Spyglass traffic-signal timeline remains uncertain as seven departments present spending plans to the City Council Finance Committee

Fishers’ proposed 2027 budget began to take departmental shape Wednesday morning as the City Council Finance Committee heard requests and priorities ranging from police technology and firefighter training to sewer equipment, road work and Community Center operations.

Police Chief Ed Gebhart proposed a $2.46 million operating plan in the categories presented, up 10.07%, with higher costs tied to a police dog replacement, the Hamilton County Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, digital forensics and technology contracts. Fire Chief Ky Ragsdale’s comparable request was nearly flat at $2.18 million, up 0.52%, but included training four more paramedics, preparing a fourth medic unit and expanding rescue and post-incident services.

Engineering Director Hatem Mekky outlined Cumberland Road widening, two annual resurfacing packages, signal modernization and a roundabout at 131st Street and Brooks School Road. The meeting’s clearest unresolved project was a planned signal on 116th Street at the Spyglass subdivision. Responding to committee member Bill Stuart, Mekky said a new signal could cost $500,000 to $700,000 and the city is checking whether equipment removed from other intersections can be reused. He said officials hope to build it in 2027 but could not promise a date.

Public Works Director Jonathan Valenta presented the largest departmental total on the slides: $17.9 million, a 21.04% increase driven largely by a 104.02% jump in capital spending for wastewater plant and lift-station work. Health Department Director Monica Heltz proposed a $721,700 operating budget, up 4.59%, while planning additional clinical services, mental-health navigation and accreditation work.

Parks and Recreation Director Marissa Deckert proposed $1.92 million, up 3.92%, as the department prepares for AgriPark West, a country store at the existing AgriPark, White River Park programming and growing event attendance. Community Center Director Mike Lindbloom projected $6.83 million in revenue against $6.57 million in expenses, leaving $257,145 in net income while membership, programming and a rooftop exercise studio expand.

The figures are not directly comparable: several slides showed selected operating categories, Engineering focused on projects rather than one departmentwide total, and the Community Center projection includes wages and benefits.

None of the proposals is final. Mayor Scott Fadness is scheduled to present the proposed budget and hold a public hearing Sept. 21. Council adoption is scheduled for Oct. 12.

Police Department

Police Chief Ed Gebhart presented a recommended budget of $2,460,325, an increase of 10.07%. Supplies would rise 12.05% to $697,500, while professional services would increase 9.3% to $1,762,825.

Gebhart attributed the increase to specialized equipment and recurring technology expenses. A police dog is due for replacement, and the department plans to continue investing in the Hamilton County Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

The task force investigates people suspected of using the internet to target children. Gebhart said its workload also involves an expanding digital-forensics operation examining cellphones, computers and other electronic devices.

The regional work is not limited to Fishers. Other Hamilton County agencies contribute to the task force, and Gebhart said Fishers can charge fees when its laboratory assists another jurisdiction with extracting evidence from an electronic device.

Professional-services spending includes technology contracts such as Axon’s body-camera system. The department is nearing the end of a five-year contract cycle and expects that service to be renewed. Gebhart said multi-year technology contracts are common because of their implementation costs, but the department will continue reviewing available products and prices.

Asked whether the Police Department otherwise has the personnel and equipment it needs, Gebhart said he feels the department is well supported. Vehicle delivery and outfitting had been a recent problem, he said, but the backlog has largely been addressed.

The proposed increase was therefore presented primarily as the cost of replacing a working police dog, sustaining regional investigations and keeping digital-evidence technology current.

Fire Department

Fire Chief Ky Ragsdale presented a recommended operating budget of $2,176,336, just 0.52% higher than the previous year. Supplies would increase 8.11% to $1,333,570, while professional services would decline 9.53% to $842,766.

The professional-services decrease reflects the expiration of a one-time $500,000 allocation in the 2026 budget. City officials said that money helped establish a new Fire Department training model and division and does not need to be repeated in 2027.

Ragsdale said one of his leading priorities is increasing the number of paramedics. Training and certifying a firefighter-EMT as a paramedic costs about $27,000, he said. Training four would require slightly more than $100,000.

Recent retirements and departures have left Fishers with a younger department that needs additional qualified paramedics, engineers and officers. Thirty recruits are scheduled to begin a class Sept. 8, but Ragsdale emphasized that the class largely replaces people who retired or left rather than adding 30 net new positions.

The department also wants to prepare a fourth medic unit. That requires the vehicle, staffing and advanced-life-support equipment. Fishers currently operates three medic units.

Additional equipment priorities include a gradual transition from hydraulic extrication tools to battery-powered equipment and an approximately $30,000 remotely operated underwater vehicle. The underwater device can be used during emergencies in retention ponds and other waterways.

