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Madison County commissioners pass first reading of noise ordinance, add firearms exemption
Summary
Madison County commissioners held a public hearing and voted to approve the first reading of a proposed county noise ordinance, agreeing to add an exemption for the lawful use of firearms; second reading scheduled for Sept. 2.
Madison County commissioners opened a public hearing on a proposed county noise ordinance and voted to approve the measure on first reading, with a stated amendment to exempt lawful uses of firearms.
The ordinance was introduced under old business and taken up as a public hearing. David Sergeant of Anderson urged the board to add a firearms preemption so “legal ranges” and property owners who legally discharge firearms on private property would not be shut down by the ordinance. Commissioner Garner (first name not specified in the record) said the suggested text would be added to section 3 as a bullet point to exempt lawful firearm use. After discussion the board moved and seconded an ordinance reading “to regulate excessive noise in Madison County, Indiana” (identified on the record as ordinance number 2025 BC O1 by title only) and the motion carried on a voice vote. The board agreed to schedule the ordinance’s final reading for the Sept. 2 meeting.
Why it matters: the change clarifies that the draft county ordinance is intended to apply only in unincorporated areas of Madison County and not inside municipal limits, and that routine, lawful firearm activities would not be treated as violations for noise enforcement. Several residents spoke during the public hearing and commissioners flagged the change to reduce the chance that shooting ranges or lawful recreational shooting would be affected.
During public comment, Don Zalicar of 5012 West HG Road asked whether the ordinance would prohibit target shooting or only reckless acts like shooting into the air. Zalicar asked, “Does it prevent me from shooting at a target?” A county official responded that lawful methods of shooting would not be violations of the ordinance, while repeated reckless shooting that creates a safety risk could both violate criminal code and the noise ordinance.
The record shows the board suspended its regular meeting to open the public hearing, heard two speakers from the public (David Sergeant and Don Zalicar) and then closed the hearing. The first-reading motion included the stated “pencil amendment” to add language exempting lawful firearm use; the vote was by voice and the motion carried. No roll-call vote was recorded in the meeting transcript provided.
Next steps: the board will bring the ordinance back for a second and final reading at its next scheduled meeting on Sept. 2. If the language added in section 3 is revised further after additional public comment, the board indicated it would consider those changes before final adoption.
Context and limits: the ordinance as discussed applies only to Madison County’s unincorporated areas and not inside cities or towns; that limitation was stated on the record. The transcript does not record a formal roll-call vote or a detailed tally of aye/no votes; the motion passed on a unanimous voice vote as recorded in the meeting minutes excerpt.
