Eye in the Sky is a film exploring ethics and drone warfare….Larry has a review

MacDougal Pierce Construction of Fishers has been awarded the contract for the Fishers City Hall Site Project, aimed at sprucing-up the front entrance area of City Hall.  The low bidder was RL Turner Corporation from Zionsville, which came in about $40,000 less than the MacDougal Pierce bid.

According to a memorandum approved by the Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety at the March 31st special meeting, RL Turner was determined to not be a “responsible” bidder for this project.

The memorandum cites Indiana state statutes, which say contracts for public works or city improvements “be awarded to the lowest ‘responsible’ and ‘responsive’ bidder.”  The Fishers city memorandum  declares RL Turner “not ‘responsible’ as defined in Indiana Code Section 36-1-12-1.”

The city has been “engaged in several disputes with RLT as it relates to another public works contract…” according to the city memorandum.  That public works project was Flat Fork Creek Park, based on conversations with staff at City Hall.

Fishers officials tell LarryInFishers work on the MacDougal Pierce City Hall Site Project will be underway soon and should be complete in about 2 months.

We are just over a month away from the May 3^rd primary election. What will Fishers residents have on their election ballots, and where do the contests stand now?

For people living in Fishers, the school referendum is likely of most importance to people living here. The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board is asking for 22.75 cents per $100 per assessed valuation in increased property taxes. A previous referendum, set to expire next year, already has a 10 cents per $100 of valuation added to property tax bills, which means HSE is asking for 12.75 cents above the current referendum rate. Since the state allows several deductions, figuring the additional taxes you would pay if the referendum passes can be a challenge. A tax calculator on the Web site of Advance HSE, a political action committee organized to advocate for the enactment of the referendum, says a home valued at $250,000 would pay $13.84 a month over the current property tax rate. The money from this referendum would be used to pay teachers, lower class sizes and enhance academic programs. The extra money could also go to lowering (or eliminating) fees parents now pay for athletics and other extracurricular activities. So far, no organized opposition to this referendum has emerged.

Since Republicans hold just about all the offices in Hamilton County, whomever wins the primary election in the GOP column will be a heavy favorite in the November general election. Let’s look at a few Republican races of interest to Fishers residents.

In county government, it can be argued that the most important office is county commissioner, roughly equivalent to mayors of cities. Most Indiana counties have 3 county commissioners, and that’s what Hamilton County does. Two of the three commissioners are up for reelection. Steve Dillinger is unopposed for reelection in District 2. Mark Heirbrandt is the incumbent District 3 Commissioner. District 3 includes the City of Fishers. Heirbrandt is opposed by Fishers restaurant proprietor Bill Smythe.  Heirbrandt is already airing ads on local cable TV. Smythe recently held a fund-raiser he called “Voters or Vendors,” a reference to political contributions to incumbent Heirbrandt.

The Hamilton County Council holds the purse strings to county government. Three at-large council seats are up for grabs in this primary election. Two incumbents, Rick McKinney and Brad Beaver, are seaking reelection. Sadly, incumbent Councilman Jim Belden died recently and will not be on the ballot. There is a total of 5 people seeking 3 seats. Two of the hopefuls have Fishers ties. Long-time Fishers Police Chief George Kehl and Fall Creek Township Trustee Jeff Hern are both seeking a council seat. Bill Dennis is the fifth name appearing on the council ballot.

Incumbent U.S. Congresswoman Susan Brooks has two primary opponents in this primary, Mike Campbell and Stephen Mackenzie.

The major state-wide GOP race will be for U.S. Senate, with two current Indiana congressmen, Todd Young and Marlin Stutzman, vying to appear on the November Senate ballot.  Incumbent Republican Senator Dan Coats is choosing not to run for another term.

Then there’s the presidential primary. I guess we’ll see if all three contenders – Trump, Cruz & Kasich, are still in the race May 3^rd.

If you are a Democrat, the ballot will not have nearly as many names. There are two candidates competing to challenge incumbent Congresswoman Brooks. Allen Davidson has previously run for congress. Angela Demaree has been endorsed by the Democratic Party.

Then there’s the presidential race with two names appearing, Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

In Indiana, you must declare a party affiliation to vote in the primary. However, if you choose not to select a party, you are allowed to vote in the school referendum only.

We are heading into the last few weeks of the campaign. LarryInFishers will be watching developments and writing here, as well as producing Podcasts on the election campaign.

Larry talked to Mike Riekhof and Todd Zimmerman about the Fishers Mental Health Task Force

The City of Fishers had an idea – provide a class on the United States Constitution and see if there is any interest.  The six week class had its final session March 29th, and it appears the venture has been a resounding success.  More people applied for spots than were available, over 50 in number.

Robert Lemming, National Director of the We the People program, teamed up with city officials, including City Councilwoman Cecilia Coble. to develop and deliver the class. Hamilton Southeastern Schools and the Indiana Bar Foundation also sponsored the classes.

