Mayor Scott Fadness called it an “historic day” for Fishers as Councilwoman Cecilia Coble took the gavel after being unanimously elected as city council president for 2020.  Fadness says even the old town council never had a female president, making this decision even more historic.

Selina Stoller was elected Council Vice President, also by a unanimous vote.

In other council actions at the Tuesday session:

—Appointments to boards and commissions were approved.  Todd Zimmerman will join the Fishers Plan Commission and David George will take a seat on the Finance Committee.  In a separate action, Jocelyn Vare was appointed to the council’s Nonprofit Committee.

–After two years of having the Fishers Plan Commission get first review of proposals, the council voted to go back to having council members go through first reading on developments and other items before sending the item to the Plan Commission.  Planning and Zoning Director Tony Bagato said this will give the Plan Commission an idea of how the council views the project before the public hearing.

–Two project tax abatement items received final council approval.  New commercial projects on Sunlight Drive and Amp West (near the Nickel Plate Amphitheater) were both passed.

–A proposal on nonresidential open spaces, already passed with a favorable recommendation from the Plan Commission, was amended by council vote, meaning the provision will return to the Plan Commission for more consideration.

–The former Ram Restaurant site near 126th Street and State Road 37 is being eyed as an office building, but the setback standards may not be met due to construction on State Road 37, so the council approved a change in the setback rule for that property.

–Jamie Burrows and Duane Reddick were honored for 20 years of service to the Fishers Fire Department.  Dave Seward was recognized for 25 years of service to the Fishers Police Department.

–During the community comment period, a contractor for the city storm water operation asked to be considered for becoming a city employee and Mayor Fadness promised to look into it.  Former Town Council Member Mike Colby asked when the city will announce the street repaving list, because he is concerned about a particular piece of roadway in the River Glen neighborhood.  Fadness said the listing should be available online soon.

–This was the first council session for two new council members, both Democrats, Jocelyn Vare and Sam DeLong.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Lee Buckingham announces his police “officers of the year” each year at about this time.  Two Fishers officers received the honor this time around.  They are Dave Finn and Jarred Koopman.

Detective Finn is a Marine Corps veteran, serving there for 5 years.  He joined the Fishers department in 2007, serving as a road officer before becoming an investigator.  “Detective Finn distinguished himself with genuine compassion toward the victims in the cases he investigates and with balanced attention to all cases, regardless of the overall seriousness of the allegations,” said Buckingham in a news release.

Road Officer Koopman has been in the news recently, as his K-9 partner Harlej died pursuing a suspect during November of 2019 in the Saxony area. Harlej became part of the Fishers Police force in 2015, with officer Koopman as his handler.  “Officer Koopman and Harlej worked tirelessly over the years and helped to take quantities of drugs, large and small, off of our county’s streets,” Prosecutor Buckingham said.

Buckingham also recognized Detective Mike Haskett of the Noblesville Police Department as a third Officer of the Year.

This year proved a particularly difficult year in which to choose the Officers of the Year, according to Buckingham, due to the large number of potential candidates.

County Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt made it official Tuesday, by filing the paperwork to seek another term in office.

Heirbrandt has served nearly two terms as commissioner.  When Doug Carter was elected to a term as county commissioner in 2012, shortly after Carter’s election, he was appointed Indiana State Police Commissioner.  Republican precinct officials elected Heirbrandt to fill Carter’s term.  In 2016, Heirbrandt was elected to his current term in office.

In a news release announcing his filing, Heirbrandt points out his work with INDOT and Fishers officials in working out $100 million funding package for State Road 37 reconstruction.

The first meeting of a city council in a new calendar year requires a number of actions relating to the coming year.  The Fishers City Council will have its first meeting of 2020 Tuesday night.  The normal meeting day is Monday, but the Martin Luther King holiday required the meeting to be held the following day.

The swearing-in ceremony will be held at City Hall at 5pm Tuesday.

As the council convenes, the first action item is to vote on the council president and vice president for the coming year.  Based on conversations I have had with several council members, Cecilia Coble will likely be named as council president and Selina Stoller vice president.  But, it is not official until the council votes.

Another major item on the agenda will be the council appointments to boards and commissions.  If approved as proposed on the council agenda, David George will be added on the council’s Finance Committee, replacing Eric Moeller.  Todd Zimmerman will join follow councilmen Brad DeReamer and Pete Peterson on the Fishers Plan Commission, replacing Rich Block.

In other council appointments, Gary Bolenbaugh would be serving a 4-year term on the Police Merit Commission.  Brad Johnson and Dan Canan would continue their service on the Redevelopment Commission as council appointees for another year.

Again, these appointments are not official until the council approves.

The Fishers Test Kitchen is patterned after Launch Fishers and the Internet of Things (IOT) Lab, experimental and always subject to change.  Tuesday morning, changes were announced.

