Quantigen is preparing to move from its current home near Allisonville Road & 116th Street to new quarters in the remodeled Round Room building, north of 116th Street along I-69.  The firm, specializing in medical diagnostics and device development through pharmaceutical and biotech industry partnership, will occupy 40,000 square feet in the new location.

The company plans to add 30 new, high-wage jobs in the areas of quality & regulatory compliance and research by the end of 2023 and will invest $2.5 million into new lab and office space.  Quantigen will essentially be doubling its work force.

“The Fishers community has been home to Quantigen since our founding, so we are thrilled to have been able to find a facility that can support our expansion and allow us to continue operations in the city where we have been welcomed and supported,” said Quantigen CEO Jami Elliott in  a city news release. “Mayor Fadness and his team have been incredibly supportive throughout our relocation search process. We are bullish for Quantigen’s future, as we are for the biotech prospects for our city and the region as a whole”

According to the release, the firm will be increasing activity in three areas:

• Increased demand from pharma and biotech companies to develop new diagnostic tests and platform technologies.
• Support for grant sponsored research through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the areas of high throughput test development for soil transmitted helminths, COVID-19 and Tuberculosis.
• A recent U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services MolDx coverage decision award for a novel genetic test that is used to aid health care providers in medication selection and to improve medication safety.

“Jami and his team at Quantigen are working on next-generation technology for the life science industry right here in Fishers,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness. “Quantigen’s commitment to staying and investing in this community is exciting as we continue to see catalytic growth in this cluster that’s ripe for Fishers.”

The State of Indiana is offering up to $350,000 in conditional tax credits based on the company’s plans to create up to 23 new jobs by the end of 2023. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning the company is eligible to claim incentives once employees are hired at the Fishers location.

The City of Fishers is providing Quantigen with a $50,000 grant toward its buildout and moving expenses. The Redevelopment Commission approved the Economic Development Agreement at the February 2 meeting with the abatement approval being presented to City Council at the July meeting.

This is part of a strategy by the City of Fishers and Mayor Fadness to grow the life science industry here.  Italian company Stevanato already announced plans for a new facility near 126th Street and Cumberland Road.

Our next Fishers municipal election is not until 2023, but if you ask me whether Scott Fadness will run for another term as mayor, on balance, I suspect he will seek reelection.  But if the mayor ever decides to leave politics, he may have another career ahead of him as host of a podcast.

I saw that illustrated Tuesday night when the mayor hosted a live Zoom session on Facebook with new Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Superintendent Yvonne Stokes.  He was not afraid to bring up issues on the minds of local families.

Fadness asked about critical race theory, the difference between equality and equity and her views on the importance of academic achievement.  He also explored how to measure success and how to put into context the many ways school district performance is evaluated.

Dr. Stokes has completed her work as an assistant superintendent in the Lake County School District of Munster and is now in Fishers preparing to take the reins on July 1.  The retiring superintendent, Allen Bourff, leaves at the end of this month.

You may view the entire, nearly hour-long, Zoom discussion on Facebook at this link. (Note…the Zoom session was a bit late starting, you need to move forward to about 6 minutes into the recording before it starts)

The Spin Doctors concert was unexpectedly postponed at the last minute by the band, but with no Spark Fishers Festival last year, let’s not allow that to dampen our spirits as an expanded celebration gets underway tonight, Tuesday, June 22nd.

The Tuesday concert features The Midtown Madmen, showcasing music from the ’50s and ’60s, at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater.  This is a free concert.

Wednesday features the 5K run.  Use this link for more details.

Thursday is the  Car & Art Show, featuring vintage and modern cars alongside 30 local artists and artisans. This event is free, 6-9pm, at the Municipal Complex.

The festival gets into full gear Saturday with the street fair, 3pm-10pm, at the Municipal Complex.  Here is what to expect:

• Local food and drink, retail vendors, artisans, and more, along with the Dining Tent sponsored by Four Day Ray Brewing.
• Three entertainment stages featuring live performances throughout the day, including the main NPD AMP stage sponsored by Ed Martin Nissan and Ed Martin Toyota, the Community Stage sponsored by Aspen Creek Grill, and the Platform Stage.
• A Kids Zone with bounce houses, games, face painters, and more kid-friendly fun sponsored by DMC Insurance.
• Roots at Spark!Fishers, a teen zone featuring a mobile skate park and dance battles with 31Svn Street Dance Academy.
• Fishers Arts Council presents a new experience, Spark of Creativity. Find your creative Spark and try out introductory experiences in movement, music, fiber arts, and acrylic painting.
• Cool down at Heroes Hall in the City Hall Auditorium, presented by Folds of Honor, where we will honor our hometown heroes who have served our country and our community. Prepare a care package for a local hero, watch a video highlighting these hometown heroes, and check out special demonstrations from the Fishers Police

The Spark Festival Parade is back this year.  It begins Saturday at 6pm, starting on Lantern Road north to Municipal Drive then south to 116th Street.  The parade then veers west on 116th and makes a north turn on Holland Drive to Ellipse Parkway at Holland Park and ends.

