CCMIN 11022021 - Laserfiche WebLink

AGENDA AMENDMENTS City Manager Fialho continued item 15 and Councilmember Testa continued item 16 to the November 16, 2021, regular meeting. CONSENT CALENDAR Mayor Brown reported as required by law that item 2 is an amendment to an employment contract for City Attorney Sodergren to provide a $2,100 monthly salary adjustment and there are no other changes to his compensation benefit. Janie Dobbs reported she is a lead for Livermore Valley Moms Demand Action for gun sense in America and expressed support for the secure storage of firearms in Pleasanton. She reported 8% of school mass shootings are done by current or former students using an unsecured firearm obtained from their home or the home of a relative. The leading cause of death of children in the United States is from firearms. She stated California Penal Code 25100 does not apply to all homes and does not define safe gun storage, so a City ordinance is needed. She encouraged the City Council to pass the item. Captain Kurt Schlehuber reported the Pleasanton Police Department (PPD) has a grant-funded program called Project ChildSafe and advised residents can visit PPD to obtain a free gun trigger lock. A gun trigger lock would comply with the proposed ordinance. Laurie Herbert reported five teenagers in Gilroy were shot while attending a Halloween party. She stated the ordinance being proposed is a crucial action that will save lives in numerous circumstances. She expressed support for the ordinance and applauded the hard work of City staff and the City Council to bring it forward. Anne Matarrese Everton expressed support for the ordinance and noted research shows that securing guns unloaded, locked, and with ammunition stored separately saves lives. She stated the California Penal Code requires guns to be safely secured in homes where a child is likely to gain access to the firearm and in a location where a reasonable person would deem secure. She noted in the event of self-defense the firearm can be accessed from either storage method in seconds when properly trained. She encouraged the City Council to pass the ordinance. Maha Hanna reported she is a pediatrician and expressed support for the ordinance and noted children are very vulnerable to unsecured guns. She reported she has personally seen children who have been accidentally shot by an unsecured firearm. She noted access to unsecured firearms is very dangerous for children with mental health issues. She thanked the City Council for addressing the subject. Cynthia Shon urged the City Council to approve the proposed ordinance. She stated there has been a huge increase in gun sales nationwide and noted US citizens own 50% of the world's firearms. Neither operational training nor safe storage requirements are required to purchase a firearm. She reported firearms were the leading cause of death in children and young adults in 2019. She advised this ordinance helps keep guns away from children and teens. Kelly Traver reported she is a physician and has witnessed children who died or have been seriously injured from gunshots. She noted state law does not provide specifics on how to safely secure guns just that they need to be safely put away. She encouraged the City Council to pass the ordinance and noted 50 other cities have passed a similar ordinance. Councilmember Arkin thanked City staff for putting it on the agenda as the safety of residents including small children and teenagers is of the utmost importance. She moved to approve the Consent Calendar as recommended, seconded by Councilmember Narum. City Council Minutes Page 2 of 19 November 2,2021