BUCYRUS ― Several people came to the Bucyrus City Council Joint Committee Meeting on Thursday evening to learn more about proposed amendments to various firearms ordinances by the Health and Safety Committee.

According to city law director Rob Ratliff, the changes need to be made for the city’s laws to be in compliance with new state laws that took effect at the end of 2019.

“The state laws trump any city ordinances,” Ratliff said.

The word “firearms” will be removed from at least three ordinances but residents of Ohio have to abide by all state laws governing firearms, hunting, etc.

“All the state law does is say that cities cannot have laws that impact firearms, only the state can do that,” Ratliff said. “Hunting within the city limits is subject to state requirements along with shooting a gun near dwellings. Laws like you can’t shoot at a dwelling or across the road or within so many feet of a school or cemetery must be followed.”

Here is the updated Ohio Revised Code that all residents must abide by:

2923.162 Discharge of firearm on or near prohibited premises.

(A) No person shall do any of the following:

(1) Without permission from the proper officials and subject to division (B)(1) of this section, discharge a firearm upon or over a cemetery or within one hundred yards of a cemetery;

(2) Subject to division (B)(2) of this section, discharge a firearm on a lawn, park, pleasure ground, orchard, or other ground appurtenant to a schoolhouse, church, or inhabited dwelling, the property of another, or a charitable institution;

(3) Discharge a firearm upon or over a public road or highway.

(B)

(1) Division (A)(1) of this section does not apply to a person who, while on the person’s own land, discharges a firearm.

(2) Division (A)(2) of this section does not apply to a person who owns any type of property described in that division and who, while on the person’s own enclosure, discharges a firearm.

(C) Whoever violates this section is guilty of discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises. A violation of division (A)(1) or (2) of this section is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. A violation of division (A)(3) of this section shall be punished as follows:

(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(2), (3), or (4) of this section, a violation of division (A)(3) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(3) or (4) of this section, if the violation created a substantial risk of physical harm to any person or caused serious physical harm to property, a violation of division (A)(3) of this section is a felony of the third degree.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(4) of this section, if the violation caused physical harm to any person, a violation of division (A)(3) of this section is a felony of the second degree.

(4) If the violation caused serious physical harm to any person, a violation of division (A)(3) of this section is a felony of the first degree.

2923.161 Improperly discharging firearm at or into a habitation, in a school safety zone or with intent to cause harm or panic to persons in a school building or at a school function.

(A) No person, without privilege to do so, shall knowingly do any of the following:

(1) Discharge a firearm at or into an occupied structure that is a permanent or temporary habitation of any individual;

(2) Discharge a firearm at, in, or into a school safety zone;

(3) Discharge a firearm within one thousand feet of any school building or of the boundaries of any school premises, with the intent to do any of the following:

(a) Cause physical harm to another who is in the school, in the school building, or at a function or activity associated with the school;

(b) Cause panic or fear of physical harm to another who is in the school, in the school building, or at a function or activity associated with the school;

(c) Cause the evacuation of the school, the school building, or a function or activity associated with the school.

(B) This section does not apply to any officer, agent, or employee of this or any other state or the United States, or to any law enforcement officer, who discharges the firearm while acting within the scope of the officer’s, agent’s, or employee’s duties.

(C) Whoever violates this section is guilty of improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation, in a school safety zone, or with the intent to cause harm or panic to persons in a school, in a school building, or at a school function or the evacuation of a school function, a felony of the second degree.

(D) As used in this section, “occupied structure” has the same meaning as in section 2909.01 of the Revised Code.

Some of the amendments to the ordinances are still being considered by the Health and Safety Committee.

A proposal by city council president Kurt Fankhauser to designate Bucyrus as a sanctuary city for gun ownership died on the floor on Tuesday but Bucyrus resident Robert Taylor came to the meeting to profess his approval of it.

“My rights as a gun owner should be protected by my local government,” Taylor said. “Who is anyone in government to hinder my ability to defend myself and my family?”

Mike Schiefer, who is running for Crawford County Commissioner on the Republican ticket in the March primary election, is a long-time member of the National Rifle Association and opposes the proposal to make Bucyrus a sanctuary city or Crawford County as a sanctuary county.

“It can be a good thing or a bad thing but now is not the right time for this,” Schiefer said.

He pointed out that the city has, for many years, offered gun safety courses and has been good to gun owners but the sanctuary city for gun owners is not needed at this point.

Several residents came to the council meeting on Tuesday and said that local business owners will be adversely affected if the city or county takes on any type of political designations and the area cannot afford to alienate anyone from doing business, shopping or dining in the city or county.

No member of the committee made a motion to consider the issue.

A UV System for the Wastewater Treatment plant was approved by both the service and finance committees and various appropriations, an authorization for the city auditor to pay two bills without a purchase order and a few changes to the billet were also approved by the finance committee for legislation to be created.

The Platting Committee approved legislation to be drawn up for a rezoning request of properties at 1815 and 1825 East Mansfield St., while the public lands and building committee approved an AEP charging station parking space in city lot six, located behind the Crawford Partnership building near Washington Square.

“It will be located in a place that will bring people off the freeway into our town to use the charging station after finding it on their app. This will allow them to shop and eat while they are here,” said council member Candy Yocum.

The Economic Development Committee approved various subcommittee appointments and an ad hoc committee will consider updates to the current rules of council.

All legislation will be voted upon by the entire council at the next meeting in February.