Mayor Scott Fadness told the Fishers City Council Finance Committee he will have the first preliminary 2016 budget figures available in August.  In a previous session, Fadness told committee members he plans to submit a flat budget to the city council for the 2016 budget cycle.  He emphasized the first set of numbers will only be preliminary.  The city operates on a calendar year budget, so the spending plan now being formulated would begin on January 1, 2016.  Final budget approval is up to the city council.

The city’s request to have the new Launch Fishers Building declared a Certified Tech Park by the state is still pending.  Mayor Fadness said one member of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) board that had earlier voiced reservations about the designation appears to have softened his stand.  If Certified Tech Park status is approved by the IEDC, most or all of the money the City of Fishers is spending on the new Launch Fishers building would be reimbursed by the state over a number of years.

The city is in the process of issuing bonds to pay for a number of street and road projects over the next few years.  Most of these contracts will be eligible for 80% federal funding (in some cases 90%) but the city still must come up with its matching portion of 10% or 20% of the cost.  Mayor Fadness said he and his staff will be watching closely to ensure any such bond issue does not result in a property tax increase.

City Controller Oscar Gutierrez told the committee he is in the process of realigning employees in his office.  This is part of transitioning from a separately elected clerk-treasurer’s operation under the town form of government, to a city controller’s office under the purview of the  mayor.

The city should know sometime next week whether there will be a special census in Fishers.  The proposal is awaiting the Census Director’s approval.  Fishers is asking for a scaled-down partial census to just count the growing areas of the city.  City officials say this will be considered on a cost-benefit basis.  A larger population can increase the city’s funding from certain state payouts and other funding calculations.  Gutierrez said if the special census happens, census workers may be housed in the Fishers Library building.

Fishers Fire officials say fireworks is the suspected cause of an overnight residential garage blaze.   Firefighters responded to the Bristols subdivision on EndZone Court.  The five family members all made it out of the house safely, with the homeowner suffering a minor injury.

Firefighters found the garage heavily involved in the fire and the blaze extended into the kitchen area.  After what was described as an “aggressive stop,” the fire was put down before it could spread upstairs.

The fire is still under investigation, but in a news release, the Fishers Fire Department described fireworks as a possible cause.

The biggest party of the year at Geist is reserved for the 4th of July.  The bridge over Geist Reservoir is closed to traffic and a large party ensues.  It’s all capped off with one of the most elaborate fireworks displays you will find anywhere.
The crowd looked to be a good one, comparable to last year.  The weather was perfect.

The event was sponsored by the Geist Coalition.

We are now deep into the summer road construction season.  Below is a list of projects scheduled to be in progress in the week starting Monday, July 6th…

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Burberry Place

Concrete repair work will continue in Burberry Place for approx. two weeks.

Eller Road Closure

Eller Road between 106tjh Street and 116th Street will be closed for the replacement of the bridge over Cheeney Creek. The road will be closed to traffic through early August. During this time a detour will be available along 106th Street, Allisonville Road and 116th Street. Fishers Heritage Park will be accessible during construction, and local traffic will be able to proceed south on Eller Road as far as Round Up Trail and White Horse Lane. This is a Hamilton County Highway Department project and questions can be directed to their department at (317) 773-7770.

Georgia Road

Restrictions continue the week of July 6 on 104th Street between Georgia Road and Florida Road to allow for shoulder work. There will be flaggers onsite during construction.

96th Street Power Lines

Power line transfers and old pole removal will be taking place the week of July 6 along 96th Street going east from Cyntheanne Road to Fortville city limits. This project is ongoing and updates will be posted as they become available. Flaggers will be onsite to help direct traffic.

131st Street Construction

Road and shoulder construction will be ongoing along 131st Street between Parkside Drive and Cumberland Road. Updates on this project will be posted as they become available, and flaggers will be onsite to direct traffic.

116th Street Restrictions

• The westbound lane of 116^th Street just west of Municipal Drive will be restricted from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. on July 6th to install lights.  Flaggers will be in place.
• The westbound lane of 116^th Street just west of the railroad tracks will be restricted from July 6th to July 10th between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.  Flaggers will be in place.

North Street

Lane restrictions will be in place starting on July 9th through August 6th for North Street between Municipal Drive and the railroad tracks.  Flaggers will be in place.

Fishers Police say there was a robbery at Sally’s Beauty Supply in the 8300 block of 96th Street in Fishers.  No injuries were reported.

A black male suspect was seen running south on foot.  No other description of the suspect was available as of Friday night.

An extensive search did not turn up a suspect.

Police continue to investigate.

