It’s time to come clean to everyone I know and everyone reading this blog.  I am not interested in the Olympic games.  There, I wrote it, for all to see.

This is not something new, it’s something I have always felt, going back to the first Olympics I watched on TV.  The events are just not interesting to me.

Even a sport like basketball, which I have learned to enjoy because my of my father’s love for round balls going through hoops. does not hold my interest.  The Olympic rules and playing style may be the reasons, but I cannot be sure.

This is not to discount the amazing athletes competing in these games.  Most have made major sacrifices and have largely devoted their lives to the Olympic quest. I admire them. I’m just not interested in watching them on TV.

NBC is in a quandary because audience levels are generally down from the London games on regular TV, but the Internet streaming audience appears to be breaking records.  NBC will still show a profit from the Rio games.

I have tried to get interested in these sports.  As a mostly retired guy, I have some time available to watch during weekdays, but just cannot get into it.

I may be in the minority, but the Olympics don’t do much for me.

Road construction is now in full throttle all around Fishers.

First, Monday, August 15th, a new roundabout will begin construction at 106th Street and Cumberland Road.  The south leg of the intersection will be closed during construction, which is expected to continue until late into the month of September.  The rest of the intersection will remain open.

Below you will find the news release and map from the city on the roundabout construction.  Below that you will find the weekly listing from the city on construction projects going on this week.

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Beginning on or after Monday, August 15th, roundabout construction will begin at the intersection of 106th Street and Cumberland Road. During the first phase of construction, the south leg of the intersection on Cumberland Road will be closed until late September. All other legs of the intersection will remain open. A detour map is available to help guide residents around the closure. Roundabout construction will help ease the flow of traffic at the intersection and will allow for pedestrian access once complete. Construction has been coordinated with Fishers Fire and Emergency Services’ Station 94 and Hamilton Southeastern Schools to ensure ease during the construction period. Upon completion of phase one, construction will move into phase two, and additional details will be shared as available. Residents are encouraged to sign up for weekly road notice emails to track progress on this project. Sign up by visiting www.fishers.in.us and selecting Fishers Alert. Ongoing updates will also be shared on Twitter at@DriveFishers.

============================================================= ALLISONVILLE ROAD Northbound Allisonville Road will have periodic lane restrictions in place at Deerbrook Drive beginning on Monday, August 15th through Friday, August 19th. This project is weather permitting and allows for the completion of utility work.   BRIDGE REPLACEMENT Continuing this week, the bridge on 106th Street between Allisonville Road and Hague Road will be closed by the Hamilton County Highway Department for replacement. Detour routes are displayed in the area and access to local traffic will be permitted for residents and businesses. Please direct any questions about this project to alison.krupski@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.   CYNTHEANNE ROAD   Road work began on Cyntheanne Road between Southeastern Parkway and 136th Street the week of July 25th. Periodic lane restrictions and flaggers remain in place to help direct traffic. ERLEN DRIVE   Erlen Drive will be closed between Minden Drive and Pennington Road for emergency road repairs. Currently there are steel plates in place. Please find an alternate route, if possible.   FALL CREEK TRAIL   Fall Creek Trail reconstruction work continues; the Fall Creek Trail project between 96th Street and Brooks School Road will have periodic lane closures for paving operations. Please travel with caution, construction barrels have reduced the existing northbound lane width.   I-69 AND CAMPUS PARKWAY   Milestone Contractors has begun mobilizing cranes and other equipment and setting a temporary concrete barrier wall along I-69 at Campus Parkway Exit 210. Work will require alternating lane closures on northbound and southbound I-69 between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Lane closures may recur each night through the end of the week depending on weather and progress. Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT at eastcentralin@indot.in.gov or 1-855-463-6848. I-69 TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS   INDOT is overseeing an overnight closure on multiple traffic lanes on I-69 overnight this week. Weather permitting, lane closures, traffic changes and rolling slowdowns of traffic will begin after 9 p.m. and are expected to end before 6 a.m. the next day. Construction schedules and traffic restrictions are subject to change, and questions should be directed to INDOT at indot.carsporgram.org, 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or 511 from a mobile phone. Please drive with caution as a new traffic pattern is in place.   STATE ROAD 37   Various general survey work has begun along the State Road 37 corridor. Work will take place starting at the 126th Street intersection. Learn more atwww.Fishers.in.us/SR37. 106th STREET & CUMBERLAND ROAD ROUNDABOUT   Beginning on or after Monday, August 15th, Cumberland Road from 106th Street to Mud Creek will be closed as Phase 1 of a new roundabout begins. 106th Street will remain open and Cumberland Road north of 106th Street will remain open at this time. Please continue to check the weekly construction update for ongoing progress on this project.   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. 116th STREET   There may be short-term lane restrictions on eastbound 116th Street between USA Parkway and Exit Five Parkway while utility work is being completed. Nightly lane restrictions will also be in place on 116th Street between Commercial Drive and USA Parkway between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. beginning the night of July 6th.   131st STREET   Lane restrictions will be in place on 131st Street between Brooks School Road and Olio Road to allow contractors to perform paving activities. Weather permitting, restrictions will be in place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The annual rivalry football game between Fishers & HSE High Schools is coming up in less than a month (September 9th), and the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation reminds everyone their VIP seats for last year’s Mudsock Game sold out.

