The Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA), has filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) against the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District.  Sorry about all the acronyms, but its all part of the story.

HSEA alleges HSE created a toxic work environment, and submitted copies of documents, transcripts and audio recordings as part of the ULP paperwork.  In response, the school district says the teachers’ union “mischaracterized” the nature of the evidence provided.

Becky Slayton, with the Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) state organization, posted on social media that the assertion by HSE Schools of a “mischaracterization” is “not a correct response.”  ISTA & HSEA have filed a motion for HSE to answer the “ULP allegations correctly,” according to Slayton.

Slayton also posted that the teachers union has filed what she describes as “another lawsuit” against HSE Schools HR Director Brian Murphy, over what the union asserts was a “disregard of Indiana law on due process.”

Top HSE officials have been arguing that all this is just a personal disagreement among a handful of people.  I disagree.

What we have in this situation is a case where two very important local institutions are at loggerheads over some key issues.  HSE is asserting its rights as a school corporation and HSEA is asserting the district is creating a toxic work environment for teachers and others.

These are two institutions with their own interests.  Yes, each institution has leaders and people authorized to speak and act on behalf of each institution, but I do not see this as just a personal conflict.

Another looming date is September 15, when formal bargaining over a new contract between HSE Schools and HSEA will begin, per state law.  There will also be a public hearing held by the school board prior to the first formal bargaining session, per the Indiana Education Employment Relations Board.

Everyone residing in the HSE School District has an interest in this bargaining going smoothly with an agreement acceptable to the school board and HSEA.  It will say a lot about the relationship among the board, administration and the teachers in the classrooms.

I have written previously that the ULP and other actions are not a good look for Fishers or the wider HSE District.  As the fourth-largest school district in Indiana by student count, we receive a lot of attention around the state when something goes wrong.

I would ask everyone in a position to make a difference, and every resident of the HSE District, do what you can to encourage the parties to resolve the ULP and related issues.  Even more importantly, let’s urge the parties involved to reach a fair contract for the school district and teachers in the upcoming bargaining.

The reputation of Fishers and the HSE District are both on the line.

With the withering of the news business in recent years, nonprofit news organizations are proliferating.  One of the best at digging into a specific news issue is the nonprofit ProPublica.

The City of Fishers has brought the issue of mental health front and center ever since Scott Fadness took office as the city’s first (and so far, only) mayor in 2015.  Mental health has also been receiving a lot more attention from the media in recent years, with the bottom line message that your mental health is just as important as your physical health.

There has been much written about the shortage of qualified therapists.  But ProPublica has taken that issue even one step further.  With the recent focus on health care networks, many therapists entering the field wanting to help those needing it the most are finding that health networks often setup a system that will not allow the therapists to treat patients in need.

Many are leaving the health networks, which increases the cost of therapy for individual patients.

I would encourage you to read this important first part of the ProPublica series on mental health, at this link.

The Youth Mentoring Initiative (YMI), based in Fishers, will hold its annual Mayor’s Breakfast to Benefit YMI on Thursday, August 29. Presented by Heartland Church, this significant fundraising event supports YMI’s mission to connect students in the Hamilton Southeastern School District with volunteer mentors who meet with them once a week.

This year’s breakfast will feature a fireside chat between Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness and Marissa Andretti, Vice President of Andretti Global and Managing Director for Andretti Technologies. Andretti is currently leading the development of the new Andretti Global Headquarters in Fishers, a 575,000 square foot facility that will house the company’s racing teams and serve as a major destination in the Indianapolis area. She also oversees the team’s sustainability initiatives and philanthropic efforts through The Michael Andretti Foundation.

“On behalf of the entire Board and staff, we are excited to hear from Marissa and learn more about the impact Andretti Global is and will continue to have on our community,” said YMI Executive Director Brittany Rayburn. “With Andretti Global’s long history of growth, success, and community support, we know she and Mayor Fadness will inspire many in our audience to get involved and make their own impact.”

In addition to the fireside chat, the event will include a panel featuring school personnel, mentors, and family members who have been directly impacted by YMI’s recent program expansion to elementary schools within the Hamilton Southeastern Schools.

