It has been several months since the Rocky Ripple Town Council provided a written communication with an update on current activities for those of you that do not routinely attend Town Council Meetings. We have received important updates from the City of Indianapolis Department of Public Works (DPW) regarding the Rocky Ripple Floodwall project and from Citizens Energy Group (CEG) regarding city sewer installations. See below for details.
As always, please contact us with any questions and/or if you would like to discuss anything contained in this summary.
Sincerely,
Megan Hulland Mandy Redmond Randy Sanders
Summary (see below for further details on each topic):
- Flood Protection Update: Final Rocky Ripple Floodwall Project design on hold until Northside/Warfleigh floodwall is accredited by FEMA.
- Proposed New Town Hall Location Poll Results: See the results of the poll taken to determine new town hall location if/when the Rocky Ripple floodwall is built.
- Update on installation of City Sewers in Rocky Ripple: Citizens Energy Group (CEG) began construction of Phase 1 in late May 2023.
- New Town Snow Removal Equipment has arrived: See details regarding new truck and plow.
- Road Maintenance/Paving: Another INDOT Community Crossings Matching Grant was received to improve Rocky Ripple streets.
- 2023 Elections for Rocky Ripple Town Council: Update on candidates that are running and deadline for independent candidates running for office.
- Newly Designed Town Website/Reminder on how to get current status updates on town business. See a description of improvements made to the Rocky Ripple town website.
Flood Protection Update
Although Rocky Ripple Town Councilors have continued to push for receiving a final floodwall design and interlocal agreement with the Indianapolis Department of Public Works (DPW) for the proposed Rocky Ripple floodwall, DPW has not proactively communicated status updates to the Rocky Ripple Town Council in 2023. This has continued to be a source of frustration for the Rocky Ripple Town Council, as well as the Rocky Ripple homeowners most affected by the current DPW floodwall plan, which requires that 13 homes and the town hall along the river be demolished.
Per previous communication from DPW at a public meeting in November, 2022, final design was due to be given to the town council in Q1 2023. On 02-May-2023, Rocky Ripple Town Council President Mandy Redmond met with Shannon Killion, DPW project leader, who informed her that design of the Rocky Ripple floodwall would not be completed until the Indy North/Warfleigh floodwall project is accredited by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Per Killion, this is now expected no sooner than end of year 2023. For those of you not familiar with the Indy North/Warfleigh floodwall project, DPW and the Army Corp of Engineers previously submitted documents for the accreditation, but mediation of issues and additional documentation were required to be provided per comments from FEMA. DPW’s response was submitted to FEMA on 31-Mar-2023. FEMA has 90 days from that time to accept the response or pose additional comments. Once all comments have been addressed, a 90-day public comment period must occur, followed by the update to the Local Area Flood Map (LOMA). After this is completed, the floodwall is considered accredited.
While DPW awaits accreditation of the Indy North/Warfleigh floodwall, the Rocky Ripple floodwall design team is continuing work on final design details. In addition, appraisals of affected homes and properties along the river in Rocky Ripple remain in progress and are expected to be completed in July 2023. This will assist in developing final costs of the project.
As a reminder, DPW announced in January 2022 that 13 homes would need to be demolished with the revised Rocky Ripple flood plan and advised that other options had been considered but were not feasible to meet the budgetary requirements. On 04-Mar-2022, the Rocky Ripple Town Council distributed a communication regarding the change in plans to all Rocky Ripple residents. The communication stated that the Rocky Ripple Town Council continues to support rebuilding and improving of our river levee as a first priority and that local floodwall options outlined in the previously enacted agreement between DPW and the town were the best path. The communication also stated that the Town Council has not at this time agreed to move forward with this revised plan and that further information from DPW is required in order to make an informed decision on path forward.
There has been no change in status since that time. As of June 2023, Rocky Ripple has not received the required final design plans. Rocky Ripple Town Councilors sent proposed changes to the interlocal agreement to DPW on 02-Mar-2023, but have not received feedback on the proposed changes from DPW to date. We continue to prod DPW for updates.
Proposed New Town Hall – Brainstorming session results
Based upon the revised floodwall plan with DPW’s determination that the current town hall would need to be demolished, DPW proposed that a new town hall building be constructed as part of the floodwall project. It was noted that the new town hall could be constructed to meet current requirements for building in the flood plain (ie, raised construction) and that underlying space could later be enclosed once FEMA certification for the floodwall project and lifting of flood plain construction restrictions occurred. DPW provided a rendering of what the new town hall could look like if it were placed in Hohlt Park, but left determination of where the new town hall should be built and proposed specifications up to the Rocky Ripple Town Council. Completed specifications are to be included as an Exhibit attached to the Interlocal Agreement that is under development.
Although a new town hall in a different location is not the choice the Rocky Ripple Town Council would have pursued had it not been for the revised flood protection plan, building a new town hall will allow for the town to meet a statewide mandate that our facility become ADA compliant. At a yet to be determined date, Rocky Ripple will be required to be ADA compliant in order to obtain continued grants/funds from the state of Indiana. This will need to be addressed whether or not the floodwall project is completed.
In order to provide information to DPW for completion of the Interlocal Agreement Exhibit, the Rocky Ripple Town Council held several public brainstorming sessions to develop the new town hall specifications and obtain input regarding new location proposals. Three potential town-owned properties were identified as being able to accommodate the proposed new town hall: 5300 Patterson Street properties, Fountain Park, located at corner of Patterson and 53rd Street, and Hohlt Park.
