The Zionsville Town Council met Aug. 21 at Zionsville Town Hall and discussed a variety of issues. The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.
What happened: The Zionsville Pathways Committee presented its four highest-priority routes and recommended issuing a budget for them in 2024.
What it means: The committee focused on pathways that will fill in the gaps between incomplete pathways where development has occurred; connect more residents to the Village core; create connections to Zionsville schools and parks; and address safety issues in areas where residents travel through risky zones. Pathways include Michigan Road (to connect Appaloosa Crossing to Willow Road), Whitetown Road (to connect Cobblestone Lakes to the new roundabout), S. 650 E. (to connect Boone Meadow Elementary to Harvest Park) and Ottinger Drive (to extend the existing path and connect to Royal Run Blvd).
What’s next: The purpose of the committee presentation was to advise the council of the priorities and recommendations of the 2024 Pathways plan. The goal moving forward is to find the money and budget for these projects.
What happened: The Zionsville Police Department and councilmember Craig Melton requested updates to the town’s existing House-to-House Solicitation Ordinance. They asked to rewrite that section of the code, review all relevant Indiana state statutes and benchmark the current ordinance against surrounding communities.
What it means: With the rewrite, the police department wants to clarify that the ordinance applies to the rural service district and review and clarify what the requirements are for licensure. The goal is to strengthen the process to ensure there is enough information about the vendors before they go door to door. They also want to eliminate the requirement of noncommercial solicitors, such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, to register with the police department before going door to door and make it more convenient for citizens of the town to refuse door-to-door solicitation. There will also be exemptions in place. The background check will be managed by the ZPD. The rewrite will allow for more clarity for the community and solicitors.
What’s next: The council approved the rewrite of solicitation permits.
What happened: Additional money (needed to be appropriated to complete the road rehab projects for 2023 and for the Ice America fraud claim that was submitted to insurance than was originally appropriated in the annual Town of Zionsville budget.
What it means: Additional sums of money are being appropriated including $402,583.04 out of the Local Road-Bridge Matching Grant and $49,211.75 from Park Operating to complete the road rehab projects for 2023 and to pay Ice America in the Seaside Ice Agreement.
What happened: The council approved the appropriation of the additional funds.
