After winning the 2016 Indiana State Championship for “We the People,” the Fishers High School team headed to Washington DC for the national competition in late April.

The team finished 5th among the 54 teams on hand for the national competition.

I talked to the Coach Liz Paternoster and team member Ned Ansari in a Podcast recorded February 19th, well before the trip to DC.  You can hear that Podcast at this link.

“Many of the teams that make it into the the top 10 have been there the last 15-20 years in a row,” Paternoster said in an e-mail to LarrryInFishers.  “The We the People program at FHS is only 8 years old and we have made it to the National finals twice in the last 3 years and been in the top 10 both times.  I am incredibly proud of what these students were able to accomplish this year.  Earning a 6th place finish at Nationals is incredible but even beyond that they have inspired others to get involved throughout their community.”

“We the People” is a competition testing high school students’ knowledge and understanding of the United States Constitution.  The students must present a prepared statement on a constitutional issue, then answer questions from a panel of judges.

As the weather gets warmer, the list of road projects becomes longer.  Note the coming closures for the Geist Half Marathon.  The full list from the City of Fishers is below:

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FALL CREEK TRAIL

Fall Creek Trail reconstruction work continues; the pedestrian bridges and section of sidewalk along the trail have been removed. Pedestrians should not use the trail within the sections that have been removed. In addition, there will be periodic lane closures along the project throughout the week of May 6th. Please travel with caution, construction barrels have reduced the existing northbound lane width.

GEIST HALF MARATHON CLOSURES

The Geist Half Marathon will be running its course route on Saturday, May 21st. During that time various road restrictions and partial road closures will be in place to ensure participant safety. Please visit their website for a complete list of affected roads.

I-69 TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS

INDOT is overseeing an overnight closure on multiple traffic lanes on I-69 overnight this week to continue demolition of the 106th Street overpass bridge. Weather permitting, lane closures and rolling slowdowns of traffic will begin after 9 p.m. May 5-6th and 9-13th and are expected to end before 6 a.m. the next day. Construction schedules and traffic restrictions are subject to change, and question should be directed to INDOT at indot.carsporgram.org, 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or 511 from a mobile phone.

PAVING

A contractor will be paving ramps on Britton Park Drive, Harrison Parkway and Conner Knoll throughout the coming weeks. Please anticipate periodic lane restrictions in those areas.

96th STREET AND CUMBERLAND ROAD

The Hamilton County Highway Department has closed 96th Street and Cumberland Road for 100 calendar days in order to construct a roundabout at this intersection. Anyone with concerns about this project should call 773-7770. Please visit www.Fishers.in.us/DriveFishers to view a detour map. The tentative completion date for this project is June 30, 2016.

106th STREET INTERCHANGE

• INDOT has begun work on the 106th Street interchange. A lane shift is currently in place on I-69 and 106th Street is closed as construction continues. Additional details about this project will be released through INDOT and shared on the weekly construction update. Please be advised the speed limit from 82nd Street to 116th Street has been reduced to 55 mph and there are lane shifts on I-69. Please travel with caution and pay close attention to signage in the area.
• The eastbound ‘thru’ lane of 106th Street at the intersection of Hague Road remains restricted until early May. Stay tuned for updates on this project.

113th STREET

On Tuesday, May 10th crews will begin street improvements along 113th Street. Between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. flagmen with signs and cones will help guide traffic in the area. Please use caution while crews are working.

116th STREET

• There may be short-term lane restrictions on westbound 116th Street, west of Exit 5 Parkway while utility work is being completed.
• Continuing throughout the week of May 9th, lane restrictions will be in place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on westbound lanes of 116th Street from Holland Drive to Wainwright Drive.

126th STREET

Continuing the week of May 6th, there will be intermittent lane restrictions for westbound traffic just west of Promise Road. These restrictions will allow the contractor to construct the entrance into Granite Ridge subdivision. Advance warning signs will be in place including a directional arrow board, as needed.

The City of Fishers hosted its final Open House to explain the Fishers 2040 Comprehensive Plan Thursday night and attracted a crowd of about 15 people.

Deputy Mayor Leah McGrath gave a brief presentation to those assembled, summarizing the plan.  The project began in August of last year with a number of committees working regularly.  In total, the various panels worked 600 hours to come up with the first draft of the plan being considered now.

You can access the entire draft document at this link.  (Note: The document is 216 pages)

The Fishers City Plan Commission received a summary of the plan from McGrath at the April meeting.  That body is having a public hearing on the 2040 Comprehensive Plan at the May 10th session.

If the Plan Commission reports out a favorable recommendation, the City Council will act on final approval of the plan in the next few months.

Dr. Mike Beresford is the head of Human Resources for HSE Schools.  He now has the responsibility of overseeing the hiring process for additional teachers in the local schools.

He talked with me about that and other issues in my latest Podcast.

With the new I-69 interchange at 106th Street under construction in Fishers, Mayor Scott Fadness is proposing to “slow things down” there and at the interstate area near 116th Street.

The mayor is proposing a plan to have the city council approve all development in those areas, even if the zoning laws allow the development.

“Our goal is not to fill up every piece of land as fast as we can. We do not want just any development. We want the right development.” said Fadness in a news release. “Our goal is to be thoughtful and intentional to encourage building the kind of environment our residents want, including trail connectivity and more entertainment amenities. Today’s businesses want the same.”

City Council President John Weingardt supports the mayor’s proposal.  “This is the right thing to do for our city’s future, and I look forward to working with Mayor Fadness and staff on the I-69 corporate corridor initiative,” Weingardt said in the same news release.

The Fishers Plan Commission will consider the mayor’s proposal at the May 10th session. If the commission recommends moving forward, the city council could consider this as early as its May 16th meeting.  City Council regular meetings are scheduled once a month.