The Hamilton County Leadership Academy is a 10-month program allowing county citizens to develop local projects.  A team has unveiled its program in Carmel on Tuesday (3.29) to educate residents on the scary statistics surrounding teen dating violence.

1 of 3 teen girls suffer from dating violence.  82% of parents feel they can recognize the warning signs, but when asked to identify those signs, 58% could not.

The campaign says teen dating violence is #NotOK.  Obviously, all violence is not OK, but this campaign is designed to educate suburban parents on the fact this can happen in your family.

I recently recorded a Podcast featuring Jocelyn Vare and Brittany Winebar, both members of the Academy team.  You can listen to that Podcast at this link.

The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety approved a new set of fees for various venues managed by the city Parks & Recreation Department.   The fee schedule includes rentals for the Ambassador House, Heritage Gardens and Saxony Hall.  Fishers Residents will receive a 20% discount…that provision was added at the suggestion of board members at a previous session.  See the updated rental rates at this link.

The board approved a number of street resurfacing projects in the city, totaling more than $1.2 million.  The bids came in under the roughly $1.3 million budgeted amount.  The street resurfacing is for Gray Eagle Subdivision and various subdivisions within the Harrison Thompson Park area.  Mayor Scott Fadness said he is “excited” this work can begin so early in the season.   Now that the bid has been awarded to E&B Paving, work should begin within a week and be completed by July 1st.

The board discussed what to do about safety issues at the entrance to the Breakwater subdivision, located on Brook School Road.  There is no money in the 2016 budget for this project, but the board looked at options for addressing safety concerns for residents turning left out of the neighborhood.  Mayor Fadness said one option looked best to him and he will work on including the cost of this construction in the city’s 2017 budget proposals.

The board approved the local matching funds for utility relocation at the site of the proposed roundabout at 96th and Lantern Road.  Total cost for the relocation is about $50,000, with the city’s share roughly 20% of that figure.

A pedestrian improvement project will add $132,830 to extend its reach beyond just intersections with traffic signals.  The project extends from Allisonville Road east to Commercial Drive near downtown.  This contract amendment approved by the board will amend the design contract, adding an additional 35 ramps and 19 crosswalks.

Above: Illustration of the detour from INDOT 

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announced today (Monday)  work will begin to construct a new interchange on I-69 at 106th Street in Fishers.  The current overpass at 106th Street will close April 11th.

The contractor hired by INDOT, Walsh Construction Company, plans to first shift northbound and southbound I-69 traffic lanes away from the median and reduce lane widths to 11 feet to accommodate temporary barrier and center pier construction for two new bridges.

The existing 106th Street bridge will be removed as part of the project.  Traffic will be detoured south to 96th Street via Allisonville and Lantern Roads during construction.

Here are more details on the project from the INDOT news release:

What to expect ahead

The speed limit near the construction zone at mile marker 204 will be reduced to 55 mph.  Motorists are advised to abide by work zone warning signage and posted speed limits.

Shifting traffic lanes on I-69 and other construction activities will require overnight lane restrictions between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.  Interstate traffic restrictions for construction are not expected to take place outside of these hours.

After 106th Street is closed, Walsh plans to begin demolition of the existing bridge in mid-April.  This will require consecutive overnight lane closures and rolling slowdowns on I-69 lasting up to 20 minutes at a time to create gaps in interstate traffic that will allow for removal of the bridge deck above.

About the project

INDOT awarded a $21.7 million contract to Walsh Construction Company to build the new interchange.  Hamilton County and the city of Fishers are partnering to contribute up to $12 million toward the total cost of construction.  

The interchange will feature a two-lane, oval-shaped roundabout on 106th Street over I-69 and ramps to and from both directions of the interstate.  Two separate two-lane bridges will each carry one direction of traffic. The bridge to carry westbound traffic on the north side of 106th Street is also designed to accommodate pedestrians.

The project is intended to reduce congestion at existing I-69 interchanges at 96th and 116th streets, increase traffic safety in the area and provide direct interstate access at 106th Street.  Direct access will serve existing residential and commercial destinations and accommodate development and population growth in the area.

The new I-69 Exit 204 to 106th Street is scheduled to open before the end of this year.  For more information about the 106th Street interchange project, go to http://www.in.gov/indot/3399.htm.

Fishers Firefighters responded to a house fire just before midnight Saturday night on Songbird Lane, just south of 116th Street between Eller Road and Allisonville Road.

Officials say there were no injuries, but there was “heavy fire damage” to the home.  No dollar amount was available on the damage.  The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Firefighters on the scene reported heavy flames shooting from the roof area of the house upon their arrival.

Fire officials say the blaze was under control within 40 minutes.

Moviegoers have been waiting for the epic battle, Batman Vs. Superman.  Who wins?  More importantly, does the audience win?  Here’s my Podcast review.