There was no opposition among the nine members of the Fishers City Council as the body voted Monday night to approve a $119 million 2020 spending plan.  The vote was 9-0.

Councilman David George was unable to attend last month’s budget session where Mayor Scott Fadness laid out the numbers for the council.  A public hearing was held on the budget in September but no one chose to speak.

George explained Monday why he planned to vote for the budget, pointing to long-term plans to repair and resurface streets and roads in the city as they age.

During the community comment period at the end of the council session, Democratic candidate for Fishers City Council At-Large, Jocelyn Vare, criticized the process used by the city administration and council in explaining the 2020 budget to the public.  She suggested the 2021 budget process be done differently, calling for a public explanation of the budget in plain language 30 days before the public hearing.

The 2020 budget calls for a 3% employee pay hike and includes a 2-cents-per-$100 of assessed property value tax rate increase.

Logan Day, an unsuccessful mayoral candidate in this years Republican primary election, chose to turn to another subject during the community comment time.  He asked that the council vote on releasing the report done by an outside law firm concerning allegations that City Clerk Jennifer Kehl had violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in dealing with employees in her office.

The firm found no violations of the law in its probe, but a brief statement from the city said the report found management issues in the City Clerk’s office and reduced Clerk Kehl’s responsibilities and staff.  The full report has never been made public, with the city arguing that one or more of the employees still has the right to file an action with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC).

Day said the city could release the report and redact private information, such as the employee names.

The City of Fishers plans to spend $255,000 of the 2020 municipal budget supporting local nonprofit organizations.  The three-member Fishers City Council Nonprofit Committee, consisting of council members Pete Peterson, Cecilia Coble and the Chairman Todd Zimmerman, held a discussion Monday evening on how to support specific local organizations next year, based on funding requests submitted by local nonprofits.

Here are the committee’s recommendations for 2020 funding:

$65,250   Hamilton County Youth Assistance Program

$64,707    Youth Mentoring Initiative (YMI)

$15, 043   JANUS

$100,000  Conner Prairie

$10,000     HSE Schools Foundation

The committee had a lengthy discussion about the proposal from the HSE Schools Foundation, concerned the money requested was for alumni outreach and not programs impacting current students.  The committee provided less than the foundation requested as a result.

The spending proposal goes next to the City Council Finance Committee, and if approved there, goes to the full council for a final vote.

Fishers Police officers are already being equipped with body cams, with the expectation that all officers will have the cameras by early 2020.  Fishers Police Chief Ed Gebhart told the Police Merit Commission Friday that this was the goal of his department in rolling out the video technology.

The city’s 2020 budget calls for a full time civilian position in the police department to primarily maintain the body camera program.  This is the only additional staff member for the department in 2020, according to Chief Gebhart.  The civilian employee will be involved in responding to public records requests.

The body cam deployment is being partially funded by a $120,000 federal grant.

School Resource Officers (SROs) will have body cameras installed, Gebhart said.

The policy for retaining the videos will be in line with state law.  State statute requires the videos be retained for 180 days, but the city plans to keep them a bit longer than that requirement, possibly 200 days.

The city is utilizing a cloud-based system for storage, which will provide access for officers, authorized users and personnel at the prosecutor’s office without the need to record and playback on video disks.

For a member of the public to access a police body camera video, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request must be submitted.  City Attorney Chris Greisl told the Merit Commission there are state laws requiring that some images on these videos be obscured.

When requesting a police body cam video, Greisl says the person making the request must provide some basic information, such as naming the person at the scene (other than the officer), and knowing the time and date of the incident.

Chief Gebhart also updated the commission on hiring officers, hoping to be at full strength in 2020 with 119 sworn positions filled.  The chief expects at least one retirement in 2020, and there could be others.

Now that students are returning to class after fall break for our local schools, road construction is slowing down considerably, but be aware of closures and lane restrictions along parts of Lantern Road and 96th street in the coming week.

Below is the listing, as provided by the City of Fishers, for the work week starting Monday, October 21st.