A Google survey was distributed to obtain resident feedback on the proposed locations. Results of the survey indicated that Hohlt Park was the desired location with 21 votes out of 43 surveys received.
Update on Installation of City Sewers in Rocky Ripple
Citizens Energy Group (CEG), which has responsibility for the City of Indianapolis STEP (Septic Tank Elimination Program) initiative, held a public meeting at the Riviera Club on 22-Feb-2023 to explain the initiative and answer any questions regarding the project. The project is broken into three phases, all of which are scheduled to be completed in 2023.
Phase 1 construction is currently underway and includes homes along Riverview Drive and 54th Street (those that could be impacted by the levee) and Clarendon Road, which will house the main sewer line leading to the pump station south of Rocky Ripple. This will be followed by Phase 2 in summer 2023, which includes remaining homes on the interior west side of Rocky Ripple. Phase 3 will follow in Fall 2023 and includes remaining homes on the interior east side of Rocky Ripple. Contracts were provided for homeowners in Phase 1 in March and were due to be returned in April. Contracts were distributed to Phase 2 homeowners in May; Phase 3 homeowners will receive contracts once Phase 2 construction nears completion. The cost to each household is $2739.00 for installation and hookup of the required grinder pumps. More information about the project can be found on the town website using the following link:
https://rockyripple.in.gov/sewers/
New Police Car/New Snow Removal Equipment
Through town wide fundraising efforts and the federal government American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds received, the Rocky Ripple Town Council was able to source, purchase and have delivered a new 2022 Dodge Charger police cruiser in February 2022. The old police car, a 2010 Dodge Charger sedan with 163,543 miles on it, was sold on the government surplus auction site for $3259. The new truck and snow plow were received in May, 2023 and are all ready for the upcoming winter season, thanks to town manager Mike Kiefer and town plowing specialist Ely Hinkle. The old truck and snow plow will be listed for sale on the government surplus site in the next few months.
Road Maintenance/Paving
A 2023 grant that cover 75% of paving costs through the state of Indiana’s Community Crossings Matching Grant (CCMG) Program was again applied for and received in 2023 for additional streets to be repaved. Streets that are scheduled to be repaved in 2023 include: Clarendon Road from 53rd to 54th, Crown Street from 52nd to 53rd, Patterson Street and Annette Street from 51stto 52nd.
REMINDER: Elections for Rocky Ripple Town Council Positions Will Occur in 2023
Elections for Rocky Ripple Town Council positions (3 town councilors and 1 clerk/treasurer) will occur on November 7, 2023. Both Megan Hulland and Randy Sanders, current town councilors, have filed to re-run for town council positions. Current Town Council President Mandy Redmond and Clerk/Treasurer Julie Smith will not be running for re-election.
Please consider running for Rocky Ripple Town Council or Rocky Ripple Clerk/Treasurer if you are a current Rocky Ripple resident that wants to contribute to local government and shape the future of our strong, quirky but wonderful, little place in the universe. The town cannot continue without people willing to take on these roles. We need you! Brief descriptions of duties are noted below. Contact any member of the current Town Council for more information on what the positions entail, or with any questions.
The Clerk/Treasurer position is a paid position ($350 per quarter) that is critical to ensuring the day to day operations of the town. Primary duties include paying town bills, keeping the town’s budget and financials, submitting budget information to the state of Indiana, taking minutes of town council meetings, and scheduling use of town hall and Hohlt Park pavilion. The clerk/treasurer is required to take training provided by the state for the position.
Town Councilor positions are paid positions ($250 per quarter). General duties include:
- Establishing policies and programs for the effective delivery of Town services
- Approving the annual financial plan and budget
- Providing all ordinances, rules, and regulations for the welfare of the Town
- Holding regular town council public meetings where updates regarding the town are provided
- Serving as liaisons to and working with other government entities and other organizations that provide services for and/or affect Rocky Ripple, including, but not limited to, the City of Indianapolis, state of Indiana, Rocky Ripple Community Association, Citizens Energy Group, and other neighborhood organizations
- Ensuring Rocky Ripple infrastructure is maintained. This includes roads, streets, policing, town hall, parks and other town owned property.
Friday, June 30, 2023, by noon, is the deadline for an independent or minor party candidate to file a petition of nomination with a county voter registration office for verification of petition signatures to the Marion County Election Board. The filing deadline for independents, write-ins, and those nominated by convention is noon on July 17, 2023.
Newly Designed Town Website/Reminder on how to get current status updates on town business
We hope that you will take a few minutes to visit the redesigned and newly posted Rocky Ripple town website. Click here to go to the site. We have streamlined menus and made navigation more user friendly. There are now buttons located on the left side of the website for the most used areas, including the town calendar, Town Council meeting minutes, and a link to the latest news/events. We have also added some new photos.
There are now two facility rental forms; one for the town hall and one for the Hohlt Park Pavilion. The forms can be completed online. We are currently working to get electronic payments for the rentals set up.
We have simplified how to subscribe/unsubscribe to email updates. You can do this from the Home Page. The Projects tab contains links to updates for the most critical projects we are working on, including the Rocky Ripple floodwall and City Sewers.
We ask for your patience while we continue to update and add content to the new pages. Please let us know how you like it so far and any suggestions you may have for further improvements.