35.200
Um, most are three to five minutes long.
00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:37.279
Fire department Joel was very thorough.
00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:38.879
Yes, it's a little longer.
00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:40.559
Um, but no surprise.
00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:42.159
I know exactly.
00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:48.480
But uh that is a similar presentation that it would have given at council for a two-day presentation.
00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:56.480
When I was on city council for 12 years, uh that of that process evolved too, but I was felt they were very long.
00:12:56.639 --> 00:13:03.360
I felt the people who had the benefit were the ones who went first, the department directors who went first because you have more fresh thinking.
00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:07.120
Uh and as a city counselor had to take two days off work.
00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:12.720
Uh it's part of the deal, it's fine, but it just it just seemed like we weren't doing it uh justice.
00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:18.559
And um in this way, we can just make them very quick hits for our residents to see.
00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:21.200
Again, same presentation, but just separated out.
00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:21.440
Right.
00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:25.840
Uh counselors can go back to them if they want to see the fire department one a couple times and go right to it.
00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:29.759
So it someone said, Well, this is less transparent than you did in the past.
00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:30.799
Like, absolutely not.
00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:32.320
We pushed it out earlier.
00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:35.919
We pushed them out all out September 8th or 9th, I believe it was.
00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:38.879
Uh, and uh with the public able to see it.
00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:43.600
Um, and we put a budget at carmel.in.gov um address out there.
00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:46.639
So people have questions about the budget, they can send them in and answer that.
00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:48.720
Now we got a lot of non-budget questions through that.
00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:48.879
Yeah.
00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:55.200
So we try to point people to, well, that's a 311 uh or this goes to this department, uh, what have you.
00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:58.399
So we did try to because I think people get thinking when they see a budget presentation.
00:13:58.480 --> 00:13:59.759
Oh, yeah, well, what does that mean?
00:13:59.919 --> 00:14:03.120
Well, this isn't really budget per se, it's service operations.
00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:05.759
Like someone said, Do we have a street sweeping program?
00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:10.240
We do, and um, here's the streets department can answer that question a little bit more.
00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:12.320
So, and how do I get a street swapped, right?
00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:12.960
Was the next question.
00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:18.000
So, anyway, uh we present today, which by the time this airs will be in the past.
00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:21.600
Yeah, uh, we have a three hours reserved for city council to ask questions.
00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:26.639
Yeah, um, and then uh we'll kind of summarize those and put those up on the website as well.
00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:30.320
And then uh we introduced the budget October 5th.
00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:34.559
By state law, you have to have it um read and introduced.
00:14:34.720 --> 00:14:36.480
Uh well, we have to present it twice.
00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:41.759
Introduce it, can't be voted on, and then come back to the next um council meeting or separate meeting if we needed to.
00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:42.159
Yeah.
00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:45.919
Um so we'll have that in October, so hopefully voting on the 19th.
00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:49.440
By state law, we have to have it passed roughly by the end of uh October.
00:14:49.759 --> 00:15:02.240
So then it takes all the necessary next steps uh to get to DLGF, which is the Department of Local Government Finance, where they set the final one to get back to us in February, which is odd because we're already January, February, rolling with our budget.
00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:05.440
Uh and there are some tweaks you have to make usually every year.
00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:07.600
So um I'm happy about it though.
00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:17.679
I think I think when you talk about the transparency, I think in the the older model or the traditional model, um you could have multiple departments in one day.
00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:25.200
So if you're trying to, if unless you're, you know, I watch them all because you know, uh, but if you're somebody nerd.
00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:26.720
Yes, 100%.
00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:28.000
I love watching it.
00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:30.799
Usually it's like on the big TV in our office, and they're like, What are we watching?
00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:32.080
I'm like, we're watching Carmel Budget.
00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:33.440
They're like, guess what?
00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:35.279
Then Fisher's is next and we're gonna watch this one.
00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:35.759
Exactly.
00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:47.840
And but but I think for those that aren't that way, I think the the old model really was difficult to if you wanted to know about a specific department, you had to find it in that day.
00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:48.320
Yes.
00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:59.039
And I think that, and then even when you even when that occurred, it's the people factor, and I don't mean that in a bad way, just okay, so let's take um marketing communications.
00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:01.039
Well, there may be questions during it.
00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:10.799
Um the screen, you know, the the group does a great job of being able to display the screen, but it's not um you basically that's a business meeting that you're watching.
00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:11.200
Yep.
00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:18.000
And so it's you know, it's a little harder to follow if you're not used to the tradition used to that.
00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:20.240
So that's why I applaud it.
00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:24.720
I loved this model because I guess selfishly for me too, it was okay.
