There have been some proposals for indoor sports facilities in Fishers that never left the planning stages with the private sector.  There have been fund-raising efforts to provide an indoor arts venue but nothing ever materialized.

Mayor Scott Fadness has tasked City Councilman Todd Zimmerman with forming a group to study a Fishers community center.  A committee has been formed.

Now, that panel is asking for your input.  There is a short 12-question survey you can take.  It is online at this link.

The city indicates it is open to providing sports and recreation facilities at the center, but could also be a center for arts and culture as well.  Tom Rich of the Fishers  Arts Council is a member of this committee.

Hamilton County Reporter

Reporter Editor’s note: Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen released the following statement Wednesday afternoon regarding the unveiling of city officials’ choice for a new Noblesville logo.

Jensen

“I appreciate the opportunity to provide more information to our constituents about our ongoing efforts to be a forward-thinking city that respects and values it unique heritage. We would have provided any of this information to the Reporter or other media outlets had requests been made. Just as we did with [Tuesday] night’s Public Information Meetings for the Pleasant Street project, one of my priorities as Mayor is open communication with the community on matters of local significance.

“Discussions about a new logo began because the one at the time, which was 10 years old, from our perspective lacked scalability and notion that Noblesville is looking to the future and open for economic vitality. Hamilton County also began using a very similar design, which made it difficult to distinguish between the county and City of Noblesville.

“In October, the city held a survey on the City of Noblesville Facebook Page open to the public with four logo options to get a sense of which direction the public would like to go. Based on the feedback we received from that survey, 50% of the public vote preferred a simpler logo. With that knowledge and input from community members and community partners, such as the Chamber, Nickel Plate Arts, Main Street, and the Preservation Alliance, we took into account all of the feedback, reviewed several versions and alternatives, and landed on the new logo.

“The City seal will of course remain the same and be the true marker of our rich history. The decision of the new logo was certainly not made in a silo. The new logo had already been shown to many community organizations and members in Noblesville before it was included near the end of a presentation Tuesday morning to Hamilton Southeastern Schools – which includes Wayne Township residents of Noblesville.

“A municipal logo must be scalable, as it is used in all different sizes and mediums throughout the city. The new logo design pays homage to our historic downtown with our uniquely Noblesville star brick featured at the top, the incorporation date of our fair city and a box encompassing the wording as a nod to our Downtown Square. Blue variant colors were selected as a signal to the two water amenities of our city, the White River and Morse Reservoir.

“This streamlined logo features an “N” for Noblesville surrounded by the celebrated square brick star, unlike any other community. The delineation between the historic features in the logo and the fresh colors and clean design are intended to bring beauty, vibrancy and value. We are excited to launch the new logo to show people around the state, nation and world that we are a modern growing city of more than 63,000 residents that is open for business and respects its heritage. As always, if you have any questions you can call my personal cell at 317-509-3134.”

Click here to read comments posted on social media about the new city logo.

by

Jeff Jellison

Publisher

Hamilton County Reporter

On Tuesday, Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen, along with other city officials, presented the city’s plan for a proposed bypass around downtown Noblesville. The project is titled by city officials as Reimagine Pleasant Street.

Reimagine Pleasant Street is a multi-year initiative expected to improve east-west connectivity and accessibility through Noblesville with an expected cost exceeding $113.5 million.

The price tag includes two county funded bridges – one over White River at a cost of $15.5 million, and the other crossing Cicero Creek at a price yet to be determined.

The project will create a new east-west corridor through Noblesville.

Information published on the project’s website describes the location of the bypass as follows:

Beginning from the west, the project begins at the intersection of State Road 32 and Hague Road and continues south and east across the White River, where it will follow the former Midland Trace railroad bed. The project will then jog south to 8th Street and continue south to the existing alignment of Pleasant Street. Unlike previous designs, this corridor will minimize impact to the National Register-listed Plum Prairie Residential Historic District.

The corridor will continue on the existing alignment of Pleasant Street to 19th Street.

