Minutes 06-02-2022 Budget Public Hearing and Work Session

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17 Commissioner Richards said she thought there were projectiles at a meeting, such as spear. Commissioner Hamilton said the ordinance is keeping people at a distance from a school to protect children, it does not matter what they are saying. Commissioner McKee said issues for school board meetings ended when the school board began using the Whitted building. He said he needed clarification on what the Board is trying to regulate. He asked if people are showing up at the schools, apart from the board of education meetings. Chair Price said the picketers were not at the meetings, but at the schools. Commissioner Richards said picketers were there when the schools were in session. Commissioner McKee asked if they were at a football game. Chair Price said yes. She said they were supposedly trying to recruit students to their organization. Chair Price asked if they could focus on one section that could be approved before the school year. She asked if the Board supported asking the County Attorney to come back with an ordinance that pertains only to school property and focuses on the safety of children. Commissioner Bedford said she agreed with that request. She said that she supported Commissioner Greene' suggestion of adding to the draft ordinance where and when the BOCC is meeting as an approved location. She said she also supported deleting the county property reference under section B in the draft ordinance. She said she supported changing the definition of picketing to any person or persons and prohibiting picketing within 1,000 feet of a school. She said she wanted to hear Commissioner McKee's suggestion on how big a sign should be. She said the Board needed to discuss what the fine should be for violating the ordinance. John Roberts asked for clarification on what the Board wanted to address. He said that Chair Price seemed to be requesting a focus on prohibiting picketing around school property right now. He said he thought that restricting picketing on county properties would be considered by the Board a future meeting. Chair Price said there seems to be some question as to who, what, and where when it comes to county property. She said she wanted to just focus on the schools. John Roberts said he could do something that would be much shorter and bring it to a future business meeting. He said that since there was a trespass requirement and the Board wanted to consider a misdemeanor violation for a situation involving school property, it would require two meetings based on a new law passed by the NC General Assembly. He said that anything with a potential criminal penalty has to be introduced at one meeting and come back at a second meeting for approval. He said that if the Board wants to do something before the summer, it must be added to the next business meeting agenda. Commissioner McKee asked if the Board supported reducing the sign support to % by 3/4 inches. The Board agreed by consensus. Commissioner McKee said a % by 3/4 inch stick will hold a sign. Chair Price said she wanted to know if there was consensus for focusing on the schools instead of schools and county property. Commissioner Bedford said she thought there was consensus for removing county property from the ordinance. Bonnie Hammersley said that if the Board does not do anything with county property, there would be no change to current procedures. She said that if people want to picket on county property, they usually contact the County Manager's Office. Commissioner Bedford said she thought that $100 was a fair fine for violating the ordinance.