00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:29.039
So where's you know, in the old models, like, okay, you know, how do I find this person or that person?
00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:32.720
And when does economic development end and when does this department start?
00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:37.600
Whereas it's very clear on the website, hey, here's marketing, here's this one, here's that one.
00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:42.960
Um, and it gives me the chance of, okay, I can't remember, like as I'm looking at the budget, oh, I can't remember who that was.
00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:46.000
So then I pull up Henry again and I can I can watch that again.
00:16:46.320 --> 00:16:58.960
I I think it's a I think it's very innovative, and I think other cities should look at that type of model because, and like you said, even if it's not a question specifically about the budget, but something sparks somebody of, oh, how do I do this?
00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:02.720
Because of the way you guys are set up, oh okay, the street sweeping, right?
00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:06.319
Yeah, oh well, not a budget question, but hey, we can send this to you.
00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:07.920
Well, they may not have ever asked that question.
00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:08.480
Exactly.
00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:15.519
So I look at this as just a complete, I mean, that was one of the biggest pillars when you ran two and a half years ago was how do we create transparency?
00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:19.920
And I think it this matches also the innovative side that you ran on as well.
00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:22.160
And how do we become transparent, innovative?
00:17:22.240 --> 00:17:30.240
And quite frankly, how do we take our directors who are behind the scenes and let them share a little bit more who they are and what they do and put a face to the name?
00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:33.119
And so I think this is a great model.
00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:41.440
I think it'll be exciting as you go through this process um for other communities to look at this as a model because um I I love it.
00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:45.599
As somebody that, and of course, as a government nerd, I love it because then I can break down everything.
00:17:45.839 --> 00:18:00.720
But I think if you're just um like we talked about, how you know people are just living their lives, but they read something in the current or the reporter, or they go to the website and they are interested and they want to learn something, there's a whole link and there's the next link, and there's the next link.
00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:04.240
So I I think it's fantastic, but I did want to bring it up because I think it's so innovative.
00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:11.039
And you ask what I want residents to do, yeah, and then what I want them to do, if nothing else, is go pull up uh the budget overview video.
00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:11.279
Yeah.
00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:14.720
Because it really shows the external environment that we're working in and the challenges that we have.
00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:16.480
And I've been really proud of our team.
00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:19.359
We're continuing to just tighten up things.
00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:23.920
For instance, we're moving all the fleet operations out of the police department into the street department.
00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:29.920
The police department are really, really good at many things, but why should they also have to be fleet experts?
00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:36.319
Yeah, and so their teams, which have taken great care of our equipment, are just merging into the um street department.
00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:42.400
So, and then we want to do the same thing with the fire department over time because uh I think there's some efficiencies we can have there.
00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:43.920
So we continue to look at those things.
00:18:44.079 --> 00:18:44.720
Hey, you know what?
00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:47.920
And there's gonna be things we tried that don't work, and then we just go back to the old model.
00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:50.720
Uh, we did that kind of with the quartermaster system we had.
00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:51.920
That's learning.
00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:55.680
Yeah, and I think that's what we're gonna do with this budget process too.
00:18:55.839 --> 00:18:59.839
We rolled it out, we're gonna get feedback and see um what we want to do moving forward.
00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:02.799
I'm glad you said it felt personal because that was a goal.
00:19:02.880 --> 00:19:09.599
We want to direct a camera with the um uh you know presentation over their shoulder, so it was very easy to read.
00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:12.720
Uh, it was the letting the departments have their personality come through.
00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:18.480
Now, I will say 99% of them hated the thought of doing a video, but I'm like, you already do a video, right?
00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:20.400
You're already in a in the giver.
00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:24.160
Um so that was kind of funny too.
00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:25.759
They all did very, very good.
00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:32.079
Um, we only had to re-record one, and that's because she wore black, and so her head was just floating on the on the dark background.
00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:33.359
So we had to record that.
00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:35.359
But you know, again, we learn and have a little fun.
00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:36.079
Of course.
00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:40.400
Um, I should have done a contest, like we can do vote whose is the best, but we didn't do that.
00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:41.200
I'm a good idea.
00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:42.000
It's next year.
00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:42.400
Exactly.
00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:46.240
I always want a contest for everything, so I try not to do that, knowing that everyone does feels that same.
00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:47.279
That's hilarious.
00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:48.240
That's so funny.
00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:55.279
Well, I I like I said, I that was one of the things I wanted to make sure we had a conversation today because, like you said, for residents, please go check it out.
00:19:55.359 --> 00:19:56.559
We'll make sure we add a link.