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LANTERN ROAD 
Lantern Road is closed to through traffic, beginning south of 116th Street to Fishers Pointe Boulevard, as part of the Downtown Infrastructure Improvement Project to improve the sanitary sewer underneath Lantern Road. Access to Lantern Road remains open from the north (via 116th Street) for local residential, business, and Fishers Elementary School traffic. The closure for this portion of the project is expected to last approximately 90 days. Check out the project Fact Sheet to learn more.

The intersection of Lantern Road and Fishers Pointe Boulevard will also be closed this week. Use Hague Road to detour.

Hamilton County Reporter

Fishers won a back-and-forth game with Zionsville Friday at Clarian Field at Reynolds Tigers Stadium, finishing up Hoosier Crossroads Conference and regular-season play.

The Class 6A No. 9 Tigers got on the board first, with Nick Leath catching a 19-yard touchdown pass from Marcus Roux in the first quarter. The Eagles would score the next two touchdowns on runs by Colin Price, and that led Zionsville to a 14-7 advantage in the second quarter.

Leath and Roux teamed up for a 27-yard pass play score to tie the game, but the Eagles got their own passing touchdown, and went ahead 21-14 at halftime.

Dylan Scally opened the second half with a 33-yard rushing touchdown, and Jack Phillips’ extra-point kick tied the game again at 21-21.

The pattern continued as the third quarter went on, with Zionsville scoring on another passing touchdown, and the Tigers answering with a running score. Roux punched it in from the one-yard line, and the game was tied 28-28 after three quarters.

Fishers finally took control in the fourth period, with Dominic Oliverio and Scally making short runs to get the Tigers ahead 42-28. The Eagles made one more pass play touchdown, but Fishers was able to hold them off for the win.

Scally had an outstanding game, with 196 yards in 20 carries. Roux was also great, completing 11 of 19 throws for 192 yards. Leath had five receptions. Phillips kicked all six of his extra-point attempts.

With the win, Fishers finished in a tie for second place in the HCC with Brownsburg; both schools have 5-2 conference records. The Tigers are 7-2 overall. They  will be off next week, then host Westfield in Sectional 4 play on Nov. 1.

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton Southeastern scored a huge victory on Friday, as a fourth-quarter touchdown propelled the Royals past Class 6A No. 4 Brownsburg 28-25 in a Hoosier Crossroads Conference game at the Bulldogs’ field.

While it was an upset on paper, Southeastern actually held the lead for the majority of the game. The Royals were ahead at the end of the first quarter after a nifty touchdown.

Andrew Hobson passed the ball to DeAndre Rhodes, who then sent the ball to a wide-open Nate Wolf in the end zone. That got Southeastern on the board, and Jozef Osiecki made the
extra-point kick.

Brownsburg took the lead back early in the second quarter, but the Royals powered back in  front quickly. Hobson threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Ben Boysen, then sent another touchdown to Wolf, that one a 21-yarder. John McCall then made a two-point conversion run, and that gave Southeastern a 21-10 halftime lead.

The Bulldogs held HSE scoreless in the third quarter, then took a 25-21 lead in
the fourth. But the Royals surged ahead for good with six minutes left, when Hobson lobbed a pass to Tony Myers, and he took it 78 yards into the end zone. Osiecki’s kick got Southeastern up by three, and the Royals held on from there.

Hobson finished the game 8-for-17 with 183 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to Rhodes’ touchdown throw.

Rhodes and Wolf both made three catches. Blaine Wertz helped out on the ground with 98 yards rushing.

Southeastern finished HCC play 4-3 (placing fourth in the league) and 5-4 overall. The Royals are off next week, then host Carmel on Nov. 1 in the first round of Sectional 4.

Kammy Hiner had a very special day Friday, as she helped cut the ribbon on a special new playground swing at Holland Park.  A large crowd of local officials and friends of Kammy gathered at the park.

