[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6100626,"mediaKeyId","2813042-b8176cb5869c49b7b8458a89aa658997","parentId",2813042,"title","Carmel Small Business Network meeting highlights events, volunteer outreach and community partnerships","audioSeconds",3767,"startMs",4640,"endMs",3772190,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813042-b8176cb5869c49b7b8458a89aa658997&start=4&end=3772","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813042-b8176cb5869c49b7b8458a89aa658997/thumbnail_4640.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6100626/Carmel/Hamilton-County/Indiana/Carmel-Small-Business-Network-meeting-highlights-events-volunteer-outreach-and-community-partnerships","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100626-8026f47c6b22ef0cf231d04cf1fa9bd7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770918284&Signature=dCSl8TJOV3zLx2Tlnj~Q1Bm7Zmwueh-gUDEd0pGACec9LnQTfdQ6jrKrsyHLM8BSchZELc22S-kPk8NR3sSv8z2M~xLrr0mf61ZQPgL17PA6Qs2b9AGEf79XRFf2bQQ6383aVws1cHhZfm1TviTMZjhqB2ghe4Ju53vCZ1H-CBdZ8dcnDO0yog~N4deLY04tqli6EM2tgJKOXZe27GW-ECyNE5nPmh~D5gQHupVjrqUjOvVdRdar0mAFFKw2iEjtYPZ0TWAIpDvqle~FwQQ67~lJ7L6kyxVuDMLnVwSzYnZqZXxliB3PfxIyzWBuyixijoWrrMf-Ux~odll~xvPRFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Carmel IN","date","2025-03-27T20:18:11Z","article","Organizers of the Carmel Small Business Network opened the meeting with event dates for the year and a series of community and business outreach initiatives intended to boost visibility and volunteerism for local businesses.

“My name is Kevin Whited. I'd like to welcome you to the first of the year Carmel Small Small Business Network meeting,” Kevin Whited said, introducing the gathering and noting the network plans four events in 2025 with two additions that organizers are still dating.

Attendees were asked to sign up for a weekly city newsletter via a QR code and to help the network clean up its contact list so organizers can publish a more complete Carmel Small Business Network directory. City marketing staff described a “community connections” video series that will highlight local businesses and invited owners to take part.

Mayor Sue Finkham and marketing staff encouraged business participation in volunteer programs the city is expanding, noting an interest in recruiting more senior volunteers for roles that match professional experience. The mayor also promoted upcoming events including the farmers market, a Cherry Blossom Festival with a sister‑city delegation from Japan, and a swimming World Aquatics event scheduled Oct. 10–12 at the natatorium that will bring hotel demand and out‑of‑town visitors.

The meeting included community partners and sponsors. Greg Gormong, a local postal carrier raising awareness for the nationwide Stamp Out Hunger food drive, asked small businesses to consider hosting donation boxes or promoting the May collection. “All food that we collect goes to local food banks,” he said.

Jim Badger, vice president and senior marketing officer at State Bank, which sponsored lunch, offered a fraud warning for business owners: he described an incident in which a controller clicked a malicious link, lost access to her phone and subsequently had funds wired out of her accounts. “If you get locked out of your phone, call your bank and tell them, you know, close everything down because they can empty your accounts,” Badger said.

