A highly controversial new church building proposed at 126th Street & Brooks School Road may not be built in the location originally planned.  iTown Church was moving toward constructing their new house of worship, but based on a story posted on the Indianapolis Star Web page, iTown has delayed plans for the new church.

Star reporter Andrew Clark quoted a statement from iTown Church saying the religious organization needs more time to consider its future plans.  The church may be looking at another site not far from the original 126th Street & Brooks School Road site, to locate their new church building.

Many neighbors in the Gray Eagle subdivision, adjacent to the original proposed church site, have strongly objected to the church locating at 126th and Brooks School Road.

The Fishers Plan Commission unanimously approved plans for the new church and sent the proposal to the Fishers City Council for a final decision.  The item was a part of the Fishers City Council agenda for the Monday, June 19th session, but will likely be removed from that agenda after the iTown Church’s decision to delay plans for a new church building.

iTown has been a rapidly-growing congregation and currently leases space at 126th Street and Cumberland Road.  Pastor Dave Sumrall told the Fishers City Council in May that his church has been hunting for a location to build their own building for some time.

TigerONE’s main focus is supporting athletics at Fishers High School, but the club is also active in awarding college scholarships.  Five $500 scholarships were announced recently from TigerONE, with all the winners sporting a 3.7 GPA or higher.

Below is a listing of the five winners, as provided by TigerONE:

Megan Bryant: Megan was a member of the National Honor Society, received a
leadership award in Cheerleading, was also a leader in the Show Choir, was active with Best Buddies and Unified Track and had the highest GPA of all of the female scholarship applicants.

Alyssa Chavez: Alyssa was a member of the National Honor Society, Student Athletic Council, Leaders for Fishers, played on the varsity Softball team all four years and was Captain for three seasons and was named All-Conference, All-County and Second AllState.

Cameron Grace Cameron was a member of the National Honor Society, Leaders for Fishers, a member of CRU, a three year letter winner in Track and Field and broke a school record in pole vault all while achieving Magna Cum Laude in the classroom.

Peter Werling: Peter was a member of the National Honor Society, earned seven
varsity letters in Track and Field and Cross Country, received the team Leadership
award his senior year, led his team’s bible study every week, was a state qualifier as a junior, had the highest GPA of all of the male scholarship applicants and in his spare time was an Eagle Scout.

Tyler Grace: Tyler was a leader in Student Government, a member of the National
Honor Society, Leaders for Fishers and CRU, a two year varsity letter winner in Track
and Field and Captain, participated in the State track meet and will graduate Magna
Cum Laude.

In May of this year, the TigerONE Board awarded approximately $40,000 in grants to the Fishers High School Athletic Department and numerous Fishers High School athletic teams.

Specifically, the FHS Athletic Department was awarded $21,000 in grants and 19 different athletic teams received grants totaling over $18,000.

Look out for flag workers on Fall Creek Road between 96th St. and Geist Rd. during the day beginning June 19th, as there will be road work limiting Fall Creek to one lane.

Below is the full listing of road work in and around Fishers for the work week starting Monday, June 19th:

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FALL CREEK ROAD

Weather permitting, Fall Creek Road between 96th Street and Geist Road will have lane restrictions starting Monday, June 19. Restrictions will be in place between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. with signage and flaggers directing traffic.  Please drive with caution.

96TH STREET

Construction has begun on the new roundabout at 96th Street and Lantern Road. 96th Street traffic between Kincaid Drive and Fitness Lane/Pinecreek Drive will be reduced to one lane in each direction throughout the summer.

BROOKS SCHOOL ROAD

The Brooks School Road bridge over Interstate 69 is closed as Milestone Contractors rebuild the bridge deck. During the closure, traffic will be detoured to Promise Road via 126th and 136th streets. The bridge will remain closed until August.

116TH STREET

There will be lane restrictions on 116th Street between I-69 and Cumberland Road throughout the summer in order for the contractor to make improvements to 116th Street.

113TH STREET

Lane restrictions will occur on 113th Street from Olio Road to Florida Road throughout the summer in order for the contractor to resurface and make improvements to the roadway.

USA PARKWAY

There will be lane restrictions on USA Parkway while crews are resurfacing the roadway. Flaggers will be in place directing traffic.

126TH STREET

Expect periodic lane restrictions between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on 126th Street between Allisonville Road and Lantern Road while the contractor installs passing blisters near Reserve at Lantern. Flaggers will be on site to direct traffic during the restrictions.

I-69 AND CAMPUS PARKWAY

The Campus Parkway interchange was recently shifted into a double-crossover traffic pattern. The interchange will remain under construction through July, when it is expected to be fully open to traffic in its permanent configuration.

