The Libertarian Party of Indiana has worked on redistricting all summer. On September 16th, our state chair, Evan McMahon testified at the statehouse on behalf of the many Hoosiers demanding open and transparent redistricting. He urged representatives to keep communities together and not make this a political issue.
Visit rethinkredistricting.com and urge your respective representatives to delay the vote on these maps until all parties have proper time to review this proposal in order to make recommendations on both the maps themselves and a fair process.
We had a wonderful time at both the Monrovia and Eminence Harvest Festivals. It is always fun to meet people and see where they land on the world’s smallest political quiz. We enjoyed speaking with everyone who came by our booths.
Tonya Millis and William Henry joined our Morgan County Libertarian team at the Paragon Homecoming Festival. Despite rain, everyone that came out had a wonderful time.
We were honored to participate (and win) the 2021 Camp Fritsche scavenger hunt to help voluntarily raise money for a good cause.
This event raised funds to preserve the Memorial Stone sent from Out Post Fritsche in Afghanistan honoring the leadership and sacrifice of SSG Wm Ryan Fritsche who was KIA during a battle on July 27, 2007, near Kamu Afghanistan. The stone now rests in the Morgan County Veterans Memorial in Martinsville, IN but is in need of preservation efforts.
The Libertarian Party of Morgan County set up a booth at the 2021 Madison Township Freedom Festival. We had a great time meeting people, telling them about our party, and giving the World’s Smallest Political Quiz.
It turns out that Madison Township might be a little Libertarian! We are not as divided as they tell us we are.
Our own Kristin Alexander talks about blood orange bourbon and issues facing Madison Township and Morgan County on the Cajun Libertarian.
If you missed it live, you can still hear her praise our MCLP and challenge former Vice Presidental Candidate Spike Cohen and local podcaster Chris Spangle on The Cajun Libertarian’s YouTube channel.
A Fix for Mooresville’s Sign Ordinance Dies for Lack of Second
The Mooresville Town Council recently refused to correct a flawed system. On June 10th, the council chose not to bring consistency, clarity, and definition to the existing sign ordinance, which, as written, allows them to discriminate against groups like the Libertarian Party at will. Instead, a measure that would have equally applied the provision to all residents was introduced but didn’t receive a second.
Mooresville sign amendment dies at town council meeting
MOORESVILLE — An amendment to the town of Mooresville’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) died Tuesday night after it failed to receive a second to councilman Dustin Stanley’s motion for approval.
A small yard sign stands in a town right-of-way across the street from the Mooresville Government Center on Tuesday evening
Stanley said that the amendment went before the Mooresville Plan Commission on June 10, which submitted several recommendations back to the town council.
Members of the public were given an opportunity to speak on the amendment.
Mooresville resident Dave Snyder said his understanding of the amendment would allow signs to be placed in public areas.
“If that is the case, well, I think it would be visual clutter,” Snyder said.
Snyder added that he recently had a friend travel through Plainfield who commented on the lack of signs in that town.
“They’re not attractive, they may be a safety issue,” Snyder noted.
Mooresville resident Danny Lundy spoke in favor of the amendment.
He told the council that he favors the amendment because it removes the need to ask permission by the town to place signs in rights-of-way.
“It allows a governing body to say yes to some people, and no to others,” Lundy said.
Lundy also noted that the UDO already has a provision that allows for signs that are causing safety issues to be removed.
Ultimately, Stanley made the motion to approve the amendment.
However, no councilman seconded the motion, so it died.
Old Settlers Parade
The Old Settlers Parade will return this year, after being cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The route, however, will change from previous years.
This year, the parade will leave Mooresville High School and travel west on Carlisle Street to Monroe Street, Monroe Street south to Washington Street, Washington Street east to Indiana Street and then Indiana Street north to the high school.
Town Council President Tom Warthen asked if Monroe Street was too busy of a roadway for the parade to travel on.
“We will be able to cut them off at County Line (Road),” Mooresville Police Chief Kevin Julian said. “I plan on posting somebody up at County Line to divert traffic up there once we close that section of the parade route.”
Members of the council approved parade route unanimously, 5-0.
In other business
The council awarded Miller Pipeline the sewer pipe lining project after it submitted the low bid of $147,400.
It began the process of awarding ReConserve a tax abatement.
Members also approved a waste water treatment plant evaluation agreement with Sedgwick Valuation Services for $3,500.
Mooresville plan commission sends sign amendment back to town council
MOORESVILLE — The placement of signs was the only topic of discussion Thursday night at the monthly meeting of the Mooresville Plan Commission.
