by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE:  Commentaries by Fred Swift are posted on here as part of a partnership between the Hamilton County Reporter and LarryInFishers.com)

County Commissioners have taken steps to proceed with two major county facility
expansion projects.

An agreement has been signed with Meyer Najem Construction Company
for construction management services on a major addition to the County Government
and Judicial Center.

The multi-million dollar expansion of the 25-year old building will provide more
space for courtrooms, offices and storage.  The addition will be built to the west side
of the existing structure and contain around 100,000 square feet under roof.

County officials had known since the original building was built in 1992 that expansion
would eventually be needed and it was designed so that an addition could
be made. Preliminary design drawings last year show an architecturally pleasing new
west front for the facility.

The agreement with Meyer Najem calls for a fee not to exceed $80,000 for pre-construction
documents. Assuming the project is funded by the County Council, the agreement
will be amended for additional work.  No date has been set for bidding the project
estimated to cost around $23 million.

The council will then vote on funding.  Money is not regarded as a major problem
since the county holds major cash reserves. Bonding is also a likely method
of funding since bonds previously sold by the county are being paid off soon and
new bonds could be sold, resulting in no need for a tax increase.

Another major project in which commissioners have taken a step toward construction, is the expansion of the county jail. Currently overcrowded, the jail building, wich includes the sheriff’s department offices and the 911 communications center, was built to house 296 inmates. Bunks for another 200 has been recommended.

Commissioners have signed an agreement with The Hagerman Group for construction
management on the expansion project. The fee for $40,625 provides for
construction documents, and a proposal for a fee of three percent of construction
costs to manage the project to completion.

When some members of the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board raised the possibility of changing the name of the school corporation as part of a branding study, it triggered quite a debate locally about even suggesting such a thing.

That sparked a number of comments from HSE officials at Wednesday night’s regular board meeting.

First, school officials want you to know that the branding study is not going to consider changing the names of any one of the school buildings within the HSE School District. Hamilton Southeastern High School will remain just that.  Fishers High School’s name will not change.  Fishers Junior High School’s name will continue as is.  You can go on and on with all the school buildings.  No mascots will change. None of that is part of the branding study.

Superintendent Allen Bourff also wants to make it clear that any name change for the school district, if considered at all, would be a small “sub-set” of the branding study.

Dr. Bourff described the branding effort as a way to “communicate who we are as a district, what’s important to us as a district, and also hear from our constituents what is important to them.”

Board Member Terry Tolle emphasized that the Web site design, long overdue for update, will cost about $98,000.  The branding study is budgeted to cost about $50,000.  However, the branding study can impact the new Web site design, so there will be some overlap, even though separate companies have been contracted to perform the Web redesign and the branding project.  The funding for both projects will not come from tax revenue, but from money received by the school system from corporate sponsorship.

One other note from Wednesday night’s session.  It was held in the LGI Room at Hamilton Southeastern High School because construction is beginning at the HSE Schools Administration Building.  Dr. Bourff indicated the sound acoustics are not good in that room (I had difficulty hearing the proceedings at times Wednesday night).  Either the sound situation will be improved, or Dr. Bourff indicated another location would need to be found for regular school board meetings over the next few months.

The Fishers Plan Commission unanimously approved a resolution with a favorable recommendation Wednesday night, moving forward a zoning change allowing iTown Church to construct a new building at 136th Street and Brooks School Road.  City Councilman Rich Block, also a member of the Plan Commission, recused himself and abstained from voting, due to the fact he is a member of iTown Church.

The Fishers City Council is expected to vote on the rezoning at the July 17th regular meeting.  The rezone is necessary because of something called the I-69 Overlay District. That district was first established in 2012 by the Town of Fishers, limiting the ability of nonprofit organizations to locate there, in an effort to protect property tax revenue along this valuable stretch of land.

City planners said the specific location where iTown is proposing to build its new church would not likely draw interest for commercial development, resulting in a favorable staff recommendation to approve the rezone.

This is the second attempt for iTown Church to find a location for the new house of worship.  The first proposal was in the area of the Gray Eagle subdivision near 126th Street and Brooks School Road.  Residents opposed the idea and church officials decided to withdraw that proposal and concentrate on the location under consideration now at 136th Street and Brooks School Road.

