Family Express describes themselves as a family owned enterprise that began in northern Indiana with 81 locations, and wants to build a convenience story, fueling station, car wash and pet wash near the interchange at State Road 37 & 135th Street, near the Zaxby’s and Taco Bell.

If all goes as planned, Family Express expects to open in late 2024.

Monday night the City Council gave the proposal first reading.  It now goes to the Plan Commission for a public hearing June 5th, with final Council action slated for June 17th.

The first candidate has filed for the upcoming election for Hamilton Southeastern  (HSE) School Board.  John F. Stewart has filed his candidacy for the Wayne Township seat.

In a news release announcing his candidacy, Stewart says he plans on “addressing mental health in schools, providing diverse career paths for youth, and ensuring a strong educational foundation for every student.”

He also points to his experience as a business executive and business owner.

Stewart and his wife Suzanne, according to the release, have had 3 children attend HSE Schools,  “Their two sons are on the autism spectrum, and their daughter has faced
mental health challenges,” says the release.

This year’s round of HSE School Board elections are at-large.  The entire school district votes on candidates from Wayne, Fall Creek and  Delaware Townships.  The candidates must live within the boundaries of their respective townships.

The school board filing period has just begun and ends at noon, June 20th.

There is no question pickleball is growing as a sport, particularly in Fishers.  When a new indoor pickleball facility was before the Fishers City Council Monday night, councilors were supportive, but raised concerns about the look of the building and adjacent parking lot.

The structure is a former Marsh grocery location on 116th Street, just east of Brooks School Road.  The building once served as a COVID vaccination site for the City of Fishers.

Council members expressed concern for the condition of the parking lot adjacent to the building.  They had been receiving concerns from constituents in the area of the building about the condition of the parking lot once the city vacated the site.

Director of Planning and Zoning Ross Hilleary assured councilors the city would enforce provisions of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) in working with the building owner.

Once receiving those assurances, the Council voted 9-0, allowing the “change of use” for the former Marsh location.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness was direct in his comments before the City Council Monday night – his city is as efficient as any municipality in the state, yet state tax distribution systems short-change Fishers.  To remain competitive with surrounding communities and the private sector, the City Council voted unanimously to provide city employees a mid-year hike in basic pay.

Public safety workers will see a $2,500 increase in their annual pay.  Other city employees will receive a $1,000 annual hike in pay.  Fadness says this will cost the city about $500,000 in 2024 and roughly $1 million in 2025.  The pay increase will be effective in the current pay period.  Fadness emphasizes this pay increase will not apply to any elected officials.

The mayor says this mid-year pay action is unusual, but the gap in compensation has been growing.  This is not a bonus, but part of the base pay for each employee.

Fadness repeated an assertion he made on a recent podcast with me, saying the property tax and income tax distribution system established by state law penalizes Fishers and it is his long-term goal to work toward advocating what he describes as a system that treats Fishers fairly.  He cites Carmel as an example, in which that city receives $60 million more per year in property and income taxes compared to Fishers.  Fadness calls this gap “staggering.”

The mayor points again to Carmel, with roughly the same population as Fishers, funding 130 more city employees compared to Fishers.

Councilman Todd Zimmerman argues that a number of public safety employees work on regional task force assignments, so they are impacting more than just what is happening within the Fishers city limits.  He wants a total look into the pay for public safety workers.

For several years, people living in the northeast part of Fishers, in the area of Southeastern Parkway and Cyntheanne Road, have wanted a grocery store nearby.  Meijer is proposing a grocery at that location, but several residents of the area voiced their opposition to this store in this location.

The Fishers City Council listened to a presentation from representatives of Meijer,  describing the proposed store as smaller than most other locations, such as the facility in Noblesville.  This Meijer would offer only groceries and a pharmacy.

Since this is the first reading of the proposed text amendment, there was no public hearing, but a public hearing will be part of the Plan Commission consideration.  Even though there was no formal public hearing, residents in the area of the proposed grocery voiced their concerns and outright opposition to the project during the Community Comment time at the end of Monday night’s Council session.

