I just want to thank you for being here.
Okay, good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I called the word of the meeting of the City Council
of the Secretary of State of the Bureau of Elmanine and C. Housing Authority regular meeting for
November 13, 2017, please rise and join me in the pledge of allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which
it stands. Why do you say any other indivisible with liberty and justice for all?
All right. Are there any changes to the order of agenda?
None from staff this evening, Mr. Mayor.
The dance, anybody want to change anything around?
All right. Report from closed session, Mr. Rubens.
Mr. Mayor, there's no report of closed session tonight. One of the items that you consider
is on the public agenda later tonight.
All right. Number five is presentations. We have some presentations this evening for
proclamation to Ben Elliott. Aaron Litzonson.
Thank you. And JD Paul, Boy Scout troop, 321, upon receiving their Eagle Scout Awards.
So let me come down and get you gentlemen for it away.
Good.
We'll go. These are three of our finest.
So you're our finest young men, all Eagle Scouts.
They've all done various projects, and what I'm going to do is ask them to give their name
what high school they go to.
What year they are, and if for high school or college depending on what it is, and what their project was, so we'll start with you.
Hi, my name is Aaron Lewis. I'm a senior at the San Francisco Mountain View, and my project was to build a new picnic area at our well-apark.
Hi, I'm Ben O'Ae, I'm a senior at the Royal High School, and my project was to build an informational chaos for the native plans garden at Bernacos.
Hi, my name is JD, and I go to Sequoia High School, and I'm a senior, and my project was building a lending library at a Royal School in their new garden.
Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
Again, like I said, that's how our community is. That's the young man that come in and do this great work.
And I'm very honored to give those to you, gentlemen tonight.
All right, next item is a six public comment.
Persons wishing to address the city council on matters not on the posts that agenda.
Is there anyone here wishing to speak on something that is not on the posts that agenda?
All right, moving on.
Number seven is consent calendar. These motions are usually done and are these item to usually go to on one motion.
Is there anyone wishing to, we do have some speaker cards for seven else, so we're going to pull that off.
Are there anyone else wishing to pull anything off the consent calendar?
All right, I don't change a motion for everything, but seven else.
Mr. Mayor, I'll move approval line in the seven A through K and M.
Second.
All right, moved in second. Any discussion?
We have an ordinance.
I'm going to read it.
Okay.
I apologize.
And a dot ordinance number 1525 an ordinance of the city council of the city of San Carlos,
amending title five business taxes, taxes, licenses and regulations title eight,
health and safety and title 18 zoning of the San Carlos municipal code to regulate commercial
cannabis activities within the city of San Carlos.
All right, any further discussion?
Roll call please.
I'm sorry, I didn't catch the second.
And the second.
Yes.
Councilmember Collins.
Yes.
Councilmember Goka.
Yes.
Councilmember Johnson.
Yes.
Councilmember Obert.
Yes.
I registered no on item.
I.
Thank you.
And there goes silly.
Yes.
All right.
Seven L was pulled off.
Sometimes we put this at the end, but we're not going to do that tonight.
We're going to discuss it right now.
It has to do with plans and specifications for the same grants this way and
be able to drive common project.
So we have some speakers.
I don't think we need to staff.
Do you want to have a staff report or just go right to public comment?
That'll be a pleasure of the mayor and so we can also see where the questions are.
Mr. Hudson.
Robert Hudson.
Please step up.
Yes, sir.
Please.
To this microphone.
And you have two minutes, sir.
Ask your question or whatever your comments are.
Okay.
Thanks.
I represent a group of.
The result is unbelievable drive and also the result is unbelievable drive and it's
undergraduate and proposed traffic common project.
We head met with the city engineer back in May and several residents had.
Newsemos questions about the project so forth.
And then we've earned ties of the funding for the project.
So we weren't, we didn't receive any further communication on that.
And in reviewing the agenda tonight, quite surprised to see it on the agenda.
I'm not briefly with the city engineer that's afternoon, and I had a couple of questions,
but I feel that the resident committee has several unanswered issues.
And what I'm requesting is, can we hold that project and tell there's some interaction
between the residents and the city engineer, as to what could be done.
I'm concerned with the residents, it's a different safety home, Beverly Drive.
Okay.
Thank you for your comments.
Michael James?
Good evening.
So I also live on Beverly Drive for Robert Smith, next door neighbor, and we've been
engaged in a discussion with Department of Public Works over this issue, actually quite
some number of months back ago, and last we heard the project was indefinitely deferred
for lack of funding.
There are parts of this project that we support, and also parts that we oppose, and we think
that through more discussion, we might be able to come up with some kind of agreement, this
work about to the neighborhood and the city more broadly, but I would encourage the council
to please defer this issue for the time being until we can have such discussions.
And I guess last I heard we had a email back in, and I think, June, the sort of substantiates
all this.
Okay.
Thank you for your comments.
Mr. Coe, or Mr. Coe, Joe Hugh Coe, KOH, my saying that writer, perhaps sir and another
room.
Do you remember, Chris?
Okay.
Well, we'll, if they come, here we go, come on up now, sorry, don't run, don't run, don't
take your time.
Relax.
We have plenty of time today.
Just take your time, and say what you'd like to say, please.
Good evening, everyone.
First of all, we would like to thank you for paying attention to the St. Carlos community, and spending
time and effort in calming the traffic of our street.
I echo what Michael James said, and Robert, before him, that we need more time to kind of discuss
as a community.
We really love that coffee, take the time to listen to all of us.
We're in a middle of the discussion, I think we've come very close to coming together and making
sure that it's a small street that we have and say for everyone.
So, thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Mr. City Manager, this issue is just brought to my attention to afternoon, so I don't have
details as to what specifically they're talking about.
It is obviously very late in the process.
This has already been to the Council of the Council's already approved the plans and specs.
We do have bids, and as you know, the last time we bid the project, it came in at more than twice
the engineers estimate, and so the Council chose not to proceed with awarding a contract at that
time and gave us direction to go back out to bid when we thought we'd get more favorable responses
from contractors.
That's what we've done.
The bid we have is very close to the engineers estimate now.
It's good for 60 days.
So we could push this off one more meeting, and the Council would have to take action at
their next meeting, or risk having the bid expire.
What was it, gentlemen?
What do you want to do?
The chair?
Yes.
Personally, I don't quite know what the issue is, but I wouldn't mind deferring this to the next meeting
for the opportunity for staff to come back and explore this a little more with the residents
and then put it back to us.
Okay.
My question for Jeff this.
Are there some things that we can do in the interim?
Are there, you know, they said that there were some things that they were happy to see happen?
Or is it sort of an all or nothing?
I'm trying to construct.
Well, the item on the agenda for you tonight is all or nothing.
You're awarding the bid of the project as it's been designed or not.
So beyond that, I can't really speak to it because I'm not sure what the specific issues are that
have been discussed between the community and the public or director.
Thanks.
Mr. Johnson?
So just for my clarification, we're talking about the speed bumps on St. Francis's.
Is that right?
Oh, Beverly Drive.
Beverly Drive.
Well, it's all one project.
It's all one project.
It's a project that's come.
But Beverly's definitely.
Yeah.
I mean, from my perspective, like if my colleagues want to wait until the next meeting, that's okay.
I think that we debated this.
There were some people that weren't happy with the outcome of the debate, but most of the people
on the street were.
So I would be okay proceeding with the project as it is given that there's a lot of people
on that street who have been waiting a long time for traffic calming.
Is that okay?
I don't know why, but on the night that we discussed it, it seems to me all the commentary we got from
residents were people from St. Francis's.
Right.
Not in Beverly's.
Right.
I have no problem with delaying it if it doesn't hurt things.
I don't know.
I don't know if it folks from Beverly did.
Do we need a motion for that, Mr. Rubens?
You would have a motion to continue the item to the next meeting.
I'll continue until next week.
I'd move.
We continue the item to the next meeting.
Second.
All right.
Move in second.
Any further discussion?
Hearing none.
Will call please.
Councilmember Collins.
Yes.
Councilmember Johnson.
Yes.
Councilmember Oratt.
Yes.
All right.
So we'll hear that on the C-20-7th.
Okay.
The next item is item eight.
Move in.
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excuse me, whatever they want to do. After those two things occur, the council will then ask questions of staff or
perhaps the applicant, and after that, then we'll have public comment. After that, then we'll vote on what we're going to do.
Is there any understanding of the process? Okay, so we all know we're coming into. All right. Thank you.
I'll say this probably 5,000 more times, but really appreciate if everybody could be respectful.
If things appear that you may agree with, be things perhaps you don't agree with, but this is in a football game.
This is a legal proceeding, so we want to make sure everybody's respectful of everybody's viewpoint.
And believe me, I'll remind all the speakers of that same thing when they come up for public comment and in the other areas.
So thank you very much. And staff, we have a staff report.
Okay.
It's fairly brief, Mr. Mayor. Good evening. Mayor members of the City Council in the community. My name's Jeff Malpe.
I'm the City Manager here in St. Carlos. It is absolutely outstanding to see so many members of our community here this evening.
We love a full house. We love it when our community comes out to talk with us about how they feel about the issues here in their community.
Regardless of your points of view, as the Mayor said, we hope that everybody will remain respectful and supportive in
the tradition of our community and our civic life here at City Hall.
I'm presenting this evening to the City Council and urgency ordinance to consider imposing a 45 day moratorium on retail establishment,
selling ammunition and firearms here in St. Carlos.
At the last City Council meeting, the City Council directed staff to prepare this item for tonight's agenda and passage of this particular item requires a 45th vote of the City Council.
For decades here in St. Carlos, land use laws have allowed for retail sales of ammunition and firearms in accordance with state and federal laws.
In any area of the city that allows retail sales, there are no existing local conditions regulating these types of sales currently in St. Carlos.
It is important to note, however, that the Second Amendment, as it's been interpreted by the Supreme Court in a number of cases,
specifically allow for land use regulations within the typical zoning laws of a community.
When should the Council adopt this ordinance tonight, it will immediately prohibit such sales until either the moratorium expires or new regulations are put in place by the City Council.
St. Carlos has used moratoriums on numerous occasions in the past for business and residential purposes.
This is a moratorium and urgency ordinances is a typical land use zoning tool that has been used not only in this community, but communities all across the state of California for decades.
We've used it here for issues such as dollar stores, lots splits in residential areas, massage parlour, regulation changes, change store ordinances, and numerous other business related regulatory activities that the City Council has put regulations in place on.
Other communities in our neck of the woods such as Las Gatos or Boulder Creek or Santa Cruz County have in recent years used moratoriums as a tool to study local zoning regulations related to retail sales of ammunition and firearms.
A moratorium is essentially like calling a timeout.
It allows the community's elected officials staff and community the opportunity to take a step back and research all the possible regulatory options available to the community.
And the time necessary to engage residents and businesses in an open and transparent dialogue about the types of regulations that best are best suited for their community.
Should the moratorium be put into effect the staff will seek to retain an expert in this unique and specific area of land use regulation to ensure all possible alternatives are explored and presented to the City Council in the community.
It's important here to also note that should this pass tonight the staff will be coming back at your next council meeting on November 27 with an extension.
As I said earlier, law requires that any initial moratorium put in place by the City Council be in effect for only 45 days.
It's not going to be enough time. As this is a land use issue, it's required by law to go to the planning commission, before it comes back to the city council.
As I said earlier, we'll need to hire an expert to help navigate through the regulatory environment here. And in
St. Carlos tradition, we'll want to have a number of steady sessions and community meetings prior to this going to the planning commission for any potential vote.
Given the holidays and where we're at on the calendar for council this year, it's just not going to be possible to get this done in 45 days. So we'd be coming back.
The way the law works in this regard is we can come back within the 45 days for an up to 10 month and 15 day extension that brings the total to one year.
And then in the future the city council could consider another up to one year extension.
So there's two years that potentially a moratorium could be in effect while this is being studied. During that time the staff would need to show and demonstrate all the steps that we'd be going through.
I highlighted a few earlier as you know you've been through this process before.
There are quite a few steps that we go through and engage in the community and looking at any decoration of any new land use regulations.
I've heard from hundreds if not thousands of residents in the last few weeks on this particular issue.
They've reached out to the city and asked in all sincerity for this particular moratorium to be put into effect on this issue.
So the community may have the time necessary to make thoughtful informed decisions about their communities, land use policies regarding gun and ammunition sales.
No different than many other communities in terms of how they've approached sensitive land use issues on this and other subjects.
As such I would recommend that the city council adopt the urgency ordinance before you the evening.
And we'll be happy to answer any questions that we're able to this evening.
I also want to wait until we have the sheriff presentation and just ask one set of questions or do you want to start now.
I'd rather wait and wait till we get in that we can ask both sides of both folks.
So from the folks from Turner are you folks ready?
Do you have an estimate of approximately how long your presentation is?
Okay, that's great. Thank you very much.
Thank you for hearing us today and my name is Rob Ziveck.
I'm the vice president of sales and operations.
I would say I'm the one who got us into all this because I was in the area and I realized it's such a great area.
When you drive around and look at all the Bay Area for fishing all the lakes and that you realize while this is an outdoor paradise up here.
And we have 21 stores right now based out of Southern California and what I want to do first is fill you in on who we are.
So we've opened in 1971.
We started as a company selling rods and rails out of one store in Long Beach.
We opened the second store in 1975 in recita.
That store is recita is a part of LA city.
That store is still open today.
It's been open over 40 years in the city of LA.
We have over 500 employees while providing 401k healthcare and vacation benefits and employees.
We have employees that range from college freshmen in part time work to retire veterans looking for something to do in their free time.
This location would provide 25 jobs and five management positions in your community.
We also sign up more people for California 180 course than any other dealer in the state.
We offer firearms training through local ranges at every store.
So along with that, I wanted to know who I am.
I started here in 2018 and a freshman in college.
I continued to walk in school and I eventually joined the Army Reserve in that time.
After that time I became a manager and eventually moved on to this position.
I've been here now 27 years.
Bill's been with us 26 years.
I have three daughters.
I'm a soccer dad.
I've coached probably 20 girls soccer teams in my community.
I personally feel safer taking my children into our stores than I would go into an ATM or a convenience store or gas station.
Our stores are not unsafe to be in.
Turners in the community.
So it was very convenient that the boys' culture here today because as you I don't know if you know they all had patches.
Some of those patches were patches for.
If you can move more to the microphone and just speak to us to be great.
That's all right.
Just want to get it on the record.
So some of their patches on there are for shooting events.
So we take part in multiple lengths.
We like to be part of the community.
We offer a youth safari day that we do in.
In with the safari club of Orange County where over 5,000 kids get the experience.
Paintball, kayaking, all types of different out there event.
We sponsor youth fishing days at the park.
Local park lakes.
We do youth fishing trips on boats.
And I think the majority of the prepidation involving us coming here is that.
