When Jane & I were married in May of 1991, I moved to Fishers.  I tried to size up the political scene and everywhere I looked, only one word was spoken – Republican.

I recall in the 1990s a general election was cancelled because no Democrats or third-party candidates were running.  All winners in the Republican primary that year were automatically elected to office.

Fishers just held a primary election earlier this month with only one contested race, in the Republican contest for City Clerk.  Incumbent Jennifer Kehl won the election by a wide margin.

A few Republicans and many Democrats locally talked about how many votes they garnered even with no contested race in the primary balloting.  Now that the official results are verified by the local Election Board, the results are essentially unchanged.

At-Large City Councilor Jocelyn Vare issued a news release in recent days touting the number of Democrats showing up at the polls and voting in the primary, even though there were no contested races on the Democratic ballot.

I wrote a recent commentary that we shouldn’t pay a great deal of attention to turnout in a local primary, particularly with only one contested election.  Councilor Vare offered a reminder of the past by pointing to 8 Democrats running the the November Fishers City Election.

I must admit, Democrats in Fishers have come a long way since that cancelled town council election in the 1990s.  “When I won a seat on City Council, it was the first time our community had elected Democrats serving in city government,” said Vare in her news release. “After three years as an At-Large member of the City Council, I am certain that our citizens are served better when there are bold voices like mine who take the job of checks and balances and municipal fiscal responsibility seriously.”

Democrats will offer candidates in all but one city council district, two candidates for at-large council seats and a candidate for city clerk.

Vare also cites these election numbers:

Counting 2,267 Democratic votes in this year’s primary with no contested races, particularly considering the history of Fishers, is no small accomplishment.  Local Democrats were all over social media prior to the primary election urging Democrats to cast primary ballots and that did result in plenty of votes cast.

I do not discount all the arguments posed by Ms. Vare, but we must be real about a few things.  First, Democrats have offered no candidate for mayor, by far the most powerful city office.  I understand why.  Incumbent Mayor Scott Fadness, a Republican, has a very large campaign war chest and it would be quite a challenge for a Democrat to raise enough  money to be competitive.

Secondly, most elections are determined by independent voters.  Most independent voters do not cast ballots in an Indiana primary election because one must declare a party affiliation in order to vote.

Finally, even though there are 2 Democrats on the 9-member Fishers City Council, Republicans are in firm control of city government, holding the offices of mayor, city clerk and city judge.

Obviously, Democrats in Fishers are working to change that, even without a Fishers mayoral hopeful on the November general election ballot.  Some of the council district races four years ago were closer than in past election cycles.

So, Democrats should be proud of what has been accomplished in recent years, but there is a lot of work ahead.  And Fishers Republicans have made it clear they plan to step up their efforts in the upcoming campaign.

Another busy week is on tap in road construction and other capital projects in and around Fishers.   Here is the complete listing, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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STATE ROAD 37 IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

To learn more about the State Road 37 Improvement Project and sign up to receive text updates, visit 37Thrives.com. 

STATE ROAD 37 AND 141ST STREET
A pre-construction phase at SR 37 & 141st Street is currently in place. During this phase, 141st Street will be a Right-In-Right-Out (RIRO) traffic configuration. 
This is not the permanent configuration. This will allow for traffic to flow more freely along SR 37 until the next phases of construction can be activated. This will eliminate backups along SR 37 that have caused dangerous stops to the free flow traffic and backups on the 146th Street interchange. Again, this is not the permanent configuration for 141st Street. The full timeline for the 141st Street interchange will be provided after project bids are accepted in the Summer of 2023. View detour routes here.

To learn more about the Clear Path Improvement Project and sign up to receive text and email updates, visit clearpath465.com 

I-465 & I-69
Drivers will see an increase in construction along the I-69 corridor in the coming months. This work will focus on reconfiguring the interchange at I-465 and I-69. New ramps will provide direct movements from eastbound I-465 and northbound I-465 to northbound I-69. Binford Blvd. will also be reconstructed to separate local traffic from traffic entering and exiting I-69 and I-465. Access to I-69 from Binford Blvd. will remain open. Drivers can expect to see significant activity on I-69 at the 82nd Street interchange.

