Wayne County approves intergovernmental deal to use airport firearm range after Range 313 fire

Wayne County commissioners on Feb. 1 approved a retroactive amendment to an intergovernmental agreement that allows the sheriff’s office to use the Wayne County Airport Authority’s firearm range at Detroit Metropolitan Airport for handgun training after a fire closed the county’s Range 313.

Miss Bonita Terry said the sheriff’s office currently relies on the airport range for handguns and Van Buren Township for long-gun qualification. "We do not have a gun range right now at this time... Wayne County Airport Authority is the only range we are utilizing since there has been a fire at Range 313," Terry said. She added that Range 313 is projected to reopen in the spring, according to the range master.

Terry described the contract as retroactive and said the county is exercising a 1-year renewal option. The transcript contains a garbled line when staff discussed the dollar amounts for the airport-range arrangement; the packet and staff presentation discuss prior amounts but the audio transcript does not provide a clear net figure. The committee requested the exact number and Terry said she would provide it.

Commissioners also asked about the number of officers who must meet annual qualification hours and whether qualifying happens on paid hours or personal time; Terry said many officers complete qualifications on their own time and estimated roughly "around 50 something" officers must qualify, and she offered to provide an exact number later.

The committee approved the intergovernmental agreement amendment on a motion by Commissioner Wilson, seconded by Commissioner Peterson Mayberry; the transcript records the vote as "motion carried."