The Hamilton County Democratic Party is criticizing Hamilton County Commissioners for voting unanimously on August 14th to abolish the Hamilton County Board of Voter Registration. The action moves the board’s responsibilities to the Hamilton County Clerk’s office.
The party news release quotes Hamilton County Clerk Tammy Baitz as saying nothing will change in the administration of elections as a result of this action.
“While she has said nothing will change, I fear this is the start of a long term effort to limit voters in the county,” said Democratic County Chairman Joe Weingarten in the news release. “What worries me the most is that a new Clerk could remove the Democratic workers and starts a process of voter intimidation and efforts to limit certain voters in a partisan way, or even to start to remove voters from the rolls on a partisan basis”.
County Democrats argue that this action may be an effort at voter suppression due to the 5% increase in the number of Democrats receiving votes in the last county election.
County Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt says Commissioner Steve Dillinger made this recommendation in his capacity as adviser to the Personnel Committee after discussions with attorney Mike Howard. The recommendation was to put county employees under the supervision of the County Clerk as opposed to the board.
Senator Joe Donnelly, accepting the Spirit of Enterprise Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The site was the Hagerman Group Building in Fishers, and the One Zone
Chamber of Commerce (merged Fishers & Carmel Chambers) sponsored an awards event featuring Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce handed Senator Donnelly its Spirit of Enterprise Award, lauding the senator for voting with the chamber 88% of the time, measured by key Senate votes.
Senator Donnelly talked at length about the “economic boom” in Fishers and how it has impacted communities nearby. He said the city of Anderson has found that many people with ties to that area are working in Fishers and staying close to friends and family by living in the Anderson area.
“Your (Fishers) success has touched so many other communities, that reach has spread out everywhere,” Donnelly told the Chamber audience.
The senator complimented local leaders in creating the “extraordinary” economic success Fishers has experienced. “What you did was hard work, what you did was just keep your head down, plan and build,” said Donnelly. “At the end of the day, what you’ve done has been made it so that all of our young people want to stay here.”
Senator Donnelly touched on a number of other issues during his One Zone Chamber talk:
–He plans to work with his Republican colleague Lamar Alexander to fix the health care marketplaces after the Affordable Care Act repeal failed in the Senate.
–He wants to work on tax reform but explained how difficult it can be to form enough support to enact any specific tax plan.
–The senator plans to continue working on making federal regulation more “sensible.”
–He spoke at length about his subcommittee assignment that deals with North Korea, and his blunt message to Chinese officials in a recent visit there that a solution must be found to diffuse that situation. But he assured the crowd that the American military is ready to take on any challenges, including threats made against the U.S. territory of Guam.
–He touched on the situation last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia and the threat to the nation posed by neo-Nazi groups.
–Discussed the challenges of funding road infrastructure projects through the gasoline tax when vehicles are much more fuel-efficient, and some use no gasoline at all.
Now that the owners of the Nickel Plate Rail Line (including Fishers) have decided to transform it to a trail from downtown Noblesville south to 96th Street, one question people around Fishers have asked is this – how long will the stop signs on the roadways crossing the rail line remain?
Jason Meyer, a member of the Fishers Board of Works and Public Safety, asked that question of city Engineering Director Jeff Hill, and the answer is no, at least for now. Hill told board members Monday afternoon that City Attorney Chris Greisl recommends keeping the stop signs as is until there is action by the Surface Transportation Board. Once the Rail Banking process is further along, the city will look into removing those signs.
In the meantime, motorists will be expected to make a complete stop at each rail crossing stop sign.
In other board of works news, the fire department will buy a new ambulance to be placed at Station 94, located at Cumberland Road and 106th Street. The new vehicle will cost $197,982.
Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness and I have some things in common, and there are some things we do not have in common.
Things we have in common:
–We both love Diet Coke
–We are not golf fans
— We both like government and neither of us sought a career running for office
Here’s what Scott Fadness & I do not have in common:
–He is a lot younger than I
–He is in much better physical shape
–Even though he didn’t seek a career running for office, he was coaxed into it and won the mayor’s office
When Lindsey Erdody wrote a profile of Scott Fadness for the latest edition of the Indianapolis Business Journal, she asked to talk with me about our mayor, since I have covered him going back to January of 2012 when he was Fishers Town Manager.
