The City of Carmel will become fully responsible for providing services to Home Place March 1, and it will mark the occasion by providing an opportunity for Home Place residents to meet city officials and ask questions the next day.
The Home Place Welcome Celebration is set for 1 to 3 p.m. March 2 at the John W. Hensel Government Center, 10701 N. College Ave. The free event will include refreshments, activities for children and representatives from various city departments available to speak with Home Place residents about issues affecting the neighborhood.
“We want to get all the department heads down there and make sure that people living in those areas get to meet them and know who to call if they have a question,” Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard said. “It’s also an opportunity for city officials to listen to their concerns and hopes and aspirations for their neighborhood.”
Carmel annexed the 1,017-acre community on March 1, 2018, after a 12-year court battle. The yearlong delay in providing services allows the city to begin collecting tax revenue to fund them. Carmel has already been providing many services to Home Place, such as fire protection and water. Other services, such as those offered by the Carmel Police Dept. and the street department, fully kick in March 1.
Brainard said the event is designed to promote transparency about city services and projects with some of Carmel’s newest residents.
“We want to talk about those ideas with the people that live in the area and see what their thoughts are,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for us to listen.”
