11 takeaways from Brainard's State of Carmel speech

Mayor Jim Brainard detailed big plans for continued development during his annual State of the City Address on Wednesday before a packed room at the Ritz Charles in Carmel.

Brainard will begin his sixth term in January. Unlike his past two terms, the mayor will be working with a City Council for the next four years that largely supports his views on offering taxpayer incentives to attract development. Wednesday, he took the opportunity to reiterate many of the plans he announced while campaigning for a new term.

And he told the crowd of 600 that their property taxes might increase to pay for some infrastructure improvements. His 2016 budget proposes a tax increase — about $59 for a $200,000 house, he said.

"The voters who turned out for our primary election earlier this year made it clear that they like the direction Carmel is headed," he said. "I am proud to say I will be serving for another four years as the mayor of Carmel."

Here are 11 takeaways from the address:

1. New parks features: The city will extend the White River Greenway trail north to 146th Street and add a boardwalk to Founders Park.

2. Economic development: Brainard said the city has added 2,300 jobs from at least 19 new and expanded businesses since his last State of the City speech. He expects those numbers to increase again next year as a number of projects begin to come online, including an expansion of City Center and Midtown.

3. Improving Range Line Road: Brainard wants to landscape and reconfigure Range Line Road from the Arts & Design District to 116th Street, converting the four-lane road into a boulevard with one wide lane in each direction, roundabouts, a large landscaped median and street-side parking.

4. The Center for the Performing Arts: Brainard said the arts center has welcomed 550,000 patrons to more than 1,300 performances since it opened in 2011. They’ve come from every county in Indiana, every state and 22 countries. He said the estimated economic impact is $16 million.

5. Public safety improvement: The mayor wants to expand the police department's headquarters at 3 Civic Square. He said two fire stations also are under reconstruction.

6. All about those roundabouts: The mayor says Carmel has 94 city-constructed roundabouts, the most in the country. When Brainard took office in 1996, the city had none. Several more are under construction and Carmel will dedicate the 100th roundabout later this year or next, at 116th Street and Gray Road. Next year, he plans to replace all stop signs and lights with roundabouts along Gray Road north of 106th Street to the city’s border at 146th Street. The city also plans roundabouts at 116th Street and Hazel Dell Parkway, 136th Street and Carey Road and along 96th Street between Keystone and the White River.

7. Keystone update: The mayor has applied for federal funding for a roundabout-style interchange at 96th Street and Keystone. That's the cornerstone for his campaign promise to build the last interchange along Keystone in Carmel.

8. Road work: The mayor wants to extend 96th Street east to College Avenue and Pennsylvania Parkway and expand 126th Street to two lanes with a median, curb and bike lanes from Keystone to Range Line.

9. Climate change: Brainard is a member of the President’s Task Force on Climate Resilience and Preparedness. He took part in a summit this year that sought to convince Chinese officials to commit to goals to reduce the impact of emissions on the environment.

10. Bike sharing: The city has 65 bikes from Zagster at eight locations, including Clay Terrace, Central Park, the Arts & Design District and City Hall. The number of bikes has nearly tripled in size since it debuted earlier this year and could keep growing.

11. Thin on financial details: The mayor detailed multiple projects he'd like to complete in the future, but, as with his campaign, largely left out the details of how he plans to pay for them. Outgoing City Council President Rick Sharp, the mayor's opponent in the primary, has doubted Carmel could afford to pay for all of the projects without significantly increasing taxes. Brainard said the city's tax rate may increase next year. But that won't be enough to cover all of the project costs.

Call Star reporter Chris Sikich at (317) 444-6036. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisSikich and at Facebook/chris.sikich .