Just before 2pm, all appears to be quiet in and around Fishers.  The massive crowds haven’t materialized yet, but it is early.  I will be keeping an eye on developments later in the day.

The best post of the day goes to the Noblesville Scanner Facebook page:

“Noblesville is experiencing partial gridlock near the Starbucks drive-thru lane on 37, as well as some beginning to form near the Costco entrance…”

If you talked with city election candidates last year going door-to-door or watch social media posts in Fishers, you will know there is growing concern about the cost of trash collection.  Fishers has begun the process of taking bids for a city-wide trash collection contract with the goal of saving residents money.  The Board of Public Works and Safety (BPW) will be voting Tuesday morning on the details of the Request for Proposals (RFP) being sent to potential bidders for the city-wide contract.

The RFP contains what the city expects from any bidder, plus provisions the bidders may choose to include in any contract proposal.  There is a provision for either weekly or bi-weekly collection for recyclable waste.  There is an option to provide waste service in the fall for leaves and other seasonal waste.   There is a provision for those with special needs.

The RFP is a voluminous document with plenty of detail.  If you want to read the entire RFP, use this link.

Assuming the Board of Works approves the RFP Tuesday morning, here is the timeline provided by the city for next steps, although officials reserve the right to change this schedule:

BPW Adopts Final RFP——————————— April 9, 2024

City Publishes Notice of RFP————————— April 15, 2024

Deadline to Submit Proposals————————– June 1, 2024 (Due by 10:00 AM)

Negotiations With Offerors (if any) ——————- June-July 2024

BPW Public Hearing on Contract & Resolution—– July 9 or 23, 2024

Common Council Rate Ordinance & Public Hearing —–Aug-Oct

2024 Services to Begin—————————————– January 1, 2025

The City of Fishers is proposing to reduce the parking fee charged nonresidents at Geist Waterfront Park by half during the summer months of 2024.

In 2023, those not living in the City of Fishers were charged a $50 per day parking fee to visit Geist Waterfront park from May through October.  The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety is scheduled to vote Tuesday morning on a proposal to reduce the nonresident parking fee to $25 per day.  The measure before the board says the day, and times of day, the fee will be charged nonresidents is to be determined by the Director of Recreation and Wellness, based on demand.

Fishers took a public relations beating last year when the city announced the $50 parking fee for those not residing in the city.  The city said the fee was an effort to ensure city residents would have access to Geist Waterfront Park.

The Fishers Board of Works and Public Safety consists of Mayor Scott Fadness and his two appointees, Jason Meyer and Jeff Lantz.

Police have made an arrest on a report of shots fired in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 6, in the 11000 block of Meadows Drive.  Amaria Janae Butler, 20, is charged with a felony count of criminal recklessness after police say she admitted to firing shots.

At the time of the incident, several neighbors called 911 reporting shots fired. Fishers Police officers and detectives detained two people for questioning. Search warrants were obtained for the residence and DNA. While serving the search warrants, officers say Butler admitted to firing a gun outside the house.

We have been talking about this for months.  Public safety agencies from Texas to Maine are gearing up for the massive crowds that assemble along the path of totality of a solar eclipse.  The NBC Evening News will originate from Indianapolis Monday to be at the center of the celestial event.

Fishers has been preparing for the solar eclipse as well, as we are also smack-dab in the middle of the “path of totality” for the eclipse.  The total eclipse will be visible for a few minutes in Fishers at about 3:06pm Monday.

I have heard from communities in the path of totality during the 2017 solar eclipse and their local roads were gridlocked for hours once the solar event was over.  Fishers public safety agencies have been working to keep emergency traffic open.  If you have driven on Cumberland Road lately you may have noticed the signs indicating it will be the north-south corridor set aside for local and emergency vehicles only.

The City of Fishers recently released a list of items local residents need to know to navigate the city Monday.  Below is that guidance:

Stay Informed

• Fishers Parks properties will have a modified schedule open to pedestrian traffic only. Beginning at dusk on April 7 through dusk on April 8, vehicular traffic will be restricted to encourage residents to visit neighborhoods or local parks via pedestrian access instead of adding vehicles to the roadways. Geist Waterfront Park and Cumberland Park will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian access.
• The Fishers Health Department Clinic will be closed and not accepting appointments or walk-ins.
• Prepare for the event like you would prepare for a large-scale winter storm. Ensure proper fuel for vehicular travel and that necessary medication is stocked and accessible, food and water are prepared, and if traveling, that alternate routes are identified.
• With the anticipated increase of video streaming, social media usage, and calls in a relatively small, concentrated area, those in the path of totality should anticipate loss in communications or poor service.