00:19:56.640 --> 00:20:04.480
Um, obviously, this will be, but I think even though it's passed, I think it'll be important for people that if they want to see um what we're talking about, we'll have that provided for them.
00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:05.680
But and we're gonna find it.
00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:10.480
If you just Google Carmel Budget 2026, there you go, it'll pop up, but it's on our website.
00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:12.880
Um, and you can again put the search bar and budget.
00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:14.480
I think there might even be a link on the homepage.
00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:19.359
I'm not sure only because all the flood information we still have out there, but um super easy to find.
00:20:19.599 --> 00:20:20.079
I love it.
00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:24.720
All right, next thing I have for us, it's uh we're gonna go from the n now we're gonna go to national level.
00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:25.039
Okay.
00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:31.200
Um, so you were just appointed as the vice chair of Mayor's Alliance to End Childhood Hunger.
00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:33.599
And uh I would love for you to talk about that.
00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:39.759
I'd love for you to kind of break down um what the organization is and then what the goals are uh for this group.
00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:45.759
And and uh for us to be on a national stage is a big deal, especially when we talk about uh childhood hunger.
00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:48.880
It's a huge issue no matter where you live, no matter where you are.
00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:51.839
Yeah, and it's a passion project for me.
00:20:51.920 --> 00:21:00.640
I thankfully was never a kid growing up that had a challenge for food access, but I know they're out there, they're in our community, um, and the numbers are growing.
00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:07.279
So this Mayor's Alliance to End Childhood Hunger is part of No Kid Hungry, uh, which is also part of Share Our Strength.
00:21:07.359 --> 00:21:12.319
So it's a um nonprofit heavily focused on food and nutrition across the country.
00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:20.720
This uh organization that I'm uh vice chair of this year and should have the pleasure of getting re-elected in 2027 will be then assented chair in 28.
00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:26.000
Uh will um it leads uh, I think it's just under 700 mayors.
00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:26.400
Wow.
00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:33.119
And that excites me as well because this is a nonpartisan uh group, or I should say bipartisan, really.
00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:34.640
Actually, probably multipartisan.
00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:36.799
We really want to make technically a government nerd.
00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:44.319
Um that uh multipartisan group of mayors across the country who don't care about how they got elected, uh what the vote count was.
00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:56.880
We just want to make sure kids are healthy so they can grow up and developing their bodies, their brains and their bodies the right way, so they can be productive members of society and um take care of their families.
00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:59.759
We want to end this um perpetual poverty.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:02.240
Whatever the reliance relates around food.
00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:09.440
So I'm super excited to be and really honored and humbled to be part of this group because it matters so much.
00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:11.920
And I've tried to get involved with food.
00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:18.319
You know, Mayor Willis and I did a little food challenge last year around the Carmel Westfield football game.
00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:20.400
He won on the field, but we went off the field.
00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:21.519
We were able to raise a little more money.
00:22:21.759 --> 00:22:22.079
We did.
00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:28.400
But again, we were super proud to be able to deliver over 50,000 to our food bank here in Hamilton County.
00:22:29.359 --> 00:22:32.319
This year, so much went to the food bank because of the flooding.
00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:38.480
And so but there's a lot of legislation that we have to focus on as well.
00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:44.799
You know, there's been a lot of uh concerns and challenges around the SNAP program uh and cuts in that program.
00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:47.759
Some are for the right reason to make sure we don't have fraud and abuse.
00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:53.839
Unfortunately, sometimes those programs for the right reason may have uh hard hard hitting effects.
00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:56.400
So I'm interested in learning more about all of that.
00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:56.799
Yeah.
00:22:56.960 --> 00:23:06.960
Um and I've been on this project to read, and I've got a stack of materials on my desk that are scary uh to read more and better understand where we're headed.
00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:08.880
And I look forward to talking to our delegation.
00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:10.000
Um I attend the U.S.
00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:28.640
Conference of Mirrors every January in DC and always hit our delegation's offices and not just like the three that represent Carmel, but I usually try to hit anyone I can get in front of that is a congressman, uh Congressman or woman or senator for the state of Indiana and talk about issues that affect the state and where they can be helpful.
00:23:28.799 --> 00:23:31.359
This is the top of my pile uh when I go back.
00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:36.640
Um but um like Senator Young's office, I'm like, help me understand more about the food programs at the federal level.
00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:39.200
And the you know, their staff sent me some great reading material.
00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:49.519
So they're very helpful, even if you know, um in ways that aren't just being on the on the floor pounding the pulpit and talking about or the dais talking about uh what's important with food.
00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:49.839
Yeah.
00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:51.519
So I'm interested in learning more.