When the big debate was on during the fall of 2012 about what type of government the growing suburb of Fishers would have going forward, there were three choices placed before voters – continue as a town, become a “reorganized” city with a weak mayor and powerful city council, or a traditional Indiana city with a strong mayor’s office.
Voters chose the strong mayor’s office. But Fadness was a very popular town manager. People advocating for a “reorganized” city made a major argument that Scott Fadness, as one trained as an administrator, would leave Fishers if we moved to a strong mayor’s office.
Once the results were in and voters in the referendum overwhelmingly approved a strong mayor’s office, I noticed something. Scott Fadness did not leave. He remained as town manager. He obviously knew there would be a mayoral election coming, but he did not choose to move on.
One of the first conversations I had with Scott Fadness was in the Town Hall (were were still a town then) parking lot. I point blank asked him why he was still here with a city election on the way. He talked about how wonderful Fishers was as a place to live. As he was talking I realized something. Scott Fadness was at least considering a run for Mayor of Fishers, something he had previously shown no interest in pursuing. It was just a few months later Fadness announced his exploratory committee for a mayoral run.
It was an honor to be quoted in Lindsey’s IBJ story. She followed him around for the better part of a day. I’m shocked she was able to keep up with the mayor. It’s a good thing Lindsey is an avid runner.
When I retired after 28 years in the federal civil service, I remembered how much I missed journalism. There was no desire on my part to go work for someone else as a reporter…besides, that is a young person’s business these days. But I found the newspapers in Noblesville that had covered Fishers municipal government and our local schools had stopped publishing. The weekly Current does the best it can with the news space it is provided. The Indy Star and local TV stations occasionally cover Fishers news, but regular coverage is lacking.
It’s always been my view that public bodies such as city councils and school boards do business differently if they know an independent journalist is there covering the event. So I took it upon myself to attend the meetings and start writing about Fishers local government & schools.
Scott Fadness has been at the center of activity for municipal government the entire time I have been doing this. First, I covered his work as Fishers Town Manager, then his campaigns for mayor. FYI, the first city election was transitional, for one year terms, and there were six candidates for mayor. A year later there was balloting for the normal 4-year terms, and Scott Fadness had no opposition in the Republican primary or the general election.
Scott Fadness has shaped the growth of this city. As town manager, he and John Wechsler pushed for Launch Fishers, which has been a big success by any measure. He has had huge economic development successes, with IKEA the biggest feather in his cap. He has pushed mental health in the city based on data he saw every week as town manager and mayor.
I could go on and on, but Scott Fadness has shaped the growing suburban community of Fishers. He firmly believes cities are never standing still, they either are moving forward or backward. Fadness has made it clear he plans on moving forward.
I am reminded of the old Will Rogers quote – “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”
Fadness continues to enjoy public support. But there are some that long for the old days of Fishers as a small town. I get that, understand that, but recognize the old Fishers is gone and there is nothing anyone could do to bring that back.
I am often asked whether Scott Fadness will run for another term. He was noncommittal when Lindsey asked that question. Politics can often take unexpected twists and turns. Two years ago, could you have imagined Eric Holcomb as governor and Mike Pence as Vice President? Predictions are shaky at best in the political world. But I will say it is likely Scott Fadness will run for at least one more term as mayor. I don’t seen him as a Jim Brainard, serving six terms as Carmel’s mayor. But he may have one more term to complete the vision he has for the city he has been instrumental in shaping.
Scott Fadness and I have some things in common and some things we don’t have in common. But we have one major common view. We both love Fishers and want it to be the best place possible.
You can read Lindsey Erdody’s profile of Scott Fadness at this link
The City of Fishers and the local Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools have been campaigning on removing the stigma often associated with mental health, encouraging those suffering in silence to seek help.
Students at HSE Schools sponsored Hope For Happiness last Friday evening to place a spotlight on the campaign.
Below is a video featuring school staff, students and members of the Fishers community. It is less than 5 minutes and is worth watching.
(NOTE: Commentaries by Fred Swift are posted here as the result of a partnership between the Hamilton County Reporter and LarryInFishers.com. Views expressed are those of Mr. Swift)
In our rapidly growing county it is difficult, but important, to preserve some of the historically relevant landmarks that physically reveal the pathway to our current times. The Hull-Brennan House is such a landmark. Located near Keystone and Smokey Row
Road, it is far off the road and largely hidden by trees.
