A new sports complex may be coming to the Saxony area of Fishers after all.  The project has been on hold since the initial announcement in 2015.  Mayor Scott Fadness told the Fishers City Council Finance Committee Wednesday evening that the revised project will be much the same as the original one, with two major changes.  The new plan will not contain an arena or a parking garage.  The new proposed site will be on the other side of Olio Road, away from the residential area.

The city would lease space for community use.

The mayor emphasized to the Finance Committee that the new financing package for this complex will consist of a special revenue bond.  The bond will go through the Fishers Economic Development Commission only because parts of the project will be eligible for tax exempt financing, but the mayor made clear the city will not back these bonds, and that it will be up to the developer and the bank handling the transaction to sell these debt instruments on the open market.

“In no way, shape or form, do those bonds or the financial obligations that come with them, have anything to do with City of Fishers,” Fadness told members of the Finance Committee.  “So we are not on the hook in any way, shape or form for the debt associated with this project.”

The matter will go before the Fishers City Council Monday night.

Turning to yet another project, the city is proposing a $7 million upgrade to the downtown Amphitheater.

“We are a victim of our own success,” Mayor Fadness said, on the need for these upgrades.

This will include a redesign of the parking configuration for Amphitheater events.  The mayor described plans to move the stage further out to allow for more arts events, such as plays and space for an orchestra, and align the roof of the Amphitheater consistent with those changes.

The city will be under a tight timeline to complete this construction in time for next year’s programs.  Fadness expects to begin the project just after the annual “Boo Bash” Halloween costume party.  begin construction then, and have the facility ready by the middle of May, 2018.  “We should be praying for a mild winter,” said Fadness, so the project will be done on time.

The city has hired an architectural firm for this project and the mayor is hoping to have designs ready soon for council members to review.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness described his 2018 budget proposal Wednesday evening with the City Council Finance Committee as a sort of bucket game.  The state requires cities to utilize a variety of separate funds one could describe as “buckets” of money for the city to use.

Mayor Fadness spent the most amount of time talking about the largest of those “buckets,” the General Fund.  The city is projected to begin 2018 with a General Fund cash balance of more than $15.4 million.  Projected revenues that year bring the revenue total for 2018 exceeding $54.8 million.  With projected expenses at just under $54.26 million, that leaves a surplus in that fund of more than $614,000.  The largest single expenditure in the 2018 budget estimate will pay personnel costs of just under $27.3 million.  The budget projection shows the city with a $16 million cash balance  in the General Fund at the end of 2018.

Under the mayor’s spending plan, city employees would receive a 5% across the board pay increase.  He also is looking to increase the city staff by about 16 positions, including 3 sworn police officers and 3 additional firefighters.  That proposal does not include a proposal for salary increases on behalf of the city’s elected officials…the Finance Committee may have a recommendation on that issue by the end of August.

Employees would receive a city match for contributions made to the 457 plan (a government retirement savings plan much like a private sector 401(k)).  The city match would be no more than $1,000 in one year.

The mayor reviewed a number of other money “buckets,” including those earmarked for road construction and maintenance, as well as sewer and storm water services.

The General Fund tax rate is projected to increase about 1.5 cents per $100 of assessed property valuation next year.

In describing his 2018 budget, Fadness told the Finance Committee “…as a whole, it’s just really taking care of our people, adding additional staff in key areas and then we’re just maintaining the assets we have.  We’re doing all of that, sound investing in our community, while, I think, keeping a pretty low tax implication on our residents.”

It is already time to start thinking about one of the biggest events of the year in Fishers – the Mudsock Football Game!  On Friday, September 8th, Reynolds Tiger Stadium at Fishers High School will be the place for this year’s big game.  Once again, the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation is offering you a special way to watch the game

The foundation will be offering special VIP seating at one end zone.  It costs $50 and qualifies as a charitable contribution, and includes the price of both the game ticket and the VIP pass,.