Multiple traffic lane shifts will be required to complete construction of the new interchange design. Each phase of remaining construction will bring the interchange closer to its final traffic configuration and capacity. For more information about the new traffic pattern, please visit http://www.in.gov/indot/3441.htm

Milestone Contractors has begun mobilizing cranes and other equipment and setting a temporary concrete barrier wall along I-69 at Campus Parkway Exit 210. Work will require alternating lane closures on northbound and southbound I-69 between 9 p.m. and 6 p.m. Lane closures may recur each night through the end of the week depending on weather and progress. Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT at eastcentralin@indot.in.gov or 1-855-463-6848.

STATE ROAD 37

Construction contractors plan to shift State Road 37 traffic lanes this weekend for a $1.5 million drainage structure construction project between 146th Street and Greenfield Avenue in Noblesville. Northbound lanes are scheduled to be shifted on Friday night, and southbound lanes are scheduled to be shifted Saturday night. Single-lane closures in each direction will be scheduled between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The first phase of construction, which is currently underway, will shift two lanes in each direction toward the right shoulders to provide room for construction in the median. The second phase will shift traffic toward the median to allow construction to be completed along the outside shoulders. All work on the project is expected to be complete this summer.

Starting May 1, geotechnical drilling will begin along the State Road 37 corridor as part of the final design phase of State Road 37 Improvement Project. Lane and shoulder restrictions will be active through the June 30.

Motorists will see staked locations along the corridor starting with the 141st Street intersection. The geotechnical drilling will cause lane restrictions from 131st Street through 146th Street through June 30. Southbound restrictions will not begin until 9 a.m. daily and northbound restrictions will be done daily before 4 p.m. to allow for maximum traffic flow during peak hours.

State Road 37 turn lanes will not be affected during lane closures and crews will maintain a minimum of one through-lane at all times.

The SR37 improvement project is a $124 Million joint project between Fishers, Hamilton Co, Noblesville, and INDOT. Questions or concerns may be directed to drivefishers@fishers.in.us.

OUTSIDE OF FISHERS

The City of Carmel has closed 116th Street and Hazel Dell Parkway for the construction of a roundabout. This closure is expected to last for 75 days. Questions and updates about this project should be directed to the City of Carmel at 317-571-2400.

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board voted unanimously Wednesday night to extend the contract of Superintendent Allen Bourff through June 30, 2020.

Dr. Bourff will receive a 3.04% pay hike for the year beginning July 1, 2017, to an annual salary of $185,982.  He will also receive $12,382 in incentive compensation in line with his current contract with the school corporation, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017.

Allen Bourff has been superintendent of HSE Schools since January of 2015.  Before that, he was superintendent of the school corporation in Richmond, Indiana.

If you plan to travel north, then return to Fishers Saturday, be aware of a lane closure on south-bound I-69 Saturday.  Here is the information, courtesy of a news release from the Indiana Department of Transportation, posted below.

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Weather permitting, construction contractors plan to close the right lane of southbound Interstate 69 during daylight hours on Saturday (June 17) for pavement repairs between State Road 9/Scatterfield Road (Exit 226) and State Road 38/Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd. (Exit 222).

Crews plan to close the right lane of southbound I-69 starting at 6 a.m. near mile 223 to remove and repave sections of asphalt pavement. The lane is expected to open before 6 p.m. on Saturday. 

Motorists should be alert for workers in the area, avoid distractions, abide by reduced work zone speed limits, and keep a safe following distance. Posted and electronic message signs will be used to alert drivers of construction. Motorists, especially those with local destinations, should consider alternate routes to avoid potential backups and delays.

A major remodeling of the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools Administration Building will begin this summer, requiring a change of venue for the regular school Board meetings.  Starting in July, HSE Board sessions will be held at the Hamilton Southeastern High School LGI Room, which can be accessed through Door #2, facing Olio Road.  Meetings will return to the Administration Building in November, as the schedule stands now.

CEDIA, an organization involved in home technology, has announced plans to construct a new building in Fishers.  Below is a copy of the news released issued by the company:

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Ever see someone driving a golf cart in your neighborhood?   Ever wondered whether it is legal to do so?

It can be legal, but the City of Fishers has set some stringent guidelines that must be met before a golf cart can be legally driven on a specific neighborhood’s streets.

