[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6172573,"mediaKeyId","5387582-64f115a752a15b91fa80273ba8fcabf8","parentId",5387582,"title","Council adopts ordinance to charge facilities for nonemergency lift assists; education and appeals process included","audioSeconds",890,"startMs",3259000,"endMs",4149000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5387582-64f115a752a15b91fa80273ba8fcabf8&start=3259&end=4149","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5387582-64f115a752a15b91fa80273ba8fcabf8/thumbnail_3259000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6172573/Westfield/Hamilton-County/Indiana/Council-adopts-ordinance-to-charge-facilities-for-nonemergency-lift-assists-education-and-appeals-process-included","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6172573-0519ee8228899a79489b46a4a9671e22/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152247&Signature=XYbSCl9aLPuOsstcxfK96hYv5nE7srMJuknqI2LWpr5ZTAuG9fLK0DNZJB8h4cc-atID~yivOqK~rLsZFEZPmGqsMDm0B1260tMxmcIEKSHwBEJ3qAuuuKEohrfE59mJ139WYrEtvbVbs9JRyjVHQ7n4IfOFUh4SBhxr3XdraQWEM1l9Qwa2tqMnH-Ar80JDVm5-vGkMuD3SXo6QtSkkIS29-i7NM08FIwrZq4gkXQoZhA7ozGIlvRX1s4X3rXwH4Zkibn7IF8rEoaNg5BaxKDcGROTf3LnDWgBPbW0AxfmLDJHD39M1-A-4v9k1rexkH2-G9XTSr0bDvJQx74v3Yw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Westfield IN","date","2025-07-14T22:43:05Z","article","The City Council adopted Ordinance 25‑43, creating a fee for certain nonemergency responses and lift assists at residential care facilities; the council suspended the rules and approved the ordinance the same evening, with a 6–0 roll call vote.

Chief Rob Gaylor told the council the department will continue to respond to true emergencies and clarified that the ordinance targets facility practices rather than residents. “If an elderly person's on the ground and they call 911 or the facility doesn't wanna pick them up and they call 91, we will make that run every single time,” he said, adding that the fee mechanism is aimed at facilities that use emergency response as a de facto staffing substitute.

Scope and rationale: Gaylor presented 2024 figures showing the department responded to roughly 3,200 EMS calls, with 783 to residential care facilities (about 24.4% of EMS calls). He said falls accounted for about 21.7% of those facility calls and lift assists about 2.6%; about one‑third of facility calls were classified as “sick person” and some were the result of physician recommendations or lab results. Gaylor said the department’s average out‑of‑service time on calls in 2025 is about 42 minutes; longer transports can tie units out of service for up to 90 minutes.

Education and appeals: Gaylor said the ordinance includes an educational phase before invoicing and an appeals process handled through city legal. He emphasized the department will continue to respond when the situation is an emergency and said that the fee is intended to be assessed against the facility, not the resident. “Charges to the facility. We're not gonna charge mister and missus Smith at all,” he said.

Council discussion and support: Councilor Patrick Tam, Councilor Kurt Wanninger and Councilor Victor McCarty spoke in favor of adopting the ordinance after an educational period; Councilor McCarty moved to suspend the rules and the council approved the ordinance on the same evening. Councilors and the mayor raised concerns that facilities might pass fees to residents and emphasized the importance of education so facilities change behavior rather than shifting costs to families.

Implementation timing: The city attorney noted the ordinance contains a waiting period and the ordinance would not take effect until Oct. 1, which the mayor and chief said will allow time for outreach and education to residential care providers. Gaylor said front‑line crews will not collect fees; crews will fill out call reports and the department will invoice facilities for repeat nonemergency uses of emergency response.

