After unanimously striking down a proposed gun regulation in February, the Orange County Board of Commissioners created a Firearms Safety Committee to discuss the possibility of future regulations.

Commissioner Barry Jacobs said in their meeting Tuesday night, the creation of the committee does not necessarily mean that any new regulations will be passed.

“We hear enough about those kinds of issues that we just want to have a conversation in a controlled and not necessarily super-charged atmosphere,” he said.

Jacobs said it would give residents the ability to talk through issues such as safety, noise and second amendment rights with people that know the law and the current regulations.

“And see if there are accommodations that can be made that everyone can live with,” he said. “Maybe we can’t, maybe we can, but that’s the purpose.”

The committee will be comprised of eight Orange County residents, who will have voting powers within the committee.

It will also have representatives from the sheriff’s office, the county manager and NC Wildlife Resources. Along with a member of the board, they will be there in an advisory capacity.

“I think we want to ensure that the public doesn’t feel that it’s the commissioners who are running the show here,” commissioner Bernadette Pelissier.

Jacobs said the commissioner, who has yet to be chosen, will be there to give guidance to the committee.

“They could give some response to tell people the commissioners don’t want to go in that direction or the commissioners have heard enough complaints about X that they want to make sure it’s adequately addressed by this group,” he said. “They don’t have to say ‘and therefore you should do this,’ but they could at least give some guidance.”

The board also gave permission for the county to hire a facilitator for the committee, to help mediate heated discussions.

According to an abstract given to the board, the county clerk has contacted Andy Sachs about this position. Sachs is the public dispute coordinator at the Dispute Settlement Center.

The county clerk will advertise to residents when the application window for the committee op

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