Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council Meets Tonight

The City-County Council meets tonight, 7:00 pm, Public Assembly Room of the City-County Building.

The agenda looks routine to my eye, except for Proposal 142, 2009. That Proposed Ordinance, if enacted, would require lobbyists to register with the City Controller within 15 days of the start of lobbying activity, and annually thereafter. It seems the specifics that would be required for disclosure would include -- lobbyists name, etc, employer, subject(s) of lobbying activity, how much money they are making from their client(s), and the agencies or officials with whom the lobbyist met.

Required information in the annual registration materials would include, among other things,

A description and the costs of any item of entertainment, food, drink, honoraria, travel expenses, and registration fees given or provided to an official, appointee, or employee; however, the following items need not be listed:
a. Items with a face value of less than twenty-five dollars ($25);
and
b. Items that are exempt under subdivisions (2) through (11) of Section 293-201(b);

I tried to look up the exceptions in (b), but the link to the City code comes up with a mal-functioning website.

This amended proposal was voted on at the March 31 meeting of the Council Rules & Public Policy Committee with a do pass recommendation that ran along party lines. Minutes for that meeting and the previous one when the Proposal was also discussed show no particular references to why there is opposition.

If enacted, this proposed ordinance would go into effect on January 1, 2010.

Among the Proposals to be introduced tonight are two that stand out.

First is the appropriation of over $514,308 in grant money from a variety of sources, to the Parks Department to pay for, among other things, an after-school program (Prop 116, 2009). If you recall, the Parks budget hearing last year was fairly contentious over the lack of funds for the continuation of the popular and successful after-school programs under the previous Director of Parks. This Proposal will be referred to the Parks Committee, which next meets this Thursday, April 16, beginning at 5:00 pm in Room 260 of the City-County Building.

Second is a change in the City Code which would exclude any federal stimulus money from requirements that all moneys be appropriated by the City-County Council before they can be spent by an agency for which the Council is the fiscal body (Prop 136, 2009). This Proposal will be referred to the Rules Committee, which next meets on Tuesday, April 21, beginning at 5:30 pm in Room 260 of the City-County Building.