Larry talked with Sam Elliott, the editor for the local weekly print publication Current in Fishers.

The many coffee drinkers looking forward to a new Starbucks at 116th and Olio Road will have to wait a little longer.  The Fishers City Council delayed a final decision because a traffic signal would likely to required along 116th Street with the Starbucks added to that area south and west of the intersection, near the Walgreen Drug Store.

There was a lot of discussion among the developer, members of the council and Mayor Scott Fadness.  Council members expressed concern about how to pay for the traffic signal.  The developer says he cannot foot the entire bill for the signal.  Also, Kroger has committed to paying for a signal on either Olio Road or 116th Street as part of their expansion project.  Olio is a county road and 116th is within the city’s jurisdiction.

City officials will continue to work with the developer to find a solution to the added traffic a Starbucks would create in that commercial area.  Council members approved 2nd reading for the proposal…the text amendment is not final until approved at 3rd reading.

In another issue of commercial development….

City officials told the council Top Golf will not  be located near 126th Street and Cumberland Road, behind Fresh Market, as originally planned.  The development will now be located along I-69, just north of 116th Street.  You can see a map of the location at this link.  For more background on TopGolf, use this link.  The fee waiver offer from the city of roughly $666,000 remains in place.  Fishers Economic Development Director Brandon Dickinson says the amendment to the impact fee agreement approved by the council will allow the project to move forward.

In one other item from the April 18th session, council members took the first step to increase the park impact fee for single family homes newly constructed from $1,070 per property to $1,667.  This would be the first park impact fee increase in Fishers in the past 10 years.  If all goes as planned, the new impact fee would likely take effect in 2017.

Overnight travel along I-69 in the Fishers area will be a little more difficult in coming days.  The reason?  the construction leading to a new interchange at 106th Street.

See the details below in a news release from the Indiana Department of Transportation.

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I’ve been observing local elections in Indiana (off & on)  for about 45 years.  In almost every local election I’ve watched, there are allegations of one side stealing the other side’s campaign signs.

In this year’s Hamilton County Council Republican primary election, incumbent Councilman Rick McKinney is running for reelection, and has leveled some serious sign theft charges that resulted in the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department opening an investigation.

McKinney says he had signs missing in the area of Cumberland Road and 116th Street in Fishers.  The Sheriff’s Department says the cell phone of a county council candidate, Jeff Hern, was found near the area of where the signs were located. According the the Sheriff’s office, Hern, currently the Fall Creek Township Trustee, has been interviewed about the incident.

No charges have been filed.

Hern is out of town and not available for comment.

There are three at-large county council seats up for grabs in the May 3rd primary. McKinney and Brad Beaver are incumbents.  Hern, George Kehl and Bill Dennis are also candidates.  The top 3 vote-getters among the 5 hopefuls will end up on the November general election ballot.  No Democrats filed for county council seats.

The May 3rd primary election is coming, and the political action committee urging a yes vote on the HSE school referendum, Advance HSE, is reminding local voters of two important events coming up.

School officials will be on hand to explain the referendum, requesting a property tax increase from local voters.  Two public information sessions are set to happen soon.

The first is Wednesday, April 20th, 6pm, at the Delaware Township Community Room on 131st Street.  The second event is scheduled on Tuesday, April 26th, at the same time and location.

It’s an opportunity for you to learn more about the referendum and to ask questions.

You can listen to a Podcast I recorded March 16th with Sneha Shah, Chairperson of the Advance HSE PAC, at this link.

HSE School Superintendent Allen Bourff also discussed the referendum, along with a number of other issues, in a Podcast recorded April 5th.  You can hear that Podcast at this link.

Reporter Chris Sikich of the Indianapolis Star has taken a deep look into the divisions with the Hamilton County Republican Party.  He summarizes some facts already known and gets some interesting quotes from local politicos on the state of the GOP in what may be the most Republican county in Indiana.

You can read the story at this link. (NOTE: If you are not a Star subscriber, you may be limited on the number of stories you may access each month)

Baron Hill is a busy man, traveling the state of Indiana, preparing to face the winner of the Todd Young vs. Marlin Stutzman Republican primary, in the November General election.  Hill had spoken in Clay County just before his appearance at the Hamilton County Jefferson Jackson Day Democrat Party Dinner event Saturday night.

He had a basic message to present to Hoosier voters in 2016 – remember the economy Barack Obama inherited when he assumed the presidency in 2009.

In 2009, as Baron Hill came into his congressional seat, economists were telling elected officials in Washington “if Congress does not act, we’re looking at 1932 all over again.”

Once Obama took the oath of office and the new congress began in January 2009, Hill said Democrats began to act.  He listed the following accomplishments:

–A $1 trillion stimulus package.  “It got people back to work,” said Hill

–The saving of the automobile industry.  “What would have happened to Hoosiers here in Indiana had we not saved the automobile industry?” according to Hill.

–Congress passed cash for clunkers program, aimed at getting older, less fuel efficient vehicles off the road.

–Congress also enacted a tax credit for new home buyers.

Hill cited those actions as the reason the nation economically “stopped the bleeding and got this country back on its feet again.”

Hill took a shot at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s slogan he will “make America great again.”

Hill countered, “I’m here to tell you, America is great.”  Hill called Trump’s statements about women, minorities and the disabled “disgraceful.”

There were a number of other Democrat candidates on hand for the dinner.  Angela Demaree is running in the 5th U.S. House District, the seat currently held by Republican Susan Brooks, and spoke before the group.  There were surrogates speaking on behalf of Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, who will both be on the primary ballot in the May 3rd Indiana primary election.

The Carmel Community Players held opening night April 15th for their production of Neil Simon’s comedy The Odd Couple.  Larry was there and has this review.

Keep Fishers Beautiful has been an annual Mid-April event for the city Parks and Recreation Department.  This year, the weather was once again perfect.

The Sunblest neighborhood received special attention this year with a fix up blitz centered along Orchard Boulevard.  There was a spring service day at Ritchey Woods.

One of the biggest operations was the recycling day at Billericay Park.  Fishers residents lined up there vehicles to drop-off items for recycling.

Residents, volunteers and businesses joined forces with the city to make this operation happen April 16th

My latest Indiana Forefront commentary looks at how education is a major issue in the Indiana Senate District 20 campaign between Luke Kenley and Scott Willis.

http://www.indianaforefront.com/luke-kenley-scott-willis-and-education-in-indiana/?doing_wp_cron=1460813462.5566320419311523437500