Writer / Larry Lannan
Photography Provided
In late December, I listed my top Fishers news stories for 2023. The top story was passage of the Hamilton Southeastern Schools’ property tax funding referendum.
Coming in second was the controversy surrounding the Hamilton East Public Library board, followed by the City Council election and plans for a new Community Center.
All Fishers elected officials were on hand for a December 19 swearing-in ceremony held at the Fishers fire and emergency services building on Municipal Drive. Mayor Scott Fadness, City Clerk Jennifer Kehl, and all nine City Council members were on hand for the ceremony. Their four-year terms began January 1, 2024.
Michael Ryan was named principal at Fall Creek Junior High School. The previous principal, Stacy Swan, left to take a position outside Hamilton Southeastern Schools. Tim Mankin had served as interim principal during the search process.
Hamilton Southeastern Schools will be implementing a new procedure to question library materials used in the district. A change in state law requires local schools to fashion such a procedure. Any parent or citizen living within the school district is allowed to file a request to remove library materials. The process begins at the school building level and can be appealed all the way to the school board if not resolved at a lower level.
The City of Fishers has entered into a build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreement with the Hagerman Group for construction of the new $61 million community center, to be located at 121st Street and Hoosier Road. The facility is scheduled to open in October of 2025. A BOT arrangement is a form of public-private partnership for construction of the center.
The City of Fishers established an online survey of local residents in December, asking for feedback on proposals to establish one trash collection contract for the city with a private firm, with the goal of reducing costs for homeowners and homeowners associations in Fishers. The City Council is expected to look into such a contract in 2024.
The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety voted on December 12 to donate equipment to Ukraine. This apparatus has been replaced with updated equipment for the city’s fire and emergency services. The donation will be made to U.S. Ambulances For Ukraine, which is managed through the Ukrainian Society of Indiana, in conjunction with the Ukrainian Society in Chicago.
The roundabout at 106th Street and Hoosier Road opened in late December of 2023. However, city engineers say much work needs to be completed in order to finish the project. Look for more construction at that roundabout as weather allows.
The City of Fishers will see an increase in the property and casualty insurance bill during 2024. The city’s insurance broker points to market conditions as the culprit for the premium hike. Out of a $1.2 million price tag for the year, the increase will be $123,000.
Hamilton County Democratic Party Chair Dayna Colbert is leaving that post to take a position with the state party. She is now the executive director of the Indiana Democratic Party, headquartered in Indianapolis. She had chaired local democrats since 1991.
The new Indoor Football League team with its home at the new Fishers Event Center has an official name – the Fishers Freight. The team will begin play in spring of 2025.
2023 wrapped up my 12th year of writing a local news blog all about Fishers. I started small in 2012, covering the Fishers Town Council (we were a town at that time) and Hamilton Southeastern Schools. The 2010 census counted 76,794 people living in Fishers. City officials say the population of our city is now close to 105,000. The growth in the past 12 years has been substantial and I have been fortunate to have had a front-row seat, watching this community grow. I suspect 2024 will be another busy year in and around Fishers. I plan to be here, writing about it on my blog (larryinfishers.com) and covering it in my podcasts, along with this monthly news summary.