00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:53.440
I'm interested in hearing from other mayors.
00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:58.799
Clearly, Carmel's an affluent community, and we aren't hit as hard with the food access challenges.
00:23:58.960 --> 00:24:03.440
Um and I also want to give a plug out to our food access commission chaired by counselor Worrell.
00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:03.920
Yep.
00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:06.079
That commission's been fantastic.
00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:11.200
And if anyone has an interest in learning more about food access, uh that information is also on the website.
00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:16.880
I think we're we've been changing some stuff about how that website is out there, but uh how the information is presented on that website.
00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:26.960
But you know, we're hearing from our churches that supply amazing uh services to our nonprofits like Gleaners, Hamilton County Food Bank, um, and just on and on.
00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:44.880
And uh for instance, Jeff Orell and I just sat in a call, it's I say just, it was right before the flood sit, so mid-August, uh, with a really innovative program out of Wisconsin where a nonprofit has come together with a a group that produces greenhouses, like greenhouse kits.
00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:47.119
Yeah, yeah, and a workforce development initiative.
00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:52.960
So they grow food, they have a workforce initiative where uh kids from the school are learning valuable skills.
00:24:53.119 --> 00:24:54.559
The foods donate to food bank.
00:24:54.720 --> 00:24:59.039
In the meantime, this private company got a grant greenhouse sold, the nonprofits helping provide food.
00:24:59.119 --> 00:25:01.200
It's just a you know quadruple win.
00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:01.440
Yeah.
00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:03.680
So we're looking at something interesting like that.
00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:05.599
So I don't know if something we could do here.
00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:09.119
I don't know if it's something that we want to do here yet, but doors are open.
00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:12.400
So if anyone has any great ideas or sitting out there listening, yeah, please let us know.
00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:20.640
I think that's what's important when you talk about things at a national level, like us at a smaller level, SS Chambers, we have our national groups.
00:25:20.799 --> 00:25:38.240
And the reason why we're part of them and we sit in on these meetings is instead of recreating the wheel, what is going on out there and what are ways that if if I, you know, if I can take one thing from that idea and concept and implement it in my community or you know, what I'm doing, how can I move my own community's needle forward?
00:25:38.400 --> 00:25:48.400
And I think that's where being on a national stage in in learning from other mayors of maybe areas in which they do have significant uh child, you know, they do have significant needs.
00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:51.519
But can we take one thing or another thing and how do we all work together?
00:25:51.599 --> 00:26:03.039
Because at the end of the day, no matter if it's a kid in California, kid in Boston, kid in Florida, kid in Indiana, um, being able to provide basic uh opportunities and basic nutrition is is key.
00:26:03.119 --> 00:26:15.680
But I think that's the best part of collaboration is no matter the size of the city, can you take one concept, one idea, turn it into reality to make your community just move that needle just a little bit?
00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:16.240
Absolutely.
00:26:16.559 --> 00:26:19.119
I think that's the whole reason why we all try to do what we do.
00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:34.160
And I think that's why being a part of these national associations and national parts uh groups is so important because you're gonna learn, I mean, uh the the idea that you can learn from multiple 700 different mayors and you find that one mayor is doing something really unique.
00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:40.720
Well, I want to learn about it, and then how do I implement maybe not all of it, but how do I implement something that can make a difference in my community?
00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:42.160
That's that's why we're here.
00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:43.039
That's what we're trying to do.
00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:43.359
Yes.
00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:44.799
So I love it, I love it, I love it.
00:26:45.519 --> 00:26:45.839
All right.
00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:50.160
So my next thing for you, mayor, is um, so we're gonna talk about central Indiana mayors.
00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:52.720
You guys just convened on your third public safety meeting.
00:26:53.200 --> 00:27:00.400
Um, you've been really kind of the lead on this, and so uh let's talk about how the how the meetings have gone and how you're feeling about this.
00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:06.720
I know this is a you're very passionate about this, and this is a huge part of being a mayor is the safety of your community.
00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:07.039
Yeah.
00:27:07.200 --> 00:27:11.039
Um, but it starts not only in your city, but how do we work together as a region?
00:27:11.200 --> 00:27:12.720
And so I thought I'd let you talk about that.
00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:13.599
I think that's a good one.
00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:15.039
Thank you for the opportunity.
00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:25.039
I think um we knew from the beginning this is gonna be a hard set of conversation because a set of conversations because uh we're trying to bring in new people every time, so we have to revisit it.
00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:42.640
So uh we first start with mayors and police chiefs or their deputies, um, and just had some really good, honest conversation about what's happening in our communities, um, how are we influencing each other as it relates to crime rate, types of crime, especially violent crime, especially those are repeat offenders.