On April 13th, Mayor Scott Fadness announced a major new development in the City of Fishers, a $74 million Sports Pavilion in the Saxony area near 136th Street and Olio Road. There was a great deal of excitement because the facility would feature an arena and a fieldhouse, capable of hosting major national events.  Local residents and local youth sports activities would have access to these facilities.

There were 3 public forums to discuss the proposal.  The last meeting was held May 7th. There was speculation the Fishers City Council would vote on the city’s part of the project in June.  That didn’t happen.

There hasn’t been much news about the Sports Pavilion for a number of weeks.  Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness told LarryInFishers that the sports complex is not in any trouble and is still on track.  The reason for the delay, the mayor says, is tied to the fact that appraisals normally look at other similar facilities to determine the appraisal figure.  This pavilion doesn’t have many, if any, similar structures on which to base a certified appraisal.

As a result, the appraisers must dive into some complex math calculations to come up with a certified appraisal.  The developer does have financing in place, but the financiers cannot move forward with backing the project without a certified appraisal.

Since I receive many questions from people around Fishers about the status of the Sports Pavilion, the bottom line update is this – the project is still on track, but the appraisal is taking a long time.

The second floor Fishers City Hall office once occupied by former Community Development Director Tom Dickey now has a new person at the desk, Fishers’ first Deputy Mayor Leah McGrath.  She has only been on the job a few days but plans to hit the ground running.

It didn’t take Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness long to realize the new city was growing too fast for one person to oversee the entire municipal operation.  When Tom Dickey decided to accept a job in the private sector, Fadness made his move to reorganize the city staff. McGrath was brought in to formulate the city’s first comprehensive plan.  She will oversee many important functions of city government, such as communications, planning and zoning.

When I asked McGrath what her first priority will be in her new position, she looked at Mayor Fadness and nodded her head in his direction.  She is clearly taking her cues from the mayor for guidance on how to handle her responsibilities.

The city’s first comprehensive plan will be at the top of McGrath’s to-do list.  She also wants to get the word out about Fishers.  “It’s important that we tell our story” McGrath said. She believes the best way to move forward is to collaborate with her fellow city workers.

After a stint working for the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns, the deputy mayor can draw on her experience in seeing how local governments throughout the state have handled issues such as those facing Fishers.  McGrath says her experience in working to find a consensus with such a diverse organization of cities and towns will be a big help to her in bringing people together toward a common goal.

She admits not always taking her time with a task ahead, always wanting to move forward. But McGrath says she is learning the importance of patience in her new position.

Leah McGrath is clearly ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work in her new job.  She has the solid support of Mayor Fadness.  At this point, it appears that Leah McGrath and the City of Fishers will be joined at the hip for many years to come.

Anyone trying to drive along Lantern Road just south of the railroad tracks has witnessed the scene, with vehicles trying to exit the Northeast Commerce Park complex.  The cars driving along Lantern Road must stop for the railroad tracks, backing up traffic and trapping those trying to leave the office park.  It is a dangerous and difficult traffic mess, especially in morning and evening rush hours.

The City of Fishers announced today that improvements along that stretch of Lantern Road and Commercial Drive in Fishers will begin on July 6th and should be complete by November of this year.

“This project is an integral part of the downtown master plan,” Mayor Fadness said in a news release. “As activity in the Nickel Plate District increases, we’re committed to pursuing projects that ease the flow of traffic, offers better pedestrian connectivity, and improves access to local businesses.”

Here’s how the city describes the planned construction in the release:

The project will create a four-way, signalized intersection at Lantern Road and Commercial Drive. Construction includes relocating the entrance of the Northeast Commerce Park, Technology Drive, to the south to align with Lantern Road. In addition, the stop signs at the railroad crossing will be removed and crossing gates and flashers installed. Pedestrian infrastructure, including crosswalks, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant access ramps and sidewalks will be installed as well.

The city says traffic flow will be maintained most of the time in the construction area, with some  planned lane closures expected along Commercial Drive.

The total cost of the upgrade is estimated at $1.8 million.

Northeast Commerce Park will soon house the new, expanded Launch Fishers office space.

When Sun King announced a delay in their planned Fishers expansion, they wanted to let Fishers know there is a commitment to the local area.   On Wednesday, July 1st, Sun King had a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Tasting Room, located in a 96th Street Fishers  strip mall, just a few doors down from Sahm’s restaurant.  You can watch the video of the event above.  Mayor Scott Fadness joined the Sun King ownership team to cut the ceremonial ribbon.

Fishers City Council Members John Weingardt (left) and Eric Moeller (right) at the new Fishers Sun King