First Council Meeting of 2012

The first City-County Council meeting of 2012 will be held tonight and usher in 4 years of Democratic control of the Council and Republican control of the Mayor's office.

Tonight's agenda is replete with organizational matters.  Being offered for consideration, though, are a couple of items that caught my eye.

Prop 15 would approve an MDC resolution on January 4, 2012, to expand the Harding Street consolidated redevelopment area and to adopt an supplemental plan.  Councillors Osili and Simpson are listed as sponsors.  This is assigned to the Metropolitan Development committee.  I am still searching for the committee calendar, so I cannot provide their next meeting date.

Similarly, Prop 16 would approve an MDC resolution on January 4, 2012, to expand the Fall Creek/Citizens consolidated redevelopment area and to adopt an supplemental plan. Councillors Scales and Talley are listed as sponsors.   This is also assigned to the Metropolitan Development committee.

Prop 17 would combine some Council committees.  There would be a new Metropolitan & Economic Development committee and a new Public Safety & Criminal Justice committee.  Councillors Lewis, Mahern, and Brown are sponsors.  This is assigned to the Rules committee.

And last but not least is Prop 18, which would expand Indy's smoking ban.  This will be assigned to the Rules committee.  It is written by Councillor Mansfield and sponsored by Councillors Mansfield, Hunter, Barth, Miller, Moriarty Adams, Hickman, Adamson, Osili, Robinson, Talley, and Simpson.  A quick scan of this proposal indicates that it would extend the current smoking ban to include electronic cigarettes, all family owned businesses, hotels, nursing homes, company/city vehicles, tobacco bars, bowling alleys, and bars.  It would also extend to any private club that allows minors to enter or which does not vote to keep the exemption by July 1, 2012.  Keeping an exemption would be any tobacco business that makes more than 20% of its gross income through the sale of tobacco; these businesses would be required to obtain a license from the City which could be sold or transferred as long as the new licensee met the minimum legal standards for the exemption.