00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:45.519
Um and you know, it was interesting to me.
00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:54.880
Not everybody knew each other in that room, and so I thought this is an opportunity in and of itself uh to help our central Indiana region get uh more collaborative.
00:27:55.119 --> 00:28:01.279
The second meeting we had uh was again the mayors and the police chiefs, and we brought in prosecutors.
00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:05.759
That was very interesting as well, so uh different opinions and different counties.
00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:17.119
Um and uh you know, I think we've tried to um keep the conversations as productive and positive as possible, knowing that there's friction points.
00:28:17.200 --> 00:28:17.359
Yep.
00:28:17.519 --> 00:28:20.480
Uh and I think we were able to do that in the second meeting, first meeting too.
00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:30.640
Third meeting was uh super um helpful in that we brought in members of the General Assembly that are in that are in um committees uh that kind of touch public safety.
00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:31.839
Um we couldn't get everybody.
00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:35.200
That's you know it's still their their off season, so to speak.
00:28:35.359 --> 00:28:39.359
Yes, because it is a part-time legislature, even though I think the load that they carry is probably full-time.
00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:44.400
Um but we were thankful for those who were able to make it and we had some good uh conversation.
00:28:44.880 --> 00:28:48.079
Um now we're in the process of kind of distilling all that information.
00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:51.440
There are some ask for the legislature on funding.
00:28:51.599 --> 00:28:57.440
There are some opportunities we have to improve the way our police departments work from an interoperability standpoint.
00:28:57.680 --> 00:29:05.519
There's opportunities to change the laws it relates to you know, Department of Corrections, for instance, or other things like that.
00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:11.599
So I think we have to work hard now, which we are behind the scenes trying to pull together all that we've learned.
00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:16.160
I think there's an opportunity for certain groups to own pieces of that as we move forward.
00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:21.599
Um but I think there's also an opportunity for this group to maybe get together a couple times a year or annually.
00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:23.519
Well, I want to get the opinion of the group, yeah.
00:29:23.680 --> 00:29:28.079
Uh because I think this feedback is probably pretty valuable to to continue.
00:29:28.559 --> 00:29:35.599
Um just the fact that they are m some of them are meeting another person right in their own backyard for the first time.
00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:35.839
Yeah.
00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:36.640
I think that's huge.
00:29:36.880 --> 00:29:47.519
I think you collaboration and conversation and having those knowing who's in your backyard and how can you rely on each other, I mean that's that's what the goal is.
00:29:48.079 --> 00:30:03.920
Yeah, and a couple of the prosecutors are incoming prosecutors that attended the last meeting, uh, where you know the prosecutors are not running again, and um, we've got a you know a new person that's up and coming into those roles, and I think having them, and one was very vocal, which I was like, hallelujah.
00:30:04.400 --> 00:30:10.480
Uh so I I think that that's been part of our challenge is you know, the mayors maybe aren't public safety experts.
00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:17.119
And then you have uh police chiefs who aren't elected and are appointed by the mayors are sensitive about speaking out, maybe.
00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:31.839
Uh the the prosecutors are also uh respectful of their law enforcement um partners as well as their peers that are pro other prosecutors, and then we have the General Assembly who's just trying to learn what we've been talking about and want to be supportive.
00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:34.079
So I think this has been really positive.
00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:42.720
It's you know, I knew that we were gonna we weren't gonna boil the ocean, so to speak, in these meetings and be able to solve every problem, but there'll be some key things we take on and other things we decide to work on, I think.
00:30:42.799 --> 00:30:43.599
So that's awesome.
00:30:43.839 --> 00:30:45.599
Um I'm I was very encouraged.
00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:52.240
I was I'm very thankful for the mayors and police chiefs that have put their time in, knowing this is hard, um, hard rowing.
00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:54.640
So uh we got one more.
00:30:54.720 --> 00:30:57.359
We're trying to figure out if we can get judges together or not.
00:30:57.440 --> 00:31:00.559
You know, they have some limitations on uh what they can and can't do.
00:31:00.640 --> 00:31:03.920
So I'm trying to figure that out because it was brought up that maybe talk to the judges.
00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:08.160
If we can't bring them to the whole group, maybe a subset of us goes to talk to them.
00:31:08.319 --> 00:31:11.359
Um so we're working on that, but maybe maybe it's a fifth meeting.
00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:11.680
Yeah.
00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:14.400
Um, so more coming.
00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:14.799
Yeah.
00:31:14.960 --> 00:31:19.200
I just thought it was valuable to make sure that people understand that these it's not just a one-time thing.