What the council did: Motion to approve Ordinance 25‑43 carried 6–0; the council suspended the rules to allow immediate adoption, but staff said the ordinance’s effective date is set in the text to allow outreach and education before invoicing begins.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting 07/14/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The City Council adopted Ordinance 25‑43 to authorize fees for certain nonemergency responses and lift assists at residential care facilities, emphasizing an education period and an administrative appeals process.","taxTitle","Westfield, Hamilton County, Indiana","taxId",54406,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6172578,"Council creates Eagletown ERA and preliminarily approves Trailside Business Center abatement",597,2494000,3091000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5387582-64f115a752a15b91fa80273ba8fcabf8&start=2494&end=3091","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5387582-64f115a752a15b91fa80273ba8fcabf8/thumbnail_2494000.jpg","/articles/6172578/Westfield/Hamilton-County/Indiana/Council-creates-Eagletown-ERA-and-preliminarily-approves-Trailside-Business-Center-abatement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6172578-ba0a5d0b261c00427c1e3cb235019332/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152247&Signature=exkI5nqaCzEf45NXtl9yk9EPH11whl~eiyP08lLJq8GP16LxXGVJUoTBJhHPLZJsT2XRhyZOp3kMHglDrlgeFxlAPnfSqDRjlz1lRHh6piNR4nfPFy9CFxs1Lz-569rkXqUXEfazwyC40DtPKbi-h6QvtlMf6Qqt-hQbuYNs5vuXbKit-WOGpT6ZGNv9d2wJ8-NLzi4K~HzIMmB0gSDMwVt2zMYAZTxFRTkeB4toQVIVcxhhqG34TM9vvTTezeDYPXVcNEUH~oMWwlnAD9Grsk4LM0QpBiAYM3PLBSdW-En2J7oqI~y89L3R3K0ZXoBzoJWEFV1QfUoNoLhy7Ewnww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council adopted a declaratory resolution creating the Eagletown Economic Revitalization Area and gave preliminary approval to a real‑property tax abatement for the Trailside Business Center project, the council recorded a 6–0 vote on the motion to adopt.

What the resolution does: staff described the combined action as a twofold step: establish a geographic ERA that includes the parcels proposed for development at roughly 947 West State Road 32 and preliminarily approve a tax‑abatement schedule for I3 Investors LLC to support construction of speculative industrial buildings and public improvements. The confirmatory resolution and a public hearing on the ERA will appear on the council’s next meeting agenda for final action.

Project and timing: Weston Rogers of the Community Development Department described the Trailside Business Center PUD as a roughly 26‑acre, trail‑oriented industrial park that will include a Midland Trace Trail trailhead and public amenities. Claire Gelinas of the Economic Development team outlined a two‑phase plan: phase 1 (west side) was described as approximately 145,700 square feet of speculative industrial buildings with an anticipated real property investment of about $10.5 million, with construction starting April 2026 and completing December 2027. Phase 2 was described in the presentation as the eastern buildings, reported as roughly \"182,238\" (the transcript contained a formatting error) square feet and an anticipated $13 million in real property investment, with phase 2 scheduled from April 2028 to December 2029. Staff said the applicant will also build trail connections to State Road 32, utility extensions and other site work.

Tax and economic rationale: staff presented a recommended 14% step‑down abatement schedule for both phases and said the project would increase assessed value substantially — staff estimated roughly $21.3 million in assessed value when fully complete, up from about $253,500 in assessed value for the parcels today. The economic development presentation included a model showing how the phasing of abatement affects taxing units; staff noted that the abatement applies only to improvements (real property) and that existing land value remains taxable to local taxing units.

Why staff recommended abatement: staff said the project fills a gap in the local industrial market by adding larger speculative industrial buildings that the city’s market presently has little inventory for, which could attract industry and increase employment. The resolution combines ERA creation and preliminary abatement to streamline processing, staff said.

What the council did: the council adopted Resolution 25‑138 creating the ERA and preliminarily approving the abatement schedule. Staff said a confirmatory resolution and public hearing on the ERA will be scheduled at the next regular meeting, and that final abatement approval will follow standard statutory notice and hearing requirements.

