Farley Neighborhood

Newsletter Highlights 2002

Jul 17, 2002

The annual 2002 Farley Newsletter has been printed and delivered to Farley Residents

The 2002 Farley Neighborhood Annual Meeting was held on April 23, 2002 at 7:00 PM at Chapelwood Elementary School. Attendance was great. Thanks!

Introduced guests were: Neva Hagadorn, Waynee Twp. Administrator, Lynn McWhirter, Wayne Twp. Councilperson, Phil Hinkel, Indiana State Representative. Highlights of the newsletter are as follows:

A NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS NEEDED FOR MAY 2003
The current board has served two terms (four years total) and cannot serve again. A board of directors is required for Farley to remain a chartered neighborhood. A board is made up of two co-presidents, treasurer and secretary. The current board will retire in one year. All current board members are willing to help and train new leaders. Pleae let us know if you would be willing to serve. Nan - 247-0171

I-465 WEST CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT PROJECT:
Indiana Dept of Transportation representatives presented a discussion of the impact of the I-465 West Corridor improvement project. Maps and handouts were available to residents at the meeting and the group answered questions from the floor concerning the impact of the project on Farley Neighborhood. The changes to the entrance and exit ramps at 10th street were discussed and project plans were explained. The project is planned to eliminate the "crossover or weaving" that exists at these ramps. This will be a long project and will be in the engineering and planning stages during the next two to three years. Actual land acquisition,construction, etc. may last until 2008 or later. Additional meetings with Indiana Dept. of Transportation will be held as necessary to keep residents informed.

SPEEDWAY SEWAGE PROTEST COURT CASE:
The Town of Speedway appealed to the Indiana Supreme Court to overturn the Indiana Appellate Court decision which was decided in our favor. The case has been decided and unfortunately we lost that decision. This means we will now hve to pay the 50% surcharge. We are shocked and disappointed in this decision. The Indiana Supreme Court stated in their decision document that we did not prove our case. We feel the court overlooked and misinterpreted many legal points presented by our counsel in this case. They did not take into consideration our claim of unsubstantiated surcharges and allowed Speedway's surcharge fees to be imposed. They also ignored the fact that the 50% surcharge is not held separately, but co-mingled with the in-town ratepayer's funds. Sewage funds are then used for projects other than sewage services. Money is transferred from the sewage account to fund the Speedway Police and Firemen's reitirement funds, Speedway town improvements and beautification as well Speedway parks improvements and other miscellaneous projects. Since we do not benefit from those services, we should not be charged for those services. What we can do: We can approach the Mayor of Indianapolis and request to be served by the city of Indianapolis, NOT Speedway, since we are Indianapolis residents. This will require signed petitions and letters to the mayor. We can also contact our State Representative, Phil Hinkle and our State Congressman, Steve Young and ask them to re-write and strengthen the laws governing city owned utilities to prevent unfair rate practices which cause hardship on ratepayers in Indiana. Again, this will require letters and signed petitions. We are looking into what we need to do to get these things accomplished and will need everyone's help. We will keep you informed.

Mosquito Control: Due to the active Nile Virus alert, we need to pay close attention to mosquito control. Keep any containers that may hold water,such as tires, gutters, bird baths, low or sunken areas, unkept swimming poools, buckets, etc. emptied or drained. If mosquitos are a problem, call 221-7440 for info and fogging. Don't let mosquitoes breed!!!

CRIME:
A recent article in the Indianapolis Star ran an article regarding crime on the city's West Side. Farley residents need to know, the portion of Wayne Twp that is most affected is EAST of I-465. In our area, crime rate is approximately the same as it has been for several years. We have had no reports of assault, rape, murder or other MAJOR crimes in Farley. We have had an increase in home or garage breakins, auto breakins, and mailbox vandalism. Residents should be aware of suspicious activity and notify Marion County Sheriff of occurances or suspicious activity. If in doublt, call 911!

LOSS OF SIGNS AND HOLDERS:
We have had several of our signs and sign holders used for notifiying residents of garage sales and meetings STOLEN OR DESTROYED. These are expensive. We need to re-think our use and placement of these signs in the future. We have lost several signs at entrances on 10th street and they will cost about $50.00 to $70.00 to replace. If you have information about the loss and damage to our signs, please contact the board of directors.

NEW STRENGTH IN REMOVING ABANDONDED & JUNK AUTOS:
The Mayor has introduced a new and more efficient approach to remove these vehicles from our neighborhood. It has combined the various departments formerly responsible for this task and will make the removal quicker and easier to report. Please KEEP CALLING the Mayor's Action Committee at 327-4622. Get a tracking number so we can check on the progress of the report.

LOOSE DOGS - A BIG PROBLEM IN FARLEY:
Please keep your animal enclosed in a fenced area to keep your animal safe. Loose dogs will be reported and your animal will be impounded by Animal Control.

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE:
Now is the time for to pay attention to your property and start maintenance activities. We have may reports of commercial vehicles (semi-tractors and trailers, large highbox vans, racing trailers, storage trailers, etc.) housed in our residential area. Violators are being reported to and will be cited and/or fined. We als have seveal reports of accumulated trash, building materials, yard waste, tree trimmings, etc. at residences. Please remove these accumulations promtly. Keep lawns mowed.....growths of 12" or more is a city code violation and will be reported. All these things are unsightly and present a poor neighborhood appearance. All these things are violations of city/county codes and will be reported. Your property value as well as your neighbors' is decreased by poor maintenance and poor appearance.

STREET MAINTENANCE:
We are still working on getting answers to our inquiries about our street maintenance problems. We have asked Lynn McWhirter, Wayne Twp Councilperson to investigate and report on why Farley has not been scheduled for street resurfacing. If you would like to add your comments, send an email to: L8638@aol.com. You can also direct your concerns to Neva Hagadorn, Wayne Twp Administrator at: nhagador@indygov.org


HOW TO BE A GOOD FARLEY NEIGHBOR:
Drive slowly, watch for kids playing, be kind to our neighbors, take care of your property, watch for suspicious behavior and report to 911, let your neighborhood leaders know about problems, read and keep news & info bulletins, be part of a solution and not part of a problem, pay your dues and attend meetings.

Visit our Home Page for additional News and Information about Farley. See "Community Pages" for detailed information on many issues.

To contact Farley Neighborhood via email, send email messages to: nannbill@iquest.net