By Peter Ciancone/Tribune-Star
At the federal Department of Transportation's hearing Monday night on Indiana's time zone requests, most opinions preferred to align west central Indiana with the Central time zone.
Several of those commenting, including elected officials from the area, preferred to keep all the state in the same zone: Central.
But as one DOT official explained, that isn't going to happen, at least not on this round.
The only changes DOT will consider on this round of hearings will be from those counties that petitioned the state to change, said Judy Kaleta, senior counsel for dispute resolution for DOT.
“It may be that after these meetings, counties may reconsider,” she said.
The hearing, conducted in Indiana State University's Hulman Center, attracted about 50 people from the area, who were each given an opportunity to voice their opinion.
Ten Indiana counties - five each in the northwest and southwest corner of the state, will remain on Central time. Of the 19 that petitioned for a change after the General Assembly voted to move Indiana to daylight saving time this year, only five will get their wish if the DOT proposal, issued earlier this month, becomes its final decision in January.
Two Wabash Valley counties, Sullivan and Vermillion, petitioned the DOT to change to Central time, but the DOT proposal would keep them on Eastern.
The DOT proposed that Knox, Perry, Pike, St. Joseph and Starke counties move from Eastern to Central time. Carroll, Cass, Daviess, Dubois, Fulton, Lawrence, Marshall, Martin, Pulaski, Sullivan, Vermillion and White counties would stay in Eastern time. Those were the only counties that petitioned for a change.
Vigo County commissioners opted, by not making a request, to stay on Eastern time.
Most citizens voicing an opinion Monday night wanted to move all of Indiana to Central time, or at least align western Indiana with Illinois.
Noting that only Benton, Warren and Vigo counties on the western border chose to remain on Eastern time, Donny Morin of Sullivan County said, “It has to be telling you something.”
People made points about the economy, using it to make the case for both time zones.
Nikki Royer of Vermillion County noted that most residents who left her county to work go to Vigo, making the Eastern time zone more appropriate for Vermillion to use.
Morin said two of the biggest employers serving Sullivan County are Toyota in Princeton, and Marathon Ashland Petroleum in Robinson, Ill. Both of them will be on a different time from Sullivan if the DOT proposal becomes the rule.
To Betsy Hine of Vigo County, the question is simple geography. Indiana is more closely aligned with the Central Zone. She said she didn't understand how being on the same time as New York would help Indiana's economy.
“There are four time zones in the U.S. New York is only in one of them,” she said.
Members of the local and state Chamber of Commerce asked DOT to keep the area, and most of Indiana, on Eastern time.
Others told DOT that the residents of the state were never consulted before the decision was made to make the change.
“I really feel like this meeting is too late. It should have been put to a vote before [the General Assembly voted for daylight saving time earlier this year],” said Evelyn Ward of Vermillion County.
“What happened in Indiana wasn't a democratic process,” said Lillian Curry of Vigo County. Gov. Mitch Daniels wanted daylight saving time, and pushed it through the General Assembly. The Vigo County Commissioners opted to stay in the Eastern time zone, with Indianapolis, despite the wishes of many local residents.
Vigo County Commissioner Bill Bryan told DOT that he believed the whole state should be on the same time zone.
Kaye Whitlock of Terre Haute said putting all the state on one time zone is “ Š not going to happen,” and argued that if there is any split, Indiana ought to follow the geographic line and place half the state in each zone.
She admitted, however, that the debate is only getting started.
“It's a very contentious issue, and it won't be over in January, either,” she said.