The preliminary enrollment figures are in, and Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools gained about 300 additional students compared to last year.  School systems in Indiana must submit an official enrollment number as of September 16th, so the numbers are tentative until that date.

Numbers shared by Superintendent Allen Bourff show an enrollment figure of 21,309, compared to the enrollment reported to the state last year of 21,006.  For a more detailed breakdown of the enrollment statistics, use this link.

In other news items from the Monday night school board session:

–Assistant Superintendent Jan Combs presented several school calendar options for the upcoming 2017-2018 year.  One option kept the schedule largely as it is now.  Other options called for changes such as lengthening fall break to one week and starting school a few days earlier, doing away with half days of school to allow for teacher professional development in smaller time increments during the school year and other possible changes.  You can view more details on the proposals at this link.  Board members discussed possible changes, but no consensus emerged on what, if any, changes should be made to next school year’s calendar.

–The board approved a $4 rental fee hike for the Creating Positive Relationships.  Dr. Bourff says the increase covers the added cost to buy the materials.

–The board honored the national champion Mock Trial team from HSE High School.  Team members include:

Plaintiff Attorneys: Nathan Brown, Isaac Irvin, and Rebecca Liu

·        Plaintiff: Natalie Teyema

·        Plaintiff Witnesses: Emma Leonard and Kaitlyn Ross

·        Defense Attorneys: Kaleb Oliver, Kaitlyn Ross, and Joey Sun

·        Defendant: Nathan Brown

·        Defense Witnesses: Isaac Irvin and Emma Leonard

The team coach is Janet Chandler.

–The top ten readers for the local library summer reading program were recognized by the board.  They included:

Logan Lara, HSE Junior High;

Nick Molter, New Britton Elementary;

Tucker Lara, HSE Junior High;

Maya Fotedar, Fishers Junior High;

Riley Kavanaugh, Sand Creek Elementary;

Jace Lee, Hoosier Road;

Amber Liwanag, Fall Creek Elementary;

Gwyneth Lee, Hoosier Road;

Audrey Orbin, Thorpe Creek Elementary

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools will save a minimum of $4.5 million, and more likely gain as much as $5.6 million in a bond refinancing approved by the school board Monday night.  The refinancing is made possible by a call date option contained in the bond language.  Historically low interest rates the market is experiencing now allows for the large savings amount from this refinancing.

HSE Schools Chief Financial Officer Mike Reuter says the money saved in this action will be used to pay for the 10-year capital improvement plan submitted to the board recently by school administrators.

Teachers in the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools will see a pay increase in 2017.  As a result of bargaining between school administrators and the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association, an agreement was reached and ratified by a vote of the teachers. The HSE School Board approved the pact at the Monday night session.

The agreement calls for an average 3.26% pay increase for HSE teachers.  Teachers on the lower end of the pay scale will receive a 3% increase, those at the high end will see a raise of 3.75%, and a group of teachers in between will see a 3.5% raise.

The contract is for one year because state law does not allow such agreements to extend out further than the state’s 2-year budget cycle.  State lawmakers will enact a 2-year budget in the 2017 session.

The raise will go into effect in January of 2017.

My latest Current in Fishers commentary centers on mass transit.  If Marion County passes their referendum, Hamilton County should be next to hold a vote.

http://currentinfishers.com/opinion-hamilton-county-voters-should-have-chance-to-vote-on-mass-transit-referendum/

Council members in Fishers have been paid $12,000 a year for the past 16 years, going back to the days of Fishers as a town.  Current city council members are looking to raise their level of compensation.

The City Council Finance Committee has looked at council compensation levels in other Indiana cities and local governments, as well as one city in Ohio.  All had council pay and benefits much higher than Fishers’ $12,000.

Most council members appeared to favor an increase during a discussion at their Conner Prairie retreat.  Many numbers were proposed, but the one that appeared to have the most support was raising the pay to $21,500 per year with no benefits.

The Finance Committee will take into account the council members suggestions as the salary numbers are considered for the budget proposal to go before the council.

The city budget must be approved before November 1st, so it will most likely receive final approval at the October city council session.

Mayor Scott Fadness outlined plans for a new Fishers City police headquarters building to be built near the Braden building, now under construction within the municipal complex near City Hall.  The mayor told city council members at their Conner Prairie retreat that the current headquarters building for local police was finished in 1994 when the force had 30 officers.  If the mayor’s 2017 budget proposals are approved by council members, there will be 111 officers on duty.

The mayor wants the current police headquarters to be utilized by other city departments and ease the cramped quarters in City Hall.  The police department currently rents space on South Street to house several operations, and is also forced to lease storage facilities.

The new police building would be 47,000 square feet in size, with three floors.  An indoor garage would house police vehicles.

The mayor says his proposal would be tax rate neutral in funding the construction.

Fadness estimated the cost of the new building at $12 million.

The mayor indicated that if the council gets behind this idea, he would be in favor of beginning foundation work on the new police headquarters building as early as this fall.

As part of his 2017 budget proposal, the mayor is asking for 4 new firefighters and 4 new police officers, both to start July 1st of next year.  He also wants 2 additional public works laborer.