The new swing is a special design that allows many special needs children access to a swing.  Kammy, 17, knows something about special needs because she has battled a rare genetic disorder since birth.

When the Make a Wish organization asked Kammy what her wish would be, she did not think about herself.  She and her father Jared studied what could help others, and came up with the specially designed swing.  This reflects Kammy’s love of playgrounds and the children that enjoy them.

The swing had a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday that included a proclamation read by Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness.  Kammy was all smiles.

Kammy’s wish hit a major milestone – this was the 17,00th wish “Make a Wish” has granted in the area covering Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.

Kammy is also raising money to fight the rare disease that impacts her.  You can donate to her local charity at this link.

A state representative from Carmel is pushing the General Assembly to add a magistrate in Hamilton County.  According to my news-gathering partner, the Hamilton County Reporter, Republican Donna Schaibley of Carmel cites a recommendation from the Interim Study Committee on Courts and the Judiciary to bolster her case.

The new magistrate would work with the local circuit and superior courts to handle minor offenses or hold preliminary hearings for more serious crimes, according to Schaibley.

“Hamilton County is the fastest growing county in the state, which means our courts need additional resources to keep up with the increased workload,” Schaibley said. “The summer study committee’s recommendation is a positive step forward, and I plan to file legislation to help make our county’s judicial process more efficient.”

Schaibley represents Indiana House District 24, which takes-in parts of Boone and Hamilton Counties.

We are already in the middle of October, and with a wisp of fall in the air, it’s time to look forward to a couple of events coming up in Fishers.

First, the Fishers Farmers Market will be moving from the outside Amphitheater to the warm confines of the Holland Park shelter house.  The Holiday version of the Farmers Market begins on November 2nd and runs through December 28th, Saturdays, 9am until noon.

The city Parks Department says the market will feature local veggies, fruits, meat, and baked goods from over 25 vendors.

Second, with Halloween getting closer on the calendar, the city has announced the annual Boo Bash is set for Saturday, October 26th, 10am to 1pm, on the Central Green in the Nickel Plate District, just south of City Hall.

Boo Bash features fun for children of all ages, including more than 60 vendor booths for safe trick or treating, inflatables, giveaways, live entertainment, and more. More than half the vendors will have designated Teal Pumpkin Project booths to provide an inclusive experience for kids with food allergies and special needs. The Fishers Farmers’ Market will host a special Monster Market in conjunction with the event, so you can stock up on fall favorites such as mums, pumpkins, and gourds while you enjoy the spooky fun!

Boo Bash attendees can also enjoy the brand-new Play Fishers mobile app, available for download on the App Store and on Google Play. The free app features a digital scavenger hunt, vendor lineup, event map, and more.

Get a head start on the fun at the Pumpkin Carving Extravaganza on Thursday, October 24 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater. Help the Fishers Parks & Recreation team decorate for Boo Bash by carving a pumpkin to display at the event. All ages are welcome at this free event, and pumpkins and carving tools will be provided.

Share a photo of your costume for a chance to win the Boo Bash Digital Costume Contest. Public voting begins Friday, October 18 on the Fishers Parks & Recreation Facebook page, and the five photos with the most “likes” will win a prize pack. There’s also a Division for pet costumes!

Free event parking is available at The Flats at Switch, Fishers Police Station, and Spark Apartments. Handicap accessible parking will be located in the southeast City Hall lot. Street parking is also available throughout the Nickel Plate District.

Learn more about Boo Bash at www.playfishers.com/BooBash, and follow along with the spooky fun on social media with #FishersBooBash. In the event of inclement weather, Boo Bash will be rescheduled for Sunday, October 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Fishers Police Department is ready to accept applicants for uniformed officers.  Candidates are required to be certified by the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy or a police academy recognized by Indiana. Applications are being accepted through November 18, 2019.

You may apply online at this link.

Testing is expected to begin in December. The department is encouraging women and minorities to apply. If candidates have additional questions, contact Sergeant Tom Weger at wegert@fishers.in.us or 317-595-3308