The first part of this operation that has been in flux is the opening date.  I was told back in September that the goal was to open the Test Kitchen at The Yard in November of 2019.  We are still waiting, but the opening now appears to be on the horizon in early February.

King Dough Pizza owners by Adam and Alicia Sweet have announced their intention to offer the  latest concept, Natural State Provisions.   Natural State Provisions will replace West Coast Nook, after Chef Leisha Berg decided to step away from the accelerator project.

“Fishers District, and specifically Fishers Test Kitchen, is our first major effort to put the Fishers’ culinary scene on the map,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness in a city news release. “We are excited to welcome Chefs Adam and Alicia Sweet to the team that will make our city an interesting and dynamic culinary destination.”

Korave Korean BBQ and Lil Dumplings will be the other two operations participating in the accelerator as the operation opens.

Natural State Provisions will feature menu items like fried chicken and root beer braised pork, among other fare inspired by the food of Adam’s hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, the namesake of the restaurant concept.

“We are setting out not only to create delicious food, but also to evoke the feeling of a laid-back southern meal,” Adam Sweet said.

“Adam and Alicia Sweet are simply a slam dunk addition to our Fishers Test Kitchen lineup,” said John Wechsler, Launch Fishers and Indiana IoT Lab co-founder. “They understand the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, and we expect them to be an exciting addition to the entrepreneurial culture of Fishers.”

Dave Colt, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Sun King Brewing, said Natural State Provisions would be a welcome addition to the menu at Fishers Test Kitchen.

“Sun King beers taste great with just about anything, but customers will especially enjoy them along with southern-inspired offerings like the fried chicken and braised pork created by Chef Adam Sweet,” Colt said. “We can’t wait to welcome customers to our innovation brewery in our newest location at Fishers Test Kitchen.”

Clint Wilson began his journey as a newly-appointed member of the Hamilton Southeastern School Board when officially named to replace Mike Bottorff, who resigned his board seat, in late June.  When I recorded a podcast with the new school board member early in July, he talked about his 90-day plan to begin to familiarize himself with the facilities, finances and people that make up the school district.

I recently asked Clint Wilson to tell me what he discovered during his 90-day journey of the HSE school system.  First, he says 90 days will not be long enough, so Wilson has extended his 90-plan to encompass the entire remaining school year.

Second, the school board member has learned a great deal during his relatively short stint on the board.  In an e-mail message to LarryInFishers, Mr. Wilson explains what he has learned so far.

He has visited about half the school buildings in the district, but started with Durbin and Fishers Elementary Schools, since decisions were looming on both buildings.  The board has since moved toward a possible replacement for Durbin, a new large elementary building in Wayne Township.  Commenting on the two elementary facilities, Wilson says “there are some real challenges that exist in both buildings due to the age and layout.”

Next, he spent time getting to know people throughout the district, including those working the school district’s central office.  That includes the superintendent, financial staff, analytics and equity. Getting to know his fellow school board members also became a part of that effort.   “It was incredibly helpful to get to know them on a more personal level, to understand their background, their goals for our schools, and gain clarity about how we can best work together,” said Wilson in his e-mail.

Finally, Wilson took some time with students, particularly a group at HSE High School.  He commented on a presentation made by a multiracial group in an AP (advanced placement) class about such classes not tending to be diverse.

“Several black students shared that they had not been encouraged to take tougher classes, while a white student shared they had been encouraged to take AP classes,” Wilson wrote in the e-mail message to LarryInFishers. “In addition to the panorama (analytic) data highlighting the achievement gap between black students and other races, this conversation made it clear to me there is an opportunity to make sure that all students of all races are afforded the best opportunities in our schools.”

Summing up his overall impressions, Wilson lauded local educators.  “We are fortunate to live in a community with great schools. We are also fortunate to live in a community with passionate parents who hold us accountable to doing what’s best for all kids,” Wilson said.

Republicans have had clubs for years.  The Fishers GOP Club hosted a candidate forum prior to the 2019 municipal elections.  Other communities around Hamilton County have had Republican clubs for some time.  Democrats are now getting into the picture with their own local clubs.

Stu Clampitt has a story in the Sunday edition of the Hamilton County Reporter about the growth of Democratic clubs in Hamilton County generally, but specifically the recently-formed Fishers Democratic Club.  The club president is Hamilton Southeastern School Board member Julie Chambers.

“We started in December,” Chambers said. “We had the first meeting to form the club in November. We got all the paperwork together and officially filed everything in December and had had our first meeting with officers and accepting memberships Monday (Jan. 13).”

In those two months their membership has more than doubled, and they already need to change meeting locations to account for the number of people attending.

