COEUR d'ALENE - Guns are now allowed at public events in Coeur d'Alene after a unanimous vote on the issue by the city council.

During Tuesday night's regular meeting of the council, City Attorney Mike Gridley presented the proposed amendment, which addresses a city municipal code regarding weapons at public events such as parades. The resolution adopted by the city council amends the code by removing the word "firearm" from a list of weapons not permitted at public events.

"I think one of the goals of the original ordinance, as I understand it, was to avoid conflict in the community," Gridley said. "Right now we live in a time where this issue regarding firearms is an issue that may lead to conflict and confrontation if our ordinance stays the way it is."

Gridley added that before it was amended, the code prohibited the possession of all weapons within 1,000 feet of a parade and was originally passed, he believes, to address groups such as the Aryan Nations that were prevalent in the area at the time.

"This law was passed because of a history in Coeur d'Alene of extremist groups threatening public safety and intimidating citizens," Gridley told the council.

But, Gridley said, in 2008 the Idaho Legislature passed a state statute prohibiting cities from "regulating in any manner the possession, transportation or carrying of firearms." City officials researched the statute and found that it still had some "ambiguity" in it, he added, so Coeur d'Alene didn't change its ordinance.

In October of 2014, legal counsel for the city consulted with Idaho Deputy Attorney General Brian Kane on whether or not Coeur d'Alene was within its legal rights to keep the ordinance in place with a firearm restriction. Kane responded that, after considering all of the statutes in question, the city "does not have the authority to regulate the carrying of firearms."

"At the time the council passed this ordinance there were some concerns about a group of people who were living north of Coeur d'Alene," Councilman Ron Edinger said. "Although the Legislature has said the ordinance is out of date, I believe at that time that the ordinance did benefit the city and the citizens. I'm not saying that right now it's not a good thing, but if somebody has a mind to, they can go after the city and I think that they would probably win. So the best thing that we can do to stay out of court and not cost the taxpayers money is pass this amendment."

The resolution also further amended the city's municipal code in order to clarify that a person "may lawfully discharge a firearm in the city limits in the lawful defense of persons or property."

During discussion on the resolution, Councilwoman Kiki Miller asked why the additional amendment was needed. Councilman Steve Adams responded by stating the resolution was "brought forth in part" by the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance, which went from city to city throughout the state looking at weapon ordinances.

"They just view it (the additional amendment) as an additional safeguard for citizens' rights," Adams said.

Adams added that there still could be potential for conflict with the "weapons language" of the public event ordinance due to the fact that items such as knives are still included.