Fishers City government closed out calendar year 2015 with a cash balance of over $13 million.  City Controller Oscar Gutierrez told the City Council Finance Committee he will have the exact number for the cash balance closing out last year at the next session in February.

Gutierrez also told committee members the census should begin before the end of March. The deadline for completing the updated population count is the end of 2016.  The census staff will be housed in the Delaware Township building, according to the controller.  The city authorized the new census to verify estimates that the population of Fishers has grown dramatically since the 2010 census.  A higher census population figure can bring in more state and federal money to the city.

A proposed subdivision of 20 homes, with price tags of roughly $450,000 each, had the primary plat request delayed by the Fishers Plan Commission Tuesday night.  Residents in the area along Howe Road, just north of 131st Street, expressed their vehement opposition to the planned Long Grove development.

The area is not within the City of Fishers borders, but since it is within 2 miles of the city, Fishers has the authority for planning in this area.  The subdivision would need to be annexed into the city to obtain access to city utilities, such as sewer service.

Those opposing the plan are long-time homeowners in the area that built their home on 5 acre lots, in line with the zoning rules at that time, which then were governed by Noblesville.  Since then, the landowner where the development is planned retains zoning for homes with smaller lots than the others residing in that area.

Plan Commission President Warren Harling continued to remind residents during the public hearing that the commission only has legal jurisdiction to review whether the proposed subdivision meets the conditions of local ordinances.

When questions were raised by commission members on whether some of the street plans are in line with city ordinances, several commission members suggested a continuance.  The commission voted unanimously to delay consideration of the primary plat to the next meeting, scheduled February 9th.

In other business…

–Warren Harling was once again elected commission president for 2016, with Fishers City Councilman Rich Block voted by commission members as vice president.

The commission gave positive recommendations to the following items…

–A text amendment to a city ordinance dealing with garage specifications in the Hunter’s Run development (part of Britton Falls).

–A text amendment to a city ordinance for the Verimillion development, with plans for a site near Connecticut Avenue and Southeastern Parkway.

–A text amendment to a city ordinance for the construction of the Pet Palace kennel on 131st Street, near I-69.

Repair work resulting from a sewer line collapse may need to continue, causing 106th Street to remain closed east of Allisonville Road through the first week of February.  That’s the word from Fishers Assistant Director of Public Works Rick Farnham speaking before the City Board of Public Works and Safety Monday.

Farnham now says the repairs could cost as much as $175,000.

The sewer collapsed on December 27th and created a sinkhole.  It has wreaked havoc on the sewage lift station in the area of 106th Street and Allisonville Road, and decimated a section of sidewalk in the area.  It also resulted in limited traffic flow, with the eventual closing of 106th Street east of Allisonville Road.

Swimming and the United States Constitution were featured at the January 11th Hamilton Southeastern School Board session.

Two Fishers High School swimmers, Junior Lauryn Parrish and Lauren Edelman, have their eyes on an Olympic sized prize, as both have qualified for the Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Nebraska.  They both spoke before the board.

In “We the People” competition, Fishers High School’s team won the state championship and plans to represent the state of Indiana at the national finals in Washington DC.  HSE High School finished second in state competition, just behind Fishers.

The Fishers “We the People” team put on a demonstration for the board.

We the People consists of high school student teams preparing a 4-minute presentation on a constitutional issue, then fielding questions from the judges.

Fishers HS We the People Team demonstrates before the school board

At the start of the calendar year, boards and commissions in Indiana must decide who will preside over the governmental body, and the Hamilton Southeastern School Board voted to install Karen Harmer as president for 2016.  Howard Stevenson will serve as board vice president, with Sylvia Shepler voted as Treasurer.

The board has also decided to move its meetings from Mondays to Wednesdays.  The sessions will be held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month, starting in February.

The board received some good news on the College & Career Academies at each high school campus.  The financial status of the project is currently “$900,000 to the good,” according to HSE Chief Financial Officer Mike Reuter, following board approval of a change order list.  HSE Facilities Manager Harry Delks did tell the board there are about 500 “punch list items” to be worked out with the contractor on both academy projects.

Superintendent Allen Bourff told the board the administration will have a recommendation on how to move forward with the planned tax referendum to be held at part of the May primary election this year.

