The Fishers Police Department is ready to welcome the 2016 for their Explorer Program. Participants must be between the ages of 13 & 18, and be in good standing with the school and community.

The details are below in the news release from the police department:

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The Fishers Police Department is preparing to launch the Explorer Program’s “Class of 2016.” If you have an interest in law enforcement as a career, please consider attending our upcoming Explorer Open House on Wednesday, September 9^th at 6:30 p.m.  The meeting will be held at the Fishers Police Department, located at 4 Municipal Drive, adjacent to The Fishers Public Library.

Fishers police officers will be on hand to give you a glimpse of some of the many exciting things available in a law enforcement career.  Following theinformation session, we will discuss future topics covered during the program. Some of the courses that will be taught, in the Exploring Program are crimescene investigations, traffic stops, the use of police dogs, SWAT, and more. Our mission is to expose you to life as a police officer, so that you may makean informed decision about pursuing law enforcement as a career choice.

Participants in The Explorer Program must be between 13 and 18 years old. All applicants must be in good standing with school and/or community.  All applicants will be subject to a background investigation.  We encourage parents and friends to attend this meeting. Our program will end by 8:30 p.m. 

There will be a $50 fee for this program.  Each Explorer will be required to purchase pants and a belt.  Information about which pants and belt to purchase will be available at the Open House.

You may RSVP by contacting Officer Robinson at robinsonc@fishers.in.us

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness has set the date for his next Mayor’s Night Out event for Wednesday, September 2nd, 6:30pm at Britton Falls.   According to the news release from the mayor’s office, Fadness will give a brief presentation, then will allow the audience to set the agenda  by asking the mayor questions.

Fishers city department heads also be on hand to address any concerns from residents.

I am a bit of a film buff, even writing reviews for a brief time in my journalistic career.  The Fishers Parks Department is offering some very high quality films from the 1980s this fall, outdoors, at the downtown Nickel Plate District Amphitheater.  Looking over the list, you will have a chance to see some of the best movies the 1980s had to offer, all free of charge.

Yes, September can bring some cool weather, but a blanket and jacket can handle that problem.

Here is the schedule:

9/4 Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

9/11 ET The Extra Terrestrial

9/18 Footloose (1984)

9/25 Dirty Dancing

10/2 Ghostbusters

10/9 Back to the Future

10/16 Hoosiers

For more information. use this link.

I moved into our first Fishers home in the Sunblest subdivision in May, 1991.  My wife Jane and I lived just a few blocks from Holland Park.  1991 was the third year of the Fishers Freedom Festival, normally held the weekend before most other communities plan their July 4th celebrations.  It was the one event each year to bring people in the local community together, and draw some from outside Fishers.

I have many great memories of festivals past.  That’s why I care so much about the future of the event.  Members of the Fishers City Council, based on comments during a council work session August 17th with the Freedom Festival Board, are also concerned about the future of the event.

The Fishers Freedom Festival has seen very few changes in the 27 years of its existence.  It’s always held at Holland Park.  In all years but the first in 1989, it has been a 2-day weekend event with parades.

Here’s why the city council is concerned.  The City of Fishers contributes $85,000 annually in cash and much more than that with in-kind services, such as Police, Fire and Department of Public Works support.  This festival is a Fishers celebration.  It helps give Fishers an identity.

The festival board says it needs a 44% increase in the cash infusion from the city to erase a funding deficit.  The board says sponsorship money has been down for at least the last two years.

This drop in revenue cannot continue for the Fishers Freedom Festival to remain an ongoing annual gathering.  My suggestion is that Fishers rally behind the volunteer Fishers Freedom Festival Board of Directors.

If the festival needs more sponsorship, I believe there are businesses out there willing and able to support the festival and attach their corporate name.  Are there marketing gurus residing in Fishers who could find ways to attract more sponsorship for the festival?  If so, its time for them to raise their hands and volunteer to help.

Could the festival look at expanding and/or changing up some of the offerings and locations of the event?  There may be some creative ideas out in the community to keep the festival up to date and thriving.

Mayor Scott Fadness and members of the Fishers City Council were steadfast in their support for the great volunteers that make the festival the outstanding event it has been for 27 years.  But they also have a responsibility to the taxpayers of Fishers.  There is a willingness to continue city support for the Fishers Freedom Festival.  My question is – are there people out in the Fishers community willing to step forward and help?  If so, now is the time.  It’s up to the community we call Fishers to continue the festival that has been part of our identity in Fishers’ years of rapid growth.  City government can only do so much. The rest is up to all of us.

ConsulTeams is a local Fishers firm that describes itself as a Software as a Service team matching up business startups with needed talent quickly.  The operation is set to expand, adding 56 high-paying jobs in Fishers, with the help of up to $875,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $25,000 in training grants from the State of Indiana.  The company must deliver on job creation promises to receive all the incentives.

