BUCYRUS — The issue of whether to designate Bucyrus as a Second Amendment sanctuary was the focus of the beginning of the regular Bucyrus City Council meeting Tuesday evening.

Council voted to move the issue into council’s Health and Safety Committee.

Newly sworn-in council member Lisa Alsept made the motion at the end of the meeting to move the issue into the committee.

She said she wanted to get the topic out of the regular council meetings so council may move forward on other issues that need to be dealt with by council and city administration.

One of the proposals discussed would be to put the issue as a question on the ballot in November’s general election to allow all voters to express their opinion on the sanctuary city designation.

According to the Crawford County Board of Elections, the cost for the city or a group of residents who form a pac to do this will be approximately $2,200.

Several Bucyrus residents spoke both for and against the designation, including retired schoolteacher Margaret Thornton, who leads a non-profit organization to assist people in furthering their education. She said she has lived in Bucyrus for 50 years and is a registered Republican.

“I am extremely proud of our local police force and our criminal justice system that have made this a town where I can feel I can grow old safely. I don’t want anything that will make our officers’ or judges’ jobs more difficult and I think a sanctuary city will do that,” Thornton said. “Saying that we are a sanctuary city and will not follow the laws of the state, at the state or federal level, will put our officers in a tough spot.”

Thornton said the sanctuary city designation is not necessary at this time. She said Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and other legislation will not limit gun ownership.

“After the shooting in Dayton, Gov. DeWine proposed a red flag law and by October, he backed away from that,” Thornton said.

She said the designation of this issue needs to be approached with common sense, not legislation.

“Becoming a gun sanctuary city puts a label on us that not everyone really wants,” she said. “A label that may attract dangerous people or mentally ill folks who may not be able to have all of their gun rights in other parts of the state.”

She said she wants Bucyrus to be known for its arts, low crime rate, education and bratwurst, not as a sanctuary for guns.

Amy Copley is for the designation of sanctuary city and county for Bucyrus and Crawford County. She gave an example of how red-flag or pink-slip laws could be abused and lead to tragedy.

“I used to live in the county, near the line of another county,” Copley said.

She said her then 12-and-a-half-year-old son was home alone one day when someone knocked loudly on the door of their home. She said this was during a time when burglars were knocking on doors of rural homes and breaking in if no one answered.

“He called me, and I could hear the knocking in the background,” Copley said.

She said she advised her son to lock himself in her bedroom with a gun that was in her nightstand drawer. She told him exactly where to hide until she could get there.

“I called 911 and was told that the two deputies on shift were tied up but that she would get one en route,” Copley said.

She sped home to get to her son as quickly as she could and luckily, he was safe. She said it took her two minutes to clear the house for any intruders and another nine minutes for the sheriff’s deputies to arrive.

Copley was in the middle of a divorce at this time and pointed out how the bill proposed by DeWine could have led to her not having a gun in her home for protection.

“When I think about this bill and how my ex-husband could have tweaked this and not having a way for my son to defend himself, it’s scary,” Copley said. “And it should worry all of you in this room.”

She said she shudders to think what could have happened that day if someone was able to get into her home with her son and he had no way to defend himself because of a red-flag or pink-slip law.

Other speakers at the meeting for the issue included a candidate for Crawford County Commissioner, Jeff Price, and Bucyrus residents Doug Stamper, Brandi Lupton, Robert Taylor, Carolyn Shireman and Brandon Layton.

Those speaking against the issue included Deb Pinion, Linda Gibson Cooperider, Gary Miller and Pat Hargis.

The topic, along with several others, will be discussed during the regular joint committee meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers of Bucyrus City Hall. The public is invited to attend.

Topics of discussion will include, but are not limited to:

  • Platting Committee: Rezoning request for 1725 Hopley Ave., an easement for Finley Hill
  • Public Lands & Buildings Committee: Easement for Finley Hill, disposition of City Parking Lot #2
  • Service Committee: Material bids
  • Finance Committee: Material bids, enterprise fund reimbursements
  • Health & Safety Committee: Second Amendment sanctuary city, EMS service
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Council Rules of Procedure

Council completed the first reading of ordinances for a rezoning request for 1815, 1825 E. Mansfield St., charging station parking spaces in city lots and a UV system for the wastewater treatment plant.

Legislation approved as an emergency included amendments to firearms ordinances, changes to the billet for the hiring of city employees, appropriations and a bill payment with a purchase order.

It was announced that Burger King on East Mansfield Street would open at 10 a.m. Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting by the Bucyrus Area Chamber of Commerce being rescheduled in the near future.

The next regular council meeting is Feb. 18 at 7 p.m.