With the City of Fishers planning a new arts center as part of a new city hall complex, the Arts & Culture Commission is signaling it wants to be part of the process.

The city’s Director of Public Relations, Ashley Elrod, provided a brief summary of the city’s process to construct a new city hall with an arts center as part of that complex.  Arts & Culture Commission President David Decker asked Ms. Elrod how involved the commission can be in the new arts center.

That will be driven by which group is selected to handle construction and programming for the new arts center.  Elrod said the commission can be involved in the work of the consultants for the project once that team is selected.

“Let’s keep an open door for us on that,” Decker said.  “I think we would probably want to be involved in making sure that some of the…feedback we get from the Creative Council and the other surveys gets put into action.”

The city had an RFP (request for proposals) recently close for a team to plan for the construction and potential programming for an arts center.  The team to handle the project is expected to be named soon.

The commission welcomed a new member at the Wednesday evening meeting.  Ben Yoder, orchestra teacher at HSE Intermediate/Junior High, replaces HSE High School Social Studies teacher Jamie Follis as a commission member.

The announcement Sunday evening that the longest-serving council member in Fishers, David George, was resigning from his city council seat, was a surprise to many.  Here are some of my thoughts on covering Mr. George as a reporter, and on one candidate that plans to put his hat in the ring to succeed him.

During my 14 years working in the broadcasting business, I worked around a number of engineers.  One thing I discovered quickly is that engineers often look at problems and solutions differently than others.  I found that to be a good thing.

On both the town council, and later the city council, David George, an engineer, was often the one with a different analysis and take on any vote.  He always explained why he was voting, particularly if his vote was no.

One example of David’s dedication to council responsibilities came on the vote over a rezone of the proposed Cumberland Cottages housing development, planned for an area just south of 141st on Cumberland Road.  The local housing nonprofit HAND is handling that project.

As council members explained their positions, the vote count was 4 in favor & 4 against.  David George was the ninth and deciding vote remaining.  Councilor George had taken the time to drive around the day before the vote and look at several HAND housing developments in the area, some as much as 10 years old.

David George found all the HAND projects he checked to be in excellent condition and a credit to their neighborhoods.  He voted yes and the vote was 5-4, allowing the housing development to move forward.

There are many more examples, too many for listing here.

I found David George to be a council member that communicated regularly with his constituents in the Southwest council district.  Anytime I had a question or requested a comment, he always responded.

For those reasons, and many more, I will miss David George on the Fishers City Council.  The council itself is losing the member with the longest institutional memory, having served on the council (town & city) for the past 19 years.

I wish David George all the best in life after the council.  19 years is a long time to serve in any elected office.

So, the next question is this – who will be the next city council member for the Southwest District?  One name has been floated.

Mark Bowen, a former Hamilton County Sheriff and now a Captain in the Sheriff’s Department, confirmed to LarryInFishers that he intends to be a candidate when the Republican caucus meets to select the person to fill-out the remainder of Mr. George’s term, which runs through December 31, 2023.

The Hamilton County Republican Chair, Laura Campbell, has 30 days to call a caucus of precinct officials in the Southwest District.  That vote will determine the person that will serve on the Southwest District council seat.

The next city election will take place in 2023.

It is possible that other candidates may come forward for the caucus vote, but Mark Bowen appears to be the first to confirm he plans to run.

Terre-Haute based Thompson Thrift came up with the plan to create what was originally labeled The Yard, later changed to Fishers District, as a retail area with an emphasis on restaurants, along with a hotel.  Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness bought into the concept.  Later, the plan became mixed-use when residential property was added.

Fishers District has survived the pandemic, which hit shortly after the retail part opened.  Now that the complex is thriving, Thompson-Thrift announced Monday that it is selling Fishers District to JVM Realty, a Chicago firm.