The game recognizes teachers of the year for 21 local schools, raises funds for the foundation (HSSF), and is the culmination of the annual PastaBowl drive benefiting local food pantries.

Visit www.hsefoundation.org to reserve your place in in the VIP section.  Each Mudsock VIP ticket purchase also is a free entry into National Bank of Indianapolis Best Seat in the House contest and the Ed Martin Nissan VIP Parking drawing.  Don’t wait too long.  The VIP seating is expected to sell out.

KI is the sponsor of this year’s event.  Those in the VIP section will enjoy complimentary goodies from Coca-Cola, Moe’s Southwest Grill, LouVinos, PotBelly Sandwiches, Chic-Fil-A, Commercial Foods, Marcos Pizza and Sundaes in the Citizens State Bank hospitality tent.

There is an old saying that there is no such thing as a free lunch.  That may still be true, but if you hold up your hand and choose to volunteer September 9th, there is a free lunch and T-shirt in store for you.  The fall Keep Fishers Beautiful volunteer opportunity has all that and much more.

The theme is “Roadways and Waterways.”  Here is what is planned for this 8am-noon project:

 — Individuals or groups interested in volunteering with the White River Clean Up, are encouraged to register in advacne or on site the morning of the event. Volunteers of all ages are welcome, but parental supervision is required during the event.

–Individuals or groups interested in completing work in other areas will be charged with projects along various roads in Fishers. Additional details, including specific locations, will be disclosed closer to the event….Pre-registration is appreciated by August 28^th and can be completed by emailing Dan Domsic or calling him at (317) 595-3151. Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older.

“A climate of collaboration within Fishers is something I’m in strong favor of creating and maintaining,” said Mayor Scott Fadness in a city news release. “Perhaps the ultimate testament of that collaboration is Keep Fishers Beautiful. The event hosts volunteers, business owners, employees, residents, and other community organizations, all working to make Fishers the most vibrant community it can be.”

The city furnishes all the supplies.  Groups are encouraged to sign-up together.

Lindsey Erdody of the Indianapolis Business Journal is reporting today (Wednesday) that the long-dormant Saxony area sports complex, announced with much fanfare in 2015, but stuck in financing issues, may happen after all.  The location is a bit different and the project will not be quite as big compared to the plans in 2015

For the details, read Lindsey’s story at this link.  (Note:  If you are not an IBJ subscriber, you may be limited as to how many stories you may access per month) .

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

The Hamilton County Voter Registration Board, a quasi-independent, two-member board consisting of one Republican and one Democrat, has been eliminated in order to bring the two members under the jurisdiction of the County Clerk, where all other election administration is handled. The registration board members were appointees of the two party chairmen and answered to them rather than any elected official.

County Commissioners voted Monday to do away with the board because all county employees need to be guided “by the same rules,” said Commissioner Steve Dillinger. “There has been no problem, it’s just the right way to operate, it was my idea and the other commissioners agreed,” he said.

The state legislature established voter registration boards in 2004. More recently the law was amended to allow counties to essentially opt out of the separate registration office. Some counties have abolished the boards while others continue to maintain them.

County Democratic Chairman Joe Weingarten is critical of the commissioners’ action, and said neither of the major political party chairmen were consulted. He worries that a Republican clerk would not now be required to have a Democrat involved in registration. Dillinger confirmed that the political leadership was not consulted, but said the action was not taken for political reasons. It is purely a personnel matter, he said.

Republican Chairwoman Laura Campbell confirmed she was not notified in advance, but believes the move “makes sense from a Human Resources point of view.” She said having the County Clerk “supervising a county employee is fine with me.”

County Clerk Tammy Baitz who now assumes supervisory authority over voter registration, said she did not suggest the action taken by commissioners. She has said there would be no changes in personnel or location of the registration office.

It is housed in the lower level of the Government and Judicial Center and processes all registrations, making sure voters are in the correct precinct and notifying voters of any change in their polling place. By law, the clerk is the chief election officer of the county.

