The beginning of the year is always a busy time for appointing and reappointing members to our boards, commissions and committees.
Since becoming mayor, I have made it a priority to use our boards and commissions as a purposeful way to engage constituents in the civic process. I have lived in Zionsville for more than 20 years and before becoming mayor, I served on the Boone County Redevelopment Commission and the Zionsville Parks Board. I understand the significant role our board and commission members play in local government from contributing to the policy-making process to offering valuable input and review of town programs. A lot of focus is on elected officials, but we should also recognize the citizens who participate in our boards and commissions and help shape the forward-moving momentum we are seeing in Zionsville today.
Last year, the members of the Pedestrian Mobility Advisory Committee (PMAC) worked with the Department of Public Works on a process for establishing crosswalks. At the end of 2021, a new crosswalk was approved for CR 975 East and Oak Ridge Drive, adding significant connectivity to our sidewalk system. The members of the Zionsville Architecture Review Committee (ZARC) administer the Downtown Facade Rehabilitation program which offers monies to property owners in the downtown village business district as an incentive to rehabilitate their building facades. In 2021, several businesses received approval for financial assistance of their projects - COhatch, Nicholson Orthodontics and Tipsy Mermaid.
A focus of mine has been to add more diversity to Zionsville’s 30+ boards, commissions and committees. Despite the progress we have made, we do still have a way to go. I want to thank the many citizens who express their interest in serving by filling out the interest form on our website and by reaching out to me and to Town Council. Through the established Town of Zionsville boards and commissions, citizens can provide input on the policies that shape their government and our town. Others can stay updated and involved by watching our public meetings on our YouTube channel or by viewing agendas and meeting minutes on our website.
I look forward to continuing to create more opportunities for our community to get involved with local government through boards and commissions and other initiatives.