“At our first meeting in November we had about 20 people, and at the last one we had just under 40,” Chambers said. “We have also had more people signing up as members online through our website. We have already outgrown the place we met at last week. Now we will be meeting at Aurelio’s, which has a bigger space. We will meet on the second Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m.”

When asked why Fishers needed its own organization, Chambers told The Reporter, “The Democratic Party is just growing. I think you saw that with the election of Samantha DeLong and Jocelyn Vare to the city council.”

In addition to DeLong and Vare in Fishers, Miles Nelson won a council seat in Carmel in November.

“We recognize that the cities within Hamilton County have different issues they are dealing with between Carmel, Westfield, Noblesville and Fishers,” Chambers said. “We are a one-county party but each city and part of the county have different things they are looking at. Having those city clubs helps bring people together in each city.”

Chambers stressed that the Fishers Democratic Club is a social club and thus is not trying to replace the county party. The organization does fall under the state Democratic Party guidelines.

Chambers said that while they will work to help candidates who are running for office, most of the club’s focus will be directed at helping the community. As a member of the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Board of Trustees, she is focusing their first outreach project toward local children in need.

“I am going to put out a call to people who come to our next meeting to bring food donations for the youth assistance programs that provide snacks and lunches for kids in HSE schools to take home on weekends,” Chambers said. “They pack snacks and lunches over breaks and weekends for kids who are food insecure. A lot of people don’t realize that need is here. Working with organizations like that really helps the community. It’s not just a political organization. We really are trying to help.”

The Fishers Democratic Club’s next meeting will be 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 at Aurelio’s Pizzeria, 13147 Parkside Drive, Fishers (near 131st Street and State Road 37).

Hamilton County Reporter

The Hamilton Southeastern boys basketball team picked up a major milestone for its coach on Saturday by beating Anderson 81-59 on a home game.

The victory was the 300th win for coach Brian Satterfield, who is in his 19th season of coaching the Royals. Satterfield has been part of a program that has produced two Mr. Basketballs, won three sectional titles and has had 17 winning seasons since 2001-02.

Southeastern led 16-11 after the first quarter and 32-27 at halftime, then pulled away in the second half by scoring 49 points. Three Royals players landed in double figures: Kole Hornbuckle scored 23 points, Vinny Buccilla added 15 and Mabor Majak contributed 12 points.

Majak came close to a triple-double, as he also had eight rebounds and seven
blocked shots. Southeastern had 28 assists as a team, with Hornbuckle dishing
out eight, Buccilla handing out seven and DeAndre Rhodes providing five. Buccilla
also made four steals and Rhodes had two blocks.

The Royals are 7-5 and host Zionsville on Friday as part of a girls-boys Hoosier Crossroads Conference doubleheader

I am sure many Fishers motorists are happy 126th Street should be open again at State Road 37.  The accident on 131st Street, closing that road for most of a day during the 126th Street construction didn’t help.

Be aware of more lane restrictions along 116th Street in the downtown area for more utility line relocations.

Here is the full road construction listing, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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96TH STREET
The right lane of westbound 116th Street between Lantern Road and Municipal Drive will be closed between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to allow for utility relocation work.

LANTERN ROAD 
Lantern Road is closed to through traffic, beginning south of 116th Street to Fishers Pointe Boulevard, as part of the Downtown Infrastructure Improvement Project to improve the sanitary sewer underneath Lantern Road. Access to Lantern Road remains open from the north (via 116th Street) for local residential, business, and Fishers Elementary School traffic. The closure for this portion of the project is expected to last approximately 90 days. Check out the project Fact Sheet to learn more.

It’s that time of year again, when the Hamilton County Commissioners present the annual “State of the County” address.  In 2020, Commissioner Steve Dillinger will speak for the 3 commissioners, according to my news-gathering partner, the Hamilton County Reporter.

Dillinger will offer updates on a number of construction projects throughout Hamilton County including completion of the Logan Street Bridge, Phase Two of the Lowe’s Way expansion, as well as reconstruction of State Road 37 through Fishers and Noblesville.

“This isn’t a speech, it’s a story with a beginning, middle and end,” Dillinger said. “It’s important for the community to see what we’ve accomplished in the past year, what we’re still working on in the new year, and what we’re planning for the future. Hamilton County is constantly evolving.”

Dillinger is also expected to discuss the new local income tax as well as updates to the sign, animal and junk ordinances. He will also touch on efforts to boost tourism throughout the County.

The State of the County is hosted by the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce. More than 400 city and county dignitaries, business leaders and residents are expected to attend. The event is scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. Doors open at 11 a.m. The cost is $30 for chamber members and $37 for non-members. Table sponsorships range from $350 to $450. Registration is required. You can register at noblesvillechamber.com or by calling (317) 773-0086.