The Hamilton County Democratic Party is criticizing Hamilton County Commissioners for voting unanimously on August 14th to abolish the Hamilton County Board of Voter Registration.  The action moves the board’s responsibilities to the Hamilton County Clerk’s office.

The party news release quotes Hamilton County Clerk Tammy Baitz as saying nothing will change in the administration of elections as a result of this action.

“While she has said nothing will change, I fear this is the start of a long term effort to limit voters in the county,” said Democratic County Chairman Joe Weingarten in the news release. “What worries me the most is that a new Clerk could remove the Democratic workers and starts a process of voter intimidation and efforts to limit certain voters in a partisan way, or even to start to remove voters from the rolls on a partisan basis”.

County Democrats argue that this action may be an effort at voter suppression due to the 5% increase in the number of Democrats receiving votes in the last county election.

County Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt says Commissioner Steve Dillinger made this recommendation in his capacity as adviser to the Personnel Committee after discussions with attorney Mike Howard.  The recommendation was to put county employees under the supervision of the County Clerk as opposed to the board.

The site was the Hagerman Group Building in Fishers, and the One Zone
Chamber of Commerce (merged Fishers & Carmel Chambers) sponsored an awards event featuring Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly.  The U.S. Chamber of Commerce handed Senator Donnelly its Spirit of Enterprise Award, lauding the senator for voting with the chamber 88% of the time, measured by key Senate votes.

Senator Donnelly talked at length about the “economic boom” in Fishers and how it has impacted communities nearby.  He said the city of Anderson has found that many people with ties to that area are working in Fishers and staying close to friends and family by living in the Anderson area.

“Your (Fishers) success has touched so many other communities, that reach has spread out everywhere,” Donnelly told the Chamber audience.

The senator complimented local leaders in creating the “extraordinary” economic success Fishers has experienced.  “What you did was hard work, what you did was just keep your head down, plan and build,” said Donnelly.  “At the end of the day, what you’ve done has been made it so that all of our young people want to stay here.”

Senator Donnelly touched on a number of other issues during his One Zone Chamber talk:

–He plans to work with his Republican colleague Lamar Alexander to fix the health care marketplaces after the Affordable Care Act repeal failed in the Senate.

–He wants to work on tax reform but explained how difficult it can be to form enough support to enact any specific tax plan.

–The senator plans to continue working on making federal regulation more “sensible.”

–He spoke at length about his subcommittee assignment that deals with North Korea, and his blunt message to Chinese officials in a recent visit there that a solution must be found to diffuse that situation.  But he assured the crowd that the American military is ready to take on any challenges, including threats made against the U.S. territory of Guam.

–He touched on the situation last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia and the threat to the nation posed by neo-Nazi groups.

–Discussed the challenges of funding road infrastructure projects through the gasoline tax when vehicles are much more fuel-efficient, and some use no gasoline at all.

IKEA fans of central Indiana have the news they have been awaiting….the Fishers store will open October 11th!  See the WTRH story at this link.

Now that the owners of the Nickel Plate Rail Line (including Fishers) have decided to transform it to a trail from downtown Noblesville south to 96th Street, one question people around Fishers have asked is this – how long will the stop signs on the roadways crossing the rail line remain?

Jason Meyer, a member of the Fishers Board of Works and Public Safety, asked that question of city Engineering Director Jeff Hill, and the answer is no, at least for now.  Hill told board members Monday afternoon that City Attorney Chris Greisl recommends keeping the stop signs as is until there is action by the Surface Transportation Board.  Once the Rail Banking process is further along, the city will look into removing those signs.

In the meantime, motorists will be expected to make a complete stop at each rail crossing stop sign.

In other board of works news, the fire department will buy a new ambulance to be placed at Station 94, located at Cumberland Road and 106th Street.  The new vehicle will cost $197,982.