There's a New Boss in The Weeds

There's a new political boss looming in Zionsville, who wants his way without interference from the nattering naybobs of negativism.

For the past three years, certain elements have been at work behind the scenes, rounding up the players to control, and keep a tight leash on the Town Council.

The process involves control of the Republican precinct committee persons, which despite all the hoopla of the high profile campaigns in the May 8 primary, has a very significant impact for Zionsville and Eagle Township.

Why worry, or make a big deal of this?

When a vacancy occurs, say on the Town Council, or for a Mayor, it falls to the precinct committee folks to pick the successor. So, if certain elements didn't want any outsider to gain a foothold on a council seat, those powers would seek control of the precinct committee persons confident they would follow orders as who to elect on the Town Council.

As an example, when David Carr stepped down from the council three years ago, there were a few contenders for the opening, which went to Valerie Swack, who was not the anointed one, but a broad-minded thinker who subsequently became a fly in the ointment of Matt Price's administration.

And, as a lesson to anyone who dares fly in the face of the powers-that-be, here's what happened to Swack's most ardent supporter, Tim Bennett, who was the committeeman from precinct 9 in Zionsville. In the precinct caucus, which is the political name of the gathering of committee persons, Bennett passionately touted Swack's attributes as to why she should serve on the council, and Bennett was convincing, and the caucus elected Swack.

Guess what? Bennett is now on the outside looking in. He was dumped as the precinct committee person and replaced by Kevin Swan, a buddy of Chad Pittman and his henchman Doug Rapp.

Which gets us back to what's been going on for the past three years.

Pittman; then council person Michelle Barrett; and Steve Jacob, the Boone County Council president, began strategizing meetings to find people of like minds to run for precinct committee positions from Zionsville and Eagle Township.

When voters take a gander at the ballot in Tuesday's May 8 election, they will see there are 12 contests for precinct positions in Eagle Township, which encompasses Zionsville. And, in each of those 12 races there is a Pittman candidate. And Pittman himself is also running from the Eagle 4 precinct against his neighbor Bill Ferree.

If any of this causes anyone any angst, here are the candidates for precinct committee person that Zionsville Confidential believes voters should seriously consider voting for, and to the best of my knowledge are not beholden to Boss Pittman:

Eagle 2 - Tom Santelli

Eagle 3 - Guinn Doyle

Eagle 4 - Bill Ferree

Eagle 8 - Valerie Swack

Eagle 10 - Kyle McMillan

Eagle 11 - Ralph Stacy

Eagle 14 - Jim Holden

Eagle 15 - Amy Stehr

Eagle 16 - John Notarianni

Eagle 18 - Ron Beck

Eagle 19 - Pat Taylor

Eagle 20 - Steve Guillian

Vote your conscious.

Where There's Smoke

Wonder what the flap over an e-mail sent by four Zionsville town council members to the Boone County Commissioners is all about?

Maybe nothing, but again maybe there's smoke, and where there's smoke there's fire.

At the June 6 council meeting when it came time to allow the public an opportunity to address the council, Wendy Brant came forward and claimed the four councilors had violated the Indiana Open Door law.

Ms. Brant, a former Boone County commissioner, is no stranger to the issue of transparency in government. She was president of the Indiana Coalition for Open Government, and testified at the state legislature for the Public Access Counselor.

Basically, the Open Door Law forbids appointed or elected members of municipalities from conducting business privately, outside of the public view.

The e-mail Brant questioned was sent by Tim Haak, council vice-president, to the Boone County Commissioners on Friday, June 3.

It stated: As members of the Zionsville Town Council we are formerly requesting that you table the Ford Road bridge agenda item from your meeting Monday, June 6th. Zionsville is currently updating our Transportation Plan and the proposed bridge replacement plays an integral role in this update. We feel that the item warrants more discussion between the Zionsville Town Council and the Boone County Commissioners and we would like to formally meet to discuss further.
It was signed by Haak, Steve Mundy, Jeff Papa, and Candace Ulmer.
Zionsville Town Council

Ironically, it was Ulmer who on June 1 asked the commissioners to be on the June 6 meeting agenda to express her opinion about the Ford Road bridge, and request that the commissioners delay signing an agreement to proceed with construction of a new structure.

