Fishers, like many other cities its size, grapples with the issue of handling commercial business location calls for help from public safety (police, fire or emergency services).

The Fishers City Council gave first reading approval Monday night to a new public nuisance ordinance aimed at addressing this issue.  If final approval is provided by the Council, this measure will be effective August 1 of this year.

When (and if) the ordinance is in place, a commercial operation in Fishers with 7  calls for service, complaints and/or citations in a 90- day period will be issued a warning letter explaining the business, a property owner, operator or tenant, will be required to come in for a meeting with public safety and the health department, if the operation continues to have calls for service, complaints or citations.  Also, the commercial enterprise will be required to enter into a remediation agreement to address the reasons why there have been excessive calls, if they reach 10 calls for service, citations or complaints.  If the business continues to have calls for service, complaints and/or citations, they could be designated as a Chronic Violator and then be subject to a fine of $250 for each call, complaint or citation for a period of 6 months.

Only one vote is required to pass first reading, so the issue will return to the Council.

To view the PowerPoint presentation to City Council on this ordinance, use this link.

A Fishers man faces a felony charge of intimidation and lesser counts of pointing a firearm at a person, public intoxication and disorderly conduct after his Sunday morning arrest.  Jonathan Joseph, 21, from Fishers, is accused of pointing a gun at a motorist on Cumberland Road, just north of 131st Street, at Watercrest Drive.

Here is how Fishers Police describe what happened:

“Police officers from Fishers and Noblesville responded to the area of Watercrest Drive and Cumberland Road after a motorist called 911 to report a man pointed a gun at him. The victim told officers he was driving northbound on Cumberland Road when he observed a shirtless man walking eastbound cross the road in front of him. The man briefly stopped in the roadway, pointed a handgun at the victim, and continued walking into the Watercrest Neighborhood.”

Police used a drone to locate the suspect and took him into custody.  Officers say Joseph was  in possession of an unloaded handgun at the time of his arrest.

The Fishers Police Department thanked Noblesville officers for assisting in making the arrest.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District administrators presented school board members proposed changes to student handbooks at a Tuesday morning work session.  One possible change centers on the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The current language calls for disciplinary action for any student found copying another student’s work or plagiarizing, also described as “Academic Dishonesty.”  Administrators are asking the board to add language for disciplining students using AI to create work without permission of the teacher.  School officials emphasize this is to ensure the work is that of the student, not someone else or AI.

“While AI tools can be used for productive purposes, many fear that unharnessed use may lead to increases in academic dishonesty,” wrote administrators in their narrative to the board.

Another change before the board deals with student absences of 10 or more consecutive school days.  HSE officials say they “have seen an uptick of requests for extended absences for family-related issues (out-of-country family visit, funerals, etc.); not uncommonly, these requests are for more than 10 consecutive school days, which constitutes a significant portion of the semester.”

The proposed change calls for students absent from school for more than 10 consecutive school days, whether for vacation or family emergencies (in or out of the country) or for cultural/religious reasons – will be asked to unenroll from the school. The student will be exited as a transfer to homeschooling. The parent should understand that the student will need to be re-enrolled if the student returns to school.

Another proposal would allow students to retake a course only to improve from a grade of C- or lower.  Administrators suggest adding the following language to the handbook:

“When a student retakes a course, the transcript will indicate that the student took the course twice, with the higher academic grade earned appearing on the transcript and an “R” (for Retake) replacing the lower academic grade. This means the higher grade will be associated with the credit and factored in the student’s GPA, while the lower grade will not be included in the calculation of the student’s GPA.”

School officials say colleges and universities in the area have indicated the “R” designation should not count against a student when applying for admission.

Another proposed change is to athletic eligibility when a student is charged with a felony or misdemeanor, or when a student receives an out of school suspension.  The current 3-step process to determine athletic eligibility will become a 2-step process with the current 3rd step now the appeals process for students and parents in disagreement with the decision after the 2nd step.

Another change is a response to students pushing for abolishing final exams.  Administrators said no to that idea, but will now determine the semester grade by counting the semester work as 85 percent and the final exam grade (or culminating activity approved by the building principal) as 15 percent.

A student handbook change is proposed for those of the Sikh faith that wear a Kirpan as a religious article of faith.  Knives are normally not allowed in HSE schools, but a Kirpan will be allowed with the following rules:

–The Kirpan blade is required to be dull.

–The Kirpan is six inches or less from end of the handle to the tip of the blade.

–The Kirpan will be sufficiently secured with a stitched flap so not be easily removed.

–The Kirpan will not be worn visibly.

–Confirmation of Sikh faith via parents/place of worship.

— Students under the age of 18 must be accompanied by parents/guardians when discussing the rules for wearing a Kirpan.

No action was taken at the work session, but these student handbook changes will be considered for board action at an upcoming regular session.

