[{"_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",6500829,"mediaKeyId","5596118-2a24841670c5595034da65486cfa3004","parentId",5596118,"title","Neighborhood leaders tell McCanna: prioritize parks, code enforcement and affordable housing in city budget","audioSeconds",3096,"startMs",4180000,"endMs",7276000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5596118-2a24841670c5595034da65486cfa3004&start=4180&end=7276","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5596118-2a24841670c5595034da65486cfa3004/thumbnail_4180000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6500829/Indianapolis-City/Marion-County/Indiana/Neighborhood-leaders-tell-McCanna-prioritize-parks-code-enforcement-and-affordable-housing-in-city-budget","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6500829-cd00763054a9af670bf895487d486ad0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161912&Signature=nnymWGtIk0yIImBnbQSlhhrbQbyelm2U3vGoc7f0PZ5dkTFibySwT70ZmIL4s~b2fynuf3bGMh19yK88FwDIr7Q5HRv7Zt-0iot5pCaQ5ZlTTnyYcFceB9G7C-Z0ypVPXcoarjoCZMdcB-9Omf40O8sS3OMDmfWXvHFFXcEsFlV1DlGUJ9F06Fh6b7izsRHzHhzOtqD3YBf0VL1Gqaj046d2bhw~hy-6lipbe6wmVZOpz9CpMRST6LBwftk35CSXYwMyCFje6L~hKKvUTpTUTUwgbsA2tDRzYsKzQW9xHtYZ5-HlijuNcFpqFae0G5PzE~3sV7vPDpsApGkGLq2oYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Indianapolis, IN","date","2025-08-18T00:00:00Z","article","McCanna members used part of their meeting to list neighborhood priorities for the city budget. Attendees said their top concerns are better-maintained parks, faster and more forceful code enforcement, affordable housing and more services for seniors and youth.

Kathy Burton framed the budget conversation by saying elected officials should hear from neighborhood leaders: “The people who really know that are the people who are not in the offices. They're the people who talk to their neighbors and deal with their neighborhood issues,” Burton said, explaining McCanna’s intent to compile input and send it to the mayor’s office and city-county councilors.

Speakers from different townships reiterated recurring problems. A Near Eastside representative pointed to long-standing redevelopment promises that have not materialized, and others said road repair and sidewalks remain highly visible quality-of-life problems. One member urged more investment in parks and park-ranger staffing, noting parks serve as gathering places that require maintenance and safety staffing.

Code enforcement and permitting drew sustained attention. Participants argued that fee increases should be matched by faster permit processing, more enforcement staff and stiffer penalties for chronic violators. Several said the current citation and court process is slow and often produces minimal deterrents.

Affordable housing and services for seniors were raised repeatedly. One speaker said many residents fall into income gaps that do not qualify them for existing programs, and several members urged county and city leaders to identify ways to support aging in place and property repairs for long-time residents.

Other issues discussed included streetlight outages, sidewalk damage from tree roots and concerns about electric rates and regional power supply tied to data-center growth. McCanna members agreed to draft a letter summarizing the neighborhood priorities and to forward it to city and county officials for the ongoing budget process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council of Indianapolis, IN - Marion County Alliance of Neighborhoods","oneSentenceSummary","Attendees at the McCanna meeting listed parks maintenance, stronger code enforcement, affordable housing and services for seniors and youth among top budget priorities they want sent to the mayor and city-county council.","taxTitle","Indianapolis City, Marion County, Indiana","taxId",3627,"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},6500834,"Neighborhood alliance proposes township 'action days' to escalate local code problems",228,2766000,2994000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5596118-2a24841670c5595034da65486cfa3004&start=2766&end=2994","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5596118-2a24841670c5595034da65486cfa3004/thumbnail_2766000.jpg","/articles/6500834/Indianapolis-City/Marion-County/Indiana/Neighborhood-alliance-proposes-township-action-days-to-escalate-local-code-problems","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6500834-57731671fe465688a57b880025c3db92/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161912&Signature=VSjfiOuPo0bIImUFW0W6zGio8mxnADjGfL9A3I63tm7rsDUroCEG4NTa1r7RvSJ0ki0TC67K7wESznaC7gpw01YDQ-GXUIK7D-ioLtxHbT2XvJpgZNrTpPaIMf54ioxVXN3juP0DXjrxK56YD5UY~iiNZbjAFRjhRYexqYOKbG2HseJGbZDg1N4tsSKoPXXg4cHE1x3qvGjyipAfL1v~AnclO0ehZ1zINoz84rhSFIy5sX7hyupkdNeo3E2S~b0aOI0T~HKwDLdK4Q2uQ-USCd47McZwVbifJjnvNluiN7BQreRZMcfeueScD7r-xtJSPkxk8KC6amtRhhodWlRsFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations meeting, Kathy Burton proposed a pilot to designate one or two days each month focused on specific township issues so neighborhoods could concentrate complaints and requests for action.

