The Sunday Post - June 14, 2026: Curfew, OPHS Accountability, and the Thunderbird Data Center
- Michael-Paul Hart
- Jun 14
- 5 min read
A weekly report from Councilor Michael-Paul Hart — Building the Smartest City in America.
Volume 2, Issue 24
Curfew Proposal Moves Forward
This week I held a press conference on my proposal to include 17-year-olds in Indianapolis
public safety curfew enforcement.
The goal is simple: keep young people safe, close a gap in the current policy, and make sure our rules match the reality that 17-year-olds are still juveniles.
The proposal passed committee. We also made a quick amendment so the proposal stayed focused on adding 17-year-olds and did not change the current treatment of children 14 and younger.
Coverage:
OPHS Accountability Update
I also introduced an OPHS accountability proposal following the city audit of the Office of Public Health and Safety.
This is not about ending important public safety work. It is about making sure taxpayer dollars are tracked, contracts are managed, ethics rules are followed, and programs can prove results.
Sections 1 through 4 passed committee. Those sections call for stronger contract tracking, staff training, ethics training, and better financial monitoring. Section 5 did not advance.
That is still progress. Accountability, transparency, and local leadership matter.
Coverage:
Thunderbird Data Center: This Is Not a Rezone
The Hearing Examiner meeting on the proposed DC BLOX data center was also held this week.
This is important: this petition is not a rezoning. It is a variance of use. That means I do not have the authority to call it down to the full City-County Council like a rezoning case.
The final decision rests with the Metropolitan Development Commission. The Hearing Examiner and the MDC are reviewing findings of fact under the legal standards in front of them. I have to review the issue within those same boundaries.
That does not mean residents should not speak up. They absolutely should. Residents deserve real opportunities to be heard. It does mean the decision is not a general vote on whether people like or dislike data centers.
Eastgate, Irvington, and the Local Context
It is also important to be clear about geography.
The development site is in the Eastgate area, not Irvington. Many residents from Irvington have been engaged and vocal, and their concerns matter. At the same time, Eastgate residents, Warren Township residents, and the neighborhoods closest to the site also deserve to be centered in the conversation.
That is why I have tried to keep the discussion focused on facts, commitments, enforceable protections, and community benefit.
My Comments and Memos
Some reports described the meeting as a four-hour debate. The meeting started at 1 p.m. with a full agenda. The data center portion came later and ran for about an hour and twenty minutes.
I encourage residents to watch my full remarks when they have time. This issue is complex, and the video explains the situation better than a short quote can.
Watch my remarks here:
I also submitted two memos to the Hearing Examiner and MDC:
The short version is this: these developments cannot be judged by slogans alone. They need to be judged by facts, existing land use, enforceable commitments, and whether the community actually benefits.
My memos do not say the project has no impact. They say the site is already part of an industrial corridor, and the review should compare this proposed use against the conditions already operating around the site.
The real issues are noise, generator testing, construction dust, fuel storage, truck traffic, brownfield management, public reporting, and enforcement.
Enforceable Commitments Matter
Here is the most recent version of the enforceable commitments:
These commitments include items related to closed-loop cooling, municipal water use, no natural aquifer use, generator testing limits, noise monitoring, diesel particulate filters, no cryptocurrency mining, no nuclear facilities, drainage plan transparency, landscaping, screening, and public-facing project information.
Again, this is not a rezone. It is a variance of use. That makes the enforceable commitments even more important because they are part of how the project is reviewed and controlled.
The Community Benefit Still Matters
I am still gathering final financial information, and that matters.
We are actively working on a path to help save the YMCA building with Shepherd Community and other community partners. This could become a multi-million-dollar opportunity for the Eastside, but only if the commitments are real and the dollars are directed back into the community.
I am also reviewing whether the project could generate roughly $11 million into a TIF over the next 10 years. For me, that only matters if the TIF district includes Washington Square Mall and if those dollars can be used to improve the mall and surrounding area.
This is the kind of local leadership residents deserve: clear information, real accountability, and a serious effort to turn major development into community benefit.
A Personal Note From This Weekend
I also want to share a little bit from life outside of local government.
This weekend, my son and I took an ABATE dirt bike safety course together, and we both passed. It was a great experience, and I want to give a real shoutout to ABATE of Indiana and the people who helped run the class.
They were patient, professional, encouraging, and clearly committed to teaching safety the right way. You could tell they care about helping riders learn the basics, build confidence, and respect the responsibility that comes with riding.
I spend a lot of time working on city issues, but I am also a dad, a neighbor, and someone who enjoys learning new things with my family. This was a good reminder that some of the best community work happens through local organizations and volunteers who show up, teach, mentor, and make a difference.
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Thank you for reading Indianapolis City Council Updates and for supporting common‑sense leadership. Together, and with the community driving accountability, we are turning bold ideas into real‑world results.
Accountability, Transparency and Local Leadership
See you next week with more updates from the Neighborhood.
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