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Committee sends Kate Howe reappointment to full council for Indianapolis food-access advisory commission
Summary
The Community Affairs Committee voted to send Proposal 47 — the reappointment of Kate Howe to the Indianapolis Community Food Access Advisory Commission — to the full City Council with a do-pass recommendation after Howe outlined the commission’s priorities.
At a Community Affairs Committee meeting, members voted to send Proposal 47, reappointing Kate Howe to the Indianapolis Community Food Access Advisory Commission, to the full City Council with a do-pass recommendation.
Kate Howe, executive director of Indy Hunger Network, told the committee she has worked with the newly created commission to bring together organizations and agencies across the region to address food access in Indianapolis and surrounding counties.
Howe said the commission has developed four priority areas: creating a food equity plan; improving access to federal nutrition programs such as SNAP, WIC and free school meals; supporting urban agriculture through zoning and utility access; and advancing a food hub to increase availability of low-cost groceries and local agricultural products.
"I'm the executive director of an organization called Indy Hunger Network," Howe said. "We're a coalition of organizations, agencies, and corporations working to end food insecurity in our community. ... Being on the Food Access Advisory Commission has allowed me to share the food insecurity piece with other folks working on food access." She added the commission was new when she was first appointed and that members have only recently begun implementing their agenda.
Howe described urban agriculture barriers and water access as an example of issues the commission is addressing: "A lot of people are trying to farm in abandoned lots and there is no water access to those sites so they're carrying jugs of water in their cars to be able to farm." She also referenced ongoing work on a food hub discussed with the committee earlier in the year.
Councilor Ron Gibson moved to send Proposal 47 to the full council for final adoption. The committee took a voice vote; those present responded "aye" and the chair announced Proposal 47 will be sent to the full council with a do-pass recommendation.
The reappointment will next be considered by the full City Council for final action.