“Fisher’s District is a unique and exciting destination that reflects the ingenuity of each of Thompson Thrift’s three business units and a project that we believe will be a lasting asset to the Fishers community,” said Ashlee Boyd, managing partner, Thompson Thrift Retail Group, in a company news release. “The thriving project is a premiere regional destination offering innovative dining, living, and entertainment options that matches the city’s vision for a development that accurately represents Fishers as one of the best places to live in America.”

Location has been a key to the success of Fishers District, nestled near I-69 and 116^th Street, just a short walk to Ikea and Top Golf. The central green space is still known as The Yard. The 105,000 square feet of retail space is 100% leased and features a number of local and national retail services, as well as many restaurants, such as the St. Elmo 1933 Lounge, Sun King Brewery, and Fishers Test Kitchen, a city-supported, culinary-incubator that allows up-and-coming chefs to develop new concepts in a shared location that seats 350 people and features a rooftop deck.

The longest-serving member of the Fishers Council, David George, announced he is resigning his seat after 19 years of service as an elected official, first on the Fishers Town Council and later on the City Council.

“This is due to an increased workload with my day job and an increased number of hours needed for constituent services for the residents in my district,” Councilor George wrote in a Sunday evening Facebook post. “I have been contemplating this decision for most of this year, but waited until now so that as a member of the finance committee I could assist with the 2022 budget.”

Mr. George cites several accomplishments during his tenure as a local elected council member, including the city’s AAA bond rating, the Nickel Plate Amphitheater and road improvements.  His background as a civil engineer was valuable in his approach to many decisions made during Mr. George’s time on the council.

“Last, I wanted to thank the professionalism of all City staff particularly the police, fire and public works who are now nationally accredited,” George wrote.

It will now be up to Republican precinct committeemen and committeewomen in the council Southwest District to meet and vote on a person to serve the remainder of Councilor George’s term, which ends December 31, 2023.  The next city election will be held in 2023.

There is a reason the number of posts on my blog the past week have not been as frequent.  Here’s why.

My wife Jane and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary May 11th of this year.  We wanted to return to Las Vegas where we traveled after our wedding day.

The problem in May was this – Vegas was just beginning to reopen.  Many shows were closed and restaurants were just beginning to reopen.

So, we decided to wait.  That led to our anniversary trip postponement to last week.  Let’s say it was well worth the wait.

We saw shows, visited restaurants and just soaked up the fast paced atmosphere of the Las Vegas Strip.

Jane and I are back in Fishers now.  It may have taken a few months to finish our 30th wedding anniversary, but we enjoyed this trip together.

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools are preparing for bringing a new elementary school online and need to redraw some elementary student boundary lines, but don’t call it redistricting.  School officials are labeling the project as “redefining boundary lines.”

Administrators Kim Lippe and Katy Dowling told the school board Wednesday night that the redrawing of student attendance lines will impact as few students as possible, and only in the area near the under-construction Deer Creek Elementary building in Wayne Township, to the extent possible.  Lippe and Dowling said the term “redistricting” might be construed as a district-wide plan, where HSE plans to minimize the number of students impacted and will strive to keep neighborhoods together to the extent possible.

Deer Creek will replace Durbin Elementary, which cannot be expanded at the current location due to the lack of suitable utility hookups, such as water and sewer.  The school corporation has said in the past that it plans to keep the Durbin building for uses other than an elementary school.

Durbin has about 350 students and Deer Creek will have a capacity of roughly 750 students.  Lippe and Dowling say Deer Creek will be at 80% capacity at the opening, allowing for expected growth in the Wayne Township area.  Deer Creek is projected to welcome the first elementary students and staff in the fall of 2022.

Southeastern Elementary has exceeded expected student population, with portable classrooms in use.  Dowling told the board one goal is to avoid portable classrooms.

Administrators provided a timeline and other information on the formulation of new boundaries, and can be seen at this link.

Dowling added that there will be meetings scheduled with people in the school buildings impacted before the board considers the administration proposal in November, but those meeting dates have not been finalized.