The City of Fishers is losing its controller, but the Mind Trust is gaining a new  Senior Director of Facilities and Finance.  Oscar Gutierrez will start his new job soon with the Mind Trust, an organization supporting charter schools.

Gutierrez took over as city controller as Fishers transitioned from a town to a city.  The town had an elected clerk-treasurer.  Under the city arrangement, the mayor’s office took over that responsibility and Scott Fadness appointed Gutierrez as the city’s first controller.

One of Oscar’s biggest accomplishments during his tenure in the controller’s office was gaining the AAA debt rating for the city, which reduced the costs of borrowing.

The news release from the Mind Trust says Gutierrez will be involved in facility and financing strategies for the nonprofit organization.

“Oscar’s unique professional background and unwavering belief in the potential of all children make him an ideal fit for this critical leadership role.  We could not be more excited for Oscar to lend his considerable expertise to fuel the growth of high-quality schools in Indianapolis by advancing innovative facility solutions.” said Brandon Brown, The Mind Trust’s Senior Vice President of Education Innovation, in the news release.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE:  Fred Swift commentaries are posted on LarryInFishers.com as part of a partnership between the Hamilton County Reporter)

In a previous column on Hamilton County’s struggle with the widespread problem
on drug use, addiction and the sometimes fatal results, I failed to mention the County
Drug Court. Now in its eighth year, this component in the local effort to reform dangerous
drug users and addicts is presided over by Judge Gail Bardach in Hamilton Superior
Court 6.

The idea is to get successful treatment for drug addicts.  The actual treatment is conducted by certified addiction centers located in the county.  But, the process also includes supervision by the court’s drug team whose members include Judge Bardach, the
program director and assistant, court case managers, a deputy prosecutor, a pauper
defense attorney, and members of local treatment centers.

Although voluntary on the part of participants, there are strong incentives
to participate. For example, entering the court’s 18 to 24 month program can sometimes
allow a drug offender to avoid an even lengthier prison sentence. The program does not
take individuals who are known to have sold drugs. Drug dealers are still prosecuted
under criminal law.

Judge Bardach says the mission of her program is to enable participants to become
productive members of the community, reduce costs to taxpayers and cut jail
overcrowding. Participants are required to be employed or, if not, get a job by the time
they enter the program. They will then pay their own treatment expenses and any other
fees associated with the program.

The drug court team arranges for regular court appearances, appointments with
a case manager, random urine screening, home visits, progress reports from treatment
providers, and contact with employers or others with whom the participant
may associate.

It is not an easy way to ‘kick the habit’ or avoid jail, but in at least 50 percent
of the cases the program has experienced success. Most of the time there are 30 to
35 folks enrolled. They are all Hamilton County residents, at least 18 years old and
are non-violent offenders.

Enrollment in the drug court program comes through various means. Police often
refer a case to the court, but family members or school officials can bring a
situation to the court’s attention, or a person knowing he or she has a problem could
volunteer to enroll.

The court, like similar courts in about half of Indiana’s counties, is sanctioned
by the state. After completing the rigorous course, a graduation is held. The next is
scheduled for Aug. 7. Following graduation some participants have been known
to mentor others in need of help in staying away from the drug world.

One thing became clear at Monday night’s Hoosier Heritage Port Authority meeting – the future of the Nickel Plate Rail Line will not be decided anytime soon.  A fifth proposal from Iowa Pacific was originally rejected as late filed, but documentation was provided showing a snafu in filing the paperwork at the courthouse.

The first four proposals have been scored and the Iowa Pacific proposal now must be scored.  The Authority will conduct a special meeting Tuesday, July 18th, at 5:30pm, releasing the scores of all five proposals received.

Authority President Mike Obergfell says once the scoring is completed and the Authority approves it, the proposals will go the the owners of the line for final approval.  The owners include Hamilton County as well as the cities of Noblesville & Fishers.

That means we are at least weeks, maybe longer, from a final decision on the future of the Nickel Plate Line.