The 9th annual Mayor’s Breakfast to Benefit YMI will take place from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. at the new theater in Fishers City Hall. As one of YMI’s largest annual fundraisers, the event is crucial in supporting the organization’s efforts to connect more students with caring adult mentors. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are still available at this link.

Fishers Police are searching for a man accused of stealing over $1,000 worth of candy from the Circle K convenience store on Allisonville Road, just north of 96th Street, August 6th.  Officers are asking for the public’s help.

The summer may be in its final stages, but the road construction in the area of Fishers is not letting up at all.

Below is the road construction report for the work week beginning Monday, August 26, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Fishers-area road construction report for the work week starting Monday, August 26 →

Mayor Scott Fadness says he has made no final commitment yet, but as of now, it his his intention to close the intersection of 116th Street and Allisonville Road during construction of the roundabout at that intersection during 2025.

Speaking before the Fishers City Council Finance Committee Thursday morning. the mayor says he wants the work at that location done in roughly 65 days.  If traffic is allowed to traverse the intersection during construction, the project could take months.  He intends to use what are now private roads, make them public under the current program to improve private roads around the city, and use them as detours for motorists during the work.

The mayor also promised not to begin the 116th Street & Allisonville Road roundabout construction until the roundabout at 96th and Allisonville Road is open, and the county project at 146th & Allisonville is open to traffic.

The goal is to complete the roundabout at 116th Street & Allisonville Road “as quickly as possible.”

Other infrastructure projects funded under the mayor’s proposed 2025 spending plan includes the Nickel Plate Trail bridge over 96th Street and widening on 136th.  The plan also includes $4.3 million in resurfacing, roughly the same as 2024.

Ongoing projects scheduled for completion in 2024 include 96th Street & Allisonville Road, the roundabout at 126th Street & Southeastern Parkway, as well as work at 141st & Prairie Baptist.

The construction of the roundabout and underpass at State Road 37 and 141st Street will continue into 2025, with completion projected in 2025.  Fadness reminded the committee that the agreement with former Governor Mike Pence is that once that work is complete, State Road 37 will be turned over to the Indiana Department of Transportation as a state highway.  That means all maintenance, including bridge repairs and snow removal, will then go to the State of Indiana and no longer be the financial responsibility of Fishers.

Mayor Scott Fadness laid out his 2025 Fishers city spending plan before the City Council Finance Committee Thursday morning, totaling $182.5 million.  Of that total, just under $144 million will go to operations and capital projects, which $38.5 million going to debt service.  The 2024 Fishers city budget totaled $164 million.

The mayor says his budget calls for no change in the city’s part of the local property tax rate, which will remain at $0.707, which Fadness says keeps the rate at or below this level for the fourth straight year.

Also on the income side of the ledger, Fadness once again voiced his frustration over the imbalance of local income tax distributions.  Hamilton County is set to receive $262 million in local income tax revenue.  Of that total, Fishers will receive $36.2 million and Carmel is set to have $64.9 million.

City employees would receive a 6% pay increase in 2025, including elected officials. Fishers also plans to increase the match to workers’ “457” retirement plans an extra $1,000 each, with a total match for each worker up to $2,500.  The 457 plan is a way municipal workers can save through a retirement account, roughly similar to a private sector 401(k) plan.

Here are a few items to be part of next year’s city budget:

–The Fire Department plans to add a new ladder truck, a new engine, a medic and the department will take over the Project Lifesaver (tracking Alzeimer’s patients electronically) from Hamilton County.

–The addition of 2 School Resource Officers (SROs) for local school buildings.  Officers near retirement may be targeted for this assignment.

–The Health Department will add a vaccine program and move its staff into the new Community Center late next year.

–Department of Public Works will enhance its landscaping contract.

–The city controller’s office will add an employee to assist with trash billing & payments.

–The Parks Department plans to add another Agri Park, this one on Airport Authority land at 106th Street and Allisonville Road.  Restrooms will be added to the current Agri Park on the east side of the city.  The Community Center, set to open during the last three months of 2025, will have 13 full-time positions.