If you want public address commentary with your parade, there will be two locations.  The first will be provided by my friend & local publisher Tom Britt at Municipal Drive and 116th Street.  I will be handling the PA duties for the crowd gathered at Holland Drive and Ellipse Parkway, near the entrance to Holland Park.

Finally, the fireworks display starts at 10pm.  They will launch at Holland Park, but it is recommended you view the show near City Hall at the Municipal Complex.  Holland Park itself will be closed to the public for safety reasons during the fireworks.

For suggestions on parking during the festival, use this link.

Now that the pandemic has lowered the threat level and allowed us to have our Fishers summer festival once again, let’s all make the best of it!

The Fishers City Council issued a statement Monday night on June as Pride Month.  Councilwoman Crystal Newmann read the proclamation on behalf of the council.

“In 2016, we (the Fishers City Council) acted by claiming Fishers as a community that would not stand for discrimination of any kind, stemming from a person’s sex, race, color, nationality, origin, religion, disability, age or gender identity,” the statement says in part.  “That dedication continues today from standing alongside students and parents to advocate for comprehensive anti-discrimination policies within our school system to instilling these policies into city’s operations.”

In other items from the Monday Fishers City Council meeting:

–Retiring HSE School Superintendent Allen Bourff thanked the city for the many partnerships with the school corporation.  Dr. Bourff retires at the end of June.

–The council recognized the Unified Track Team.

–Fishers Police issued service awards to the following officers:

Dan Tucker – 30 years
James Alvis – 20 years
Samuel Ralph – 20 years
Charles Yeager – 20 years
Ryan Pack – 20 years

–Council gave final approval to a new building  setback standard, from 25 feet to 50 feet.

–The city’s comprehensive plan, named the 2040 Plan, was recently updated and all the changes were given final approval

The Fishers City Council has only one standing committee that meets regularly, and that is the Finance Committee.  The Non Profit committee meets a few times during budget consideration to decide which tax exempt groups will receive funding from the city.  There have been other committees formed on an ad hoc basis in the past.

The council voted Monday to form a task force charged with studying the current committee system and how it might be changed.  The group will meet with City Attorney Chris Greisl to come up with recommendations for full council consideration in August.

The task force will consist of council members John Weingardt, Selina Stoller, Cecilia Coble and Crystal Neumann.

This discussion started at a recent council retreat when a proposal was raised to create a city council rules committee.

It was about one month ago, in a podcast interview, when I asked Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness about what may be going into the former Fry’s Electronics building just north of 96th Street, along I-69.  It was yet another “big box” chain that went out of business nationally.

Let’s say the mayor was concerned about what type of tenant might be leasing that structure.

“There’s a lot of interest in the (Fry’s) building and that’s got me concerned about finding the right use that sets the tone,” the mayor said.  “That’s the gateway to Fishers, so what kind of use makes sense in that building is important.”

The mayor added he will be “having conversations” with the city council about the issue.  That conversation, and action, began at the Monday night council session.

Council members began a process, at the request of Mayor Fadness, to enact a change in the city’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) requiring more scrutiny and review of tenant changes in these “big box” vacant spaces.  This new standard would give City Council the authority to approve and add conditions to changes in tenants, providing the  city with criteria for reviewing these tenant changes.  This would impact structures  with a floor area of 25,000 square feet or greater, but would not apply to facilities with medical, office, and industrial/manufacturing use.

The proposal received first reading Monday night, where only one vote is required to move forward.  The Fishers Plan Commission will hold a public hearing on July 7, vote a recommendation, then the City Council will take a final vote on the measure July 19.

You can read the entire text of the proposed text amendment to the UDO at this link.

You may know that large grassy and wooded area located on the southwest corner of 126th Street and Cumberland Road.  That will be the home of Stevanato, an Italian firm dealing with pharma. In Fishers, the firm will be manufacturing medical vials and syringes.

Monday night, the Fishers City Council voted for an economic development package that lured the European firm to the city.  Economic Development Director Megan Baumgartner told the council Stevanato plans to have 250 people working in the new facility with an average wage of $70,000.  The firm commits to a $140 million investment in the Fishers location.

