Gearhart’s no-weapons policy at Gearhart city meetings won council approval on Sept. 7.

The resolution bans weapons from public city meetings and permits the use of metal detection to enforce the ban .

According to the policy, all visitors to public meetings where any type of city related matters will be discussed may be required to pass through a metal detector, or be subject to a screening with a hand-held metal detector wand, in order to prevent weapons from entering public meetings.

The purpose of a screening, according to a staff report, is for public safety and to limit intimidation of people attending public meetings.

The push for a gun ban at city meetings started after an alleged gun threat early this summer following the aftermath of a contentious May firehouse bond vote.

In June, conversations from private Facebook groups administered by local residents led to reports of potential gun use at an upcoming council meeting. The reports of threats were unfounded, the Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office said, and determined the discussion had been distorted via word-of-mouth and social media.

The council voted to hold meetings via Zoom until a gun policy was in place. The public was admitted to a return to in-person meetings on Sept. 7.

At the request of some members of the council, staff began researching increased security measures, including the installation of crash doors with card key readers, security cameras and metal detection, City Administrator Chad Sweet said in a staff report.

“Resolution 974 is written with the flexibility for use of a walk-through detector or wand should things change in the future,” Sweet said.

The ordinance was unanimously approved, with Mayor Kerry Smith and councilors Reita Fackerell, Brent Warren, Dana Gould and Austin Tomlinson voting for it.