Zionsville Town Council

Zionsville Town Council June 2, 2025 ZIONSVILLE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FOR JUNE 2, 2025 AT 7:00 P.M. EST ONSITE MEETING 1100 West Oak Street This meeting was conducted onsite and via Zoom. Council Members Present: Jason Plunkett, President; Brad Burk, Vice-President; Tim McElderry, Craig Melton, Evan Norris, Sarah Esterline Sampson, and Joe Stein Also Present: Heather Harris, Town Council Attorney; Mayor John Stehr; Deputy Mayor Justin Hage; Cindy Poore, Director of Finance & Records; Lance Lantz, Director of DPW; Roger Kilmer, Senior Planner, Planning & Building Department; Amy Lacy, Municipal Relations Coordinator and other Town staff. OPENING A. Call meeting to order B. Pledge of Allegiance C. Attendance Plunkett Here we go. Good evening, I will now call to order the Monday, June 2, 2025 regular Town Council meeting. If you would please, stand and join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. All Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF THE MEMORANDUM OF THE MAY 5, 2025 REGULAR MEETING Plunkett All right, first item on the agenda is the approval of the May 5, 2025 Town Council meeting memoranda. A copy has been posted. Are there any questions from Councilors? Sampson Move to approve. Plunkett I’ve got a first from Councilor Sampson. Page 1 of 10 Zionsville Town Council June 2, 2025 Melton Second. Plunkett Second from Councilor Melton. All those in favor signify by saying aye. All Aye. Plunkett Those opposed same sign. [No response] Motion passes 6 in favor, 0 opposed. APPROVAL OF THE MEMORANDUM OF THE MAY 19, 2025 REGULAR MEETING Plunkett Up next is the approval of the May 19, 2025 Town Council meeting memoranda. A copy has been posted for that as well. Are there any questions from Councilors? I would entertain a motion. Melton Move to approve. Plunkett First from Councilor Melton. Burk Second. Plunkett Second from Vice President Burk. All those in favor signify by saying aye. All Aye. Plunkett Those opposed same sign. [No response] Motion passes 6 in favor, 0 opposed. APPROVAL OF THE MAY 2025 PAYROLL CLAIMS Plunkett Up next is the approval of the May 2025 payroll claims. Are there any questions from Councilors? I would move to approve. Sampson Second. Plunkett A second from Councilor Sampson. All those in favor signify by saying aye. All Aye. Plunkett Those opposed same sign. [No response] Motion passes 6 in favor, 0 opposed. Page 2 of 10 Zionsville Town Council June 2, 2025 APPROVAL OF THE JUNE 2, 2025 CLAIMS Plunkett Up next is the approval of the June 2, 2025 claims. Are there questions from Councilors? Otherwise, I would entertain a motion. Melton Motion to approve. Burk Second. Plunkett First from Councilor Melton, second from Vice President Burk. All those in favor signify by saying aye. All Aye. Plunkett Those opposed same sign. [No response] Motion passes 6 in favor, 0 opposed. Melton Mr. President? Plunkett Yes? Melton We have one more in now – Plunkett Oh, seven. Melton Just FYI. Plunkett All right. Joe, did you vote on that one? Stein I did not. Plunkett Okay, so we have 6 in favor, 0 opposed. We’ll make note at 7:02 Joe Stein is here. REQUEST TO SPEAK Plunkett Up next is a Request to Speak on Agenda Items. Amy, do we have any requests to speak? Lacy No we do not. Page 3 of 10 Zionsville Town Council June 2, 2025 OLD BUSINESS Consideration of an Ordinance to Amend the Zoning Ordinance (Petition 2025-24- OA) Ordinance 2025-12 (Continued from May 19, 2025) Plunkett All right so we will move on to the first item of Old Business. This is a Consideration of an Ordinance to Amend the Zoning Ordinance. This is Petition 2025-24-OA, Ordinance 2025-12. This was continued from the May 19th meeting and we have Deputy Mayor Justin Hage with us this evening. Hage Thank you President Plunkett. [microphone issues] Burk I don’t think so. Talk some more. Hage [mic not working] Burk There you go. McElderry Oh, there you go. Hage Okay, yes. Thank you President Plunkett. As it was discussed, we continued this from the last meeting. Still having some very good discussions both to members of Council and with the staff as it relates to putting into operation an amendment that really balances the need for public input while also trying to find some efficiencies as it relates to development plan approvals. We have a call scheduled tomorrow with leadership of Plan Commission, counsel for the Plan Commission, counsel for Town Council and Mike Dale from our Planning and Building Department and I think we can find a good solution that we can bring to you at your next meeting on the 16th. Plunkett Very good. Any questions from Councilors? Melton Just a comment that we’ve had some good feedback back and forth trying to keep it very, as, as he mentioned, public input is important but if the public input doesn’t really make any change during the actual vote in those cases, it, it’s just been really good to try and find that balance. I think we’re pretty close on finding that and still being very transparent at the same time. So I appreciate the Administration’s willingness to continue those conversations. Hage Thank you and as Councilor Melton said, I think the other thing we’re trying to balance too is not having too much delay for petitioners as well and I think we found a, a happy medium that I think we will meet all of our needs so. Norris Can I ask just a couple real quick? Plunkett Yes. Norris The, the development plan process though, like that typically, that’s something that doesn’t go before this Town Council, correct? Page 4 of 10 Zionsville Town Council June 2, 2025 Hage Correct. Norris Okay so this is, we’re talking about something purely administrative and then Planning Commission? Hage Correct. Norris Not