city prepared to tackle high weeds and grass

The City of Indianapolis Department of Code Enforcement (DCE) continues its high weeds and grass program this week, dispatching inspectors to private properties that have been reported for high weeds and grass and assigning properties in violation to City mowing vendors.

Vegetation over 12 inches in height is considered high weeds and grass and is an environmental public nuisance. Property owners receiving a notice of violation have five days from the date the notice is mailed to mow their overgrown property. If a property owner fails to mow the property, the City will send a mowing vendor to mow the property and will bill the owner for the service.

“The Mayor’s Action Center fields thousands of calls related to high weeds and grass each season, and the City is prepared to tackle these property maintenance issues that can often mean the difference between a blighted neighborhood and a vibrant neighborhood,” said Mayor Greg Ballard. “This year, the City will engage several neighborhoods in the high weeds and grass program through a pilot that will complement DCE’s existing efforts and will empower neighborhoods to help protect the quality of life in their own communities.”

As part of continued improvements to the high weeds and grass program, DCE will pilot a neighborhood mowing vendor program in a partnership with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. (KIB) and South East Neighborhood Development (SEND) this year. As contracted high weeds and grass vendors, KIB and SEND meet the necessary insurance and equipment requirements and will work with several India­napolis neighborhoods to participate and perform work on behalf of their organizations.

“DCE continues to implement improvements to the high weeds and grass program and is fully prepared this season with 20 mowing vendors and a full-time inspection staff,” said Rick Powers, Director of the Department of Code Enforcement. “Last year, DCE vendors mowed more properties than ever before, over 10,600, and we will continue to build on our past successes.”

More information about the City’s high weeds and grass program is available at www.indy.gov/weeds.

Indianapolis Sustainability Report

Mayor Greg Ballard and the Office of Sustainability announced the 2010 Sustainability Report to Our Community on April 1, 2011. The second annual report highlights information about the state of the environment in Indianapolis. The report includes a series of benchmarks and measures that help the community see where the sustainability efforts for the City have been and where they are going.

The report is viewable in electronic form at www.indy.gov/SustainIndy or link directly by clicking here.


Thank you for your continued support in making Indianapolis a more sustainable city.

Abandoned Housing Intervention Training

Tuesday, May 3rd, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Immanuel United Church of Christ, 402 E. Prospect

Southeast Neighborhood Development (SEND) is excited to sponsor abandoned housing intervention training for neighborhood residents in Indianapolis. SEND has been working with Southeast residents over the past three years to inventory, prioritize, strategize, rehabilitate and remonstrate against abandoned properties. This training will share the learnings from this three year initiative and assist residents in better addressing the abandoned properties in their neighborhoods.

In this training, participants will learn:



· How to identify and rate the condition of abandoned property.

· How to develop strategy for addressing specific properties.

· How to find ownership and history on an abandoned property.

· How to report abandoned property.

· How to expedite the process by which property moves through the legal system.

This training is free. Those wishing to participate should contact Jim Mulholland at jim@sendcdc.org to register by April 29th. For more information, call 503-5852.

Tire Amnesty Day

In conjunction with the Great Indy Cleanup and in partnership with Health and Hospital Corporation’s Mosquito Control and West Indy Development Corp, we will be hosting Tire Amnesty Day on April 30th from 10am – 2pm at 1802 W. Morris. This is a 1-day only event for residents (NO businesses) of Marion County.

Residents may bring tires, on or off rims, to this one day event and dispose of them for free. The tires are sent to a shredder who recycles them for playground mulch, asphalt additive, and fuel.

Mayor Ballard Details 2011 Bike Lane Projects Throughout Indianapolis

Mayor Greg Ballard today announced eight bike lane projects throughout Indianapolis totaling 32.52 miles will begin construction starting in May – and will more than double the bike lane miles in Indianapolis in 2011.

“At the end of the 2011 construction season, bike lanes will run from county line to county line with more than 63 miles of bike lanes installed since I became Mayor in 2008,” said Mayor Ballard. “We have made great strides in our efforts to become a more bike-able city, and the construction of additional bike lanes in 2011 will provide a tremendous resource for those who bike Indianapolis and is another step toward a better quality of life for our residents.”

Mayor Ballard was joined for the announcement, part of Sustainability Month, by cycling enthusiasts at the intersection of 56th Street and Lafayette Road, the site of one of the next stretches of bikes lanes soon to be under construction along Lafayette Road. Bike lanes are being installed along Lafayette Road from White River Parkway and north on Lafayette to 71st Street. A bike lane project constructed last year already connects 71st Street to the northern county line. In addition, new bike lanes will be installed along sections of Shelby Street, Madison Avenue, Illinois Street, Capitol Avenue, 46th Street and 52nd Street.

The City’s green infrastructure checklist initiative implemented in January was utilized in the planning for the recent set of bike lane projects, and as a result, 4.66 miles of bike lanes will be added to road construction projects. The Green Checklist requires City staff and contractors to evaluate each RebuildIndy infrastructure project for possible sustainable elements, such as rain gardens, porous pavement, sidewalks, green spaces and bike lanes. These techniques can provide a wide variety of potential benefits, including reduced storm water pollution, increased safety and lower maintenance and operation costs when applied to the right projects.

“This is an exciting time for sustainability in Indianapolis,” said Kären Haley, Director of the City’s Office of Sustainability. “The financing of these particular bike lanes through a Department of Energy grant is another great example of the City looking for ways to maximize infrastructure improvements.”

Construction of bike lanes in Indianapolis has steadily increased since 2008, at the start of which Indianapolis had less than one mile of bike lanes. In 2008, the City constructed 2.41 miles; in 2009, 20.36 miles; in 2010, 7.86 miles; and in 2011, a planned 32.52 miles.



Bike Lanes Projects Scheduled for 2011

* Lafayette Road from White River Parkway West to 71st Street
* Shelby Street from the Cultural Trail to Madison Avenue, and Madison Avenue south to County Line Road
* Illinois Street from 16th Street to Westfield Boulevard
* Capitol Avenue from New York Street to Westfield Boulevard
* 46th Street from College Avenue to Keystone Avenue*
* 46th Street from Keystone Avenue to Emerson Avenue*
* West 10th Street from I-465 to Lynhurst Drive*
* 52nd Street from Meridian Street to College Avenue*

* Projects identified and added as a result of the 2011 launch of Mayor Ballard’s RebuildIndy Green Checklist initiative.

Keys to the Neighborhood

A Unique Night of Open-Air Piano Music, Historic Homes, and More.

April 30th, 2011 – 6 to 8 p.m.

1526 South New Jersey Street in

the Historic Bates-Hendricks Neighborhood



· Dedication and Music at the Piano, under the Gazebo

· Tours of 5 Historic Homes including the Bates- Hendricks House

· Hors d’oeuvres and Cocktails, under the Tent

· Silent Auction of Local Art

· Meet the Mayor



Tickets – $25.00 per Person – All proceeds benefit SEND

To purchase tickets, contact Angie Calvert at 634-5079 x101 or angie@sendcdc.org.

April 20th meeting on Bike Lanes

We will be holding a follow-up meeting on the bike lanes from Prospect to Madison, on April 20th, from 6:00 pm – 7:30pm at South East Services Senior Center, 901 S. Shelby. The Senior Center is on the second floor.

Thank you all very much who attended our last meeting. We appreciate all of your comments and concerns.



Lisa