As reported in the Zionsville Star June 9 edition of the Indianapolis Star, "Brant said the four council members made a decision as a majority of the seven-member council outside the public view, challenging them otherwise to identify what public meeting or where in meeting records the issue was discussed and decided. Official action, under the law, includes to 'make decisions or take final action.' ''

Council president Matt Price, and council members Art Harris and Valerie Swack were not copied on the e-mail. Harris and Swack said they were unaware of the correspondence. Unlike the other four councilors, Price, Harris and Swack are not seeking election in November.

Haak, Mundy and Papa defended their action, Papa the most testily during an exchange with Brant. Papa argued that because the county commissioners did not take any action concerning the bridge there was no violation of the law.

But, the commissioners did take an action about the bridge, delaying further discussion until the July meeting. That action came about when Jeff Wolfe, president of the Board of Commissioners, asked for the delay.

What the four councilors seem to avoid here, is that the four of them formally requested the commissioners to take an action, and the violation is because they did not decide this in a public forum, and consequently there was no record of what they did.

Papa can huff and puff all he wants about the timing of the e-mail, and the urgency of contacting the commissioners, but Ulmer was already on the commissioners' agenda, so why didn't the four amigos let her carry the message from Garcia?

It's Spring - Snakes Are Shedding

It's Spring when snakes, and politicians facing elections shed their skins.

In Zionsville, with the primary weeks away, two Town Council members - Steve Mundy and Jeff Papa - never put in office by the electorate - have cast off their disguises.

Papa was the only candidate before a Republican caucus, called to replace Judith Essex who resigned. Essex had been the Eagle Township trustee and became an adjunct council member with the passage of the consolidated government ordinance.

Mundy, a retired human resources employee at Eli Lilly & Co., came to the council when Michelle Barrett abruptly resigned because of an overload of domestic responsibilities.

Papa, an attorney for the Indiana Senate, had been a member of the committee which put together the nuts and bolts of the consolidation and was sphinx-like throughout the process. According to the Indiana Economic Digest, at $153,000 a year Papa has the "highest salary in the legislative branch and in the top 20 of all state employees."

Soon after taking his council seat, Mundy set out ingratiating himself to the two factions on the council. His HR approach was atypical, "Some of my colleagues are for it, and some of my colleagues are against it, and I'm for my colleagues.''

But, now Papa and Mundy have joined the pro-development slate being engineered once again by Chad Pittman, who gave you Matt Price, Tim Haak, and Barrett in 2007.

But, Pittman is in the shadows this time around and has his company commander, Doug Rapp, fronting the Citizens for a Better Zionsville, a political action committee formed by Pittman in 2007 to swell the coffers of the Pittman slate.

In a Zionsville Times -Sentinel article of Feb. 5, 2007 entitled , "Fighting for Hope," it states that Pittman started Citizens for a Better Zionsville and outlines how the Pittman and Rapp served in the military together.

Coincidentally, of the $25,500 raised by the CBZ in that election cycle, only 4.6% came from actual Zionsville residents. The vast majority of the cash came from law firms, corporations or individuals in Marion and Hamilton counties engaged in the development industry.

The probable reason for Pittman's disappearing act is that any engagement in politics could jeopardize his position in state government.

But, that doesn't stop Capt. Pittman from hosting a fund raiser on May 13 in the Mayfield cabin at his residence on Ind. 334. In an email circulating around town, invitees are asked to "Move Forward Together" and join Larry Mitchell (past MIBOR president), Mark Plassman (Tim Haak's brother in-law), Heather Gallagher (Judith Essex's daughter) and Chad Sweeney (appointed to the EDC) and Citizens for a Better Zionsville to meet the candidates.

Pittman's stake in the Town Council is development-related, and what he didn't get accomplished during the first term of his hand-picked council, he'll get this election cycle.

