Residents urge more invasive-species funding, ask about AgriPark lead testing and transit during Fishers budget hearing

During the Sept. 15 Fishers City Council budget hearing residents raised three recurring concerns: funding for invasive-species removal in city parks, potential lead contamination at the proposed AgriPark site, and the need to study public-transit options.

Amy Perry, a Fishers resident, asked the council to increase the 2026 budget allocation for removing invasive woody plants such as honeysuckle, noting removal costs escalate with infestation density. Perry said Ritchie Woods Nature Preserve is roughly 40–42 acres and warned that high-density invasions could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to remediate if left unchecked.

Becky McNichols and other neighbors spoke in favor of the AgriPark project and urged careful planning and neighborhood access. In response to community questions about soil lead levels at the AgriPark site, Elliott Holkren, deputy mayor, said the city contracted A & L Great Lakes Laboratories, a Fort Wayne testing firm, to perform soil lead testing. Holkren reported a test result of 26 parts per million and said that, in his statement, the Environmental Protection Agency’s screening benchmarks indicate that level is safe for farming activities.

Separately, resident Ross Reinhardt urged the council to consider public transit as a strategic investment to increase density efficiency and broaden mobility options as Fishers grows. Reinhardt said transit could increase returns on existing infrastructure by allowing more intensive use of built assets and cited accessibility benefits for residents who cannot drive.

Other commenters raised traffic concerns at 96th Street and Allisonville Road and asked whether planned intersection work would include pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements. Resident Ross Wright Harris urged council and staff to use the intersection project to improve pedestrian crossings, bump-outs and leading pedestrian intervals to make crossings safer for nearby schools and neighborhoods.

City staff said the city would carry over certain park invasive-removal programs into 2026 and that public-works and parks staff would consider whether to increase funding. The administration did not announce a specific additional funding amount at the hearing.