“We are excited that ConsulTeams has decided to build its business in Fishers,” said Mayor Scott Fadness in a company news release. “The vision of their leadership fits perfectly with the entrepreneurial spirit that is alive and well here. High-potential start-ups like ConsulTeams are quickly becoming the economic drivers in central Indiana, and I’m glad they selected our community.”

Haresh Gangwani, ConsulTeams CEO and Co-Founder stated that “Central Indiana has long been a launching pad for industry-leading technology enterprises and our business model, based on improving access to expertise, is a natural byproduct of working in an area so rich in both entrepreneurship and talent. We’re excited to have the opportunity to build on this great foundation.”

The privately-held firm will now be headquartered in Fishers, according to the company.

ConsulTeams is located on Trade Center Drive, south of 141st Street near State Road 37.

WTHR is reporting that a man described as a music teacher in Fishers, and a Boone County resident, has been arrested on child molestation charges.  Not much detail is contained in the initial reporting.  You can read the story from the WTHR Web site at this link.

Fishers plans to  make improvements to 116th Street between I-69 & Cumberland Road to handle an ever-increasing traffic mess during morning and evening rush hours.

The project includes one additional eastbound lane from I-69 to Cumberland Road.  Under the proposal, The traffic signal at USA Pkwy would be removed and the intersection will become a right-in and right-out alignment with a dedicated right turn lane from I-69 to USA Parkway.

Here’s how the city’s news release further describes the planned construction:

“Significant improvements will be made at the 116^th St. and Exit Five Pkwy (Oak Dr.) intersection where a new traffic signal will be installed. The improved intersection will include double left turn lanes at 116^th St. (eastbound) onto Exit Five Parkway and at Oak Dr. onto 116^th St. (westbound). In addition, Oak Dr. will be widened and extended to intersect USA Pkwy.”

The city says the artery handles 40,000 vehicles per day, with rush hours seeing by far the most traffic.

“When businesses think of Fishers, they think opportunity,” said Mayor Scott Fadness, quoted in a city news release. “Interest in the I-69 business corridor continues to increase, and it is important that we take a proactive approach to infrastructure as the area develops. This project is a smart solution to mitigate the congestion our residents experience today and improve traffic flow as more businesses are drawn to our entrepreneurial culture.”

The timeline to begin construction on the $6 million project is the summer of 2016.

This may not be the end of planned upgrades in that area of Fishers.  The city is working with INDOT to evaluate the extension of the new eastbound lane as far west as Commercial Dr.

 “The 116^th St. Bridge sees so much traffic, day-in and day-out,” said Fishers, City Director of Engineering Jeff Hill. “By extending the new 116^th St. eastbound lane as far west as Commercial Drive, we could create added capacity for those exiting I-69 from both directions. I’m encouraged by the initial discussions with INDOT.”

The Fishers City Council paved the way for a new building at the corner of North Street and Lantern Road in the downtown Nickel Plate District.   Four Day Ray Brewing will take up half the 16,000 square foot structure with the remaining footage dedicated to office space, a scarce commodity lately in downtown Fishers. The development, according to Mayor Scott Fadness, is valued at about $4.5 million.  The city is offering a ten-year property tax abatement (for both land and equipment) and a waiver of impact fees.  Under the package, the developer plans to buy an adjacent property for parking that the city will rent from the owners for a six year period at $25,000 a year.  This will add additional parking spaces for downtown activities.  Council members unanimously approved a series of agenda items approving the economic development package.  During the public hearing, Democrat City Council Candidate Greg Purvis voiced his opposition to the use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts…this development would be in a TIF District.  Purvis claims TIF financing robs the area of tax dollars and is a technique over-used by Fishers.

Council members approved an agreement with the Census Bureau to conduct a partial census of city areas that have grown in population since the last count was completed in 2010. The next regular census is due to be done in 2020.  The cost of the special census to the city could be as much as $450,000, but the additional revenue from the special census is estimated at $1.4 million through 2021.  A higher population count provides a larger share of funding from the state in many areas when distributing tax money.   The 2010 census put the Fishers population count at 76,794.  City officials believe the current number of city residents is 86,000-88,000.

City Police Officer Gerry Hepp was recognized by council members for his 20 years of service to the department.

I read with great interest the front page story in the August 16th edition of the Indianapolis Star, written by Chris Sikich, on how a Republican stronghold like Carmel decided to move toward enacting a new city ordinance providing LGBT civil rights protections. Sikich explored the way a fairly conservative community decided to enact significant legal protections for sexual orientation and gender identification.  The Star reporter framed the development as the corporate part of the Republican Party at odds with the social conservatives, with the corporate faction coming out on top in this case.

