The Buzz - Town Council's Special Meeting, What Is A Leap Year?

 In This Issue of the Buzz:

  🌤️ Local Weather

 🔥 Recap of the Town's Collaborative Planning Meeting

 📘 The Surprising Reading Habits of Today's Youth

 📆 What Is A Leap Year?

 🚓 Did You Know? … Wellheads - What Are They?

👉 Local Businesses - Shop Local / Buy Local

 📆 Upcoming Local Events

Shop Local - Visit Our Local Businesses:

A Detailed Recap of the Town's Collaborative Planning Meeting

Brownsburg Town Council - Special Meeting - Feb. 21, 2024

The town council meeting was a comprehensive session aimed at aligning the efforts and understanding of various boards, commissions, and new council members towards the shared goals of the town. Here's a summarized account of the discussions and activities that took place:

• Introduction and Opening: The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by brief introductions from members of different boards and commissions. The council aimed to foster cohesion among members and provide an overview of the town's plans and goals.

• Overview of Town's Growth and Demographics: The town manager highlighted the town's rapid growth, workforce, and educational levels, emphasizing the importance of cohesive planning and execution across different boards and commissions to meet the growing needs.

  

• Roles of Boards and Commissions: The session detailed the functions of advisory, policy-making, and regulatory boards, outlining their contributions to the town's governance. Specific roles of the Plan Commission, Economic Development Commission (EDC), Redevelopment Authority, and other bodies were discussed, emphasizing their impact on policy, development, and regulatory aspects.

  

• Guiding Documents and Strategic Plans: The council discussed several key documents that guide the town's development, including the strategic plan, comprehensive plan, Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), and various master plans. These documents serve as blueprints for achieving the town's mission of fostering a welcoming environment that promotes business and community development.

• Economic Development Initiatives: The economic development director outlined the roles of the EDC, Redevelopment Authority, and Redevelopment Commission in achieving the town's economic goals. This included efforts to attract and retain top talent, address infrastructure needs, and streamline processes for development.

  

• Capital Projects and Infrastructure: The assistant town manager discussed ongoing and planned infrastructure projects, highlighting the importance of addressing fundamental needs before pursuing more visible improvements. This includes water utility updates, sewer separation projects, and road resurfacing efforts.

• Development Services and Planning: The development services director explained the process of rezoning, amendments, and the role of the Advisory Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals in shaping the town's development. The emphasis was on aligning development projects with the town's comprehensive plan and UDO.

• Parks and Recreation Planning: The parks director discussed the significance of parks and recreation in enhancing community quality of life. This included strategic planning for park development, implementing recreation impact fees, and focusing on accessibility and connectivity.

• Communications and Media Relations: The communications coordinator underscored the importance of positive media coverage and social media guidelines for board and commission members. This includes appropriately responding to media inquiries and representing the town in public discussions..

  
  

• Open Discussion and Questions: The meeting concluded with an open forum for questions and interaction among council members, allowing for clarification of roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

Overall, the meeting was a productive session aimed at ensuring all members of the town's various boards, commissions, and the council are aligned with the strategic goals and understand their part in the collective effort to manage growth and development effectively.

Watch the video / Get the transcript: Town of Brownsburg.com

Print Over Pixels: The Surprising Reading Habits of Today's Youth

A recent study on American Gen Z and millennials reveals a high engagement with social media, with 92% checking it daily and 25% multiple times per hour. Despite this digital inclination, a significant portion still values traditional libraries, with 54% visiting their local library in 2022. This interest aligns with a preference for print over digital formats, with Gen Z and millennials reading an average of two print books per month. They also show a strong preference for graphic novels and manga in print.

Libraries serve not just as book repositories but as versatile community spaces offering various activities, resonating with the values-driven younger generations. Additionally, libraries are appreciated for being ad-free zones that promote sharing and privacy. The study also highlights the racial diversity among younger library visitors, with higher rates of library visits among Black, Asian, and Latino Gen Zers and millennials. Despite challenges like book bans, libraries remain crucial spaces for these generations, offering a reprieve from digital saturation and supporting slower, more reflective consumption of content.

