Minutes 10-07-2021 Virtual work session

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20 Commissioner Greene said shooting ranges are all the Board can limit from a time perspective. John Roberts said the BOCC can restrict the time on target practice. He said an ordinance cannot apply to previously established shooting ranges. Commissioner Richards asked Commissioner McKee if the time restriction was midnight to 6 a.m. if that would be a problem. Commissioner McKee said he personally does not think that would be a problem, but feels this is an issue that the Board cannot solve, as noise is so subjective. Commissioner Richards asked if the number of complaints received can be identified. Commissioner McKee he thought it was in the dozens. Chair Price said once people talk to each other, they are able to work out issues. Commissioner Greene said the issue has not been worked out in West Carrboro. She said if there were time regulations on new shooting ranges she thinks there would have been fewer issues. Commissioner McKee asked if the location where shooting has occurred near Carrboro would be considered an established shooting range. Commissioner Greene said she is referring to future shooting ranges. Commissioner McKee said "shooting range" means different things to different people. Commissioner Hamilton said she would like to know how many new shooting ranges come before the Board. She said she would like more context about the issue. She asked if the Board was attempting to fix a problem that does not exist. Chair Price said the Board gets periodic complaints about shooting and has not come up with any solutions. Commissioner Greene said she is specifically thinking of a shooting range that had the appropriate berms for the county on private property. She said complaints came from neighbors because they did not know when the shooting was going to happen. She said she wanted to know if it was appropriate to set times for when shooting can happen for future shooting ranges. She asked the Board if there is agreement to discuss this further at a future meeting. Chair Price asked if there was a specific proposal, as this has been discussed for years. Commissioner Greene said she is not prepared to propose times at this work session. Commissioner McKee said he disagrees with Commissioner Greene on the prevalence of this being a big issue in the future. He said he does not think there will ever be a solution to this very subjective issue. He said in the previous task force, they could not figure out a solution to this problem. He said until it becomes a disruptive problem, the BOCC should leave it alone. Chair Price said the reason the maps were created was to show where the complaints were made. She said creating an ordinance for a suburbanizing area would also affect the more rural areas, which is unreasonable. Chair Price asked Brian Carson if anyone has applied to create a new shooting range. Brian Carson said he does not know of any applications, and they would go through Michael Harvey at the Planning Department. Commissioner Fowler said she is interested in setting a time frame for shooting, given that general noise is already regulated. Chair Price asked the Board to make proposals for time frames so staff can put it on a future agenda. Commissioner Hamilton said she would be interested in putting time frames for shooting on a future agenda. Commissioner Bedford asked the County Attorney if there is a reason that firearms are not included in the existing noise ordinance.