For more than a year, town officials and political leaders have been talking about the placement of signs in town rights-of-way.
During the 2020 Primary Election campaign cycle, political signs were removed from several areas of town property that had historically been used for advertising.
This included an island near the intersection of Indianapolis Road and Samuel Moore Parkway, as well as strips of grass in front of many local resident’s homes.
Back in May, Mooresville Town Councilman Dustin Stanley presented an amendment to the town’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to clear up some of the issues related to signage.
Stanley was a member of the council back in 2019 when the current UDO was approved.
Under the amendment, small yard signs like those often seen during an election cycle would be allowed ““in a right-of-way adjacent to private property that is maintained by that property owner or tenant and placed with permission of that owner or tenant.”
Governmental units like the parks or police departments could also place signs on property owned by the unit.
But, signs would be banned from features such as town-maintained flower beds and planters.
A public hearing on the amendment was held during Thursday’s plan commission meeting.
Libertarian Party of Morgan County Chairman Danny Lundy told the commission that he was present to speak in favor of the amendment.
“I think it addresses a lot of the flaws with the UDO while also keeping the intent, which was for the town to get rid of abandoned signage,” Lundy said.
Jessica Newman-Hoyt also spoke in favor of the amendment.
Newman-Hoyt said that the town “attempted” to remove a sign in a right-of-way near her home.
“(The sign) was in the landscaping beneath my mailbox,” Newman-Hoyt said.
She told members of the commission that the sign had been in the same spot for more than a year.
“It was a ‘Just Be Kind’ sign,” Newman-Hoyt added.
In her opinion, while the town owns the strip of grass near many residents’ homes, the homeowner should be able to place signs there because they maintain the land.
Eventually, Lundy returned to the microphone to express some of his concerns with the UDO as it currently stands.
Lundy noted that the town council has approved a large sign to be placed in an island near the intersection of Samuel Moore Parkway and Indianapolis Road.
The Mooresville Parks Department was allowed to place a moveable-letter sign and a local sorority was given permission to place signs at the intersection, according to Lundy.
“The fact that you have to ask permission to begin with, Indiana state law also says you can’t discriminate based on content,” Lundy said.
He also added that the sign UDO is not being equally enforced on everyone.
“It is being enforced on signs they don’t like,” Lundy said. “And that is the problem.”
Mooresville Plan Commission Mike Young, after a lengthy back-and-forth discussion between Lundy and commission members, presented some suggestions that it could send to the town council.
The commission, Young noted, would like clarification on an application process of where an individual wanting to place a sign can ask permission in Mooresville.
Young said there also appears to be “gaps in the written requirements” in the UDO as it presently stands.
The commission also wants to make sure that the enforcement of the UDO as it pertains to signs is not discriminatory.
At the end of the meeting, the plan commission approved a motion to send the amendment back to the council to be rewritten to address the concerns that were brought up during the public hearing.
The plan commission will then, once those concerns are addressed, entertain the changes to the proposed amendment.
The motion was approved unanimously, 6-0.
While the plan commission can give either a favorable, unfavorable or no recommendation to the council, it is ultimately up to the town council for a final vote.
Post-meeting discussion
After the meeting was adjourned, and members of the public left the room, plan commission members continued to discuss the topic.
The discussion continued for at least an additional 19 minutes on a hot microphone that was broadcast to the town’s YouTube channel.
During that discussion, several members of the plan commission could be heard speaking about the matter in question.
However, due to a glitch on the video, it is unknown if a quorum of members was still present during the post-meeting discussion, but the audio can still be heard.
The next meeting of the Mooresville Plan Commission is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 8, at the Mooresville Government Center, 4 E. Harrison St.
Jennifer Meador of Mooresville has been appointed to the Mooresville Board of Zoning Appeals. Jennifer has an associate degree as a paralegal and a background working for the Marion County Prosecutors Office. She also serves as Policy Director for the Libertarian Party of Morgan County.
Jennifer stated that she is “looking forward to serving her community and helping the town reach its peak growth and potential.” She is the 3rd Libertarian to serve in an appointed position in Morgan County. Jennifer joins Anna Elliott who currently serves as the vice-chair of the Martinsville Board of Zoning Appeals.
Danny Lundy, Libertarian Party of Morgan County Chair said, “This is great news for Mooresville. Jennifer’s legal background, research skills, and attention to detail will serve her well on the BZA. She genuinely loves serving her community. We are very proud to have her join the ranks of Libertarians currently serving across Indiana.”
