September 2016

Dear Neighbors, 

The VRA will be holding a special meeting on September 7^th at 7:30p.m. at the SullivanMunce. Representatives from the 200 West Sycamore development will be presenting information on a new proposed development for that location. The proposed project will be a commercial development under the existing B-3 zoning. The petition for this development will be heard by the Plan Commission on Monday, September 19^th. If you would like to learn more information, please attend the special VRA meeting and the Plan Commission meeting. 

Our next regular meeting is the Annual Meeting on October 25^th.  Mayor Tim Haak will be sharing a general overview of the town’s plan to alleviate traffic. He will also be sharing how the people on the various committees for the town (BZA, Planning Commission, etc.) are appointed and the process. 

In the meantime, we have the Village Picnic to look forward to on Saturday, September 17 starting at 6pm at the residential end of Main Street.  The VRA sponsors the picnic and it is open to anyone who lives in the village. Burgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs and water will be provided.  Please contribute with a side dish or dessert. This is a great time to get together with friends and to meet new neighbors. 

The VRA is also looking for members to serve on the board for 2017. If you’re interested in getting involved with the VRA, serving on the board is a great way to have your voice heard and to make a positive impact on your community. 

I hope to see you at the picnic and the meeting in October. See you around town! 

Sara Martini

President 

I hope everyone has had a nice summer.  I cannot believe that school has started again; it was with mixed emotions that my two eldest returned to Eagle last week.  A quick friendly reminder that with school back in session, there are lots of kids from the Village walking to school in the morning and back home again.  Keep your eyes open and speeds down.

I wanted to update everyone on a change that has happened within Town Council.  We have always operated with two monthly meetings, one was called the agenda meeting and the other was the actual Council meeting where voting took place.  Both were open to the public and media, however one was simply to go over the agenda for the subsequent Council meeting with no votes taken.

This meant that issues could only be pushed forward by the Council once a month.  In order to not slow down the process and take multiple months, some issues would go through what is known as a three-step process.  This involved voting on the issue multiple times in a single meeting (assuming each vote was unanimous) to get passed that month.

After some debate, it was decided there will now be a morning Council meeting that replaces the agenda meeting, while our evening Council meeting remains the same.  Because these dates were previously budgeted, they are currently one week apart.  Next year these meetings will be spread out to every 2 weeks.

The morning meeting intent is for administrative tasks like routine appropriations and approval of claims.  The evening meeting intent is for more strategic items such as budgets and economic development.  There can always be exceptions to this intent, and every agenda is always published for the public to review beforehand..  

This change also allows for anybody who cannot make the evening meeting to attend the morning meeting, where public input on any matter is always on the agenda and encouraged.

I would encourage you to attend some of these meetings if time allows.  The papers do a good job of covering the overall topics but it is a chance to witness the process in person.

Fall Festival is a long-time Zionsville Lions Club tradition.  This year’s Festival is slated for September 9-11, and the theme is “Back to the 80s.”

This three day festival is the largest fundraiser for Lions Park. It begins on Friday night with the VIP Poor Jack Carnival for special friends, their family and caregivers. The Lions Club Parade officially kicks off the Festival Saturday on Main Street at 9:30 am. The Festival is filled with local entertainment and performances, food, carnival rides, kids corner bounce houses and vendors that include arts crafts, commercial, children and pet items.

There are multiple forms of entertainment for all ages throughout the weekend. Parking in Lions Park is $5.

Of special note:  The parade kicks off earlier this year at 9:30 am from Zionsville Community High School. 

Once again, the artists of Art IN Hand Gallery have donated work for their annual silent auction with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Humane Society For Boone County.  

Boone County has no operating animal shelter.  The animals HSFBC cares for are mostly strays or rescues and are sheltered by volunteer foster families.

The Found Hound and Phat Cat Silent Auction begins September 8.  Please do your part by placing a bid at the gallery (located at 211 South Main Street). The local furry friends will appreciate your support!  Bidding ends September 30.

Check out what’s fresh at the Market! It is the last month of the Zionsville Farmers’ Market, so let’s make the most of it! When tomatoes and basil are plentiful, it is time to make Panzanella Salad! Pick up your baguette and produce from the Farmers’ Market and this dish will sure to be bursting with flavor! Happy eating! 

Panzanella Salad