You don't know who we are in six months.
I honestly think you'll fall in one or three camps.
You'll fall in.
You'll forget the orphan there because we don't.
We don't do anything negative to the community.
Two, you'll find us at a public event and think, well, they actually are.
We actually actually kind of do like them a little bit being here.
Or three, you might actually find yourself shopping at our location.
So that's it for me.
Thank you for hearing me.
Thank you Rob.
Good evening.
My name is Bill Ortiz.
I'm vice president of compliance for turners outdoorsman.
I think for mayor.
The vice mayor and the council for hearing this tonight.
As you guys consider this more to Torham.
On retail establishments that also sell firearms around the nation.
We vigorously oppose the military.
I'm outright because we believe the conclusion of a hastily prepared staff report.
Siding.
I'm going to quote and read this.
At immediate threat to the public peace, health welfare safety.
Specifically, including possible permit damage to the city's aesthetic health, safety and economic interest.
A rising from the potential new retail firearms uses.
To be without merit.
To the opening of a new turners outdoorsman store.
The report site's extensive public comments.
Siding concerns from the less than 12 people.
Who offered comments.
It doesn't establish any side of references.
Or facts that a sporting goods store.
Which also sells firearms.
Would create such a threat as coined by those speakers.
The authentic total in some cases in correct statements offered by those speakers.
Do not establish that urgency.
Instead, the staff report includes a publication from the California Department of Justice.
That actually establishes what California dealers and gun owners must do in order to obtain
and sell firearms.
The staff report sites actually by other cities that was mentioned earlier.
Those were done in and of themselves.
Not necessarily as a reaction to hate.
We need to do this here in the city of San Carlos because other cities have done so.
A moratorium, if I can really go down on that, is different.
Then the residents coming to council and saying, hey, we'd like to do something about how we handle firearms retail
establishments.
There's a distinction between the two.
The biggest crux of tonight is the urgency clause.
Is there truly urgency based on what we're going to tell you about Turner's outdoorsmen?
We think there's some legal ten of our argument there that urgency is not required.
Notwithstanding that the public itself is expressed to you and we understand that there are some needs for oversight
perhaps from the local community.
Similarly, the report compiled in 21 days again does nothing to establish a factual basis.
We've been in business in 1971.
We operate 21 retail stores and a distribution center in Southern California.
We recently opened a store in Palm, or I'm sorry, in Salinas on Tuesday with City Council approval.
We are going to open another store in Palmdale within the next week, also after City Council approval.
Each is licensed and operates under the authority of the federal Bureau of Alcohol
to Backland Firearms and under the auspices of the California Department of Justice.
The state of California, as you know, is imposed the strictest rules in the country with regards to the selling
and ownership of firearms.
We faithfully follow those laws as well as those mandated by federal law, both California,
or both California, DOJ and federal law.
Some of which overlap and some of which are exclusive to those particular agencies.
We undergo regular audits by both of those agencies and we face no adverse action,
contrary to being an immediate public threat where the opposite.
We've participated for decades as a dealer's stakeholder with California, DOJ.
I was up in Sacramento two weeks ago, where we spoke with DOJ staff about the upcoming
campaign, ammo, merchandising, sales, purchase requirements, and registration that will come up
in 2019.
That's the partnership we have with Cal DOJ.
A relationship with the Los Angeles Division of ATF is equally strong.
We participate in training seminars with ATF as well as a factor we interact with them
on every basis, ensuring that we are 100% compliance offering our feedback on what they can do for us
in order to make sure we maintain the compliance.
We maintain strong lines of communication with ATF along other subjects.
Straw sale deterrence is one of the backbone of what we do.
We do not exist in this industry if we don't follow the law.
We don't think morally and ethically we belong to this industry.
If we don't take time to share with local law enforcement or federal law enforcement,
if there's something that doesn't seem right to us.
We value the public safety.
Our employees work in these communities in which we have stores.
The last thing we would do is in danger of that staff or own employees by recklessly
value in the dollar more than we would the rule of law.
We've worked with ATF when requested in criminal investigations reloaded, related to straw sale attempts.
We have also been rewarded once or twice with comments by ATF that some of the paperwork that we require
over and above the standard required federal estate paperwork has effectively allowed them to
prosecute straw sale purchases.
We need to define straw.
Some folks may not understand what that is.
The first straw purchase is when somebody comes in and looks like they are lawfully
purchasing a firearm for themselves expressed or staff that that is the case.
I received an email at least once or twice a week that I passed along to either local law enforcement
or to the ATF about a person who is persistent in attempting to buy a firearm in behalf of somebody else.
We will reward it by the National Shooting Sports Foundation four years ago for being a model
dealer with respect to prevention and straw purchases.
As noted in the California DOJ document that was in the staff report, sporting goods dealers could also
turn around and administer the legal required firearm safety certificate to California gun
owners before you buy a firearm in California.
You must demonstrate that you have basic safety knowledge.
Turners outdoorsman does that.
Turners outdoorsman offers services to buyers along the lines of the safe handling demonstration.
Again, these things are not adverse to public safety.
In fact, the enhanced public safety.
We also sell used, of course, hand firearms, consignment firearms.
Without the services of a dealer, those sales might just go on without a background
check.
We are licensed on top of the California DOJ, CFD, the central firearms dealer listing,
and the federal firearms license.
We are also licensed a second hand dealer.
We report every single firearm that comes to us.
That allows California DOJ and law enforcement to ensure that the gun is not stolen.
Nobody is pedaling and used guns that are stolen.
Again, we provide a service that is not adverse to public safety.
It enhances it.
Unlike in other states, people often talk about an exemption to private party sales
that doesn't exist in California.
All private party sales must be broken through a firearms dealer.
Because turners outdoorsman is open more hours than many shops around.
We actually offer, again, a service beyond whether dealers may be able to do.
We understand we all work from six to five for some combination of that long days.
You don't have time in the evening, perhaps to get to a dealer that is already closed.
You can come into a turners outdoorsman and legally broker that sale.
There is a background check done on the buyer.
The gun is stored for ten days.
That gun is also a check to make sure that it is not stolen.
Some of the long, weird part of California law is that if you are a long firearms firearm dealer,
such as a Dixer Big Five, you do not have to handle handgun for other party transfers.
Turns out that does not have to handle those because we do handle firearms.
And we often find that it goes beyond the local area where that is a public benefit.
Because if we look through the peninsula, there are plenty of big box retailers that only sell long guns.
They do not broker handgun private party transfers.
Again, without that, we would like to think that the public at large does the right thing.
But perhaps somebody speaking with their neighbor feels comfortable enough not to go to a dealer.
That is a breach of the law.
And as we all know, that can also result in some unwanted consequences.
Again, I'm going to repeat it.
That is a larger public service.
And that is not contrary to the public interest.
And it doesn't serve the statement that there is an urgency clause that opening a Turner's Act
Doorsman is going to result in some adverse effect on the public, a large.
As described in the California DOJ document, there was included in a staff report.
California gun purchasers are required to buy firearms safety devices.
They are also required by law to keep the firearms locked up to prevent access.
From those who can't have them particularly children.
And even though a lot of manufacturers do include those devices with their firearms,
we sell nearly $2 million a year, additionally over and above that,
and saves locking cabinets and firearms safety devices.
Again, our selection is larger than the big box stores.
It is sometimes larger than smaller sporting good shops.
It is again another asset to the community.
We don't go into this offering very little. That is one of the largest tenets. If you have the
fire, I mean, must on a response way, locking it up and keeping access away from those who
cannot possess firearms and or children's paramount. Not described in the California
DOJ document. Also, our situations where California DOJ cannot assess somebody's eligibility
completely within the ten-day waiting period. What happens in that situation is that
firearms purchase will be delayed for up to 30 days. And that time it gives California DOJ more
time to properly assess somebody's eligibility. Not known by too many people at the end of that
30-day period. Cal DOJ will look and run another check. If that check is inconclusive,
California law allows the firearms dealer to release the gun. Without a conclusive outcome. California
dealers may elect to release that gun. They may elect to hold that gun and not release it. There
are no stats on how many dealers do either a method. It turns out doorsman does not release
a gun to a customer where it is inconclusive if that person is eligible or not. We take again
the high road that we'd rather see public safety, bid for it too, or at least considered. That
custom we can seek due process with California Department of Justice. They can seek due process
with an attorney if that's needed. They can ultimately be cleared. In some cases, for that
was up. Again, we defer to the water and we do not release that gun out of the interest of public
safety. That is not something unique here for St. Carlos. That has been our public policy for
Guadalupe. Some of the comments that were shared with us had to do with physical safety and security
of firearms within the firearms business. Amongst the mandates that we adhere to are the minimum required
by state law in order to secure firearms. And I say we adhere to the minimum because we're
California and DOJ compliant. We exceed those requirements by adding still anchored concrete
dollars in front of our stores. We do not want the vehicle intrusion. We utilize a smash, proof,
steel, storage case, just plain firearms. We have at least 32 closed circuit TV cameras and
a 24-7 alarm system. Both of which can be monitored by any device. We all carry iPads
and toll phones on us. We can view our stores at any particular point in time. That has become
important tool for us to analyze and see if we've got any situation beyond what we already
do in security that we want to address. Long guns are secured using steel cables and firearms
not secured in those display cases are secured by steel cables. Courage stored in a limited access
safe firearms room. Of note, our physical security requirements would have met Senator
Jerry Hills SP464, a bill that was passed this year by the assembly in the Senate that would
have raised the bar from that state DOJ minimum. There would have been minimal impact of turners
that doorsmen because we already had everything in place that the Senator thought gun shop should
have. Again, I hate to be for that horse, but it is not adverse to public safety. When
we went to the planning process, we provided security details to planning staff and to chief
office. We didn't get anything in the way of feedback relative to any other concerns or something
else that they thought we should do. Being that our employees were paramount to the
access of our company, we dedicated a law enforcement that each one of our corporate managers
meetings to compliance training. We utilize internal external training, including again NSSF,
ATF, DOJ, and in some cases local police departments, if there is a specific issue that we
need to address. We are up mentioned earlier that we have been in the city of Los Angeles for
40 years. There is not another gun dealer in the city of Los Angeles. We are the only gun dealer
beyond what California law has done. The city of LA has taken steps at times to make it more difficult
for people who do not comply at our level to do business in the city. We continue to do business
in the city because we are ultimately compliance. Well, all of the turners and employees undergo
a pre-employment background screening. Most of our firearms staff are DOJ certified instructors,
which means they also have a California DOJ issue certificate of eligibility. A certificate
of eligibility is a 24-7 watch on that employee. Should that person become ineligible to be around
firearms or ammunition, that employee would be no longer working with us? An employee that is
well trained and well-compliant is really an asset to the community because they can prevent
stress the hills. They can prevent the wrong people from even seen or handling a gun. They
can give us intelligence that we can share with local law enforcement. And moreover, because we
know that they are checked by DOJ, they themselves are not a problem. They are not ineligible
to be around firearms. One of the things that's also unique to smaller sporting goods companies
is that we employ up to three full-time people with one job. They work for me as a compliance gun
desk. Their entire job is to review every bit of paperwork that we do to ensure that we have been
100% compliance. If we find that somebody has an issue, we reach out to that respective agency,
see how we need to remedy that. And if somebody is persistent and not necessarily meeting those
aims, again, that person may not be working for us anymore. We initiated least discussions with
the building owner here in San Carlos after researching local zoning requirements receiving emails from
city staff who concurred, as was mentioned earlier by staff, that this was a legal, retail use,
in that particular section along a industrial road. Talking a bit, November opening date,
we also inquired the need for any other permits or processes. Again, I'm going to distinguish
the difference between Waratorium and some type of existing due process that might be in place.
I mentioned that we had moved forward on Palmdale and they have a very specific well outlined process
in which we were to go through the same thing for Salinas. That's not different for us. It wasn't
discussed here up front. It wasn't something that was in place up front. And again, coming back to the
Waratorium, it doesn't establish the urgency that anything we've done to this point, anything that we
shared with staff at this point would be addressed to you having the store open. Afterwards, we met
with Mr. Savay and his staff, wherein we discussed the staff's necessary to submit building plans.
Again, no indication that we wouldn't be able to proceed as we plan. The suggestion was made that we
meet with Chief Rothers to review security plans being paramount to the city. We understood and so any
other questions or concerns they might have, we did so. And as we mentioned above the meeting was
quick, there was nothing to note with regards to safety security issues. By the chief of office,
North Sergeant Bennett, who was basically, I want to say, signed to us. That was referred to as
the person to be a main contact. We love having that contact with senior law enforcement and local
basis because it allows us to share intelligence and to get direction and get feedback with regards to
public safety. Delaying the opening of the store for 45 days or a year up to two years will harm
the building owner. Turner's endorsement, the 25 employees that we would hire locally, and the
city, not only in tax revenue and resident employment, but potentially in some type of settlement
should the more toy and extension be approved. Since it's somewhat debatable if the city is established
that emergency is claimed in the staff report. At this point, we've invested over $125,000 in the
location. And until October 24th, the day we were told by staff to cease demolition or build out,
we did so without any indication we'd be unable to pursue the store's completion. As it can be
expected, a senior lease has valued in a seven-digit range. That's the least we signed with everything
that we saw being a green light to proceed. We would not go down that road and not be in that
lease, had we known that there would be something that would be changing or if we'd been told the
front that there would be some adverse obstacle to us opening the store. Additionally, the city would
bear the cost of hundreds of hours needed to draft a word and set with address zoning and
add local oversight. In California, the farmers often be used obstructively. Zoning has not been
necessarily around sensitive areas. It's been more to obstruct and to all but eliminate certain
types of refill shots. We understand that you recently examined cannabis, or federally regulated.
We understand the differences in city's setting community standards relative to what they might
want to do, but there's a difference again in the more touring that obstructs, or zoning that
destruction of process is ongoing. We've seen a latter also only places additional burden on cities
trying to duplicate ATF or DOJ oversight. We love the cities that we work in, ultimately they often
defer to us because we have more interaction with Cal DOJ and ATF and it is very tough for them to place
enough resources to do the job and duplicate what ATF and DOJ does. There are studies that have
some cities have done that have confirmed that there's no evaluation of property values in
your sporting goods firearm dealers. Nor is there a direct line of causation between the same
in crimes committed with firearms nearby. Buffers owns have seemed to be around sensitive areas
that have been arbitrary ranging from 200 feet to 1000 feet. There is no standard because there's
not direct causation. We understand there are sensitive areas, but it is often a struggle for a city to
come with one that makes sense that they can turn around and rationally say this is concrete,
to substantial, and it should be at this particular distance. To some of us more at touring,
we seem to be a localized discussion of constitutional rights versus gun control, and the post-Heller
versus Washington D.C. or Chicago versus McDonald. It was noted before that there were comments
at each one of those cases with regards to zoning. I'd differ slightly that in McDonald versus
Chicago actually prevented Washington D.C. from banning gun shops out right, or using a zoning
method in which there would be no gun shops. That case has been tried again in what is basically
called the Heller versus D.C. or Heller II, and they've established the same plan.