Below is important information from the Fishers Police Department:

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The Fishers Police Department would like to remind residents of the city’s local ordinance concerning the use and operation of golf carts. Fishers’ City Ordinance No. 090214D (codified at §94.02 of the Code of Ordinances) authorizes the use of golf carts on some neighborhood streets if the following conditions have been met:

1. Fishers has determined that golf carts may be safely operated on the streets within

the specific neighborhood;

2. A threshold amount (75 percent or higher) of property owners in the

neighborhood have voted in favor of allowing golf carts within the neighborhood and the results of the election have been certified; and

3. The proper signage in the designated locations has been placed.

Golf carts shall not be operated on the public streets of Fishers except in full compliance with the provisions of this section. Currently, Britton Falls, Thorpe Creek, and Graystone are the only neighborhoods, in Fishers, to be in full compliance with the provisions of this section.

OPERATION REGULATIONS

a) Hours of Operation. Golf Carts shall only be operated on designated streets from sunrise

to sunset unless such golf cart is equipped with headlights, taillights, brake lights,

seatbelts, turn signals, and rearview mirror.

b) Right-of-Way. The operator of a golf cart shall yield the right-of-way to overtaking

motor vehicles.

c) Streets. Golf carts may only be used on streets designated within the establish

neighborhood or other Fishers’ approved neighborhood areas. Nothing in this policy

shall be construed to apply to or limit the use of golf carts on golf courses or private

property.

d) Fishers Property and Sidewalks. Golf carts shall not be operated on any sidewalk,

pedestrian walkway, multi-use path, or trail or any other non-designated public ways.

The only exception to this use is of golf carts on Fishers’ municipal property for official

purposes.

e) Golf Cart Capacity. The seating capacity, normally no more than four (4) passengers,

shall not be exceeded nor shall the operator or any passenger be permitted to stand while

the golf cart is in operation.

f) Parking. Golf carts may only be parked in the same manner and at the same places

designated for parking of motor vehicles. The stopping, standing, or parking of golf carts

in areas where parking is not allowed or in any place that impede the flow of traffic,

pedestrian walkways, or a passageway is prohibited.

g) Alcohol Use. No person under the influence of an alcoholic beverage shall operate or be in control of any golf cart operated within the neighborhood. No golf cart shall have an open alcoholic beverage container aboard while in operation.

h) Valid License Required. Only persons possessing a valid driver’s license issued by the State of Indiana, another state of the United States, or an international agency shall be permitted to operate a golf cart on Fishers streets.

DISCLAIMER, LIABILITY, AND INSURANCE

a) Disclaimer. Golf carts are not designed for or manufactured to be used on public streets, and Fishers neither advocates nor endorses the golf cart as a safe means of travel on public streets. Fishers in no way shall be liable for accidents, injuries, or death involving the operation of a golf cart.

b) Assumption of Risk. Any person who owns, operates, or rides upon a golf cart on a

public street within the designated use area does so at his/her own risk and peril and

assumes all liability resulting from the operation of the golf cart.

c) “Proof of Financial Responsibility”. Shall mean, pursuant to Ind. Code §9-25-2-3, proof of ability to respond in damages for liability that arises out of the ownership,

maintenance, or use of a Golf Cart in the following amounts:

1) Twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) because of bodily injury to or death of

any one (1) person;

2) Subject to the limit in subdivision (1), fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) because of

bodily injury to or death of two (2) or more persons in any one (1) accident; and

3) Ten thousand dollars ($10,000) because of injury to or destruction of property in

any one (1) accident.

PENALTIES

Fishers shall issue a uniform ordinance violation citation (as outlined in the golf cart ordinance) to any person violating a provision of this policy in the following amounts which shall be processed by and paid to Fishers’ Ordinance Violation Bureau as follows:

a)    First Offense: Fifty Dollars ($50.00);

b)    Second Offense within one (1) year: One Hundred Dollars ($100.00); and

c)    Third offense and any additional offense within (1) year: Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250.00)

A group calling itself “Fiscal Conservatives of Hamilton County” has formed a Political Action Committee (PAC).  The organization says it will offer endorsements in the 2018 election round, but plans to become more involved in local elections set for 2019.

The PAC CEO will be local political activist David Giffel.  The Treasurer will be Bill Brown, a 2014 candidate for Fishers City Council.  Members of the group include former Fishers Town Councilman Mike Colby, along with Greg Puls, former president of the Fishers GOP Club, and past county commissioner candidate and former local business owner Bill Smythe.   All names included in the news release are from the Fishers area.

“The Fishers officials seeking re-election will be well funded by the vendors that do business with the city,” said the news release from the PAC. “Fiscal Conservatives of Hamilton County PAC plans to solicit money from residents that wish to have a voice in the process and a change in direction. The PAC will be a vehicle for both local and county residents who fear being shown as contributing directly to the opponent of an incumbent.”

The PAC says it plans to get to work on a web page and social media presence.

If you like to use fireworks or enjoy riding your moped around Fishers, the Police Department has a few reminders for you.