something that we do internally, correct? Hage That is correct. Norris Okay. I just want to make sure that I was reading this all correctly. Another issue just for my purposes, under 194.125 Section 2(B), the administrative approval of redevelopment of existing sites – what is that referring, what’s an existing site? So are we saying like if we have a 300-acre development and somebody wants to redevelop it, not do a zoning change or anything like that, the Administration has the authority to just sign off on that? Hage No, I think it’s a good question and we did, that is one of those categories I think we’re actually going to strike that one – Norris Okay. Hage And we’re really just going to limit it more to those minor, which is 50% or less, or those ones that are already there’s an existing definition of minor which is that which does not change the square footage and so we’re gonna fold it into that part of the code. Norris Okay. Thank you. Perfect. That was my concern. Plunkett Justin, my question here is since this is going to have to go back to the Plan Commission anyway, should we just deny this now or do you want us to continue it to the next meeting? Like if we deny it now, we work on this and then you get it to them then it could be in front of the Plan Commission in mid-June. Harris Except if we deny it we have to have a, a reason for the denial and state that in writing. Plunkett Well I could type something up saying we’re still working on it and then have it just lower on their agenda so that they can actually hear – Harris I would maybe make a recommendation not to do that and go ahead and continue it because I think we’re having some dialogue about maybe bringing back either suggested recommendations that we could then approve here and then it could just go back to the Plan Commission for ratification. Plunkett With those changes? Harris Yes. Plunkett Okay, perfect. All right. Page 5 of 10 Zionsville Town Council June 2, 2025 Norris Do I need to make – Sampson A motion? Plunkett Yes. Norris All right, yes, I’ll make a motion to continue. Melton Second. Plunkett I have a first from Councilor Norris, second from Councilor Melton. All those in favor signify by saying aye. All Aye. Plunkett Those opposed same sign. [No response] Motion passes 7 in favor, 0 opposed. Hage Thank you. Plunkett Thank you. NEW BUSINESS Consideration of a Right of Way Vacation (Wild Air) (Public Hearing) Plunkett First item of New Business is a Consideration of a Right of Way Vacation. This is Wild Air. We have Roger Kilmer, Senior Planner, Planning and Building Department, also Ryan Weyer from Old Town Homes or Old Town Companies as well. I will note this is a public hearing. At this point I’ll open the public hearing. Is there anyone from the public who would like to comment? I’ll close the public hearing. Kilmer Good evening Councilors. My name is Roger Kilmer, Senior Planner for the, for the town here really just to introduce and maybe further clarify what is about to be presented by the, the developer. While it has been noted as the request for right of way vacation, what is being requested is actually a reduction in the width of an easement, not a right of way but, but an easement but through language it’s, that is known as a public way and so, therefore, that’s why it’s coming before you so with that little bit of clarification, I’ll now introduce Ryan Weyer from Old Town to further describe the petition. Weyer Thank you Roger. Ryan Weyer with Old Town Companies. Yes, we’re requesting to reduce a 30-foot easement down to 20 foot. There’s a section in the northwest corner of the multi-family portion of Wild Air that is currently 30 foot. The rest of everything along Marysville is 20 and when we moved the or installed our, in the process of installing the roundabout we also moved that Page 6 of 10 Zionsville Town Council June 2, 2025 further west so between that, the drainage easement that is there that is now all piped, we don’t see a need for a 30-foot-wide easement in that northwest corner and it would be consistent all along Marysville if it was reduced to 20. Burk Is it – go ahead – Plunkett Go ahead. Burk Is it just about consistency or is there a scenario where you now need to get into that easement for some other, for the roundabout or something that you’re building? Weyer The north, the for, far northwest corner we do have one building that overlaps into that easement. I believe it’s like 8 feet currently. Sampson In the planning documents that were presented then it was just overlooked that the easement changed from 20 to 30? Weyer It was in the planning documents and yes, I just didn’t do this process prior to that but it, that has never changed in the plat, the primary plat. Burk Roger, if I could ask you, is there any, I mean obviously we’re shrinking the easement. Is there any concern amongst the town that they felt like they needed 30 feet as opposed to 20 feet? Do you see any scenario here where you wouldn’t be able to get equipment in there that you would need to if you had to if it were only 20 as opposed to 30? Kilmer No, there is no objection from any of the town departments on, on this requested reduction. Burk Thank you. Plunkett Any other questions from Councilors? I would, let’s see – so this is, this is one vote so this is one, one approval so I would make a motion to approve the right of way vacation. Norris Second. Plunkett Second from Councilor Norris. All those in favor signify by saying aye. All Aye. Plunkett Those opposed same sign. [No response] Motion passes 7 in favor, 0 opposed. Thank you. Page 7 of 10 Zionsville Town Council June 2, 2025 Consideration of a Resolution Regarding the Appropriation of Additional Funds (Community Crossings Grant) Resolution 