In exchange, the city will buy land from Sunbeam Development and transfer just under 36 acres for the Stevanato complex.  The council authorized a 15-year, 100% personal property tax abatement and a $2.4 million commercial property grant.  The state of Indiana also has an incentive package, based on the actual number of jobs working in the Fishers Stevanato operation.

Stevanato wants to begin construction in Fishers during fall of this year, but could wait until spring of 2022 if needed to begin the project.

Katie Culp of KSM Location Advisors handled the site location process for Stevanato, and once Stevanato decided to locate in Indiana, the process of selection was “extremely competitive” as many communities around Indianapolis vied for the Stevanato plant.

“What I think sets Fishers apart was its economic development strategy,” Culp told council members.  “Rather than coming to the first meeting with a cookie-cutter solution, they listened to what the needs of the clients were.”

The city also will provide the infrastructure for Stevanato at the 126th Street and Cumberland Road.

The Italian owners of Stevanato were hoping to appear at Monday night’s council meeting, but COVID-related travel restrictions prevented that, according to Culp.

Mask wearing will be encouraged, but not required, for students and staff of Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools in the coming school year.  However, per federal regulations, masks will be required on school buses.

That language is contained in the “return to in-person instruction” draft plan released Monday by HSE Schools.  This plan is required in order for the local school district to qualify for a $2.9 million  federal grant.

The plan also shows new class start times and four e-learning days in the 2021-2022 school calendar.

The document calls for school officials to monitor guidelines issued by local, state and federal health authorities.

“HSE will continue to rely on data provided by the HSE Department of Staff and Student
Services, the Fishers Health Department (FHD), the Indiana State Department of Health and the Governor’s office,” the plan states.

Classroom visitors will be allowed but these visitors must wear masks.  No lunch visitors will be allowed.

There will be procedures for specific situations, such as passing periods, arts classes and recess.

The plan will be presented to the HSE School Board at Wednesday night’s regular meeting.

You can view the entire plan document at this link.

I feel compelled to write something on this blog each Father’s Day.  Maybe it’s because the first year I celebrated Father’s Day as a dad, my own dad had died just a few months earlier.  But my twin daughters were born a few months earlier as well.

Being a dad was then, and is now, one of the the greatest gifts God has bestowed upon me.  But I want to write about something a little different in 2021.

I know it is not Grandfather’s Day, but being a granddad is yet another precious gift.  This is the first Father’s Day when my son-in-law, Jacob Lewis, can celebrate this day as a father himself.

I marvel every time I am around grandson Dakota at what amazing parents my daughter Allison and Jacob are when with their son.  Whenever Jacob has been away, even for a short time, when Dakota sees his dad, that little boy’s face lights up.  That is a sure sign Jacob is handling his fatherly duties the right way.

I want to say that Dakota has a terrific set of parents and Jacob is a special dad.  For a grandfather, that is something special to know.

After 9 years of Catholic education and 3 years in public high school, I do not remember any mention of Juneteenth in any of my classes.  I was well into my college experience before the importance of this day became clear to me.  It took many more years of educating myself to understand the significance.

To put it simply, June 19th (known as Juneteenth) is the day slaves in Galveston, Texas, became aware that they were now free in 1866.  It is recognized as the day slavery ended in all of America.

June 19th has been recognized as a special day in most states.  For years, activists have pushed to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.  After laying all that groundwork, just a few days ago the Senate unanimously passed the measure creating June 19th as a federal holiday, with most federal workers getting the day off.  The House passed the bill shortly after the Senate action with only a handful of no votes.

Most experienced Washington observers did not expect a day off for federal employees this year, with the bill reaching the president’s desk just before June 19th.  But President Biden surprised everyone by quickly signing the legislation and declaring June 18, 2021, as the first Juneteenth federal holiday (with the 19th on a Saturday in 2021).

Ending slavery in America is a very good reason to declare a holiday.  I had a professor in college refer to slavery as a “peculiar institution.”  It is a stain on our national history.

Fishers Equity Awareness, a group of local students that describes itself as “an organization that strives to educate residents about the systematic oppression against black americans,” sponsored a Juneteenth celebration at the Nickel Plate Amphitheater, with music, commercial vendors and other booths, celebrating the Juneteenth holiday.

It is amazing that any legislation can be passed, in this day and age, unanimously by the Senate and overwhelmingly in the House.  It’s all because a dedicated group of activists worked for years to lay the groundwork and get this done.  It emphasizes one important fact – if you believe in something, never, ever give up.