Mr. Ortiz, you're almost done, right? I'm going to wrap this up, sir. Thank you very much.
Okay, there's going to be a fiscal commentary, study, and horrific tragedy, demonizing gun
owners and all firearm dealers regardless of the product next and intentionally misusing terms
such as assault weapon, type or easy to obtain. We don't sell assault weapons, and as you can
see by the document that was added to staff, it's not exactly easy to obtain a firearm in California.
As we walked through the city, visited shop and dying in the city. We've noticed that it is in
D.C., law and science and multiple languages reminding visitors that all are welcome, resonate clearly.
St. Carlos is a welcoming committee where pre-judging has no place, where the rule of law applies,
and is not manipulated in such a manner to discriminate. Commonly litigated legal tennis
required the facility act with fairness and equity. Yet, this considered more of Torium
seems to be at odds with the standard that seems so well rooted in the city. We understand the need
for the public to be heard and be informed. We've already overcome concerns based on the compliant
operational and professional, personal strength with an organization. We've understand that
you've heard and will hear citizens and express their feelings in an emotional, heartfelt,
ingenuine manner. However, we respectfully ask that you reject the moratorium because again,
the legal basis for urgency has not been established. Doing so does not harm the city. It
actually strengthens us that fair, honest, and equitable local resolve that it's a backbone.
Thank you. Thank you, sir. T's very much.
All right, gentlemen. Questions for folks, Mr. Albert?
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, staff, and Turner representatives.
I've got a series of questions here. Let me start with the ones that I think fall onto the staff
headache. So, Jeff, I'm going to address them to you, and you can put them to wherever you want.
We're all of the necessary permits for the store or any with the net necessary
permits for the store or granted by the city. Up to this point, including the demolition
permit. No, I don't believe any permits have been issued.
Just to have a curiosity, is a demolition permit necessary to do demolition work?
Mind your standing as it is. Interesting.
The moving sort of beyond the issuance of permits, there was reference made to substantial
discussions with city staff members about the opening of the store.
To your knowledge, was there any, I don't know how to describe this unofficial,
everything looks great, paperwork to follow, kind of communication.
No, not that I'm aware of.
And specifically, as regards the security arrangements, I know that there were discussions with
Chief Rothhaus about the security arrangements. Do you know if, if he ever signed off on it,
or specified what he wanted to have done in order to be able to sign off on it?
Yeah, my understanding is the review process for the tenant improvement application,
including the discussions about security measures that the store were never completed.
In fact, you know, I think one important word was, was,
we use in the presentation just a moment ago, and that was requested. This staff requested that.
And that's what it was. There's nothing in the code that requires the chief to sign off on anything right now.
All right. And turning to Turner, I'm not sure what you gentlemen should respond to this. I'll leave it up to you.
Several people in San Carlos had brought to my attention something, which I'm just going to read
two brief paragraphs here from San Diego, NBC News affiliate after the San Bernardino massacre.
Suspected shooters, I'm going to pass this wrong. So I add, Rizwin, for Rook, bought a nine-millimeter
Smith and Western Pistol. This will turn around doors and store in San Diego. Officials with the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives confirmed. And acquaintance purchased another
.223 caliber DPMS rifle at the same store, presumably Turner's, on for Rook's behalf.
Further down, according to the ATF, for Rook, also bought a Lama 9-millimeter pistol at an
Annie's Get Your Guns store and the acquaintance got a 5.56 caliber rifle at another Turner's
outdoorsman's store in Corona, California. It does say all the guns were purchased legally.
I just would like to know if you have any comments on that.
I do, as I mentioned earlier, California law and federal law,
outlaw, the store purchases made by one person on behalf of another.
We detect very many attempts and what I say very
And then the number of people attempt to buy on behalf of somebody else's relatively small.
We have a long standing policy. We work extensively, again, as I mentioned with local law enforcement.
One of those tenants is we do not discuss their request for information, or any of the cases that they may be working on.
That is absolutely adverse when you have international terrorism.
When you have people making strong purchases, and these cases in some, for respect or somewhat outstanding,
we will be completely open 100 percent cooperative with them.
We do not discuss this with the public.
I have to, then, I don't quite understand the answer.
So are you telling me basically that you're not going to comment on the schedule and you're not going to comment on the schedule and you're not going to comment on the schedule?
Okay, that's fair. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you Mr. Mayor. I think this may be for Mr. Zubak.
Real simple question, how did you come to choose us?
I mean, there's 20 cities in San Mateo County. Why us? You come on up because I've got a few others.
How did we come become so special?
So to be honest, we were looking at expanding north, and, like I said earlier, it's a great outdoor area.
This tons of stuff to do, and I went with our real estate agent, and we can't decide, I probably know,
I know these freeways, almost as good as I know the freeways inside the California now, I've driven them so much.
So if we just, this space was available for rent, it was in our price range.
When we look at a space, we always take into consideration where it's at, and anything that's local to it, and it fit all our criteria, and we went forward with it.
Well, I love this county too, because I lived in my entire life, but I don't know if you realize that we have a lot of open space.
75% of the land in San Mateo County, you see, they're open space, which I believe for a bit of something, or agriculture.
You know, the other 25% is houses on it. So I don't know, you know, I understand the attractiveness of it, but I don't, maybe I'm wrong, but I don't envision us as a hunting paradise.
So I'm just, that was one of the questions I wanted to ask.
I think you'd be surprised how many of you are residents.
I see a lot of hires, I don't get, you know, my friends that are hires.
My other question is, you know, Mr. Ortiz mentioned the safety standards you have in place. How long of those safety standards been in place?
Every, every year, we're constantly upgrading. So this, this store will be the probably last five years to this standard.
Sure. Sure, of course.
Alex and Showcases that I mentioned earlier have been in place since 2001.
The ballers have been in place in most of our stores.
As you may understand, sometimes there's an aesthetic in cities with regards to placing those in.
Sometimes cities more than a welcome and we'll sign off quickly.
In some cases cities have been a little, the master's of in terms of their deliberation to get that in place.
Locking long guns, having a safe secure room, that has been in place for probably, I'd say, the last 15 to 17 years.
As Rob mentioned, no different than with your home security within businesses within the city.
If something has been overcome at some point in time, we will opt the ante and take it to the next level with the best security plan we can come up with.
What we've expressed tonight, well, while in excess of California DOJ standards and in excess of Senator Bill's field.
Our Senator Hills bill may actually be up to again, provided we can recognize a weakness or something we need to do stronger.
Okay. Thank you.
You mentioned that you don't sell assault weapons.
I have to convince, I don't know what the definition of an assault weapon is, so maybe one of you could describe that to me.
I sure will. In fact, the assault weapon is whatever California law has dictated on three occasions what a assault weapon is.
In 1989, California legislature decided that guns with certain names were an assault weapon.
They had similar function to other legal guns, but by name alone they were considered to be assault weapons.
The day they were declared assault weapons, turns out doorsman sold no guns of that nature.
In 1999, the state again decided that guns with certain features.
Similar in operation to other firearms, but with certain features would be considered assault weapons.
California law changed, and again, turners that doorsman did not sell an assault weapon.
Recently, in 2016, California law changed again. Once again, redefining features.
The reason it's tough to assess what a assault weapon is, because that doesn't turn does not exist in normal nomenclature.
If you notice the guns that are not sold in California are sold in other states, not because they aren't assault weapons,
because other states have not defined weapons based on similarity of looks or features.
Is the semi-automatic considered to be an assault weapon?
Absolutely not.
There are.
Let me refer to that.
It's the then diagram.
Not all rifles that are semi-automatic or assault weapons.
Some semi-automatic weapons have been determined or deemed to be assault weapons.
But I took your question to be, are all semi-automatic assault weapons, and they are not?
Okay.
Does Turner sell semi-automatic?
We do.
Okay.
So the next part that I was a little puzzled about it.
Let me preface this with the fact that one of the reasons that we're here is really about public safety.
The emails and phone calls, and by the way, I apologize to those people who left me voice emails,
but my cell phone is not getting them.
I got them, but it didn't ring through any of my apologize.
Most of the questions are about public safety.
So this is what I want to focus on is the public safety aspect of your application.
One of the things that I noticed was that let's go back to 2001.
Actually, I want to go back to 2007.
Your Riverside Store was broken into an head 20 handgun stolen.
Okay.
In June of 2007, San Bernardino Store, 75 of our stolen.
Those were actually armed robbers.
Okay.
I don't know the details.
I'm just telling you what I read.
Okay.
You have done a good website for a show.
I'm going to look at you tomorrow.
2012.
12 rifles stole from the Turner Store in Corona.
Right.
Okay.
Two weeks later, same guys.
42 guns more stolen from your store in torrents.
Correct.
Okay.
2013.
And I'm no number of rifles and shotguns stolen.
2016.
Victorville.
Several firearms stolen.
And this year in May, Pasadena.
Two handgun vaults stolen.
Now, the what the article didn't say and I'll give you the benefit of the doubts.
Maybe the bolts didn't have any guns in.
Okay.
It's just a wrap that up.
The vaults were in behind a glass this way to the outside.
On the other side of that was a roll down still door.
A vault, as I mentioned earlier this vault that you're speaking of.
It was an accessory that was put in the window.
Somebody stole that.
We're not saying the gun theater of the brightest folks.
They couldn't get past the other security features.
All of these events that you bring up about.
We have continued as I mentioned earlier to employ more and more obstruction to people
breaking in the store.
What we want for local law enforcement is to have the time.
To either prevent these out right or to obstruct the parties who start off in alarm for a long
and of time that law enforcement has the chance to react.
Thank you.
So you understand why some people.
Interesting.
Might have some concern.
Interesting.
Okay.
That's all.
Okay.
Mr. Johnson.
Thank you Mr. Mayor.
Question for Jeff.
So this has been described as a moratorium on retail gun sales.
The ordinance talks about the establishment of new.
New retail establishments that sell guns.
Can you speak to how this will affect the existing retail.
Establishments in St. Carlos.
And why this is applying to a new establishment.
Okay.
This would not apply to any existing establishments in St. Carlos.
It's conceivable.
Should it go into place and should new regulations.
We put in that some of those regulations may affect existing business.
But, you know, the crystal ball isn't really working to that.
I agree.
So this really is about any new businesses coming into the community to allow the council.
The opportunity to engage with their community and look at any new regulations that would go into place.
And in this case, for turners outdoors.
Or any other application we get, you know, in the next period of time.
Thank you.
Any other questions?
Thank you.
So the first questions I have are for staff.
Jeff, you mentioned to Mark's question that.
Turners it started on a demolition.
Is what when retail is looking to open and they're doing TI.
Is that that uncommon for businesses to.
It started on demolition without a demolition permit.
And I'll just give you the.
The next question to that.
When that is done.
And if, you know, a business is found to be.
Doing demo work without a permit.
What's the what's the penalty?
We can probably call up.
Elsevay or Chris Valley.
And those are those are a little specific for me.
It's a.
Beating honorable mayor members of the city council.
So typically if we find out that someone's doing demolition without a demolition permit.
We will notify the people who are doing the work to stop doing that work.
Typically there's no penalty for that, we just say, hey, stop.
Come in get your demolition permit and get set up for that.
How frequent does that happen?
Would you say, you know, how many out of 10 permits?
The, the, the, finding that to be.
It's very rare.
You know, sometimes people are in a hurry to get things done.
Small retailers and such, but it's very rare that that happens.
So is it rare because they don't get caught or is it rare?
Because, you know, you're, you're not aware of it.
Or is it rare because you guys are following things.
You know, you're very much aware of what's going on.
And you don't find very often that people get ahead of the game.
It's a combination of those things.
Yeah.
All right.
Okay.
Yeah.
And in this case, some, I guess they had started some demolition work.
And how was, how did it come about that that was discovered that they were doing this demolition work?
We had heard from someone in the community that they were doing demolition work.
So we had with someone notified city staff that there was some demolition that had been done there.
Yeah.
I'm going to ask questions for you guys later.
So yeah, in turn, you may, but if, if, if it's a one-dollar question.
Is that okay?
What's it going?
Well, what's it going?
It's broken.
Yeah, go ahead.
So, and this is also for Jeff.
And every once in a while, during the year, we have three weeks between council meetings,
because of an extra week and a month.
And we had that knocked over.
So it's been three weeks since we had our last council meeting where we heard this issue and so forth.
It's, has staff, I've heard you say, you know, you would be hiring a specialist.
And so forth to look at the zoning and the extra safety precautions and so forth.
But, has staff come up with anything at all in a preliminary fashion that they would be telling
us what might be some of the things that could come out of the moratorium on the flip side of it.
Once we go through the moratorium, are there things that you could see us passing and putting into place?
Yeah, I think there's a very question council member and something we've talked about at the staff level.
But our focus has been on preparing this item for the council.
And, you know, we've, you know, we've started to create and I think we even outlined some of the questions we have at the staff level
in the staff report that we would be working to answer.
So, no, I really couldn't paint a picture for you right now in terms of what any potential regulations
or even the regulatory landscape looks like.
We know that some organizations have put, you know, various conditional uses in place for their land use process successfully.
We know that some communities have attempted to put in regulations unsuccessfully that were later challenged in court.
So, we know that there are, there are options out there, but we don't have a full understanding yet and should the moratorium pass.
That's exactly what we'll be focused on putting together a solid answer for you and your colleagues in the community.
And then, I think this is a fair question for you as a city manager.
But seems to me, and you can correct me if I'm wrong.
There's been two times where this very body, in other words, these five council members that are here now.
Out of this five came our requests to look at the availability of guns and so forth.
See, that was done on two occasions.
It takes three people to get something on the agenda and in each case, it failed to make it to the agenda.
I have the same recollection.
The other same recollection.
Okay, thank you.
The questions I have then for turners is I'd like to know when you started your.
Not when you started your search of north because that could have been, you know.
I'm trying to get a grasp of your retargeting November 1st to open the store. So when had you started the process in earnest, I suppose, talking to the property owner, where you're assigned the lease.
What are your discussions with the landlord go back to June in terms of trading emails for potential sites?
June of this package.
June of 2016.
Okay, and then you were targeting November 1.
About the action that November 1.
May November 2.
Okay.
To open.
And you mentioned that your capitalization so far in this project is 125,000.
Right.
So had you, I would take a lot of that to be working with an architect for TI work.
Right.
And you had almost submitted plans, or had submitted plans, or what was the status of that?
I believe we submitted plans because we did get feedback from staff with regards to fire buildings.
I've do we also got requests from staff for a valuation of parking, which is a typical staff question when you're looking to retail.
