Eric Pethtel has headed-up the Department of Public Works for many years and the city honored him for 30 years of Fishers service during Monday night’s City Council session.

Mayor Scott Fadness went on a journey of Mr. Pethel’s municipal career, beginning February 1, 1991, when Pethtel walked into the the municipal garage and later that day  attended the ground-breaking ceremony for Holland Park in the Sunblest subdivision.

“Eric has turned what was a disjointed and siloed organization into one group that has an unbelievable work ethic and (is) always open for news things, always open for new challenges,” Mayor Fadness said.

In other news from Monday’s Fishers City Council meeting:

–An economic development and land acquisition agreement was approved for the planned Thompson-Thrift residential component of the Fishers District project.  Fishers Villa will have a $57 million investment by the developer and will generate an estimated $800,000 a year in property tax revenue.  A park will be a part of the development, with the city footing the bill for the necessary infrastructure.

–The city amended an economic development agreement with Rubbermaid, now occupying the former Jarden facility at 121st Street and Cumberland Road.  Although Rubbermaid is not meeting its employment targets for economic incentives at that facility, employment in other parts of Fishers will be counted to comply with their commitments.

–The Wyne Tyme Club had organized for wine tasting, but COVID caused the Britton Falls group to disband.  The $2,000 left in the treasury was donated to the Fishers Police Foundation.

–Approval was given to a text amendment allowing a restaurant near the planned Geist Waterfront Park once Councilman Pete Peterson’s concerns about a nearby boathouse were addressed.  The restaurant will likely not be built for about 5 years.

–During the Community Comment period, a resident of Britton Falls expressed concern that the fire station promised to cover their neighborhood may be delayed from the promised 2022 opening.  Mayor Fadness said the project is moving forward and the early 2022 opening is still a possibility

Hamilton County Reporter

The Indiana Department of Health has revised Hamilton County’s weekly 2-metric score from Yellow to Blue.

The department added 213 newly-reported COVID-19 positive cases to the county’s dashboard on Saturday, March 6. Upon further review, the state found that some of the test results dated back as far as January. However, color status is based on the date the test is reported, not the date the test was taken. The state has adjusted Hamilton County’s level to Blue to reflect this change.

This is the second week that Hamilton County has been under Blue status, allowing its advisory level lowered to Blue as well. That means events and social gatherings may take place at up to 100 percent capacity so long as participants social distance and wear masks. This includes K-12 extracurricular and co-curricular activities, community recreational sports, and college and professional sports. Social gatherings should be no more than 250 people.

The Fishers Health Department has the city at an orange level, but anticipates lowering the rating to yellow soon based on recent encouraging COVID numbers.

The latest update from the Fishers Health Department brings us more good news with favorable numbers.  See the information below, as provided by the Fishers Health Department:

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

Fishers Metrics Review Fishers Health Department’s Epidemiologist Josh shares that this week’s metrics continue to trend in the right direction with some of our Community Spread Metrics entering “green.” As a reminder, we wait for two weeks of trending data to change risk levels. If we remain the same or continue to see a decrease in our metrics, we anticipate moving to Yellow, or Level 2 risk category. View the full review of metrics. Also, join Public Health Director Dr. Monica Heltz and other field experts on March 25 at noon for a virtual panel discussion. Register here.
		Ages 50+ Eligible for Vaccines Individuals ages 50 years and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of underlying medical conditions. Vaccination clinic hours are by appointment only and can be made here for eligible individuals only. You are able to schedule your vaccination appointment at the Mass Vaccination Site or at any vaccination site in Indiana. New appointments continue to open up, so check back frequently. FHD will be administering the Pfizer Vaccine starting Tuesday, March 16. Those receiving their second dose from FHD will be receiving the Moderna vaccines. All new vacinees will receive the Pfizer vaccine. Currently, only Indiana residents can get a vaccine from an Indiana vaccine clinic. If you need assistance scheduling, please call the Fishers COVID Hotline at 317-595-3211 or call 2-1-1. Family members may schedule on behalf of eligible individuals. There is no charge for the vaccine. All persons receiving the vaccine will need valid ID or other proof of meeting eligibility criteria.
		Additional Groups Now Eligible for Vaccine Veterans The VA is now offering COVID-19 vaccination to enrolled Veteran patients 18+ at the Indianapolis VA Medical Center. Enrolled Veteran patients can call (317) 988-4899 to schedule their appointment(s). Veterans who are not enrolled or do not currently receive care at VA can visit VA’s eligibility web page to learn more. Teachers & Childcare Workers Beginning Monday, March 15, childcare workers and anyone working in K-12 education can be vaccinated at any location in the state. Individuals with Medical Conditions Supply of vaccine is limited but will soon be available to those with certain medical conditions that place them more at risk than others of becoming severely ill if infected with COVID-19. You will need to contact your healthcare provider to enter you in the system to sign up for vaccine and to ensure your medications won’t interfere with the vaccine. Initial groups of patients include: Active dialysis patients Sickle cell disease patients Down syndrome Post-solid organ transplant People who are actively in treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery) for cancer now or in the last three months, or with active primary lung cancer or active hematologic cancers; lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma

The State Road 37 construction will require some changes in the traffic patters as soon as Friday evening,

For a full listing, see the information from the City of Fishers below:

===========

You may recall my article posted March 8th about a Des Moines Register reporter, Andrea Sahouri, who was arrested last May just for doing her job as a reporter, covering protests over the death of George Floyd.  Sahouri was acquitted by a jury of the two misdemeanor charges against her, which were failure to disperse and interference with official acts. Had she been found guilty, Sahouri could have been fined and jailed for up to 30 days.

Although the Iowa jury did the right thing in finding Sahouri not guilty, the simple fact that this case went to trial at all is disconcerting for anyone with an interest in getting to truth and facts in journalism.

Tom Jones writes for the highly-respected nonprofit organization, the Poynter Institute, which publishes the Tampa Bay Times in Florida and runs fact-checking organizations around the world, including PolitiFact in the United States.  Mr. Jones has written a thoughtful piece going into factual detail about the Sahouri case, and why this is not all good news for good journalism.

You can read the Tom Jones piece at this link.

I have many fond memories of taking my young twin daughters to the kindergarten roundup in the late 1990s.  They were able to ride the school bus, walk around their school building (Harrison Parkway for our family) and familiarize my daughters with the experience of going to school for the first time.

The kindergarten roundup may no longer be a thing, but there are other ways to accomplish the same thing, and COVID simply complicates the entire situation.

The HSE student population decreased by about 400 in the current school year, and school officials have said parents have told them many families opted to delay starting school in the era of COVID.

At the March 10th Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board meeting, a new promotion was revealed to encourage parents to sign-up their youngsters for kindergarten.  The promotion will have several ingredients, including Facebook ads and other social media.

Riddles will be a part of the promotion.  There will be clues on where the school bus is parked on a particular day (see photo above).  There will be a backpack giveaway in partnership with the HSE Schools Foundation.  One backpack will be awarded per school.  You must be enrolled by April 30th to be eligible for the drawing.

Virtual building tours will be available March 30th.  There will be an in-person open house with timed entries for social distancing April 13th.  Friday tours will also be available.

In order to enroll in kindergarten, the family must reside within the HSE School District boundaries.  The child must be 5 years old on or before August 1, 2021.  A child can qualify for early entrance by turning 5 years of age between August 1 and September 1 of the enrollment year.

For more information on HSE Schools kindergarten enrollment, use this link.

If you know anyone looking for summer work, the City of Fishers has a number of jobs open.  More than 50 positions are open at the Parks & Public Works.  These are seasonal positions.

Here is the list, as provided by the City of Fishers:

• Camp Counselors (25+ openings): Join the dynamic City of Fishers Parks staff this summer by working as one of their Camp Counselors. The purpose of this position is to provide an exciting and safe environment for youth and preschool campers by leading games, songs, crafts and other activities. Each counselor will work with other counselors to provide weekly camp activities for a total of eight weeks. Experienced candidates will be considered for Head Counselor positions. Head Counselors act as primary liaisons between parents and camp staff and are responsible for supervising and evaluating Counselors to ensure all campers receive quality care.