Below is the full text of the news release from the City of Fishers:

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As development pressures grow along the I-69 corridor around the 106^th and 116^th street interchanges in Fishers, Mayor Scott Fadness wants to ensure what comes is aligned with the city’s vision for a corporate corridor.  That is why he is proposing to slow things down and require any new development along I-69 at 106^th and 116^th streets, regardless of underlying zoning, go before the city council for approval.

“Our goal is not to fill up every piece of land as fast as we can. We do not want just any development. We want the right development.” said Fadness. “Our goal is to be thoughtful and intentional to encourage building the kind of environment our residents want, including trail connectivity and more entertainment amenities. Today’s businesses want the same.”

The land along I-69 around 106^th and 116^th streets has been zoned broadly commercial since the mid-1980’s with Planned Unit Developments that vary in architectural styles and permit building heights that range from two-story buildings up to the maximum height allowed by state law.  

“It’s a fruit-salad of zoning that needs to be re-thought to provide a comprehensive look and unified goal for the overall corridor,” Fadness explained. “We have one shot at getting this right.”

Fadness has worked with the city council on this effort, reviewing the mix of zoning for this area at April’s city council work session. The Fishers 2040 comprehensive plan also shows this area as a key employment node, an important factor for the long-term fiscal health of the city.

“If a proposal comes before the city council that is aligned with our vision, then we will support it,” said John Weingardt, City Council President. “This is the right thing to do for our city’s future, and I look forward to working with Mayor Fadness and staff on the I-69 corporate corridor initiative.”

On May 10, the Fishers Plan Commission will conduct public hearings on the two ordinances proposed by Mayor Fadness’ administration:

·         Ordinance for 106^th Street area along I-69

·         Ordinance for 116^th Street area along I-69

If the plan commission makes a favorable recommendation on May 10, the city council could adopt the ordinances at their next regular meeting on May 16. The ordinances are temporary and will be in effect for 120 days upon adoption. During that time, the mayor and city council will get to work on a plan to address zoning conflicts. 

“With Launch Fishers, the recent designation of our Certified Tech Park nearby and access to I-69 throughout this corridor, we have a real opportunity to create a unique place for office and entertainment development,” said Fadness.

My latest commentary on Indiana Forefront is all about the education referendums in Hamilton County.

You can read the commentary at this link

Hamilton County has placed online all the election results from the May 3rd primary.

You  can access the entire list at this link.

I was still in Noblesville election night, waiting for the final vote tallies, when I talked to Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Superintendent Allen Bourff.  Even though it was a phone conversation, I could detect a smile in his voice.  He had a right to be smiling, ear-to-ear, after the HSE Schools funding referendum passed with over 70% approval.

Bourff said the next steps will be actions HSE staff and parents have been waiting for.  His administrators  will be setting up a strategy to post new jobs, including additional teachers.  He and his staff will be working on how to start world language programs.  He will be looking at collective bargaining with the local teachers association to work on the teacher compensation package.

In other words, work will start right away on the school corporation making good on the promises made when the funding referendum was first proposed.  This will be the beginning of a process.  LarryInFishers will be keeping you updated on all these developments.

Meanwhile, one local political candidate is looking back on his unsuccessful campaign for Hamilton County Commissioner.  Local restaurateur Bill Smythe challenged incumbent Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt in the Republican primary.  Heirbrandt won nearly 57% of the vote.

“I want to thank everyone that helped me and worked the polls today,” Smythe wrote in a Facebook message. “I also want to thank you all that voted for me. I realized from day one we had a huge lift but we represented well and brought light to the problems in the county.”

The Hamilton County Council election was close all evening.  The final total showed Rick McKinney receiving 25% of the vote.  Second place finisher with nearly 23% of the votes was Jeff Hern.  Brad Beaver was third, with nearly 21% of the ballots cast.  Retiring Fishers Police Chief George Kehl came up short as a council candidate with just under 20%.  Bill Dennis finished in last place with 11.3% of the vote.  The top three – McKinney, Hern and Beaver, will all be on the November Republican ballot.  As of now, there are no Democrat candidates on the general election ballot for council.

217 Precincts of 217 Precincts in all of Hamilton County

HSE School Referendum

Yes       23380        71.42%

No         9356          28.58%

Hamilton County Commissioner

Mark Heirbrandt    34038       56.95%

Bill Smythe               25734      43.05%

Hamilton County Council

Brad Beaver             30221      20.92%

Bill Dennis                 16337      11.31%

Jeff Hern                   32934       22.8%

George Kehl             28764       19.91%

Rick McKinney        36218      25.07%

I started my rounds of polling sites at mid-morning election day.  Here’s what I found.

Voting lines were long in some places early as people cast their ballots before heading to work.  As mid-morning approached, many of the long lines disappeared but a steady stream of voters continued at the polling places I visited through midday.

At one stop, I saw Fishers City Councilman Pete Peterson, a backer of Hamilton County Commissioner candidate Mark Heirbrandt, standing near the other Commissioner candidate Bill Smythe.  Witnesses told me there had been some good-natured ribbing at times between the two Republicans who are sometimes on the opposite ends of public issues.  But both joined me for a live Periscope video broadcast (sadly, the Internet connection was not strong there and the video picture wasn’t the best).  They both agreed how good it is to see so many people showing up at the polls for a primary election.

I saw a number of Advance HSE supporters, urging voters to vote yes on the school referendum.  I did see a few signs urging a no vote.  The sign has an Internet URL which features  a 2-page handout scanned and a link to a general Web page on school funding.  I would have been happy to talk with these people and question them on their views, but no one knows who is behind this. When you surface days before an election and do not disclose who you are, it’s hard to take the argument seriously.  Again, their opinion is respected, but hard to take seriously when its done in an anonymous fashion.