00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:22.079
This is we're on meeting three, we're gonna continue to collaborate.
00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:30.160
Um, but as you know, not only for each of our communities is public safety probably the the large is the largest bud budget item, but also how are we collaborating together?
00:31:30.559 --> 00:31:36.799
Um because uh you know um crime doesn't stop in one area.
00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:46.640
It can find ways to be everywhere, and uh if there's not ways to combat it or try to find ways as a as a team um to work together, it doesn't get better uh as it goes.
00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:50.880
We want to make sure we can continue to make this uh central Indiana an attractive place.
00:31:51.119 --> 00:32:08.000
Yeah, and I think there's a lot of value in educating our communities who again we want them to go about their merry way and live their beautiful lives, but also they need to be understanding of what our restrictions are, what our barriers are, um, what our successes are, uh so they can support that which works.
00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:14.880
Um and I know there's been some social media in very small amount, but social media hits about where's the results?
00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:25.119
Like, well, we couldn't get this group in the same room and decide what we wanted for lunch, uh much less, you know, trying to figure out how to attack repeat uh uh offenders in our community.
00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:33.200
So um I think you know the fact that um I made a little noise and we're actually getting together is a huge win.
00:32:33.440 --> 00:32:33.680
100%.
00:32:34.240 --> 00:32:36.240
And um you have to start somewhere.
00:32:36.480 --> 00:32:38.240
Yeah, we have to start somewhere exactly that.
00:32:38.319 --> 00:32:39.519
And it starts with talking.
00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:43.200
Um, you know, if it's all political, we're all gonna lose.
00:32:43.359 --> 00:32:49.359
So we have to talk and collaborate and um put our residents' hats on, say, what is it our residents need?
00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:54.400
So um I think we're making good progress given the time we've had.
00:32:54.480 --> 00:33:00.640
We had a flood in the middle of it, right, that affected several of the counties that are that are represented there and communities that are represented there.
00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:02.160
So um more to come.
00:33:02.400 --> 00:33:02.799
I love it.
00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:03.200
That's great.
00:33:03.359 --> 00:33:04.480
Well, I have one more thing.
00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:07.839
Uh, community leaders of America, share with us a little bit more.
00:33:07.920 --> 00:33:09.920
I think they're they're hanging out in Carmel this week.
00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:10.559
They are.
00:33:10.640 --> 00:33:21.839
Uh this is a nonprofit that is focused on uh getting like leaders together to look at um wins across the country in different communities, and I'm honored to be able to host that this year.
00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:24.880
Uh and this actually meets twice a year, so the fall meeting.
00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:38.960
Uh I was in uh Fort Worth in April, uh, and they pay for uh mayors and community members to come to the community, so this isn't a taxpayer provided burden, and um so I'm super excited to show off Carmel.
00:33:39.279 --> 00:33:42.319
I know the organizers have been here and so what an amazing community.
00:33:42.400 --> 00:33:47.920
So we're talking about the Carmel way, so to speak, and what's gotten us here and what um how we work together.
00:33:48.160 --> 00:33:54.640
And our only challenges this week just happens to be when a lot of our staff is at conferences or vacation.
00:33:54.799 --> 00:33:58.319
So uh trying to get the right group of leaders in the room to talk about it is interesting.
00:33:58.400 --> 00:34:08.559
But we're talking about energy, we're talking about data centers, we're talking about um uh uh the quality of life that communities can bring, we're talking about workforce development, so all these big things every community faces.
00:34:09.039 --> 00:34:22.559
So it's mayors, it's um uh county counselors, it's um some county commissioners, uh about 110 of them coming across the country and and and business leaders who are sponsors that support this, yeah.
00:34:22.719 --> 00:34:24.239
They're again helping to educate.
00:34:24.400 --> 00:34:25.840
So it's it's very positive.
00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:29.039
I've been really thankful since 24 to be a part of this group.
00:34:29.440 --> 00:34:32.960
And I serve as a steering member committee for this organization too.
00:34:33.119 --> 00:34:39.440
And uh they've done a great work for many, uh, many, many years, and I was able to kind of happy to jump right in.
00:34:39.599 --> 00:34:40.000
I love that.
00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:52.000
I don't I think people will be surprised how many times between the two of us working together, our teams working together, how many communities choose Carmel for their uh visits, you know, their once-a-year visits.
00:34:52.400 --> 00:35:10.239
Um I think since I've been, since you have been mayor and I've been since we've been working together, I want to say we're probably at probably more than six, but I can name at least from Alabama to, I mean, I can name probably at least five, six states that fly in um just to see Carmel.
