INDIANAPOLIS CITY-COUNTY SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO. 143, 2021

CITY COUNTY COUNCIL PROPOSAL NO. 143, 2021

CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS-MARION COUNTY, INDIANA

INTRODUCED: 4/12/2021

REFERRED TO: Committee of the Whole

SPONSOR: Councillors J. Evans, Osili and Jones

DIGEST: honors all those who contributed to the City of Indianapolis hosting a safe, successful NCAA men's basketball tournament

SOURCE:
Initiated by: Councillors J. Evans and Osili Drafted by: Angela Plank, Public Affairs Manager

CITY-COUNTY SPECIAL RESOLUTION NO. 143, 2021

A SPECIAL RESOLUTION honoring all those who contributed to the City of Indianapolis hosting a safe, successful NCAA men's basketball tournament.

WHEREAS, between March 18 and April 5, 2021, the City of Indianapolis hosted the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, hosting 68 college basketball teams, including players, coaches, and staff, and more than 115,000 visiting fans; and

WHEREAS, a coalition of Indianapolis organizations, including the Capital Improvement Board and Indiana Convention Center, Downtown Indy Inc., Visit Indy, Indiana Sports Corporation, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Pacers Sports & Entertainment, the Indianapolis Colts, Lilly Endowment, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, the Arts Council of Indianapolis, Butler University, GANGGANG, AES Indiana, Heritage Interactive Services, the IUPUI Office of Sustainability, the Indiana State Fair, Indiana University Health, and thousands of Indianapolis community volunteers, joined forces to show our city at its “Hoosier Hospitality” best, providing a once-in-a-lifetime experience to players, parents, officials, and fans and one of the most climate-friendly, environmentally sustainable March Madness tournaments ever; and

WHEREAS, the hard work of those organizations was combined with the diligent efforts of Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Indianapolis Fire Department, Indianapolis EMS, the Indianapolis Department of Public Works, Indy Parks, and the Marion County Health Department to ensure the health and safety of our visitors, our residents, and our workforce throughout the tournament; and

WHEREAS, Indianapolis community volunteers with Downtown Indy Inc. hosted community clean- ups to welcome fans to a spotless Mile Square before and during the tournament, while volunteers with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, including Butler Blue IV, picked up litter along 12 miles of city streets along the routes teams traveled, and planted 68 trees in Andrew Ramsey Park and Elwood-Mary Black Park, one for every team in the tournament; and

WHEREAS, despite these laudable contributions, the true MVPs of the 2021 NCAA Tournament are the workers of Indianapolis, who safely housed hundreds of players and staff from 68 teams in 4 hotels, some for almost a month; carefully moved players and staff between 4 game venues, prepared and individually wrapped thousands of meals from more than 88 local restaurants to be delivered to teams almost around the clock; provided the behind-the-scenes crews managing the sound, lighting, and overall

Proposal No. 143, 2021 Page 2

production in all the venues; and cared for fans at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Lucas Oil Stadium, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and Indiana Farmers Coliseum; and

WHEREAS, it is thanks to these workers that, out of more than 28,000 COVID-19 tests conducted over the course of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, only 15 individuals tested positive for COVID-19, a case-positivity rate of only one-twentieth of one percent, with only 1 team eliminated from the tournament due to the virus and 66 out of 67 scheduled games proceeding as planned; and

WHEREAS, it was the commitment and spirit of our city’s workers that inspired national media outlet Sports Illustrated to declare of Indianapolis, “this city is lighting the path of hope and optimism” as our nation “emerges slowly from its COVID-19 cave”; now, therefore:

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY-COUNTY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND OF MARION COUNTY, INDIANA:

SECTION 1. The Indianapolis City-Council offers its deepest thanks to the persons and organizations listed above, with special recognition for the dedication of the Indianapolis workforce, as our community rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic.

SECTION 2. This Council congratulates all those who took part in the planning and execution of an overwhelmingly successful, safe, and sustainable NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

SECTION 3. The Mayor is invited to join in this resolution by affixing his signature hereto.

SECTION 4. This resolution shall be in full force and effect upon adoption and compliance with IC 36-3- 4-14.