So I don't want to contradict what anybody said earlier, but we did meet with ministers today and have a discussion.
That again resulted in the turnover discussion to Chief Rathaus.
As well as the fact we've traded some emails back and forth relative to certain expected parameters when you go to open a store.
So you know, I'm design houses for a living.
So I know you go through a planning process with the kind of projects I do.
And then you go that then you submit to building with building plans for construction.
Can you do any eight?
Do you know what you did so far?
What repeat the question?
So I don't know what your process doing a commercial TI, but with the process I do, you usually do a submission to planning and start that process.
And then when you get approval from planning, then you go in with actual construction drawings for a building permit.
And I'm trying to delineate where are you going to do some plans?
They get sent out the easy like five different departments, planning, zoning, fire.
Maybe that's it.
And then you get comments back.
So we have already received the comments back from the department.
These were construction drawings for TI work that you had submitted.
Okay, very good.
That's what I was trying to get at.
And then you mentioned that you have assigned lease with a building owner.
Have you had any discussions with paid?
We've got this issue and it could be anywhere from a 45 day to two year delay.
What's our penalty if we have to extricate ourselves from this contract that we've already signed with you?
Has there been any.
No discussions on that.
Okay, but you do you know in the language of your lease agreement, if you backed out, there'd be some penalty or something of that sort.
Well, the outside of what we've already paid out.
Right.
There's some protection for us in the lease.
Okay, very good.
And then I want to touch on something that Mark had brought up about the background checks.
And you had mentioned about how much you work with Cal DOJ and ATF.
And going through that background check process and Mark brought up some cases.
I guess where there were some straw purchases or people had fallen through the cracks.
I understand, though, that you're giving that information to the government.
What they do with it and how efficient they are with it is up to them, not up to you.
Correct.
In cases where we are getting all sorts of signals based on any number of just experienced parameters.
We will act quickly.
In cases where straws fail is nearly inditectable because the person come in and expresses an interest in that particular firearm.
Can delineate what they're looking for by brand or by type and have a discussion with staff.
That sale is no different than the other sale.
One of the things I mentioned earlier is that there is a form that we do.
Again, we do is just a common sense.
We think of this common sense business practice of having the customer sign, what firearm is getting.
That is received safety instruction for that firearm.
The California of safe handling demos are mentioned earlier.
That they have read the instruction manual and if they have any questions, we can ask them or we can answer those for them.
We also ask them or advise them that the firearm that they're buying is for themselves and only for themselves.
Because state and federal law prevent otherwise.
We also advise them that the firearms that they are purchasing are legal as is sold in California.
That any alteration of modification, addition, subtraction and so forth might put them in harm's way.
As I mentioned earlier, we've been notified of multiple occasions that that form has been extraordinarily effective.
Though not required and firms are prostituting people in mainstream purchases.
Thank you.
All right.
Mr. Over, you have another question or two?
Just one, Mr. Mayor. Thank you.
Actually, for Mr. Rubens, one of the other things that I've found that interesting to learn about in this entire discussion.
As I was prepping for the meeting is trying to get some clarity on what a business is looking to open up a retail shop in San Carlos.
In San Carlos or indeed in any community.
To what extent is the ability to do that?
I guess I would describe it.
I'm not trying to use legal terms here.
So maybe using an incorrectly a matter of right versus a matter of privilege.
In other words, to what extent is it that the community does have to say in terms of what's there and what's not?
Well, that question revolves around what really you're considering tonight.
It's the emergency ordinance and a moratorium is its zoning ordinance.
And the rights under the zoning law, we regulate zoning all over the city.
We have residential districts.
We have commercial districts. We have special overlay districts that deal with the downtown core.
We have districts that allow multi residential or mixed use.
So that's core to the California system of zoning and regulation that cities have the right to reasonably regulate the land uses in their city.
There's some you know invasion into that right if you will.
So what comes to me to me right now is you know home daycares.
We the state has taken away some of the regulatory authority for home daycares.
One of the things about what you're hearing tonight is how complex the issue of firearms and ammunition sales are in the breadth of regulations that multiple levels of state and federal government.
The experience that what I've done since the Council directed us to look at this is how to what extent can we impose a moratorium.
The research I found is that several local cities have done what you're proposed it was being proposed tonight so that we could figure out what the rules of the game are, what the limits of zoning are, what we can do.
Bested right the vested right concept concept or what you're talking about.
Generally the rule is you have to have a permit to get a vested right and I hear the theory that's being proposed here that you can get a vested right before you have a permit.
But that's not necessarily what the rules are the rules are you get a permit you have you have tamed the right under the zoning ordinance and under the rules for under the building code.
So that hasn't happened in this case.
Mr. Mayer I apologize just something Mr. Ruben said sparked another question.
Greg you said that other municipalities have imposed other moratoriums specifically about gun stores or.
Yes.
Well let's get us in Boulder Creek and the county of Santa Cruz have all gone the route of a moratorium in last few years.
Boulder Creek was in response to an application for a fifth.
I quote gun store in their community and was got us was also in in a similar situation.
I don't have all the facts of how they.
What led to it in was got us but obviously there was a community concern about the health safety and effect on the vitality in their community.
Good.
Thank you.
Thank you Mr. Mayor.
Thank you.
A couple of last questions.
I guess this for Rob.
What percentage of your storage sales are firearms.
I think you sense a letter and indicated something about.
So under seven percent of the sales floor space is four firearms under five percent by quantity.
I'm so what was the second part?
Under five percent by quantity.
By quantity.
By dollars.
Could you still be profitable if you didn't sell guns?
Our deputy killer.
Hard to be a hunting and fishing store when you don't.
Aren't able to.
Well aren't boson arrows.
Hunting implements.
Just curious.
Could you still be.
Yeah.
There's this effort season for our tree in California actually.
So the question is.
Our tree is a very.
A crazy business in California in that every area is protected.
Their brands are protected.
So you certain areas you can't put in certain brands.
Otherwise we would put in our tree in certain areas.
Okay.
I'm not sure if you said in there about the profitability.
I just didn't hear it.
Or is that not something that you're willing to discuss.
Yeah.
It would be impossible.
Don't be profitable with them.
Thank you.
That'll.
Okay.
I had a couple of Mr. Cheese.
Thank you.
Has Turner's open stores and communities that have local land use regulations specific conditions for firearm sales?
Yes we have.
Okay.
Can you just throw one out or a couple out?
I will mention not two that I mentioned earlier.
The city of Palmdale.
Okay.
And the city of Salinas.
Okay.
Do you believe these regulations in other communities where you have opened locations to be fair and equitable?
Not always.
Okay.
Can you provide examples of the types of regulations or conditions these other communities have in place?
Sure.
The equitable or the not so equitable.
Well, I wanted to have each because we'll get going.
Sure.
That's fine.
What we consider equitable is where people want to review.
Obviously what we've discussed prior with regards to having a proper permit.
The proper vetting and making sure that when we go into business and sell fire arms that we're going to turn around and do so according to law.
We would look at the cities of Palmdale and cities of Salinas as being those examples.
We mentioned earlier the city of Los Angeles.
We have a great relationship with the city of Los Angeles.
But they have created a zoning scheme or metric if you will that no other firearms store may open because they use this power to be obstructed relative to either such restrictive sensitivity buffers and or places that are not suitable for retail such as an industrial area or someplace of that nature.
Okay.
Do you believe that the city of San Carlos community should have the opportunity to consider the same types of regulations you described?
Congratulations.
As I mentioned earlier, I think that is the process of moratorium.
Is a little bit different.
If I can speak to this question too, we've stated that there's a 45 day moratorium.
By the staff report that is a one year moratorium, essentially from the start.
There will be another opportunity for you to vote for an extension in merely two weeks, not in 45 days.
That will extend this to a total year.
Okay.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Okay.
All right.
So we'd like to be going to public comment.
Our city clerk has advised me there are 120 sheets here.
So if I have two minutes for each of those, that would be 240 minutes, which would be four hours.
I am certainly wanting to hear from everyone.
But I would appreciate if folks could be succinct on their comments.
I will be very restrictive on this timer.
And I will cut you off because I want to make sure everyone gets heard.
But I don't want to be here till midnight.
I would like to have it in two, two and a half hours.
So we have some reasonable list of awakeness up here that we can make a good discussion.
The other thing is that I think I mentioned before, appreciate the civility so far.
I would hope that that would continue.
You're going to hear some things from folks up here that you're going to really, really, really love.
And you're going to hear some things that you really, really don't love.
And certainly I understand that.
But let's be realistic about this.
Is that everyone has a right to speak, as long as they're respectful.
If they're not respectful up here, I will shut them off.
And if the room gets a little too, should we say excited?
I will ask for a recess.
So let's make sure we're listening to what folks you're saying, whether we agree or disagree.
And then we can go from there.
So hopefully we'll have a good discussion.
All right.
Are we ready?
Okay.
So the first speaker I have is Danielle Lappanyan.
All right.
I apologize.
I'll come upon you.
And again, two minutes goes pretty quick.
So the sink has, it would really help.
And I will catch you off.
Welcome.
Thank you.
My name is Danielle.
And I'm a resident of San Carlos.
San Carlos has a well-stock gun store on their website.
And even says that they now carry California factory legal ARs.
Instance happened at gun stores.
It's so guns.
There's a robbery in Britain's smithers in 2016.
During which numerous guns were stolen.
In 2006, a man walked out of their store with the gun.
He was asked to see and committed suicide in the sidewalk using ammo he bought
brought with him.
Turner's was geared up to open this month.
As you can see from the image to the right of the first page of the...
New member weekly advertiser, guns are their focus, and they claim to be the enterprise number one retail recruiter.
The proposed location is near many places children frequent.
People here tonight who live in St. Harlus will undoubtedly recognize the proposed location
up there in the turquoise. Businesses next to freeways like one can become more of a target for robberies.
Turners, which has over 20 stores, mostly in southern California, has had many incidents of theft. Two of the four weapons, as you heard, were used for the San Bernardino mass shooting were purchased at a turners.
This photo is of the victims of that mass shooting, and it brings home the heartbreaking cost of inadequate regulations and lack of gun reform.
Our gun death rate is rising in 2013, gun homicides over 21,000, gun homicides over 11,000, accidental death by gun over 500.
Research shows the variable that explains this is our astronomical number of guns.
This slide shows the United States far outpaces other developed countries in gun ownership, shown in blue 88 guns per 100 people.
I'm sorry, I'm going to have to stop you. Two minutes, thank you.
The next speaker we have is Rob Anson.
All right, that's fine, Rob. Go ahead. Before you start, Rob, I should be doing this and I forgot in how I have these large ones.
But I want to have a couple of little line-ups, so we're ready to go.
Follow by Jackie Yon, followed by Chris Wheeldrier.
Go ahead, Rob.
I'm not a resident of San Carlos.
In this slide, the scale of these unacceptable tragedies could have been greatly reduced.
If rapid fire assault weapons were not so readily available, we have to take a stand at the local level due to inadequate gun control and reform.
Last week, Newsweek noted the gun deaths this year, total 13,000.
This photo of last month's Los Angeles Las Vegas victims.
Tell me, when you look at these faces, that someone's access to an assault rifle is more important than their lives.
Mass shootings only account for 2% of the gun deaths, but it is the shootings taking place in parking lots, bars, schools, bedrooms, street corners that are responsible for most gun deaths.
The states with the highest gun ownership had nine times the rate of unintentional gun deaths compared to states with the lowest gun ownership rates.
If you search accidental gun deaths in California, you find an abundance of horrific incidents.
Teenagers killing friends or siblings harming each other by accident.
In 2013 to put this in perspective, there were 27 police officers killed by gun shot.
82 children under four years old were killed by gun, according to the CDC and FBI statistics.
Approximately 800 children were killed by gun fire in 2015, and a study published in 2017 in the journal Pediatrics dated from 2002 to 2014,
show the number of children shot and killed per year is 1,300 when suicide by children are included.
The city of San Carlos has not revisited the issue of regulations for store selling guns in the city limits for decades.
Let's do this.
All right. Thank you.
Appreciate your comment.
Jackie Antholed by Chris Wheeldryer followed by Aspen Mulden.
Thanks so much, guys. I really appreciate the time you're taking to really think the service is really important for our community.
It is time to revisit regulation. This is a public health issue. Thank you so much.
Thank you for your comment. Chris Wheeldryer followed by Aspen Mulden followed by Mary Reed.
These guns in our community are incredibly dangerous things to have.
There are a public health problem for us at the very least.
We owe it to ourselves to take a little time to at least understand the situation as far as as much as we possibly can before we make any decision.
I support this more.
Thank you.
Aspen Mulden followed by Mary Reed followed by.
See you in Friday.
City Council members. My name is Aspen Mulden. I've been a resident of San Carlos for 11 years and I'm a peninsula native.
I am asking the city council to approve a more touring on gun stores in San Carlos.
Well, there are many arguments on both sides of the table.
It seems to me that many people are jumping to conclusions as to why we're against a gun store in our community.
This isn't about taking anyone's rights or guns away.
Guns can be purchased up and down the peninsula, including from our own Invertence Miller's and San Carlos.
This is about the safety of our community and whether or not another gun store is representative of the kind of town San Carlos is and wants to continue to be.
Turners or any other gun store will bring hundreds of net new guns into our city.
Regardless of the safety measures we've heard tonight,
you can go online and as Ron said earlier, there have been multiple gun robberies from Turner stores.
If you allow more guns into San Carlos, there are more guns to steal.
And as you already know, our local gun store was robbed just last year.
If there's no way to prevent it, why risk it?
What happened in Las Vegas in Texas can happen in San Carlos?
Let's not kid ourselves, violent crimes happen in small towns more than people realize.
I am a survivor of a violent crime that happened to me at eight years old, just blocks from my home in Palo Alto.
I am proof it happens and it changes you forever.
More guns in our town, unquestionably increased the risk of something happening.
I am asking you to really think about the implications of whether or not the guns for means for seeing Carlos and approving a moratorium.
You will have proper time to do so.
Thank you for your comments.
Mary Reef followed by Sierra and Friday followed by Kathy Beard.
Hello, I'm Dr. Mary Reef.
I've lived in San Carlos for a total of nine years.
I'm also a board certified pediatrician and I follow the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Unfortunately due to the nature of my job, I have seen the impact of guns on children.
An example at a play date where a child finds a gun tells or a responsibility tells an adult.
The adult picks up the gun and it shoots him in the abdomen.
Another example that I've seen is a child who was at piano lessons.
Ten year old who was shot and leaving him paralyzed.
So we as a medical community and so we have gathered 64 signatures from physicians who live in this area or who practice in this community.
We strongly support a moratorium of gun stores.
It is contrary, it may be contrary to Turner's opinion.
But the medical community has come in consensus against the opening of the store.
And to place a moratorium and so we can have some time to digest it and the impact of its safety on the community.