00:35:10.400 --> 00:35:10.480
Yeah.
00:35:10.639 --> 00:35:12.639
My favorites always when they say, This is my favorite.
00:35:12.719 --> 00:35:15.039
I I can't remember, I think it was maybe it was Fort Wayne.
00:35:15.119 --> 00:35:16.719
I don't want to call them out, but I just did.
00:35:16.880 --> 00:35:29.360
But I think it was Fort Wayne because we were going over their their itinerary, and uh the lady that was working with me, she goes, So we're gonna be going to arts and design district, midtown, and city center.
00:35:29.440 --> 00:35:33.360
But it says we only have like five, 10 minutes between each one.
00:35:33.440 --> 00:35:34.880
Are we gonna be able to get there on time?
00:35:35.119 --> 00:35:39.679
And I said, Well, if you can walk basically like a mile and a half, two miles, like you'll see it all.
00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:41.119
She's like, I don't understand what you're talking about.
00:35:41.199 --> 00:35:42.800
I said, We're not getting in a car.
00:35:43.039 --> 00:35:46.639
We're you'll walk from arts and design to midtown to Carmel City Center.
00:35:46.880 --> 00:35:54.960
And uh, so when they showed up, I think it was Fort Wayne, they they came down and we we started at the Arts and Design, she's like, Oh, you weren't kidding! Like, it's we just go, we walk this.
00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:56.639
This I said, yeah, this is it.
00:35:56.800 --> 00:36:00.800
And I think that is just um it's mind-blowing to them.
00:36:00.880 --> 00:36:10.239
And I love being able to have cities from across the country uh choose Carmel to show their community who's doing it right and how to do it.
00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:21.440
Um, and so I use that not only with this wonderful group, but it's I think people would be surprised how many cities uh call us or you guys and say, hey, we'd love to make Carmel our spot to come visit.
00:36:21.679 --> 00:36:22.960
It's an honor and I love it.
00:36:23.119 --> 00:36:26.639
And um it's always fun to see their faces.
00:36:26.800 --> 00:36:35.360
As some like sometimes I think we take for granted like some of the things we have and some of the beautiful things and all the work we're doing, not only just the beautiful buildings, but how to create quality of life.
00:36:35.440 --> 00:36:37.679
What are the what are we investing in and what your team's doing?
00:36:37.760 --> 00:36:44.320
And so it's fun to watch their faces and in some of the meetings because they're like, wow, like uh I usually get them after lunch.
00:36:44.400 --> 00:36:50.400
So I usually have like a tour with Henry, and then they have then I go visit with him and they're like, What is this place?
00:36:50.480 --> 00:36:51.360
Like, this is unbelievable.
00:36:51.519 --> 00:36:58.159
So I think it's so fun to be able to share not like business community leaders uh from across the country.
00:36:58.320 --> 00:37:02.480
I just don't I think sometimes we gotta take a step back and realize we have a pretty amazing city.
00:37:02.559 --> 00:37:06.880
Yeah, it's pretty cool to see that people from all over the country uh want to come visit us.
00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:08.400
I think it is special, yeah.
00:37:08.559 --> 00:37:11.760
And I think our our reputation continues to grow each and every year.
00:37:12.079 --> 00:37:12.400
100%.
00:37:12.800 --> 00:37:24.239
So uh I was at an event that I'm thankful to the Carmel Rotary and the city council for putting on uh that was you know in celebration of our um 250 years, but also Carmel's 50th.
00:37:24.320 --> 00:37:24.719
Yeah.
00:37:24.960 --> 00:37:28.880
And uh it was just a couple weeks ago, we had another beautiful evening.
00:37:29.119 --> 00:37:39.920
And in addition to our long-standing residents coming up saying thank you, I was blown away at the number of residents that are newer who just wanted to tell me about their experience.
00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:41.599
And you may see a social post on the soon.
00:37:41.679 --> 00:37:42.000
I love it.
00:37:42.079 --> 00:37:44.800
So I've been kind of working through it, trying to make it not a mile long.
00:37:44.880 --> 00:37:47.440
But uh, it started with this young guy saying, Are you the mayor?
00:37:47.519 --> 00:37:49.920
I'm like, Yeah, can I tell you my story?
00:37:50.159 --> 00:37:55.599
And uh moved from Seattle and you know to find a safer place, a different uh environment.
00:37:55.679 --> 00:37:57.679
And then his parents followed a year later.
00:37:57.920 --> 00:38:03.519
And then you know, I turn around and here's a here's a family from California, had their home broken into three times.
00:38:03.679 --> 00:38:07.840
Their son almost abducted one of them, the last one, which is maybe like, This is it, we're moving.
