Council Approves IMS Speed Zone Expansion

Evan Featheroff

Photo by Linda Karn

(posted June 23)

The Speedway Town Council finalized the redevelopment commission's resolution to include 41 acres of the IMS property into the Speed Zone. The June 23 5-0 vote officially makes this the Speed Zone's third expansion.

Evan Featheroff was honored by the council for his leadership skills as an Eagle Scout. When Raikes asked him what motivated him to be an be an Eagle Scout, Featheroff responded "I wasn't good at soccer." Featheroff also plays the piano, trumpet, and works with the WSCA crew.

During the public comment session Jo Ellen Dotlich stopped short of asking for Eileen Fisher's resignation since town attorney Jim Gutting gave his legal opinion at the June 19 Speedway Redevelopment Commission that no conflict of interest existed . Dotlich requested Ron Fisher to resign at the last SRC meeting and said she would call for Eileen Fisher's resignation if Mr. Fisher did not fulfill her request.

Gutting explained there is no conflict of interest for the husband and wife to set on the two boards. Gutting emphasized Mrs. Fisher has never appointed her husband to the board nor will she make future reappointments for him to serve on the commission.

Dotlich contends that the Fishers occupying two different governmental seats is unfair to the public and vowed to continue to watch the council's votes as they relate to the Speedway Redevelopment Commission's actions.

"I am not the bad person. I am trying to keep my property for my children and their children," she said.

Redevelopment authority member Jerry Urick said "I don't think there is anything illegal going on in this town. And I think everything we are doing is good for Speedway." Urick recognized that some people will get hurt for the good of the whole town.

The Speedway Promoters Club and the American Legion 500 Post requested the Council waive the vendor and event permit fees to host the 2008 Speedway Parade and Fall Festival on September 20. The parade will start at Gilman and Main Streets and ends at the American Legion Post.

Clerk Treasurer Sharon Zishka expects the tax distributions to come earlier now since the reconciliation bills are due July 10. She was told by the Marion County Treasurer's Office the town's tax distributions should arrive by the end of July. The 2007-2008 tax bills will be due in September with distributions arriving in October and billing statements sent to taxpayers again in November, so the town should have all its money by December 31.

The $1.9 million park bond sold with a net interest rate of 4.9636 percent on June 19. The closing is expected at the end of the month.

An Allison-Gerrard Storm Relief public hearing is scheduled for July 2 at 6 pm in the town hall. The public hearing is necessary as part the town's effort to apply for a $500,000 grant from the Community Development Block Grant program. Councilor Jeff Hartman said construction should start in Spring 2009.