He requested that Bledsoe get input from the other counties involved and present his findings at next month’s meeting.

Bledsoe was unavailable for comment this morning, but a spokesperson for Crane, Naval Surface Warfare Center, said Bledsoe was speaking for the employee organizations and not for the base commander. The commander has said the base will go with Martin County’s time zone.

While no one from NSA Crane employees attended previous meetings to give their input, the spokesperson said many did not realize that the DOT might allow time change that would divide the base employees.

The majority of the 60 to 65 people who attended both of the public meetings Martin County held last year were in favor of switching to Eastern time, according to commissioner John Collins.

“I personally didn’t want the change, but I based my decision on what the people wanted,” Collins said.

Both Collins and commissioner Kevin Boyd said that they have received several phone calls from residents unhappy about the time change and want to give them another chance to share their thoughts.

In other business:

Sewer project

Commissioners were given an update on the Crane North sewer project and tabled any action until the Feb. 14 meeting.

Appointment

John Collins was appointed to the Southern Indiana Development Commission Board.