The first Fishers City Council meeting of the calendar year brings new council members and a new president.  Council members elected Cecilia Coble to be president during the calendar year 2024.  Pete Peterson was elected vice president.  Both were elected by unanimous council votes.

This was the first City Council meeting for new members Tiffany Ditlevson, John DeLucia and Bill Stuart.

There are plenty of issues relating to public safety in Fishers.  The video recording body cams on officers, the mental health of the force, how technology impacts law enforcement and many more.  Mayor Scott Fadness and Police Chief Ed Gebhart joined Larry to talk about all that and more.  Listen to the podcast at the link below.

The federal holiday that is Martin Luther King Day has been taken up by many in the private sector, providing a paid day off work.  The Martin Luther King Center has always encouraged those with a day away from work to use this day as a “day on” for helping your local community in any way you see fit.

King is praised almost universally today, but I am old enough to remember the time when he was doing his work and Dr. King was vilified horribly by many, up until the time of his assassination in Memphis. It is sad that so many in American history that worked for peaceful change ended up in a violent death.

I still remember watching the March on Washington on television in 1963 with my father.  My dad thought the world of Dr. King.  He told me then that if he had not been the father of small children, he would have traveled to DC to take part in that historic event.

The best way, in my view, to remember Dr. King is to work peacefully for change…the kind of change that lifts up people on the lower rung of society.  I am not saying this is easy.  As Dr. King taught us during his lifetime, it is hard.

I commend that City of Fishers for sponsoring a food drive as part of Martin Luther King Day.  To learn more about MLK Day activities in Fishers, use this link.

Pinheads, a popular complex in Fishers with bowling, entertainment and a restaurant, is closed.  Based on a statement posted on the Pinheads Facebook page, the closure is due to a fire that happened in the kitchen area Wednesday, January 10.

The statement says the closure will be for at least 3 weeks.

Below is the full statement posted on the Facebook page:

I made my living as a radio broadcaster from 1969 through the summer of 1983.  There were no smart phones or Internet in those days, so people often turned to their local radio station for the latest on weather.

I learned a great deal during those years about how weather has an impact on all of us.  Winter weather can be particularly dangerous.

As I write this mid-day, Sunday, January 14, there is a Wind Chill Advisory in place for Fishers through 7am Monday.  Wind Chill readings may go down as far as 25 degrees below zero.

Here is what the National Weather Service recommends in wind chill temperatures this cold.  “Use caution while traveling outside, with appropriate clothing, a hat and glovers,” say the forecasters.

The next few days do not look much better.  Below is what forecasters at the Indianapolis office of the National Weather Service say about Monday through Saturday:

“A prolonged period of frigid temperatures is expected to continue through the coming week.  Air Temperatures will fall below zero for parts of the area Monday into Monday night.  Wind chills may approach -20 degrees for parts of the area.”

Bottom line, be very careful when venturing outdoors in weather like this.

In this week’s Fishers area road construction report, watch for sidewalk repairs underway in the Sunblest neighborhood.

Below is the full update, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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Continue reading Road construction report – work week beginning January 15 →

The Fishers Arts Council elected officers for the 2024 and approved 4 new members to the board of directors

Ross Hilleary, also Planning & Zoning Director for the City of Fishers, will serve as Council President.  Chris Hayes will serve as Vice President, Doug Dusseau Treasurer and Olivia Harris Secretary.

New members of the board are Sue Dickey, Amanda Wilhite, Latricia Schooley and Tom Rich.

In her Executive Director’s Statement, Les Reinhardt points to Council progress made in 2023.

“We’ve forged new relationships with artists, artist groups, sponsors, students and community partners,” writes Reinhardt.  “It’s going to take a lot of work to maintain and nurture these relationships, and it’s something I’m looking forward to in the new year.”

An ongoing program for the Arts Council is the monthly art gallery presented with the Hamilton County Community Foundation.  The Second Friday events drew new records in attendance during 2023.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools have reduced their share of the property tax rate since 2018, with a 10.25% rate reduction during that period.  HSE Schools Chief Financial Officer Katy Dowling provided that update at the Wednesday HSE School Board session.

“We all know assessed values have gone up and we were certainly on that trend of (tax rates going) down,” Dowling told board members.

She explained the reductions,  detailed by year in the graphic above.

This has been possible through increases in valuations of property.

“Not everybody has reduced their tax rate as they have seen AV (assessed valuation) growth,” Dowling said.

Several board members complimented Ms. Dowling on her work.  However, it should be noted that she, along with fellow administrator Jimmy Lake, did not have their contracts renewed, normally a routine action by the board.  Those contracts remain on hold.

In other news from the HSE School Board meeting:

–Skillman Construction was awarded the contract for the $28.9 million renovation of Fall Creek Intermediate School.  Facilities Director Matt Rapp reminded board members and the local community that 25-30 years ago HSE Schools underwent a “boom” in building.  “We’re lucky our buildings do look very nice but they do need updates,” Rapp said.

–The board formally voted in favor of raising the mileage reimbursement rate for employees using their personally-owned vehicles for business.  The rate has been 43 cents per mile for HSE employees the past several years.  In the future, beginning in 2024, employees will be reimbursed based on the standard mileage rate provided by the IRS.  The 2024 standard mileage rate is 67 cents per mile.

–Acting Superintendent Matt Kegley provided data on the 2023 graduation rates for the two high schools.  Fishers High School had a graduation rate of 98.4% and HSE’s rate was 97.04%.  Kegley provided the board with a comparison chart, measuring our high schools with others in the Indy metro area (chart shown below).

It has been a banner year for the Fishers High School (FHS) Marching Tiger Band.

The group placed 12th in the nation at the Bands of America Grand Nationals Finals in early November, competing with a total of 92 marching bands and some 15,000 students. They made their biggest appearance to date as the “Santa Band” in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

FHS was one of six high school bands selected to perform in the event. Of the 260+ band members that performed, 70+ were juniors and seniors, 190+ were sophomores and below.

Band Director Chad Kohler appeared Wednesday night before the Hamilton Southeastern School Board with some band members.  The students all talked about their experiences seeing Broadway productions, going to the Radio City Music Hall, seeing the Statue of Liberty and many other activities during their time in New York City.

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration has awarded Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools a $750,000 grant to establish an employer-sponsored child care program.  HSE’s Chief Financial Officer Katy Dowling told the HSE School Board Wednesday night such a plan would be cost neutral to the district with a return on investment of 13%.

Any child care system would serve not just teachers but all HSE Schools workers, for children ages 6 weeks through pre-school age.  Abby Taylor, President of the local teachers union, spoke in favor of such a program because it would bring child care closer to the work place and eliminate logistical problems of dropping off and picking up children at day care centers throughout the area.

The only cost to the district would be some minor school building alterations, which would be financed through existing bonds.

The grant must be expended by the end of this calendar year.

Next steps include putting together an implementation team and finding a child care coordinator or consultant.  An employee survey will be conducted to gauge demand.  Potential facilities will be evaluated and a operations structure established.

HSE School Board members expressed support for a child care program.