Noblesville officials estimate the bypass is expected to result in a 24 percent reduction in traffic on SR 32 through the downtown area.

Information obtained from the city indicates Noblesville is pursuing state funding in coordination with the Indiana Department of Transportation and regional Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), including an application for $10 million for Phase 1.

Additional funding for the project could include a vehicle excise tax of $25 per registered vehicle within the City of Noblesville and city officials are considering an increase in the current $1.10 per $1,000 assessed valuation property tax rate.

According to project documents, the city will tap numerous other funding sources to minimize the costs to taxpayers, including revenue generated through new private investments, that are already underway that will result in additional tax increment revenue of $500,000 per year.

Construction is expected to begin in late 2022 with utility relocation. Roadwork is estimated to start in the spring of 2023.

Construction will be conducted in three phases:

1. The first phase will create the connection over the White River from River Road to 10th Street.
2. The second phase will improve existing Pleasant Street from 10th Street to SR 37.
3. The third phase will connect Pleasant Street from River Road to SR 32 at the Hague Road intersection.

City officials estimate the entire project should be completed in the fall of 2025.

The Fishers Arts and Culture Commission President David Decker described the March 5th meeting as “rough.”  It is not clear why.  No video of that session is available at this time.

It is clear that the commission met with Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness Wednesday evening to find a way forward after that “rough” commission meeting.  The mayor plans to reduce the involvement of his staff at each commission session and allow the members of that body to create the right balance of city support for local artists and allow the Arts & Culture Commission room, finding ways to help the artists.

The mayor described a way to build a bridge between the arts community in Fishers and the city through the work of the commission.

Members of the commission expressed support for the mayor’s offer to allow the panel room to grow without as much city staff involvement.

Fadness also pointed out that Tom Rich, President of the Fishers Arts Council, is part of City Councilman Todd Zimmerman’s group asking for community comments on what is needed in a new city community center and how the arts will fit into that concept.

This is how the city Web site describes the role of the commission:

The City of Fishers Common Council established The Commission with the purpose to “assist the City in becoming a community in which arts and cultural activities are recognized as vital components of community life, valued and promoted for their economic benefits, and represent and integral part of establishing a vibrant community and lifelong learning”. The Arts & Culture Commission is the nexus between the local government and the residents of the city, bridging the public and private partnership.        

The commission was established in 2018 and has been meeting every other month.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness is working with other government leaders in the Indianapolis region to establish the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force, and was to testify before the Indiana Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee Tuesday in support of the measure.  The good news is the bill passed by a unanimous vote in the committee.

The bad news is that Mayor Fadness was never given the chance to testify.  The bill was the third to be considered in the meeting and Chairman Michael Young (R-Indianapolis) ran out of time.

Nonetheless, Mayor Fadness was pleased with the committee vote.

“Violent crime in Central Indiana is costing far too many lives and hurting too many families,” the mayor said in a news release. “This legislation builds off the innovative partnership between IMPD and the Fishers Police Department that is helping trace illegal crime guns and link them to violent criminals across the region so they can be brought to justice. Expanding this partnership to eight Central Indiana counties will have a tremendous impact on reducing violent crime in the area. I want to thank Rep. Greg Steuerwald for authoring this legislation and leading this important initiative for our region.”

The bill has already passed the House overwhelmingly.  It has one more committee vote in the Senate before it goes to the floor for final passage.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton County government will share ‘big time’ in the federal stimulus grants to local governments, getting $65,555,000. The money will arrive in two disbursements, the first half on May 10 this year, and the other half on May 10 next year.

The money is designed to recover lost revenue from the national pandemic, and allows it to be spent on any number of services that suffered such pandemic losses, says county grants administrator Todd Clevenger.

Actually, the county did not suffer the extreme losses that some localities experienced. County revenues through property taxes and local income taxes held up fairly well through the past year.

Cities and towns within the county will each receive their own grants based on criteria set by the federal legislation. In total, these amounts will likely exceed the $65 million the county receives.