Here are links to the presentations on student handbook changes presented to the board:

Fishers High School

HSE High School

Junior High Schools

Intermediate Schools 

Elementary Schools 

Kirpan discussion

Road rage has sadly become a regular issue in recent years, and the report of a road rage incident has led to allegations of racial profiling by Fishers Police, according to a report from television station WTHR.  This stems from an apparent incident along 96th Street in the area of the Walmart.

WTHR cites a Facebook post and a conversation with the attorney representing the man making the racial profiling allegations.

To read the WTHR story posted to their Web site, use this link.

If you visit Geist Waterfront Park this summer without at least 1 Fishers resident in the car, it will cost you $50 per vehicle for parking on the grounds during the summer season, Memorial Day through Labor Day.  That was the decision of the Fishers City Council Monday.

It was a party line vote, 7-2, with Democrats Jocelyn Vare and Crystal Neumann voting no.

Vare and Neumann argued the fee is too high and is not a welcoming message to those visiting the park from outside the city.  Vare made a motion to lower the fee to $10 per car, but the motion died when no one seconded.

Republicans on the Council said the fee is priced right. “This is a reasonable fee and is charged only 3 months of the year,” said Council President John Weingardt.

Director of Recreation and Wellness for the City of Fishers, Jake Reardon-McSoley, and Mayor Scott Fadness, told Councilors the fee will act as a safety provision, limiting the number of people at the beach and swimming in the lake.  Fadness admitted there is no way to know if the fee structure will work as planned, but this summer season will provide the data as to whether the fee should be adjusted in the 2024 summer season.

Nonresidents entering the park as a pedestrian or bicyclist will not be charged a fee.

When Jane & I were married in May of 1991, I moved to Fishers.  I tried to size up the political scene and everywhere I looked, only one word was spoken – Republican.

I recall in the 1990s a general election was cancelled because no Democrats or third-party candidates were running.  All winners in the Republican primary that year were automatically elected to office.

Fishers just held a primary election earlier this month with only one contested race, in the Republican contest for City Clerk.  Incumbent Jennifer Kehl won the election by a wide margin.

A few Republicans and many Democrats locally talked about how many votes they garnered even with no contested race in the primary balloting.  Now that the official results are verified by the local Election Board, the results are essentially unchanged.

At-Large City Councilor Jocelyn Vare issued a news release in recent days touting the number of Democrats showing up at the polls and voting in the primary, even though there were no contested races on the Democratic ballot.

I wrote a recent commentary that we shouldn’t pay a great deal of attention to turnout in a local primary, particularly with only one contested election.  Councilor Vare offered a reminder of the past by pointing to 8 Democrats running the the November Fishers City Election.

I must admit, Democrats in Fishers have come a long way since that cancelled town council election in the 1990s.  “When I won a seat on City Council, it was the first time our community had elected Democrats serving in city government,” said Vare in her news release. “After three years as an At-Large member of the City Council, I am certain that our citizens are served better when there are bold voices like mine who take the job of checks and balances and municipal fiscal responsibility seriously.”

Democrats will offer candidates in all but one city council district, two candidates for at-large council seats and a candidate for city clerk.

Vare also cites these election numbers:

Counting 2,267 Democratic votes in this year’s primary with no contested races, particularly considering the history of Fishers, is no small accomplishment.  Local Democrats were all over social media prior to the primary election urging Democrats to cast primary ballots and that did result in plenty of votes cast.

I do not discount all the arguments posed by Ms. Vare, but we must be real about a few things.  First, Democrats have offered no candidate for mayor, by far the most powerful city office.  I understand why.  Incumbent Mayor Scott Fadness, a Republican, has a very large campaign war chest and it would be quite a challenge for a Democrat to raise enough  money to be competitive.

Secondly, most elections are determined by independent voters.  Most independent voters do not cast ballots in an Indiana primary election because one must declare a party affiliation in order to vote.

Finally, even though there are 2 Democrats on the 9-member Fishers City Council, Republicans are in firm control of city government, holding the offices of mayor, city clerk and city judge.

Obviously, Democrats in Fishers are working to change that, even without a Fishers mayoral hopeful on the November general election ballot.  Some of the council district races four years ago were closer than in past election cycles.

So, Democrats should be proud of what has been accomplished in recent years, but there is a lot of work ahead.  And Fishers Republicans have made it clear they plan to step up their efforts in the upcoming campaign.

Another busy week is on tap in road construction and other capital projects in and around Fishers.   Here is the complete listing, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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STATE ROAD 37 IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

To learn more about the State Road 37 Improvement Project and sign up to receive text updates, visit 37Thrives.com. 