We ask the city council to consider having whether or not having a gun store in such close proximity to businesses that cater to children.
Is something that we should not think more of.
Thank you for so much for your time.
Thank you, doctor.
See you on Friday followed by Kathy Beard followed by NiLu.
Hi, my name is Aaron Friday and I support the moratorium.
I'm a San Carlos residents of 11 years and I have 45 other signatures of San Carlos residents who couldn't be here who also support the moratorium.
I'll hand these up once I finish.
The council needs time to make a thoughtful decision concerning adding a third gun store to San Carlos.
And it's not just any gun store.
Contrary to Turner's idyllic misleading presentation, this store is not concerned with our safety.
I invite you to examine Turner's website.
Look under its second amendment tab.
First, it probably states that it's the NRA's number one supporter.
Secondly, and most importantly, in big bold letters with the link, it urges anyone to go anyone on their site to take action.
To take action against what?
To take action against California's strict firearms safety laws.
Let's talk about a couple of those laws that they oppose that are before the California legislation.
They oppose banning concealed weapons.
They oppose laws that ban the possession of guns within school zones.
And unbelievably, Turner's opposes California's pending law that mandates security and stores regulations related to guns.
So don't be fooled.
Turner's does not care about San Carlos's safety.
And Turner's seeked out our town because of our lackzony laws.
We have no hunting areas in San Carlos.
City Council, I urge you to please take the time to digest everything that you have heard and will hear tonight,
so that you can enact appropriate regulations to ensure our town safety.
We live here.
They don't.
Thank you.
Please, please, please.
Thank you.
Folks, let's stay together here.
Kathy Beard followed by the Lou followed by Karen Poluska.
My name is Kathy Beard and I've lived in San Carlos for 35 years.
Thank you for this opportunity to urge you to vote for the moratorium.
My main concern is about the safety of the products themselves.
I too found the number of reports about the burglaries.
I'm not particularly comforted to hear that some of them were armed robberies,
which I heard them say.
And I would like to ask you to please vote for the moratorium.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
I'm Nilloux followed by Karen Poluska.
Follow by Lori Lowell.
Hi.
My name is Nilloux and I'm a resident of San Carlos.
Last week, I read the daily journals article that cover the safety measures that turners outdoors men
and tends on having for their store.
I would like to thank and acknowledge the store for implementing these extra safety measures.
However, it seems to me that they are aware that current federal and state requirements are lacking.
The California State Legislature has placed the bulk of the responsibility of putting these extra,
but necessary safety measurements on local communities.
Unfortunately, San Carlos has not yet acted where the state has failed to act.
While I appreciate that Turner's outdoorsman is going beyond the current state and federal requirements,
they are not the ones that know what is best for our community.
Nor is the welfare of our community, their primary concern.
I don't really know, Turner's outdoorsman.
We haven't had time to build a good proper relationship yet.
They may be a great partner, but I don't know that.
What I do know is that I know and trust my own community.
I would prefer that our own city attorney, city staff, community members, and city council.
Be the ones who decide just what safety requirements would best protect our community.
Please do not deny us the right to defend ourselves and establish our own safety requirements.
City council.
I ask that you please vote for the moratorium, so that our community can look into what is best for our community.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Karen Poluska.
Well, by Laurie Low, followed by Pamela J. Holt.
Hi. I'm Karen Poluska. I'm a San Carlos resident for about 12 or 13 years now.
I can't speak as eloquently as a lot of the other people have, so I must be very brief and just say that
as a person who's been a victim of burglary in San Carlos, as a person whose family's been affected
by gun violence, directly having lost my sister in logic on violence. I completely support the moratorium.
I think a lot more thinking and conversation needs to happen before another gun store opens in San Carlos.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for your comments.
Laurie Low, followed by Pamela Jolt, followed by Kristen Lindberg.
I cancel members. I'm Laurie Low, and I live in San Carlos. I work in San Carlos, and I raise my children in San Carlos.
As we've heard, turn us as a history of armed robberies. It is next to the freeway, making it easy target.
It will put up concrete barriers to keep cars from smashing into it.
This store will open next door. My children learn how to swim. Next door, we buy literally equipment and they are a school district office.
I believe we need to take the time to think about how a new gun store would impact our community.
And if this is the direction we want to go in.
When my eight-year-old hurlard heard about tonight's meeting, he wrote the following asked me to share it with you.
And please note, this is in the context of the recent and horrific tragic mass shootings.
And we've tried to shield them from them, but it's become increasingly difficult due to their frequency.
So, and he wrote, there's no point in guns. There's no point in war instead of war. You can talk things out. Guns are only for hurting.
I ask that there will be no hurting in San Carlos, California or the United States of America.
So, on behalf of him and my family, I ask that you support a more atrium on new gunstores and think through the consequences to our community.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Pamela J. Holt, followed by Kristen Lindberg, followed by Colette, Narenheim.
Thank you, good evening. My name is Pamela J. Holt. I've been a resident of St. Carlos for 37 years.
With the unprecedented growth in Carlos' experiencing now, we as citizens need to be extra vigilant
as how we want our city to grow, and for this we need a moratorium that goes to the very core of
housing and Carlos conducts itself as a city of good living. This is what I want for St. Carlos. I
want us to seize this opportunity through a moratorium to come together and dialogue together about how we
want our city to grow, to decide what value we are creating within our community with our choice of all
new additions. It is a time for all residents to have a voice to speak their views and beliefs. It is a time
perhaps to agree to disagree, but still come together and dialogue. It is a time for the empowerment of each
citizen. Let's do this based on mutual respect. Let's not alienate ourselves from another. It is not a time to put on
our political armor. Let's find our common humanity. Unity is strong and disunity is weak.
Without a moratorium, we will be divided in and weak. Asshadow, if what is happening in our country,
on the national level, citizens will feel they had no voice and what is without doubt a very controversial
issue. How such a controversial issue was stethily passed through without residents' knowledge
needs to be explained and discussed. Now and during our moratorium, we do not need in my opinion
or in my opinion want. Outside people coming in and posing their personal political agenda in an effort
to influence and determine the outcome of this situation. Please ask yourselves of our communities
going to be governed by ourselves or by outsiders who might turn local lobbyists. We have this
going on in Washington. Let's have St. Carlos seize this opportunity to take control of our city
and be a positive example of the power of dialogue on the local level to resolve issues based on moral
standards, not political ones. This is what I want for St. Carlos. The city of good living. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Folks, folks, folks, help me out here.
Christine Lindberg followed by Collette and Narnaim followed by Rob Janks.
Hi, my name is Kristin Lindberg. I've lived in the area for 10 years. This door would be
two miles from my home in Redwood City and I just want to strongly support the moratorium. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Collette, Narnaim. I said that wrong. I apologize. Rob Janks and
Allison Fox. Hello. Thank you for getting my name right, Iraq. So I have been a resident of
St. Carlos for 11 years. I have three young children and I strongly oppose another gun store coming
to St. Carlos. I think it is much too close for this children to be exposed to. We absolutely
have no hunting anywhere near here and those lakes, those are reservoirs. So I definitely encourage you
to oppose this gun store coming to St. Carlos. Thank you. Okay, thank you for your comments. Okay,
let's keep it straight here. Okay. Rob Janks followed by Allison Fox, followed by Air and
Nefac. Thanks a lot for taking that time to listen to us today. Council members, I've been a
resident of St. Carlos for five years. I think it would be impossible to deny that firearms are a
public safety risk and issue. The product isn't safe and so we need time to figure out how to deal with
that. So I urge you to vote for the moratorium. Thanks. Thank you for your comments. Allison Fox
followed by Air and Nefac, followed by Sue Kang. I'm Allison Fox and I'm a resident of St. Carlos also
the mother of two children in public schools here. We've lived here for over 10 years and I care deeply
about the safety and well-being of our community. I'm here tonight to ask the council to prove
the moratorium on any new gun sale operations in St. Carlos. A moratorium will allow the council,
city staff and residents of St. Carlos to study the impacts such operations might have on our
public health and safety and crime levels in and around our town. The council has conducted public
meetings before approving or denying other lines of business in the city as we've heard staff mentioned before
and I ask the council to do the same and ensure there's a lot of discussion before allowing any new
gun stores in our town. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Air and Nefac followed by Sue Kang,
followed by Jonathan Chan. Thank you. My name is Erin Nefac. I'm a developmental pediatrician
and a citizen of St. Carlos but I speak tonight on behalf of the entire American Academy of Pediatrics
of State of California. We are a nonprofit organization, a pediatrician dedicated to the health safety
and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. The entire AP of California
is on board with urging your leadership and supporting a moratorium and further restrictions on gun
stores and St. Carlos. The AP has a policy statement entitled, preventing fire-arm related injuries
to the pediatric population. It clearly states, and I quote, the absence of guns from children's homes
and communities is the most reliable and effective measure to prevent fire-arm related injuries
to children adolescents. The other data are clear as well. Access to guns increases the number of
conflict-related deaths in injuries. Access to guns and unsafe storage creates risk of serious
unintentional injury and death. Fire-arm related injuries are often fatal and suicide
fatality rates increase if guns are present in the home. The mission of the AP of California
is to protect and promote the health and well-being of all children in use living in California.
For the reasons stated above, and also because, as Mr. Ortiz mentioned over and over again,
he said there was not a sense of urgency here. This is the second leading cause of death in children
nationwide. I believe that is a sense of urgency and a public health emergency, and I believe
that criteria has been met. The AP is fully prepared to work with the council and the community at
large to protect children in place to help safety and well-long-term well-being as a primary focus
of your gun control efforts. Thanks for your time. Thank you.
Sue Kang followed by Jonathan Chan followed by Stephanie Lai.
Well, my name is Sue. I'm a resident of St. Carlos for five years. We have one four-year-old
and six-year-old girls. We move down to St. Carlos to raise our family. This morning, we're walking
to school with our kids. Our four-year-old girl was Kim Ben asking if we needed to move out
as in Carlos, perhaps we had to move out of our country, because she is very conservative guns.
And please, for for a motitarian, in the sake of our future generation here. Thank you.
Thank you. Jonathan Chan followed by Stephanie Lai followed by Joanne Sorrell.
Thank you, Councilman. Members, my name is Jonathan Chan. I've been a resident of St. Carlos for five years.
I believe that there is urgency for more time that wants more time. To me, a highly efficient
for-profit business that is supplying guns and demos in turn neighborhoods in her community is a
compelling community interest. And one in particular that they've said could stay in our community for
decades as a plan. To me that that wants urgency. And I also, unfortunately, take issue with some of the
comments today, or to make me even more concerned and disturbed about turn as a business.
You know, some of their comments were highly legalistic, and they were suggestive of taking legal
action against our county for our process. And to me, that strikes a question in my mind whether they
are really looking out to become great partners for our community. So again, to me, warrants,
you can more reason to have a moratorium so you can actually spend some time and consider the issues.
You know, we live in exceptional times when two of the, two of the, you know, as large as
mass killings in America have occurred in the last two months. Unfortunately, they've been tied to
a mass killing and so for these reasons, I think it's wise for us to take some time and to really
consider whether they should be in our community. Okay, thank you for your comments.
Stephanie Live, followed by Joanne Surail, followed by Michelle Surail.
Hello, my name is Dr. Stephanie Live. I'm a pediatrician board certified in fellow of the American
County of Pediatrics for four years. I'm also a resident of St. Carlos for three years.
And here today to express my concern with the proposed new guns during St. Carlos,
I do understand that guns are heavily regulated and in an ideal world, they would only be used safely
for sports and protect us from those who want to harm us. However, we do not live in an ideal world.
You have to look at how guns are actually used in our society. You and your loved ones are more likely
to be injured by having a gun in your home than you are from using it to protect your family. This is
a fact. For every time a gun is used in self-defense in the home, there are seven assaults or murders,
11 attempted suicides and four accidents involving guns. As a pediatrician, I have seen this first hand.
I've taken care of a teenager who tried to kill himself by putting a shotgun in his mouth,
only to miss due to the kickback and severely disfigure his face.
Some would say he's got one of the lucky ones because he survives. I also take care of two children who are
essentially now orphans because their father shot their mother in a fit of rage. So he's in prison and
their mother is dead. I stand with Dr. Rene, Dr. Navec, who you've heard, the American
County Piatrics and over 60 community physicians and growing who believe that we cannot guarantee
until we can guarantee that guns are used only for protection. The only way to keep our children and
families safe from gun violence is to keep them out of our community and this means prohibiting
new gun stores. So I hope you strongly consider this moratorium and a more permanent ban on gun stores
in the future. Thank you. Thank you. If you're comments, Joanne Surail, followed by Michelle Surail,
followed by Brooke Silpcibly.
Good evening. I need Mr. Joanne Surail. I'm a resident of St. Carlos for the last 35 years.
Sorry. I've worked as a realtor for St. Carlos. I have worked as an after school art teacher
in St. Carlos at all the schools. I'm a mother. I'm a grandmother. This is hopefully some good
will come out of some bad. I am used to stand Carlos being the city of good living. I think we had
a failure in communications. We have newsletters. We have websites on the website. We have shape
California informed California. We've been asked about the cannabis. We've been asked about smoking.
Why were we not asked about this? I have spent all we have and the notice was given to the
mayor and the city council a week ago and this whole process has gone on. It is in direct
opposition to how things usually happen in St. Carlos. There's an economic development plan that states
land use. We have a formula. Locations, stores over 10 that we decide whether we want them in our
city or not. A previous development manager Mark Saywick said there are lots of businesses
interested in St. Carlos, but there's not always opportunities for them. We said no to Apple. How can
we say yes to a firearm store and why do we not know? I don't have PowerPoint. This is an
older girl. I have to show you that not only are we not only is the location surrounded by children's
play areas. There's also RAI, roadrunner's sports, go get sports, there's marine, everything.
We have lots of sports stores. I'm sorry your time is up, ma'am. Sorry. Thank you for your time.
Thank you all of the people who came here to absolutely please. Please do that.
To the city clerk and we'll make sure it's part of the record. I have a hundred petitions from
holders of businesses on Laurel Street and the principal and vice principal at Central.
Okay. Thank you very much. Michelle Surail, followed by Brooks Siddly, followed by Dirk Kinley.
Hi, city council members. My name is Michelle Surail and I'm a mother of two small children and a
San Carlos resident. I'm also an ex president of the San Carlos youth softball association.
I urge you to vote in support of a new gun store moratorium. Every day, 93 Americans are killed with guns.
Seven children are killed with guns in the U.S. on an average day in the United States.
Colin Bine, Virginia Tech, Aurora, Newton, Charleston, San Bernardino, Orlando, Las Vegas.
I will not have saying Carlos we next or any other town on the peninsula or in any surrounding
community where someone can purchase this hangan at turners. Please vote in favor of a moratorium.
On you guys door opening and saying Carlos, thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Brooks Sibli, followed by Dirk Kinley, followed by Jenny Woodrow.
