City resolves shooting range dispute

The Miami Valley Shooting Grounds and the city of Vandalia have ended a dispute after the council adopted new rules Monday night.

Council members put a number of rules in place for current and future shooting ranges or grounds in city limits. Some of the rules were suggestions made by the range, city officials said.

The changes happened just days after the shoot- ing grounds owner, Dana Tackett, died of cancer Fri- day, according to a Facebook post.

“This ordinance establishes regulations for the operation of any new or existing indoor shooting range, and also outdoor shooting ranges that were permitted under the zoning code prior to January of 2019,” City Manager Jon Crusey said.

The council had a temporary ban on new range permits that stemmed from problems between the city and the shooting grounds in 2017. The ban was set to expire Monday night, but the council voted for a new ordinance.

In 2017, the city revoked the permit for the Miami Valley Shooting Grounds.

Police had stated the range didn’t do enough to make sure projectiles stayed on the property. Neighbors of the shooting grounds at the time had voiced concerns about bullets leaving the property.

Tackett had instituted stricter rules and made tens of thousands of dollars in upgrades, according to the attorneys for the range.

“I had the opportunity to meet with Dana proba- bly four or five times over the past years at the Miami Valley Shooting Grounds,” Councilman Bob Ahlers said. “The meetings were always professional. We all treated each other with respect, and Dana was a good man.”

The new ordinance puts restrictions on hours of oper- ations and bans weapons above .30-06 caliber or 12 gauge from being used in an outdoor setting.

Jamie Spencer, a neigh- bor to the shooting grounds, filed a lawsuit in Septem- ber 2017 against the shoot- ing grounds and the owner. Spencer found bullets on his property in the 7300 block of Johnson Station.