Attorney Wants To Review SRC Minutes


(posted Oct 16)


The public is asking for more accessibility and openness from the Speedway Redevelopment Commission. Attorney Greg Zubek inquired about the location of the minutes of the SRC meetings at its October 15 monthly meeting. He noted that he was having a difficult time locating the minutes.

Clerk Treasurer Sharon Zishka noted the SRC minutes are available at the town hall during the business hours of 8 am to 5 pm. The Speedway Navigator requested the 2007 minutes on Oct 15, but only the 2005 and 2006 minutes were available. The town hall staff indicated the minutes were still in the office of former town manager John McCurtain and had not been properly filed for review prior to his departure. The Indiana Public Access Counselor indicated requests must be acknowledged but providing the records should not disrupt the flow of business.

According to Steve Key, legal counsel for the Hoosier State Press Association, a memoranda must be available of the SRC meeting. A memoranda is not the same as minutes, it does not require approval or editing. "They are what they are," he said. It can be a tape recording or handwritten notes that record the time, date, location, and votes. In essence, the memoranda should be available the next day for public inspection. Meetings are recorded and shown on WSCA, Speedway's public access channel.

Larry Houldson noted the SRC web site is not updated with current meeting information, stating the web site showed August 20 as the next public meeting.

Failing to keep the web site current has been an occasional complaint at previous meetings.

Zishka said the media is notified of the meetings but they can't be forced to publish the meeting dates. The SRC meets the third Monday of the month at 6 pm at the Speedway Public Library unless otherwise given in the notice.

The Speedway Navigator posts the meeting agendas on the What's New page.

SRC member Vince Noblet said the SRC is changing communication firms because part of the problem with the previous firm was the inability to keep the information timely.

The commission directed counsel to start creating a new tax increment finance district for Area 2. Area 2 includes the retail stores along Crawfordsville Road, starting at its north east corner with Lynhurst Drive.

It includes the commercial / retail area and apartments along High School Road, including the Meadowood Shopping Center and 25th Street. The Pizza Hut and Hermitage Apartments are also included.

Commission president Scott Harris preferred to set the base valuation at the current level instead of waiting for any building demolition that might occur before creating the TIF District. Harris said this method of creating a TIF now would protect the other government taxing entities. If the commission waited until just before development started, all of the improvements would go to the TIF area. A TIF district has a statute of limitations of 30 years, but the it can be extended if there are outstanding bonds that need to be retired.

Councilor Lu Hillmer expressed some concerns about creating the TIF, especially if no redevelopment activity occurred for years because the school, library and town would be losing any increases in assessed valuation.

Commissioner Ron Fisher contended they cannot afford to wait, especially with the expansion of 465 that would only increase the value of the area.

The commission also agreed to send out a request for proposals so developers could help with the master planning of Area 2 in order to speed the process up. Harris also announced that the commission is organizing a steering committee to help guide and give input to the development of Area 2. The committee members will be selected at the Nov.15 meeting.

The commission is working with ADT to develop specifications to provide security video cameras throughout the town. He credited Fisher for his efforts to move this higher on the priority list.

The commission is also reviewing the possibility of implementing a wireless network throughout the town.

As far as land purchases, the SRC is still in the negotiation phase with William Busard for 1330 and 1340 Main Street.

The SRC has placed a $1,000 down payment and had two appraisals conducted on the Jeff Hartman, John Mathews and Corey Ray property at 1346 Main Street.  Harris said this purchase "has stalled."

The MIBOR web site shows the listing has expired after 240 days on the market.

The SRC has also put down $100,000 on the purchase option of Norm Gallivan's property at 1045 Main Street. The redevelopment plans show that as the future site for Allison's testing center.