Hello. I'm Brooks Sibli. I am a San Carlos resident. I've lived here for about five years.
I'm also a former teacher from the San Mateo Foster City School District.
And I would like to share with you a little bit about what it was like to be a teacher.
I miss all of these mass school shootings.
We were trained in how to grab our students' desks and shove them up against the doors to create barricades.
In case there was an active shooter on campus.
We were trained how to locate the best corner of the room to hide our students.
In case a mass shooter was peaking in through an uncovered window.
We were told to instruct our students to run in as the exact pattern on the playground.
If there were being shot at a recess.
So this is not the country that I think this is not what I want for San Carlos.
So I am here to voice my support for a march.
I'm on the gun store. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Dirk Kinley, followed by Jenny Woodrow, followed by Danielle Van Wirt.
Dirk Kinley, I am the San Carlos resident.
I've been for the last eight years.
I bring the perspective of a father of three young kids as well as a real estate agent,
commercial property owner in San Carlos also.
I support the moratorium.
I think in a few levels I think it's been fairly voiced by a lot of people before me.
The fear is about having firearms and specifically what I see is a high-density of firearms in a small community.
It does scare me. Kids are curious.
If you're curious too, you can also look out there for data and what I've seen in terms of interesting data.
Professor Stanford Law Professor John Donny, you put out a study in June.
Probably see that coming up.
Not enough time to really talk about that right here.
I think that putting that aside on the property standpoint.
Even if you're not scared about guns, look at what brings people in San Carlos and it's not guns.
Property values are brought here and sustained by being a small community and a safe community.
Think about the perception of the buyer coming in and looking at single family homes would not.
Thank you for your comments.
Jenny Woodell followed by Danielle VanWord followed by Laura Palmer.
Hello.
Hi. My name is Jenny Woodell. I am a business and college resident for 15 years.
My husband and I are raising our three children here.
I am also the director of a community-based preschool hand-tongue.
And I ask that you all vote for my favorite moratorium tonight.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comment.
Danielle VanWord followed by Laura Palmer.
Low hand followed by Ruth Donahue.
Good evening. My name is Danielle VanWord.
I am a 14-year resident of San Carlos and I support the moratorium.
And first of all, while I appreciate Turner's representatives being here this evening to discuss their business with us.
I'd like to dispute their claim that the federal case of heller supports their right to self-fire arms in San Carlos.
That statement is incorrect.
Heller is no longer the controlling legal authority on the issue.
As of last month, the 9th Circuit handed down the case of Tashara versus the county of Alameda.
Which specifically said that the county of Alameda could regulate gun sales in its county.
And that while there's a second amendment right to own guns and use guns, there's no second amendment right to sell guns in the location of one's choosing.
That aside, what you're being asked to do is pass a moratorium to consider a zoning ordinance that restricts gun sales in our community.
And that is absolutely within our communities right to do so.
The California Constitution recognizes that it is the community that is ultimately responsible for protecting the health and the welfare of its citizens.
And to decide what types of businesses it wants year.
And whether those businesses reflect the character and the values of its community.
And that's what this moratorium does.
We would be in good company there only over 25 cities and counties in the state of California that have enacted similar measures.
Many of them under a moratorium and federal case law after federal case law has upheld those regulations and bound them to be lawful.
And the reason is that there is a real connection between public safety and the availability of guns in a community.
In 2015 nearly 500 firearms were reported lost or stolen by federally licensed fire on dealers and California such as turners.
Between 2013 and 2015 guns for burglaries by 28%.
And sadly and most recently in the Journal of Public Health there was an academic study.
The demonstrated a correlation between the number of firearms available in a community and significantly higher homicide rates.
I can go on and on because sadly the social science and the statistical support for my position is voluminous.
I'm sorry you're out of time, but thank you for your comments.
I'm sorry.
Let's keep it straight here.
Laura Palmer, low hand followed by Ruth Donahue, followed by Susan Sway, I may miss that one.
Hi.
Hi, City Council Mayor staff.
My name is Laura Palmer, low hand.
I'm a resident of San Carlos and I'm a mother.
I respectfully stand with my neighbors and ask that you vote for a moratorium on turners gun store.
I also am looking for peace of mind.
I think it's important for us to study the impact that this will have.
Some of the comments made by the representatives of Turner make me think that increased police support will be required for a retail store of this kind.
My understanding is that public safety makes up half of the San Carlos budget.
When I've learned recently is that with the additional retail stores and additional tax revenues coming into our community.
And I asked what will happen with those revenues.
I understand that majority of those are going to go for public safety.
So it's not as if our city can really afford additional taxes on public safety resources.
And despite all of the obligations and fulfillment of the compliance that Turner has offered us.
There's one fact that they can't dispute and that is the fact that once the sale of the gun is made.
Turner's has no control over what happens with that weapon.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Ruth got a few followed by Susan.
I'm sorry.
It's me or where.
Wherever it is.
And followed by Phillip Abrams.
I'm a news risk.
I'm a resident of San Carlos.
I've lived here for 15 years.
I have three children.
And we frequent that area.
Where the Turner's store is planning to open.
And my concern here is that.
Turner has done a lot to protect their property.
They're going to set up these concrete barriers.
To prevent, you know, people from stealing of their guns.
My question is as Turner says said.
Gun things are not smartest.
They're going to do stupid things.
What is the city going to do to protect the people around it?
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Susan and I apologize.
You'll have to say it for me.
I'm sorry.
Followed by Phillip Abrams.
Followed by Joan Abrams.
All right.
My name is Susan Sway.
I get it.
Quickly.
Okay.
And I am a resident of San Carlos for 15 years.
I'm a business owner in San Carlos.
And I'm a mother of two children.
And I support the moratorium.
And I'm totally heartened to see all my friends out here.
Who believe in the same as I do.
It's really encouraging that San Carlos has shown up at this meeting to let you know how we feel.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Phillip Abrams followed by Joan Abrams followed by Jessica Zander.
The city council members thanks for your hard work.
I don't know if you have.
I'm pretty sure it's very much.
It's a planner.
It's a city attorney.
Thank you so much.
I'm filled.
Abrams.
My life.
Joan is here.
We brought our first house in San Carlos.
When we were 23.
The house we're in now.
When we were 29.
We just have my 7 second birthday last week.
So my God.
How old am I?
I'm a past president of the Coranis Club in town.
Past president of the Friends of the San Carlos adult community center.
I'm very service boards.
I grew up in the very early in San Mateo.
Now it's a great place to be raised and to be a young person.
But living in San Carlos has been even more wonderful.
San Carlos has the best possible character as a city.
A city.
One with one to raise one's family in which we did.
I own 30 retail stores.
In with our first family store in Burlington.
Our second store in San Francisco.
I know what it's like to run retail stores.
And understand the needs of retail organizations.
I have an affinity for retail businesses.
I have nothing against folks only on purchasing guns.
But as with my store locations, the malls, avenue strip centers.
They were involved in the mix of businesses.
As were the city planners and the city councils for all of our stores.
They were very much involved in the kind of business.
And that came to change in our city.
They looked at how certain retail owners would affect the culture and parents of their city.
I would suggest that we do not need a large retailer selling guns in our city.
We have a gun shop.
There's a big five within five minutes of us.
It sells many, many guns.
I believe that in large gun store will change the character of our city.
And we have our children living locally.
So, thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Joan Abrams followed by Jessica Zander followed by Wendy Bostis.
My name is Joan Abrams.
I've lived in San Carlos for 47 years.
I think it makes us the oldest people here tonight.
I strongly urge the council members to support the moratorium.
I don't feel that turners is a business that will enhance the community.
And I don't want to hear in our time.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Jessica Zander followed by Wendy Bostis followed by Kelly Markson.
Hi.
My name is Jessica Zander and I've lived and worked in San Carlos for the past four years.
I have two children who attend San Carlos public schools.
I support the moratorium to block new gun stores from opening in San Carlos.
For me, it comes down to the fact as it's been widely documented that more guns equal more gun violence.
We have one gun store already in San Carlos.
We do not need another one.
I have 51 signatures of San Carlos residents who could not be here tonight to speak,
but who also support the moratorium.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Wendy Bostis followed by Kelly Markson followed by Leslie Duhant.
Hello.
I'm Wendy.
I am a 16 year resident of San Carlos.
I have two kids here.
I'll be brief.
I just want to say I'm worried about the additional crime that this could bring to the community and the strain on our law enforcement.
And I support the moratorium.
Okay.
Thank you for your comments.
Kelly Markson followed by Leslie Duhant followed by Mari and as Woodson.
Hello.
As a mother of two young children, I'm strongly opposed to another gun store opening in San Carlos.
This new store would introduce more guns in the community which would without a doubt make it less safe.
More guns mean more violence, more burglaries, more suicides, more accidental deaths.
This is not what we want in our community.
I'm in strong favor of the moratorium and ask the city council to vote in favor of thank you.
Thank you for comments.
Leslie Duhant followed by Mari in as Woodson followed by Conan Low.
Hello and good evening.
My name is Leslie Duhant.
I'm a very happy St. Carlos resident for 15 years.
Mother of two children and a strongly and wholeheartedly support this moratorium.
I was shocked and appalled to learn that another gun store would even be considered opening up in our city of good living.
How did it get this far and how come we didn't know.
The statements from the Turner representatives stating that they're just another RAI is completely false.
What they didn't tell you which is posted on their website very clearly is that they are actively working to reverse California gun safety laws.
Keeping our children safe.
They are actively working to make it easier and simpler to secure a semi automatic firearms.
Why do we want this in our community?
I don't understand.
Thank you for your time and consider this moratorium.
Thank you for your comment.
Mari in as Woodson followed by Conan Low followed by Bill Schupler.
Hello, my name is Maddenez Woodson.
I've lived in San Carlos for eight years and I'm raising two young daughters to attend our public schools.
We cherish our community and our proud of living in the city of good living.
I see no place for additional gun stores in our town.
And I hope this moratorium on gun stores in San Carlos is granted.
And thank you for hearing me and my felt.
Hello, like-minded townspeople.
Thank you for your comments.
Conan Love, followed by Bill Shep, excuse me, Shepler.
Shepler, Sarah Hick, and followed by Sarah Hickie.
Sorry, go ahead.
Hi, my name is Conan Love. I'm a San Carlos resident
I've lived here for 11 years.
I actually grew up in Cupertino, which is just south of here.
And the news that a new gun store was attempting to open
and same vicinity as the place where we take our kids to get their swimming lessons.
We go to buy their cold-buster smoothies when they're sick.
I brought back a wave of memories from an event that happened when I was in high school.
This is my yearbook from 1993 at Monavista.
And right back here, you can see there's a memorial to our friend Anna.
Anna was a freshman that I knew, and in February of that year, she was shot and killed by a bullet
from a 44th Magnum that was fired into her forehead.
It was a horrific end to an argument that she was having with her boyfriend
while they were at a Super Bowl party.
And even more tragic was the fact that she had obtained the weapon
for him previously from her father's own gun collection.
The thing that I remember most from that February,
aside from the sadness and the shock of her murder,
was a way that her father cried at the memorial service.
His whole body shook with the tremors as he saw
from the loss of the daughter that he had killed by his own firearm.
I remember saying to my mom that I've never seen a man that broken
and I never hope I have to see it do it again.
That was a completely unnecessary death of a 16-year-old girl
who was nice and sweet and had a life full of promise
that was immediately cut short and that's why I'm here.
We already have two gun stores in St. Carlos.
We certainly don't need a third and my opinion
we shouldn't have one located right next to where countless families
and family businesses are situated.
Please vote for the moratorium.
Thank you.
Take a few comments.
Folks, thank you.
They'll check their file by Sarah Hickey, followed by Analisa Baker.
Thank you.
I'm a 25-year resident of St. Carlos,
with a 100% voter participation record.
My wife is a St. Carlos native and a bona fide pillar of our community.
She's the co-founder and executive director of a vital county-wide nonprofit agency.
We are raising two future St. Carlos voters
who enthusiastically represent the city in seven different organized sports,
plus scouting.
I have been hunter and I know how it feels to shoot a firearm
for the purpose of sport.
My family and I ask that you vote in favor of the proposed moratorium
against additional gun shops in St. Carlos.
I've heard an overwhelming amount of discussion
on why St. Carlos should not add a gun's name
who's superstore to its retail portfolio.
My question is for our city manager and planners.
Why should we add a guns and ammo superstore
to our retail portfolio?
How is this the best value option for St. Carlos residents?
In my mind, responsible city management requires a clear vision
that takes into consideration the unique character of a city
and proactive planning, planning decisions
that result in a positive impact on both quality of life
and property value.
Given its unique gifts, St. Carlos has the luxury to pick
and choose its growth partners, ensuring a progressive culture
and sustainable prosperity for its citizens.
So how did we get to a place where a guns and ammo superstore
sets up a half mile down the street
for more Tesla designed and assembled its first cars?
This feels like a gigantic step backward.
I failed to see how a guns and ammo superstore meets the needs
and desires of St. Carlos, where is our vision
and where is our proactive planning?
Finally, anyone who compares Salinas or Palmdale to St. Carlos
has a severe lack of understanding of our community
and Silicon Valley in general?
Thank you for your comments.
Okay, go, come on.
Sarah Hickey, followed by Annelisa Baker, followed by Suzanne Bonser
or Boacher, I'm not your witch.
Hi, my name is Sarah Hickey
and I've been a resident of St. Carlos for the past six years.
I've got two boys, five and eight.
And I feel like it is my duty and behalf of my children
every other child in St. Carlos to approve this moratorium.
I think it was made very clear in the dialogue between all of you
council members and the representatives here from Turner
that we need a lot more dialogue about this issue.
I personally don't see that we need to have yet another gunstore
as so many other people of eloquently said.
So I won't belabor it, but I hope that you agree.
Thanks.
Thank you for your comments.
Annelisa Baker, followed by Susan Bouter,
followed by Sandy Althouse.
My name is Annelisa Baker.
My family has owned business in Carlos since the mid 60s
and we own two commercial properties on Old County Road.
I'm a resident of St. Carlos on Belvedere for 11 years
and raised my two children here and I support the moratorium.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Susan Bouter, Sandy Althouse, followed by Amy Costa-Shack.
Susan Buller.
That's all right.
19-year resident raised two sons, public schools,
work in St. Carlos.
One son turns out, even though I'm not liking it,
turns out to like hunting.
He has two rifles.
He lives in Colorado.
I suggest Turner open a store in Colorado.
There's lots of hunting land there and there's people that will buy your guns.
I'm very fearful of the country we find ourselves in and more nervous about
what we are becoming when we are not safe in our schools,
listening to music or attending church.
We are not safe anywhere, perhaps even not safe in St. Carlos.
I urge the council to vote yes on a moratorium.