Ragsdale also proposed a trauma-blood program that he estimated would cost approximately $40,000. The program would allow medics to administer blood to critically injured patients before they arrive at a hospital. He said it could begin around midyear or during the third quarter of 2027.

Fishers is discussing a partnership with IU Health that could allow blood nearing expiration to be exchanged rather than discarded, reducing waste and recurring costs.

The department’s goals also include prevention, community outreach and better assistance after an emergency. Fire personnel provide bicycle and swimming safety programs, install and service smoke alarms, and are working with other city departments to reach residents who may require different communication or training approaches.

Ragsdale said the department is also trying to improve the first 72 hours after a fire or other serious incident. That work includes helping displaced residents connect with temporary shelter, insurance information and city services instead of ending the department’s involvement when emergency crews leave.

Asked whether Fishers’ annexations could require an eighth fire station, Ragsdale said he does not currently see that need. The city’s seven stations already serve the affected areas, he said, and response times remain adequate. His more immediate concern is fully equipping frontline and reserve apparatus, a process he expects to take approximately three years.

Engineering Department

Engineering Director Hatem Mekky’s slide focused on infrastructure projects rather than presenting one departmentwide budget figure.

The leading new project is the widening of Cumberland Road from 106th Street to just south of 116th Street. Plans call for two 16-foot travel lanes and six-foot sidewalks on both sides of the road.

Fishers also plans two 2027 resurfacing packages. One would include participation in Indiana’s Community Crossings Matching Grant program, while the second would be financed with local money.

Other priorities include traffic-signal upgrades, a new road-impact-fee study and a roundabout at 131st Street and Brooks School Road. Mekky said that roundabout had been expected in 2026 but was moved into 2027 because utility relocation and right-of-way work took longer than anticipated.

Fishers tries to resurface approximately 16 to 18 road miles annually. Mekky said the city resurfaced 103 miles from 2020 through 2025 and expects to complete approximately 16 miles in 2026.

The mileage varies because heavily traveled roads sometimes require deeper milling and more expensive treatment than neighborhood streets. Mekky also said a reduction in the maximum Community Crossings award from $1.5 million to $1 million will limit how far the city’s resurfacing money can stretch.

Engineering plans to replace older traffic-signal equipment over the next three to four years. Mekky said the newer technology will preserve traffic counts, help the city study congestion patterns and allow signal timing to be adjusted along corridors such as 96th, 116th and 126th streets.

The technology can also identify possible vehicle and pedestrian near-misses, directing the city’s attention to intersections that may require safety changes.

No firm date for the Spyglass signal

Council Finance Committee member Bill Stuart asked whether a planned traffic signal on 116th Street at the Spyglass subdivision is included in the 2027 budget.

Mekky’s response did not provide a specific construction date.

A completely new signal, cabinet and related installation work could cost between $500,000 and $700,000, Mekky said. The department could not fit that amount into what he described as a lean 2027 request.

As a less expensive alternative, city staff members are checking their inventory for signal heads and other equipment removed from intersections that were converted to roundabouts. Staff must still determine what equipment is available and whether it can be used at Spyglass.

When Stuart asked whether the city still intends to install the signal during 2027, Mekky said officials are hoping to do so but could not make a promise.

The project consequently remains dependent on the city finding suitable reusable or refurbished equipment. No construction month or binding schedule was provided.

Other road concerns

Mekky said Fishers has applied for a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant involving the Brooks School Road corridor. If the application is unsuccessful, the city would divide the project into phases, identify the highest-priority intersections and pursue other federal funding through the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Committee members also raised concerns about deteriorating concrete streets. Mekky said those roads can cost substantially more to repair than streets receiving conventional milling and resurfacing.

Some older concrete roads were constructed without adequate stone, drainage or subgrade treatment. Mekky estimated that reconstructing a roughly 1,000-foot section can cost between $800,000 and $900,000.

That expense can force the city to choose between dedicating much of an annual resurfacing program to one concrete road or locating another source of money.

Engineering and Public Works are testing less disruptive treatments where conditions allow and continuing to close gaps in the city’s trail network as opportunities arise.

Department of Public Works

Public Works Director Jonathan Valenta presented a recommended budget of $17,904,194, an increase of 21.04%.

Supplies would increase 3.29% to $2,796,425. Professional services would rise 8.21% to $10,782,196, while capital spending would more than double, increasing 104.02% to $4,325,573.

Valenta explained that Public Works has broad responsibilities. The department maintains streets, park infrastructure and city-owned buildings, including fire stations. It also operates Fishers’ wastewater and stormwater systems.

Sidewalk repair and replacement will remain a priority in 2027. Although city ordinance places maintenance responsibility on the adjacent property owner, Valenta said Fishers operates a repair program because replacing sidewalk panels can create a significant financial burden for residents.

