Your Hometown Week in Review . May 3, 2021 Arcadia | Atlanta | Cicero | Sheridan | Carmel | Fishers | Noblesville | Westfield Two students Construction on new county en route to prom parking garage will soon killed in crash The REPORTER Two high school students died in a crash last Saturday evening on their way to be underway in Noblesville the Hamilton Heights prom. The crash happened around 5:15 p.m. on The REPORTER Saturday near 281st Street and Lacy Road. Hamilton County will break The Hamilton County Sheriff’s De- ground on a new parking garage partment identified the students who died at Eighth and Clinton streets in as Lendon Byram, who was driving, and Noblesville at 10 a.m. on Mon- Kalen Hart, one of the passengers. Two day, May 10. The new garage other passengers received non-life-threat- will consolidate parking for ening injuries and were treated at St. Vin- county employees who currently cent's Hospital in Indianapolis. use several lots around down- Hart was a Hamilton Heights High town Noblesville. School student. Byram attended Cathedral “Building this parking garage High School. will prevent county employees Investigators do not believe alcohol or from hav- drugs were a factor in the accident. ing to cross Indiana State Road 32 to get to HSE school board the govern- ment cen- Rendering provided enacts $5M in ter, which The five-story parking garage with 475 spaces is expected to cost $11.5 million. can be dan- means more jury members, at- a $47 million mixed-use devel- it back on the tax rolls will gener- budget reductions gerous,” torneys, and judges.” opment with commercial and ate tax income for Noblesville.” By LARRY LANNAN said Mark Heirbrandt Building of the new garage retail space. The five-story garage is ex- LarryInFishers.com Heirbrandt, also frees up land on the south “This is a win-win for every- pected to cost $11.5 million. It president of the Hamilton Coun- side of Conner Street that is one involved,” Heirbrandt added. will have 475 parking spaces. The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School ty Commissioners. “This park- currently being used for county “That property sits near the river It should be open by February Board voted unanimously last Wednesday ing garage will also help us ac- parking. The City of Noblesville and is prime for redevelopment. of next year. The public will be night to enact a $5 million spending reduc- commodate a burgeoning court and J.C. Hart have agreed to pur- As it is now, that land is not tax- able to use the parking garage tion plan recommended by administrators. system. Hamilton County will chase the lot from the county for able because it is owned by the after 5 p.m. on weekdays and on Chief Financial Officer Cecilie Nunn told soon get another judge which $4.5 million and plan to develop county. But selling it and putting the weekends. the board recent retirements and resignations among the teaching staff, along with funds from the American Recovery Act, translate into no need for a staff reduction-in-force Mayor Cook: Westfield’s success due (RIF) in the 2021-2022 school year. Nunn acknowledged that the new state budget just enacted by the legislature will in large part to Kevin Todd, his team increase funding for public schools in the two-year period beginning July 1, but there It may be odd COLUMNIST hard-at-work team, are many unknown factors at this time. For to say, but I do and are executing on our example, the state will be funding virtual don’t like it when Comprehensive Plan students at 85 percent, after funding such Kevin Todd looks created more than 14 learners at 100 percent during the pandem- tired. Kevin is a great years ago. And, it does ic. Also, officials do not know what staffing person and consum- not appear, in spite will be required, because student enrollment mate professional. of the pandemic, that numbers are not known for the coming So, I would nev- things are slowing school year, virtual or in-person. er want him to feel down in Westfield. Superintendent Allen Bourff said adminis- over-worked. But, ANDY COOK We just pulled trators will come back to the board if there are as Westfield’s Com- Westfield Mayor together our Q1 any updates on how the added state funds may munity Development permits. In the first change the spending cuts already enacted. Director, I really do like when quarter of 2021, our new home There is a long list of savings passed by Kevin and his team are busy. It starts are on record pace and we the board, as it was generally laid out at the is an indication that Westfield is almost doubled our Plan Com- previous meeting. Savings of $3.3 million a city on the move and growing mission filings from a year