Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Carmel public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
8 issues in taxes budget with high priority
Residential TIF allocation areas extended and expanded
Three resolutions would create new TIF allocation areas — Flora, North End in Old Town, and 146th and Towne — each with a residential housing development program. These tools steer property tax increments into housing and infrastructure investments in those districts.
FEMA disaster recovery consulting
The city wants to line up a consultant to help navigate FEMA public assistance programs, which matters if a disaster ever damages Carmel's public property. Getting the paperwork right can mean recovering far more federal reimbursement money.
Stormwater user fee changes
Two new stormwater inspector positions, a new jet-vac truck, camera van and dedicated crew shift the program from reactive fixes to preventative inspection. Councilor Aasen pushed for more enforcement, arguing illicit discharge fines could pay for the inspectors.
Enterprise Resource Planning Modernization
The city was considering a $5.24 million contract with Iron Brick, LLC, to modernize its ERP system — the software that handles finances, purchasing, and records. This is one of the biggest tech purchases on the books and was previously tabled.
Engineering Contract Amendments
The board was scheduled to consider several engineering and infrastructure contracts: underground conduit, fiber placement, project inspection services, and Monon Trail construction observation — all part of ongoing city infrastructure work.
$2 Million ERP Implementation Funding
The council was scheduled to consider creating a non-reverting ERP Implementation Fund and moving $2 million from the General Fund to pay for the city's software modernization. This touches how the city manages finances and could affect service delivery behind the scenes.
Public Infrastructure Insurance Recovery Fund creation and funding
A $1.07 million appropriation from the Public Infrastructure Insurance Recovery Fund was set for a public hearing and third reading to pay for repairing or maintaining city assets damaged by insured events.
$24 Million Stormwater Bond Refinancing
The council was scheduled to consider up to $12 million in city general obligation refunding bonds and three Carmel Redevelopment Authority lease rental refunding bond series (up to $115M, $5M, and $10M), aimed at debt service savings on 2016-era bonds.