For how the new Zionsville Transportation Plan would have been a bonanza for Pittman Enterprises, stay tuned.

Slick Ads, Slick Talk...Higher Taxes

Remember 2007 when an upstart quartet ran for the Zionsville Town Council?

Remember those slick mailers that arrived in your mailboxes promising change?

Under that mantra, Matt Price, Michelle Barrett, Tim Haak and Mark Plassman promised `"our property taxes will go down.''

One of Price's mailings stated, `"Zionsville taxpayers don't have a say in many of the decisions that affect our school district - and our tax bill. On the council, Matt will take a proactive approach to controlling growth, giving us a voice in the decisions that affect our schools and our wallets.'' That sentiment was also echoed in the Times Sentinel's Candidate questionnaire.

Well folks, 60-80 percent of your Zionsville tax bill goes to the Zionsville Community School district. (Check out your property taxes here.)

And yes, the Town Council has no control over school spending.

But, with a referendum looming in November for the school district to increase taxes 29.5 cents on each $100 of assessed value, where is the Town Council? Not a peep, nary a discouraging word, na da about what could be a whopping extra $1,000 in taxes on a home valued at $300,000.

One would think that the Price administration would take a stand on the referendum if it were really concerned about taxes as they appeared to be in 2007. Could it be that the schools are fodder for the development industry, which dumped thousands of dollars into the campaigns of Price et al? Don't bite the hand that fed us. After all, there are empty schools to fill up.

It's a given that good schools attract people. Zionsville's schools are among the best in the state, so folks with children keep coming, new homes and multi-family housing go up, and who bears the burden? Look in the mirror.

And, where is the Price administration as Zionsville's school debt approaches $240 million? His council is focusing on major issues - $50,000 for a new town logo; $30,000 for a new town website; $20,000 for an annual report, and it goes on and on. And, don't forget the weeds on Main Street.

One would think that the more affluent Zionsville residents have money trees in those spacious well-groomed yards. There seems of be an apathy about the referendum, except for those backing the school referendum - the school administration's controlled lackies and its well-oiled propaganda machine.

Don't say that Zionsville Confidential didn't sound the warning bell when the tax bill rolls around and you wonder where the money went.

Pay to Play in Zionsville

Ever wonder how some of Zionsville's town business is engineered?
It doesn't hurt that your campaign consultant is a big shot lobbyist, or you were all clubby members of the Zionsville High School Class of '86.

Back in 2007 when upstarts Matt Price, Timmy Haak, Michelle Barrett and Mark Plassman set their sights on the incumbent Crane administration, a hired-gun named William F. Stuart was brought into the stable to run their campaign, according to a highly placed confidential source, Stuart was the brains that got three of the four elected, at an astronomical cost of $80,000, for a town council spot that paid a council member $5,000 a year.

The possible return on the investment must have been mouth-watering to the development interests.

Stuart, a long-time Democrat operative, and a registered agent for the engineering firm of Beam Longest and Neff - (BLN) - worked hand-in-hand with a San Francisco firm of Terris Barnes Walters to design the expensive campaign brochures, and media ads.

Campaign filings show that Price, Plassman, Haak and Barrett paid over $38,000 to the firm for campaign services and mailings.
Those same documents show that Price paid $6,000 to Maple Hill Consulting of Fishers for "consultation.'' The resident of the Maple Hill address is William F. Stuart.
Coincidentally, the San Francisco company's web site also listed Jim Longest as a client along with Zionsville's Reorganization, and several Indiana Democrat legislators. (The reference to Jim Longest's campaign has been taken down now.)
That's the same Jim Longest who is president of Beam Longest and Neff, and a current member of the Zionsville School Board, and also a member of the Class of '86, along with Price and Haak.

And good old ZHS buddy Longest dumped $950 to Haak's campaign coffers, and Longest's brother Tim coughed-up $500 to Timmy.
Fast forward to 2009 when the contract for the town's engineering services was up for renewal.

