When Fishers made the decision to conduct a special partial census, it wasn’t just out of curiosity about how many people are now living in the city……it was expected to bring more revenue to Fishers for the remainder of this decade.  Based on figures released today, the City of Fishers has exceeded those expectations.

City Controller Oscar Giuterrez says federal census officials have the current updated population number for Fishers pegged at 87,887.  That is compared to the official 2010 census count of 76,794.

Giuterrez and his staff have number-crunched what this means for the city financially.  The census cost  $394,036.81, but the controller expects the revised census numbers to gain the city over $2.3 million now through the next regular census in 2020.  After the census expenses, that leaves the city with $1.9 million.

The city will gain $315,244.94 just through the remainder of this calendar year because of the revised population numbers.

The city council authorized the special census in August of 2015.  This was not a special census of the entire city.  Census workers concentrated measuring only the growing areas of the city, which greatly reduced the cost of conducting the population count.

When national organizations honor your local community, that can be a nice honor, even though the methodology may be a little murky.  But when you are honored by people in your own state, that is always extra special because people in your home state know you best .

The Indiana Association of Cities and Towns (IACT) is honoring Fishers as a Green Community of the Year.

The IACT news release with that announcement is reproduced below:

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The Indiana Association of Cities and Towns (IACT) announced that three Indiana cities have achieved 2016 IACT Green Community of the Year distinctions. The cities of Fishers, Westfield and Whiting will all receive their awards during the IACT Annual Awards Luncheon presented by Umbaugh, Oct. 5, at 11:30 a.m. during the 2016 IACT Annual Conference & Exhibition in French Lick.

IACT launched the Green Communities Initiative in 2008 in conjunction with Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd., to identify potential cost savings to communities facing budget shortfalls, promote economically competitive quality of life concepts, and ultimately serve as role models for citizens while better protecting our environment. The initiative will expand educational opportunities for municipalities and create a consolidated clearinghouse of data and programs that can be accessed by municipalities.

“The IACT Green Communities program is a fantastic way for cities and towns to showcase their hard work and commitment to smart, efficient practices. The survey required is extremely comprehensive, lending credibility and prestige to the Green Community designation.” said IACT Executive Director and CEO Matt Greller. “The fact that Fishers, Westfield and Whiting have all earned this designation in previous years is evidence of a true commitment to green practices that improve the quality of life for their residents,” Greller continued.

Representatives from participating cities had to fill out a 51-question survey in the areas of purchasing, operations, measuring success, and sample projects. Not only did Fishers, Westfield and Whiting meet the minimum score required to be a Green Community, they earned the highest score in their population category to become a 2016 IACT Green  Community of the Year.

2016 IACT Green Community of the Year Award Winners:

Fishers (50,000+)

Westfield (10,000 – 50,000)

Whiting (under 10,000)

2016 IACT Green Community Designation Recipients:

Fishers, Union City, Westfield, Whiting

The IACT Annual Conference and Exhibition is open to media who may attend the Awards Luncheon, opening and closing business sessions. Please request a media credential at the IACT registration desk in the French Lick Springs Hotel and Conference Center. Media must be credentialed before entering conference events.

The Indiana Association of Cities and Towns (IACT) is a coalition of municipal officials who seek to improve the quality of life in Indiana through effective government, and is a member of the National League of Cities. Founded in 1891, IACT is one of the oldest state municipal organizations in the country, with 470 cities and towns as members. IACT advocates for municipalities as the official voice of municipal government in Indiana, and promotes good government through education, training and leadership.

There may be a nip in the air as we move into the fall season, but road construction projects will continue around Fishers.  Here’s the schedule for Fishers road work during the work week starting Monday, October 3rd, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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ALLISONVILLE ROAD

Weather permitting, short term lane restrictions will be in place on Allisonville Road between 106th Street and Eller Road from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please use caution when traveling in the area.

CYNTHEANNE ROAD

Road work continues on Cyntheanne Road between Southeastern Parkway and 136th Street, during construction periodic lane restrictions and flaggers will remain in place to help direct traffic.

EXIT FIVE PARKWAY

Exit Five Parkway closed on Tuesday, September 6 to reconstruct the road as part of the 116th Street widening project. The road remains closed to all traffic. Trucks needing to deliver to businesses will need to go up to Cumberland Road to Exit Five Parkway and come in from the north. The road will be closed for approximately two months, and a detour map is available online.

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.carsprogram.org, 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or 511 from a mobile phone. Please drive with caution as a new traffic pattern is in place.

106^th STREET & CUMBERLAND ROAD ROUNDABOUT

Cumberland Road from 106th Street to Mud Creek is 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. The Cumberland Road south of 106th street is closed. 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.

126^th STREET

Temporary lane restrictions will be in place on eastbound 126^th Street near Pennington Road for curb work on Wednesday, October 5^th and Thursday, October 6^th. Please travel with caution to help ensure crews are safe while work is completed.

