It shall not be a violation of and there shall be exempted and excepted from the provisions of this chapter, and from any and all other similar provisions of the municipal code of the city, any group, association or organization, and any and all persons participating therewith, which has as one of its activities an organized and supervised gun club; provided that, the group, association or organization shall comply with and abide by the following requirements.
(A) The gun club shall be a bona fide gun club, although nothing herein shall be construed to mean that the group, association or organization shall not be permitted to carry on other activities.
(B) The group, association or organization carrying on the activity of a gun club shall be a non- profit group, association or organization, although nothing herein shall prohibit the group, association or organization from charging dues for membership or making other similar charges.
(C) The group, association or organization of which the gun club is an activity shall, prior to April 15 each calendar year, file with the City Clerk/Administrator, a true and correct list of the names and addresses of its officers and the names and addresses of the members of its governing body, if any. In the event there are no officers or governing body, a true and correct list of the names and addresses of the persons in charge of and having responsibility for the gun club shall be filed with the City Clerk/Administrator. Any such list shall be kept by the City Clerk/Administrator, as a public record.
(D) Prior to the beginning of any activities by the gun club which would involve the discharging of firearms within the city limits, the group, association or organization of which the gun club is an activity shall file with the City Clerk/Administrator an application for permission to operate the gun club, which application shall be signed, on behalf of the group, association or organization, by some person having authority within the group, association or organization and knowledge of the activities of the gun club; and, the application shall have attached thereto, as part thereof, the following exhibits:
(1) A plat of the property on which the gun club will conduct its activities with the specific area to be used by the gun club designated thereon; and, the plat shall show thereon all property owners adjoining the gun club’s designated area along with any buildings or other structures, located on the adjoining property;
(2) A true and correct copy of the standard operating policies, including the safety regulations, applicable to the area designated for use by the gun club;
(3) The location and number of the telephone nearest the gun club’s designated area to which calls may be directed in the event of an emergency; and
(4) A true and correct list of the names and addresses of its officers and the names and addresses of the members of the governing body, if any; and, in the event that there are no officers or governing body, a true and correct list of the names and addresses of the persons in charge of and having responsibility for the gun club.
(E) Upon receipt of the application and exhibits, the City Clerk/Administrator shall immediately give notice of same to the Chief of Police, Fire Chief and Building Inspector; the City Clerk/ Administrator shall also cause to be published, in the manner required by law for other similar matters, in a newspaper of general circulation in the city, a notice of the application and a date for filing written objections to granting permission for the gun club to operate, which date for filing the objections shall be no less than ten, nor more than 20, days from the date of the first publication of the notice, which notice shall contain the name of the applicant, a general description of the location of the gun club’s designated area and shall state that additional information is available, and the application and exhibits are open to inspection, at the office of the City Clerk/Administrator.
(F) The Chief of Police, Fire Chief and Building Inspector shall, as soon as possible after receiving notice from the City Clerk/Administrator, but within 20 days of the receipt of notice from the City Clerk/Administrator, review the application and exhibits and make a personal inspection of the property designated for use by the gun club, and shall file with the City Clerk/Administrator a report as to their recommendation for approval or disapproval of the application; and, the Chief of Police, Fire Chief and Building Inspector shall render a report as to their recommendation of approval or disapproval based on their findings as to whether the gun club could operate in the designated area without unduly endangering the lives and property in the surrounding area, and in the event of a recommendation of disapproval, the reasons therefor shall be set out specifically.
(G) In the event that there are no written objections filed within the time specified in the notice and the Chief of Police, Fire Chief and Building Inspector recommend approval, the City Clerk/Administrator shall immediately so notify the applicant; thereupon, the applicant shall pay to the city a fee of $100, plus the cost of publishing the notice required above, and shall furnish the City Clerk/Administrator with a certification, signed by some person having authority within the group, association or organization and knowledge of the activities of the gun club, that there have been no changes made in the application or exhibits filed therewith; upon receipt of the above fee, cost of publication and certification, the City Clerk/Administrator shall execute and issue to the applicant, in the name of the city, a letter stating that the application has been approved and that the gun club is authorized to operate, a copy of which letter shall be placed with the application and remain a part thereof.
(H) In the event that there are written objections filed, or a report of disapproval received from the above named city officials, as specified above, the City Clerk/Administrator shall immediately notify the Chairperson of the Safety Committee of the City Council, who shall set a date for a hearing on the application and written objections, or report of disapproval, which hearing date shall be no less than five days, nor more than ten days, following notice from the City Clerk/Administrator, and the Chairperson shall immediately notify, in writing, the applicant and any objectors or the city officials rendering a report of disapproval; any such hearings shall be conducted before the Safety Committee, which Committee shall hear both the applicant and the objectors and city officials, and shall render a report and recommendation to the City Council, which report and recommendation shall be rendered prior to the next regular meeting of the City Council immediately following the hearing; any such report shall be in writing and signed by the Chairperson of the Safety Committee.
(I) Upon receipt of the report and recommendation from the Safety Committee, the City Council shall either accept or reject the report and recommendation of the Safety Committee, and shall, by resolution, either approve or disapprove the application; and, if approved, shall, by resolution, direct the City Clerk/Administrator to so notify the applicant and issue the letter of approval, after receipt of the fee, cost of publication and certification above-mentioned.
(J) In the event any application is finally disapproved, the applicant shall still be liable for, and shall pay, the cost of publication, mentioned above; and it shall be considered as a condition of applying that an applicant agrees to pay the cost of publication.
(K) No changes shall be made in anything set out in the application or exhibits, with the exception of matters required to be provided the City Clerk/Administrator under division (C) above, until same have been filed with the City Clerk/Administrator and a letter stating that such changes are approved has been received from the City Clerk/Administrator; before issuing any letter of approval as to changes, the City Clerk/Administrator shall notify the Chief of Police, Fire Chief and Building Inspector, and shall have received their report and recommendation of approval as to the changes; and, in the event of a report and recommendation of disapproval, the procedure set forth above in regard to approval or disapproval of original applications shall be followed, except that no notice need be published.
(L) In the event that there is to be a change made in the area designated for use by the gun club, the City Clerk/Administrator shall follow the procedures set forth above for processing an original application, including the matter of publication and notice.
(1989 Code, § 130.31) (Ord. 1255, passed - -1972)