On land originally granted to William Wilkinson in 1822, the house started as a pioneer log cabin, probably built before 1835. Around 1853, an impressive two-story brick house was built adjoining the cabin. The practice of incorporating an earlier house with a later one was common in the mid-19th century, but surviving examples are rare.
The brick structure is a good example of combined Federal and Greek Revival architecture which was often found in homes of the 1840s and 50s. It is owned by descendants of the Dinkelaker family, which bought the home and surrounding farmland about 115 years ago. They operated a dairy farm there for many years.
The last occupant was William H. Hull who died in 2014 at the age of 93. Dinkelaker heirs then listed the remaining 59 acres of farmland and the house for sale. Beazer Homes of Atlanta, Ga. plans to buy and develop the property with 164 new homes.
Indiana Landmarks, a preservation organization which has participated in saving numerous significant historic structures, has joined the Carmel Clay Historical Society in trying to save the Hull-Brennan House.
The Beazer application for zoning and development is pending in a Carmel Plan Commission review committee. There have been discussions among Carmel officials,
Landmarks, local historians and Beazer regarding ways to save the house, one of very few of its kind remaining in the rapidly developing community.
The zoning application will return to the Plan Commission with a committee recommendation, probably in the next month or two. A zoning change to allow
what is called a Planned Unit Development on the site will go to the Carmel City Council for a final decision.
Local historians say the house is architecturally and historically worthy of saving
if a buyer can be found who wishes to restore and reside in the house.
The Landmarks foundation has been successful in helping locate buyers
of historic properties, including the former McShane Home, south of Carmel, which
is regarded as an outstanding example of preservation efforts.
Adam & Larry review the film Detroit, dealing with one awful incident during the summer of 1967 in the Motor City. There are three guests this week – Annette Gross, Teresa Sabatine & Jeremy Whitham
IT Director Chris Mertens (second from left) with County Commissioners Mark Heirbrandt, Christine Altman and Steve Dillinger.
by
Hamilton County Reporter
Hamilton County Director of Information Technology Chris Mertens has been honored by Indianapolis Business Journal and TechPoint as a 2017 CTO of the Year.
The three-year-old CTO of the Year program recognizes chief technology officers because of the role they play in helping their organizations innovate and grow.
IBJ and TechPoint honored a total of 15 chief technology officers Aug. 10 in five categories: Private Companies (Revenue $100 million or Less), Private Companies (Revenue Over $100 million), Not-for-Profit/Government (Revenue $100 million or less), Not-for-Profit/Government (Revenue Over $100 Million) and Public Companies.
Mertens was an honoree in the larger Not-for-Profit/Government category, along with Judd Williams, chief information officer of the NCAA, and Michael Hineline, chief information and technology officer at the Indiana Public Retirement System.
Since joining the county eight years ago, Mertens has transformed the information technology department to better serve Hamilton County residents. He is credited with improving access to online payment options, for example, and making it possible for property owners to receive tax statements via email.
Mertens, 46, has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Lincoln University of Missouri and an MBA from William Woods University.
(NOTE: Commentaries by Fred Swift are posted here through a partnership between The Hamilton County Reporter and LarryInFishers.com)
Public transportation, or mass transit as it is often called, was a major topic of discussion in Hamilton County early last year. A voter referendum was being considered and supporters of extending the Indianapolis Red Line bus route into the county were encouraging it through “public education.”
There was no referendum in Clay and Washington townships, where it was proposed that voters would be asked if they wished to have an increase in their local income tax to partially pay for the bus service to downtown Indianapolis.
Supporters decided the vote would be delayed until 2018.
But now, probably not. Although no final decision has been made, it is likely to be delayed again. County Commissioner Christine Altman said Friday that she does not feel “there is the will to push it” at this time. She feels more education will be needed before the issue goes on the ballot.
Indianapolis is proceeding with the Red Line plans which will see new electric powered buses running through the city as far north as Broad Ripple in the next few years. But the plan is getting opposition from some property owners along College Avenue where special lanes and waiting stations are planned.
Ms. Altman has been a major advocate for mass transit, and the Red Line in particular, which would take the bus route through the Carmel and Westfield areas as far north as Grand Park.
But various local issues, including the fact that next year will be an off-year election, has led her to doubt 2018 would be the best time to go to voters with the tax proposal. That proposal, if approved, would increase the county income tax from its current one percent to one and a quarter percent.