The ramp from I-69 North to 82nd Street and the ramp from 82nd Street to I-69 North is currently closed through late 2023. For detour routes and additional project information, visit clearpath465.com 

To learn more about the Nickel Plate Trail, view the Capital Project Dashboard here.

NICKEL PLATE TRAIL
The City of Fishers is working on the completion of the Fishers portion of the Nickel Plate Trail. The remaining paving work from 96th Street to 106th Street is underway, and construction crews are currently working to clear and prep the area for paving. In the coming weeks, construction crews will begin the paving process.

There are daily lane closures currently on Cumberland Road, just south of 126th Street for sanitary and water line work. The northbound right turn lane and the southbound passing blister will be closed. 

Beginning on or after Tuesday, May 16, Phase 1 of construction for the grade separation intersection improvement will begin at 146th Street and Allisonville Road. One through lane and one left turn lane in all directions will be closed through the intersection.

Closures of Sowers Drive and Saville Road at 146th Street will be necessary in June. Additional notifications will be provided prior to the closures. In addition to these closures, the worksite speed limit will be 35 mph. Please exercise caution while driving through this construction zone.

For additional project information, visit Hamilton County website here.

During the week of May 15th, Duke Energy will be tree trimming on 116th Street, between Brooks School Road and Windswept Drive.  Lane restrictions will be in place between 9 am and 3 pm.

There has been speculation for a long time about the future of Fishers Elementary School.  Plans were laid out recently to continue Fishers Elementary at the same location with major renovations.

HSE Schools Facilities Manager Matt Rapp told the school board Wednesday night the original structure was built in 1958 with a second floor added in 1988.  The building has no elevator and is the only HSE building with no fire sprinkler system.

The current building can accommodate 450 students.  The renovated Fishers Elementary will hold 700 students.

The renovated building will be designed much like Deer Creek Elementary, but on 8.8 acres, a much smaller geographic footprint compared to other HSE elementary structures.

Rapp says students will have classes ongoing at the facility while Fishers Elementary is being renovated.

Rapp says he will have a full presentation of plans for Fishers Elementary at the June board meeting.

In other items before the board Wednesday night:

–Approval was given for  $2 million upgrade to the radio communications systems used by the school staff and Resource Safety Officers.

–The board heard a detailed review of the food services operation.

–Chief Financial Officer Katy Dowling reviewed the school district’s current finances.  She reviewed what is known about the state’s new 2-year budget enacted during the 2023 legislative session.  There will be an increase in per-student funding but the state will help to a certain extent for the cost of books and student devices.  Administrators are still learning all that the state lawmakers have passed in the budget session this year.

The Fishers High Scholl Robotics Team is headed for the world championships in Texas after winning the Indiana State Title.  This robotics team has been around for 10 years.

This team has 52 students, led by Engineering Teacher Jeff Fronius and nine mentors from the community. Their winning robot weighs 125 pounds and includes two cameras, nine sensors and a pivoting elevator with a pneumatic intake. Two students are needed to drive the robot.  Additionally,  the students on the team support other teams throughout HSE Schools at the junior high, intermediate, and elementary levels.  They also host summer camps for the community through the City of Fishers Parks Department.

The group was honored Wednesday at the HSE School Board meeting as a Snapshot of Success.

Below is a video featuring part of the state contest.  Fishers is the Blue 5010 team

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board acted to adopt recommended Math and English items based on recommendations of the teaching staff, but delayed action on one math resource.

Approved were items of Algebra, Geometry and Statistics, as well as Literature & Composition.  All are AP-level resources.

Executive Director of Secondary Education Michelle Brittain-Watts explained a supplemental resource, DeltaMath solutions, was recommended by the teaching staff after piloting the program this school year.

Board member Suzanne Thomas said she had found negative online comments about DeltaMath and questioned its adoption.

After a lengthy discussion, administrators said they would review the negative comments cited my Thomas.

The board approved all the recommendations except DeltaMath.

For more details on the recommended materials, use this link.

A proposed school board policy on personnel was sent back to the Policy Committee for further work when suggestions were made to change some of the language.

