Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council reviews ordinance to ban bows, airguns and other projectile discharge in city open space
Summary
A proposed amendment (Ordinance 4-38) would expand the city's discharge restriction beyond firearms to cover bows, air guns and similar projectile devices in parks and foothill open space, with exceptions for licensed ranges, designated safe zones, and self-defense; violation would be a class B misdemeanor.
Council discussed Ordinance 4-38, a staff-drafted amendment to Cottonwood Heights code that would widen the existing prohibition on discharging firearms in certain city areas to explicitly include bows and arrows, air guns and other devices that discharge projectiles. A public-safety staff representative told the council the current ordinance only covers firearms and described incidents of people shooting non-firearm projectiles in Crestwood Park and foothills areas, sometimes resulting in injured or dead animals.
Staff explained the draft allows for controlled activities (for example an archery target area with haystacks or licensed shooting facilities) and carves out lawful self-defense and defensive property uses. To give officers enforcement authority, staff proposed making violations a class B misdemeanor rather than an infraction.
Council members asked clarifying questions about enforcement, allowed safe zones, and whether the ordinance could unintentionally criminalize harmless toy usage in parks; staff said the draft explicitly excludes toys and recreational play from the prohibition. The mayor thanked staff and the chief for bringing the proposal forward.
What happens next: council considered the item at the work session; the transcript does not record a vote. Staff recommended returning the ordinance for formal consideration on the council meeting agenda.
