This continues to be another busy summer season for road construction in and around Fishers.

Here is the latest update, as provided by the City of Fishers.

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Many months ago, in the darkest days of the COVID pandemic, the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board passed a resolution saying the board had jurisdiction over handling pandemic related issues, such as remote vs. in-person learning and mask requirements.  Wednesday night, the board unanimously gave that authority back to the school superintendent.

Board member Suzanne Thomas said this resolution is about who makes decisions, and she has confidence that the new superintendent, Dr. Yvonne Stokes, will make the right decisions.

Board member Sarah Donsbach reminded everyone that this resolution simply returns the process to where it was before.

“Thank you for the vote, and the trust,” Dr. Stokes said following the action.  “I want the public to know I do believe in collaboration, we are a team.”

Board President Janet Pritchett said at the end of the meeting that on COVID protocols, “we will hear more from that.”

Dr. Stokes reminded the public that anyone planning to enroll their student in HSE Schools for the first time should go through the enrollment process.  The first day of school for students in August 4th.

After covering the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board for more than 9-and-a-half years, I have never witnessed anything like what transpired at the meeting Wednesday night.

It began as an agenda item over one appointment the HSE Board is allowed to the Hamilton East Library Board.  The current appointee, Brian Meyer, has been the board appointee for 12 years and is willing to serve another four years.  Mr. Meyer gave a presentation to the board and answered questions.

Then, there was public comment.  Board President Janet Pritchett cautioned the audience that any comments must be related to the appointment, not other issues.  Some speakers tried to comment on the books in the library, and board president Pritchett insisted the comments be limited to the appointment only.

Then one member of the public began reading from a book, it was unclear whether it came from the Hamilton East Library Fishers branch, about a transgender child’s story.  The speaker was objecting to the content.  Pritchett once again insisted the speaker not veer from the agenda item of the appointment, but the speaker began raising her voice, even after her microphone was cutoff.

Pritchett than called a recess and board members left the meeting room, as the crowd recited in unison, “we ban you.”  The audience continued their loud response after the board left.

Board members Brad Boyer and Suzanne Thomas tried to explain to those in attendance that this is not the time for this issue to be discussed but Boyer said he would meet with a group of people to hear their concerns.  Ryan Taylor, Director of Staff and Student Support Services for HSE Schools, then explained to the audience the board will only return to the board room with assurances the meeting would not be disrupted.

The board returned, and board president Pritchett announced public comment would be suspended for the remainder of the Wednesday session.  There were no more meeting disruptions after that announcement, although some audience members left the meeting room at that time.

Pritchett said anyone interested in being appointed to the Hamilton East Library Board should notify the school district.  The appointment is scheduled to be made at the August 11th board meeting.  Pritchett says the state statute says the school board president is empowered to make this library board appointment.

The City of Fishers and HSE Schools have partnered in many ways for the years, but a new cooperative effort was announced Wednesday, for second-grade students.  The city’s AgriPark.

Motorists in Fishers received some good news from the city Wednesday…all four lanes of 116th Street are now open downtown at the Nickel Plate Trail tunnel.

The construction crew beat the projected opening date of August 1.  Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness and Meyer Najem Construction senior project manager Matt Shultz complimented the crews and engineers for completing the work ahead of schedule.

However, construction in that area is not totally done.  Here are more details from the city news release:

Construction in the area related to the downtown development projects will impact the roadway at various times in August and September. Beginning the week of August 9, lane restrictions will be in effect on 116th Street for final asphalt surface placement at the Nickel Plate Trail. Access to Fishers Center Drive from 116th Street will be closed for gas line relocation from 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and tie-in work the weeks of August 9 and September 6. Access to Municipal Drive from Lantern Road will be closed the week of August 30 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. for additional gas line relocation. Detour routes will be publicized ahead of those closures. 

Adam, Alec & Larry talk about the much-anticipated film from Disney, Jungle Cruise, along with three other new films.

For many of us, the authority figures we knew growing up made a big impression on us.  For me one of those authority figures was a Catholic pastor at the school I attended all 8 years of grade school.

That man’s name was Matthew Herold.  He led the parish and the school I attended in the 1950s and 1960s.  And he was a very controversial man.

He did not believe anyone should ever arrive late for the Mass.  If he started Mass and saw someone walk into the church, Father Herold would stop and yell at the person for showing up late.

He was known to have quite a temper and I was occasionally on the other end of his many tirades.  As you can see, Father Herold had his own views on just about everything.

