The Fishers City Council received an update from State Representative Todd Huston on what to expect from the 2017 legislature.  It will be a budget session, where the 2-year state spending plan will be passed.

Huston serves on the Ways and Means Committee and will be part of the team putting the budget together.  He plans to focus on cutting regulations he feels get in the way of entrepreneurship.  He also plans to be involved with the transportation piece of the 2-year budget.  With vehicles more fuel-efficient, gas tax revenue is down, which hurts road maintenance funding.  Allowing local governments to enact a Wheel Tax is an option for cities…Fishers has enacted such a tax which will become effective in 2018.

Mayor Scott Fadness asked about the Venture Tax Credit, and Huston said lawmakers would be looking at all the state tax credits to determine how successful they are in achieving their stated goals.

Huston reiterated his stance that he will not support a commuter tax, an idea championed by many in Indianapolis, including the Indy Chamber of Commerce.

Mental Health will get some attention in the upcoming session, and Huston credited Fishers with being a leader on this issue.  Huston expects one or more pilot programs to be approved to test how they work before being implemented state-wide.

Council members asked about the strange formula for distributing money collected by the state, then shared with local governments, of the County Option Income Tax (COIT) funds. Huston indicated he wold look into that.

The local Hamilton Southeastern School Corporation benefited from a change in the state school funding formula in the current budget.  Huston said he is a big proponent of state funding tied to the number of students.  However, a number of school districts in Indiana are losing student population, which creates a more complex situation for budget-writers. Huston made it clear the funding should “follow the kid.”

The Fishers City Council passed the 2017 budget unanimously Monday night, but a motion aimed at raising the salary of City Clerk Jennifer Kehl failed to get a majority of council votes.

Councilman Brad DeReamer asked that an item be added to the council agenda, amending the salary ordinance approved by the council in September.  He wanted Clerk Kehl’s salary increased to be more in line with city clerk salaries of other second class cities in Indiana. Other than Kokomo, Fishers has the lowest city clerk salary, based on numbers DeReamer presented at the council session.

Per DeReamer’s figures, Fishers pays the city clerk $55,000 a year, compared to Greenwood at $60,000…South Bend at $59,466 and Elkhart at $68,174.

“That’s embarrassing,” said DeReamer.

DeReamer originally offered a motion to raise Kehl’s 2017 salary to $65,000.  However, City Attorney Chris Greisl informed the council that since the 2017 salary ordinance was already approved, and there is no agenda item on the Monday night meeting allowing for such a vote, a majority of councilors must vote to add this item to the meeting agenda before such a motion can be considered.

The motion to add the city clerk salary amendment to the meeting agenda failed by a 6-3 vote, with DeReamer, David George and Cecilia Coble voting to add the item to the council agenda.

Council Member Selina Stoller made a statement before the budget votes, saying she voted against the salary proposal in the City Council Finance Committee meeting, but could not attend the salary ordinance vote last month, claiming she would have voted against it.  However, she did support the budget passed at Monday night’s meeting, which did not include the salary ordinance.

Three people, including one from Fishers, were transported to the hospital after a Sunday night crash on Interstate 69 near 116th Street.

Below is the Fishers Police Department news release:

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At approximately 8:30 last night the Hamilton County Dispatch Center received several 911 calls regarding a serious crash near the northbound exit ramp for 116^th Street. Fishers police and fire responded to the scene.
 
According to evidence at the scene and witness statements, a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan was traveling northbound on I69 and struck the safety brace attached to the concrete barrier wall that separates the interstate from the exit ramps to northbound State Road 37 and 116^th Street. The force of the impact sent the van and its engine block airborne. Before coming to rest, the van struck a northbound 2011 Chevy Malibu and the engine block was struck by a northbound 2007 Ford F250 Truck. The driver of the van and both occupants in the passenger car were treated at the scene and then transported, by ground ambulance, to area hospitals in Indianapolis. This case remains under investigation.
 
Driver #1-      Gary l. Vancanwenberch
                        64 years old
                        Hudson, Indiana
 
Driver #2-      Darryl S. Taulbee
                        48 years old
                        Fishers, Indiana
 
Driver #3-      Richard L. Martin
                        46 years old
                        Indianapolis, Indiana

Sylvia Shepler is the incumbent Hamilton Southeastern School Board candidate from Wayne Township….Larry talked to her about the campaign.

