Fishers has a tradition of planning several events tied to Disability Awareness Month in March, with the Disability Advisory Committee leading the way.  Two key members of that committee are Cecilia Coble and Kelly Hartman.  You can look at all this is planned using this link.

Cecilia & Kelly joined me for a podcast about Disability Awareness Month in Fishers.

Fishers has been receiving lots of attention from local news outlets lately, including the Indianapolis Star and local television newsrooms, about who owns single-family rental homes in Fishers.  A housing study released in January contains a ton of data, but one fact uncovered is the extent of large investment firms buying homes in Fishers to become rental properties.

Take a quick look at what the study found:

Fishers City Council President Todd Zimmerman has written social media posts saying he favors action to stem the tide of investment companies buying-up Fishers single-family homes and converting them to rental properties.  Mayor Scott Fadness says having large investment firms buying-up single-family homes robs families of wealth accumulation over time by pushing many of them out of the local housing market.

If there is a consensus that something needs to be done, the next question is – what should be done and what can be done under the law?  In a brief conversation after a recent Board of Works meeting, Mayor Fadness told me he has been conducting meetings with his staff and the city attorney, exploring options possible under Indiana law.

The mayor indicated to me that it may take a change in state law.  Remember, cities are subdivisions of the state, so Indiana state lawmakers have the final say, along with the governor, on what laws are and are not enacted or even allowed by local governments.

Indiana has a national reputation of favoring landlords over tenants.  The Indianapolis Star and other local news outlets have reported extensively on this issue.  Convincing the General Assembly to enact a law limiting rental properties will be a heavy lift.

Expect some reaction from Mayor Fadness and the Fishers City Council in response to data revealed in the housing study.  Let’s see exactly what is proposed  to deal with this single-family rental home ownership question.

It has been a long time since I studied International Politics as a college course, the mid-1970s to be more precise.  I had the same professor for Political Theory and International Relations.  He was a very good prof and I learned a lot in his classes.

One important concept embedded in me by those classes had to do with how one deals with an adversary.  To start, you must understand the other side.  What are their interests and what do they want?

Looking at today’s Russia, and the history of Russia that goes back hundreds of years, Russia feels surrounded.  The Russians were double-crossed by the Nazis in World War II and have had this paranoia about being attacked again.

It appears Russian autocratic leader Vladimir Putin is using that feeling of paranoia to invade Ukraine with the goal of occupying and ruling that democratic nation.  Ukraine became independent following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.  Ukraine was a part of Soviet Russia until the Soviet empire ended.

I recall an interesting television interview between an American journalist and an editor of a major newspaper in Ukraine a few weeks ago.  The Ukraine journalist said if you took a poll in his country before 2014, residents would have said they felt closer to Russia than the West.  After Russia’s occupation of Crimea, public opinion has shifted, the newspaper editor in Ukraine said.

So, Putin is partly responsible for the people of Ukraine moving away from Russia in general.  But a major reason Russia is making this radical move is tied to fears about Russia’s own security.

Public opinion in Ukraine favors membership in NATO.  Ukraine is not yet eligible for NATO membership and would not likely have that opportunity for several years.  But the mere possibility of that happening, and the general public support in Ukraine to join NATO, has triggered alarm bells for Putin and his small circle of advisors.

I am making no excuses for Putin and what he has done, but the West does need to find a way to deal with Russia’s security concerns.  But, Putin will soon see his concerns will not be addressed by an invasion of a European country for the first time since World War II.

The people of Ukraine have shown amazing grit and courage.  They face one of the largest, best-equipped armies in the world.  Yet, it is clear that most Ukrainians do not want to be ruled by Vladimir Putin.  They are willing to fight a much superior military power in order to prevent that.

We do not fully understand why Russia chose this invasion of Ukraine.  But the world needs to send a clear message to Vladimir Putin that invading a free, democratic nation will not achieve his goal of  Russian security.

The book “Let’s talk About It” has been moved from the teen section of the Hamilton East Library to the general nonfiction book collection.  The library board voted unanimously to reorganize the Teen Zone book collection.

At the February 4th board meeting, library staff was directed to review the “Let’s Talk About It” book due to its sexual content.  Library Director Edra Waterman recommended that the reorganization of the Teen Zone be conducted in response.  “Let’s Talk About It’ has been moved out of the Teen Zone to the general nonfiction book shelves.

13 people spoke at the Thursday afternoon board session, most wanting “Let’s Talk About It” to be moved out of the Teen Zone, with three saying the book should remain in the Teen Zone.