It is not often that a city says goodbye to a local police chief that has been a local law enforcement officer for 38 years, but Fishers did just that Thursday afternoon and ushered in a new chief of police.

Mitch Thompson now takes over the reins of the Fishers Police Department as long-time Chief George Kehl heads into retirement.  Thompson told the large crowd on hand for the swearing-in ceremony, “there is no replacing George Kehl.”

Thompson said Kehl “has set the foundation for a future of success for this agency.”

“We have a tremendous group of men and women in this agency,” Thompson said.  He also told the crowd he and his officers share in Mayor Scott Fadness’ vision of a growing city.

Mayor Scott Fadness announced at the Thursday ceremony that the new police headquarters building, to be built across the street from the current facility, will be named after retiring Chief George Kehl.

“For the next 30 to 40 years, the police officers that will call (the new headquarters) home will understand clearly what the foundation is that Chief Kehl built,” said Mayor Fadness.

Just part of the large crowd on hand in front of the Fishers Police Headquarters watching the ceremony

When Fishers established the Nickel Plate District building code standards, I recall that meeting.  The idea was to have a downtown with a different feel and atmosphere.

The Nickel Plate Review Committee is charged with looking at plans for the downtown area encompassing the Nickel Plate District.  On September 28th, the committee reviewed plans from Four Day Ray, a local micro-brewery and restaurant, set to open in about two weeks in the Nickel Plate District.

Normally, the committee reviews architectural designs and renderings.  At the September 28th session, the panel was asked to consider a mural already constructed on the building.

The mural shows a picture that is placed on the beer cans of Laplander Blonde.  Some comments received by the public were positive, but some questioned whether the Laplander Blonde picture is better suited for a beer can than a mural on the south end of the Four Day Ray Building, facing the parking lot.

The attorney for Four Day Ray told the committee members his client will remove the Nickel Plate District logo on the picture, but plans to keep the mural on the building.  In the end, the Nickel Plate Review Committee voted unanimously to keep the mural as long the the Nickel Plate District logo is removed.

In other actions, the committee reviewed design plans for the North  of North project parking garage and approved plans for insurance agent Scott Rhodes to place signage at an existing home located at 11393 Lantern Road to relocate his office.

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board gave the go-ahead to issue $5.5 million in short term general obligation bonds, allowing the corporation to spend money saved by refinancing other school bonds earlier this year.  The bond issue approved by the board Wednesday night will be paid back in less than one year, but is the method provided by law allowing the local schools to spend the savings.  The legal paperwork has language for a 9 cent tax rate increase, but HSE Schools Chief Financial Officer Mike Reuter says the bond issue will be structured in a manner that no tax rate increase will actually occur as a result of Wednesday night’s board action.

Reuter told the board the $5.5 million will be used for capital projects.  Some of the money has already been earmarked to pay for some new badly-needed buses.  Other projects this money will finance include:

–retrofitting buildings to allow space for the newly-hired assistant principals

–mechanical upgrades at  Cumberland Road Elementary’s heating and cooling system

In other school board meeting news:

–Superintendent Allen Bourff introduced Brooke Lawson as the school system’s new coordinator of mental health.  She is scheduled to begin her new position October 10th. Also, Assistant Superintendent Mike Beresford told the board Requests for Proposals will be issued to contract with mental health providers.  If all goes on schedule, Dr. Beresford hopes to have much of the mental health support infrastructure in place during the second semester of the current school year.  Dr. Bourrf emphasized that this is all happening as a result of the school funding referendum that passed in May of this year.

–Dr. Bourff summarized a proposal to have students arrive a few minutes later on 31 Tuesdays the next school year (2017-2018).  That time would be used by teachers for professional development.  The HSE Superintendent emphasized he is only proposing the idea at this time, but the recently approved 2017-2018 school calendar does allow for this.

–Board Member Howard Stevenson said Geist Elementary School has been designated as a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School by the United State Department of Education.  His son was part of the first kindergarten class that went K-4 there, and his wife has been a teacher at Geist Elementary since it first opened.

–The 2016 Pasta Bowl collected over 15,000 pounds of pasta, breaking last year’s record of over 13,000 pounds.

The Pasta Bowl is an annual event to collect pasta and educate local people about hunger. In 2016, a massive effort brought-in more than 15,000 pounds of pasta product.

Three schools in the Hamilton Southeastern School District will garner trophies for their pasta collection….

Below is a news release from the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation on this year’s Pasta Bowl.

Local students gathered on Tuesday, September 27, 2016 to purchase a few hundred additional pounds of pasta and to announce the grand total of the community wide pasta drive known as PastaBowl.  This year’s total, 15,228, represents the most collected in the history of the drive. 

The campaign not only generates pasta, but also awareness for the one in seven local children that struggle with food insecurities.   And when students are hungry, it’s hard to learn.  That is why all 21 local schools in collaboration with Meijer, Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation, Harvest Food Bank, Citizens State Bank, ProShred, and the Fall Creek Township Trustees Office collaborate to alleviate the pressure on more than 40 area food pantries, as well as Second Helpings, by providing thousands of pounds of pasta. 

