This is the time of year for top stories of 2016. I did this locally two years ago but didn’t even attempt for 2015. But as 2016 comes to a close, here I go again.
As I explained two years ago, these lists are normally formulated by news organizations after a series of meetings (and corresponding pitched battles among the reporters and editors on what the top stories are, and how they should be ranked).
So, I will make an attempt to list the top news stories in 2016 for the City of Fishers. I do not make any assertion that this is a perfect list. Many of you may have issues with it. That’s OK with me.
This list is just an attempt to get a conversation started and look back at the past year. A lot has happened in and around Fishers. So, without further ado, here is my listing of the top 20 Fishers news stories of 2016:
20. CITY MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE MOVES FORWARD
When Scott Fadness took over as the first mayor of Fishers in January 2015, one of his initial actions was to appoint a committee to wrestle with the complex issue of mental health. As the town manager, he had seen the weekly statistics of how many “immediate detentions” were being handled by his police force. An “immediate detention” is required when a person is determined to be a danger to his/herself, or people close to that person, and that individual is taken into custody for that reason. There is normally a mental health condition that causes this. Mayor Fadness has had his committee members following an action plan to address this issue. The Hamilton Southeastern Schools have signed a contract with Community Health to provide mental health services in all school buildings. The mayor has said this is a long-term effort and it will take time to show tangible results. The momentum moving that program forward continues.
19. FISHERS POLICE DEVELOP CRIME WATCH PHONE APP
In an interesting collaboration between law enforcement and the local techie world, Fishers Police rolled-out a Crime Watch phone app, allowing local citizens to report suspicious activity and even click a picture on their cell phones to pass along to local police officers on duty. Fishers Police Captain (now Assistant Chief) Ed Gebhart noticed how much his own officers were using cell phone technology, and recruited a local coding geek Auri Rahimzadeh. Together, they put the app together. So far, the experiment has been a success and the phone app has been updated several times since the rollout. You can read more about the app from my original story at this link.
18. PETE PETERSON WINS, THEN LOSES COUNTY GOP CHAIR
I don’t often cover county issues on this site, but with the Hamilton County Republican Party holding nearly all the elected office in this county, a change in chairman is important, especially if that change of leadership involves a Fishers elected official. When Pete Emigh resigned as party chair, precinct committeemen (& women) voted on who would fill-out the remainder of his term. In the first balloting, Fishers City Councilman Pete Peterson was the winner. But a few weeks later, the state Republican Republican Committee invalidated some of the votes cast by Emigh appointees, which resulted in Laura Campbell winning the election.
17. FISHERS FREEDOM FESTIVAL TO REMAIN AT HOLLAND PARK IN 2017
There had been strong indications the Fishers Freedom Festival, an annual mid-summer event in Fishers since 1989, would move from its home in Holland Park to the downtown Nickel Plate District. According to the event’s Executive Director, Jennifer Kehl, talks between city officials and the festival committee resulted in a decision to keep the festival at Holland Park in 2017 with the same support from the city as the previous year. However, after 2017, a move of the festival to the municipal complex downtown is possible. Time will tell.
16. FISHERS FOOTBALL COACH RICK WIMMER SUSPENDED WITH PAY, REINSTATED
Fishers High School Football Coach Rick Wimmer is known throughout the state as a top-tier coach. He took the Tigers to a state championship in 2010. Local sports talk radio was packed with comments when Wimmer was suspended with pay while Hamilton Southeastern school officials investigated an incident between Wimmer and a student in September. The coach missed two games, but was reinstated once the investigation found the coach had done nothing wrong.
15. PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP FORMED TO CONSTRUCT NEW POLICE HQ
Mayor Scott Fadness told a city council work session in August that he wants a new police headquarters building to be constructed. The $12 million, 47,000 square foot facility will include a parking garage where police vehicles can be stored securely. The Board of Works and Safety later approved a public private partnership involving a local developer, the Hagerman Group. Hagerman will design and cost out the plans. If all goes well, Hagerman will have the inside track to handle the entire project.
14. LAUNCH FISHERS MOVES TO A NEWER, BIGGER HOME
When Launch Fishers, the co-working space for budding entrepreneurs, was first hatched in November of 2012, it’s first home was in the lower-level of the Fishers Library. As Launch continued to grow, a new home was found at Northeast Commerce Park on Visionary Way, in a structure vacated by a bankrupt debt collection agency. The facility was renovated and opened to its members in 2016.
13. FISHERS RECEIVES AAA BOND RATING
When Oscar Gutierrez became the Fishers City Controller, he had a goal in mind. He wanted Fishers to be one of only 2% of US cities to obtain a AAA bond rating from Standard and Poor. This will make city borrowing cheaper, allowing more funds to be directed at projects and less on interest expense. Standard and Poor’s awarded the AAA rating to Fishers in 2016.
12. SCHOOL BOARD ELECTS TWO NEW MEMBERS
Sylvia Shepler coasted to an easy victory in her Hamilton Southeastern School Board reelection bid from Wayne Township against challenger Charron Wright. Amanda Shera won the right to succeed retiring board member Karen Harmer by defeating three other candidates. Howard Stevenson had been appointed to fill-out Darren Sink’s board term after Mr. Sink moved out of town to take a new job. Stevenson lost his reelection bid to Mike Bottorff by 41 votes, or .11% of the votes cast. Shepler, Shera and Bottorff will take the oath of office in January of 2017.