ago. are projected by re-establishing class sizes faster and more strategically These are new projects interest- in grade K-6 consistent with the last refer- than ever. ed in coming to Westfield. Typ- endum, and using federal funds. More than My personal gauge of Kev- ically, the first quarter accounts $401,000 will be saved by freezing incre- in’s “tiredness factor” is okay, for approximately 20 percent mental pay raises for support staff and ad- but a little external validation of filings in a given year. If this ministrators. Several open jobs will not be of Westfield’s success is nice trend holds for 2021, we could filled, including 16 bus driving positions. too. Just last week, Homes.com have a banner year – higher There was some discussion about the named Westfield the nation’s top than any we have seen in the elimination of recycle bins and Nunn indicat- suburb to move to in 2021. It is past. One could say that we ed that was a small line item and could be nice for our community to be are up because we are, hope- handled if the board so chooses to keep them. recognized. Our ability to attract fully, emerging from a global Photo provided To review the entire list of budget cuts families, visitors and businesses Westfield Mayor Andy Cook and Westfield Community enacted by the board, go to tinyurl.com/ is no accident. We, led by Kevin’s See Todd . Page A5 Development Director Kevin Todd. HSE2021BudgetCuts. Noblesville Common Council Help identify where broadband is encourages Westfield to move needed most in Hamilton County The REPORTER The State ilton County forward with State Road 32 Hamilton County of Indiana has Tourism, Cor- The REPORTER has created a Broadband encouraged by Thompson On April 26, at a regu- Task Force, led by the counties and with Boomer- larly scheduled Westfield Hamilton County Eco- regions to use ang Develop- City Council meeting, three nomic Development the results to ment, Jeremy members from the Nobles- Corporation, to explore create their Hunt and Brad ville Common Council connectivity issues with- own broadband Fruth with spoke in favor of a pro- in the county. It is asking maps with sup- Beck’s Hy- posed widening of State for the public’s help in port from Pur- brids, Chuck Road 32 through downtown identifying areas where due University. Massillamany Haberman Westfield. Peterson Wiles O’Connor broadband connections Many expect federal and with the City of Nobles- Attending the Westfield are weak or nonexistent. state dollars to available ville, Jack Russell with meeting from Noblesville no question State Road 32 been met with resistance. “The pandemic has soon to address the is- One Zone, Kai Chuck were council members Dar- through Hamilton County Opponents cite concerns shown us just how im- sues. with the City of West- ren Peterson, Megan Wiles is in dire need of compacity for Westfield’s historic dis- portant it is to have Residents are encour- field, Jason Pearce with and Greg O’Connor. improvement.” trict and project costs. county wide connections aged to fill out the sur- Riverview Health, Tom Peterson told Westfield In 2018 Westfield, and “Currently Noblesville to do schoolwork, work vey at surveymonkey. Kouns with Hamilton council members, “As the Indiana Department of is making significant in- from home, or manage com/r/HamCoBroad- Southeastern Schools, members of the Noblesville Transportation (INDOT), vestments to fix the same a business,” said Amy band. It will be open for Lea Jessup with Sheridan City Council, we under- announced a major State capacity problems in our Massillamany, president three weeks. Hamilton Schools, Andrew Swick- stand the importance and Road 32 reconstruction downtown,” Peterson said. of the Hamilton County County’s school districts heimer with Noblesville duty of making fiscal deci- through downtown West- Peterson also said Council and a member will also be sending in- Schools, Craig Wolf- sions for the growth of our field. The $15 million proj- INDOT has funded an of the Broadband Task formation home with stu- gang and Dave Slabe growing cities in Hamilton ect is a 50/50 cost split be- additional $35 million Force. “While the ma- dents about the survey. with Hamilton Heights County. We are often faced tween the city and the state. project to add travel jority of our broadband In addition to Massil- Schools, Barry Neu- with decisions that must After the initial an- lanes from East Street in concerns are located in lamany, members of the man with Carmel Clay balance existing restraints, nouncement, Westfield Westfield to River Road the northern part of the Hamilton County Broad- Schools, Dan Brita with growth, historical signifi- Mayor Andy Cook said, in Noblesville.