Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
32 <br /> 1 Efland, NC 27243 <br /> 2 <br /> 3 Scott Tutor <br /> 4 Orange Grove Community <br /> 5 Bingham Township <br /> 6 <br /> 7 <br /> 8 <br /> 9 Earl I heard this weekend that the county has had the county Attorney start working on a new <br /> 10 law that will not let anyone in the county that owns land fire there guns on there own property <br /> 11 more than once a month and only between the hours of like 10: 00 am and 3:00 pm is there any <br /> 12 truth to this. Please Reply Thanks Jerry <br /> 13 Jerry Baity <br /> 14 To: Earl McKee, Chairman, Orange County Board of Commissioners <br /> 15 From: F. Paul Valone, president, Grass Roots North Carolina <br /> 16 Re: Amendment to Orange County Code Of Ordinances Regulating Discharge Of Firearms <br /> 17 <br /> 18 Dear Commissioner McKee: <br /> 19 <br /> 20 We have been advised by several members that Orange County intends to change its <br /> 21 ordinance regarding discharge of firearms. They have also advised us that the board of <br /> 22 commissioners intends to do so in a meeting closed to the public. <br /> 23 <br /> 24 In fact, one member forwarded the attached image of the Action Agenda Item Abstract which <br /> 25 appears to show it as item 7—a, for action on February 16, 2016. I also note that the public <br /> 26 hearing block contains an "N", presumably indicating no public hearing on the issue. <br /> 27 <br /> 28 As you are no doubt aware, NCGS § 143-318.9 (our "open meetings" law) stipulates: <br /> 29 <br /> 30 "Whereas the public bodies that administer the legislative, policy-making, quasi-judicial, <br /> 31 administrative, and advisory functions of North Carolina and its political subdivisions <br /> 32 exist solely to conduct the people's business, it is the public policy of North Carolina that <br /> 33 the hearings, deliberations, and actions of these bodies be conducted openly." <br /> 34 <br /> 35 In fact, public bodies may go into closed session only for the purposes enumerated in § 143- <br /> 36 318.11, which also says: <br /> 37 <br /> 38 "A public body may hold a closed session only upon a motion duly made and adopted at <br /> 39 an open meeting. Every motion to close a meeting shall cite one or more of the <br /> 40 permissible purposes listed in subsection (a) of this section." <br /> 41 <br /> 42 I would also urge you to become familiar with another modification of North Carolina statutes <br /> 43 which became effective on December 1, 2015 when N.C.G.S. § 14-415.23 was modified under <br /> 44 Section 15 of Session Law 2015-195 (formerly H.B. 562) to include a new subsection (e), to <br /> 45 wit: <br /> 46 <br /> 47 "A person adversely affected by any ordinance, rule, or regulation promulgated or <br /> 48 caused to be enforced by any unit of local government in violation of this section may <br /> 49 bring an action for declaratory and injunctive relief and for actual damages arising <br /> 50 from the violation. The court shall award the prevailing party in an action brought <br />