Next steps: staff will process the confirmatory resolution and public hearing, execute the abatement schedule if final approvals follow, and monitor project phasing and traffic improvements as required by the PUD.","Council voted 6–0 to create the Eagletown economic revitalization area and to give preliminary approval to a real‑property tax abatement package for the Trailside Business Center (I3 Investors) that phases in abatement over time to support construction of speculative industrial buildings and trail improvements.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6172582,"Council adopts Jersey 32 mixed‑use PUD; parking garage and TIF explained",598,1671000,2269000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5387582-64f115a752a15b91fa80273ba8fcabf8&start=1671&end=2269","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5387582-64f115a752a15b91fa80273ba8fcabf8/thumbnail_1671000.jpg","/articles/6172582/Westfield/Hamilton-County/Indiana/Council-adopts-Jersey-32-mixeduse-PUD-parking-garage-and-TIF-explained","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6172582-e6428eb9a17d71d8d16aaadad598c9c8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152247&Signature=T3E7nGzfjfiPFiBD5rHGXOidcaAhA2~WNEVq0gVXv-n4tIuUKGKNg4mnSjf4gP7BoCiupct~tojvxCmXk~WynRUaJDdJRyO8OVtDNlelAUI~7rClr6Pm~pzvHkVZMtkydEh7rHqutsdrx-DiSTfhUz7Ze2cHogfLDKRAvTSUVPSyDn6m38bLIDqrh7FZD5PT2~1jqPIoYx6tWX~gCtp8NJX9KA12TS5K7WZpPNowBQxD6eYyL6Q6Zgw7q8Ebv-hUZBZwQQsqpSgyX3LVWPKRsjkPNN-kzbUCMIAYYeD3F-oI5OEpPMlacm7P4V10jov77qRHHaEFJPemttrTX5~l7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council voted to adopt Ordinance 25‑34 approving the Jersey 32 Planned Unit Development, a mixed‑use project on property bounded roughly by State Road 32, Poplar Street, Jersey and Mill Street. The motion to approve was made by Councilor Kurt Wanninger and seconded by Councilor Chad Hoff; the roll call vote was 6–0 in favor.

Why it matters: the project includes multifamily housing wrapped around retail, office space and a structured parking garage intended to serve downtown activity. Mayor and staff presented projections showing a downtown peak‑period parking deficit that the Jersey 32 garage would help eliminate once several other downtown projects are completed.

Details and finances: Lauren Gillingham Teague of the Community Development Department described changes since the site’s previous review, including removing a sidewalk behind a neighboring property and reducing the minimum parking‑space width to allow compact vehicle and golf‑cart parking. The mayor summarized the city’s financial participation and forecasts: he reported roughly $8.05 million cash on hand for the garage and a total garage cost of about $22.7 million. He said the developer will issue a developer back bond rather than a city‑backed bond, which he described as reducing city risk.

The mayor presented city revenue projections tied to the development, stating that the project is expected to generate about $1.4 million per year in additional local taxes (food and beverage, hotel, local income taxes and motor vehicle taxes) and roughly $42.6 million in cumulative tax revenue to the city over 30 years based on current assumptions. He also said the project would add estimated assessed value of about $21.3 million when fully completed and that over 30 years the school district would receive an estimated additional $4 million in tax revenue under current rates.

Parking context: staff and the mayor walked the council through a downtown parking model. They said the current downtown peak deficit is approximately 321 spaces; when several projects come on line the deficit falls and Jersey 32 is the first project that, as modeled, will move the downtown to a net surplus at peak time (reported as about 67 surplus spaces at 8 p.m.). The mayor said later build‑out including other planned projects could yield a larger surplus during peak periods.

What the council did: the council approved Ordinance 25‑34 on the adoption motion. The developer and staff were present to answer questions; no amendments were made during the council vote.