“Our idea would be to pick a township and a narrow problem — a blocked alley, a repeated car-repair operation in the street, or an unmaintained property — and ask neighborhood leaders countywide to send focused complaints and contacts to the people who can act,” Burton said. She framed the proposal as a practical application of a “broken windows” approach: address small, persistent problems so neighborhoods can focus on larger issues later.

Speakers discussed how the plan might work in practice. Jim Spacholski and others pointed to a local example — the alley behind the Sherman post office — as the kind of recurring problem that could be highlighted on a township day. Participants said a key advantage is generating multiple simultaneous contacts to force attention from officials; one attendee described an anecdote in which a public official’s phone “kept dinging” until staff addressed a complaint.

Attendees also raised operational concerns. Members who have worked with the city’s municipal action center (MAC) warned that multiple identical online complaints can sometimes be routed as spam and lose priority; Burton and others said escalation is more likely when complaints are coordinated and include different contact points (email, phone calls, direct contact to city-county councilors). Several participants suggested including guidance on what neighborhood groups should provide to make complaints actionable (address, how long problem has existed, photos).

The group agreed to pilot the township-action approach, starting with neighborhood leaders McCanna already contacts. Burton asked members to submit specific problems with location, duration and a neighborhood contact so the group can compile issues for the first action day and to use direct emails to presidents or printed flyers where electronic contact lists are incomplete.","At the McCanna meeting, attendees proposed township-focused days where neighborhood leaders would simultaneously contact elected officials and code enforcement to escalate specific local problems; members discussed challenges with complaint spam and the need for a managed process.",{"_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},6500839,"McCanna members urge digital outreach, interns and small grants to rebuild neighborhood engagement",4063,7000,4070000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5596118-2a24841670c5595034da65486cfa3004&start=7&end=4070","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5596118-2a24841670c5595034da65486cfa3004/thumbnail_7000.jpg","/articles/6500839/Indianapolis-City/Marion-County/Indiana/McCanna-members-urge-digital-outreach-interns-and-small-grants-to-rebuild-neighborhood-engagement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6500839-79d1ef30d9fcdb74aa605f3133d8dd60/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161912&Signature=lMqIXivAPZmEPqlHuuRUR3ooKWsWfFsTUhhyqPXTmgh7gnXdDpD1vHF584m389S6ZilOjVy5LVZ5~293rRCsXQPzCydIdK3iO7QkrQayC61i04bvFYS--NTBug7dzrOrvwBRCIQsdbTKWAUXv-3M8tLt2MZHNOzTfkpIRHgX-psWjkrVRZuvovGkIrv4rqo~csusb7hF2xD9hS3KEhDl3zwsZLcnHC6hkTvX0XTojW9dLIEo7FawQAHshY5tta7G3~iE-KYb3~DO~04HJKvSodHo-ty1WuR-h5b3tFPzvW6FV9L3KQjmaS5CoKUMGaPNpmZuF~IZiDntEwyrKmKs8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kathy Burton, president of the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations (McCanna), opened the meeting by reminding attendees that McCanna holds public meetings monthly and is broadcast on Channel 16. She said the group was founded in 1990 to connect neighborhood organizations countywide and remains focused on sharing information and helping neighborhoods coordinate on local issues.

The meeting centered on whether monthly Saturday meetings remain an effective way to reach neighborhood leaders and residents and how McCanna can attract younger volunteers. “All neighborhood based organizations, including HOAs, are welcome to join McCanna,” Burton said, noting the organization’s ongoing schedule and its Channel 16 broadcasts.

Attendees generally supported keeping the monthly meeting schedule while expanding digital outreach. Suggestions included a listserv or automated reminder system, more frequent pre-meeting email notices (one week before), and publishing meeting agendas in advance. Burton said she maintains a monthly email list and posts agendas on the group’s Facebook page but lacks technical capacity for automation: “I do not carry a smartphone, so don't send me a link I gotta click on,” she said.

Several participants offered concrete help. A meeting attendee who runs a branding and communications business and another who offered an intern both volunteered to help with automated notices, social-media event posting and other tech work. Attendees also discussed writing small grants or using interns from local colleges to support outreach and membership drives.

McCanna’s dues were described as $20 per year; Burton said the organization does not want to exclude anyone who cannot pay. The Marion County Health Department’s regular participation was highlighted as an example of a public agency partnership that brings services into neighborhood meetings.

Members agreed to try both personal outreach to neighborhood presidents and improved electronic notices, and Burton asked volunteers to help compile and maintain contact lists for direct emails rather than broad blasts.

The group set a next-step goal of launching improved outreach by October and asked members to send suggested speakers and contacts to McCanna’s email address. Burton provided contact information at the meeting and encouraged attendees to drive through neighborhoods they do not normally visit to better understand different needs.","At a Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations meeting, leaders said keeping monthly in-person meetings remains important while adding automated email reminders, student interns and small grants to recruit younger volunteers and broaden participation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Neighborhood leaders tell McCanna: prioritize parks, code enforcement and affordable housing in city budget

Neighborhood alliance proposes township 'action days' to escalate local code problems

McCanna members urge digital outreach, interns and small grants to rebuild neighborhood engagement