The Fishers City Council said goodbye Dec. 18 to three councilors who were unsuccessful in their bids for reelection.
David Giffel, Crystal Neumann and Jocelyn Vare each took a moment at the close of the final meeting of 2023 to give a statement before the newly elected members were sworn in the following evening.
Giffel congratulated the three new members, Tiffanie Ditlevson, John DeLucia and Bill Stuart, and said he believes the council will do good work over the next four years.
Vare thanked the citizens of Fishers for the opportunity to serve on the council.
“Thank you for trusting me with your concerns and sharing with me why you love our community,” she said. “It is clear that residents care about Fishers and want it to be the best it can be.”
She also thanked city staff, fellow council members and Mayor Scott Fadness. She challenged city officials to not be afraid of hard questions or critiques, noting that if an idea truly is good for the community, it can withstand scrutiny.
Neumann also expressed appreciation that she was allowed to serve on the council.
“I just feel so honored and privileged to have been a part of so many positive changes here in the City of Fishers,” she said. “Thank you to the city staff for meeting with me on all of the things — really, really important things within the city. And since it is the holiday season, I just want to say happy holidays and encourage everyone to continue to spread love, cheer and peace. I hope everyone has a safe holiday season with your families, your friends and I look forward to continuing to be your neighbor.”
Vare and Neumann, both Democrats, lost to Republican challengers Ditlevson and DeLucia, respectively, Nov. 7. Giffel, a Republican, lost to Stuart, who was the sole Democrat elected to the Fishers City Council this election cycle.
Also Dec. 18, the council approved:
- A second reading and adoption of an ordinance rezoning 25 acres at 11400 Johnson Farm Way for the planned new Fishers Community Center. The rezone changes the site’s designation from residential to open space, which allows it to be used for recreational purposes.
- Extending deadlines for several ongoing development projects: onPoint Innovation, District South and City Walk. OnPoint is developing the final 8 acres of the city’s Life Science Park; District South is one of the planned new mixed-use developments on Fishers’ South Street; and City Walk is a residential development along Nickel Plate Trail north of 116th Street.
- A tax-abatement agreement with Thermo Fisher, which is building a diagnostic lab to provide services for organ transplant patients. The agreement authorizes a 15-year personal property tax abatement for equipment used at the new lab.
The next Fishers City Council meeting is 7 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Launch Fishers theater.
