By Susan Bromley
Staff Writer
Brandon Twp.- A proposed weapons ordinance, as well as two other ordinances from the building department, have been shot down for now.
A standing room only crowd at the Feb. 6 township board meeting voiced strong objections to the first reading of a weapons ordinance, which the board subsequently agreed to reject by unanimously denying the first reading.
Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Greg Glover, Brandon substation commander, has received numerous complaints from township residents regarding target shooting and lack of proper backstops, as well as excessive firing of weapons occurring at all hours, prompting the proposed ordinance.
In remarks to the board, as well as the audience, Glover, a member of the National Rifle Association, prefaced what would become a nearly 2-hour discussion on the ordinance by saying, “This is not for us to be the Gestapo, we’re not going to show up and take your weapons from you. It’s for safety. This has become a serious issue, people are pulling their kids into their houses, not knowing where the next bullet is coming from… People are shooting at all hours with no courtesy for their neighbors. It’s 1 percent of the population, but we need to deal with those people.”
Glover continued by giving examples of people shooting 12-gauge shotguns 100 feet from M-15 on Bald Eagle Lake and Lake Louise, as well as there being nothing currently preventing anyone living in the mobile home parks in the township from walking out their door and shooting between trailers using plywood or a piece of sheet metal as a backstop, or nothing at all.
Building Director Bill Dinnan sent correspondence on Jan. 11 to township board members requesting they adopt an amendment to the code of ordinances to control the discharge of firearms in the township regardless of whether hunting or target shooting, that would define safety distances from dwellings, as well as permissible target shooting hours and hunting restrictions.
But the ordinance, which amended sections 28-285 through 28-296, came under fire from residents at the meeting, particularly for its definition of firearms and for the hours in which target shooting was to be permitted.
Under the ordinance, “Firearm means any weapon or device from which is propelled any missile, projectile, bullet, shot, pellet, or other mass by means of explosives, compress air or gas, or by means of springs, levers or other mechanical device.”
Under Sec. 28-293 addressing target shooting, “No outdoor target practicing with firearms shall be engaged withing the township prior to 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m.”
The same section was to require backstops that shall meet the “generally accepted operation practice” per Michigan Act 269 of 1989 691.1541.
Some residents voiced their agreement that backstops were a reasonable requirement for safety. But there were also questions on why existing state laws weren’t being used to enforce reckless discharge of firearms.
“Why do we need a redundant, more restrictive township law?” asked Brian Geiser at the meeting. “I strongly oppose this, look at the existing laws.”
His remarks, as well as those of several others, were met with applause. Both Dinnan and Glover said while state law regulates hunting, they were not aware of a state law covering target shooting and backstops.
“It’s appropriate to deny the first reading so we can address concerns,” said Dinnan. “I’m not here to create an ordinance that doesn’t serve the needs of the township. Unfortunately, in our society, one person who is not neighborly requires rewriting an ordinance… We take a lot of complaints because neighbors don’t want to be put in a position of ratting out their neighbors.”
Glover said the township should use the definition of firearms from the state of Michigan as the ordinance should not limit the use of BB guns or pellet rifles or prevent someone from using an air gun. He also disagrees with the ordinance limiting target shooting between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. With some tweaks, however, he hopes an amended ordinance returns to the township board for discussion after it is reviewed by attorneys.
“There needs to be something there for times to shoot,” he said. “Most important is the backstop issue. There needs to be something for what is defined as a proper backstop. This ordinance has nothing to do with hunting regulations…We feel we need to do something for the safety of everyone. We are continually having homes shot in the township because of the lack of proper backstops. At one time, you could walk out and fire guns anywhere you wanted and not worry about hitting anything and that is not the case anymore because of the increase in population and homes here. It’s a safety issue. In no way are we trying to restrict target shooting or their Second Amendment rights. If you’re having a family picnic and the neighbors are shooting away all day, it becomes an issue that people don’t feel safe sitting in their backyards or on their deck. For the common courtesy of your neighbors, there should be something that limits when you can target shoot.”
The township board also denied the International Property Code Maintenance 2015, which Dinnan proposed adopting in order to address existing occupied structures in need of general maintenance, including for example, homes left without siding for extensive periods of time, and not covered under a blight ordinance. The ordinance was criticized at the meeting as overreaching and the board plans to take it to a workshop for further review.
A proposed amendment which would have required a zoning permit to be obtained where building permits are not required also failed to pass due to a tie vote. Dinnan had expressed concerns about structures being built without regard to property lines as well as not being properly assessed for taxes. Supervisor Kathy Thurman, Treasurer Terri Darnall and Trustee Kris Kordella voted yes for the amendment. Clerk Candee Allen and Trustees Dana DePalma and Bob Marshall voted no.