Zionsville Town Council

ZIONSVILLE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MEMORANDA FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020 AT 7:00 PM ELECTRONIC & ONSITE MEETING 1100 West Oak Street Date of Preparation: November 4, 2020 Council Members Present: Bryan Traylor, Vice-President; Brad Burk, Alex Choi, Joe Culp, Craig Melton, Jason Plunkett Council Members not present: Josh Garrett, President Also present: Emily Styron, Mayor; Julie Johns-Cole, Deputy Mayor; Adam Steuerwald, Town Council Attorney; Amy Lacy, Municipal Relations Coordinator, and Town Department Staff. 1. OPENING A. Call meeting to order B. Pledge of Allegiance 2. APPROVAL OF THE MEMORANDUM OF THE OCTOBER 19, 2020 REGULAR MEETING (copy posted) COUNCIL ACTION: Councilor Plunkett moved to approve the Memoranda of the October 19, 2020 Town Council Meeting. Councilor Culp seconded the motion. The Memoranda of the October 19, 2020 meeting was approved by a vote of six in favor, zero opposed. (6/0) 3. REQUESTS TO SPEAK Before Mayor Emily Styron spoke, Vice-President Traylor said he did not feel the Mayor should be required to submit a request to speak and be bound to the three-minute rule. He said he felt she was welcome to speak at any Council meeting. Mayor Styron spoke, requesting a full vote from the Council in response to her request to discharge a department head. Acknowledging that the reorganization documents specify that action on such a request from the Mayor requires the approval of the majority of the Council, she asked that they call a special meeting, to include herself, so that she could present her reasons and accompanying supportive information.  Zionsville resident Craig Triscari spoke in opposition of the ongoing VanTrust project, stating that as of November 2020 VanTrust had still failed to run eight-inch water lines into Saratoga Springs as promised and was still in violation of the commitment letter. He expressed his opposition to what he felt to be tax giveaways to VanTrust. He spoke in opposition to possible future taxation for library services for Perry Township and expressed displeasure at taxation from Zionsville for what he felt was a lack of services provided to rural Perry Township. Mr. Triscari also asked the Council to address water and sewer issues in southern Perry Township. Referring to Mr. Triscari’s comments regarding the library, Vice-President Traylor clarified that the Town of Zionsville was not proposing the library expansion, but instead it was library who was proposing it to the Town. In reference to Mr. Triscari’s comments about “tax giveaways”, Councilor Choi explained that these were not tax giveaways, but instead tax abatements, which he said are standard municipal taxing strategies to get businesses to come to a municipality to increase their tax base. 4. OLD BUSINESS A. CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE VACATING A PORTION OF A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY WITHIN ZIONSVILLE CORPORATE BOUNDARIES (FISHER) (SECOND READING) Ordinance 2020-17 Planner Roger Kilmer gave a summary of the request for vacation of a public right of way, concluding by saying the request had been reviewed by Staff, who had no concerns. COUNCIL ACTION: Councilor Plunkett moved to adopt Ordinance #2020-17 on final reading. Councilor Burk seconded the motion. At Vice-President Traylor’s request Ms. Lacy took a roll call vote: ROLL CALL VOTE: VICE-PRESIDENT TRAYLOR Yea COUNCILOR BURK Yea COUNCILOR CHOI Yea COUNCILOR CULP Yea COUNCILOR MELTON Yea COUNCILOR PLUNKETT Yea Ordinance #2020-17 was adopted on final reading by a vote of six in favor, zero opposed. (6/0) 5. OTHER MATTERS Councilor Plunkett gave an update to the Council and the community from the Waste Management Board, saying that the recent Tox Drop event in Zionsville had 591 vehicles and netted 11 tons of household hazardous waste and 11 tons of electronics. He commended the community and Boone County Solid Waste Executive Director Jennifer Lawrence for their efforts.  Councilor Culp gave an update from a recent Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners meeting, saying that the Police Department had received an anonymous donation from a Zionsville resident of $15,000 for a new canine for the Zionsville Police Department. Along with other Councilors, Councilor Culp expressed his gratitude toward the donor and pleasure at this very positive news. Vice-President Traylor noted Mayor Styron’s earlier request for a meeting regarding the discharge of a department head. Saying that the Mayor had requested this item be put on the agenda in the past, he said that Council had refused to do so and put someone publicly on trial until they received the evidence to support her request. He concluded by stating that the request is on record and when they had substantiating evidence to support the claims it would be put on the agenda. 6. APPROVAL OF CLAIMS COUNCIL ACTION: Councilor Choi moved to adjourn the meeting. Councilor Culp seconded the motion. Ms. Lacy took a roll call vote: ROLL CALL VOTE: VICE-PRESIDENT TRAYLOR Yea COUNCILOR BURK Yea COUNCILOR CHOI Yea COUNCILOR CULP Yea COUNCILOR MELTON Yea COUNCILOR PLUNKETT Yea Claims were approved by a vote of six in favor, zero opposed. (6/0) 7. ADJOURN COUNCIL ACTION: Councilor Plunkett moved to adjourn the meeting. Councilor Burk seconded the motion. Ms. Lacy took a roll call vote: ROLL CALL VOTE: VICE-PRESIDENT TRAYLOR Yea COUNCILOR BURK Yea COUNCILOR CHOI Yea COUNCILOR CULP Yea COUNCILOR MELTON Yea COUNCILOR PLUNKETT Yea The motion to adjourn was approved by a vote of six in favor, zero opposed. (6/0) 8. The next regular Town Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 16, 2020 at 7:30 a.m. Determination of the need for a solely electronic meeting will be evaluated prior to the meeting and final notice will be posted in compliance with the Indiana Open Door Law. Respectfully Submitted, Amelia Anne Lacy, Municipal Relations Coordinator Town of Zionsville