Politics

Council drops effort to arm itself in City Hall

By Bill Moss, Published: February 5, 2016

Reversing course on the issue of arming itself at City Hall, the Hendersonville City Council dropped an effort Thursday night to allow council members to bring weapons to council meetings.

The council voted unanimously to drop the proposal that would have allowed members with a concealed-carry permit to bring their weapons into City Hall and onto other city property. Under the proposal, the council would have added itself to the list of those exempt from the ordinance barring weapons on city property including parks. Exemptions include police officers, military personnel and other law enforcement officials who routinely carry sidearms.
The council unanimously adopted the ordinance that bars the public from carrying weapons on city property and in parking lots. The ordinance would also prohibit weapons at Patton pool and — during scheduled games and organized events but not at other times — at at the Berkeley Park baseball stadium, Patton Park athletic fields, the William H. King baseball field, Sullivan Park basketball courts and the Whitmire Activity Center shuffleboard.
Councilman Jerry Smith objected to the section that would have allowed council members with a permit to carry their handguns in City Hall.
“It’s a move that in my opinion sends a bad signal for our city,” he said. “We have dozens of police officers and millions of dollars (devoted to law enforcement). I really don’t feel like City Council members need to be bringing guns into the chamber. We have police officers to protect us. We have other ways of keeping people from bringing guns in the building. I just think it’s an expansion of guns that’s not needed.”
Councilman Ron Stephens, who had voted in favor of allowing council members to be armed in October, objected to the wording to the proposal that left approval up to the city manager. The manager reports to the council, he said, and ought not have authority to judge whether council members can carry a gun.
“I think it puts him in a bad position,” he said. “I just think it’s the wrong structure. We need to reword this. If we want as a group, the five of us, to vote for something as long as it’s allowed by state or federal law we should be able to.”
Steve Caraker and Jeff Miller, the two council members with concealed-carry permits who brought the issue up last fall, voted with the rest of the council to drop the idea.
“To me this has never been about me carrying a gun in here,” Miller said. “It’s been about not defining this area or any other piece of property the city owns as a soft target. I don’t feel like I have to be sitting up here with a gun. It’s never been about that.”
The council kept intact a new section that will allow city employees outside the police force to carry weapons if approved by the city manager and police chief. That change, too, triggered questions from Smith.
“Should someone be carrying a weapon and use it I just think there’s some liability for the city of Hendersonville,” he said. “We have expanded the ways we are open to potentially the improper use of a weapon.”
City Manager John Connet assured the council that he would be judicious in authorizing a city employee to carry and he didn't commit to authorizing any.
“In talking to the chief, I can tell you this would not be something we would grant lightly but there may be opportunities where we want to consider this … particularly for folks that may be out in the field in particular dangerous situations,” he said. “I would assure the council it would be used after a lot of thought, a lot of training and a clear understanding of when the individual may have an ability to carry a concealed weapon.”
Permission wold be granted only after a careful review of the situation and “extensive training,” Chief Hubert Blake added. “It wouldn’t be and shouldn’t be a city-issued weapon. It should be their personal weapon.”