The engineering firm which had the town business for over 25 years was HNTB, a highly-respected Indiana company, but the newbies pushed for BLN, despite the fact they could find nothing wrong with HNTB's work.

So along with the new council mummy-dummies Judie Essex and Candy Ulmer, (defacto members because of the newly constituted consolidated government) BLN was awarded the contract a few months ago, which is worth approximately a half million dollars yearly.

Did Haak recuse himself from voting for a firm, whose officials gave him $1,450?
Guess again.

Stay tuned for more Pay-to-Play Zionsville style.

Talk about the Pay-to-Play Chicago style!

The Lobbyist for Everyone - Almost

Guess who's doing extra duty these days, in addition to looking after the Town's business?
None other than Matthew M. Price, the current president of the Town Council.
Aside from that thankless job, which incidentally pays Mr. Price $10,000 annually, as an attorney with the powerhouse Indianapolis law firm of Bingham McHale, he also registered as a ``compensated lobbyist'' with the Indiana Lobby Registration Commission on Jan. 1, 2010, according to documents on file there.
In his filing, Mr. Price also noted that W. Tobin McClammroch, is the managing partner with Bingham McHale. Mr. McClammroch is not an unknown name to Boone County government.
Under a section of the form, Mr. Price was asked to list all subject matters ``for which you anticipate performing lobbying activity on behalf of this employment.''
When asked to identify the topics that he anticipated he would be associated with in his lobbying efforts, Mr. Price checked off 44 boxes.
Those included: AIDS, Business, Construction, Education, Housing, Infrastructure, Licensure, Medicaid/Medicare, Nursing Homes, Pharmaceuticals, Property Tax, Teachers, Alcoholic Beverages, Commerce, Consumer, Gaming, Homeless, and Human Services.
And more - Local Government, Medical Records, Municipalities, Public Safety, Regulation, State Government, Telecommunications, Budget, Community, County Government, Economic Development, Energy, Finance, Health Care, Hospitals, Industry, Legislative Ethics, Managed Care, Mental Health, and Reproductive Rights.
And finally - Safety, Taxation, Utilities, Welfare, Other and lastly but not least, Women's Issues.
Gadzooks, that's certainly a full plate in addition to tackling the many weighty issues Mr. Price has to deal with as Town Council president, such as weeds on Main Street.
But, Zionsville Confidential would wager its collective soul he can pull it off.

Mundy joining town council

Steve Mundy was the only applicant for the open District 5 seat on the Zionsville Town Council, after Michelle Barrett resigned early this month.

In case you're not from Zionsville or have been exploring the Andes the last few weeks, Barrett resigned to, purportedly, concentrate on family and personal matters. However, it came out in the newspapers and on Internet blogs that Barrett may have been having an affair with Matt Price, the council president.

Price denied those allegations at the April council meeting and said he was staying on the board. But perhaps more telling, Barrett's husband, Brian, filed for divorce not long after. Rumor has it that Brian has not been taking the news well, even ripping off Barrett's distinctive "peace sign" decal from the back of her red van.

Anyhow, with Barrett's resignation, a seat on the council opened up, which Mundy will fill after going through a ceremonial caucus later this week. How Mundy fits on the current council will be very interesting over the next couple of months. The current factions on the council were Price, Barrett, Tim Haak, Candace Ulmer and Judith Essex v. Art Harris and Valerie Swack.

Mundy, who is also on the town plan commission, seems to be respected by all in Zionsville, and it's interesting that Chad Pittman or some other influential citizen didn't put any candidates forward. Sources have said the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors or the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis were looking for a candidate, but obviously didn't come up with one in time.

Someone named Mark Thompson apparently expressed interest, but didn't live in the required precincts for the District 5 seat. Not much is known about that gentleman.

If Mundy sides with Swack and Harris on issues, it could lead to more conflict, though Price & Company would still have the 4-3 advantage for official votes. There have been whispers that Price may still resign at some point in the near future, that he only stayed on to dispel the affair in the short term.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting in Z'ville, as it tends to be.

That's all for now, readers. See you next time...off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush....

-David Drexel