Use it, you may lose it....a weapon, that is

Great Falls Town Council gave unanimous second reading approval on Jan. 17  to an amendment to a town ordinance in the Great Falls Code of Laws regarding illegal acts of concealed carrying, presenting and possible discharge of weaponry.
The amendment to the ordinance will stipulate the forfeiture of the weapon if found guilty of breaking the law.
Great Falls Police Chief Steven Rice asked council in December 2011 to add an ordinance to the Code of Laws that will require anyone found guilty of illegally possessing a concealed weapon, pointing a pistol or gun at any person, discharging a dangerous device or drawing a weapon in an affray to forfeit the weapon.
Rice asked council to add a section to the weapons control ordinance that will allow the municipal judge to make it mandatory for a person found guilty of breaking the weapons law to forfeit the weapon during sentencing.
The amendment states that any person convicted of the violation of the article shall, in addition to any other penalties provided by law, have the weapon involved in such violation confiscated to be forfeited to the town and be town property thereof or disposed by the chief of police as provided by law.
“However, if any person other than the convicted person has an interest in the weapon, that person must be given the opportunity to come forward and show, if he can, why the weapon should not be forfeited and disposed of as provided by law,” the amendment states.
Town Attorney Brian Grier said state law allows persons who have a concealed weapons permit to carry a concealed weapon except in areas not allowed such as a school or church. He said state law trumps town, city and county laws.
Councilmen Darryl Washington and Jimmy Williams were absent from the meeting.
Great Falls Home Town Association Executive Director Glinda Coleman was also absent from the meeting. There was no one at the meeting to present the GFHTA's monthly report to council.
Also during the meeting, council gave unanimous approval to current budget amendments. Line items were changed in all departments but the bottom line figures did not change.
The town is operating under a $1,004,902 budget for fiscal year 2011-2012.
Council met behind closed doors with Rice for about 30 minutes to discuss a personnel matter concerning the possible, hire, fire, promotion, demotion, compensation for police and fire departments. After returning to open session, Mayor Don Camp said no decision was made in executive session. Council made no vote after returning to open session.