Fishers and Noblesville have announced plans to create a trail along the rail line from 96th Street north to Pleasant Street in Noblesville.  The Authority sent out requests for proposals so that all the options on the future use of the rail line can be considered.

Meanwhile, the Indiana Transportation Museum has filed a request for a restraining order from the federal 7th Circuit Court of Appeals allowing them to run the Indiana State Fair Train between Fishers and the state fairgrounds this year.  A decision by the court is expected within 10 days.

It’ that time of year for the Fishers Arts Crawl.  The city, downtown businesses and the Fishers Arts Council have come together to bring you the third annual crawl.

This year’s event is set for Friday, July 14th, 6-9pm.

I talked to three people involved in supporting this year’s Arts Crawl….Dan Kloc, President of the Fishers Arts Council…Jeanette Kassebaum, a downtown business owner….and Casey Cawthon, Assistant Director of Public Relations for the City of Fishers.

You can listen to the podcast at the link below:

Noblesville City Council President Megan Wiles made it official Monday morning – she is a candidate to replace State Senator Luke Kenley in an upcoming Republican Party caucus vote.  A report published Saturday in the Hamilton County Reporter (posted here on LarryInFishers.com through a partnership agreement with the Reporter) reported that Senator Kenley encouraged Council President Wiles to replace him.

Senator Kenley announced last week he will be retiring effective September 30th.  The person to fill out the remainder of his term will be selected by Republican Party officials in a caucus vote.

“Hamilton County has been very fortunate to have Senator Kenley’s leadership at the Statehouse for many years,” said Wiles in a news release announcing her candidacy. “After careful consideration and discussions with my family and several community leaders, I have decided to run for the Indiana District 20 Senate seat.”

Wiles pointed to her experience as a local elected official.

“I understand how Statehouse decisions affect local communities and our citizens,” explained Wiles. “I am committed to listening to diverse points of view and ultimately making decisions I believe are in the best interest of our community and our State.”

Republican officials have not yet announced when and where the caucus vote will be conducted.  GOP precinct officials in District 20 will be voting in the caucus .

In this edition of Hamilton County Goes To The Movies, Dan Domsic and I recount our personal favorite films.  Then Adam Aasen joins me to discuss the Indy Film Fest with two officials from that group, Chris Overpeck (left) and Dan Moore.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE:  LarryInFishers.com posts Fred Swift commentaries as part of a partnership with the Hamilton County Reporter)

Luke Kenley’s decision to retire from the State Senate is a real loss for Hamilton County and the entire state. I respect his decision to leave state service after a quarter century, but his departure from the Statehouse will be felt in sensible decision-making on all things financial.

As head of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Luke always tried to make certain Indiana had a fair and adequate budget. He made sure he knew where state funds were going and where they were going to be coming from. His positions were not always popular with everyone, but they were always realistic and farsighted.

Many were the times that Luke would have lunch with a local group in Noblesville and explain how certain functions of state government were working and how they could be improved. He was not shy about sharing his opinions on what individuals or groups helping were fostering his position and which were working against him.

Luke leaves big shoes to fill, and it will take time for his successor to grow into them.That successor will be chosen in a caucus of Republican precinct committeemen and women in Senate District 20 later this summer. The district includes all the precincts in Noblesville, Washington and Wayne Townships plus some in Clay and Delaware Townships.

Kenley has said he is encouraging Megan Wiles to be a candidate in the caucus. Ms. Wiles is executive director of the Riverview Health Foundation and formerly with Legacy Fund. A current member of the Noblesville City Council, she is a lifelong local resident, graduating from Noblesville High School and Ball State University.

Scott Willis, Westfield, who was defeated by Kenley in last year’s primary election, had given some indications he might try again for the Senate seat. A military veteran, he operates a small business in the Carmel area.

What does the future hold for Kenley? While the Kenley name is Noblesville through-and-through, many folks don’t know that Luke was born in Texas. He has relatives from his mother’s family in west Texas and actually owns a ranch there. So, instead of going to the Senate each January, one might expect Luke to be spending more time at the ranch. But, I suspect Noblesville will always be home.

In the meantime, congratulations to our good state senator are in order for a job well done.