The mayor is asking for a 3% across-the-board pay increase for city employees next year.  He also wants incentive pay adjustments in certain public safety specialties.

Fadness says his budget plan will require a 2 cent increase in the municipal tax rate.  He emphasized that this still keeps Fishers’ tax rate far below cities its size and cities in this area.

Mayor Scott Fadness proposed an Excise and Wheel tax be enacted by the Fishers City Council to fund road infrastructure within the city.  The mayor cited a law passed in the 2016 session of the Indiana General Assembly, giving local governments the power to enact such levies funding street and road work.

“I know it makes everybody uncomfortable to talk about these types of conversations,” Fadness said. “I am a full advocate in support of the $25 fee (excise tax on vehicles).  I just think that our city needs to maintain its infrastructure.  I think we can clearly articulate to our residents that this money is going directly to resurfacing their roads and nothing else.”

Fadness used Bureau of Motor Vehicles data to estimate that $2.5 million per year would be raised by taxing locally owned vehicles $25 per year.

Fadness made the proposal at a Conner Prairie retreat of the Fishers City Council.  Council members voicing an opinion were strongly in favor of Fadness’ idea.

If the council chooses to enact this tax as part of the 2017 budget, the levy would not begin until 2018, due to deadlines in the state law passed this year.

Remember when you were a kid and half your friends wanted to be firefighters?  Maybe it brings out the kid in me, but I think it’s exciting when new fire engines come online.

Fishers is introducing two new fire engines.  Details are provided below in a release from the Fishers Fire Department:

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Fishers Fire Department took delivery of two new Pierce Saber fire engines.  Firefighters began training on the trucks this week and anticipate them being fully equipped and ready for service next week.

These trucks will replace two current engines, one is 25 years old and the other is 16 years old.  The two older trucks will go into reserve status which will be used when a front line truck is taken out of service for maintenance.  This allows ff’s to maintain coverage in all districts for the time it takes repairs to be made.

Each engine cost approximately $427,000.  This is an estimated $200,000 per engine savings for our citizens, under the recommended list price.  Because Fishers is a member of the Houston-Galveston Buying Group, this discounted price was made available due to the consortiums quantity purchasing power.

Estimated life of a fire engine:

8-12 years as a front line fire truck

5 years as a reserve truck

There have been 60…..that’s right 60, complaints of bad guys entering the vehicles of Fishers residents just over the past weekend.  Police have some advice for residents to prevent you from becoming a victim.  Below is the full text of the Fishers Police Department news release:

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Since Friday Fishers police officers responded to sixty complaints of suspects entering vehicles. In a few of these cases the suspects broke a window to gain access, but the majority involved unlocked vehicles. Twenty-five of these incidents resulted in valuables being stolen. The Fishers Police Department believes the majority of this type of crime can be prevented if drivers implement the following safety tips:
 
1. Never leave your vehicle unsecured, even if you are only going to be away from it for a short time. Thieves only need a few seconds to open an unlocked door and retrieve valuables that are left in plain sight.
2. Secure valuables in the trunk before leaving your vehicle. Thieves will often take the time to look into windows before choosing a particular vehicle to break‐in. Unsecured items such as GPS devices, CD’s, computers, purses, cellular phones, audio systems, keys, and other items are often the targets of a thief.
3. Etch your driver’s license number on all items of value and that are removable, e.g., audio equipment, computers, GPS devices.
4. Park in your garage, if you have one. Don’t leave your vehicle in the street, in an alley or in your driveway. If you have to park in the street, avoid dark or isolated areas andremoved your garage door opener.
5. Install an alarm system that will sound when someone attempts to break‐in, move, or start your vehicle. Always activate the system when leaving your vehicle unattended.
6. Don’t leave spare keys attached to the outside of your vehicle or hidden inside your vehicle. An experienced thief knows all the hiding places.
7. Park in open, well‐lighted, and populated areas near your destination. Avoid parking near trucks, vans, dumpsters, or other objects that obstruct visibility and provide hiding places. Avoid parking near strangers loitering or sitting in vehicles.
8. Turn off your engine, roll up all your windows, lock all doors, and take your keys with you even if you are making a quick stop at a store or gas station, or even in your driveway.
 
As always if you see or hear something suspicious please call 911 immediately!  

Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb is a busy man.  With Governor Mike Pence on the campaign trail running for Vice President, Holcomb is running to replace Pence in the governor’s office and is handling most of the gubernatorial duties in Pence’s absence.

Holcomb began a tour of the state today (Monday) to hand out $47 million in road and bridge projects.  Fishers will receive $1 million.

Mayor Scott Fadness plans on using this money next year to modernize 116th Street from Eller Road to Interstate 69.  The overall project will include a number of pedestrian crossings.   Fadness told LarryInFishers that the 116th Street work should start in 2017.

The funding was announced in an outdoor event in the downtown area of Carmel, with Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard hosting the news conference.  Along with Mayor Fadness, Noblesville Mayor John Ditslear and Westfield Mayor Andy Cook were also on hand.

There were a number of political reporters at the event and there was a media scrum that formed around Holcomb afterwards, allowing him to answer a number of questions about his campaign for governor against Democratic opponent John Gregg.