First, Chief Mitch Thompson wants all local residents to be aware the the city ordinance governing use of fireworks.  The entire ordinance is posted below.

Also, there are state laws governing mopeds and similar vehicles.  The state statute is posted below, for your information.

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(Fishers fireworks ordinance)

§ 99.01 DEFINITION OF CONSUMER FIREWORK.
For purpose of this chapter, the following definition shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.

CONSUMER FIREWORK.
(1) A small firework that is designed primarily to produce visible effects by combustion and that is required to comply with the construction, chemical composition, and labeling regulations promulgated by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission under 16 CFR 1507. The term also includes some small devices designed to produce an audible effect, such as whistling devices, ground devices containing 50 milligrams or less of explosive composition, and aerial devices containing 130 milligrams or less of explosive composition. Propelling or expelling charges consisting of a mixture of charcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate are not considered as designed to produce an audible effect. CONSUMER FIREWORK includes but may not be limited to the following:

(a) Aerial devices, which include sky rockets, missile type rockets, helicopter or aerial spinners, roman candles, mines, and shells;
(b) Ground audible devices, which include firecrackers, salutes, and chasers; and
(c) Firework devices containing combinations of the effects described in divisions (1)(a) and (b) above.

(1) The following items are specifically excluded from the definition of CONSUMER FIREWORK:
(a) Model rockets;
(b) Toy pistol caps;
(c) Emergency signal flares;
(d) Matches;
(e) Fixed ammunition for firearms;
(f) Ammunition components intended for use in firearms, muzzle loading cannons, or small arms;
(g) Shells, cartridges, and primers for use in firearms, muzzle loading cannons, or small arms;
(h) Indoor pyrotechnics special effects material; or
(i) M-80s, cherry bombs, silver salutes, and any device banned by the federal government.

(3) In addition, the following items are excluded from the definition of CONSUMER FIREWORKS but are and shall continue to be subject to applicable permitting requirements and state statutes governing fireworks:
(a) Dipped sticks or wire sparklers;
(b) Cylindrical fountains;
(c) Cone fountains;
(d) Illuminating torches;
(e) Wheels;
(f) Ground spinners;
(g) Flitter sparklers;
(h) Snakes or glow worms;
(i) Smoke devices; and
(j) Trick noisemakers, which include:
1. Party poppers;
2. Booby traps;
3. Snappers;
4. Trick matches;
5. Cigarette loads; and
6. Auto burglar alarms.
(Ord. 041513C, passed 4-15-13)

§ 99.02 USE OF CONSUMER FIREWORKS WITHIN THE TOWN.
It shall be unlawful to use or display or permit to be used or displayed within Fishers’ municipal boundaries any type of consumer firework on any day or time other than the following:
(A) Between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and two hours after sunset on June 29, June 30, July 1, July 2, July 3, July 5, July 6, July 7, July 8, and July 9;
(B) Between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 midnight on July 4; and
(C) Between the hours of 10:00 a.m. on December 31 and 1:00 a.m. on January 1.
(Ord. 041513C, passed 4-15-13)

§ 99.03 SUPERVISED PUBLIC DISPLAYS.
This chapter shall not apply to supervised public displays of fireworks by municipalities, fair associations, amusement parks, and other organizations or groups of individuals, all of which are and shall continue to be subject to applicable permitting requirements and state statutes.
(Ord. 041513C, passed 4-15-13)

§ 99.04 ENFORCEMENT.
The Fishers Department of Fire and Emergency Services and the Fishers PoliceDepartment shall be charged with enforcing the provisions of this chapter.
(Ord. 041513C, passed 4-15-
 
§ 99.99 PENALTY.
Any person, firm or corporation who violates this chapter shall be subject to a fine of $150 for the first offense and $250 for each subsequent offense. A separate offense shall be deemed committed upon each day during which a violation occurs or continues.
(Ord. 041513C, passed 4-15-13)
Reminder- Indiana law restricts the use of fireworks to the following:

• On the user’s property;
• On the property of someone who has consented to the use of fireworks on their property

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(State law governing mopeds and similar vehicles)

• No more mopeds, scooters, or motorized bicycles…they are all motor driven cycles.
• All must be registered and plated
• Operators and passengers under the age of 18 must wear a helmet
• Divides into two categories;
  • Class A MDCs
    • Greater than 50cc
    • Require Insurance
    • Require Operators License
  • Class B MDCs
    • 50cc or less
    • No license, no insurance
    • Requires ID

• Class B requirements
  • 15 years old
  • ID card with MDC Endorsement
  • No passengers
  • No interstates or sidewalks
  • Not faster than 35 mph

Anyone with questions regarding motor driven cycles is encouraged to call Sergeant Tom Weger at 317-595-3308.