Corwin council narrowly approves resident’s limited firearms transfers pending ATF clarification

A split Corwin Village Council on Sept. 8 approved a motion allowing resident Don Haverkamp to perform firearms cleaning and transfers under his Federal Firearms License, with Mayor Jess Cordery III casting the tie-breaking vote.

Haverkamp told council he holds an FFL and sought permission to perform firearm transfers and gunsmithing at his R‑1 residence but said he would not sell or store ammunition. Solicitor Richards told council that conducting sales or permitting customer traffic to an R‑1 home raises zoning and legal problems, warning that a transaction where money changes hands is considered a sale under local zoning and could violate residential rules.

Councilman Schreier moved “to go ahead and let him clean guns as long as it does not violate the law,” and Councilman Cummins seconded. Debate continued after the motion and second were on the floor; Solicitor Richards reiterated his legal concerns, and Councilman Schreier disputed the solicitor’s reading of the law, saying he did not think the solicitor was correct.

The roll call produced four affirmative votes (Cummins, Schreier, Hunley, and the mayor’s deciding vote) and three nays (Baldwin, Patrick, Shuler). Mayor Cordery cast the tie-breaking “Aye,” and the motion passed.

Council directed Clerk‑Treasurer Debra R. Femmer to request a written explanation from ATF agent Sherry Sexton that specifies what Haverkamp may do under his FFL; Femmer said the council requires that the ATF letter explicitly state “no sales” if sales are not permitted. The council also discussed monitoring customer traffic and the zoning implications if transfers involve payment.

Next steps: the council awaits the ATF’s written clarification before treating Haverkamp’s activities as fully authorized under village zoning.

Quotes in this article are drawn from the council minutes of the Sept. 8, 2025 Corwin Village Council meeting.