At the September 20 Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board meeting, the public was introduced to the HSE High School ESports team.  What is this thing called ESports?  It is basically competition among schools all about computer gaming.

Students have competed in games such as Overwatch, Rocket League, Super Smash Brothers, Valorant, League of Legends and Chess.  This past summer, students playing Valorant were crowned National Champions at the Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF) competition. Additionally, HSE Esports placed third in Overwatch and two HSE Esports players competing in Super Smash Brothers placed as individual finalists.

While speaking before the board, the team and Coach Keaton Squires said the team has pitched-in to buy the technical equipment needed in order for the team to practice and prepare for upcoming competitions.

Mr. Squires told the board his team needs $15,000 to buy the equipment needed.  He wasn’t asking the board for money, he was asking for the community to help the team.

It was a matter of days and a Go Fund Me page was established for the team.  The early contributions as of Sunday evening total just over $4,200.

If you would like to contribute to the HSE High School ESports team, use this link.

Another week brings another update on road construction and other projects in and around Fishers.

Here is the update, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Fishers road construction update for the work week starting Monday, September 25 →

Howard Stevenson served on the Hamilton Southeastern School Board and is currently President of the Fishers Plan Commission.  He now is a candidate for an at-large seat on the Fishers City Council.  He talks with Larry Lannan and Mike Fassold in this podcast episode.

Jocelyn Vare was one of two Democrats elected to the Fishers City Council 4 years ago.  She is seeking another term as an at-large Councilor.  She joins Larry Lannan and Mike Fassold in this podcast episode.

As part of my Fishers City Council Candidate podcast series, this episode features at-large Councilman Todd Zimmerman, who is seeking another term on the council.  Mike Fassold joins Larry Lannan in the discussion.

As I begin my series of podcasts featuring candidates for Fishers City Council, this episode features at-large incumbent Council Member Cecilia Coble.  Retired Fishers Junior High School Teacher Mike Fassold joins Larry.

The City of Fishers has boasted that it is the only municipality in the state of Indiana with the AAA debt rating from Standard & Poor (S&P) once that was announced in 2016.  The city has retained that AAA rating every year since, until now.

On September 14 of this year, S&P announced the debt rating for the City of Fishers on property tax-secured debt has been downgraded from AAA to AA+.  A financial news Web site quotes S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Bobby Otter as writing the following –  “The downgrade reflects our view of the city’s growing debt burden and high fixed costs.”

City officials say General Obligation bond debt is what has previously been AAA rated, and that rating went to AA+. The income tax-backed bonds went from AA+ to AA. The city points to another large bond issuance ($100 million) for the acquisition of sewers, where the city received a AA- rating for that debt.

“This is the largest bond issuance in the history of our city, we anticipated this rating, and we believe it’s an affirmation of our strong fiscal planning,” according to a written statement from Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness.   “We are thrilled with the rating that we received for the issuance of this size and for the use for which we were seeking the bonds.”

During the Tuesday afternoon meeting of the Hamilton Southeastern School Board Budget & Finance Committee, school district Chief Financial Officer Katy Dowling voiced concerns that the Vice President of Bondry Consulting had done campaign work for a current member of the HSE School Board.  The committee was considering a contract proposal from Bondry.

Oscar Gutierrez, President of Bondry Consulting, issued a statement Wednesday saying “the implications that Bondry was chosen as a finalist due to political contributions instead of professional expertise is factually incorrect.”

“In 2020 and prior to employment with Bondry, a non-equity employee via his own business performed a media-related paid service for a campaign of an HSE school board member,” said Guitierrez in the written statement. “This is a coincidence that he provided a paid service through his company prior to working with Bondry.”

Gutierrez was the first controller and CFO for the City of Fishers and Hamilton County is currently a client of Bondry.

Here is the full statement issued by Oscar Gutierrez:

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Bondry Consulting is an SEC and MSRB-registered entity that is bound by fiduciary duty to it’s clients and regulated regarding pollical contributions. Bondry follows all obligations set forth by federal securities law.

The implications that Bondry was chosen as a finalist due to political contributions instead of professional expertise is factually incorrect.

In 2020 and prior to employment with Bondry, a non-equity employee via his own business performed a media-related paid service for a campaign of an HSE school board member. This is a coincidence that he provided a paid service through his company prior to working with Bondry.

Bondry’s Qualifications:

The Contract was to be headed by Oscar Gutierrez, who has Served in similar roles as Controller and Deputy Mayor of the City of Lawrence, and Controller and CFO of the City of Fishers. During his time in Fishers, the City had one of the lowest tax rates of similar cities and the only AAA credit rating in the state of Indiana by standard and poor’s. His current clients include Hamilton County who has the 6^th lowest tax rate in the state of Indiana for Indiana counties, the lowest tax rate of the largest 10 counties in Indiana, and the only AAA credit rating by standard and poor’s in the state.

Bondry is the state’s sole Minority and Veteran owned municipal advisory firm.

It’s obviously disappointing that the CFO would attempt to discredit our qualifications by implying that a staff member’s non-relevant work prior to joining our firm would be a reason for Bondry to be blocked from a professional municipal finance contract.

When we think of sports, we think of hours of practice running, lifting weights and repetitions.  There is a school competition that involves sports and plenty of practice hours, but it is electronic in nature.

Tuesday night, the Hamilton Southeastern School Board highlighted the work of the HSE High School Esports team, basically electronic gaming.  Students compete with other schools in games such as Overwatch, Rocket League, Super Smash Brothers, Valorant, League of Legends and Chess.