City council

Continued from page 1A what happens if someone goes into a school and shoots folks, which happened in Madison in 2010.”

The owner of Rocket City Armory, Jared Hill, spoke during public comments.

“As a family-owned establishment, we understand the concerns that have been raised regarding the proximity of our business to the new elementary school in Madison. We are fully empathetic with the public concerns and fears about gun violence and school shootings in general. Let me assure you, the safety and well-being of our community, especially our children, are of paramount importance to us,” Hill stated.

A number of other notable issues were also addressed by the council at the May 22 meeting. Redistricting was one of those issues. An agenda item requested the council’s approval for the process to begin with a contract paying Slaughter and Associates $15,000 to appropriately redraw the lines to create seven, equal election districts.

Finley explained that the process is coming up to accommodate shifts and growth in population since last redistricting in 2011 and what the city is aiming for with this new redistricting, “Equal districts is what we’re shooting for. We will hire a professional that’s done it before to help us accomplish that.”

The official redistricted map will come before the council on Sept. 11 for a vote, and public meetings will begin in July.

The council approved another agenda item allowing city employees, particularly the fire and police departments, to utilize the Hexagon Wellness Center. The agreement comes at a cost of $24,000 to the city and gives the fire and police departments improved fitness facilities over the former facilities, which Mayor Finley described as “rat infested”.

The council also heard the first reading for a permanent change to the order of Public Comments in council meetings. The change which allows for agenda-related comments at the start of the meeting, more comments during the Public Hearing section, and general comments at the very end of the meeting has been implemented in a trial period since the April 24 meeting. The council will vote on making the change permanent at the next city council meeting on June 12.

The next city council will be held on Monday, June 12 at the regular time of 6 pm in the council chambers at city hall.

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By GREGG PARKER gregg@themadisonrecord.com

MADISON – The city of Madison is filled with outstanding employees who strive daily to meet the city’s mission statement of helping increase the quality of life for all Madison residents. For the past 23 years, the Rotary Club of Madison has selected three of those employees to honor.

Working with the city, the Rotary Club has again recognized exemplary city workers in law enforcement, fire protection and community services.

“These fine employees have been selected by their supervisors for this well-deserved recognition,” Debbie Overcash said.

Overcash is a Rotarian and chairs the award program. During Monday’s Madison City Council meeting, she presented city employee Michelle Dunson, MPD Sergeant Michael Dixon and firefighter Cole Edwards with plaques for being named Madison’s Employee of the Year.

In addition to the plaque, they will receive their name on City Hall’s perpetual plaque, four tickets to Dead Parrot Society Bash and monetary donations from Rotary and Optimist Club of Madison.

Michelle is the City of Madison’s Deputy Director of Engineering, and she has worked for the city since 2019. She manages nearly all city infra- structure projects from the initial proposal stage through construction closeout, and works very closely with other departments, including Public Works, Recreation, and Planning.

She was selected for her effectiveness, preparedness, concern for the needs of residents in her position.

Sergeant Michael Dixon has been a certified officer since 2001, and he has been working for the city since 2018. He has spent most of his time assigned to the Special Operations Division in the Traffic Unit, and he has additional training as a Traffic Homicide Investigator, Advanced Crash Investigator, and Accident Reconstruction specialist.

He was selected for his “diligence and attention to detail” that has prepared other officers for addressing traffic homicides and resulted in the resolution of a double homicide incident and the capture of a murder suspect from Chicago.

Firefighter Cole Edwards has worked for the city since August 2022, and he currently serves as a firefighter at Station 2 on B-shift. Before he started working for the city, he was a career firefighter in Tennessee and an Advanced EMT.

Edwards was recognized for his brave and selfless attitude toward his work, even when off duty from firefighting. For more about each awardee, check out the June issue of Madison Living Magazine. It can be found in businesses throughout Madison or online at www.madisonlivingmagazine.com.