On December 27th, a sewage line collapsed at 106th and Allisonville Road.  Crews continue to work on repairing the damage, which includes a sinkhole created by the collapse.

Here’s what city officials posted Friday about that intersection:

“106th Street west of Allisonville Road and the southbound lane of Allisonville Road will be closed until further notice for repairs to the sanitary sewer line.”

The city has promised regular updates, but for now, you cannot access 106th Street west of Allisonville Road as this work continues.

You can access my story posted on December 31st about the collapse at this link.

A Fishers family along Allisonville Road escaped from their burning home after being alerted by a smoke detector Sunday morning.

Use this link for access the story from WISH-TV News.

Maxwell Winkler has changed his plea to guilty on murder charges.   He could face up to 80 years behind bars, but would have the possibility of parole.

Read more about the story from WTHR at this link.

It has always been amazing to me how many people venerate the United States Constitution, yet many of those same people have little or no actual knowledge about the document, its history and how it has developed into what it has become in today’s world.

People in Fishers now have an opportunity to sharpen their knowledge of the underlying legal document governing our nation.  A class, Constitution 101, will be offered beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 24, and will take place on Tuesdays, ending on Tuesday, Mar. 29. Classes are free to attend and take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the City Hall Auditorium or the Fishers Fire Department.  You must be at least 18 years of age.

Each participant will receive the We the People: The Citizen and The Constitution textbook and a pocket constitution. “We the People” is sponsored by the Fishers City Council, Hamilton Southeastern Schools and the Indiana Bar Foundation.   The class is free, but registration is required.

I have had the honor of being a volunteer judge for the HSE High School We the People team.  That experience alone has kept me up to date on constitutional issues.

For more information, and a link to the registration form, go to this link.

Whenever the Indianapolis Colts are in the news, it is more than a sports story.  Based on an August, 2014 article from TheStreet.com, Central Indiana taxpayers subsidized Lucas Oil Stadium to the tune of $620 million.

So whenever there is news from the Colts complex on West 56th Street in Indy, we all need to pay attention, fan or no NFL fan.  That was the case when Colts owner Jim Irsay was arrested by Carmel police about 2 years ago and underwent a rehabilitation program (Mr. Irsay’s struggles with addiction are well known and I wish him well in dealing with those demons).

The fact that the Irsay family is profiting handsomely from the public subsidy makes many Colts stories a news story.  Even when it’s about a coach.

I have never met Chuck Pagano, but his bout with Leukemia has been well publicized.  The coach has been in remission and appears to be in good health after the horrible scare of a few years ago of undergoing cancer treatments.

When Pagano was asked about his tenuous job situation as the Colts season began to head south, his answer was always the same:  I have a job today, I’m going back tomorrow to work as hard as I can to win.

That’s a trait of being a cancer survivor, a moniker Pagano wears proudly (as he should). After you have battled the possibility of death, losing a head coaching job in the NFL pales by comparison.

But there has been an added part of this equation.  Stories published by Bob Kravitz of WTHR and others clearly indicate Pagano and his boss, Ryan Grigson, were not on the same page and were barely speaking of late.

One thing that tells me is that Colts employees at the West 56th Street complex had had enough and began leaking inside stuff to reporters.  That’s a clear indication all was not well in the Colts family.

As I watched Irsay announce a 4-year contract extension for Coach Pagano, along with a promise to extend Grigson past the one year remaining on his deal, it appears all parties have decided to make amends.  I am guessing that Grigson and Pagano have reached agreement about how decisions will be made in the future.

When things are not well for the Colts, that puts Indiana’s investment in that incredible stadium at risk.  If the Colts become perennial losers (think Cleveland Browns) people will stop attending games, TV ratings would go down and the fortunes of the team would be in jeopardy.

What Jim Irsay has attempted to do is to show his tilt toward continuity if at all possible. Pagano said he planned to fight for his job, and it is clear he did.  Irsay was hearing the message sent by the fans and players that most of them wanted Pagano to return.

Will this stabilize the ship?  Will the Colts avoid the massive injuries of 2015 next NFL season and get back into the playoffs?  Time will tell.

But remember we have an interest in a successful Colts organization that transcends football.  We have a major public investment in these Colts.