The money is in addition to the $10 million the county is getting for rent assistance to individuals, a grant being administered by the Washington Township Trustee’s office.

And, all individuals in the county are also due to receive $1,400, with lesser amounts to those whose annual earnings exceed $75,000.

Spending of the county’s grant will be determined by county commissioners and subject to appropriation by the county council.

By 

Corrie Meyer

Hamilton County Reporter

Editor’s note: Corrie Meyer, AICP, PLA, is the President and CEO of Carmel-based Innovative Planning, LLC.

The Hamilton County Plan Commission embarked on a journey to update the Comprehensive Plan for the rural townships of Wayne, White River, the northeast corner of Noblesville, and Adams Township. These townships represent the jurisdiction area of the Hamilton County Plan Commission. Other townships like Jackson, Clay, and Washington are governed by other Plan Commissions.

Throughout 2020, the Plan Commission worked with a consultant team of Innovative Planning, Burke Engineering, and Peterson Architecture. Innovative Planning led the team and the Plan Commission through research, analysis, social media engagement, nine community meetings, six public presentations, and the culmination of new recommendations for the Plan Commission and townships to implement over the next 10 years.

Continue reading Updated comprehensive plan for county’s rural areas up for approval →

Hamilton County Reporter

Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen announced the selection of a new city logo at a Hamilton Southeastern School Board meeting on Tuesday. Jensen told the Fishers group they were the first to see the new design.

In August of last year, the City of Noblesville contracted with Indianapolis-based consulting firm Hiron’s for $20,000 to design a new city logo and to refresh Noblesville’s brand.

The new design replaces the current logo that features the historic courthouse that sits in the middle of Noblesville’s historic downtown square.

In August, Jensen said, “The city is seeking to do a whole refresh of our brand to highlight both the history of Noblesville, as well as promote the progress made and growth to come.”

Emily Gaylord, Communications Director for the City of Noblesville, said, “We just thought it was time for a new brand because the current one is a building that belongs to the county. We’d like something that shows a city with a rich history that is ripe for progress.”

After receiving several design options from Hiron’s, Noblesville offered area residents the opportunity to vote one of five options. The new logo was not among them.

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District has been known as mostly a Fishers school system.  It takes in the entire city of Fishers, unincorporated areas of Fall Creek and Delaware Townships as well as all of Wayne Township.

The City of Noblesville projects that it will be expanding east into Wayne Township, meaning what had been a rural area will see population growth as development moves in that direction.

For that reason, Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen and members of his staff addressed the HSE School Board on his city’s plans that will impact HSE Schools.  Jensen projects that in the coming 5-10 years, the population of Noblesville will double in size, with most of that growth happening within the HSE School District.

HSE is constructing a new school within the current boundaries of Noblesville at 156th Street and Boden Road, named Deer Creek Elementary.  Jensen reviewed the commercial development and other infrastructure improvement plans for that area of the city.

HSE Superintendent Allen Bourff asked how Noblesville will work with Fishers on providing School Resource Officers, sworn police stationed at schools.  Chad Knecht, Director of Public Safety for Noblesville, said his staff will work with Fishers for consistency in providing School Resource officers to HSE Schools.

Joining Mayor Jensen and Knecht in speaking before the school board were Deputy Mayor Matt Light and Sarah Reed, Community & Economic Development Director

The Fishers Health Department announced a lowering of the eligibility age for COVID vaccine.  See below the information posted by the department Tuesday morning:

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The following priority groups are now eligible to schedule an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine according to the Indiana Dept. of Health:

• Individuals 45 years of age and older
• Pre-K through 12 educators, support staff, and child care providers
• Veterans 18+ receiving care through the VA
• Individuals considered high-risk by their physicians (Info)
• Healthcare workers
• First responders

You will be asked to attest that you meet the criteria for the vaccination (that you are 45 years of age or older or employer ID) prior to selecting your appointment.

Residents needing assistance with vaccine information or scheduling may call 2-1-1 or the Fishers COVID-19 Hotline at 317-595-3211.

Learn more on the Vaccine FAQs page.