At a recent Fishers City Council meeting, Councilor David Giffel asked about the possibility of entering into a trash collection contract with a private firm to provide trash collection services to those living in Fishers.  Mayor Scott Fadness has charged his Chief of Staff, Jordin Alexander, to present to the Council the process related to investigating such a bidding process.

The Town of Fishers went through the process in 2013 and did not follow through due to public pressure not to establish a city-wide trash collection contract.

On Friday, city officials posted on social media a survey asking input from local residents about trash collection in Fishers.

You can access the survey at this link.

The Fishers Advisory Committee on Disabilities has been a long-standing body and is now part of the City of Fishers ordinances.  The committee has a special meeting Tuesday, December 12, feature the Indy Fuel hockey team’s mascot Nitro.

The flyer with more information is available above.

Although the organization’s Web site describes Adam Kallick as the Executive Director of the Fishers Century Club, he says the better term to describe the founder of the group is to call him lead volunteer.  The club meets once a quarter and has a process to choose one area charity to financially support.

Learn more about the Fishers Century Club at this link and by listening to the podcast linked below.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools have been reimbursing employees for mileage incurred in their work at 43 cents per mile for at least 10 years, mostly as a cost-saving measure.  The 2023 IRS standard mileage rate is 65.5 cents per mile and that rate has exceeded 43 cents since September of 2005.

According to preliminary numbers gathered by school administrators, had HSE Schools reimbursed mileage based on the IRS standard mileage rate, it would have cost the school district an extra $12,000 last year.

The school board policy committee is looking into raising the reimbursement rate for HSE staff to match the IRS rate in the future in 2024.  Any final action is up to the school board.

The next Policy Committee meeting is scheduled for January 11th.

At the October 11 Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board meeting, Board President Dawn Lang updated the public on the search for a new superintendent, and announced that in the future, “we will be having a community forum to engage community members and dialogue about this discussion.”

Thursday morning, following the school board Policy Committee meeting, President Lang told LarryInFishers this community forum has already been completed.  According to Ms. Lang, the superintendent consulting firm, Administrative Assistance, conducted a focus group about the selection of a new HSE Schools Superintendent, and that was the “community forum” referenced in her October 11th statement at the board meeting.

Lang says the results of that focus group session will be revealed at a future board meeting.

When the Drive Planning investment firm had its proposed new building near 116th Street and Olio Road before the Fishers Plan Commission, two votes were taken.  The vote for a favorable recommendation to the City Council failed to receive the required 6 votes.  The next vote for an unfavorable recommendation also failed to garner 6 votes.

Therefore, the Drive Planning office building plans will now head to the City Council with no recommendation from the Plan Commission.

Faegre Drinker Attorney Murray Clark told the Commission Drive Planning has worked with the neighbors to work out any issues, but there are a few remaining.  There were 4 speakers during the public hearing, all expressed that most issues were addressed, one described it as 95% solved, but still had concerns about the remaining 5%.

City Councilor & Plan Commission member Selina Stoller voted no because she does not like the building design.  Another Councilor and Commission member Todd Zimmerman voted no because he still has concerns that Drive did not show up for the first reading of this proposal before City Council.

The proposed office building now goes to the City Council for a final vote.

The Fishers Plan Commission unanimously voted for a favorable recommendation to the City Council Wednesday night as the proposed Community Center moves forward.  The complex is to be constructed at the intersection of 121st Street and Hoosier Road.

There were three public comments.  One hearing-impaired resident with property adjacent to the Center raised concerns about a tree-line currently on the property and whether his property will have such a buffer once construction begins.  He also asked about plans for sidewalks in the area where none exist now.

There were other concerns raised, particularly about increased traffic.

Planning and Zoning Director Ross Hilleary says he will work with residents on the tree buffers.  He does not see a roundabout at 121st & Hoosier Road at this time, but there are plans for deceleration and acceleration lanes in the approaches to the Community Center.

The Community Center plans will now go to the City Council for a final vote.

Indiana state lawmakers approve budgets for 2 years at a time, and the current spending plan provides a boost to funding for local health departments.  The Fishers Health Department is in line to receive $1 million in extra cash this year and $2 million next year.  After that, it will be up to the General Assembly what is next.

I asked Mayor Scott Fadness and Public Health Director Monica Heltz to appear on this podcast to discuss how the city plans to use this extra funding.  We also talk about the creation of the Fishers Health Department during the height of the COVID pandemic, and much more.

I do not recall the date or the precise event, but I had been asked to help with a charitable fund-raiser in Fishers.  That is the one time I had a conversation with Kelly Greene.  She, too, was there to support the nonprofit group, something she did on a regular basis in and around Fishers.

I had a wonderful conversation with her and found her to be a very nice person.

I just found out Kelly Greene is leaving her position as an on-camera meteorologist for local television station WTHR.  All the local television news operations place a high priority on weather and Kelly was a key member of the WTHR weather forecasting staff.  Anytime serious weather threatened the area, Kelly was one of those on camera providing important alerts.

I do not know what is next in Kelly Greene’s career, but I certainly wish her the best in the future.

Tiffanie Ditlevson has submitted her letter of resignation to the Hamilton County Council, saying she is leaving the Hamilton East Public Library Board, effective immediately.  She indicated at a recent library board meeting plans to resign from the board at the end of 2023.

Ms. Ditlevsion was part of a board majority, at the time, enacting a policy of reviewing books in the young adult section and placing some in the adult section, based on content and guidelines the board provided.  That policy has since been rescinded by the board.

“It has been an honor to serve on the Hamilton East Public Library Board, and I am
immensely grateful for the support and collaboration with my fellow board members, Ditlevsion said in a written statement. “As I transition to the Fishers City Council, I am excited to continue my commitment to public service, working tirelessly to address the needs of our community with dedication and transparency.”

In the city election held in November, Ditlevson was elected as an at-large member of the Fishers City Council.