00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:09.840
Google best places to live, safest cities.
00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:11.599
Carmel's on the top of both of those lists.
00:38:12.079 --> 00:38:15.760
And the seventh grader son says, and those lists are so accurate.
00:38:15.920 --> 00:38:17.760
And I was like, I love it, he's into it.
00:38:18.239 --> 00:38:32.079
Um, and you know, then turned around another lady who just moved here from Brazil, had got a promotion with a large um uh biotech firm, could live anywhere east of the Mississippi, chose Carmel because of the high-performing schools, because she's got a high-performing child in school.
00:38:32.239 --> 00:38:37.840
Uh, turned around another couple, they're from two different countries in Europe, moved to Chicago, hated it, moved to Carmel, love it.
00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:39.039
They can again live anywhere.
00:38:39.119 --> 00:38:43.440
He's a metallurgical engineer, so near the steel plants is all he needed to be.
00:38:43.599 --> 00:38:52.159
And another one from Boston who where they were pregnant and decided they were gonna move and they're trying to decide when, and they said, we want our baby born in Carmel, not just in Boston, then they moved here.
00:38:52.480 --> 00:39:06.800
And just like story after story after I literally could just move, turn, yeah, I can do a set of degrees, and there's someone else wanted to tell me how great with fresh eyes that they see the city of Carmel, and I just that's so meaningful.
00:39:06.960 --> 00:39:08.880
But again, our long-standing residents feel the same way.
00:39:08.960 --> 00:39:14.079
Yeah, but just it was just I think it's because they were so packed in, it was just as far as story after story.
00:39:14.159 --> 00:39:21.519
It's exciting, and we should we have a lot to be proud of, and yes, our city staff does a lot, but also our residents do a lot too to make sure it's special.
00:39:21.599 --> 00:39:27.920
All the volunteers for the events, um, all the questions and the comments, because we also have a community that travels a lot.
00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:40.079
Yeah, and um, they travel all around the world and they see things they like and come back with an idea or um a suggestion, or again, kudos like I saw walkability here and I didn't like it as much as I like it at home.
00:39:40.639 --> 00:39:46.239
So I love our I love our uh I was gonna say little city, but um it's medium-sized city, right?
00:39:46.800 --> 00:39:50.480
Um and I think I feel like we just have so much for people to offer.
00:39:50.719 --> 00:39:51.039
I know.
00:39:51.199 --> 00:39:57.199
I it's I love I I just love there's something about our city that is um you're right.
00:39:57.280 --> 00:40:06.559
I mean it mid-sized city, but there's just so there are so many ways in our city to make it feel uh small, make it feel local.
00:40:06.719 --> 00:40:15.280
Make it if you have a passion, if you want to be connected to something in the community, no matter what walk of life you come from, um we have that.
00:40:15.519 --> 00:40:16.159
Carmel has that.
00:40:16.320 --> 00:40:37.599
Makes you give you the ability to connect with your community, and that's why you know, that's why you invest in quality of life, that's why you invest in these things, so that somebody from whether they're in California to Boston uh or they've been a Carmel resident since they were born, um they can all three share the same thing that they love their community, that they love the things that are going on in their community.
00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:50.880
And as you know very well, and I and I know, when there are suggestions or ideas or there's something that they they love and there's something that they don't like, um, because they're very proud of where they live, they do they they will find a way to let let us know.
00:40:51.039 --> 00:40:51.599
Yeah, exactly.
00:40:51.840 --> 00:40:53.039
And honestly, that's the best part.
00:40:53.119 --> 00:40:53.679
I love that.
00:40:54.000 --> 00:41:02.159
I see that from the business side is um there is a reason why they're spending their dollars in Carmel, and they are very passionate about it.
00:41:02.239 --> 00:41:04.960
And when there's times for us to collaborate, we collaborate on those things.
00:41:05.199 --> 00:41:06.079
So I don't know.
00:41:06.159 --> 00:41:12.239
I love that we're ending it this way because Carmel is a special place, as we well know, and as we've talked about for our time to together.
00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:15.119
Um, but probably something we all already all knew.
00:41:15.599 --> 00:41:16.320
That's pretty awesome.
00:41:16.559 --> 00:41:18.880
Okay, I think we just need it for a front, right?
00:41:19.199 --> 00:41:20.239
Yes, yep, for sure.
00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:21.440
So thanks for being part of it.
00:41:21.599 --> 00:41:22.880
Yeah, well, thank you, Mayor.
00:41:22.960 --> 00:41:26.239
As always, thank you so much, and thank you all for watching.
