The city clerk is asking for a pay raise and the Fishers Freedom Festival is requesting almost double the amount of cash received from the city.  Those were the big items discussed Thursday night at the City Council Finance Committee meeting.

The Fishers Freedom Festival is moving from its long-time home at Holland Part to the downtown Nickel Plate District in 2017.  Jennifer Kehl, the top official at the festival committee, told the council panel there are many logistical costs to move the festival site, resulting in the requested increase in city cash support.  The festival is asking the city to provide just over $161,000 in 2017.  That does not count the “in-kind” services from city departments, which has been valued at about $40,000.

Ms. Kehl is also the City Clerk and is asking the council to raise her current $55,000 annual salary by $20,000 next year.  Kehl says her job as clerk was to be a 15-hours-per-week position, but she claims to be at City Hall nearly every day, with many more than 15 hours clocked per week.  She also presented data that clerks in comparable cities are paid much more than her current salary.  Kehl also asked for a 3% pay increase for her staff, in line with other city employees.  Also, the deputy clerk of the court does not have health insurance, which Kehl described as an oversight, and hr wants health benefits provided for that employee.

Clerk Kehl also asked for a “heavy duty” copying machine because the equipment at the City Controller’s office becomes overwhelmed, especially at meeting times.  This sparked a discussion by the committee members of possibly transitioning council and Board of Works business to electronic data to cut down on paper and copying costs.

City Judge Dan Henke presented a flat 2017 budget for council consideration, with one exception.  The judge is asking to be covered by the city’s health insurance plan.  Henke is currently covered under a self-employed insurance plan he pays for himself.  City Contoller Oscar Gutierrez told committee members the average cost of providing a family health insurance plan is $25,000 a year, but it could cost the city more or less, depending on health claim experience.

Members of the Finance Committee decided to take these proposals under advisement and talk more about them in their next meeting, to be held before the October 19th City Council session.  The City Council meeting will feature a public hearing on the budget proposals.

With Hamilton County offices up for election on November 8th, along with several state offices, the Hamilton County League of Women Voters will host two candidate forums.  The first will be held Tuesday, October 18th, 7pm, at Noblesville City Hall, and will feature candidates for Hamilton County offices.  The second is set for Monday, October 24th, 7pm, also at Noblesville City Hall, and will be held for state offices.

Tiger One’s Casino Night was a fund raising success, with $39,000 in the bank.  The nonprofit group thanks the 250 participants and the long list of commercial sponsors the contributed to the evening at Forum Credit Union’s Conference Center.

The funds raised by Tiger One will be used to fund scholarships for graduating student athletes and to buy athletic equipment and supplies for all athletic teams.

Tiger One is a club supporting Fishers High School Athletics and the students involved in the sporting events.

A Fishers man has died after a serious accident late Tuesday night at State Road 37 and 126th Street.  Police have file no criminal charges at this point in the investigation.

Below is a news release from the Fishers Police Department with the details:

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The Fishers Police Department is investigating a fatal crash that occurred at approximately 11:00 pm on Tuesday, August 30^th.  The crash occurred in the intersection of 126^th Street and State Road 37.  The crash involved two motor vehicles and one bicycle.

                The initial investigation shows that Elias Rios Bonilla was riding his bicycle westbound on 126^th Street crossing S.R. 37 while his light was red.  Mr. Bonilla was struck by a 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe driving southbound on S.R. 37.  Several seconds later Mr. Bonilla was struck by a black 1999 Honda Accord that was also southbound on S.R. 37.  The traffic light was green for southbound S.R. 37.

                The driver of the Chevrolet Tahoe, Jason Newton, reported that he was driving south in the right lane with a green light.  Just before impact he saw the bicycle and veered to the right but was unable to avoid the collision.  The Chevrolet Tahoe came to rest in the ditch on the southwest corner of the intersection.  Mr. Bonilla was thrown through the intersection.  The driver of the 1999 Honda, Jeffrey Bell, reported that he was driving southbound on S.R. 37.  As he approached the intersection he observed the Tahoe in the ditch with a passenger outside waving his arms.  Mr. Bell did not see Mr. Bonilla lying in the middle of the roadway until impact.   

                The Fishers Police Crash Investigation Team responded to investigate the accident.  Drugs and alcohol are not a factor at this time.  There are no criminal charges at this time.  The investigation is ongoing…

Bicyclist:                            Elias Rios Bonilla (Deceased)

                                                26 years old

                                                Fishers, Indiana

Tahoe Driver:                 Jason Newton

                                                36 years old

                                                Fishers, Indiana

Accord Driver:               Jeffrey Bell

                                                56 years old

                                                Noblesville, Indiana

A person riding a bicycle died in a crash involving several vehicles overnight at State Road 37 & 126th Street in Fishers.  Not many details are known.

Read the latest on this story from WTHR at this link.

Larry’s podcast guest this week is Fishers City Councilman Pete Peterson

Projekt Opera in Fishers latest endeavor is Elixir of Love….here is Larry’s review

The deadline for school board candidates to file their candidacy was Friday, August 26th, at noon.  We now know who the candidates will be.  I will get to that in a moment.  There are a number of new residents in Fishers, and I have been receiving a lot of questions about our local school board election.  Let me provide a little background first, then list all the candidates.

When you are elected to the Hamilton Southeastern School Board, you are elected to a four-year term.  For example, in 2014, four board seats were up for election, one seat in each of the four school board districts.

This year will be an at-large election, sort of.  Rather than candidates running at-large in the entire district, this at-large election will consist of races in each of the townships that make up the HSE School District…that would be Delaware, Fall Creek and Wayne Townships.  Voters in each township will elect one school board member from that township.  Why is the election set-up this way?  I’m not sure, but it’s likely tied to an agreement reached in the process of the HSE School District being consolidated many years ago.