A citywide map contains fewer than 20,000 points requiring either saw-cutting or panel replacement. Valenta said Public Works crews replaced more than 1,000 panels during 2026.

The city previously coordinated much of its sidewalk work with street-resurfacing projects. It has since shifted to targeting neighborhoods with the most serious sidewalk conditions first.

Crews are also attempting to address the underlying cause of damaged panels. Valenta said tree roots and utility trenches account for most sidewalk failures. When a tree must be removed as part of the city’s repair work, Fishers currently does not charge the homeowner for that removal.

Public Works is using camera-based surveys to evaluate streets, trails and municipal parking lots. The resulting condition scores help staff decide where to patch, seal, mill or completely resurface pavement.

The largest budget change involves the wastewater system. After Fishers acquired HSE Utilities assets, its sanitary system grew from roughly 100 miles of pipe to more than 400 miles. The number of lift stations increased from 29 to 53, while staffing and equipment did not increase on the same scale.

The 2027 capital proposal includes energy-efficiency work at the wastewater treatment plant. Valenta said the plant’s blowers account for approximately 55% of its energy use.

Other planned work includes improvements to the non-potable water system, replacement of lift-station control panels, more efficient pumps and impellers, and the removal of aging grinder equipment.

Valenta said controlling groundwater and other clean-water infiltration into sanitary pipes is helping the city delay the point at which another treatment-plant expansion will become necessary.

Health Department

Public Health Director Monica Heltz presented a $721,700 operating budget, a 4.59% increase.

Supplies would rise 6.96% to $457,700, while professional services would increase 0.73% to $264,000.

Heltz emphasized that the slide showed operating expenses rather than the department’s entire staffing picture. After state lawmakers reduced Health First Indiana funding, the state money Fishers continues to receive is being directed toward staff expenses.

The $721,700 operating request shown to the committee is therefore entirely supported by local funding.

More than half of the operating budget goes toward vaccines, Heltz said. Those costs are increasing as the clinic serves more patients, although insurance reimbursements return some of that spending as revenue.

The department listed completion of its community health assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan among its 2026 accomplishments. A strategic plan is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Heltz said the assessment identified three broad community priorities: aging well, mental health across the lifespan with particular concern for young people, and active living and healthier lifestyles.

The department expanded its services during 2026 to include sports physicals, medication-safety programs, wellness screenings, sexually transmitted infection treatment, Aging Well classes, mobile integrated health, social prescribing and maternal-infant health programs.

For 2027, Heltz plans to add or test clinical services such as nurse-provided ear piercing, health coaching and lifestyle-medicine support. The department also wants to expand follow-up work after emergency medical calls, continue developing community education and pursue national public-health accreditation.

Mental-health navigation

A new mental-health support specialist is scheduled to begin seeing people at the Fishers Community Center on Sept. 14.

Heltz said the licensed social worker will help residents understand available services, provider qualifications, insurance and referral options. The position is intended to help people navigate the mental-health system rather than provide all treatment directly.

The position grew out of the community health assessment and conversations with Hamilton Southeastern Schools and child-care providers. Those organizations reported that families frequently do not know where to begin when a child or parent needs help.

Schools will be able to refer families they cannot fully assist. Child-care providers may also refer parents who need support before their children enter the school system.

Heltz estimated that Fishers residents account for approximately 60% of all clinical-service patients, while nonresidents represent 40%. Travel vaccines reverse that ratio because people come from across central and northern Indiana for specialty immunizations.

Sports physicals, by comparison, are used overwhelmingly by Fishers families, often because they cannot obtain a timely primary-care appointment.

The department’s food inspectors are also handling growth in the number of restaurants and more frequent inspection requirements. Heltz expects to present the council with a broader personal-services ordinance covering businesses such as tattoo, body-piercing and nail establishments.

Parks and Recreation Department

Parks and Recreation Director Marissa Deckert presented a recommended budget of $1,916,900, an increase of $73,600, or 3.92%.

Supplies would rise 3.43% to $360,000, while professional services would increase 4.03% to $1,556,900.

Deckert connected much of that increase to growing attendance and the cost of producing community events. She cited the Jingle Bell Junction winter series, an expanded Fishers Farmers Market and changes to Spark!Fishers.

The Farmers Market now includes more than 100 vendors, along with stage entertainment, fitness activities and specialty events.

Spark!Fishers eliminated inflatables and instead expanded entertainment and food offerings across seven stages. Deckert said the department did not receive any negative comments about eliminating the inflatables.

She said Fishers parks and events have drawn more than 3 million visits. Supporting those crowds has increased expenses. Parks spent more than $113,000 on tents and $63,000 on portable toilets for events, Deckert said, and those costs have approximately doubled in recent years.

