Lafayette County released a new policy for the use of grounds outside of the Historic Lafayette County Courthouse this afternoon.

The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors voted this week to amend the Facility Use Policy for the outside grounds of the Lafayette County Courthouse. The new policy states that a gathering of four or fewer people on the Courthouse lawn is not required to have a permit. This includes the area around the Confederate statue.

According to a statement released on Lafayette County’s Facebook page, “groups of five or more who would like to plan a gathering outside the Courthouse must submit their permit application at least 30 days prior to the date of use. However, this does not apply if an unusual circumstance makes it impossible to apply prior to that 30-day deadline.

All permit applications will be reviewed by the Board of Supervisors and/or the Sheriff’s Department to determine whether to waive the 30-day period or not.

The amendment for this new policy was made by District 2 supervisor Larry Gillespie and seconded by District 1 supervisor Brent Larson. The policy will take effect immediately.

To read the full text of the amended policy click here.