INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis City-County Council plans to introduce a proposal next week to revise the Downtown Economic Enhancement District to accommodate recent legislative changes made during the last general assembly.

On July 8, the district aims to address safety, cleanliness, and homelessness with consistent, targeted funding and high-quality service for fee payers, according to a release.

“As Indianapolis proudly hosted the swimming Olympic trials, it highlighted our city’s dedication to showcasing world-class events and fostering community spirit right here in downtown Indianapolis,” said Indianapolis City-County Council President Vop Osili. “An Economic Enhancement District is pivotal in keeping that momentum moving forward every day of the year. This initiative strengthens downtown’s appeal and reinforces our ongoing commitment to maintaining its safety, vibrancy, and cleanliness for residents, visitors, and businesses.”

Last year, the Indiana General Assembly granted the Indianapolis City-County Council the authority to establish an Economic Enhancement District. The Council approved the initial establishment of the EED in December.

The Indiana Governor Assembly enacted changes to the EED this year. Those changes include:

• Removes the Mile Square boundary requirement but requires any newly drawn district to remain an equal square on all sides.
• Multi-family property/apartment buildings would be exempt from paying an EED fee but allow for an opt-in for these properties to pay into, and receive services of, the EED.
• Single-family homes (who previously would pay a flat $250) are also exempt from the EED.
• The Governor would receive one more appointee making it a 5-4 state-local board and 6 votes are required for any action.
• Codifies in state code the $5.5 million EED budget that was passed by the City-County Council.
• Removes “activating and promoting public events”, “creating innovative approaches to attracting new businesses”, and “planning improvement activities” from the list of permitted uses of EED dollars.
• The EED cannot be renewed after a 10-year lifecycle and any bonding or other agreements cannot extend past the 10-year window.

According to a release, the new boundaries for the proposed Economic Enhancement District are:

“North border and the East border are I-65. The South border is primarily South Street, and the West border is primarily Blackford Street. The rate a property owner can be assessed within the district will be capped at .168%, remaining consistent with the district fee structure passed last year.”

Funds collected by the district would fund the following projects:

• 7-day-a-week cleaning crew to perform tasks like power washing, graffiti removal, litter abatement, etc.
• Beautification initiatives include plantings, painting, and mulching.
• Off-duty foot and bike patrols to supplement police presence and provide direct outreach resources to property owners.
• Safety ambassadors for additional street-level presence.
• Homeless Street Outreach team members are dedicated to connecting individuals to services, addressing issues, and coordinating with public safety agencies.
• Investments in downtown crime-fighting public safety technology.
• Last dollar in funding for a low-barrier shelter.

The projects are focused on the cleanliness, safety, and experience of downtown Indianapolis.

“Building on the tremendous momentum downtown Indianapolis has gained in recent years, the re-establishment of the Economic Enhancement District will further enhance our city’s vibrancy and appeal,” said Taylor Hughes, Vice President of Policy & Strategy at Indy Chamber, in a release. “Working together with local businesses, community organizations, and government entities represents the collaborative effort to strengthen the heart of our city and allows us to ensure that every stakeholder has a voice in shaping the future of Indianapolis.”

A public hearing for the proposal is scheduled for July 15 at 5:30 p.m. in the Public Assembly Room.

Stamps are getting more expensive this month when the U.S. Postal Service increases prices across its services.

The price of first-class Forever stamps will increase from 68 cents to 73 cents on July 14, an increase of more than 7%. Prices for all services will rise more than 7.5%.

The price hikes are part of the USPS 10-year “Delivering for America” plan intended to financially stabilize the Postal Service. Forever stamps cost 55 cents when the plan was introduced in 2021.

First class mail accounted for more than 30% of postal revenue in 2023 and the plan is expected to generate $44 billion in additional revenue by 2031.

Where to get stamps in Indianapolis

There are roughly 20 Post Office locations around the Indianapolis area where you can buy stamps, not including big box stores such as Walmart, Walgreens, Office Depot and Kroger. You can also purchase stamps online at USPS.com.

USPS changing prices on more than stamps

The additional-ounce price for single-piece letters will rise to 28 cents from 24 cents.

Post office box rental fees will not change. The cost of postal insurance would decrease by 10%.

The price of international postcards and international 1-ounce letters will increase by 10 cents each, from $1.55 to $1.65.

Indianapolis-based smart-mailbox startup Arrive AI has called off its planned merger with Canada-based Brüush Oral Care Inc.

In December, Arrive announced it planned to go public by merging with Vancouver, British Columbia-based Brüush, a publicly traded e-commerce company that sells electric toothbrushes. At the time of that announcement, Arrive said it anticipated closing the merger in the first quarter of 2024.

But late Friday, Arrive said it was terminating the merger agreement because Brüush had been suspended from the Nasdaq Stock Market for failure to comply with Nasdaq’s qualifications for listing.

“We were repeatedly advised that Brüush expected to clear its Nasdaq hurdles, but in the end, that just wasn’t the case,” Arrive CEO Dan O’Toole said in a written statement.

Under terms of the deal, the combined company would have been based in Indianapolis and led by Arrive’s existing management team, headed by O’Toole.

O’Toole said Arrive is still working to become a publicly traded company, and he believes that will happen by year’s end.

Arrive launched in 2019 and did business as DroneDek Corp. until a rebranding last year, when it became Arrive Technology Inc. The company, which rebranded again this year as Arrive AI, has developed a climate-controlled, secure receptacle for deliveries made by drones, couriers, or robots.

One of Nasdaq’s listing requirements is that a company must have an audit committee made up of at least three people, all of whom are independent directors. On April 18, Brüush disclosed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that it had missed an April 12 deadline to come into compliance with the requirement. In its filing, Brüush noted that it had submitted a compliance plan to a Nasdaq hearings panel but had not yet received a decision.

Brüush also fell out of compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum share price requirement and because of a delinquency in filing its annual report for the year ended Oct. 31, 2023.