Plans for a series of monthly sessions sponsored by Fishers City Council leadership “in no way is being done in reaction to anyone.”  That’s the comment from Council President Rich Block when asked his view of a recent statement by Logan Day, a Fishers mayoral candidate in the GOP May 7th primary election.

Tuesday morning, Fishers announced a series of monthly meetings named “Council Connect” with the first session scheduled for February 25th.  The news release announcing the meetings said Council Connect will “allow residents an opportunity to ask questions or voice concerns directly to council leadership.”

Later that same day, Logan Day sent a statement to LarryInFishers saying the timing of the Council Connect meetings looks “suspicious” to him since Day has been pushing city transparency in his campaign.  Day described the Council Connect idea as “platform plagiarism.”

Council President Block told LarryInFishers the Council Connect idea came from the new council Vice President, Eric Moeller.  The council president and vice president have been discussing this Council Connect idea for the past 30-40 days, Block says.

Block also says he is unaware of any position Logan Day has taken on the transparency issue.

“I have never seen anything from Logan Day about the transparency, therefore it’s pretty hard for me to say that this is being done because of that when I wasn’t even aware of it,” Block told LarryInFishers.

Block defended the council’s record on transparency, citing regular meetings with residents and representatives of local Homeowners Associations.  He cited Moeller, David George and Brad DeReamer as council members regularly holding such meetings.  Block said he and other at large council members, along with people from the city staff, regularly attend these meetings.

Some of these meetings are not well-attended, and Block hopes the Council Connect session will bring residents to participate.  But he quotes what Eric Moeller says about transparency – “…it’s a two-way street.”

“I’ve not heard this complaint from people until, literally, in the last week or two, that there’s a transparency issue,” Block says.  “To me, it’s also incumbent on members of the public to be informed, read, and if they have questions can attend council meetings or other (meetings).”

Logan Day says the announcement of “Council Connect” community meetings in the coming months has the appearance of “platform plagiarism.”  The Republican candidate for Mayor of Fishers in the May 7th primary election says he finds the timing of the Council Connect announcement “suspicious.”

Council leaders announced Tuesday morning a series of community meetings each month beginning in late February, running through December, allowing citizens to comment before the council.

“One of the single largest complaints I’ve received from residents is the lack of transparency in City Hall” said Day in a statement. “That’s why I made transparency a cornerstone and promise of my campaign. If the idea of better civic engagement was truly a priority for our current leadership, why have they not implemented plans like this over the past four years?”

Day says he posted this basic idea on his campaign Web site before the city announced the Council Connect meetings.

“I hope to see this level of resident engagement continue with our elected leaders beyond this election,” Day said.

Logan Day is challenging incumbent Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness.  According to the city news release announcing Council Connect, Fadness plans to attend those monthly sessions.

Jackie Bowen is challenging the incumbent Fishers City Clerk in 2019….here is my podcast conversation with her…

Jennifer Kehl has served nearly 5 years as Fishers City Clerk and she is seeking another 4-year term…..I talk with Jennifer Kehl about her campaign in this podccast…

The Fishers City Council has announced a series of meetings allowing public comment called “Council Connect.”  According to a city news release, these sessions will rotate each month as morning or evening gatherings.

According to the release, this plan will “allow residents an opportunity to ask questions or voice concerns directly to council leadership.”  Mayor Scott Fadness plans to join Council President Rich Block and Council Vice President Eric Moeller at the first “Council Connect” event February 25th.  (This is a correction…the mayor plans to attend the first session only, not all of them)

The locations of these meetings will vary each month.  All are open to the public.

Here is the schedule of Council Connect meetings as listed by the City of Fishers:

The Fishers City Council struggled to find an answer to an issue centered on the city, housing developers and Homeowners Associations (HOAs) and decided to work on new ordinance language to consider at the next council meeting.

City Councilman Brad DeReamer, also a member of the Fishers Plan Commission, submitted a text amendment proposal to the Plan Commission last November to change city ordinances in line with a recent change in the Carmel city ordinance.

The proposal would have called for an independent inspection of common areas before a developer hands over a housing project to the local HOA.  DeReamer expressed concerns that some, but not all, developers were walking away from housing developments and leaving HOAs with large expenses.

The proposal was sent to the city planning staff, which came back with no recommendation, but a list of options.  The Plan Commission voted 8-1 to send the proposed ordinance change to the city council with no recommendation.  DeReamer was the lone no vote.

Monday night the city council had a lively discussion, including a couple of public comments allowed by the council, about a number of issues surrounding the proposed ordinance, including the city’s liability should the change be approved.

Mayor Scott Fadness suggested that DeReamer was most concerned about developers guilty of noncompliance with city ordinances and neglect of assets, such as properly maintaining retention ponds.  DeReamer replied he agreed with the mayor’s comments.

As a result, the mayor suggested that he and the city staff look at language that would address noncompliance and neglect by developers and bring it back to the council at a future council session.  As a result, council members tabled the ordinance, allowing it to be brought back at a future council session.

The Fishes City Council took time at its Monday night meeting to pass out honors.  They included:

–A 20-years service recognition for Assistant Police Chief Luke Gannon.

–Recognition and city certificates for members of the award-winning Hamilton Southeaster Intermediate and Junior High School (known as the HIJH).

–Recognition and certificates from the city for the state champion cheerleading team from Fishers High School.

The City of Fishers is embarking on a 21-year journey to design and construct the Nickel Plate Trail along what was once the Nickel Plate rail line.  Months of work, with input by more than 1,500 local citizens, culminated into the Master Plan unveiled Monday night at Launch Fishers.

Over 200 people crammed into the largest meeting room at Launch Fishers, many were HSE students involved in the planning and their families.  The City of Fishers says more than $250 million in private investment has been announced along the trail, from Hub & Spoke to First Internet Bank.

Fishers City Councilman John Weingardt and Amanda Welu of DELV Design co-chaired the large group involved in sifting through the many ideas submitted for the trail.

“We’ve spoken to hundreds of community members about their vision for this new kind of trail and the result – a dynamic trail experience not found anywhere in the U.S.,” said co-chair Amanda Welu. “As a resident of Fishers, it’s been an incredible process to work alongside colleagues and neighbors to bring this vision to fruition; it will be a unique destination for all.”

The Trail will feature five segments of uses:

• 96^th Street to 106^th Street: Makers Space and Innovation Zone
• 106^th Street through Cheeney Creek: Nature Park Zone
• Just south of 116^th Street through 126^th Street: Downtown Active Core Zone
• 126^th Street to 131^st Street: Wellness Zone
• 131^st Street to 146^th Street: Park and Education Zone

The first trail segment has been financed through a bond issue authorized by the city council as part of the 2019 city budget.  That goes from 106th Street to 126th Street.

It was emphasized that this is the master planning stage and the design phase for the trail would come later.

You can access the entire master plan presentation at this link.

Yet another area news organization is reporting on the story about allegations lodged against a member of the boys Fishers High School Swim Team

The Indianapolis Star published a story just a few days ago.  Now WTHR investigative reporter Bob Segall aired a story Monday evening with even more details on the complex story.  You can access the Segall story at this link.

The real estate firm RealAmerica is looking to move from Fishers to the north side of Indianapolis, based on a story posted on the Indianapolis Business Journal Web site.

According to reporter Mickey Shuey, RealAmerica’s HQ at 106th and I-69 was destroyed by a 2017 fire and the company has been using what the firm described as a temporary office on Hague Road in Fishers.

RealAmerica is eyeing the former Crab Shack location on Dean Road for its new home office.

You can read the entire IBJ story at this link.