Charron Wright is running for Hamilton Southeastern School Board from Wayne Township…she talked to Larry about her campaign.

It’s another week, and that brings more road construction around Fishers.

Below is the update for the work week beginning Monday, October 17th:

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ALLISONVILLE ROAD

Weather permitting, short term lane restrictions will be in place on Allisonville Road between 106^th Street and Eller Road from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please use caution when traveling in the area.

BROOKS SCHOOL ROAD

Periodic LANE RESTRUCTIONS ARE IN AFFECT ON Brooks School Road between Club Point Drive and Anchorage Way while work is being done on the guardrail.

CYNTHEANNE ROAD

Road work continues on Cyntheanne Road between Southeastern Parkway and 136th Street, during construction periodic lane restrictions and flaggers will remain in place to help direct traffic.

EXIT FIVE PARKWAY

Exit Five Parkway closed on Tuesday, September 6 to reconstruct the road as part of the 116th Street widening project. The road remains closed to all traffic. Trucks needing to deliver to businesses will need to go up to Cumberland Road to Exit Five Parkway and come in from the north. The road will be closed for approximately two months, and a detour map is available online.

I-69 AND CAMPUS PARKWAY

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 a.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.

I-69 TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS

INDOT is overseeing an overnight closure on multiple traffic lanes on I-69 overnight this week. Weather permitting, lane closures, traffic changes and rolling slowdowns of traffic will begin after 9 p.m. and are expected to end before 6 a.m. the next day. Construction schedules and traffic restrictions are subject to change, and questions should be directed to INDOT at indot.carsprogram.org, 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or 511 from a mobile phone. Please drive with caution as a new traffic pattern is in place.

OAK DRIVE

Oak Drive south of 116th Street has closed for 50 days while the new road is being constructed. Through traffic will need to use USA Parkway.

106th STREET & CUMBERLAND ROAD ROUNDABOUT

The north section of the intersection from 106th Street to Walnut Creek is closed to all traffic as we enter phase II of roundabout construction. 106th Street will remain open through this phase. The detour route for northbound Cumberland Road is to use USA Parkway.

106th STREET INTERCHANGE

INDOT has begun work on the 106th Street interchange. A lane shift is currently in place on I-69 and 106th Street is closed as construction continues. Additional details about this project will be released through INDOT and shared on the weekly construction update. Please be advised the speed limit from 82nd Street to 116th Street has been reduced to 55 mph and there are lane shifts on I-69. Please travel with caution and pay close attention to signage in the area.

116th STREET

There will be lane restrictions between 9 am and 3 pm on eastbound 116th Street between I-69 and Exit Five Parkway as road work is being completed.

The approach to Interstate 69 from I-465 is about to undergo some major repairs due to bridge damage.  The details from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is below:

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On Thursday, April 28, 2016, a truck hauling an excavator collided with the underside of the I-465 bridge over northbound I-69/Binford Boulevard, damaging a steel beam.

Bridge inspectors and engineers took immediate action to ensure that the structure is safe, and INDOT has contracted Rieth-Riley Construction to repair the damage for $348,792. For information about how INDOT seeks reimbursement for repairing and replacing damaged infrastructure, go to http://www.in.gov/indot/3130.htm.

INDOT reminds all drivers to follow safety requirements by securing and measuring all loads, obtaining permits for loads higher than 13 feet 6 inches and following designated routes for oversize vehicles.

Bridge repairs and traffic impacts

Crews will heat damaged steel to 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit to straighten deflections and drill holes through the beam to bolt on reinforcing splice plates.

Work will require temporary, recurring closures of the eastbound I-465 Exit 37 loop ramp to northbound I-69 starting on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Ramp closures are scheduled to repeat on the following schedule through early November:

• Sunday through Thursday from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Friday from 9 p.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday
• Saturday from 9 p.m. to 12 p.m. (noon) on Sunday

At the same times, northbound Binford Boulevard may be reduced to one lane with a 45 mph work zone speed limit when workers are present. The right shoulder of eastbound I-465 will be closed at the bridge, and the I-465 speed limit will remain 55 mph.