11. SPECIAL CENSUS – 87,887 FISHERS RESIDENTS
The official census is taken every ten years, and Fishers’ population count in 2010 was 76,880. City officials sensed that the population had been growing since 2010. Because money the city receives from state and local agencies often is tied to the official census figure, Fishers decided it would be profitable to pay for a special census. The city did not conduct a full census count of the entire city, the new count focused on only the growing areas of the city. Based on the special census conducted in 2016, the new census figure for Fishers is 87,887, a gain in population of just over 11,000. The controller’s office expects the city to net about $1.4 million the rest of this decade from the special census.
10. FAIR TRAIN OFF THE TRACKS
The Indiana State Fair Train has been running for over 30 consecutive years, until 2016. This normally attracts about 10,000 fair-goers to Fishers. The Hoosier Heritage Port Authority could not make needed safety repairs to the track in time for the fair. Mayor Scott Fadness issued a statement of sadness that the train would not run in 2016, but understands the need to put safety first. What will happen in 2017? We will see.
9. CITY COUNCIL ACTS ON PAY, SEWER RATES & WHEEL TAX
The Fishers City Council acted on three controversial issues in 2016. The first action will boost the pay of council members by $7,000 a year, to $19,000. Councilors voted to increase sewer rates by $5 per month for those served by the city and not HSE Utilities. Council members argued this increase is needed to keep the sewer system up-to-date and running and is the first rate increase since 1997. A Wheel Tax earmarked for street and road construction and maintenance was enacted,which will cost each vehicle owner in Fishers $25 per vehicle beginning in 2018.
8. FISHERS ENACTS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
During its days as a town, Fishers had never formulated a comprehensive plan to provide a road map for future development. During 2016, the second year as a city, Fishers developed and enacted a comprehensive plan. The detailed document covers a number of issues, including land use, transportation and parks.
7. HSE APPROVES iPADS FOR GRADES K-4 WITH RESTRICTIONS
When school officials moved toward rolling-out iPads for students in grades kindergarten through 4, some parents objected, concerned about screen time for students that young and taking home the units each night after school. After several discussions, administrators recommended limiting screen time and allowing parents to decide whether the iPad unit will come home after school. The school board approved the recommendation.
6. DEMOGRAPHER TELLS SCHOOL BOARD ERA OF GROWTH IS OVER
Dr. Jerry McKibben is a nationally known demographer, and has made many projections of student populations to the Hamilton Southeastern School Board over the years. His projections have generally been very accurate. Dr. McKibben provided data to the school board in October, showing a stabilized student population, with a small reduction in students beginning in 2021. You can view the entire presentation at this link.
5. GUILTY PLEAS, SENTENCES IN TWO MURDER CASES
Fortunately, murders are rare in the City of Fishers. However, in 2014, Fishers endured two murder cases. In both instances, the suspects pleaded guilty and received their sentences in 2016. Maxwell Winkler was sentenced to nearly 80 years after pleading guilty but mentally ill in the murder of Henry Kim. Corbin Montgomery pleaded guilty in connection with the stabbing death of Conner Shockley, receiving a sentence of nearly 40 years in prison.
4. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES UNABATED IN FISHERS
The economic juggernaut known as Fishers continued in 2016. The new IKEA store began construction in 2016, and a huge culinary and entertainment center is planned nearby. The city announced the North of North development set for construction at the municipal complex. The new TopGolf center is under construction at I-69 & 116th Street. Development firm Citimark bought the Launch Fishers building (no change in that operation) and bought the old (now vacant) Charles Schwab call center next door. A high-tech center is planned for that area. Stanley Security and Braden started construction on new headquarters buildings. Harley Davidson plans a new dealership on 126th Street, just east of State Road 37. A new Starbucks coffee shop is coming to the area of 116th Street and Olio Road.
3. ROAD PROJECTS CONTINUE
The Hamilton County Council voted to pave the way for an upgraded State Road 37 throughout Fishers. Council members unanimously approved the county’s share of the funding, and authorized a marketing plan to be funded by the city and county, helping impacted business along the stretch of highway during the construction period. Work should begin in earnest in 2018 or 2019. Interstate 69 lane expansion work continues, along with the new configuration at Exit 210. The new interchange at 106th Street and I-69 opened in December. The city continues with a long list of local road and street projects.
2. HSE SCHOOL REFERENDUM PASSES OVERWHELMINGLY
Voters in the Hamilton Southeastern School District approved an operating referendum in 2016 increasing property tax rates by 12 cents per $100 of assessed value. This allows school administrators to begin lowering class sizes and provided the money for a pay increase among the local schools teaching staff. The good news? This vote is good for 7 years before school officials need to return to the voters for operating money, even to keep funding at the same level.
1. GEORGE KEHL RETIRES AS FISHERS POLICE CHIEF, MITCH THOMPSON TAKES OVER
It was 1975 when George Kehl joined law enforcement in Fishers. He became chief in 1978 and has led the department since then. That is, until the end of September, 2016. That’s when Chief Kehl left the moniker of chief behind. George Kehl retired from the police force where he had hired every officer in the department. That includes his successor as chief, Mitch Thompson. All reports indicate George Kehl is enjoying his retirement, as he should, after nearly 40 years of service to Fishers. Mitch Thompson was sworn-in as the new leader of local law enforcement.