Source: TheConversation.com

What Is A Leap Year?

Leap years are used to align our calendar with the Earth's orbit around the Sun by adding an extra day, February 29, to February, making the year 366 days long. This adjustment is necessary because a tropical year, the time it takes Earth to complete one orbit around the Sun, is about 365.242189 days, slightly longer than our calendar year of 365 days.

Without leap years, our calendar would gradually become out of sync with the seasons, shifting approximately 24 days over a century. Leap years occur nearly every four years according to specific rules: a year must be divisible by 4 to be a leap year; however, if it can be evenly divided by 100, it is not a leap year unless it is also divisible by 400.

This system, introduced with the Gregorian calendar, improves upon the Julian calendar's simpler method of adding a leap day every four years without exception, thus preventing the calendar from drifting significantly from the tropical year over time. Leap years were first implemented in the Julian calendar by Julius Caesar over 2000 years ago, but the Gregorian calendar later refined the system to better maintain alignment with the Earth's orbit and the seasons.

Did You Know? … What Is A Wellhead?

Wellhead Protection Program - Brownsburg's potable water originates from eight deep wells within the community, tapping into the groundwater. In an effort to safeguard this vital underground water source and its wells from possible pollutants, the town has established a Wellhead Protection Program, receiving approval from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) back in 2002.

This program emphasizes the importance of educating the public, preventing spills, and preparing for emergencies. For further details on wellhead protection strategies, consider exploring these informational brochures:

• Abandoned Water Wells

• Fertilizer

• Pesticides

• Septic Systems (PDF)

BROWNSBURG'S ONGOING COMMITMENT TO WATER SAFETY

In collaboration with the Brownsburg Water Utilities Department, the town has put forth a Wellhead Protection (WHP) Plan, sanctioned by the IDEM in November 2002. Since its approval, the dedicated Local Planning Team convenes yearly to review and enhance the Plan, adopting measures to ensure the purity and safety of our drinking water. The most recent gathering of the WHP Local Planning Team took place on June 21, 2023, continuing its mission to foster community awareness, educational outreach, spill prevention, and incident reporting. Residents and interested parties are welcome to review the full WHP Plan document at the Brownsburg Town Hall, within the Department of Development Services, located at 61 North Green Street, Brownsburg, Indiana.

Water Department

Email the Water Department

Physical Address 
220 S. Mardale Drive
Brownsburg, IN 46112

Phone: (317) 858-4147

Fax: 317-858-2020

Hours Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Shop Local - Visit Our Local Businesses:

Upcoming Local Events

February 2024

• Brownsburg American Legion Post 331 - Events & News

• Brownsburg Library Events

• BPL Night in the Stacks

  • Date: Saturday, February 24, 2024

  • Location: Brownsburg Public Library, Brownsburg, IN

  • Details: An adult night of fun at the library with various activities including a bounce house, board games, and more.

  • Website: Event details and registration at Brownsburg Public Library.

• Holy Spirit Night

  • Date: Sunday, February 25, 2024

  • Description: Hosted by the Brownsburg Vineyard Church, this event invites you to a powerful night of worship, prayer, prophetic ministry, and a time to rest in the goodness of our loving Father. Childcare will be provided, making it a family-friendly event.

  • More Information: For more details, please visit the event page on AllEvents.in.

• Indiana Sigma/Zeta Day on the Hill - Mental Health Matters

  • Date: Tuesday, February 27, 2024

  • Location: Indiana State Capitol

  • More information can be found here on Eventbrite.

• AAAI - Seat At The Table with Ting Gootee

  • Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2024

  • Location: Barnes & Thornburg LLP

  • More information can be found here on Eventbrite.

• Professional Services XBE Outreach

  • Date: Thursday, February 29, 2024

  • Location: Weddle Bros. Building Group, LLC

  • More information can be found here on Eventbrite.

• Indy Ad Connect - Winter Social

  • Date: Thursday, February 29, 2024

  • Location: Ale Emporium

  • More information can be found here on Eventbrite.

• The HR Lab

  • Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2024

  • Location: Eiteljorg Museum

  • More information can be found here on Eventbrite.