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Sheriff proposes shooting range on county land; commissioners flag cost and environmental questions
Summary
The sheriff outlined a plan to place a shooting range on roughly 15 acres behind the county 911 building and Riverside/Jay, citing improved safety after tree removal and proposing berm/backstop mitigation; commissioners asked for a cost estimate and deferred detailed budgeting.
The sheriff told the commission he is exploring locating a county shooting range on property behind the 911 building near Riverside and Jay, saying the county already owns about "15 acres" at the site and that recent tree removal has improved safety and visibility. "We're looking behind the, dock behind the 911 Building," he said, describing the parcel as county-owned and suitable for a range.
The sheriff outlined basic mitigations he would use to limit environmental risk and contain spent rounds: a backstop and berms to collect discharged material. "Once we build a berm, that's where you'll catch it all right there," he said, adding that the site has no immediate water source and that he did not expect lead contamination to pose a major environmental hazard in the proposed location.
Commissioners asked about cost and timing. The sheriff acknowledged he did not have a firm price and asked for more time to prepare estimates; the commission agreed to defer budgeting decisions until staff can present a cost estimate. The sheriff said he expected preparations would be needed by next year to make the site usable.
Next steps recorded in the meeting: staff will develop a cost estimate and environmental mitigation plan for later review. The transcript contains no formal motion or recorded vote on the proposal during this working session.