This all brought my thoughts back to March 30th of this year.  State lawmakers had passed the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act (commonly known as RFRA) and Indiana was being portrayed nationally as a state not welcoming to people who are LGBT.  Keep in mind that the primary election for Indiana cities was only a few weeks away.  Hamilton County incumbent mayors in Carmel, Westfield and Noblesville all had opponents in the May 5th election.  Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness was unopposed.

It is true Mayor Fadness was in a position to take a stronger stand with no primary opponent.  However, after getting to know the mayor a bit over the past few years, I know civil rights for all, including those LGBT citizens, is a core issue with him.  We will never know for sure, but it is my view that Scott Fadness would be out front on this issue with or without a political opponent.

On the morning of March 30th, the Indiana RFRA debate was raging, not just in within our state, but all around the nation.  I contacted one of the mayor’s aides and discovered Fadness planned to release a statement that day.  He called for the city council to pass a resolution as soon as a meeting could be called and still meet the legal notice requirements.  The Fishers City Council unanimously passed the resolution on April 1st, proclaiming Fishers as a place welcoming to all.

Some will say this was just a reaction to business community pressures.  There is no doubt that was part of it.  Many of the companies the city was trying to lure to Fishers at that time were high-tech firms that want nothing to do with any form of discrimination.

After threats by several businesses and conventions that they would abandon the state if RFRA were to stand, our lawmakers passed what was described as a measure to “fix” the RFRA law and eased the pressure somewhat.

But there is a very important piece of unfinished business.  Even though the United States Supreme Court has ruled that same sex marriage is legal in all 50 states, Indiana and many other states do not include sexual orientation and gender identification in their civil rights law listing of protected classes.  So, a same sex couple could be legally married today and fired by their employer tomorrow based on their sexual orientation.  That is currently legal in Indiana.

The leaders of the Indiana General Assembly say they are studying a possible change in the state’s civil rights law to include protections for LGBT Hoosiers.  Sadly, the word I have received is that those leaders are conducting opinion polls to determine what they can get away with politically on this issue rather than studying how to change the law.

The business community in the state, which includes the largest companies doing business here, such as Lilly, Cummins Engine and Salesforce, will be lobbying state lawmakers next year to enact civil rights protections in state law based on sexual orientation or gender identification.

With Indiana Legislative leadership only promising a discussion of this issue in the 2016 session, it is up to local governments to provide LGBT civil rights protections under municipal ordinances.

In the meantime, Carmel is poised to act (as I write this piece the evening of August 16th.) Where is Fishers on this issue?

I spoke to the mayor on August 10th and he is working with City Attorney Chris Greisl to research the best way to not just enact an ordinance protecting LGBT people, he wants  a system for investigating complaints.  That is a valid concern.

I would suggest the mayor take a look at a city smaller than Fishers, with a Republican mayor and city council, that has a long-standing Human Rights Commission.  I lived in Columbus, Indiana for four years in the late 1070s to the early 1980s.  That city of 44,000 has a 9-member Human Rights Commission, and a staff consisting of a director, deputy director and a secretary.  I’m not saying Fishers and Columbus are exactly alike, they have major differences.  But it’s one Indiana community that has managed to handle this issue administratively.

I firmly believe that once Scott Fadness is satisfied a proposal is ready, he will send the ordinance to the city council.  Fishers has shown a willingness to move forward on this issue, and I am confident the city leadership will act once the details have been worked out.

As I wrote in my Current in Fishers column appearing in the April 14th edition, I was very proud of my city’s actions April 1st.  I expect to watch with pride as Fishers takes the next steps toward verifying it is a welcoming city to all.

Fishers will see more road construction during the work week beginning Monday, August 17th.  One large project is near the Target Shopping Center in the area of Commercial Drive and Lantern Road.  But also  be aware of traffic disruptions elsewhere on Lantern Road, 131st Street and Windermere.

Below is the road work listing from the City of Fishers.

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Lantern and Commercial Intersection

Beginning on August 14th, lane shifts and restrictions will be in place as construction progresses. Lantern Road will be closed between North Street and Commercial Drive on Friday, August 14th. During this time traffic on Commercial Drive will reduce to one lane each direction in the west bound lane. This will remain in effect until mid-September. On August 29, Commercial Drive will be closed to allow for placement of storm pipes. The August 29 closure will only be for the weekend.

Lantern Road

Lantern Road between 96th Street and 106th Street will have temporary lane restrictions the week of August 17th. Flaggers will be onsite to help direct traffic.

Windermere

Continuing through the week of August 17, temporary lane restrictions should be expected along Windward Pass and Stillwater Court.

131st Street

A lane shift will still be in place along 131st Street between Parkside and Cumberland Road, with possible stop and go traffic as they pave the new south lane. Flaggers will be onsite to help direct traffic. Surfacing will continue onto 131 Street, and traffic will be interrupted during that time. For updates on this project be sure to follow @DriveFishers on Twitter.