Organizers thanked Just Love Coffee for donating coffee, Buffalo’s for lunch and State Bank for sponsorship, and said the next Small Business Network meetings will be June 3, Aug. 12 and Oct. 21; they also plan a later breakfast and a happy‑hour event. Kevin Whited said organizers will follow up with a database cleanup email so businesses can add names and company details for promotion and directory inclusion.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","CSBN Meeting - March 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Organizers outlined four network events for the year, asked businesses to sign up for a newsletter and volunteer lists, previewed marketing videos and a directory effort, and included community fundraisers and a fraud warning from a banking sponsor.","taxTitle","Carmel, Hamilton County, Indiana","taxId",3929,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6100631,"Carmel CFO outlines zero‑based budget priorities, police and fire pay plan, and state tax uncertainty",985,1506285,2492275,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813042-b8176cb5869c49b7b8458a89aa658997&start=1506&end=2492","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813042-b8176cb5869c49b7b8458a89aa658997/thumbnail_1506285.jpg","/articles/6100631/Carmel/Hamilton-County/Indiana/Carmel-CFO-outlines-zerobased-budget-priorities-police-and-fire-pay-plan-and-state-tax-uncertainty","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100631-623583292bb839ce47ab319f85526134/orig.mp4?Expires=1770918284&Signature=jaNrFksXJsNXPcydGjvrh~nH1FjlZ8rk0nc4lsJlwkSHeh-xIZhVivNizOQrBqM7klJgO~glsmEWqTQ1sojiMkzj~yNZ3Gu0DNXIlFUe6TrbCczLoZOVmyJfKSpL01ZNukkzUr~JkpM4akTAFQ46~a01XqgCl0CoocONHW9PKQUpfalPSldik4tIBP5z~FTdo0pg7Uk11s3Oo55AmzuQPRJ-hM6IhX166kDfI9I~9XxK7LifwkS6yvdVzN-MzH6tRjbLnzOqgAcQ19OvJ1o3V9pm1e5IeXwt1WAxReG5J4uBvQ0zeRcrCLLdK4JF6Of4oPtrnHr~8PgUc0LA36XcfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carmel’s chief financial officer, Zach Jackson, told the Small Business Network that the city moved to a zero‑based budgeting process for the mayor’s first full budget and that the fiscal 2025 priorities include public safety and infrastructure spending while preserving reserves.

Jackson said the city asked departments to justify programs from the ground up rather than relying on incremental increases. “With 0 based budgeting, this really gave us an opportunity to just start from scratch,” he said, adding departments were asked to group expenses into programs and link them to mayoral priorities.

The budget includes a new wage matrix for sworn police and fire employees that Jackson said will cost roughly $5,000,000 in the first year as the city phases in broader career‑ladder increases to better align pay with peer communities. “We built more comprehensive matrix that stretches out over 25 years,” he said, explaining the change is intended to improve recruitment and retirement parity with other departments.

Jackson described several fiscal moves that affect near‑term capacity: a November lease‑rental bond to fund construction projects, a debt refinancing of roughly $22,000,000 to lower interest and move payments to a dedicated property tax stream, and the identification of an alternate $3,600,000 of revenue this year after the city missed a September deadline to notify the state to begin collecting a wheel tax and surtax. He said the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) told the city the state needs notice by Sept. 1 to collect in the same fiscal year.

The CFO reported reserves have grown in recent years—combined general fund and rainy day balances rose from about $21,000,000 to nearly $29,000,000 in 2024 and he projected a possible $32,000,000 by year‑end if revenues and spending track expectations. Jackson described the adopted budget as “an honestly balanced budget, with no gimmicks.”

Jackson also said the city is using restricted opioid‑settlement dollars for a mobile integrated health initiative and is investing more in health insurance, life insurance and a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment for civilian employees. He described a salary study and job analysis to better match titles and pay with responsibilities.

On the state policy front, Jackson and Mayor Sue Finkham discussed pending legislation that could change county tax structures. The city flagged two measures moving through the Indiana General Assembly that could shift revenue between property tax and local income tax; Jackson said the ultimate effect on Carmel remains uncertain and the city is modeling different scenarios.

Jackson closed by previewing a new spending‑monitoring tool that requires departments to report monthly expectations and then compares them to actuals to identify timing or overspending issues early.