Waterman said the Teen Zone reorganization project will require  her librarian staff to review 12, 600 book titles by the end of June this year.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness and his appointees on the Board of Public Works and Safety continue to deny Verizon 5G towers, using criteria established by state law and city policies, where the towers obstruct views from homes in that neighborhood.

One tower in Sunblest Farms drew 4 speakers from the neighborhood in opposition to the tower, including an attorney representing the Home Owners Association (HOA).  An attorney from Verizon spoke, explaining why the tower could not be moved for technical reasons.

“I don’t view (the Sunblest Farms 5G tower) as an appropriate location for a 5G cell tower,” said Fadness.  “It’s smack-dab in the middle of what I can see as, at least four homes, that would be looking directly at that the tower.”

The board denied the request for the one Sunblest Farms tower up for consideration at the Thursday morning meeting.  The board went on the approve several towers in the Sunblest neighborhood while denying two additional 5G towers.

Here is the video version of my podcast with county officials about 146th Street & Allisonville Road.

The traffic congestion at 146th Street and Allisonville Road has been getting worse, and Hamilton County Commissioner said he and his fellow commissioners, Steve Dillinger and Christine Altman, have been working on funding an upgrade to the intersection.  County officials are preparing to construct major changes there.

I was not able to attend a recent public meetings on plans for the intersection, so 3 county officials were kind enough to join me for a podcast, discussing that project and a few other issues.  Here is the podcast with Commissioner Heirbrandt, County Highway Director Brad Davis and County Highway Engineer Jim Neal.

Kelly Hartman was so emotional it was difficult to speak before the Fishers City Council Monday night.  She, along with Councilor Cecilia Coble and many others, have been involved in working on assisting people in Fishers dealing with disabilities.

The City Council had before it a proposal for an ordinance officially establishing the advisory panel.  It was technically first reading, which would require another vote to formally approve the advisory body.

But the council can give final approval to an ordinance by suspending the rules with a unanimous vote.  That was done, with all council members voting together, providing the final approval to the Advisory Committee on Disabilities.

The city is now preparing for Disability Awareness Month in March with a number of events planned.

In other City Council news from Monday night:

–City employees Mike Cranfill and Wanda Crouch were honored for 20 years of service.

–Boy Scout Troop 109 was recognized for attending the council session as part of a badge-earning program.

A housing development rezoning on the northeast side of Fishers was given final approval Monday night by the Fishers City Council, after a spirited discussion, on a vote of 6-3.

The Courtyards of Fishers will consist of 50 single-family homes near the northwest corner of the intersection at 113th Street and Southeastern Parkway.

Councilor Brad DeReamer said the $650,000 estimated cost of each home will be $240 per square foot, which he considers high and not consistent with seniors looking to downsize.  He argued that developments presented to him in his 6 years on the council do not come under regular zoning rules, but are Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) which utilize their own zoning rules worked out with city planning staff.

DeReamer repeated an assertion he has made at previous public meetings.  “Developers are running Fishers,” DeReamer told the council.

Councilor Pete Peterson responded, saying PUDs are a good for Fishers.  He says developers and the city have worked well together, with staff pushing back with developers where needed.  “Our housing stock, it has sold so quickly that people can’t wait to move in here,” Peterson said.  “It’s just another affirmation of the things we do correctly.”

Councilor Jocelyn Vare voiced concerns about the timing of this particular development.

Councilors voting no on the rezone were DeReamer, Vare and Crystal Neumann.

The Fishers City Council voted unanimously for a project agreement with CRG Development to construct an ambitious mixed use project at 96th Street and Allisonville Road, near the White River, which includes a roundabout at the intersection of 96th Street and Allisonville Road.  In April of 2013, that intersection was converted to a “Michigan Left.”

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness tells LarryInFishers that his goal is to have the roundabout completed by the end of 2023.  There is still no design available for that roundabout.

When asked how long the intersection will be closed to traffic during construction, the mayor indicated he is looking at the possibility of at least keeping part of the intersection open during the construction period, but nothing has been decided yet.  According to Fadness, the roundabout design was the only option available to reconfigure that intersection.

The vote to approve the CRG project was 8-0 with Council President Todd Zimmerman abstaining.

Fishers Economic Development Director Megan Baumgartner detailed the plans for council members Monday night.

Mayor Fadness emphasized that the CRG deal will allow the city to pursue a vision for public space along the White River.  He also said the state READI grant can be used to develop the White River public space, but now new rules are being attached to the money Fishers will receive. The amount of the Fishers READI grant money is still not known.