During ramp closures, overhead and portable message signs will alert motorists and direct interstate traffic to continue southbound on I-465 and use the 56th Street (Exit 40) interchange to return northbound on I-465 to access northbound I-69 (Exit 37). Drivers with local destinations should seek their best alternate route.

INDOT’s interstate messages can be viewed in real time at http://pws.trafficwise.org.

Plan for the future

INDOT is developing plans to reconfigure the busy I-465 and I-69 interchange on the northeast side of Indianapolis. The project will aim to ease congestion, increase safety and reduce travel time in the heavily-traveled corridor used by more than 165,000 drivers each day. INDOT is currently in the preliminary design stages of the project

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board reviewed the 2017 spending plan and held a public hearing on the budget Wednesday night.  It calls for a total of $237.3 million to fund school operations next year.

Matt Stolle, a former school board candidate, and Bradley Jones, a current board hopeful, both spoke at the public hearing.  Stolle voiced concerns about the school corporations’s ability to handle growth.  Jones also talked about growth and the utilization of buildings.

The board will vote on final approval of the 2017 budget at the next regular meeting.

The board voted to file an appeal with the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance over approval of the transportation tax rate.

For more details on the 2017 budget, use this link.  For more on the transportation appeal, use this link.

In other school board news from the Wednesday session:

–The board honored the National Merit Semifinalists for the Class of 2017.  They are:

–Board members recognized Launching Inquiry Grant Winners.   Instructional Technology Coaches Susan Drumm and Kelly Moore organized a learning opportunity for more than 300 educators and presenters that integrated inquiry, STEM, and technology-heavy instruction.  The grant recipients are:

The recipients are:

• Using Text to Inquire and Create

Leslie Carter – Harrison Parkway Elementary – Music

• Purposeful Play

Erin Duros – Fall Creek Elementary – Kindergarten

• Breakout EDU

Barbara Glenesk – Riverside Intermediate School – Grade 6 STEM

• Getting Back to Making

JoyAnn Boudreau – Hamilton Southeastern Intermediate Junior High – Media Specialist

• German Children’s Relief Project

Nichole Mathews – Hamilton Southeastern High School – German

It was a celebration 200 years in the making, and it happened Thursday night at Fishers City Hall on a picture-perfect fall evening.  The Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay made a stop in downtown Fishers.  A large crowd was on hand.

In February of 2014,  Fishers Police Officer Troy Fettig was credited with saving the live of a 12-year-old boy collapsed at a basketball game.  Fettig and a physician at the game revived the youngster.  Fettig was handed the Bicentennial Torch in front of City Hall.

New Britton’s Sloan Ferguson & Katie Comstock plus  Grace Wechsler from Riverside Intermediate, were all part of the city hall ceremony.

Below are some pictures from the event.

Jerome McKibben has provided enrollment projections for the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Corporation for many years, and has been very accurate in his past projections.  His latest look forward at local school enrollment will be a big surprise for many in the Fishers area.

Total student enrollment in the 2016-2017 school year has increased by 282 over the previous school year.  McKibben projects the following total enrollment changes over the coming years:

2017-2018              173    0.8%

2018-2019                  16    0.1%

2019-2020                  70   0.3%

2020-2021                   4    0.0%

2021-2022                -48  -0.3%

McKibben’s report shows decreases in HSE total school enrollment in years 2022-2027.

Even if the population of Fishers and the surrounding area making up the HSE School District grows in general, that doesn’t mean growth in the school population, according to McKibben.

McKibben said one factor is what he described as “the curse of the successful school district.”  Data show graduates from successful school districts do not tend to return to their home town after college graduation.  He said if 20% come back, that is a very high number.

McKibben’s study shows an inflow and outflow of residents in various stages of life, creating a situation where local school enrollment is set to stabilize and actually slightly fall in the coming years.

McKibben said there are some grade level bulges in the HSE school population, and some variance among the various elementary school boundaries.  But overall, the era of large student population growth at HSE Schools appears to be over.

The school board plans to use this data and look for a way forward on school building plans, at a board work session scheduled for 7:30am. October 24th.

You can view the entire demographic study from Dr. McKibben at this link.