SEBASTIAN — Like Indian River County, the City of Sebastian must change its rules pertaining to guns after the State Legislature decided to impose penalties on local governments that have rules in conflict with Florida law.
Without comments from the Sebastian City Council or members of the public at a meeting last week, the council voted unanimously to approve the first reading of the changed fire arms regulation ordinance.
A second and final public hearing and expected approval will be held Sept. 7 at the Sebastian City Council meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The changes to the ordinance require removing the word “shoot” from one section and eliminate altogether a section about discharging firearms.
The city’s ordinance declares the whole city a bird and wildlife sanctuary, making it unlawful to trap birds and fur-bearing animals within the city. One change to the ordinance is to remove “shoot” from the list of ways to kill or otherwise destroy an animal.
“When it comes to what you’re looking at,” City Attorney Robert Ginsburg told the City Council, explaining that other governments have much more to change and address in their ordinances, “we get off pretty lightly.”
Earlier this year, the Indian River County Board of Commissioners went through amending its ordinances, which were more complex than Sebastian’s.
The county had to rescind its rules requiring a special county recreation-issued concealed weapons permit to bring guns into county parks and recreation facilities.
Though commissioners unanimously approved the changes to their ordinances, some expressed displeasure in having to do so.
“I think our hands are tied here,” Commissioner Peter O’Bryan said at the time, noting that the state’s law trumps the county’s and there was nothing that could be done about it.