There was a lengthy discussion of the Sewer rates, which will increase $3 per month to cover increased costs.  Fadness says an outside study concluded the rate should go up $8 per month, but the city staff pushed back and decided to request the $3 per month increase.

The mayor is proposing $250,000 to fund local nonprofit groups, but recommends the Council abolish the City Council Nonprofit Committee that decided which organizations received grants from the city and how much each would receive.  Under the city staff proposal, grants would go to Conner Prairie, Youth Mentoring Initiative. Youth Assistance Program, Cherish Center and programming for the new Community Center.

The city will add $50,000 to the teacher innovation grant program under this proposed budget in 2025.  Fishers will also continue to support HSE Schools experiential learning programs through the Agri Park and the Maker Space at Hub & Spoke.

Fadness says city funds will continue to support neighborhood vibrancy grants, along with continued money similar to 2024 for infrastructure through road improvements, trails and road resurfacing.

The mayor touted the fiscal discipline the city has achieved, saying the increased match for employees’ 457 retirement plans did not come from additional revenue, but watching the budget carefully.

A public hearing on the 2025 budget will be held by the City Council September 9 and the final vote on the spending plan scheduled for the October 7 Council session.

Mayor Scott Fadness told the City Council Finance Committee Thursday morning he is aware of the “noise” around town about his proposal to charge a $2 per month administrative fee as part of a proposed city-wide trash collection contract with Republic, but does not plan to make any changes.

“I’m a little bit unapologetic, I guess, about the $2 admin fee, because I want to make sure when a resident calls (City Hall), there is a staff person that picks up the phone and is able to deal with that issue.”

The mayor wants the city to “own” the customer service piece of the trash collection  contract, which will start in January of next year, if City Council puts its stamp of approval on the new pact with Republic.  A public hearing on the final version of the contract is set for Monday, September 9, 7pm.

Fadness recounted the complexities of acquiring HSE Utilities and what many residents were sorting out as a result.  The mayor envisions a number of complications to occur when roughly half of the 32,000 trash customers in Fishers will be switching to another provider.  Also, Homeowners Associations (HOAs) will no longer be handling the billing for their members, each individual customer will be billed beginning in 2025.

Although the city has been encouraging residents to pay their sewer and stormwater bills online, only about 30% pay online, the rest insist on being billed on paper.  Radford says it costs 70 cents to one dollar for each paper bill mailed.  Fadness says that makes up half the $2 monthly trash collection fee.

If any of the bidders for trash service were handling billing and customer service, it would not be free.  The bids would have reflected a higher monthly charge to cover that cost, according to Fadness.

“The last thing I want to do is save people money on trash, and then they’re still frustrated because we are providing poor customer service,” the mayor told the Council Committee.

Indoor football is a game that certainly is American football, but with a different twist.  Fishers will have its own Indoor Football League (IFL) team that will begin its inaugural season in March of 2025 at the now under-construction Fishers Events Center.

The team is named the Fishers Freight, and the club announced its first head coach and general manager Thursday morning, Dixie Wooten.

Coach Wooten has extensive experience at the high school and junior college level before entering the coaching ranks of indoor football.  From 2017-2019, Wooten was the Head Coach of the Iowa Barnstormers, winning back-to-back Coach of the Year Awards in 2017 and 2018. He also led the Barnstormers to a championship win in 2018, their first in league history.

“I’m thrilled to be the first head coach and general manager of this great, young organization,” said Wooten in a Freight news release. “Thanks to Jim Hallett, our owner, and Larry McQueary, our president and CEO, for believing in my plan to build a strong foundation for the Freight. With our front office experience and my winning background in the Indoor Football League, we’ll create something special that the Fishers community will be proud of, both on and off the field. Fishers is the best place to live voted by America, why not make Fishers the best place to be when it comes to professional Indoor Football?”

“Dixie made an immediate impression on us,” Larry McQueary, President of the Fishers Freight said. “He’s a man of impeccable character and his coaching record speaks for itself. He’ll represent the city well and we’re elated to have him as our franchise’s first Head Coach.”

You can reserve a season ticket for the Fishers Freight with just a $50 deposit.  Find more ticket information at this link.