• Seasonal Laborer (25+ openings): This temporary summer position performs general labor to supplement the non-seasonal workforce to ensure city streets, rights-of-ways, park grounds and facilities are maintained. Position will be required to work some evening, weekend, and holiday hours. Fishers Department of Public Works (DPW) is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of all municipal assets. These responsibilities include maintaining 400 center lane miles of roads and associated right-of-way which includes snow removal, crack sealing, patching, irrigation needs, traffic signals, striping, and street cleaning. DPW also maintains 1300 acres of parks and school grounds that includes over 60 baseball/softball fields, over 60 athletic fields, and over 500 acres of common area. From concerts to 5K runs, DPW staff is on the scene to provide setup and support.

• Fishers Parks Street Team – Summer Staff (1-3 openings): The City of Fishers is seeking summer staff to assist the Fishers Parks Department. This is a part-time position that will last from May 2021 – August 2021. The Parks Street Team will assist Experience Coordinators and Marketing Staff for Summer events. Most of the work for this position will be conducted during Tuesday and Friday evenings and on Saturdays.
  
  
• Intern for the Fishers AgriPark (1-3 openings): The City of Fishers Parks Department is seeking a seasonal Intern for the Fishers AgriPark. This internship will offer a high school or college student interested in the study of agriculture, farming, or related field an opportunity to learn about the daily operations of the AgriPark. The AgriPark pays homage to Fishers’ agricultural roots, while inspiring future generations of farmers, scientists, agronomists, robotics engineers, chefs, and more.

HSE school administrators reviewed plans for the remainder of this school year and virtual learning options in the next school year Wednesday night, while the board debated the speed of returning the students to in-person classes.  One board member questioned the speed of district surveys to instruct next steps.

Superintendent Allen Bourff told the board a survey is coming for parents of 7th & 8th grade students, and a survey is in the works for high school parents and possibly high school students.  Some families have built themselves around the hybrid system of class attendance being used now, but others want an in-person school experience.  The goal of the surveys would be to measure the community’s views.  A return to classrooms could come as soon as April 12, according the Bourff.  Board member Suzanne Thomas questioned why surveys had not been done earlier, but other board members responded there are good reasons to conduct the survey now.  Bourff said school officials are reviewing the new Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance as plans are made for the future.

Assistant Superintendent Matt Kegley briefed board members on plans to offer an all-virtual option for families in the 2021-2022 school year.  There is not enough time to establish virtual schools themselves, so any virtual option will be a program, not a full school.  State lawmakers are looking to fund virtual school at 100% – current law funds virtual schools at 85%.  Kegley acknowledged the stress teachers have been under with in-person and virtual students.  Preliminary plans call for families making a commitment to keep their child in the all-virtual program for a semester, or possibly the entire school year.  Kegley expects to provide more information, and possibly a recommendation, on the a–virtual option at the March 24th board meeting.

In other action, the board approved a $1.4 million bid to resurface parking lots at HSE Schools.  The project had been budgeted at $1.8 million, so the bid came in under the estimates.  A new technology network was approved for HSE High School, replacing the current system which is more than ten years old.  The board also voted to destroy audio recordings of past meetings that are many years old.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) school officials had been saying that the new superintendent would be named at the March 24th board meeting, but the current superintendent, Dr. Allen Bourff, announced at the March 10th board meeting that the announcement will be delayed.

The new leader for the local school corporation will be announced after spring break.  HSE students return from spring break Monday, April 12.

HSE School Board President Janet Pritchett told LarryInFishers March 5th that the search is down to two potential superintendent candidates.

Dr. Bourff is planning to retire as HSE superintendent at the end of June this year.

Nate Lelle has taken his 25 years of experience in the construction industry and started a new podcast centered on that very segment of the local economy  The IN Construction Influencers Podcast already has its first episode online with many more to come.

I spoke with Nate Lelle during the morning of March 9th to talk about his latest venture.