Johnson County commissioners on Sept. 8 tabled the first reading of Ordinance 2025-O-11, which would amend Title 35 of the county code to increase the minimum distance for certain shooting activities from 300 feet to 500 feet measured from property lines.

A commissioner asked for the reasoning behind the proposed increase to 500 feet, noting it represents a roughly two-thirds increase over the existing 300-foot restriction. The speaker described complaints from residents in areas that were less residential when the prior rule was adopted and cited a particular complaint near Stones Crossing by Center Grove School, saying the expanded distance might reach into parking areas.

The commissioner said he was not sure the 500-foot change was reasonable and moved to table the ordinance to the next meeting so he could consult with the county attorney and the sheriff's office. The board voted to table the ordinance to the next September meeting.

No vote on adoption or numeric fee schedules was taken; commissioners requested additional information, including the sheriff's office perspective and the county attorney's recommendations.