The classmates of the first Fishers Town Government Academy celebrated our graduation last month at the Fishers Town Council meeting. Dr. Suellen Reed, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, handed us our graduation certificates in front of the hundreds of Fishers residents at the meeting. The academy was a seven week course, meeting each Tuesday night from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., but it was definitely worth the time and trouble to learn more about our local government and how it all works.
Why the heck would someone sign up for a Town Government Academy class? It kind of sounds like a geeky thing to do, doesn’t it? The reasons probably differed for each of my classmates, but we all wanted to learn more about Fishers and how the town government works. “For me the real benefit was seeing how all the different department agencies work together, and how one agency affects the activities of the next agency,” explained classmate Bill Fouts. Members of the class ranged from 20 to 60 years old, and the length they had lived in Fishers ranged from only a few years to over 30 years.
The first class met at Fishers Town Hall and we had the opportunity to listen to Indiana Speaker of the House Brian Bosma talk about the importance of local government. The rest of the class was devoted to learning about development in the Town of Fishers. The discussion, led by Wes Bucher, touched many issues regarding planning, zoning and building which was a lot of info to cover in less than two hours. We all left with not only binders full of info to study, but also a lot of cool Fishers swag. The government class idea was the brain child of Town Manager Gary Huff. The town he lived in prior to working for Fishers had the same type of class and it proved to be very successful. One member of the class asked Gary how he became a Town Manager. “My first desire was to be a cowboy and then a pro football player,” Gary explained. He eventually grew up and his roles in other town governments led him to his current position as the Fishers Town Manager.
Other classes included field trips to the Wastewater Treatment Plant, Public Works Garage, Police Department, Fire Department, a tour of Fishers Parks, and ended with a mock Town Council Meeting. The Cheeney Creek Wastewater Facility was a fun first tour to start out with. It didn’t smell as bad as I thought it would, and maybe that is because Fishers has one of the most high-tech treatment facilities in the state. The technicians and employees take their job very seriously and seem to enjoy it way too much, so rest assured we are not polluting the White River with our waste.
The Parks and Recreation tour covered as much of Fishers’ 16 parks and 60 miles of paths that we could fit in our two hour time schedule. Director Gary Pruitt explained the history of each park, plans for the future including new trails and some interesting tidbits. Some residents may not realize that the Cheeney Creek Natural Area, located near Fishers Point Blvd. west of Lantern Road, is a great spot to fish for largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish.
The Fishers Police Department tour was as entertaining as it was educational. Besides learning about the different programs the department uses to protect and reach out to the community, the most important thing we walked away with is how much danger a police officer puts themselves in everyday, even in a relatively quiet town like Fishers. Sergeant Gerry Hepp, Public Information Officer, has a great sense of humor and kept students laughing throughout the entire class. Fire Chief Brian Lott spoke to the class for over two hours covering all facets of the Fishers Fire Department.
The fire pole, beds and big screen TV were neat to see, but we also learned how much work it takes to fight fires in Fishers. An interesting side note was hearing about the fire at Reggie Miller’s large home on Geist Reservoir. Including the un-annexed areas around Fishers, it is a huge area and responsibility to take care of.
The last class, and probably most of the students’ favorite class, was the mock Town Council meeting. Bill Titus explained it well, “My favorite class without question. The mock Town Council meeting was an eye opener, but fun at the same time.” Town Manager Gary Huff picked names from a hat to select the six students that would sit on the Town Council. I was randomly selected to play the role of the Town Manager. The Town Council asked me questions when they didn’t have the answers, but fortunately Gary sat nearby to help me out. It was quite an experience and I would need to study up on Fishers for years to be the real Town Manager. We discussed and voted on issues such as the smoking ban, a rock concert, the Saxony development, and even a request for a Ku Klux Klan rally which was voted against by all council members thanks to a little help from the Town Manager. The real Town Council President Scott Faultless played the role of Council President to help us out. Scott and our “teacher,” Communications Director Marc Steczyk, were nice enough to spend time after class and talk with several students at the Nickel Plate. We all walked away from the seven week course with a greater respect for town officials, employees and council members. “Once you sit on the other side of the Town Council table and consider the issues that come before them, you really get a new appreciation for how much thought and consideration goes into decisions that are made,” said Bill Fouts. Would we take the seven week course over again? As Bill Titus said, “It was definitely a worthwhile experience.”