One view he held left most people dumbfounded, including my dad.  Father Herold said amateur sports should never be on television.  He wasn’t even in favor of amateurs playing before large crowds.

He asserted this in a state that was crazy about high school and college sports, especially basketball.  He would talk about watching professional sports on TV, but never any other sporting events.

Father Herold argued that it wasn’t right to put so much pressure on amateur athletes at the high school and college level.  He did not think that limelight was good for the mental health of those in sports.

What brought back memories of Father Herold was the story of Simone Biles.  She has been described as perhaps the greatest gymnast ever and was performing in this year’s Olympic games in Tokyo.

As most of you know by now, Simone Biles dropped out of the Olympics in mid-stream, citing mental health issues.  She had posted a Twitter message the day before saying she felt the pressure of the entire world on her shoulders.  It was just too much for her to bear.

I wish Simone Biles the very best.  At age 24 she has a lot of life ahead of her.  Mental health issues can be treated and I hope Ms. Biles gets the treatment she needs.

But all this brought me back to Father Mathew Herold.  We all thought he was nuts to say that amateur athletes have too much pressure.

Now, as I approach my 70th birthday, I have to go back and think about this.  Was Father Matthew Herold right after all?  I don’t know.  But it gives me a lot to mull over in my mind.

Fishers is poised to begin a housing study, an outgrowth the of city’s revised comprehensive plan.  The Board of Works and Public Safety has approved Urban Planners, a firm headquartered in Philadelphia, to conduct the housing study.

Mayor Scott Fadness questioned Planning & Zoning Director Megan Schaefer about the length of the contract, which calls for the study to take 8 months to complete.

“To really complete the comprehensive housing study, for what we are requesting, and to help with the fiscal analysis of build-out for our city, that is a reasonable time (compared) to the other proposals we received,” said Schaefer.  “I wish it was a shorter timeline, I was hoping to get it done by the end of the year, but for the quality of the report, 8 months is what (Urban Planners) is proposing.”

Board member Jeff Lantz described the cost of the study as “very reasonable,” considering the depth of the project.  The contract calls for the city to pay no more than $50,000 for the study.

The study will include, at a minimum, the following:

–The City’s housing stock (past, present, & future)

–Fishers’ housing market comparison to comparable communities and national
averages

–An analysis of the remaining undeveloped land and potential buildout

–Factors impacting housing attainment & preservation.

–Housing density and its impacts on the community such as school enrollment,
emergency services, infrastructure, and property tax revenues.

Verizon took a pause in asking for 5G tower installations in Fishers neighborhoods for several months, but that is about to change.  Mayor Scott Fadness says Verizon will be back with 5G tower approval requests before the Fishers Board of Works and Public Safety beginning in August.

City Attorney Chris Greisl told board members the meetings, which have been on Tuesdays at 3:00pm in recent months, will move to a 9am start time in August, at least through October.

Based on a meeting held with Homeowners Association (HOA) presidents and city officials June 30th, the following neighborhoods are next in line to have 5G towers installed:

Canyon Ridge

Cherry Hill Farms

Harrison Green

Harrison Woods

Lantern Farms

Lantern Overlook

Northfield Estates

Generally, the city has limited legal authority to change tower locations within a neighborhood, based on state and federal laws.  However, attempts to prevent towers from obstructing views and placing them in common areas wherever possible, can be made by city officials as part of the process.

The City of Fishers is set to acquire 98 acres of land along the White River, north of 96th Street.  The parcel is part of the Craig W. Johnson Estate, which City Attorney Chris Greisl says has been “tangled” in legal issues among creditors for years.

The Estate’s personal representative has offered to convey the land if the city pays just over $3,100 in property taxes due.  Without that payment, the land would be subjected to a tax sale.  Griesl also says there is a period where objections can be filed with the deadline at the end of this week.

Development originally planned for that land going back as far as 2007 never happened.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for us to pick up 98 acres of park land for $3,000, based on just due diligence on a several-year-old economic development agreement,” said Mayor Scott Fadness. “It fits into a broader strategy that we have for this area.”

The mayor says this land fits into an overall comprehensive plan to connect to Heritage Park, along the White River at 106th street.  The mayor says there are no immediate plans for development of the 98 acres, but the city planning staff is looking at a regional concept centered on the White River.

The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety approved the conveyance at the Tuesday afternoon meeting.