Many area residents say traffic is already a problem, with some saying they cannot make a left turn out of their neighborhood now, and this would become impossible with the addition of Meijer.

The next stop for this planned Meijer store is the Planned Unit Development (PUD) Committee to look at the planned elevation levels for the structure July 10, then on that same date the Plan Commission will hold a public hearing and vote on recommended action by the City Council.  The final Council vote is scheduled for July 15.

Another long list of road construction projects in and around Fishers in the coming week.  Note that the city is planning to move State Road 37 lanes to the east as construction begins on the roundabout at 141st Street this summer.

Here is the complete listing, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Fishers area road construction for the work week starting Monday, May 20 →

The Fishers City Council is scheduled to vote on a pay raise for city workers.

According to the agenda for Monday night’s Council session, there will be a vote on a proposal increasing the annual salary of sworn public safety employees by $2500  and increase civilian annual salaries by $1000. The adjustment will be effective immediately following the approval of this ordinance.

The Council can suspend the rules and give final approval to this measure with a unanimous Council vote Monday.  The city says this action will support retention and recruitment of city staff following a review of comparable municipalities.

If enacted Monday night, the estimated additional $520,000 needed to fund this salary increase will come from “unused” appropriations from the current year budget, but city officials do not rule out the possibility of asking the Council for additional money to fund this increase yet this year.

This increase is in addition to any pay hike the city may offer city employees in 2025.

For a full list of the revised salaries once this proposal is passed, use this link.

The Fishers Arts Council and Fishers High School’s Future Black Leaders club are set to present the 5th Annual Juneteenth Jubilee, a vibrant celebration of freedom and culture, at Conner Prairie on June 19, 2024, from 5 to 8 p.m. This event, managed by students, will showcase an array of Black-owned businesses, visual and culinary artists, community resources, and talented performing artists.

Initiated by the Future Black Leaders club in 2020, the Juneteenth Jubilee has grown into a cornerstone event for the community. Last year, the Jubilee attracted 2,500 attendees, offering families a unique opportunity to come together in celebration. This year marks the second time the event will be hosted at the expansive Conner Prairie venue.

Currently, approximately 30 vendor spaces remain available, with a fast-approaching application deadline of May 24, 2024. Prospective vendors are encouraged to secure their spot by visiting FishersArtsCouncil.org/Juneteenth. Although applications for entertainers have closed for 2024, there are still opportunities for businesses to support the event through sponsorship. Detailed information on sponsorship packages, which include booth spaces, can be found on the same website.

“Juneteenth is important because it is a celebration for African Americans moving closer to freedom,” says Brooklynn Ferrell, Co-President of the Future Black Leaders club and student organizer for the Juneteenth Jubilee. “This event highlights the achievements and advancements we have made as a culture. Being a part of the Jubilee helps to show support to this important historic holiday in a fun community setting.”

Les Reinhardt, Executive Director of the Fishers Arts Council, lauded the students’ efforts. “Working alongside these incredible student leaders is an inspiration. We are proud to support these students and the amazing event they create for the community year after year. They decide what will be offered, coordinate with the vendors and entertainment, create educational materials, and fundraise. It’s truly amazing to see the power of what our youth can make happen in Fishers”

The Juneteenth Jubilee stands as a testament to the collaborative spirit and dedication of the students of Fishers High School, providing a platform to honor the historical significance of Juneteenth while fostering community engagement and cultural appreciation.

I just returned from a trip to visit family in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  With the Fishers Freight Indoor Football League team set to start in the 2025 season, I checked and found that Sioux Falls has an Indoor Football League team, The Storm, and they were playing a home game during my time in Sioux Falls.

I joined my son-in-law Jacob, his dad Bill and my grandson Dakota as we all watched the game.  It was a fast-paced, high scoring contest.  The facility in Sioux Falls, the Denny Sanford Premier Center, is a nice place to watch a game.  It looks a lot like how the new Fishers Events Center will be once construction is completed late this year.

I look forward to seeing the Fishers Freight play in 2025.