The Byrnes Mill Board of Alderpersons will hold a virtual town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27, to discuss a city ordinance passed in November that requires permits for hunting and recreational shooting inside the city limits.
The board will seek feedback from Byrnes Mill residents on the ordinance, getting their “thoughts, input, and ideas on hunting in the city,” City Administrator Debbie LaVenture said.
She said the meeting will be held via the Zoom videoconferencing platform.
LaVenture said the board could make amendments to the ordinance after the town hall meeting.
According to the agenda for the meeting, the board will discuss safety for people, pets, livestock and property, as well as how to allow landowners responsible hunting privileges and to provide information to hunters about danger zones, maintaining the deer population, target practice and the process and fees for permits.
LaVenture said anyone who wants to make a public comment must submit it before noon on Jan. 27 by filling out a “public comment submission form” on the city’s website at byrnesmill.org.
Those who submit comments must include their first and last name, email address, and the date of the meeting and specific agenda item they want to comment on. They also may make a general comment.
To make a comment, residents must attend the Zoom meeting. The link to the Zoom meeting is at the top of the meeting agenda, which can be found on the city’s website.
When it is time for commenters to address the board, their name will be called. A maximum of five comments per agenda topic will be read in order of receipt, and comments will be limited two minutes.
Previously, the city allowed the shooting of firearms in agricultural-zoned areas for hunting and target practice, although firearms were not to be discharged within residential areas.
After receiving numerous complaints about the firing of guns in the city, the board voted 5-0 Nov. 4 to prohibit hunting and discharging firearms everywhere in the city without a permit. Alderperson Mary Scheble was not at the meeting.
“It depends on the season, but we get (complaints) throughout the year,” LaVenture said.
Police Chief Frank T. Selvaggio said the department receives about five to 10 complaints a month about guns being fired in the city.
When the board approved the new ordinance in November, city officials said they would revisit the issue to see if any changes were needed.
Under the new ordinance, a person needs a permit to hunt or fire guns in an agricultural zone.
She said eight permits have been issued so far.
Selvaggio said anyone discharging a firearm for recreational use in the city without a permit could be charged with a misdemeanor, which could carry a penalty up to one year in jail and/or a fine up to $1,000.