The Fishers Youth Assistance Program helps young people and their families in the Fishers area….Larry talked with Trisha Straus to learn more….

The Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation is having an impact, and it provided a report on that subject to the school board at the September 15th meeting.   The foundation handed out 156 scholarships to local high school graduates.  85% of the grant proposals received are funded by the foundation.  You can view more details, including a short video, at this link.

In other school board news:

–Two members of the junior high diving team were recognized for their national accomplishments.  Sebastian Otero, a 7th grader at Fishers Junior High, participated this summer at an AAU National Championship meet and won the 3 Meter Springboard Diving finals event! Only diving for two years, he was one of the youngest in his age group and managed to become the 2016 AAU 3 Meter National Champion in the 12-13 age group by four points over the silver medalist.  Also, Natalie Bryan, an 8th grader at Riverside Junior High, took the silver medal at the same championship meet, in 3 Meter Synchronized Diving. Natalie shared the honor with her diving partner, Molly Hampton, who is a student in Washington Township. Natalie is relatively new to diving, having started the sport about 2 ½ years ago.

–The board was briefed on plans for new signs to be installed around the HSE High School complex.  The program will take 3 years to complete.  It will be funded through parking fees.

–HSE Schools Chief Financial Officer Mike Reuter gave the board a presentation on how the school corporation goes about awarding contracts for professional services.

–The board approved a contract with Washington Township Schools for access to the J Everett Light Career Center.  The agreement is available at this link.

–School Superintendent Allen Bourff described a recent meeting involving Hamilton Coutny School officials, a representative of Zionsvile Schools, State Senator Luke Kenley, and officials from Ivy Tech.  The subject was the future of career education.  Bourff said it was just the start of what will likely be a long process of looking at career options for Indiana students.

–Bourff also told the board that administrators are moving forward with enhancing the world languages program, but the earliest any enhancements could be rolled out would be next school year.

Nationwide Insurance Agent Scott Rhodes has decided not to pursue a rezone for his property at 138th Street and Cumberland Road.  Fishers Deputy Mayor Leah Mcgrath tells LarryInFishers Rhodes withdrew the rezone request in a written communication received by the city September 14th.

Rhodes’ current office building will be demolished to make way for development in the Downtown Fishers Nickel Plate District.  A residential rental house at 138th & Cumberland is owned by Rhodes.  He had asked the city to rezone the house and surrounding land from residential to commercial, and to annex the house into the City of Fishers.

Neighbors in the area spoke in opposition of the rezoning at the August 15th City Council session, arguing that the encroachment of a commercial property into their residential neighborhood would change the area.  They also voiced concern that if Rhodes were to sell the property, the new owner could ask the city for another rezoning to another use other than an insurance office building.

With the withdrawl of the rezoning request, it would appear the controversy is over.

The next school year at Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools will begin for students on August 9th, 2017, and end May 25th, 2018.  The HSE School Board approved the calendar by a 5-2 vote, with Karen Harmer and Sylvia Shepler casting no votes.

There will be a week-long fall break in 2017, October 16th-20th.  The last day of classes before winter break is December 20th, with classes resuming January 4th, 2018.  Spring break is March 30th-April 6th.

You can view the entire 2017-2018 HSE School Calendar at this link.

The Wheel Tax proposed by Mayor Scott Fadness is $25 per vehicle, not per wheel.  The mayor told the Fishers City Council Finance Committee Wednesday night that he has been asked time and time again since he made the proposal whether the $25 levy would apply to each wheel of the vehicle, and Fadness says no, the $25 tax would apply to all vehicles registered to Fishers residents when you buy or renew license plates.

Fadness is proposing the new tax to finance road maintenance work in Fishers.  The tax is projected to bring-in $2.5 million per year for city road maintenance.

The mayor will make the proposal as part of his budget presentation to the council on September 19th at the regular council session.  There will be a public hearing at that meeting.

Even if the City Council OKs the Wheel Tax this year, it would not take affect until 2018, due to state law.

The Fishers City Council Finance Committee passed a recommendation for the full council to raise the pay of council members from $12,000 to $19,000 per year.  The vote was 3-1, with Selina Stoller casting the no vote.  She preferred to create a system of expense reimbursement for council member expenses.

