Consolidation in final stages

By Nick McLain/Times Sentinel writer

If there was a theme to the final Government Reorganization Transition Committee meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 28, it was this: Let’s start referring to the new Town of Zionsville, which will soon include the former Union and Eagle townships, as one entity.

All for one

After debate in recent days had shifted to how the town board re-appointments were to be divided among Eagle, Union and the old town limits, resident Teresa Bennett expressed her wish to move away from regional designations.

Town council president and transition committee member Matt Price readily agreed.

“That, in my view, was the reason for reorganizing and creating these new boards — to work away from those distinctions,” Price said. “But there are legitimate concerns from those in the unincorporated areas about checks and balances. I think, over time, as we see that our views about managed growth are shared, these artificial barriers will fade away.”

Another audience member said that while the Union and Eagle names might still be used in discussion, it doesn’t change the fact that both will be in Zionsville on Jan. 1.

“No matter how long you’re married, you still hear your wife’s maiden name from time to time,” Gene Thompson, county council member said.

Board representation

Despite the calls for unanimity, the debates over the boards continued.

Bennett questioned why the plan commission and board of zoning appeals will be represented proportionate to land mass instead of population. According to Price, four of the seven members will be from the rural district (former unincorporated Eagle/Union) and three from the urban (old town limits). A majority of the BZA’s five members will also come from the rural district.

The proposed ordinance only says that the initial seven members be proportionate to the land area of the two service districts. With a rough ratio of 75:25 land mass differential between rural and urban, the urban district could conceivably have as few as two members on a seven-member board.

The ordinance also allows for an expansion of the board to nine members, meaning the urban area could, in that case, have as few as two or three on such a board.

“I don’t want (the old town of) Zionsville to be the loser in this,” Art Harris said. “I really think Zionsville folks will scream bloody murder when they find out the plan commission isn’t theirs anymore.”

Council member Valerie Swack had similar concerns.

“Last year, when citizens were asked to vote on this, the impression was that the representation would be equal among Eagle, Union and Zionsville,” Swack said. “If our federal government ruled based on geography like we are about to do, Alaska would have a larger voice than the entire east coast. This isn’t an equitable way to start out.”

Price defended the approach, saying that ultimate authority would rest with the town council, which would be based on population, thus providing the necessary checks and balances.

The council as of Jan. 4, 2010, will comprise the current five members, as well as Union and Eagle trustees Candace Ulmer and Judith Essex, totaling seven. In the 2011 election, Zionsville will be redistricted into five areas by population. Residents would vote for the candidate in their own district, as well as two at-large races, again keeping the council at seven members, according to Town Manager Ed Mitro.

It is likely in this scenario that Union Township would make up one district, with the current unincorporated Eagle Township and the old town making up the other four districts.

“The citizens in Eagle Township, whether the town or unincorporated areas, will have effective control over the town council and ultimately over rezoning,” Price said.

The plan commission can only make recommendations on rezone requests. The council has ultimate authority to approve or deny those requests.

In addition, Price said, the plan commission and BZA, which help monitor development, would be best served by more representation in Union, as that is the area most likely to grow in the future and thus should have the most say over that development.

The ordinance concerning the plan commission and BZA will be considered, along with the ordinance concerning the makeup of the park board, by the new town council after Jan. 2. The parks board will have one member from Union, one from Eagle and two from the old town limits. An additional member or two will be appointed by the schools, the library, or both.

“I think we need to maintain perspective on this,” Price said. “There was a very important deal made assuring the rural areas that they would have adequate representation on the plan commission. But ultimately, if you have quality appointments that represent the complete geography of the town, people will be satisfied with the final result.”

Rural vs. urban

The other item under discussion concerned the procedure for how a rural service area could be reclassified into the urban area. Town staff drafted a procedure whereby two years after the town reorganizes, and every two years thereafter, a rural area that is contiguous with the urban district can be considered to be brought into the fold.

The town council will form a three-member reclassification subcommittee to work with town staff on developing a map reclassifying certain portions of rural to urban (should there be any) in February 2012. By late March, a public hearing on the reclassification would be held, with approval by the council in June 2012. The newly urban areas would take effect in January 2013.

The process would then be revisited every two years.

Price recommended that the Transition Committee’s body of work over the last 10 months be preserved with area organizations, including the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Library, the SullivanMunce Cultural Center, the Boone County Clerk’s Office and the Town of Zionsville.

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