Tickets are $50.  Below is a foundation news release with more details:

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The Forum Credit Union Conference Center was filled with Red & White the evening of August 13th, as Tiger One, the booster club for Fishers High School Athletics, had its big annual fund raising event.  The silent auction and food samples from area eateries were popular with those attending.

You can learn more about Tiger One at this link.

Here are some pictures taken during the evening of August 13th.

If you know anyone that has completed the Fishers City Government Academy, ask that person about the experience.  You will likely hear a heap of praise for the program, which teaches local citizens about the workings of city government behind the scenes.

The city is preparing to form the next academy class.  This is your opportunity to better understand the form of government closest to you.

Check the news release below from the city for more details:

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The City of Fishers is excited to announce the award-winning City Government Academy (CGA) is returning this fall with opportunities for residents 18 and older to learn more about the inner-workings of local government. The free, 10-week program begins on Wednesday, September 21^st in the City Hall Auditorium beginning at 6 p.m., and meeting locations and topics vary weekly.

CGA provides opportunities for residents to connect with local leaders while exploring different departments within the city. Meetings take place weekly from 6 to 8 p.m. Highlights of the program include sessions with Fishers Police Department, Fishers Department of Fire & Emergency Services, City Court, Fishers Parks & Recreation and the Wastewater Treatment Plan. Participants will also have an opportunity to visit Launch Fishers and learn more about Hamilton Southeastern Schools with a presentation by Dr. Allen Bourff.

Residents interested in learning more about the program or the fall scheduleare encouraged to visit the City of Fishers’ website. Spots in CGA are available on a first come, first served basis, and applications can be completed online. Residents unable to complete an application online or in need of supportive services in order to participate are encouraged to contact Dan Domsic atdomsicd@fishers.in.us or directly at (317) 595-3151. All accommodations must be arranged 48 hours prior to a meeting, and applications are due by September 20^th.

The City of Fishers expects to pay $1 million more in 2017 for employee health care, resulting in the mayor asking his department heads to submit mostly flat budget proposals, with no other increased spending from 2016 to 2017.

“The biggest challenge this year for us is health care,” City Controller Oscar Gutierrez said. “The health care for employees continues to rise.  As we have an aging population of employees, the cost of health care continues to rise.”

Mayor Scott Fadness does not intend to lower the level of health services provided by the city to its workers, according to Gutierrez.  The mayor also does not plan to increase employee contributions toward their health coverage.

Gutierrez says the city is planning on the one million dollar health care increase in 2017.

“That is a significant amount when you are budgeting for future years,” said Controller Gutierrez .  “I can say the mayor does plan on increasing our health care budget by $1 million next year to keep (health care services) even, so that takes away from other things that we can do.”

$1 million dollars would pay for 2 or 3 additional police officers, or could finance more firefighters and additional public safety vehicles, according to Gutierrez.

One way to control costs would allow city workers to become better health care customers.

Gutierrez provided an example of a city employee in need of an MRI.  “Rather than going to get an MRI anywhere, is it more efficient to look at the cheapest place to get an MRI?” he asked.  “If you have 3 or 4 different hospital providers and one of them is the cheapest, the MRI will be a professionally-done MRI no matter where you go.”

More details of the mayor’s proposed 2017 city budget is expected to be revealed at a special meeting of the City Council Finance Committee August 17th.

Gutierrez’ quoted remarks in this story are taken from a LarryInFishers Podcast recorded and uploaded August 11th.   You can access the entire podcast at this link

Hamilton Southeastern Schools Superintendent Allen Bourff told the school board Wednesday night that Fishers High School Principal Jason Urban earned his paycheck on the first day of school August 10th.  First, a power outage hit about half the building around 7:30am.  Bourff credits Duke Energy for reacting quickly and restoring power the the entire building around 10:30am.  Then the fire alarm sounded in the afternoon due to a small fire in an elevator.  Fishers High School was evacuated, but all students were safely back in the building in time for the end of the school day.

Bourff told the board the rest of the district experienced a trouble-free first day of classes.

In other items from the board session:

Dr. Bourff told the board administrators want to study further the issue of students walking to receive a diploma when not fully meeting the graduation requirements.  Only about 5% of HSE Schools students fit that category, which is a very small number. There have been proposals to only allow students verified to have met all requirements to gradate and receive a diploma as part of the school ceremony.  No decisions have been made to make any changes in that policy.

Chief Financial Officer Mike Reuter told the board kindergarten enrollment came in very close the the projections.  1,475 students are enrolled as of the first day of classes.  Reuter was concerned last month when kindergarten enrollments were running about 200 less than projections, but late sign-ups brought the number of students up to the expected level.