HSE Schools Superintendent Yvonne Stokes said that families have asked about an option to remain in their current elementary building.  That is possible, Dr. Stokes said, but it will depend on all the building capacity numbers.  Dr. Stokes added that the goal is to keep Deer Creek at no more than 600 students in the first school year.

Per the schedule presented, the board will have a final proposal on the new boundaries in December.

In other school board news from the September 22 session:

–Dowling presented a budget timeline for the board.  The budget will be publicly advertised on October 1, and available on the schools Web site (hseschools.org) along with other platforms.  A public hearing will be held at the October 13 board meeting, with a final board vote on the 2022 spending plan expected October 27.  The legal deadline to enact a budget is November 1.

–The board gave final approval to board policies on gifts and technology.  Suzanne Thomas was the only no vote on the technology section, citing concerns about parental notification on student data collection.

–Dr. Stokes informed the board that the transportation department is fully staffed, but could still use 10-15 more school bus drivers to even out more routes.  There are roughly 15 job openings in food services.

–Dillon O’Rourke, a freshman at HSE High School, was featured in Snapshots of Success.  Dillon started his own business,  D1 Customs.  With time on his hands during the pandemic, Dillon started researching artists and shoe customizers.  He has now turned this into his own business.  He has created over 40 unique, customized shoes for local business owners, HSE staff and students, as well as a professional athlete, and plans to continue with the enterprise.

We may be more than a month away from Halloween, but the Fishers Police Department is wasting no time in announcing Trick or Treat hours for the city.  On Sunday, October 31, 2021, the Fishers Halloween Trick or Treat hours will be 6:00pm to 8:00pm.

Police Chief Ed Gebhart shares the following tips with local residents, per a department news release:

·         Give and accept pre-packaged candy only. Homemade treats should not be handed out or consumed.

·         Only go to houses that you know the owner.

·         Have children bring treats home for adult inspection before they are eaten.

·         A parent or adult should accompany children when they are trick-or-treating.

·         Carry a flashlight.

·         Stay within your neighborhood; only visit homes where the porch lights are on, indicating a home that is handing out treats.

·         Choose costumes that are flame retardant.

·         Wear light-colored clothing, short enough to prevent tripping.  Add reflective tape to dark colored costumes.

·         Watch for vehicle traffic and use caution when crossing the street.

Police cars will be patrolling the neighborhoods to help ensure everyone’s safety.  If you see or find anything suspicious, please immediately call 911.

After a spring and summer season in-person, the Fishers Farmers Market will go online for the fall season.  The first online market will be  October 2 and the last one will be December 7.

Orders will be accepted through noon on Wednesdays for free Friday home delivery.  You can place orders at this link.

Here is the list of vendors planning to participate in the online Fishers Farmers Market:

Continue reading Fall Fishers Farmers Market goes online →

Monica Heltz, Public Health Director for the Fishers Health Department, could not attend Monday night’s city council meeting, but provided information showing roughly 80% of eligible Fishers residents have received at least one COVID vaccine shot.  She also says positive COVID cases in Fishers remain high, but have been declining over the past 2 weeks.  With final FDA approval expected soon involving booster COVID vaccinations for those over 65 and those with specific medical conditions, the health department is already gearing-up for that vaccination campaign.

In other business, council members gave final approval to the bonds financing the city’s acquisition of HSE Utilities sewer operations within the city of Fishers.  The $90 million transaction is before state regulators and city officials say they hope to take over those utility assets by January 1, 2022.

Finally, Police Chief Ed Gebhart recognized a member of his department for long-time service.  Todd Crowder was honored for 30 years with the department.  Also, civilian police department volunteer Art Hennig was recognized as the recipient of the Golden Hoosier Award from the office of Lieutenant Governor.

Keep Fishers Beautiful is a spring and fall endeavor, with a few programs ongoing year-round.

The city of Fishers has announced several fall programs, including the always-popular Recycling Day.

Here is an update on Keep Fishers Beautiful, as provided by the city of Fishers:

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