So, every two years HSE has a school board election, selecting board members to four-year terms.  Every two years, we rotate between selecting candidates from each of the four districts, then having an election selecting one board member from each of the three townships, making up the seven-member board.  In 2016, we elect one board member from each township.

With that out of the way, let’s set the stage for the 2016 HSE School Board election.

If you are looking for incumbents, there are two.  In Wayne Township, Sylvia Shepler is seeking her fourth consecutive term on the board.  In Fall Creek Township, Howard Stevenson was appointed by the board to serve the remainder of Darren Sink’s term (Darren left Fishers for another job) and is running in this election.   Karen Harmer apparently feels 18 years on the board is enough, so she is not seeking re-election in Delaware Township.

Here are your 2016 candidates for HSE School Board (listed alphabetically by first letter of first name in each township):

===========================================================

Delaware Township

Adam Harness

Amanda J. Shera

Bradley Jones

Franklin W. Whelan

==============

Fall Creek Township

Howard Stevenson

J. Kent Everett

Mike Bottorff

==============

Wayne Township

Charron Wright

Sylvia Shepler

===========

I understand at least one organization is in the process of putting together a candidate forum.  I will let you know more when anything is announced.

It’s been a busy summer road construction season and it’s not letting up.

Note on the schedule below that Exit 5 Parkway, near 116th Street and I-69, will be closed beginning Tuesday, September 6th, at 6am, for two months.  There is a link to a detour map.

Below is the listing, provided by the City of Fishers:

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BRIDGE REPLACEMENT

Continuing this week, the bridge on 106th Street between Allisonville Road and Hague Road will be closed by the Hamilton County Highway Department for replacement. Detour routes are displayed in the area and access to local traffic will be permitted for residents and businesses. Please direct any questions about this project to alison.krupski@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.
 
CYNTHEANNE ROAD
 
Road work continues on Cyntheanne Road between Southeastern Parkway and 136th Street, during construction periodic lane restrictions and flaggers will remain in place to help direct traffic.

EXIT FIVE PARKWAY
 
Exit Five Parkway will be closed beginning at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, September 6 to reconstruct the road as part of the 116th Street widening project. The road will be closed to all traffic. Trucks needed to deliver to businesses will need to go up to Cumberland Road to Exit Five Parkway and come in from the north. The road will be closed for approximately two months, and a detour map is available online.
 
I-69 AND CAMPUS PARKWAY
 
Milestone Contractors has begun mobilizing cranes and other equipment and setting a temporary concrete barrier wall along I-69 at Campus Parkway Exit 210. Work will require alternating lane closures on northbound and southbound I-69 between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Lane closures may recur each night through the end of the week depending on weather and progress. Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT at eastcentralin@indot.in.gov or 1-855-463-6848.

I-69 TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS
 
INDOT is overseeing an overnight closure on multiple traffic lanes on I-69 overnight this week. Weather permitting, lane closures, traffic changes and rolling slowdowns of traffic will begin after 9 p.m. and are expected to end before 6 a.m. the next day. Construction schedules and traffic restrictions are subject to change, and questions should be directed to INDOT at indot.carsprogram.org, 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or 511 from a mobile phone. Please drive with caution as a new traffic pattern is in place.
 
STATE ROAD 37
 
Various general survey work has begun along the State Road 37 corridor. Work will take place starting at the 126th Street intersection. Learn more atwww.Fishers.in.us/SR37.

USA PARKWAY
 
USA Parkway will be closed from 8 p.m. on Friday, August 26th until 5 a.m. on Monday, August 29th to allow contractors to install a storm sewer across the road. 
 
106^th STREET & CUMBERLAND ROAD ROUNDABOUT
 
Cumberland Road from 106th Street to Mud Creek is closed as Phase 1 of a new roundabout begins. 106th Street will remain open and Cumberland Road north of 106th Street will remain open at this time. The Cumberland Road south of 106th street is closed. Please continue to check the weekly construction update for ongoing progress on this project.
 
106th STREET INTERCHANGE
 
INDOT has begun work on the 106th Street interchange. A lane shift is currently in place on I-69 and 106th Street is closed as construction continues. Additional details about this project will be released through INDOT and shared on the weekly construction update. Please be advised the speed limit from 82nd Street to 116th Street has been reduced to 55 mph and there are lane shifts on I-69. Please travel with caution and pay close attention to signage in the area.

116th STREET
 
There may be short-term lane restrictions on eastbound 116th Street between USA Parkway and Exit Five Parkway while utility work is being completed. Nightly lane restrictions will also be in place on 116^th Street between Commercial Drive and USA Parkway between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
 
131^st STREET
 
Lane restrictions will be in place on 131st Street between Brooks School Road and Olio Road to allow contractors to perform paving activities. Weather permitting, restrictions will be in place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

With the deadline to file looming at noon, Friday, August 26th, all three board seats up for election this November in the Hamilton Southeastern School District will be contested.

As of the close of business Wednesday, August 24th, two school board incumbents have filed for re-election and all three feature more than one candidate.  Howard Stevenson from Fall Creek Township and Sylvia Shepler representing Wayne Township, have filed as candidates.  Current School Board President Karen Harmer is not expected to seek re-election from Delaware Township.

In this round of school board balloting, one candidate is chosen from each of the townships that are part of the Hamilton Southeastern School District.

Here is the listing of candidates, per the Hamilton County Election Office, as of Wednesday, August 24th:

================================

Delaware Township

Adam Harness (filed August 19)

Bradley Jones (filed August 8)

Amanda J. Shera (filed August 18)

Fall Creek Township

Mike Bottorff (filed August 22)

Howard Stevenson (filed July 27)

Wayne Township

Sylvia Shepler (filed August 12)

Charron Wright (filed August 18)