Please let me know how to serve you better!

JEFF WORRELL

317-471-9836

jworrell@carmel.in.gov

If you know anyone who would also like to see this information, please feel free to share this email.

They can sign up to receive future emails by CLICKING HERE.

An Announcement from Me...

At a recent City Council meeting, I shared my decision that when my current term concludes at the end of 2027, I will not be on the ballot or seek re-election.

When you spend decades pouring your time into a city you love, stepping back isn’t a decision you make casually. But good stewardship means knowing when your chapter as an elected official is complete, so the next generation of passionate, dedicated leaders can step forward with fresh perspectives and drive Carmel to even greater heights.

If there is one thing thirty-plus years in community service has reaffirmed for me, it’s that our city’s secret sauce isn’t just new buildings or championing forward-thinking policies that have become the standard for other communities to follow. It’s how we treat each other. Even when the debates get passionate, maintaining civility, honoring relationships, and listening with grace are what keep Carmel extraordinary. Holding this seat was never about ownership; it was about holding a trust on loan from each of you.

To my family: Shari, Brad & Amy, their spouses, and my grandchildren—thank you for your endless patience, grace, and willingness to share me with late-night meetings, committee calls, and community events for so many years. Everything I have been able to give back started with your support at home.

Please know: this isn't goodbye, and the work certainly doesn't stop today. I still have plenty of time left on this term, and I intend to spend every minute of it working hard for our community, listening to your ideas, and helping wherever I can. And I intend to stay heavily involved in our community in a non-elected capacity - Carmel is, and will always be, our home, and we intend to continue to give back to the community we love.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the profound honor of letting me serve you.

WATCH MY ANNOUNCEMENT

Managing Growth, Campus Parking, and the Holiday Season:

A Task Force Update

At the City Council meeting on Monday, October 19th, Jeff McDermott, CEO and President of the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts, delivered his annual financial report. While the report was overwhelmingly positive—showing the Center performing well and making budget—McDermott raised an issue that has been quietly percolating for the last several years: the mounting stress on the Center's financial performance during the holiday season due to campus parking and traffic congestion tied to our beloved Carmel Christkindlmarkt.

McDermott was quick to emphasize that everyone loves the Markt, and by bringing this challenge forward, he hopes to draw attention to a growing issue that needs our collective focus.

The Data Behind the Strain

Comparing the 2024 holiday season performance metrics back to 2023 baseline information, the impact on the Center is clear:

Average tickets sold per performance: Down 20%
Average attendance per performance: Down 24%
Average attrition (no-shows) per performance: Increased to 5% (notably, normal attrition for other months sits under 2%)
Total revenue loss: $66,000

Collaborative Problem Solving

For the past eight months, I have led a dedicated task force bringing together Center operations and leadership personnel, the Carmel Police Department, Engineering, CRC, Streets, Markt leadership, Hotel Carmichael management, garage operators, and Councilors Aasen & Snyder to evaluate potential solutions.

While certain proposals were unfeasible for various reasons, our task force has successfully secured funding and action items for immediate improvements:

Expanded Markt Shuttles: To encourage offsite parking and ease campus congestion.
Optimized Parking Plans: Relocating employee and volunteer parking for both the Markt and the Center.
Rideshare Expansion: Scaling up designated rideshare access.

Next Steps and Fiscal Stewardship

At the Council meeting, I fully supported finding the funding to hire professional traffic experts to deliver an "Indianapolis 500 traffic tactics" report.

The worst thing we can do is ignore the early warning signs. I will continue to make sure we do everything in our power to understand the problem deeply and seek the best, most-sustainable solutions for Carmel residents and our guests who utilize these world-class facilities.

If you have any thoughts, ideas, or feedback on how we manage our growing holiday season traffic, please reply directly to this newsletter. I want to hear from you!

Navigating Growth, Trail Safety, and Micromobility: An Update on Ordinance D-2843-26

Many months ago, we started an important conversation in this newsletter regarding growing safety concerns raised by users of the Monon Trail. Because of your feedback, I created a small task force of concerned citizens to look closely at these issues, and the Council subsequently referred the matter to the Land Use Committee for deeper study.

That collaborative groundwork has now led to a concrete legislative step: Ordinance D-2843-26.

As our city continues to grow, our streets and multi-use paths are bustling with more than just traditional cars and bicycles. Electric bicycles (e-bikes), e-scooters, hoverboards, unicycles (UED), and other motorized personal transit devices have become a daily fixture in Carmel. Ordinance D-2843-26 updates how these modern personal transportation devices are categorized, permitted, and regulated within our rights-of-way, multi-use paths, and sidewalks.

The Enforcement Dilemma: Behavior vs. Hardware

When considering how to regulate these modern modes of transportation, cities often face a tempting shortcut: simply outlawing certain devices or specific motor classes. But on the ground, that approach creates an impossible burden for law enforcement.

Expecting a police officer on patrol to pull over a moving rider, inspect motor wattages, check serial numbers, or determine whether an electric throttle can propel a bike past 20 mph without active pedaling is entirely impractical. Officers should not be forced to act as roadside mechanics or micromobility classification experts.

A Smarter Focus: Operational Conduct

Rather than forcing officers to become mechanics or classification experts, Ordinance D-2843-26 shifts the focus toward how the device is operated (behavioral enforcement) rather than what the device is (outlawing hardware).

