Levee updates

rockyripple City of Indianapolis, Flood Wall Project, Resources

From Sarah Holsapple
Public Information Officer/ Department of Public Works
City of Indianapolis

As a way to keep you updated on details pertaining to the Indianapolis North Levee Project, the Department of Public Works (DPW) has compiled an email list of neighborhood leaders. We’ll be sending you necessary updates and ask that you distribute them to your neighborhood as you see fit.

The first update concerns Monday, April 25 when a cultural resources consultation meeting will take place. During the meeting, representatives from the U.S Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Indiana Department of Natural Recourses (IDNR), the Indiana Landmarks Commission and DPW will visit the project site (from the Riviera Club to locations of higher ground) to identify cultural and historical resources in the area. The parties will then work together to discuss and investigate project alternatives.

We wanted to make you aware of this site visit in the event you saw people walking around the area. We ask that you not approach the site visit team, as they will not be able to answer your questions. In the future, there will be a public meeting so that neighborhood associations, landowners and the public can to speak with representatives from the USACE and DPW about the site visit, the impacts on historic and cultural resources and raise addition questions or concerns. Once a date for that meeting is secured, DPW will send notification.

In the meantime, please visit our project website for additional information: www.indy.gov/eGov/City/DPW/RebuildIndy/Projects/Pages/IndianapolisNorthLeveeProject.aspx. You may also email us at RebuildIndy@indy.gov or call (317) 327.2656.

Midwest earthquake drill opportunity

rockyripple Public Safety

2011 is the first year of The Great Central US ShakeOut, a drill designed to educate the public about how to protect themselves during a large earthquake, and how to get prepared. It will be the largest earthquake drill to ever take place in the Central US.

Visit www.shakeout.org/centralus/ for more information on how you can participate.

“Spring cleaning” along roadways and in alleys

rockyripple Law Enforcement, Officials, Public Safety

Rocky Ripple Town ordinances require residents to keep roadways clear of trees and flora.

From the Town Ordinances, 2-3-3 Sec. 11:

Duties of Property Owner (a) The owner of any private property in Rocky Ripple which borders or lies adjacent any public street, alley, right-of-way, place or park and upon which any trees or flora may be standing shall trim or cause such trees or flora to be trimmed, either at the property line, or to a clear height of at least eight (8) feet above the surface of any abutting right-or-way or place, and fourteen (14) feet above any public street or alley. No person shall plant or maintain any tree or flora so close to any property line as to obstruct the vision or free passage of pedestrians or motorists along the streets or public right-of-way. Rocky Ripple or its contractual agents may enter upon private property to do such cutting or trimming as may be necessary to remove any offending and obstructing tree or flora that is prohibited by the provisions hereof.

(b) An owner shall, and Rocky Ripple may, remove from flora all dead, decayed, broken or dangerous limbs, branches or parts thereof or any that overhang or are close to any public street, alley, right-of-way, or place, and, when any such flora is dead, the owner shall completely remove the same, or after notice to and failure of the owner so to do, the Town of Rocky Ripple or its lawful agents may cause such removal and charge the cost thereof to the owner.

“A little proactive trimming now will be appreciated by your neighbors in the summer time,” said Mike Kiefer, Town Marshal.

City official to speak on sewer project at March 8 Council meeting

rockyripple City of Indianapolis, Meeting Notices, Officials

Steve Neilson, deputy director and chief engineer for the city of Indianapolis, will attend the March 8 meeting to take questions from and share updates with residents regarding the rescheduling of the STEP project. Please plan to attend this important meeting. Questions include, What is the status of the STEP program? If Rocky Ripple’s project is delayed, how much will residents have to pay?

Please plan to attend the Tuesday March 8 Town Council meeting.

Revised flood wall plan comments due Friday March 4

rockyripple City of Indianapolis, Flood Wall Project, Meeting Notices, Public Safety, River

Comments in response to the Army Corps of Engineers 2011 Environmental Assessment of the Indianapolis, White River (North), IN Flood Damage Reduction Project are due Friday March 4, 2011. Attempts to increase the comment period by 90 days have failed.

This proposed plan includes substantial modifications, some of which may have an impact on Rocky Ripple and the Central Canal water supply for 600,000 Indianapolis residents.

The minutes from the February 28 special meeting held at the Riviera Club are available for review.

Primary election candidates posted

rockyripple City of Indianapolis, Officials, Resources

The following residents will appear as at-large candidates on the in the 2011 primary election ballot, according to the Marion County Election Board Web site spreadsheet of candidate filings:

  • Brad Barcom (D)
  • Carla Gaff-Clark (R)
  • Greg Goodrich (R)
  • Robert Tomey (R)

For those residents wishing to run for office as independent candidates, the deadline is noon, June 30, 2011. The election calendar is posted at the Marion County Election Board Web site.

For more information on elections and how to register to vote (if you are not registered to vote in Rocky Ripple), visit the Marion County election board Web site.

Army Corps of Engineers revise flood wall plan

rockyripple City of Indianapolis, Flood Wall Project, Public Safety, Resources, River

The Army Corps of Engineers has released its 2011 Environmental Assessment of the Indianapolis, White River (North), IN Flood Damage Reduction Project.

This proposed plan includes substantial modifications, some of which may have an impact on Rocky Ripple. We will keep you posted as we learn more. Here is a copy of the U.S. Army Corps plan. Here is a photograph of the revised proposal.

Clean Water Issues presentation

rockyripple Meeting Notices, Resources

Educational and informational meeting February 17, 2011, at 7 p.m. on clean water issues.

The Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has recently received a small grant to cover the cost of making a minimum of 50 clean water related presentations to Homeowner Associations, Civic Groups, and other organizations within Marion County Indiana prior to March 31st, 2011. The purpose of these presentations are to provide interested organizations an improved “conservation awareness” of water quality and quantity issues and potential services that are available from the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability, the Indianapolis Department of Public Works, the Indiana Wildlife Federation, the Upper White River Watershed Alliance, and the Marion County Soil & Water Conservation District.

This program is free and open to everyone.