Meanwhile, City Clerk Jennifer Kehl had requested her $55,000 per year salary be increased by $20,000 in 2017.  Finance Committee members instead recommended a 3% increase in her pay, in line with the wage increase for city employees.

Ms. Kehl was clearly unhappy with the committee’s action on her pay, and asked members of the panel whether it is fair for council members to give  themselves a large pay increase and not her. Once the meeting concluded, the City Clerk immediately left the room.

Kehl also heads up the Fishers Freedom Festival and did not receive committee support for an increase in funding for that event.  She had asked that city financial support of the local summer event be nearly doubled for 2017 to $161,000 in order to finance the festival’s move from its long-time home at Holland Park to the downtown Nickel Plate District.  The panel voted to keep the city’s cash contribution of the festival at the same amount as 2016 – $85,000.  Kehl was not available for comment after the meeting, but Deputy Mayor Leah McGrath told LarryInFishers that the festival should go on without major problems with that funding level.

City Court Judge Dan Henke had asked the council committee members to keep his 2017 pay at the same rate, but to add him to the city’s family health insurance plan.  Finance Committee members voted not to add a health insurance benefit for the judge, but will increase his pay $200 per month in order to help underwrite his insurance premiums. Judge Henke works about 2 days a week at the city court, and runs his own law practice. Judge Henke buys insurance as a self-employed person.

Mayor Scott Fadness told reporters at a recent budget briefing that he is asking for no pay increase for 2017.

The Finance Committee’s votes are recommendations.  Only the full council may vote on the final version of the city’s 2017 budget.  There will be a public hearing on the budget, including the salary ordinance, at the September 19th City Council session, set for 7pm at City Hall.  The final vote on the 2017 budget is expected at the October council session.

(NOTE: Earlier versions of this story said the Finance Committee will recommend raising council salaries to $19,500.  Finance Committee Chairman Eric Moeller tells LarryInFishers after  talking about a number of figures, the committee decided on a $7,000 raise for council members to $19,000.  LarryInFishers regrets the error.)

When the Carmel and Fishers Chambers of Commerce merged and called itself One Zone, one of the big questions centered on how the organization would handle the mayoral State of the City addresses and the State of the School speech.  Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard will give his State of the City address soon and Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness normally gives his State of the City address early in the year.

But the Carmel and Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Superintendents decided to provide a joint tag-team version of the State of the Schools address.  On September 14th, HSE schools chief Allen Bourff & Carmel  Superintendent Nicholas Wahl gave a briefing on the state of their respective school systems.

There was no new ground broken in the presentation.  It was a reminder of how the city mayors and voters in each community have stepped forward to support the local school systems.

Superintendent Bourff was introduced by HSE student Rahil Thanawala, who experimented with Alzheimer’s disease therapies when his grandmother was afflicted with that awful condition.

Fishers City Council members will once again be asked to approve a deal with the developer Citimark, remaking the old Charles Schwab Call Center in Fishers, which has been vacant for about five years.  At the August council session, the deal was delayed on a 5-4 vote.  Council members expressed general support for the deal, but a majority asked for a delay to review the details of the contract.

Mayor Scott Fadness says there will be some “slight changes to address some of the concerns of council members.”

The mayor is very upbeat about the proposal.

“I remain very optimistic that we can get this building, that sat vacant for over five years, back in a productive fashion,” Fadness said.  “I’m optimistic that we’ll get it moving through, moving forward.”

Citimark plans to purchase the vacant former Schwab call center building at 12115 Technology Lane, as well as the Launch Fishers building, to create a campus that anchors the certified tech park.

Mayor Scott Fadness briefed local news reporters on his 2017 city budget proposal to be unveiled formally at the September 19th City Council meeting.  The total spending plan from the mayor will total $85.3 million, $71.2 million for operations and $14.16 million going toward debt service.   Fadness said the city is planning $47 million for cash reserves at the end of 2017.  The city’s General Fund is projected to be $51.8 million in 2017, compared to $51.3 million in 2016.