• Locations that experienced a Total Solar Eclipse in the past saw heavy, often standstill, traffic. With the anticipated additional traffic, motorists should travel with emergency preparedness in mind. This includes ensuring gas tanks are full, planning for extra time to your destination, and packing water and snacks in anticipation of long delays.
• Cumberland Road will experience limited, local access only on April 8 to keep a clear thoroughfare for public safety. East-west roadways at Cumberland Road will have soft closures and allow local access only.
• Be advised there are also ongoing road projects and road closures around Fishers, including 146^th and Allisonville (north/south closure); State Road 37 & 141^st Street (east/west closure); and 106^th Street and Mud Creek (between Cumberland Road and Hamilton Pass).
• Fishers Engineering and Public Works Departments will suspend all road construction work on the day of the eclipse.

Public Safety & Emergency Response

• Call 911 in the event of an emergency. For non-emergency issues, call the non-emergency line is 317-773-1282.
• Fishers Fire and Emergency Services and Fishers Police Department will be stationed throughout the city in various locations to alleviate travel distances for emergency responses in the event of heavy traffic.
• In the event of a community emergency, all communications will be published from the City of Fishers social media accounts.

Safety Information

• When watching an eclipse, you must always wear safe solar viewing glasses (eclipse glasses). Visit visithamiltoncounty.com for a list of local businesses selling eclipse glasses.
• It is never safe to look directly at the sun, even if the sun is partly obscured.
• Do not view the eclipse through regular sunglasses.
• Viewing any part of the sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter will instantly cause severe eye injury.

Fishers Police detained two people following reports of shots fired in the 11000 block of Meadows Drive, near Lantern Road south of Fishers Elementary School, in the early morning hours Saturday.  In a social media post, officers say “there were no intended targets” and “there is no ongoing danger to the public.”

According to police, “intoxication may be a factor.”  The shots were fired outside the home.

FPD continues to investigate.  If anyone has any information or video to share, you are asked to contact Detective Rob Baker at 317-595-3134.

The Fishers weekly road construction report includes much more than that in the upcoming week.  There is a rundown on the city’s plan for the Solar Eclipse April 8, plus updates on a long list of new and ongoing projects.

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

Continue reading Fishers road construction update (& more) for the work week of Monday, April 8 →

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board will consider removing a number of policy items from the General School Administration section at the April 10 meeting.  The HSE Schools Policy Committee will recommend those changes following its Wednesday morning meeting.

Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, Brian Murphy, told the committee much of the language items recommended to be removed are “self-evident,” “surplus” or “too granular.”

There was a discussion about the annual performance report provided in the policy.  HSE Director of Business Cecilie Nunn told the committee much of the data in that report was once published in local newspapers, but is now located in the State of Indiana Gateway system.  An example of what can be found about HSE Schools on Gateway can be found at this link. (Type in Hamilton Southeastern Schools into the search box)

It was called a Revved-Up Rally and it happened last Saturday afternoon at the St. Vincent Hospital Campus in Fishers.  I was unable to attend, but a St. Vincent news release says hundreds of people attended the carnival-like event, featuring Indiana Pacer star Myles Turner.

Mr. Turner and Pacer mascot Boomer surprised Heidi Smith, RN, with a custom Pacers jersey. It bears the number 25 due to her 25-year career at Ascension St. Vincent as a Labor & Delivery nurse.

I should note that St. Vincent Hospital in Fishers will always have a special meaning to me.  I was hospitalized there with a serious illness about 3 years ago.  The physicians and nurses brought me out of a bad health situation.  They are the only reason I am able to sit down and write this blog post.

When four new Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) school board members assumed office at the start of 2023, it was assumed there would be changes.  That has been the case, particularly in school administrators.

Many will remember the September 2023 resignation of Superintendent Dr. Yvonne Stokes with the board agreeing to pay the remainder of her contract (several months).  Other central office administrators have also chosen to leave.  They include: Kim Lippe, now principal at Brownsburg High School….Nataki Pettigrew left as Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Director at HSE to assume the same position with Washington Township Schools in Marion County (the new HSE superintendent says the DEI position will be eliminated here)…Michelle Brittain-Watts left HSE to take the job of President and CEO of Edison School of the Arts in Indianapolis.

At a recent HSE Board meeting, approval was given to the resignations of Katy Dowling as Chief Financial Officer and Jimmy Lake as Chief Operations Officer.  The board document attached to the meeting agenda indicated the remainder of their contracts will be paid in full.

With the exception of Dr. Brittain-Watts, I came to know each of those administrators and admired each for their professionalism and dedication to their duties as HSE Schools.  I wish them all well in their future endeavors.

There was one resignation that did not come from the HSE Central Office but will have a major impact on students attending Fishers Junior High School.  Dr. Crystal Thorpe has left her position as principal at FJHS to accept a central office position with Washington Township.  I was very impressed with Dr. Thorpe after recording a podcast with her about 3 years ago (listen here).  A significant measure of a building principal’s effectiveness comes from the teaching staff, and the feedback from the FJHS teachers tells me they are all very sorry to see Dr. Thorpe go.

With the new majority on the HSE School Board in office just over a year, one should expect more changes to come.