Perry City council adopts ordinance banning discharge of weapons that send projectiles into city limits

Perry City Council voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance prohibiting the discharge of weapons within city limits and the entry of projectiles into the city, approving the final reading during its regular meeting.

The ordinance, presented during the meeting's ordinance section, clarifies that discharge from outside city boundaries that results in a projectile entering Perry is also prohibited. Council members voted by roll call in favor of the final reading after briefly suspending the final-reading requirement and then completing the formal vote.

The measure follows public comment earlier in the meeting from property owner Caleb Weiny, who read a written statement saying he removed targets and ballistic mitigation structures from the portion of his 10-acre Park Street property that falls inside city limits following a change in ordinance language. "My goal has always been to act responsibly, safely, in accordance with local laws," Weiny told the council via a staff reading of his submitted remarks.

Weiny said he had confined shooting-related activity to the Dallas County portion of his property and had arranged for a police inspection and included an email from Dallas County Planning and Zoning indicating the use was personal and not a business. Neighbor David Crooks told the council the neighborhood had been "pretty peaceful the last couple weeks," saying the property owner had appeared to stop the shooting activities that had previously prompted complaints.

City staff and council members discussed enforcement options and confirmed the ordinance language was intended to make clear that bullets landing inside the city would be covered, even if fired from outside city boundaries. The council approved the final reading by a roll-call vote with Councilmembers Andor, Walling, Shelley, Mhler, Klein, Swalling and Flying recorded as voting yes.

The ordinance takes effect per the city's ordinance-adoption rules; staff said typical notification and enforcement steps will follow. The meeting concluded with no further business.