Slightly Out of Focus

How independent is independent?

VS Engineering, Inc., of Indianapolis, has been retained by the town ''as an independent engineering firm to evaulate the proposed plans for adherence to normal design standards for road and bridge projects.''

Specifically, the firm was hired to discuss current plans to replace Boone County bridge 220 - the Ford Road bridge over Eagle Creek.

The plans to replace the bridge with an historic steel truss span has been ongoing for longer than the gestation period of an elephant.

In a memorandum to the Boone County Commissioners from Tim Haak, Zionsville Town Council president, dated April 12, in reference to the named bridge, it states:

''The Zionsville Town Council has reviewed the proposed design and has arrived at the following conclusion.

The Town Council objects to the project as a whole as currently presented. We are not comfortable with proposed treatment of several key design issues within minimum or less than minimum standards.''

The memo cites four ''main concerns.''

A committee composed of County Commissioner Mark Applegate, Robert Clutter, county attorney; Haak and Elizabeth Hopper, town councilors and VS Engineering. met March 22 to discuss plans to replace the bridge. There is no reference in Haak's memo who represented the engineering firm.

But Zionsville Confidential knows VS Engineering.

The president of VS Engineering is Sanjay Patel, who was a member of the group which assisted in developing the Zionsville Master Transportation Plan last year.

Mr. Patel, a resident of Zionsville, is also a member of the Zionsville Storm Water Board, and his firm has a contract for the redesign of First Street in Zionsville.

A real cozy relationship.

What also raised eyebrows is the question of when the Zionsville Town Council took this action, as stated in Haak's April 12 memo:

''The Zionsville Town Council has reviewed the proposed design and has arrived at the following conclusions.''

That sounds as though the council had a meeting and formulated a position, but there are questions about when a meeting was held, and was it public?

The folks who have been instrumental in bringing the historic span to Eagle Creek might do well to ask to see the minutes of the meeting when the Zionsville council made the decision on the bridge.

Big Bucks Council

Zionsville residents should be proud of its' new council - it's one of the fattest cash cows in the town's history.

The Magnificant Seven took in $91,899.89 in campaign contributions for a $5,000 a year position - $91,899 - the tail is wagging the dog folks.


These figures come from campaign reports on file at the Boone County Clerk's office in Lebanon. And, who got the lion's share of the goodies?

Candace Ulmer, the former Union Township trustee, who collected $18,46l, following closely by incumbent Tim Haak, with $18,101. Mrs. Ulmer is going to be "The one to see.''

The balance went to:


Susana Suarez, $16,572
Elizabeth Hopper, $14,236
Tom Schuler, $13,966
Jeff Papa $10,561

The largest contributor to the campaigns was a political action committee, Civic Pride of Boone County, which dumped $24,502 into the seven coffers. Civic Pride's contributors are a mix of developers and their attorneys and those wonderful folks who bring you more apartments.

Civic Pride's largest contribution went to Mrs. Ulmer of $10,458, and close behind was the new council president Haak, who picked-up $6,858.

And following Civic Pride in contributions was the Metropolitan Board of Realtors PAC with $7,210, which doled out $1,000 plus goodies to the seven campaigns.

Wonder why our local newspaper hasn't followed the money?

Publisher Andrea Cline is the spouse of Pat Cline, an officer with MIBOR, whose bank is none other than the Bank of Indianapolis, which employes Tim Haak - just a coincidence.

One name missing as a contributor in any of the seven campaigns was Chad Pittman.

This is the same fellow who gave birth to the Citizens for a Better Zionsville, and in 2009 confided with former councilor Michelle Barrett:

''I appreciate your leadership of our town and the direction you are taking us. Who would have thought that we could have come this quickly to aligning our town planning area with the school district to make it easier to plan and control our own destiny.''

Zionsville Confidential has heard unofficially that lately Pittman has been having a case of the jitters seeing his name in print, closely aligned with bank-rolling the council candidates. This is also the same fellow that still has a Papa/Suarez sign up on his barn on the corner of 334 and Michigan.

Stay tuned. Zionsville Confidential is preparing a complete list of all the contributors.