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board had before it Wednesday night a revision of the hiring authority policy, codifying how the district handles hiring decisions, particularly in the summer months when a large part of teacher hiring happens.

The proposed language states, “The Board of Trustees of the Hamilton Southeastern School Corporation Hamilton County, Indiana (the Board), being the governing body of the Hamilton Southeastern School Corporation, Hamilton County, Indiana (the “School Corporation,” has the sole authority to employ all personnel based on the recommendation of the Superintendent.  Stakeholder involvement in the hiring process will be a priority in the selection of building principals and assistant superintendents, depending on the level of need and/or urgency.”

Board member Suzanne Thomas suggested adding stakeholder involvement in any position at the request of the board of trustees, not just principals and assistant superintendents.  She later clarified she had administrative openings in mind.

Superintendent Yvonne Stokes pressed Thomas on when a stakeholder would be added an who that stakeholder might be.  Thomas responded she envisions this as a liaison.

Other board members indicated there was confusion on what was being suggested in the hiring process, so the board decided to take the language suggestions back to the Policy Committee.  The next meeting of the Policy Committee is scheduled for June 7.  The next regular school board meeting is June 14.

Brooke Lawson has been the Mental Health Coordinator for Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools for as long as the district has had a mental health program, which goes back several years.  She has since added the school counseling program to her central office duties.

That will all come to an end soon.  HSE Schools confirmed Wednesday morning that Brooke Lawson has accepted a position with the Carmel-Clay Schools.  The Carmel School Board is expected to formally approve her appointment Monday.

Parking at Geist Waterfront Park will be free to residents, but based on action by the Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety Tuesday, nonresidents will pay a $50 fee per day to park.  Nonresidents may access the park free as pedestrians or bike riders.

Fishers residents will use the OpenPath cell phone app to access the parking lot for free.  If you are not a cell phone person, the city will provide a card for access.  There will be 240 parking spots available at the park.

The soft opening for Geist Waterfront Park happened April 22nd.  The swimming season at the beach is set to start May 27, Memorial Day weekend.

Mayor Scott Fadness was concerned about plans to end beach activity after Labor Day, September 4.  This fee structure must go before the City Council for approval and the mayor wants flexibility to continue beach activity & swimming for good weather weekends in September.  The recommended ordinance language is expected to contain such a provision.

Juggernaut Brewing Company, the owner of Room Service on Wheels, will have a concession vendor contract with the city at Geist Waterfront Park.  There will be no beer available at the park, except for occasional special events.

317 Outfitters will provide  kayak and stand up paddle board rentals at the park.

WTHR is reporting a death investigation is underway near 131st Street & Cumberland Road.  According to the latest update, “police do not suspect foul play and say there is no threat to the community.”

For more on the WTHR story, use this link.

The local 2023 primary election is now over, and the question is, what did we learn?  In Fishers, there was only one contested race, but places like Carmel and Westfield saw important results with mayors in each city choosing not to run for re-election.

In Fishers, Jennifer Kehl won the GOP nomination for Fishers City Clerk, garnering 68% of the votes cast.  No other primary election was contested in our city.

However, both Republicans and Democrats unopposed in the primary balloting touted the number of votes cast for them, even though they were assured a place on the November 7 general election ballot.

The Hamilton County Democratic Party even issued a news release on the subject.  According to the party, 47% of primary ballots cast in Fishers were for Democratic candidates.

So, I had to ask myself, what is the significance of how many votes are cast for an unopposed candidate for either party?  The answer is there is some significance, but not a lot.

Primary elections are held for the two major political parties in Indiana.  When voting in a primary election in our state, you must request either a Democratic or Republican ballot.  Some states have open primaries, but not Indiana.

The reason I raise this issue is the fact that independent voters often skip primary elections in the Hoosier state because they are required to declare a party in order to vote in the election.  It should also be noted that independent voters tend to decide many election outcomes.

So, receiving lots of votes from people in your own party in an unopposed election is a number that should be considered.  I do not blame either party for letting everyone know.

It is just my view that it is not as significant as some would say.  We will know more when the votes are counted in the general election Tuesday, November 7th