Whitewater gun owner’s could be faced with large fines beginning on Nov. 1 if found carrying concealed firearms into a public building due to a new city ordinance.

Whitewater Common Council passed an ordinance Sept. 27 in response to Wisconsin’s concealed carry law restricting gun owner’s from carrying concealed firearms into various city buildings in hopes to promote safety.

Public buildings where firearms will not be allowed are the public library, the lakefront center, the armory and the multiple park buildings.

State law requires signs to be clearly posted on all city buildings where firearms are prohibited.

If caught violating the city ordinance, first time offenders could face fines of up to $300.

For citizens who violate the ordinance a second time, a larger fee of $400 will be given.

According to the proposal approved Sept. 27, third-time offenders will face fines up to $600.

The state’s concealed carry law goes into effect on Nov. 1 throughout the state, though it was passed by the Wisconsin Legislature in June.

UW-Whitewater is considering it’s own options. Although the final decisions have not been set into place, the university plans to put restrictions on concealed weapons as well.

Firearms would not be allowed inside university buildings, but around campus would be acceptable.

The council unanimously approved Sept. 27 the final decisions of the ordinance, with one councilman, Javonni Butler, missing.

Butler had opposed the ordinance at the council’s first discussion of the ban.

Not all of the councilmen initially agreed with the ban, but all besides Butler came on board with it by the end of Tuesday’s discussion.

Alderman Lynn Binnie initially  announced he hoped the council would look at the concealed carry law with open eyes and an open mind, trying to put theirselves in the shoes of a law-abiding citizen who may own a firearm.

Binnie said he disagrees with having to post signs on the public buildings that will prohibit the weapons, but after doing some intensive research and speaking with members of the council, he now feels that is the right thing to do.

Other matters were discussed at last Tuesday’s meeting as well, such as the swearing-in of Lisa Otterbacher.

Ottterbacher was officially sworn in as Whitewater’s police chief after holding the position of interim police chief for six months.

Otterbacher has to serve at least four years as the police chief after the council unanimously approved a four-year agreement.

She is also expected to move within city limits, as the police chief is required to live within Whitewater city limits.

Currently, Otterbacher and her family reside just outside of the city. She will be given $2,500 for moving expenses.

The Common Council also discussed the FCC mandate of switching over from wideband to narrowband frequencies for the police, fire, rescue squad and all other facilities that use the airwaves.

The mandate requires all systems to be switched over by Jan. 1, 2013.

All dispatched equipment that they use to effectively communicate with eachother through the channels will be cut from 25 kHz to 12.5 kHz.

Three choices were presented to the council, all with different digital entities and price ranges. Decisions do not have to be made yet, but the sooner the better, Otterbacher said.

Ultimately, the communication will be better reached when switched over to a narrowband.