AGENDA REQUEST

 

 

 

 

AGENDA HEADING: COMMISSION MEETING DATE: AGENDA ITEM NO:
New Business June 20, 2016 XIVJ.
BY City Manager Thomas Barwin City Manager Barwin
Originatlng Department Department Head Presenter
SUBJECT:

Adoption Re: Proposed Resolution No. l6R?2582 Safe Communities Initiative - Limiting Availability of
Military Grade, High Capacity Magazine Weapons to Law Enforcement Agencies

 

COMMISSION PRIORITIES:
Quality of Life

 

(See next page for additional explanation)

Public Safety is amongst the highest priorities of city government and the foundation for a vibrant
community with a high quality of life. This responsibility includes adopting and advocating for prudent

laws and polices which protect our citizens, our many gathering places and the men and women who
courageously enforce our laws, from unnecessary risk and danger.

 

RECOMMENDATION: (see next page for additional administration's recommendation)

Adopt Resolution No. l6R-2582

 

APPROVAL SUMMARY:

Approval Required Date Completed Completed By Status
City Manager Approval 06/14/2016 Marlon Brown APPROVED

 

 

 

 AGENDA REQUEST

 

ADDITIONAL EXPLANATION:

At the grassroots level of government local of?cials, our EMS services, and our local hospitals most directly
experience and understand the emotional, physical and traumatic impact of violence in our communities.

The federal, state and local collaboration to maintain safe communities is essential to maintaining safe and
healthy community life. The increasing number of mass shootings involving military grade, high capacity
magazine weapons represents an extremely dangerous risk and trend in American communities which can and
should be addressed by Federal and State Legislation to limit military grade, high capacity magazine weapons
to bona ?dc law enforcement agencies. These lethal weapons capable of killing and maiming dozens of
innocent men, women and children in seconds have no place in a civilized society and are even disavowed by
most reputable hunting groups. National surveys indicate the American public and even legal gun owners are
supportive of limiting or banning these military grade lethal weapons. This resolution requests Congress Act
and where possible State Legislature's to strictly restrict these weapons.

 

ADDITIONAL ADMIN RECOMMENDATION:

Call upon staff to widely distribute this resolution in hopes other communities and organizations throughout
the country will consider similar communications, to overcome special interests, with a grass roots
movement, to communicate clearly with their state and federal elected of?cials the importance of safe
communities and essential need to prevent and minimize mass shootings in the future by the limitation of
military grade, high capacity magazine weapons to law enforcement agencies only.

 

 

 

FUNDING SOURCE: AMOUNT:
HOUSING IMPACT (per House): NEW CONSTRUCTION: REHABILITATION:
0 0
SUPPORT DEPARTMENTS:
City Manager - Thomas Barwin Van Wczel - Mary Bensel

Polica - Bernadette DiPino

 

 

 

AGENDA DISPOSITION
COMMISSION ACTION:
Final Action Motion:
Motion By: Second By:

 

 

Vote:

 

 

 

In.)

RESOLUTION NO. 16R-2582
SAFE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SARASOTA, FLORIDA,
CALLING UPON FEDERAL AND STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS TO COLLABORATE
WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS AND FIRST RESPONDERS TO PREVENT MASS SHOOTINGS
AND LARGE SCALE HUMAN LOSS OF LIFE AND SUFFERING FROM MASS
Si IN AMERICA BY LIMITING THE AVAILABLITY AND USE OF MILITARY
GRADE, HIGH CAPACITY MAGAZINE ASSAULT WEAPONS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT
PROVIDING FOR READING BY TITLE AND PROVIDING AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.

WHEREAS, the con?uence of the world wide web, international and lone wolf domestic
terrorism, underfunded community mental health programs and easy access to military grade, high
capacity magazine assault weapons has created circumstances which have led to an unprecedented
number of mass shootings in American Communities in recent years, and

WHEREAS, in recent years mass shootings involving military grade-high capacity
magazine assault weapons have occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary in Monroe Connecticut, at
the Century 16 Movie Theater in Aurora Colorado, at a retirement party in a social services of?ce
in San Bernardino California, and at the Pulse in Orlando Florida, resulting in the tragic
death and maiming of large numbers of innocent citizens at great pain and costs to their families
and their communities, and

WHEREAS, the military scaled weaponry used in these and similar mass shootings
exceeds the weaponry generally available to local law enforcement of?cers putting them, their
communities and safe gathering places where community Iife is enjoyed in great and unnecessary
peril, and

WHEREAS, military grade-high capacity magazine assault weapons and the grave hazard
they present to communities and innocent citizens, have no valid role to serve in community and
civilian life and are even disavowed by most reputable pro-hunting organizations, and

WHEREAS, as indicated through national surveys, a majority of the American public,
including legal gun owners, support extensive background checks for gun ownership and limiting
the availability and use of military grade, high capacity magazine assault weapons to bona-?de
and highly trained law enforcement agencies, and

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NOW. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
SARASOTA, FLORIDA:

We, the duly elected Mayor and City Commission of the City of Sarasota, Florida, call
upon our elected Federal and State Legislative and Executive of?cials to support safe communities
and heed the requests of our city, to support the public safety partnership with our ?rst responders,
enhancing the safety of our community and our many gathering places, by supporting the desires
ofa majority of the American public to strictly limit the availability and use of military grade-high
capacity assault weapons to bona ?de law enforcement agencies and to do so with the sense of
urgency and commitment which is warranted in the face of the ongoing, tragic and 
loss of life triggered by mass shootings with high powered, military grade, high capacity magazine
assault weapons, and

We direct the City Manager?s of?ce to transmit a copy of this resolution to our State and
Federal Elected Of?cials, and National, State and Local Municipal and Public Safety organizations
interested in promoting safe community life and preventing mass shootings in American
Communities, and media outlets who have been reporting on this issue.

ADOPTED by the City Commission of the City of Sarasota, upon reading by title
only, after posting on the bulletin board at City Hall for at least three (3) days prior to adoption, as
authorized by Article IV, Section 2 of the Charter of the City of Sarasota, Florida, this 20'h day
oflune, 2016.

 

Willie Charles Shaw, Mayor;? 

ATTEST:

 

Pamela M. Nadalini, MBA, CMC
City Auditor and Clerk

Mayor Shaw

Vice Mayor Freeland Eddie
Commissioner Alpert
Commissioner Chapman
Commissioner Atwell

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