Parks also piloted a partnership that allowed Hamilton Southeastern sound-production students to help operate lighting and audio for the Tuesday concert series. Deckert said the department plans to continue the program.

The Maker Playground also served as a host site for Make48, a nationally televised invention competition.

AgriPark West and the Country Store

AgriPark West, near Allisonville Road and 106th Street, is projected to open in spring 2027. Deckert said clearing, fencing and other visible site work should begin soon.

Responding to neighborhood concerns, Deckert said active portions of the park are planned primarily on the road side of a creek crossing the property. The current plan does not place animals or other intensive activity near homes beyond the creek, although native plantings or passive trails could eventually be considered there.

Engineering and Parks are discussing a safer pedestrian crossing of 106th Street. Deckert did not announce a final design or construction schedule for that crossing.

At the existing Fishers AgriPark, the Country Store is slated to open in October 2026. The city was interviewing a manager on the day of the budget presentation.

The store and its surrounding building will support retail sales, workshops, school programs and community events.

White River and community events

The 2027 plan also calls for identifying ways to connect residents with the White River at White River Park, creating a new communitywide event and improving event operations as attendance increases.

Deckert acknowledged recent flooding concerns near the river but presented public access and programming as a long-term goal rather than a fully designed 2027 project.

As an example of a park’s operating value, Deckert said Geist Waterfront Park has a $40,000 annual operating allocation and had recorded approximately 75,000 visitors. The park was expected to reach at least 80,000 visits by the end of the year.

At 80,000 visits, the gross operating allocation equals approximately 50 cents per visit. Entry and concession revenue was approximately $28,000, reducing the net public cost.

The committee also discussed cultural programming. Deckert said the resident-led Diwali celebration receives sponsorship support rather than a city event appropriation. Parks contributes supplies, staff time and event-planning expertise.

Committee members asked Parks to continue involving the Fishers Advisory Committee on Disability as AgriPark West, White River Park and future amenities are developed.

Fishers Community Center

Community Center Director Mike Lindbloom projected $6,829,231 in revenue and $6,572,086 in expenses for 2027. That would produce $257,145 in net income.

The center’s projected cash balance would increase from $1,039,712 at the end of 2026 to $1,296,857 at the end of 2027.

Memberships and programs account for $5,577,031 of expected revenue. Camp revenue is projected at $700,400, other revenue at $418,292 and joining fees at $133,518.

Lindbloom said other revenue includes the center’s IU Health sponsorship and Geist Half Marathon registration activity.

On the expense side, memberships and programs account for $3,054,832. Occupancy costs total $1,998,674, administrative services $985,233 and camps $533,347.

Those categories include full- and part-time wages and benefits, along with utilities, equipment leases, supplies and other expenses required to operate the 105,000-square-foot facility.

The positive projection is significant because the Community Center was originally expected to require general-fund support during its first several years. City officials said membership demand developed more quickly than anticipated.

That allows the center to preserve its cash reserve for future replacement of major building systems and equipment instead of using it for ordinary operations.

Membership and programs

The center reported 4,880 membership units representing 17,319 people. That is approximately 30% growth from the 3,778 membership units recorded at the beginning of 2026.

The total includes 1,956 people participating through insurance-supported senior memberships. Another 61,779 people have registered for the free community pass, which provides access to the indoor walking track and playground.

Programming now includes more than 100 group-exercise classes each week, expanded swim lessons, personal training, adult sports leagues, camps, adaptive aquatics and senior fitness and social programs.

The center’s dog park is expected to open during fall 2026 after its new turf becomes established. It requires a separate membership costing $72 for six months and can cover as many as three dogs.

The initial capacity is 300 dogs, and Lindbloom said a waiting list has already developed.

For 2027, the center plans to focus on membership growth and retention. An updated mobile app will offer onboarding programs, activity points and incentive challenges. Staff members also plan to survey members more regularly.

Lindbloom could not provide a current retention rate because the center has not completed the 13-month operating cycle used by its software to calculate that figure. Membership rates are expected to increase approximately 2%.

Rooftop studio and parking

A rooftop exercise studio is expected to begin construction in late 2026 and open in late spring 2027.

The room will connect to the fitness center and include five garage-style doors that can open during favorable weather. It will accommodate yoga, mind-body and small-group training programs.

The studio does not require a new 2027 capital appropriation. City officials said it will use savings from the original Community Center construction project, and the building was designed with the rooftop addition in mind.

Officials said the building itself should be able to absorb membership growth during the next several years. Parking may become a problem sooner.

When a major meeting, popular exercise class, open gym period and swim lessons occur at the same time, some visitors have already parked at Hoosier Road Elementary School.

Community Center officials said they are beginning to consider how parking could be expanded if membership and outdoor amenities continue to grow.