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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: June 21, 2022 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 8-s <br /> SUBJECT: Regulation of Gatherings on and near School Property and Public Playgrounds <br /> DEPARTMENT: Board of Commissioners <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Draft Ordinance John Roberts, County Attorney, 245- <br /> Resolution 2318 <br /> PURPOSE: To present for second reading an ordinance regulating picketing on or within 1 ,000 <br /> feet of school property and public playgrounds. <br /> BACKGROUND: The Board of Commissioners requested information on how the County may <br /> regulate protests or large gatherings in Orange County. The Board initially received information <br /> on this subject at its February 1, 2022 Business meeting. At that meeting the Board discussed <br /> many aspects of this type of regulation including prohibiting large gatherings on certain public <br /> school properties. The Board further discussed this topic at its May 10, 2022 work session. At <br /> that work session the Board determined parades would not be regulated and provided further <br /> direction to the County Attorney to be brought back to the Board for future consideration. At the <br /> June 2, 2022 work session, the Board determined to move forward with an ordinance prohibiting <br /> picketing on School Property. The agenda materials for each prior discussion may be viewed at <br /> the links above. <br /> Pursuant to the Board's prior discussions and input, the County Attorney revised the draft <br /> ordinance which generally provides as follows: <br /> • Only covers Picketing conducted on, or within 1,000 feet of, School Property and Public <br /> Playgrounds; <br /> • Declares violations to be subject to a monetary fine, equitable relief, or trespass <br /> depending on the facts and circumstances. <br /> Recent changes to North Carolina law provide that when a local ordinance involves a potential <br /> criminal penalty, the ordinance may not be adopted at the meeting at which it is first introduced. <br /> Such an ordinance may only be adopted at the next regular meeting following its introduction. <br /> Because one potential penalty of this ordinance is trespass, which is a statutory misdemeanor, <br /> this ordinance may only be adopted at its second reading. First reading for this proposed <br /> ordinance occurred at the Board's June 7, 2022 Business meeting. <br /> FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with this item. <br />