Committee Gathered to Listen to Public Input on Buffer Zone

The next public session will be March 4 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

File Photo

(Madison, Ind.) - Many residents from both the city and county gathered in City Hall last night to discuss the two-mile buffer zone.

This is the area that surrounds the City of Madison and the Town of Hanover and has been an area of discussion between the county and city officials since late last year.

Mayor Courtney, Jefferson County Commissioners, Town of Hanover representatives, building inspection officials, survey department officials and members of the planning commissions along with the zoning appeals boards, are the all the people who make up the two-mile buffer zone committee.

 In last night's meeting, the committee was there to listen to the concerns of both residents of the city and the county pertaining to the buffer zone.

Throughout the night the board found the common themes residents were talking about were infrastructure, benefit and lack of representation that the county has, and who enforces nuisance and traffic.

One of the common statements of the night was that if the city has control over things that happen in the county then residents of the county should be able to vote on city-related things.

The advantage of the buffer zone Mayor Courtney stated that it is there for its borders as the city is anticipated to grow.

He also said, “the city has made millions of dollars in investments in the buffer zone, it has built roads and has done significant stormwater drainage, and even provides water and sewage in the buffer zone as well.”

Now, the board will meet amongst themselves and talk over the common themes of the night, and will then meet in another public session on March 4 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Map of Buffer Zone