Emmet County Board adopts new employee firearms policy

The Emmet County Board of Supervisors voted July 14 to include a new firearms policy in the county personnel policy. The motion to adopt the policy, presented by Auditor/Clerk Melanie Summers Bauler, passed unanimously (motion by Supervisor Tim Schumacher; second by Supervisor Todd Glasnapp).

The policy draft had been prepared by Summers Bauler, who asked that County Administrator Goebel forward the draft to the law firm Ahlers and Cooney for review. Ahlers and Cooney attorney Jeffrey Edgar reviewed the draft and "concurred with the content," and he offered an opinion concerning the possibility of adding additional weapons language. The record shows the board adopted the policy as written at the meeting; the Board did not record additional amendments on the floor.

Why it matters: the firearms policy changes how county employee possession or use of weapons is governed in county workplaces and will be added to the county personnel manual. County officials said the draft was reviewed by counsel before the Board vote. The adoption was a formal board action and does not, in itself, create new implementing procedures that were discussed at the meeting.

Board action: Schumacher moved to include the firearms policy as written by Summers Bauler; Glasnapp seconded. The vote was recorded as unanimous (all ayes). The meeting minutes note the motion carried.

Next steps: the county will incorporate the language into its personnel policy; the record indicates counsel reviewed and concurred, but the transcript does not specify an implementation timeline or training plans.