He’s incorporating plans for 10 new city workers next year…4 new police officers, 4 new firefighters and 2 laborers for the Department of Public Works.

The mayor reiterated many proposals first made at an August city council retreat.

Fadness expects the local city tax rate to rise to 1.5 or 2 cents per $100 of assessed property tax valuation.  Last year’s Fishers city tax rate rose 1 cent.  City Controller Oscar Guiterrez was quick to point out that Fishers has the lowest property tax rate among the largest 15 cities in Indiana.

The mayor also reminded reporters that Fishers is the only city in the State of Indiana with a AAA Standard & Poor’s bond rating, which allows borrowing at a lower rate.

The proposal for a new police headquarters was first reported at this link.  The new HQ will have a secure parking garage for police vehicles.  The mayor is hoping to break ground on this building by the first of the year in 2017, assuming the city council goes along.

The mayor’s plan to ask the council for a wheel tax to finance road maintenance was first reported at this link.  The tax would be implemented no earlier than 2018 if council members sign on to the idea.  The mayor said this money allows the city to better maintain the current roads.  The wheel tax is projected to generate $2.5 million annually in road maintenance funds for the city.

“If we get that, and we continue to be disciplined fiscally and we invest in our resurfacing,” Fadness said, “I think we can get down to a relatively sustainable resurfacing program that people can expect that their roads will be held in a high standard.”

The mayor talked about ongoing road construction projects:

–The 106th Street interchange with I-69 is scheduled to be open by the end of November this year.

–106th Street and Cumberland Road will open this year.

–In 2017, the final extension of 116th Street from the Target Shopping Center to Cumberland to a three lane street.

–State Road 37 is underway, the survey is complete.  Design work is happening now.  Ground breaking is expected in 2018.

–96th Street & Cumberland Road had a roundabout completed this year, in 2017 a roundabout will be constructed at 96th Street & Lantern Road, then in the following year 96th Street will go to four lanes between those two roundabout locations.  Once that is completed, 96th Street will be a four-lane road from I-69 east to Cumberland Road.

–A road rehabilitation is planned for 113th Street.

–The Community Crossings grant provides $1 million to Fishers and  will allow the resurfacing of 116th Street from the White River to I-69 in 2017.

City employees will receive a 3% increase in pay next year.  Fadness said there will be no increase in his salary for 2017, but council members are mulling higher compensation for themselves, the city clerk and the city judge.  Judge Dan Henke asked the City Council Finance Committee to add health insurance benefits to his compensation package.

The city is planning for a fire department training facility, much smaller than a proposed county facility that was rejected by the Hamilton County Council.  The mayor is asking $97,000 from the council for this project.  The fire training location would be housed at the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

The city public works building is set for a $500,000 renovation from the general fund.

The Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation will be placing 8 local high school seniors on the board of directors.  The foundation news release below provides the details.

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Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation (HSSF) is expanding leadership opportunities for local students. Beginning this year, the HSSF will welcome eight high school seniors to serve on the organization’s Board of Directors. The seats, divided evenly between FHS and HSEHS, will be open to juniors and seniors.

HSSF President, Tim McCoy offers, “Student engagement has always been a goal of the Foundation. The expansion of additional student board seats provides a greater opportunity for student voice, but also great succession planning for the organization.” As members of the Board of Directors, students will gain experience in philanthropy, community service and leadership while offering the organization insight from a key stakeholder group.

This type of student involvement caught the eye of Fishers City Councilmen Eric Moeller and Todd Zimmerman. The duo has created an innovative philanthropic fund to allow students to administer and award micro grants to teachers and schools. “This is a win-win opportunity. Students gain practical experience through service learning and the funds benefit our hard working teachers,” says Zimmerman. Moeller agrees, “We know that HSE Schools are cultivating future leaders and residents of Fishers. We wanted to create a program that would encourage students to think critically about tough decisions, current needs, and planning for the future.”

According to Freedom Kolb, Executive Director, “This type of real-world, hands on experience compliments the districts HSE21 effort. Students have so much to contribute to the Foundation and to the community as both decision makers and change agents. Who better to ask about how to invest dollars toward impact?” Student Board Members will attend orientation on August 6 and kick off their board service on August 18.