Dan Domsic of the Fishers Parks and Recreation Department explained plans for the Mayor’s Youth Council, allowing local high school students to spend time once a month learning about city departments.  You can view the PowerPoint presentation at this link.

The board honored the Hamilton Southeastern Royals Golf Team…they were the State Runners Up, and senior (now graduate) Cedric McAree was the Individual State Champion.

The old Charles Schwhab call center building near the new Launch Fishers structure, on Technology Drive, has been vacant for a very long time, but an Indianapolis real estate and investment company has plans for that area.

The City of Fishers has announced that Citimark proposes to buy the old Schwab call center and the Launch Fishers building next door.  Citmark wants to turn the two properties into a campus aimed at attracting entrepreneurs.

A collection company, DECA, was the previous occupant of what is now the new Launch Fishers building.  The City of Fishers purchased that building to house Launch.  Citimark will now purchase the new Launch Fishers Building, along with the adjacent building, once housing the Schwab call center.

The city says Citimark will be eligible to use some of the benefits of the Certified Tech Park designation from the state of Indiana, which allows state tax collections from that area, up to $5 million, to be reinvested in the Certified Tech Park area.

The Fishers City Council will consider the proposal at the August 15th meeting.

For more details, see the city news release below:

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The City of Fishers and Citimark announced a transformative proposal for the certified tech park today. Citimark plans to purchase the vacant building at 12115 Technology Lane, as well as the Launch Fishers building, to create a campus that anchors the certified tech park. The City Council will vote on the economic development agreement at Monday’s council meeting.

“We are very excited about this proposal and the possibilities it opens up for the certified tech park,” said Mayor Scott Fadness. “Through this partnership, we will create a campus-like environment that will continue to attract top entrepreneurial talent to our city for years to come.”

Citimark, an Indiana real estate acquisition and development company, plans to invest $32.7 million in a tech campus that will reinvent the certified tech park. The master plan includes the purchase and redevelopment of the former Schwab building on the corner of Technology Lane and Visionary Way, and the opportunity to build an additional 80,000 square feet of office space within the park. Citimark will invest $4.5 million to transform the 12115 building from a 117,000-square-foot call center to a 71,000-square-foot tech-ready office building with a center courtyard and updated exterior. The overall investment also includes the purchase of the Launch Fishers building for $3.1 million.

“The momentum in Fishers has attracted attention from all over the region and we are thrilled to be a part of the next step for this thriving city,” said Matt Carlstedt, Partner and Senior Vice President of Investments for Citimark. “The master plan includes a tech campus with Launch Fishers and the redeveloped building as the anchors, with a plan for additional development in the surrounding open space.”

The area was designated a certified tech park last year with the relocation of Launch Fishers to a 51,000 square feet vacant building. Infrastructure improvements, including trails connecting the area to downtown Fishers and a new intersection at the entrance, has made the area more attractive for investors and companies looking to relocate.

“Launch Fishers continues to be a magnet for companies and entrepreneurs that want to be a part of our growing city,” said Mayor Fadness. “The demand for office space at Launch Fishers is already at capacity. We knew we had to increase office inventory for the companies that are ready for the next step and those that want to be a part of the what’ happening here. This reimagined office building does just that.”

As a part of the economic development agreement, the city will master lease 35,000 square feet of the office building for two years and offer a five-year, 100 percent abatement. Citimark will purchase the Launch Fishers building and lease it back to the city for 10 years at a rate of $12.75 per square foot. In addition, the city will waive all development fees.

The Fishers City Council will vote on the economic development agreement at Monday’s council meeting. If approved, the Fishers Redevelopment Commission will also have to approve the sale and lease of the Launch Fishers building and the master lease of the redeveloped office building.

Fishers City Controller Oscar Gutierrez talks to Larry about local city finances and tells his own persona story

City Council President John Weingardt presented data to the Finance Committee Wednesday night on how other cities compensate elected officials.  Fishers City Council members are paid $12,000 a year with no fringe benefits.  Weingardt presented a survey of other city and county council members, and the average total compensation for council members (including both salaries and fringe benefits) showed $38,699 a year.  The survey included council members from Bloomington, Anderson, Carmel, Noblesville, Hamilton County and Parma, Ohio.  The possible changes in council member compensation are to be discussed by the full city council at an August 15th work session.  Council member compensation in Fishers was last changed by the town council in 2000.

Finance Committee Chairman Eric Moeller said the process is aimed at bringing council compensation into line with other elected officials in Fishers’ transition from a town to a city.

The Finance Committee will begin reviewing the mayor’s 2017 budget proposals at a special meeting on August 17th.  City Controller Oscar Gutierrez told the council panel more special budget meetings would likely need to be scheduled in fashioning the city’s 2017 spending plan.  Gutierrez emphasized that the city’s 2017 budget must be approved at the City Council session in October.