What’s next: bond parameters for economic development bonds tied to Jersey 32 were introduced as Ordinance 25‑42 (for later public hearings and final action) and staff said the Redevelopment Commission will manage allocation area matters.","The council voted 6–0 to adopt Ordinance 25‑34 creating the Jersey 32 PUD, a mixed‑use development with multifamily, retail, office and a structured parking garage; the mayor and staff presented projected parking impacts, estimated costs and a financing plan that relies on developer bonds and tax increment revenue.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6172587,"Westfield fire chief urges new stations, four‑person staffing to improve response times",1332,0,1332000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5387582-64f115a752a15b91fa80273ba8fcabf8&start=0&end=1332","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5387582-64f115a752a15b91fa80273ba8fcabf8/thumbnail_0.jpg","/articles/6172587/Westfield/Hamilton-County/Indiana/Westfield-fire-chief-urges-new-stations-fourperson-staffing-to-improve-response-times","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6172587-f2496367548a34f005f5692da8ee0118/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152247&Signature=j1HpLmfCja2gGdwvThQ3uKhqBxVt~Foo5VS39As1OOYd2v2a~JkkKi7hbICyGbMyfwp4ZiCdLsIKEop0~4c4Sn2b~Jlx9QGmng~2WozWotgTGovZ0lC5CLq1zlwXD7OcnkzUSQTzg~M8IIsBik3iaSCkvF2zHnnJAvRxcWIOcTY~XJgT8jtImvry7zY4ZFaJvJS0vbU6j6uVl6ez5KPbQTz~utfpfR92B9LSnwcy1EA1l7b3BpW5pO-nSsQQZrrLW0r-Y6~hRfeTXddLY6a4hbSSuYdK4vxmdHBUAEthu6Yoc-bzy72-no5GND3con3eal6CPys1Gvi7Mrt3K35fUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rob Gaylor, chief of the Westfield Fire Department, told the City Council on the evening of the meeting that an outside study shows measurable coverage gaps and recommended new stations and staffing to meet national standards. “With our current stations and staffing, we meet that 4 minute objective 34.2% of the time,” Gaylor said, and added that bringing Station 84 and Station 85 online would increase that to about 51%.

The study identified three candidate areas for new stations, roughly labeled A, B and C in the department’s maps. Gaylor said adding all three candidate sites would raise the department’s 4‑minute road coverage to about 70.8%; he gave per‑site estimates of roughly 60.7% for A, 60.3% for B and 54.3% for C. He said the study used a 2024 baseline and did not incorporate projects the council has already approved.

Why it matters: the council heard that faster response times and additional on‑scene advanced life support can materially improve outcomes. Gaylor cited survival statistics tied to crew size and capability: “The survival rate for a cardiac arrest increases from 4.6 percent to almost 34.3 percent by having that 4 person, ALS crew there,” and noted additional step gains when ALS‑capable paramedics are present.

Gaylor summarized other study findings: historical call concentration (“hot spots”) south of Station 81, east of Station 2 and around Station 3; an overlapping‑call rate of about 34.3% (the chance a second call will occur while a unit is already committed); and projections showing residential permits that the department used for modeling (the chief said the permit projection figure was compiled before 2024). He described hazard classes used in the study: a “low hazard” as a typical 2,000‑square‑foot house and a “medium hazard” usually representing denser multifamily buildings that require more personnel and resources.

Funding, staffing and standards: Gaylor referenced NFPA 1710 and NFPA 1500 staffing standards and told councilors that the department is hiring and that a recruit class graduating in November would help reach a four‑person staffing model on engines. The study recommends minimum four‑person staffing on engines; Gaylor described performance differences on routine fire tasks — for example, an engine crew of two took about 10 minutes to get water on a fire versus about 8 minutes, 41 seconds with four crew members. He also noted the department’s current Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of 2 and said staffing and station locations are among the local controls that can improve that grade.

Costs and council context: the mayor asked Gaylor to estimate annual operating cost for a new station; the mayor relayed the chief’s response as roughly $7,000,000 per station annually and said staffing new stations will be a budgeting challenge. Councilors and the mayor discussed pay and retention; the mayor said Westfield has lower firefighter pay than many peers and emphasized the need to staff new stations “with the best talent.”