Whether someone is strolling, walking a dog, riding a bicycle, unicycle, e-bike, or e-moto, it is ultimately behavior that dictates interactions with the Carmel Police Department. By focusing enforcement on observable, unsafe conduct—such as speed limits, yielding right-of-speed, and reckless operation—police officers can issue citations based on dangerous behavior rather than needing to technically classify a motor type. This is my logic, and at the next Council meeting, I will confirm with Legal and Police that this will truly occur if this ordinance is passed.

A Vital Reminder for the Monon Trail

As trail traffic increases, proper etiquette is more important than ever. Where the Monon is marked with separate, dedicated lanes for bikes and pedestrians in our central core, pedestrians should not walk on the path marked for bikes.

Please—I urge everyone to adhere strictly to this rule. I see pedestrians walking in the bike lane daily, yet I rarely, if ever, see the opposite occur. Staying in your designated lane prevents dangerous conflicts, sudden swerves and near-misses.

Carmel is best when we share our spaces with mutual consideration. Let's keep our paths safe, predictable, and welcoming for everyone.

What are your thoughts on Ordinance D-2843-26 and how we balance micromobility and trail safety? If you have feedback or ideas, please reply directly to this newsletter. I want to hear from you!

READ THE FULL TEXT OF ORDINANCE D-2843-26

City of Carmel Adjusts 116th Street and Hoover Road Roundabout Schedule

To ensure the highest standard of road quality and safety, the City of Carmel is adjusting the schedule for the 116th Street and Hoover Road roundabout project, shifting remaining construction to spring 2027.

The project schedule was affected by unexpected delays in utility relocation and utility markings. This is work performed by third-party utility companies outside the City or its contractor’s control but must be coordinated with roadway construction. The timing of these relocations directly affects when crews can complete subsequent phases of the project.

With the schedule now extending into late December, weather conditions become unreliable for asphalt placement and proper compaction. Based on current site conditions and the contractor’s recommendations, completing the remaining work in spring 2027 will provide better conditions for a durable pavement surface and a properly finished roadway.

“We know it’s frustrating to see a road close, reopen and then face another closure down the road. But we’d rather get the timing right than rush the work,” City Engineer Bradley Pease said. " When we come back next year, we want to be ready to get in, get it done and get everyone moving again."

Contractor crews have completed as much work as possible during this early closure, reducing the amount of time needed during the anticipated 70-day closure next spring.

Importantly, this schedule adjustment comes at no additional cost to Carmel taxpayers or the City.

The intersection is expected to reopen to traffic on Monday, October 26, allowing full access through the winter months before final construction resumes in the spring.

Trick or Treat Hours

The City of Carmel's official hours of trick-or-treating will be Saturday, Oct. 31 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Homes welcoming trick-or-treaters should turn on their porch lights. If you do not wish to participate, or run out of treats, please turn off your porch lights.

While there are many neighborhoods and other organizations that hold their own Halloween events and celebrations, we encourage those who want to trick-or-treat door-to-door to use the City's official hours to do so.

The City would also like to remind its residents of a few guidelines and proper safety procedures to follow for a safer celebration. While preparing for Halloween festivities, there are several important safety tips to keep in mind.

Motorists should drive with extra caution and keep an eye out for "little goblins" roaming the neighborhood.
Adults should always accompany their children and use a flashlight at night, staying within their own neighborhood and known homes. The use of glow sticks or reflective tape on costumes can also help with visibility.
Watch for traffic before crossing any street.
Avoid costumes that are long, which could cause tripping or costumes that have hard plastic or wood props like swords that could be a hazard.
Face paint is often a safer alternative to masks that may obstruct vision.
It is also important to inspect candy before allowing children to have it; dispose of any candy that is unwrapped.

Carmel City Council

You can view all agendas and documents from all city council meetings by clicking HERE.

To view the results of the October 5 City Council Meeting, click HERE.

To view the agenda of the October 19 City Council Meeting, click HERE.

NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS: NOVEMBER 5, 2026 (CLAIMS ONLY) AND NOVEMBER 16, 2026.

Carmel Boards, Commissions, & Committees

Information on all of Carmel's boards, commissions, and committees can be found HERE.

All Carmel meetings, agendas, and minutes can be found HERE.

UPCOMING MEETINGS:

10/28 - Mayor's Advisory Commission on Senior Living
10/29 - Mayor's Advisory Commission on Housing
11/4 - Board of Public Works Meeting
11/5 - City Council Special Claims Meeting
11/5 - Plan Commission Meeting
11/9 - Mayor's Advisory Commission on Veterans and Military Families
11/16 - City Council Meeting
11/17 - Plan Commission Meeting
11/18 - Board of Public Works Meeting
11/18 - Redevelopment Commission Meeting
11/19 - Mayor's Advisory Commission on Food Access
11/19 - Land Use and Special Studies Committee Meeting
11/23 - BZA Hearing Officer
11/23 - Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting
11/23 - Carmel Historic Preservation Commission
11/25 - Mayor's Advisory Commission on Senior Living

Share With Your Friends!

If you know anyone who would also like to see this information, please feel free to share this email!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE FUTURE EMAILS