Brainard: You’ve got to see Carmel to believe it

Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard painted a rosy picture of the suburban community in his State of the City speech Wednesday. Then he showed the video.

Brainard delivered his annual status report Wednesday at a Carmel Chamber of Commerce luncheon that drew more than 530 attendees.

He spoke for less than five minutes, saying the growing city made good business decisions that allowed it to emerge from the recession in strong shape. Case in point: the 3,500 jobs Brainard said Carmel has landed (or been promised) just this year.

But his speech lasted less than five minutes. The rest of his allotted time went to a screening of “Carmel: A City to Experience,” a slick 30-minute video produced in association with The Omni Centre for Public Media.

Brainard and a half-dozen department heads appear in the video, highlighting recent accomplishments and upcoming projects. It also addresses the city’s redevelopment efforts and its investment in the arts, with footage from groundbreaking ceremonies and jobs announcements—and praise from residents and visitors alike.

“We felt that this year's State of the City should be shared visually because Carmel truly is a city to experience,” said Director of Community Relations Nancy Heck.

In that spirit, click here to watch the full video on YouTube. Check it out, then weigh in.