Community health and training connection: Gaylor said Westfield has a mobile integrated health (MIH) program and an embedded social worker and community paramedic whose follow‑ups removed an estimated 300–500 calls from the emergency dispatch roll in 2024. He cited a county training center expansion — a roughly $32 million investment by Hamilton County — as an important source of future training capacity.

What the council did: the presentation was informational. Councilors asked questions about mental‑health and nonemergency calls and thanked the department and the union for the collaborative data effort. The council did not take a formal vote on station siting at this meeting.

Looking ahead: Gaylor urged continued council support for staffing, timely construction and funding of future stations and for ongoing assessment of growth and call volume as development changes the city’s risk profile.","Fire Chief Rob Gaylor presented an independent response-coverage study showing current 4-minute road coverage at about 34.2% and recommended two near-term stations plus a third site to raise coverage into the 50–70% range; council and mayor discussed costs, staffing and mobile integrated health efforts to reduce nonemergency calls.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6172568,"Council adopts Wheeler Landing PUD amendment for new Westfield police headquarters",119,2414000,2533000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5387582-64f115a752a15b91fa80273ba8fcabf8&start=2414&end=2533","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5387582-64f115a752a15b91fa80273ba8fcabf8/thumbnail_2414000.jpg","/articles/6172568/Westfield/Hamilton-County/Indiana/Council-adopts-Wheeler-Landing-PUD-amendment-for-new-Westfield-police-headquarters","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6172568-2ecccb44f75881d92ad582e3595a0fd8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152247&Signature=B7zIbYOlXBQlgUDMhnWjRwvGh4Nth7GWjVNT9lReKqx4GL3Y3XDV-L0o-zMUJc6ST4bhS~PRRrCoFybZdBlud04qcmoobSZftyohuC2Dy75Pvw7awAdQA0y~4jWfkEycmO9DD-4zUwz8YVo84EPBk~IRPrkXzJTncXo8419HCfIEvh-RXS8tERvJKBrLesNt8KSGKZTpn8C7gy~eQzUU6~B3KRMwNF1wKPcoblOL~pQ043ATqk~xykCMix-xzxivIeusuaNPWATd4rNrEtjYDCgdK026x1F2IOwW7WV0I~mrXWVhxTt7~pGg-lOOwIDL9etI~QW0zUEnc0xNAMkU0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council adopted Ordinance 25‑40 to amend the Wheeler Landing Planned Unit Development to include development exhibits, architectural elevations and monument sign character specific to the parcel planned for the City of Westfield police headquarters. Ryan Collingwood of the Community Development Department presented the amendment and said it applies to a parcel of approximately 11.7 acres located near Grand Park Boulevard.

Background and review: Collingwood said the item had its first reading at the council on June 23 and received a 9–0 favorable recommendation from the Advisory Planning Commission on July 7. The ordinance authorizes standards and exhibits that will guide site development specific to the police headquarters parcel.

Council action: The council voted 6–0 on the adoption motion. A petitioner representative was on the line and staff said they are available for any follow‑up questions; no amendments were proposed during the council roll call.

Next steps: Staff will proceed with implementation per the PUD requirements and coordinate building plans and monument sign details as development moves forward.","Council adopted Ordinance 25‑40 amending the Wheeler Landing PUD to add architectural exhibits and monument sign standards for the site designated for the city’s new police headquarters; the amendment had a prior favorable planning commission recommendation and carried 6–0 at adoption.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council adopts ordinance to charge facilities for nonemergency lift assists; education and appeals process included

Council creates Eagletown ERA and preliminarily approves Trailside Business Center abatement

Council adopts Jersey 32 mixed‑use PUD; parking garage and TIF explained

Westfield fire chief urges new stations, four‑person staffing to improve response times

Council adopts Wheeler Landing PUD amendment for new Westfield police headquarters