The Wrangell Borough Assembly decided Tuesday to postpone a vote on an ordinance related to weapons and the discharge of firearms within the borough.
The ordinance would defer to state laws that make it legal to carry a concealed weapon. This would bring Wrangell in line with state law, effectively striking the borough’s previous ban on concealed carry.
But several Wrangell residents took issue with some of the existing policies that dictate where gun owners can discharge firearms.
At a public hearing before the meeting, Wrangell resident Charlie Hazel said the borough’s laws are too strict.
“Being a landowner, they left out the one paragraph in there that says you can shoot and discharge firearms on your private property,” Hazel said.
Hazel and other community members also spoke out against the current ordinance that outlaws discharging a firearm within one-half of a mile of any road in the Wrangell service area.
“There hasn’t been a situation with any of the neighbors or citizens that I could find any case of in Wrangell with the half mile,” Hazel said. “The basic comment is like, ‘I think that’s been on the books for 20 years, but we’ve never had a problem.’”
Hazel suggested changing the law to just prohibit shooting from any paved road.
Assembly Member Daniel Blake asked to send the ordinance back to the Code Review Committee.
“After hearing the public testimony this evening, I think we need to send this back and have it re-looked at and, as a minimum, reduce that half mile to a quarter,” Blake said.
Assembly members agreed to take another look at the ordinance before taking a final vote.
Mayor David Jack also appointed David Powell to fill a vacancy on the assembly.
