There were about 50 in attendance at the Indianapolis Art Center for the quarterly public meeting of the Broad Ripple Village Association (BRVA). BRVA president Mark Wolf called the meeting to order and introduced Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) north district night captain Phil Burton to give the local crime statistics. Burton reported that in this first quarter reporting period violent crimes are down 50% from last year. He also said that there have been no aggravated assaults so far this year and that property crimes are down 25%.

Burton also explained that as an effort to keep those crime statistics down, IMPD has put into place a special Broad Ripple detail every weekend. This consists of 6 to 10 officers patrolling north and south of Broad Ripple Avenue. The patrols usually continue until 5 am, as the many bars and clubs in Broad Ripple are open until 3 am.

Residents can request to be added to the IMPD North District News, which is sent out weekly via email, by emailing michael.maxwell2@indy.gov.

The next portion of the meeting was for BRVA activity updates. First was Tom Healy speaking about the upcoming Envision Summit that will have occurred by the time this issue is released.

Next, Barbara Wilder announced that the Broad Ripple Farmers Market will open for the 2011 season on May 7, 2011, at 8 am at BRMHS. Barbara said that two garden dinners are planned this year for June and September.

Chris Mallon announced that the Spring Gallery Tour will be on Friday, May 13, 2011, from 5 to 9 pm. This year there will be 17 destinations on the tour.

Brenda Rising-Moore announced that the first Chow Down Midtown event is planned for June 6th, 2011, through the 16th. 50 local restaurants will offer specials, such as dinner for 2 for $30, during the eleven day event.

Next on the agenda was Lou Gerig from Sease, Gerig & Associates with an update on the parking meters. Gerig thanked the BRVA for getting out the information about the new meters in the Village. The new meter heads accept credit cards for payment and already about 40% of the uses are now paid for with credit cards. There has been an adjustment to the maximum allowable time that a car can stay at a meter. Starting at 5 pm each day the time limit goes from 2 hours to 4 hours. He also stated that new multi-space meters will be installed in Broad Ripple this summer after a test period in early May.

Mark Wolf then introduced Mark Warner, the new Mayor's Liaison for North Outer Region of Indianapolis, the position previously held by Catherine Moore. Mark said that residents should call the Mayor's Action Center first, as their response is very good. If for some reason MAC does not solve the issue, then Mark Warner should be contacted to follow up on the matter. Both the MAC and Liaison contact information is in the Local Contacts section of the Gazette.

Next on the agenda was Steve Kerr from the Wheeler Mission to discuss the Drumstick Dash. Kerr said that the first Dash, back in 1993, had 1300 participants. Last year the number was 11,920, making the Dash the third largest running event in Indiana. So far, the Dash has generated a quarter of a million dollars for the Wheeler Mission. Kerr thanked the BRVA and the Village for their hospitality in allowing the Dash to take place in Broad Ripple.

City-County Council president Ryan Vaughn was next on the agenda. Vaughn explained that Indianapolis has insufficient standards in place to regulate car towing. He is drafting a stand-alone proposal for new standards that could include licensing, signage, maximum tow distances, and standardized rates. Vaughn stated that as many in the Village already know, some towing companies have predatory practices. A point was raised about cars being towed that are left in lots overnight. There have been visitors who determined that they have had too much to drink and opted to take a taxi home and to leave their car in Broad Ripple until the next morning. When they return they find that the car has been towed, often to northern Hamilton County with a $200-$300 tow bill. This practice encourages people to drive drunk instead of doing the right thing and finding alternative transportation home.

Vaughn also gave an update on a parking solution for the Village. We should see ground breaking for a parking garage this year. Announcements could be made in May or June about the development company selection process for a garage.

During the committee reports, Sue Zilisch stated that one spot is still open for a home to be added to the 2011 Historic Home Tour. Volunteers can join the tour committee and can help with the September 24, 2011, tour.

The next public meeting of the BRVA will be on Tuesday, July 19, 2011, at the Indianapolis Art Center at 7 pm.