The Fishers City Council wasted no time in enacting a new ordinance imposing a $250 fine for those ticketed for loitering.  It normally takes more than one reading to pass such a measure, but the Council can suspend the rules and pass such an ordinance the same night with a unanimous vote.  That is what happened at the Monday night Council session.

The vote was 9-0 to suspend the rules and 9-0 in favor of the ordinance.  Mayor Scott Fadness described this ordinance as a “measured approach” to the problem of car meet-ups in Fishers that fill city parking lots and parking garages.

Police Chief Ed Gebhart said a recent meetup Sunday, March 3rd, brought an estimated 300 cars to the city, but additional information puts that number closer to 500 cars.  Major Ryan Jones, head of FPD’s patrol Division, describes this as a “growing problem” in Fishers.

Gebhart told Council members his department will keep a close eye on the situation and if more action is needed on city ordinances, he will come back to the Council

You can read the ordinance passed Monday night at this link.

In other news from Monday night’s Council session:

–Many may recall an announcement in August of 2018 that the Gray Eagle golf course in Fishers would close.  Residents in the neighborhood fought to keep the golf course open.  In August of 2020, there was an announcement that a development planned for that area would keep the golf course open after all.  The pandemic and other market conditions have delayed the project, but the City Council enacted a project agreement Monday night authorizing the use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF), with the bonds backed by the developer, JC Hart.  Changes in this arrangement will not impact the city.  A Hart representative told the Council there is an October 2025 deadline to close the deal and an October 2027 deadline to complete the project, but Hart says it expects the work will be completed well ahead of those legal deadlines.

–The Council was nearly 20 minutes late in beginning the public Council session.  Before that, Councilors were in an executive session.  The agenda said the private meeting was “To conduct interviews and negotiations with industrial or commercial prospect or agents of industrial or commercial prospects in accordance with” the Indiana code.  Is there yet another economic development deal in the works for Fishers?  Time will tell.