Let's take some time to inform our residents of this potential neighbor,
allow for input and more evaluation.
I believe most residents will want to have a say and learn more.
We are the city of good living, not the city of gun living.
Thank you for your comments.
Sandy Alcouse, followed by Amy Costa-Shack, followed by Karen Molinari.
I'm Sandy Alcouse.
I've lived here, most of my life.
I wasn't born here, but I was raised here and came back to raise our children
who are now off in college.
I just want to remind everybody I don't even have to remind everybody
because the sense of anxiety not only in this room over gun violence
is very strong, and of course in the United States,
with all the shootings that have happened recently, especially.
So I'm just hoping that St. Carlos can be a leader and say no to having this gun
store in town.
I also just want to say that the NRA fights tooth and nail to not lose any ground.
They're not willing to give up anything in this battle.
To keep guns flowing freely, and I think St. Carlos should be a leader
and say no to that and do what we can to keep as many guns off the street as possible.
Thank you.
Okay, thank you for your comments.
Amy Costa-Shack, followed by Karen Molinari, followed by Anki Rotomaker.
Rotomaker.
Sorry if I'd please name that.
Good evening.
My name is Amy Costa-Shack.
I am a pediatrician and a mother of two children.
And even proud or member of St. Carlos have been a resident here for 13 years,
and you guys really make me proud.
I am asking you to listen to the voices of St. Carlos's residents
to vote yes, and the moratorium on gun stores, and to ultimately prohibit future
gun stores from conducting business in St. Carlos.
Fire on related deaths are the third leading cause of death among children.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, as you have heard, has stated that the most
effective way to prevent fire on related injury to children is to keep guns out of
homes and communities.
The New York Times recently published a great meta-analysis with data showing a direct correlation
between more gun ownership and more related deaths across American states and cities.
I am here requesting that St. Carlos citizens have a say in our city's development
and the safety of our community.
Guns should not be sold within steps of stores that also cater to children.
Area residents have a wealth of options for purchasing firearms.
I helped at least 13 stores that sell guns from South San Francisco to Mountain View,
and we have at least one here in St. Carlos.
I've heard of two tonight.
Turner's promotes its firearms as sporting equipment and claims it takes safety measures.
As we've heard, history proves otherwise with robberies and other Turner stores
in Torn, San Bernardino, Riverside and Victorville, where multiple firearms were stolen
and they weren't used for sport.
Turner's was also responsible as we heard for selling two of the guns used in the San Bernardino
mass shooting.
We elected you to listen to act on the behalf of San Carlos residents and to keep our city safe.
Please don't be bullied by this gun store or gun activists who might not even live in the city
if they've been eating you.
Please do what's best for our families.
If I have one more moment.
Nope.
Thank you.
I'm trying to be fair to everybody here.
So Karen Molinari.
Followed by.
OK.
Rodamaker.
Followed by Joseph Stempelman.
Good evening, Council members.
My name is Karen Molinari and I want to thank you for bringing this.
Thank you for bringing this issue before the Council allowing for community engagement.
As the native San Carlin, who's raising the fourth generation of San Carlos residents and my family with my two children,
we've been her a long time.
I'm invested in this community.
My grandfather, a decorated World War II fire pilot taught me the love of country and honor of public service.
I spent 10 years working in state and federal government and I'm always thrilled to see large crowds at Council.
This is democracy at work.
As a 12 year old, I took my first gun safety course with my father, county point.
I have to say I was quite proud of my aim and abilities.
It has served me well at amusement park shooting galleries.
I am not anti gun, but tonight I speak as someone who's lost a family member to suicide by hand gun.
I also speak as a friend who nursed a college, a star college football player back to life after an attempt to suicide by hand gun.
He's now a quadruplegic and he speaks out about handgun violence.
This has touched my life.
We live in a high stress area and are all well aware of the increase of child suicide rate.
You've heard repeatedly tonight the data linking access to handguns and increased rate of suicide.
Please, do not add to this increase by allowing easier access to guns within our community.
We do not need a big box gun store or community's been served by Emberton Smithers.
I'm also concerned for our law enforcement officers who will be the first line of defense in dealing with any increased crime resulting from the stores presence in our community.
Please pass this march on.
Thank you for coming to folks folks.
Thank you.
Okay.
Red of maker.
Joseph Stempleman and Susan Tatum.
Okay.
Is that okay here?
Okay.
We'll put that one aside.
Joseph Stempleman.
Paul by Susan Tatum.
Paul by Hillary Wissinger.
Hi.
My name is Joseph Stempleman.
17 year resident and father.
I think of two things I would add that have been said.
So I had been in that parking lot with my children on foot buying arts and crafts from home.
From from office depot.
I'm going to rob owner sports.
I've driven through there for other things.
There's often a Halloween store.
I don't know if there would be.
So often if there's a gun stop there.
I don't know if office depot has had a chance to speak up about this.
And on the other side of that fence, I've been at that job.
I bought dog food with my kids.
And I think one of the missing phrases here.
I'm not a lawyer.
I just is that appropriate.
It is one of it I ask you to consider.
The other thing I want to say is I do empathize that.
It's tough as a project appears to be approved.
The regulations are okay, but there's a change at the last minute.
But whether they sought us out for it.
Or if it was a happy or unhappy coincidence.
Turner, you found a community that just isn't ready or prepared for this.
Please give us more time.
Thank you for your comments.
Susan Tatum, followed by Hillary Whistinger, followed by Glenn Jellano.
Hi, I'm Susan Tatum.
I've lived here for 31 years.
I'm definitely supporting the moratorium.
Thank you.
I'd like to say that right hopefully Glenn Jellano, followed by Lisa Mackie.
Hillary?
I'll put that to the side in case Hillary comes later.
Glenn?
You're up.
Mr. Mayor, members of the council and staff.
Appreciate the opportunity to speak this evening.
I know there's a lot of emotion in this room regarding this issue.
And I have to say for me it's less of a second amendment issue.
The way I am pro-second amendment.
It's constitutionally enshrined.
It's been backed up by the Hillary and MacDonald decision as mentioned earlier.
But to me, this comes down to us since a fairness.
We had an applicant that came to the city willing to put in a retail business
in a properly zoned area.
Got no signal from the city that this would be disallowed.
He was encouraged to invest his money entered into a lease.
He has incurred debt as a result of that.
And just out of fairness, I kind of feel like the city is now trying to change the rules
after the game is started.
It's just fundamentally not fair.
It's not whether you're pro-gone or anti-gun.
As I said, those things have been enshrined.
We took a pledge of allegiance this evening.
In which it said, the right to pursue.
Life, liberty, and happiness. Liberty is the freedom to engage in law-abiding activities.
It's a lawful owner of a lawful enterprise in this state and in this country.
And again, I just think you've changed the rules that the game has started, and I think
that's just patently unfair. I also remember just a few months ago that we took a vote,
or you can also members took a vote to make this a welcoming city.
Are we sitting in the message that law-abiding citizens engage in lawful activity?
Aren't welcome, but I leave a laylands are.
You had an opportunity to bring the issue up, as was mentioned before,
and entertain a gun debate. You chose not to do it.
Now, after the applicants invested money, now you want to bring it up.
I think if you want to go forward and have a future discussion, that's fine.
I think we're going to have an engine effect this applicant.
Thank you for your comments.
Lisa Mackie, followed by Steven Gonzales, followed by Richard Pierce.
Thank you, council members for listening to our community tonight. My name is Lisa Mackie.
I have two young boys, and have been a resident of St. Carlos for 13 years.
So overwhelming evidence points to a simple fact. More guns equals more violence.
Gunna availability has a positive correlation with violence. The scholarly data is clear.
Countries with more guns have more violence. States with more guns have more violence. The problem
is not the placement of more guns into the hands of law biding citizens in the Greater St. Carlos
area. It's the very, very likely chance that guns will make it into the hands of criminals.
On December 8, 2011, 25 iPads are stolen from the best-by-store in St. Carlos Marketplace.
It jays into the post-fire arms retail space.
Whilst, why steal from this store, it's incredibly close to Highway 101, making it very easy
for criminals to get away from the scene quickly. Note that the retail era for the proposed fire
am store has nearly unfettered access to Highway 101. Be the side exit of the parking lot on
to Britain Avenue. On May 22, 2016, the most into the storefront of Emberton Smithers and El Camino and St. Carlos.
The thieves were in the grab and unknown number of guns and get away and detected.
The implication is obvious. The store will be a target for thieves. This appears to be a very,
poorly thought-out proposal. It does not load well for the safety of our neighborhood to a
bit and another fire-armed store so close and I hope you will support the moratorium.
Thank you for your comments. Steving the Zollis followed by Richard Pierce followed by Demi McDermott.
I understand people are afraid of firearms because they are not familiar with it.
They don't have an education. Can I get everybody to turn around and look back at the police officers
please? Every one of them has a firearm. It's semi-automatic. We've been here three hours. Nothing
bad has happened. I need to say that I grew up in St. Carlos, 60s and 70s. I used to hand here and
I know we don't hunt anymore, but I still purchase items here, restaurants, and move up and down
up in insulin. My education for a firearm safety was from Inberton Smithers and Little Places like Turner.
I've taught maybe 60 kids over my lifetime firearm safety. I've heard parents talk about teaching
her kids respect for swimming. I respect for fire. I would suggest as a parent and grandparent.
We need to do the same thing for firearms. We're just the mayor of thought of a firearm puts
people in the frizzy or the way the law works now. It's a little sexual advice to
cooking a shape of a firearm if people go crazy. Turner is a reputable place. They work with the
NRA which is the largest education organization in this country. That's something they think we should
support. Thank you for your comments sir. Richard Pierce, followed by Demi McDermott, followed by Ralph
Bash. All right Mr. Pierce. Thank you. Demi McDermott, followed by Ralph Bash, followed by
Lee Solon. Ralph Left, OK? Demi McDermott, Ralph Left, so we'll go there. Lee Solon, followed by Chris Hunt.
Is it good to stay out for here? Followed by Lisa McCornay. It's Courtney.
Go ahead sir. Hi there. My name is Lee Solon. Thanks for getting my name right. My wife and I have been
raising our kids in this community for the last seven years and we're raising them in a country with a
gun problem. You know the stats? They're horrific. It's far too easy to buy a gun in America
and at the federal level our government refuses to do a thing about it other than offer gun victims
and their families their empty thoughts and prayers. Instead they've left it to us to do what little we
can to address this problem in our own communities. That's why I'm here. If another town wants another
gun store, that's up to them. I don't want one in mind. Mr Ortiz give a very thorough and detailed
account of everything that Turner's is going to do to try and protect our community from their products,
safe concrete barriers, background checks, whatnot. You know why all that is necessary
because guns are instruments of death. The best way to protect our community from them
is to keep them out of our community. I urge you to vote for the moratorium and to prevent any new gun
stores from opening in the future in St. Carlos. Thank you. Here you go. Folks, folks, folks, folks with
keep it together. Chris Hunt, Lisa Corney, Fog and Jordan Stockton.
My name is Chris Hunt. My wife and I have lived here for over 20 years and more to the point I have
cousin's relatives who live in San Diego Connecticut. It's been over two years and the town has not recovered
from the tragedy. My sister-in-law was a teacher at that school. She feels the town will never
recover. I encourage the council to vote for moratorium and to ultimately prevent and assault
weapons store from moving into St. Carlos. For those who think it is not an assault weapon store,
you can find right now the Ruger AR556 that was used in Solomon Springs on the Turner.com website.
There is no need to enable another assault weapon store. There is no need to enable another
Sandy Hook. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Lisa Corney, followed by Jordan Stockton,
followed by Rob Koia. I'm not sure if I got that right. Lisa?
Hi, my name is Lisa Corney. Thank you for your time. I wrote a really great speech, but
everybody has covered it tonight very well. I just wanted to throw in my support with the wave of people's
strong feelings about you sitting on the moratorium. Thank you for your comment. Jordan Stockton,
followed by Rob Koia. Remain, Loprette. Mr Stockton? I wanted to thank the council for a lot of patience this
evening, but I also wanted to speak on two items and that was around the language we use to describe
what's before us tonight. And in a couple of occasions we have called the institution that we're
discussing a sporting goods store. Well, I have to say that roadrunner supports NRI and gets our
sporting goods stores, but a store that takes pride in the ability to sell semi-addict, semi-automatic
weapons late into the evening and considers that a differentiation commercially is not a sporting
good store or a store that I consider a sport at all. There's a second type of a term I thought would be
important to discuss. And that's the spirit of this discussion. This is not a zoning issue.
Zoning may be a way that we address a larger issue and that's that people came here in the spirit of
activism. As we talk about the number of deaths that happened in highly publicized events and talk
about how that is overshadowed by the 80 people per day killed by guns, we come here in a spirit of
being able to do something anything to stop what is before us. And so I am treated as counsel
in the spirit of doing anything they can to take these 45 days to contain the two years and do
it's right to get in front of what is an epidemic in the spirit of activism. Thank you for your comments.
Rob Cohen, Romain, Leprette, followed by Hannah Dores.
Yes. I thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Rob Cohen. I'm the father of four
boys who have been raised in the St. Carlos Public Schools. I'm a resident of St. Carlos for 15 years.
Why do I oppose a new gun store moving into the city that we love? If decreases public safety and
increases fear and anxiety, our children don't need more people with guns. Our law enforcement
doesn't need their job to be any more dangerous than it already is. It's ethically unthinkable
to allow a gun store to open up in the wake of some of the worst mass shootings in our country's history,
the statistics and the backdrop of depressing public health problems we have with guns.
As we've heard the existence of a store like this invites thieves who can and will breach attempts
to prevent break-ins. Again, as we've heard the link between the opportunity to purchase firearms
and the potential for violence in particular affecting our children is inextricable,
regardless of a store's compliance with laws. Contrary to Turner's claim, there should be no harm
to the landlord who would be likely able to lease the building to another commercial tenant in a
strong economy and there will be no harm to employees who haven't been hired yet. This isn't about
assault weapons. It's about the opportunistic sale of weapons full stop. People can and do assault
other people with them. In summary, we need time to stop, think, and assess the impact and
move like this would have. Blindly moving forward is simply irresponsible. Please vote for the
moratorium and consider turning Turner's away. Thank you, if you're coming.
Thank you so much. I'm new kid on the block.
Three years in San Carlos and I want to support the moratorium. In particular, I want to note that
I hope that you'll consider, hopefully adopting the moratorium but also making a special effort not to
have the current gun store be kind of like an open option for the future. So it's such time the current
gun store moves on that that not be like we always have one gun store or we always have two gun stores.
The hope would be that we would have no gun stores in the future. So I just wanted to support that.
And from a marketing perspective, I just wanted to point out that if you're opening a store
that sells guns and people are not supposed to buy for other people but you're opening a right
before Christmas and right at the holiday time. I just find that kind of interesting.
