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31 <br /> 1 5. Additional Discussion on Regulation of Large Gatherings <br /> 2 The Board discussed the regulation of large gatherings in Orange County. <br /> 3 <br /> 4 BACKGROUND: The Board of Commissioners requested information on possible options for <br /> 5 the County to potentially regulate protests or large gatherings in Orange County. The Board <br /> 6 initially received information on this subject at its March 10, 2022 work session. At that work <br /> 7 session, the Board discussed many aspects of this type of regulation including prohibiting large <br /> 8 gatherings on certain public-school properties. The attachments include a legal overview of the <br /> 9 regulation of protests and gatherings that was provided at the work session, some relevant state <br /> 10 statutes, and a draft County ordinance. <br /> 11 <br /> 12 The draft ordinance generally: <br /> 13 <br /> 14 • Covers parades and picketing. <br /> 15 <br /> 16 • Establishes requirements for the content of permit applications and notice and assigns <br /> 17 responsibility for oversight of the ordinance to the Clerk to the Board in consultation with <br /> 18 the Sheriff. <br /> 19 <br /> 20 • Provides for an appeal to the County Manager if a permit application is denied. <br /> 21 <br /> 22 • Establishes standards of conduct for participants and organizers of Parades and <br /> 23 Picketing. <br /> 24 <br /> 25 • Establishes the locations at and upon which Parades and Picketing may occur. Not all <br /> 26 county property is what's known as a public forum and so limits access to only certain <br /> 27 county properties. <br /> 28 <br /> 29 • Prohibits Parades and Picketing within five hundred feet of school property and <br /> 30 playgrounds; and <br /> 31 <br /> 32 • Declares violations to be subject to a $500 fine and equitable relief. <br /> 33 <br /> 34 John Roberts said they had previously talked about this in March. He said that sample <br /> 35 ordinals were presented at that time and that he has drafted an ordinance based on Wake <br /> 36 County's but is different because it has portions dealing with schools that this Board wants <br /> 37 included. He said that this ordinance also includes parades and picketing. He said that those <br /> 38 usually happen in city jurisdiction, but this will be county jurisdiction. He said that this also <br /> 39 includes application information for a parade and that the Clerk's office has graciously <br /> 40 volunteered to be the application director and to hand out permits. He said there is not an <br /> 41 application or permit process for picketing, but it would require notice. He said the Clerk would <br /> 42 then consult with the Sheriff. He said that if there is a permit denied there is an appeal process. <br /> 43 He said that it establishes standards of conduct for those participating in picketing. He said that <br /> 44 it will have designated locations for picketing if the Board so chooses to keep those included. <br /> 45 He said that it would be up to the Board to determine what is considered public forum. He said <br /> 46 that it prohibits parades or picketing within five hundred feet of a school playground even on <br /> 47 private property. He said he specifically did not put in misdemeanor provisions because the <br /> 48 General Assembly made it very difficult to get a conviction of a local ordinance misdemeanor. <br /> 49 Chair Price said the Efland Christmas Parade is in the county. <br /> 50 Commissioner McKee said there are a few and asked if those would require a permit. <br />