STATE ROAD 37 AND 141ST STREET
A pre-construction phase at SR 37 & 141st Street is currently in place. During this phase, 141st Street will be a Right-In-Right-Out (RIRO) traffic configuration. 
This is not the permanent configuration. This will allow for traffic to flow more freely along SR 37 until the next phases of construction can be activated. This will eliminate backups along SR 37 that have caused dangerous stops to the free flow traffic and backups on the 146th Street interchange. Again, this is not the permanent configuration for 141st Street. The full timeline for the 141st Street interchange will be provided after project bids are accepted in the Summer of 2023. View detour routes here.

To learn more about the Clear Path Improvement Project and sign up to receive text and email updates, visit clearpath465.com 

I-465 & I-69
Drivers will see an increase in construction along the I-69 corridor in the coming months. This work will focus on reconfiguring the interchange at I-465 and I-69. New ramps will provide direct movements from eastbound I-465 and northbound I-465 to northbound I-69. Binford Blvd. will also be reconstructed to separate local traffic from traffic entering and exiting I-69 and I-465. Access to I-69 from Binford Blvd. will remain open. Drivers can expect to see significant activity on I-69 at the 82nd Street interchange.

The ramp from I-69 North to 82nd Street and the ramp from 82nd Street to I-69 North is currently closed through late 2023. For detour routes and additional project information, visit clearpath465.com 

To learn more about the Nickel Plate Trail, view the Capital Project Dashboard here.

NICKEL PLATE TRAIL
The City of Fishers is working on the completion of the Fishers portion of the Nickel Plate Trail. The remaining paving work from 96th Street to 106th Street is underway, and construction crews are currently working to clear and prep the area for paving. In the coming weeks, construction crews will begin the paving process.

There are daily lane closures currently on Cumberland Road, just south of 126th Street for sanitary and water line work. The northbound right turn lane and the southbound passing blister will be closed. 

Beginning on or after Tuesday, May 16, Phase 1 of construction for the grade separation intersection improvement will begin at 146th Street and Allisonville Road. One through lane and one left turn lane in all directions will be closed through the intersection.

Closures of Sowers Drive and Saville Road at 146th Street will be necessary in June. Additional notifications will be provided prior to the closures. In addition to these closures, the worksite speed limit will be 35 mph. Please exercise caution while driving through this construction zone.

For additional project information, visit Hamilton County website here.

During the week of May 15th, Duke Energy will be tree trimming on 116th Street, between Brooks School Road and Windswept Drive.  Lane restrictions will be in place between 9 am and 3 pm.

There has been speculation for a long time about the future of Fishers Elementary School.  Plans were laid out recently to continue Fishers Elementary at the same location with major renovations.

HSE Schools Facilities Manager Matt Rapp told the school board Wednesday night the original structure was built in 1958 with a second floor added in 1988.  The building has no elevator and is the only HSE building with no fire sprinkler system.

The current building can accommodate 450 students.  The renovated Fishers Elementary will hold 700 students.

The renovated building will be designed much like Deer Creek Elementary, but on 8.8 acres, a much smaller geographic footprint compared to other HSE elementary structures.

Rapp says students will have classes ongoing at the facility while Fishers Elementary is being renovated.

Rapp says he will have a full presentation of plans for Fishers Elementary at the June board meeting.

In other items before the board Wednesday night:

–Approval was given for  $2 million upgrade to the radio communications systems used by the school staff and Resource Safety Officers.

–The board heard a detailed review of the food services operation.

–Chief Financial Officer Katy Dowling reviewed the school district’s current finances.  She reviewed what is known about the state’s new 2-year budget enacted during the 2023 legislative session.  There will be an increase in per-student funding but the state will help to a certain extent for the cost of books and student devices.  Administrators are still learning all that the state lawmakers have passed in the budget session this year.

The Fishers High Scholl Robotics Team is headed for the world championships in Texas after winning the Indiana State Title.  This robotics team has been around for 10 years.

This team has 52 students, led by Engineering Teacher Jeff Fronius and nine mentors from the community. Their winning robot weighs 125 pounds and includes two cameras, nine sensors and a pivoting elevator with a pneumatic intake. Two students are needed to drive the robot.  Additionally,  the students on the team support other teams throughout HSE Schools at the junior high, intermediate, and elementary levels.  They also host summer camps for the community through the City of Fishers Parks Department.

The group was honored Wednesday at the HSE School Board meeting as a Snapshot of Success.

Below is a video featuring part of the state contest.  Fishers is the Blue 5010 team

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board acted to adopt recommended Math and English items based on recommendations of the teaching staff, but delayed action on one math resource.

Approved were items of Algebra, Geometry and Statistics, as well as Literature & Composition.  All are AP-level resources.

Executive Director of Secondary Education Michelle Brittain-Watts explained a supplemental resource, DeltaMath solutions, was recommended by the teaching staff after piloting the program this school year.

Board member Suzanne Thomas said she had found negative online comments about DeltaMath and questioned its adoption.

After a lengthy discussion, administrators said they would review the negative comments cited my Thomas.

The board approved all the recommendations except DeltaMath.

For more details on the recommended materials, use this link.