The tremendous success of the PastaBowl drive is attributed to the leadership and involvement of students at every school.  This year, the traveling trophies will be awarded to Fishers High School, Riverside Intermediate, and Hoosier Road Elementary.  It is an amazing opportunity for students to show how they can make a difference in their communities! 

Fishers IKEA store is set to open in about a year from now.  The company issued a news release on the progress.  The release is reproduced in full below:

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IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today announced contractors now are hired for building its future Indianapolis-area store in Fishers, IN. Pending remaining permits, this milestone allows the project to continue on track for site work to commence, with groundbreaking next month and a store opening in Fall 2017, increasing the Swedish retailer’s presence in the Midwestern United States. Until the store opens, customers can shop at the Cincinnati-area store in West Chester, OH; Chicago-area IKEA Bolingbrook and IKEA Schaumburg; or online at IKEA-USA.com.

IKEA has chosen Pepper Construction to serve as Construction Manager for the IKEA Fishers site work and store development project. Having a strong Midwestern presence, Pepper is a full-service construction management, design/build and general contracting firm that has constructed several IKEA stores throughout the years, including one underway in Columbus, OH. Other firms assisting with this project are: real estate brokerage CBRE for site selection support; Faegre Baker Daniels for local land use counsel; Kimley-Horn for civil engineering; KJWW Engineering Consultants for structural; ACIES Engineering for mechanical, electrical and plumbing design; Earth Source for environmental services; and GreenbergFarrow as project architect.

“With contractors onboard, plans can proceed towards opening the future IKEA Fishers,” said Lars Petersson, IKEA U.S. president. “This store will provide a more convenient IKEA shopping experience for current and potential customers throughout Indiana, complementing our growing Midwestern U.S. presence.”

IKEA Fishers will feature nearly 10,000 exclusively designed items, 50 inspirational room-settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area, and a 325-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries and salmon plates, as well as American dishes. Other family-friendly features include a ‘Children’s IKEA’ area in the Showroom, baby care rooms, play areas throughout the store, and preferred parking. In addition to the more than 500 jobs that are expected to be created during the construction phase, approximately 250 coworkers will join the IKEA family when the new store opens. IKEA Fishers also will provide significant annual sales and property tax revenue for state and local governments and schools.

Located approximately 15 miles northeast of downtown Indianapolis, the 289,000-square-foot future IKEA store and its 1,000 parking spaces will be built on 35 acres along the eastern side of Interstate 69, just south of the E. 116th Street exit. Store plans reflect the same unique architectural design for which IKEA stores are known worldwide. IKEA also is evaluating potential on-site power generation to complement its current U.S. renewable energy presence at nearly 90% of its U.S. locations.

Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered home furnishings of good design and function at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. There are currently more than 380 IKEA stores in 48 countries, including 42 in the U.S. IKEA has been included in rankings of “Best Companies to Work For” and, as further investment in its coworkers, has raised its own minimum wage twice in two years. IKEA incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. 

The Hamilton Southeastern Education Association is sponsoring a school board candidate forum Tuesday, October 4th, 7pm, at HSE High School. The forum will be held in the “Little Theater.”  It is best to enter the school building using Entrance 2 facing Olio Road.

There are three school board seats up for grabs in the November 8th balloting.  This is called an At Large election, with candidates living in their respective townships, but voters throughout the district vote on each township race.

Delaware Township is the only one with no incumbent because current Board President Karen Harmer is not seeking another term.  There are four hopefuls seeking this seat: Bradley Jones, Adam Harness, Amanda Shera and Franklin Whelan.

In Fall Creek Township, Howard Stevenson is the incumbent.  He was appointed by the board the fill the remainder of Daren Sink’s term when Mr. Sink left Fishers for another position.  The other two candidates in this township are Mike Bottorff and J Kent Everett.

In Wayne Township, Sylvia Shepler will be seeking another term on the school board.  She has one opponent, Charron Wright.

All candidates have been invited to the forum.

The Hamilton Southeastern Education Association represents teachers in the HSE School District.  The association’s president, Janet Chandler, will moderate the forum.

Improvements for the intersection of Southeastern Parkway and 136th Street will start construction in late summer, 2017, according to Fishers City Engineering Department Director Jeff Hill.   The Board of Works and Safety approved the professional services contract to begin preparations for next year’s construction.  City engineers say this project will improve the capacity and safety of the intersection at 136th Street and Southeastern Parkway. It will also serve as an entry point and gateway into the Medtech Corridor area.

In other actions by the board during the September 26th session:

–Approved professional services contracts for right-of-way corridor services on the State Road 37 improvement project.  The board gave the okay for the mayor to insert conflict of interest language into these contracts.

–The Board approved the agreement with state highway officials to fund repaving of 116th Street from Allisonville Road to I-69.

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