As I talk with people associated with Fishers city government, one name pops up regularly – Molly Connolly. She is the Director of Employee and Customer Success at the City of Fishers. Before joining the city staff, Molly worked with Olympic Diving and had the opportunity to travel internationally.
She wanted to add the following after the podcast recording session:
3 Municipal is currently closed for city service payments due to COVID, so payments can be made online.
Our 1 call number is 317-595-2111 for any non-COVID related questions. We’ll direct your call to the appropriate department.
Fishers Connect App is where residents can go to report an issue, ask a questions, share a concern or make a suggestion.
I talk about that and more with Molly in this podcast discussion.
For the past several years, the City of Fishers and a number of organizations have partnered with the local Disabilities Advisory Committee for Disability Awareness Month. In 2021, the activities are still there, but many are being done virtually.
Here is my discussion with Cecilia Coble and Kelly Hartman about what is planned this year.
It was about one year ago today that I wrote about Rush Limbaugh when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. I wished him the best at that time. I watched my father battle lung cancer for years and it took him away from us nearly 27 years ago.
I learned today that Rush Limbaugh has died. I have so many thoughts about that, allow me to spare you and will just share a few here.
I hosted many radio talk shows during a broadcasting career that spanned about 14 years. I know the work that goes into preparing for, and performing before, a radio audience. It is not easy.
Limbaugh provided a different perspective, a very conservative one. In the radio business, you don’t need a majority of the available audience, just enough of a slice to keep advertisers interested in your product, the radio program.
Sometimes I agreed with Limbaugh, often I did not. What concerned me the most about him was playing fast and loose with the facts. You do not need to do that in order to express a conservative viewpoint.
But commercial radio is not about persuading or educating your audience, it is mostly about entertaining them. And Rush Limbaugh knew how to do that.
My sympathies go to his family and friends. Rush Limbaugh carved-out his own part of the radio landscape and made the best of it. May he rest in peace.
Fishers remains in Level 4, or Red, the highest on the COVID transmission rating scale, but the numbers have been headed in the right direction. In her weekly video update, Fishers Public Health Director Monica Heltz says even though Fishers is still in Red, the city is “so close to orange (the next category down).”
The case incidence rate keeps Fishers in the Red rating, which now stands at 29.38. That is down 7 points from the previous week, but must be under 25 to escape Red.
The percent positivity rate (individuals tested) is at 8.7% (orange), down 3% compared to last week’s number of 11.2%.
Testing availability remains strong in Fishers. You can get an appointment for a test and receive the results in 1-2 days. The city health department is also doing well in contact tracing.
Since the pandemic began about a year ago, 95 Fishers residents have died of COVID. City staff has conducted 55,000 COVID tests. There have been 9,500 positive tests among the Fishers population, which is roughly 10% of the city’s population.
The demand on the health care system remains high, but hospital bed availability in our geographic area is at 40%, the highest number in some time.
Fishers continues to provide COVID vaccinations at the mass site on 116th Street, just east of Brooks School Road, with an allocation of 1,000 doses per week from the state. “We sure hope that those allocations increase as more vaccine becomes available,” said Heltz.
Most Fishers vaccination appointments are for the second dose. Going into March, the department expects more first-time shots. The Fishers Health Department has provided 4,583 COVID vaccinations through February 16.
Long term care facilities in Fishers should be getting their second COVID vaccination doses by the end of next week. The department will continue with home bound vaccinations.
The additional strains of COVID are being monitored, with the most concerning being the UK strain. This strain appears to be much more infectious.
“Florida is the place in the country with the highest amount of circulating identified new strain from the UK,” Heltz said. “If you are planning any vacation or trips, please use caution, please continue to use distancing, sanitizing and hand washing. If you haven’t been fully vaccinated, or even if you have, you could still be taking that and spreading it to someone, including your loved ones.”
Heltz cautioned families planning spring break trips to Florida to review plans and be extra cautious.
15,000 calls have been placed to the Fishers COVID hotline at 317-595-3211.
You may watch the entire video from Monica Heltz at this link.
I am in my tenth year of covering local Fishers news as a volunteer blogger. Most of the time, when an important vote is coming up, I have a good idea how the public body will act.
On the evening of February 15, I had no idea how the Fishers City Council would vote on a rezone, allowing the local nonprofit HAND to construct 11 cottage-style homes, named Cumberland Cottages, near 141st Street and Cumberland Road. The 8-1 vote for an unfavorable recommendation from the Fishers Advisory Plan Commission was not a good sign.
An even worse sign came from three sitting Fishers City Council members on the Plan Commission, all voting for the unfavorable recommendation. Pete Peterson,
Todd Zimmerman and Selina Stoller would almost certainly not be supportive of the rezone when the matter would come up for action on the council.
However, there are nine members of the Fishers City Council. How would the other six members view the HAND proposal to bring affordable housing for 11 Fishers families?
HAND Executive Director Andrea Davis provided a rundown on the proposal before council members Monday night and tried her best to address questions and concerns raised by the Plan Commission and neighbors. Then the council members began discussing their views on the rezone request before them.
The three councilors on the Plan Commission, as expected, opposed the rezone, but appeared to be open to some other location for the housing project. Councilman John Weingardt described this as a “close call” but in the end voted no.
The two Democrats on the council, Jocelyn Vare and Samantha DeLong, voiced their support. Cecilia Coble, a long-time advocate for the disabled in Fishers, voiced her support for the project and the work HAND has done locally. Brad DeReamer expressed his support, citing the need for affordable housing in Fishers.
It all came down to David George. Councilman George is the longest-serving elected member of a Fishers governing body, having served for years on the town council before Fishers became a city, and has served on the city council ever since.