Attendees asked about benchmarking against peer cities and whether reserves should be used to smooth any sudden state funding changes; Jackson said the rainy‑day fund is intended for one‑time uses not ongoing recurring costs.","Carmel's chief financial officer described a zero‑based budgeting approach, a multi‑year pay matrix for public safety that will cost about $5 million in the first year, reserve targets, and state-level tax bills that could shift revenue sources.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6100636,"Carmel outlines expanded summer paving plan after council boosts road budget",290,964795,1254965,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2813042-b8176cb5869c49b7b8458a89aa658997&start=964&end=1254","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2813042-b8176cb5869c49b7b8458a89aa658997/thumbnail_964795.jpg","/articles/6100636/Carmel/Hamilton-County/Indiana/Carmel-outlines-expanded-summer-paving-plan-after-council-boosts-road-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6100636-77dcb49c493ef9e2fa41b7ee6da26ce6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770918284&Signature=LWxsqAb4NRA62920Zh7xTGZPiHEz4FNDhSVENW-eA2ecTX58yJcnLHlmm4Rg0W3zY6Yrfk5qFLMp4yNEZcG8CVf4L2rqe~i4qHftmRl9hSo5MHJ8j6~HnAlXvxpMLJCjgc2JNTSNcIPoTmlU84QHJc2dBgLlPS42-rkf3aJF4TdhD4XDQqcGEwx2ybWqTlh3ZJNOiNSIfSVmNduqdCV8f7VtysZZ-QZxr1~djaonbpbAOsaVGzeOycv03qby80Kv~3~ZybpBT3UsJvWb~V-Qs2QQdEEsPYj64k6d8sAsOskMIHHAUcf3RBOfuG0rEHppT38Avk8GsengYS5jRNyxbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carmel’s street department told the Small Business Network that the city’s 2025 pavement program will grow after the mayor and council approved an increased allocation from $5 million in 2024 to $8.6 million this year, allowing the department to treat more lane miles and accelerate maintenance in commercial corridors.

The change matters to businesses and drivers because the city expects to increase the miles resurfaced from about 54 lane miles last year to more than 70 lane miles in 2025. Ryan Reimer, a project manager with the street department, said the added money will let the city catch up on aging pavement while trying to reduce traffic impacts during work.

“We are projecting over 70, and that's even with a couple of areas being quite more expensive to actually do,” Reimer said. He described the department’s objective scoring system: “It's a 0 to a hundred, 0 being completely failed, hundred being brand new road right off the back of the roller.” The department uses a contractor, StreetScan, to measure defects and compute a pavement condition index (PCI) for each segment, then groups segments into management sections for budgeting and scheduling.

Reimer listed projects expected to affect the public: Westville Boulevard and 106th Street work coordinated with a nearby roundabout project; resurfacing in parts of West Clay and the central corridor; and restoration of the Keystone bridge damaged by a truck last year. “We have that bid out. That is expected to start May 1. We have required that to be nighttime, lane closures. So all work will happen from 9PM to 7AM,” he said, adding the city has required contractors to maintain at least one travel lane or flaggers so businesses remain accessible.

Staff described other efforts to preserve pavement life and stretch dollars, including crack-filling and rejuvenation treatments before full replacement is needed. Reimer said the city’s internal crews will continue to handle targeted strip-paving where only short areas of a road require repair.

City leaders tied the paving plan to broader coordination with neighboring jurisdictions and with utility work to avoid repeated closures. Reimer advised businesses to consult the department’s published map and upcoming news release for precise schedules. The department said the full paving map and updated project list will be released in the next two weeks.

Mayor Sue Finkham also emphasized winter damage to streets and gave an anecdote about fast pothole response, telling attendees a resident reported a pothole that was filled within a couple of hours. “If you see any, if you remember this e mail address, street@carmel.in.gov or use your myCarmel app and put it in there and they'll get after it really fast,” the mayor said.

City staff encouraged business owners to report specific concerns or blocked signage quickly so crews can correct traffic control or detour problems during multi-agency projects. The street department said it will try to limit full road closures and sequence work to reduce disruption to deliveries and customers.","City staff described a larger 2025 paving program, a move from $5 million to $8.6 million in street funds that would increase treated lane miles and schedule major projects with traffic protections and nighttime work for a damaged bridge.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Carmel Small Business Network meeting highlights events, volunteer outreach and community partnerships

Carmel CFO outlines zero‑based budget priorities, police and fire pay plan, and state tax uncertainty

Carmel outlines expanded summer paving plan after council boosts road budget