2025-06 (Public Hearing) Plunkett Up next is a Consideration of a Resolution Regarding the Appropriation of Additional Funds. This is for the Community Crossings Grant, Resolution 2025- 06. This is also a public hearing. I have proof of publication of the public hearing. I’ll open the hearing. Is there anyone from the public who would like to speak? Seeing none, I will close the public hearing. We’ve got a memo in the packet that just simply states the purpose of the additional appropriation is to appropriate Community Crossing matching grant funds received from the state to fund a portion of the 2025 road resurfacing and repair projects. If there are questions, certainly Cindy’s here to walk through it but if there are no questions, I would entertain a motion. Sampson Is this the amount that you got Lance from your? Yes, he’s nodding yes. Okay. No questions. Plunkett All right, this is a resolution so this is a one vote resolution here. I will make a motion to approve Resolution 2025-06. Melton Second from Councilor Melton. All those in favor signify by saying aye. All Aye. Melton Those opposed same sign. [No response] Motion passes 7 in favor, 0 opposed. OTHER MATTERS Plunkett Up next on the agenda is Other Matters and I just want briefly to introduce the idea and I’m gonna have Heather walk through what this would mean for us of a consent agenda. The first, you guys will all notice the first four items on our agenda were the memorandas and the claims and the consent agenda could just simply be an opportunity for us to speed this up a little bit and so Heather, if you want to – Harris Yes – Plunkett Talk about that a little bit. Harris In just thinking about ways that we can continue to create efficiencies, what we would do is create a standing consent agenda that would include the minutes and claims or any other sort of item that just requires approval. Sometimes we’ll have something that the Town Council President has to sign that’s an agreement or a settlement or something like that but you’re not really taking a vote on it and then what you could do is just simply make a motion on the consent agenda, a second and then approve it in one vote so you’d be approving multiple items instead of having a vote for each. If you had any questions, concerns, or anybody wanted to talk about an item you can just pull it out of the consent agenda. We think it’d Page 8 of 10 Zionsville Town Council June 2, 2025 just keep things moving and we’d get straight into business versus some of the more administrative items so. McElderry So at what point will we need to pull it out? How early would you need to know? Harris Just at the beginning of the meeting. Plunkett Yes and if there are modifications like, for example, in the minutes from the previous meeting if we need to make a correction, those corrections can be made in the meeting so we can approve the consent agenda with the modifications to the language. I just, it’s rare that we get four or five of these at the beginning of a meeting but it’s also procedurally if we have online meetings or virtual meetings or something like that it’s just a lot easier to streamline the process so. If you guys, if you guys are not opposed to that, Heather and I will likely start making that adjustment to the – Harris July meeting – Plunkett Meetings for July to the minutes so. Stein Is there anything, well, sorry – would the consent agenda be made available also to the public through – Harris Yes. Stein Okay. Harris It would just be listed, same link that Amy provides – Stein Yep – Harris Everything would be the same, it’d just be one vote versus four or five. Stein Yes, I just didn’t want anybody accusing us of not being transparent. Harris No, no, we would have all of the same information posted, it’s just really a one vote versus each one separately. It won’t save us tons of time but it might save a little. Plunkett Questions from Councilors? Comments? All right. Anything else from other Councilors? Norris Yes, I’d like to first say thank you to Jarod and his team – they had a great outing on Friday over at Mulberry Fields. There was a great celebration for all the school kids and I think it was very well attended from what I could tell after 3:00 so kudos to you all for, for a great event on Friday and then also I believe it’ll be coming up probably, probably at our next meeting here the Safety Board with Councilor Sampson and Councilor Stein and myself, we voted to make a recommendation for an additional $150,000 appropriated for the, the Fire Department for overtime. If I’m correct, we had the first mandatory call, callout which is really concerning to me and I’ll probably talk to more of you about that Page 9 of 10 Zionsville Town Council June 2, 2025 but we had our first mandatory callout that was forced upon one of our firefighters this past Monday, Memorial Day, last Monday, so and he talked to me about that and he was very open to me about it so I think it’s really important and can’t wait to, to talk to you all further about that and you can feel free to ask Sarah or Joe as well about how they feel about it as well so. Thank you. ADJOURN Plunkett All right, anything else from Councilors? I’d make a motion to adjourn. Sampson Second. Plunkett A second from Councilor Sampson. All those in favor signify by saying aye. All Aye. Plunkett Those opposed same sign. [No response] Motion passes 7 in favor, 0 opposed. The next regular Zionsville Town Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 16, 2025 at 7:30 a.m. in the Zionsville Town Hall Council Chambers. Final notice will be posted in compliance with the Indiana Open Door Law. Thank you. Respectfully Submitted, Amelia Anne Lacy, Municipal Relations Coordinator Town of Zionsville Page 10 of 10