Indianapolis City-County Council Reviews Paycheck Protection, Racism And Rezoning

The Indianapolis City-County Council meeting opened with an update on the city’s paycheck protection program. It has now provided 171 loans, with an average loan request of $18,000.

Indy Chamber VP of Indianapolis Economic Development Ian Nicolini says that demonstrates some success.

"It talks about how this program has been able to reach exceptionally small businesses," Nicolini said. 

More than three quarters of those businesses are women and minority owned. 

Also on the docket, the council voted to allow Black Lives Matter to be painted on Indiana Avenue. Councillor Leroy Robinson said the message condemns racism in Indianapolis.

"Particularly the racism that has, for too long, acutely affected our city’s black and brown residents," Robinson said. 

The council also introduced a proposal to create the Indianapolis Commission on African American Males, which aims to offer solutions for addressing issues impacting Black males in Marion County.

Two other newly introduced proposals would increase community involvement around public safety. 

The council spent a good portion of the meeting discussing a proposal that would have overturned the commercial/residential rezoning of a Franklin Township intersection.

Brian Touhy represents the development company that wants to build on the site at County Line Road near Interstate 65.  He says they’ve taken community concerns into account and made changes.

"And approximately 80 percent of the property will be developed with commercial and industrial uses, and only 20 percent of the site is residential," Touhy said. 

Local opposition is concerned about having any residential development at that location.

The council voted to keep the zoning decision, despite community opposition.