- October 3, Brush and limb collection for Village Residents
- October 7-8, SullivanMunce Ghost Walk, 6:30-9:30 pm, See below for ticket information
- October 13, Bicentennial Torch Welcome Party, noon – 3 pm, at Lincoln Park
- October 17, Plan Commission Meeting, 7 pm at Town Hall
- October 17 – 21, Zionsville Schools Fall Break
- October 25, VRA Annual Meeting, 7:30 pm at SullivanMunce Cultural Center
- October 26, Free Technology Recycling Event, 10 am – 1 pm at 260 S. Ford Road
- October 30, 2-5 pm, Pumpkins and Hayrides at Zionsville Lions Club
- October 31, 5:30 – 8:30 pm, Halloween Trick or Treaters
President’s Letter by Sara Martini
Dear Neighbors,
The annual Brick Street Picnic was a great success!
I had so much fun visiting with some of you and meeting new friends! Thanks to all of those who passed out fliers to spread the word, organized, and helped set up and clean up. We had a lot of new neighbors interested in the VRA which is great to see!
Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 25th, at 7:30 pm at the SullivanMunce Cultural Center. We will be voting on the board for the VRA for the 2017 year. Mayor Tim Haak will also be speaking on the plans to alleviate traffic in the village as well as the process for appointing members on the town’s various committees (Planning Commission Committee, Board of Zoning Appeals, etc.).
On the September 19th Planning Commission hearing, the petitioners for the 200 West development were granted a continuance to the Oct. 17th hearing. The representatives from this project seem interested in meeting with the VRA once they have updated their plans. When I know more, I will send out an e-blast.
It’s that time of year! Leaf collection will be running from late October through late November. Also, Brush and Limb collection will take place on Monday, Oct. 3 for the residents in the village. Please keep in mind that the size limit on the brush/limbs is 6 inches in diameter and must be manageable for one person.
Don’t forget to take advantage of the fun events that Zionsville has to offer in the fall. Hopefully I will see you at the Ghost Walk, ZFD Pancake breakfast, and at our next meeting!
Sara Martini
President
Town Council Insights by Josh Garrett
Greetings from 35,000 feet. I am taking the family on a quick trip down to Florida to meet Mickey Mouse. It’s a vacation for them, perhaps not for my wife and I, however, as we try and keep these kiddos entertained at all times.
I attended my first budget meeting this past week. The budget is submitted by the mayor’s office and is for the next 18 months (July 2016 – December 2017). There are actually two budgets that have been submitted: one assumes our current revenue and a second that takes into account monies passed back by the county if the public safety LIT is passed in October. The first budget maintains our current level of services while the second takes the LIT revenue and invests it into our police and fire departments.
While I abhor any type of new taxes, I am also pragmatic about my approach to local government. As a community we are shifting around a lot of dollars to meet the current demands of both police and fire. Both have seen sizeable growth in requests for service as the Town continues to expand. This has us running at a deficit, something we cannot maintain indefinitely before cutting other budgets like roads, sewers and parks. While we all think government is wasteful (and certainly has proven so at various levels), I have found our Town to be run with surprising efficiency.
One positive to come out of the meeting was a discussion with Lance Lantz about sewers. There are monies being allocated for sewer projects along both 3rd and 4th Streets. This will go a long way in addressing some of the flooding and drainage concerns many have expressed within the Village. Stay tuned for details; I will provide as much insight as I can when given to me.
Indiana’s Bicentennial Torch Travels Through Zionsville
When: Thursday, October 13th, from noon – 3pm
Where: Lincoln Park (corner of Oak and 1st), Zionsville
Indiana’s Bicentennial Torch will be traveling through Zionsville October 13th and making a brief stop at Lincoln Park at approximately 1:30pm – 1:45pm.
The torch is coming from Montgomery County to Boone County, Lebanon then to Zionsville. The torch will go from Lincoln Park down Oak Strett, south on Main, east on Sycamore/116th, then a hand-off to Hamilton County will occur at the Zionsville First Presbyterian Church at 116th Michigan Rd. Organizers are hoping for a turn out large enough to line the route with cheers of excitement as the torch travels through our town.
Lincoln impersonator, Danny Russel, will be performing at the park during the welcome party. Ice cream, pie, and refreshments will be served with music and a line-up of speakers.
SullivanMunce Presents Ghost Walk 2016
ADVANCED RESERVATIONS – Available on and before October 6:
Members: Adults: $12 per person; youth: $9 per person; children 5 years of age and under are free.
Non members: Adults: $14 per person; youth: $11 per person; children 5 years of age and under are free.
TICKET PRICES DAY OF EVENT:
Adults: $20 per person; youth: $15 per person; children 5 years of age and under are free.
New Milling Machine Improving Village Roads
A new machine in the Zionsville Street Stormwater Department will allow for roads to be repaired much faster and more efficiently. Purchased this summer, the Department’s new milling machine is the first of its kind for the town.
The Street Department has always been able to address deep pot hole repairs through a process that involves cutting out a piece of roadway and fully reconstructing it from the subgrade up to the surface. With the new machine, the Department can more efficiently repair roads with surface imperfections only one or two inches deep, creating uniformity along the paving surface and a smoother riding surface.
“We encounter a lot of areas that have surface imperfections only an inch or so deep,” said Lance Lantz, Superintendent of the Street Stormwater Department. “Being so shallow, these imperfections do not hold asphalt well. When we attempt to place asphalt, it creates a lunar-like surface that is bumpy and looks like a bunch of potholes repaired in close proximity.”
The machine works on small repair areas with surface imperfections, grinding up one or two inches of existing asphalt surface. Asphalt is placed over the area and rolled using a small compactor roller. The asphalt is left to cool and the road is open to the public in a quick turnaround time, depending on the size of the repair area.
For the Street Department, this machine has already proved to be an efficient way to repair roads. Since purchasing the machine, the Department has repaired sections of Pine Street, 5th and 3rd Streets, as well as several areas in neighborhoods including Spring Knoll, Raintree, Colony Woods, The Woodlands at Irishman’s Run, Austin Oaks at Summerglen and Willow Glen.
In 2015, the Street Department also purchased an Asphalt Hotbox which can hold two cubic yards of asphalt and keep it at operating temperature. This not only allows the Department to use hot asphalt year-round, but the equipment stores hot asphalt for future use.