David George is an engineer by trade and I always appreciate the way engineers approach an issue. He had a number of questions about the technical details. He then explained how he had driven around and looked at HAND projects constructed many years ago. He found them all well-maintained and in very good shape.
But Mr. George did not say how his vote would go. Because the meeting was virtual, there was a roll call vote, and it was only then that we learned David George would be a yes vote and the HAND rezoning request would be approved by the narrowest of margins, 5-4.
I live in a community adjacent to the HAND project. I realize many of my neighbors and my Homeowners Association (HOA) are not on board with the housing plan. I would hope they would listen to David George’s comments on how well HAND maintains its properties. Those housing projects have stood the test of time or Councilman George would not have voted in favor of this plan.
There is much yet to be done and more hurdles to climb before construction can begin. Executive Director Davis promised to do everything possible and find the funding or other ways to upgrade the planned car ports into full garages.
As a 30-year resident of Fishers, I am proud of my city council. There will be eleven families allowed to have a decent place to live near the place where they work in Fishers as a result of the council’s action. I believe that is a good thing.
Ultimate Technologies is relocating its headquarters to the Fishers Technology Park and adding 25 employees, according to an announcement from the firm and the City of Fishers.
“The move back to Fishers is in part related to our significant expansion related to our focus on helping companies evolve their conference room and work from home technology to a new hybrid model that will result as some of their employees return to work and some decide to continue working from home,” said said Ultimate Technologies Group President, Will O’Brien in a news release.
The company points to the recent growth of business virtual workplace plans. Ultimate says it has signed a contract with an Indiana-based manufacturer to provide communication technology in the clients’ 4,000 worldwide conference rooms.
“Ultimate Technologies is another success story we’re happy to share from Fishers,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness. “Just a few years ago they were a new start-up company in Launch Fishers. The team that Will has assembled and the growth they will experience over the next several years is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit here in Fishers.
Ultimate plans to relocate ino 12,000 square feet of space at 11793 Technology Lane in the Fishers Tech Park.
The HAND project to construct 11 cottages at 141st and Cumberland Road will move forward after the Fishers City Council voted 5-4 approving a rezone of the property.
Voting yes for the rezone were David George, Cecilia Coble, Brad DeReamer, Samantha DeLong and Jocelyn Vare. The no votes were from Selina Stoller, Pete Peterson, John Weingardt and Todd Zimmerman.
The Advisory Plan Commission voted an unfavorable recommendation 8-1, with Howard Stevenson the only commission member supporting the proposal.
There was a great deal of discussion about car ports rather than garages for the 11 cottage units. HAND Executive Director Andrea Davis said an upgrade to garages is possible, once more details of the design are available now that the rezone has been approved.
The city planning staff recommended approval of the housing project.
The rezone approval is just one step in the process. Davis said she plans to continue discussions with neighbors and council members as the project moves to the next stages.
If criminal justice is something you plan on pursuing, the The Jen Grillo Memorial/Fishers Police Corps Scholarship competition should be of interest to you. A $1,500 scholarship is available to students at either Fishers or HSE High Schools.
The student must have a minimum GPA of 2.5, be accepted to a college or university, and seek to attend full time. The student must also demonstrate school leadership, a commitment to his/her community and a desire to contribute to society.
Here are some additional requirements for all applicants:
1. Complete a typed or legible handwritten essay indicating why he/she has chosen a law-enforcement related career, and how they specifically plan to meet that goal. The essay must be at least 500 words.
2. Submit two letters of recommendation. One letter must be from a teacher; the other may be from a school counselor, coach or community leader. The letters of recommendation must be submitted in a sealed envelope, and the back of the envelope must be signed by the author of the recommendation.
3. Submit a student transcript. A complete applicant package must include: – the application – the 500-word (minimum) essay – student transcript, and – letters of recommendation.
The completed package is to be submitted to:
The Jen Grillo Memorial/Fishers Police Corps Scholarship Fishers Police Department
ATTN.: Officer James Alvis
4 Municipal Drive, Fishers, IN 46038
The application must be in by 4:00 pm, March 29, 2021. Any incomplete package will disqualify a submission.
The Corps Board will review all applications and essays. Applicants will be notified of their status, and if selected as a finalist, will be contacted for an interview.
The Black Panthers were in many major American cities during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Fred Hampton was the high-profile leader of the Chicago Black Panthers. The story of Hampton and the FBI informant in his ranks are at the center of the new film, Judas and the Black Messiah.
There is good and not so good news in the latest data released by the Fishers Health Department. The good news is that COVID casts are down in the latest numbers. However, even with that, Fishers remains in the red, Level 4, or highest category of transmission. For a more detailed video discussion posted on You Tube February 9, from Health Department Director Monica Heltz, go to this link.
The Fishers Health Department has vaccinated 3,232 individuals. This week, the department is vaccinating people for their second dose. In Hamilton County, 12% of the population has received their first dose and 5.5% have completed their vaccine.
Individuals ages 65 years and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of underlying medical conditions. Vaccination clinic hours are by appointment only and can be made here for eligible individuals only. You are able to schedule your vaccination appointment at the Mass Vaccination Site or at any vaccination site in Indiana. New appointments continue to open up, so check back frequently.
If you need assistance scheduling, please call the Fishers COVID Hotline at 317-595-3211 or call 2-1-1. Family members may schedule on behalf of eligible individuals. There is no charge for the vaccine. All persons receiving the vaccine will need valid ID or other proof of meeting eligibility criteria.
Beginning on February 15, the Technology Drive testing site will close for testing due to decreased demand. School-based exposures (resident and nonresident) can be tested at the drive-thru Fishers Health Department Testing Site at the City Services Building located at 3 Municipal Drive.
All Hoosiers can schedule an appointment for testing on the Fishers Health Department website. If you need assistance scheduling, please call the Fishers COVID Hotline at 317-595-3211.
