This brief is adapted from notes taken by Documenters Tiffany Barron, Abigail Goerges and Lauren Holton, who covered the February Indianapolis City-County Council meeting. 📝 Read more about what happened.
City-county councilors raised concerns about the city’s agreement with ParkIndy after recent winter storms made it difficult for residents and customers to access businesses in parts of the city.
Councilor Michael-Paul Hart, a Republican, said he received videos from business owners showing that downtown metered spaces were covered in snow, preventing anyone from parking.
He questioned why the current ParkIndy contract does not require them to clear snow and debris from parking spaces to keep them usable.
Department of Public Works Director Todd Wilson said the current agreement does not address snow removal. Instead, he said, the city cleared metered spaces after the snowstorm, including Mass Ave., Broad Ripple Avenue, and Westfield Boulevard, to help small businesses remain accessible.
Councilors Jesse Brown and John Barth, both Democrats, said they heard similar complaints from constituents, especially in the Broad Ripple neighborhood.
“I’m opposed to ParkIndy and wish that we didn’t privatize our parking,” Brown said.
Although the council approved an amendment to the ParkIndy agreement that updated enforcement and revenue, it did not include snow removal.
Wilson said he didn’t know when the ParkIndy contract expires, but the council agreed to revisit the topic at future meetings.
What’s next?
The next City-County Council meeting is 7 p.m. March 2 in the Public Assembly Room of the City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St.
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