Break-ins, yikes. That's kind of, says it all. I'm a mom and I'm really worried about our kids.
My son has had to intervene with multiple kids who are kidding. I'm sorry, cutting kids who
he had to call 911 and someone who sent us a snap that was going to, you know, there was actually
attempting suicide. There's a lot going on for our kids. It's really hard. It's starting much
younger than when we were kids. I think we really need to worry about them. I also just want to mention that on
next door, we're new to town. We've been appalled by some of the races that we've seen on there. People's
saying they're going to get guns because they're afraid of people coming to their doors. It's terrifying to us
as people that are different in this town as well. We don't like to have that kind of energy in town and
guns just up the ante for mistakes. I think I'm out of time, but thank you very much. Okay, thank
you for your time. Rahul Mothor. Okay, Ron. You have his, I can't say that any. We'll follow by Liz,
men followed by Jackie Honourary's book. Okay, followed by David Stewart. If it's any consolation my wife
kept her maiden name. Okay. Thank you. I feel much better for that exact reason. Okay. So my name is
Ron. I'm a San Carlo resident. I live here for about 4.5 years. My kids go to public school here.
They participate in leads, camps, recreation, provided. We engage heavily in many of the staff programs.
My wife has her business here. So I'd highlight this is it. My family and I are deeply, deeply invested in
this community. And this is a family-centric community where we want, this is a place where we want
to have kids to be free to run around and for parents to feel safe and letting their kids run around.
So I'm highly sensitive to any initiative that would bring fear, danger, or crime to the city.
And allowing more gun stores would do just that. Gun stores are prime targets for first-smashing
grab thieves. We saw this with Inburnt Smithers and that's been highlighted. Turner has been broken many
times and outside of Turner's any new, any other new gun store, which would be a similar
smashing grab target. Frankly, I just don't want crime targets in my city. We have to
bend the illusion of the city. We have probably about a dozen more on the peninsula. And now we
In our view that we can make gun stores more safe by installing cameras and windowless steel store fronts and metal bars and concrete barriers.
I don't want to walk down there with my kid and my kid say daddy, why are all those other stores open and that one is locked up like a jail?
Well, that's where we keep the stuff that kills people. That's not the conversation I want to have.
I think some of the visitors to our city who may be some of the NRA guests to the city.
My understanding is actually, they might have stopped by BNK needs to have grabbed some sandwiches.
About 40 seconds.
Go ahead.
Right to this?
Well, that was actually, that was going to be a dollar store before the community stepped in and stopped that and turned that into BNK needs.
So, I'm imagining that their experience would have been somewhat lesser had we actually left that and become a dollar store.
So, your time is up, Ron.
Thank you for your comments, though. I appreciate it, thank you.
All right.
Liz Men, followed by David Stewart, followed by Christine.
You know, Joseph Kirschenbaum.
I will be very brief, I promise.
I am very active and member of this community. I work here. I live here. I'm raising children here.
And I believe in St. Carlos.
I think it's extremely disingenuous that Turner's is reporting themselves to be sports and outdoors.
It is really clear that their main business is selling guns.
And they said tonight that it is their main source of income.
So, I think it's really clear.
I don't think it's a good fit for St. Carlos.
And I urge you to impose them a more atrium.
Thank you to each time.
Thank you for your comments.
David Stewart, followed by Christina.
Hannah Joseph Kirschenbaum.
Mr. Stewart.
All right.
Christina.
Hello.
And I'm a resident of St. Carlos and a mother of three here.
I had a speech.
And then I found out that Turner sold the guns that were at San Bernardino.
And that happened at the Golden Gate Regional Center, which is the agency that serves my daughter here in this area.
And after that happened, it was terrifying for us and for all the people who serve my daughter here.
So, obviously, and for the moratorium against the new store opening,
but I also have to thank Turner because I really think that they have booked the Bayer here.
And San Carlos was asleep at town, but you know what?
We're real welcome now.
And we're not going to sleep anytime soon.
Thank you.
Your comments?
Matt Michaels, followed by Steve Quahn, followed by Melissa Damon.
Mr. Michaels.
Thank you for bringing me this evening.
My family moved here in 1957.
I've lived here for 50 years.
I went to White Oaks.
I went to Central.
I went to San Carlos High School when it was here.
And then I'm going to have my glasses.
I retired, but I'm doing work for the Open Space Trust Rebuilding Together.
I even helped Ben Elliott.
One of the fellows who got his Seagull Scott Award tonight with the project that got in there.
And to say that this is a complicated and emotionally charged issue as a way understatement.
I learned issued a 22 caliber rifle at Carmel Islands CA, not too far from here.
I was also the victim of a home invasion, not too far from here.
The difference in a home invasion would have been something to do with the firearm.
I didn't have.
But my son was threatened at that time.
And fortunately it all worked out.
But it was a very difficult experience for all of us.
For a variety of reasons.
I didn't have a firearm at that time.
However, I am a life member of the NRA.
I'm an NRA certified rifle pistol shotgun firearm safety in the home instructor.
A range safety officer, a level one sporting clays instructor.
And I'm also a certified 115 instructor.
I've had hundreds of hours in form of firearm training and provided thousands of hours of training to others.
Considering all this, I found the most dangerous thing around any firearm is ignorance.
The ignorance brings fear, breeds fear, and in the context of abandoning our tradition around legal firearm ownership.
The combination of ignorance and fear makes otherwise good people.
Really good big people race to abandon the big piece of our cultural history.
And more importantly, it's future.
Bending guns are forgetting their sale will not stop bad people any more than banning pressure cookers, knives or high capacity, fully automatic,
granted delivery vehicles.
Denying a business is right to legally self-fire arms to legitimately qualified law-biting citizens would be equally as an effective.
If Michael's I'm sorry, your time is up.
Thank you.
Thank you if you're coming at so.
Steve Quan followed by Melissa Damon followed by John Citizen number seven.
I wish to express my opinion in that I think the moratorium should not be passed.
It seems like Turner says already gone through a lot of hoops in order to go and compliance with law.
And I feel that San Carlos is moving to go post for them to discourage them from opening up their store.
I don't think that the store would be a target for thieves anymore than a bank would be a target for bank robbers.
I mean, so what are we going to do not open banks because, you know, I like it wrong.
Also, you know, as far as the tragedies go, one of the last three tragedies was somebody running a truck at home depot and running into a bunch of people in New York City.
But nobody talks about well, maybe we have to get some regulation for all of our hardware stores so that they don't rent trucks because they could be potentially used to kill people.
So again, I urge you not to vote for the moratorium.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments, sir.
Melissa Damon followed by John Citizen number seven followed by Judith Selvich.
Hi, I'm Melissa Damon. I'm a 17 year resident of San Carlos. I love living here. I'm raising an elementary school age child.
So many people have already made these points, but I think in summary in the last few weeks and years we've had numerous horrible things happen with people being injured and killed by guns.
And we know that a leading factor in our country with this problem is how many guns are available.
And right now, the five of you can actually do something positive to maybe make a difference. Maybe we won't ever know about it, but at least we could have done maybe beyond the right side of history.
So I really encourage you to hold the moratorium and then in the future, something else to maybe stop selling guns in our city. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
John Citizen number seven.
Judith Selvich followed by Dan Katania.
I'm doing a salvage. I don't know where John Citizen went.
But I'm joining an opportunity now, so we're up to six people, I guess, saying that Turner seems to be a well-run company.
We have a lot of safety features in place.
If there's not a demand for their products here in San Carlos, they'll have to go out of visit or move along.
As we know, I know, a number of San Carlos citizens with guns and they take very good care of them to make sure that they're not available to children.
And so I urge anyone who is very concerned about their children getting guns to make sure you protect the guns you have at home if you have them.
I think I think I'm guessing you're going to vote for the moratorium because of all the voices you've heard, but I think it's unfair to this company that's come and seems to be well-run.
And it's looking through this process.
All right, thank you for your comments. Dan Katania followed by Bernadette Gates followed by Maeve Knopf.
I might have missed out on two. Dan Katania, not here. Bernadette Gates. Bernadette Gates? Okay.
Follow by Maeve Knopf, followed by Kevin Storm.
Welcome. Thank you.
Good evening. My name is Bernadette Gates, and I'm on behalf of myself, as well as my husband, Reverend Allen Gates, who cannot be here tonight.
We would like to encourage the City Council to vote to approve a moratorium on new gun stores in San Carlos.
There have been many passionate arguments tonight about gun violence as a health care professional at a level one trauma center in San Francisco.
I encounter the destructive power of guns and the patients being cared for almost every day.
My husband, as a minister, has assisted women and abusive relationships secure legal protective orders against armed and violence spouses.
We could add our stories to many more, including the mass shootings around the country.
Please vote and support of the moratorium. Thank you.
If you're comments.
Kevin's a part of me, Maeve Knopf.
I'm sorry, did I say it right? Okay.
What is it? What is it?
It's no, it rhymes with no. Sorry, sorry.
I could just take it off, but I blew that one too.
I would like to urge the Council to enact the moratorium.
With a proposed gun store in such an easy on easy off location from 101.
San Carlos could well become the headline, the source of a gun used in yet another massacre.
I don't want that to be where I live.
Thanks.
Thank you for your comment.
Kevin Storm, followed by Anne and Gabby Lou, followed by Rebecca Dodson.
I'd like to thank the Council for allowing me to speak.
I'd like to point out a few things that I've heard in this room.
I've heard a lot of physicians today talk about the number two or the number three
cause of death.
What's the number one cause of death?
Motor vehicles.
How many of you will get cancer from the personage and stumped out of your vehicles?
I'm a former paramedic.
I picked up more kids who died because their parents couldn't put them in a car seat properly
than ever got shot by a firearm.
Are we having an urgent moratorium on motor vehicles?
Go high school.
How do those kids die?
You talk about death.
Those kids stepped in front of a train.
If somebody's really in the intent of killing themselves, they'll do it.
Doesn't matter if it's a firearm or train a car or jump off a cliff happens every day.
Don't fool yourselves.
It's a legitimate business, constitutionally protected, and you're in fear.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
I'm sorry, Mr. Holder.
Mark?
I didn't hear what you said, so I'm sorry.
Okay.
Next week, you're in and Gabby Lue or one of the two.
Followed by Rebecca Dodson.
Followed by Ash to her mother.
Anna Gabby Lue.
Okay. Rebecca Dodson.
Ash got a mother.
Mr. Come on up. You come to the center.
Sorry. You walk to the center out.
Welcome, sir.
Thank you. My name is Ashuk Mathur, a longtime resident of St. Carlos.
By now, it should become fairly obvious to you as council members.
The overwhelming sentiment is in favor of not having this organization in our city.
And I think the only way to go is to declare a moratorium and work towards making it happen.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Did I? Michael James.
You already spoke though.
Oh, that's right. I'm sorry. I apologize.
I knew I'd see the name somewhere before I apologize.
Come on up. Sir.
Followed by Katie Spinnick or Spink.
Spink, father. I'm sorry.
Followed by Jean Roskley Fage.
Go ahead.
Hello. Hello.
I'm also a resident of St. Carlos.
And I think we sort of feel we just don't want another gun store.
In the city.
And I guess the respondents of the moratorium have talked about how every other level of government is imposed from regulations.
Again, someone would like us to believe this sufficient.
But I think the obligation is most on us at the local level to review what's happened.
And if the people of the city don't want the gun store.
I'd look to the council to make it.
Make that so.
Thank you.
Thanks for your comments.
Katie Spinnick.
Followed by Jean Roskley Fage.
Sure. F-E-I-G-E.
Okay.
That's off to the side.
Oops.
I'm sorry.
I'm...
I'm sorry.
I got the middle one right in my roskley.
Sorry.
Okay.
Good evening.
I...
I am a long time.
I grew up in San Carlos.
My grandparents lived on theater.
I still own house there.
I have worked in San Carlos for 18 years.
I'm a mom of two boys.
And I'm a gun shop owner.
I own Emperten Smithers.
I love this community.
I care about my community.
I don't choose to have properties happen.
I've actually updated my security quite a bit.
I want to say I want to stay in this community and I want to try to help my community learn and understand and be educated. I am here if people want to learn more. I am leaving my door open during the day, of course. To answer people's questions. I am happy to help this community understand my business and the firearms industry.
I will be happy to answer anybody's questions. Please feel free to ask me. I do care and I do love this community and I love being part of it. I have fond memories of growing up here. Thank you all.
Thank you for your comment. Patrick is all I have. Sir, Patrick, please come up. Followed by Alex Lear. Followed by Dr. Sean McKeliot.
Welcome.
Or this is my biases clear.
Okay. First off, my concern is about equal protection of the constitution that is guaranteed.
Number 235,000 deaths every year in the motor vehicle accidents. That is more than firearms related deaths, which also includes suicides.
One to two million people injured every year due to cars.
Let's see here what else. The New York Times article that was cited earlier is a little bit misleading.
If you look at the same author who did that study that was quoted in the New York Times, one of the main contributors to mass violence and mass shooters was meeting coverage.
But we're not talking about that.
The NRA is one of the top providers of gun safety instruction in this country.
There are safe garters of our second amendment rights.
And you may disagree with them, but they do good work.
I encourage you to make data driven decisions. I spoke with Mr. Johnson the other day and encouraged him to do that.
I think this heartens back to some of the zoning laws that were used to keep people of different skin colors out of communities.
If you look at how that happened earlier this since last century, that was how it happened.
The data do not support increased crime surrounding gun stores.
And I would encourage all of you.
If you're looking to ban a gun store, if you're looking to ban guns, I know lots of your program.
All right, anti gun. Look at the data.
Go read. Turn the television off and go read.
Going to a gun store and ask questions. Ask me.
I'll talk.
Thank you for your comments, sir.
Alex Lear.
Followed by Dr. Sean McAlliet.
Followed by Greg Serrell.
Good evening, everyone. My name is Alex Lear. I'm a local resident and also a father of four kids who went to St. Charles Carlmont.
On a business here on Laurel Street.
Love the community.
And first of all, one thing I love about the community is the fact that we have such a base of education.
The only concern that I have is that when we get into the conversation of guns, it becomes a conversation not about education.
Lots of times it's about ignorance and just fear of not knowing.
So to that point is number one, we'll never be able to regulate evil. Unfortunately, people will find a way to do harm if they choose.
And unfortunately, that's just part of our society.
Doesn't matter how they do it. They'll figure out a way if they really want to have that happen.
My only goal in this is I want to make sure that turners obviously didn't do their homework and checking into this community.
I'm a hunter. My kids. My four kids.
My four kids have been raised hunting in this area.
You hunt in San Francisco Bay. You can hunt right out of Redwood City Harbor.
We hunt there all the time. We own a ranch right behind Mount Hamilton.
We hunt all over. The realities are it's a beautiful sport.
There's a sport in hunting and shooting and firearm sports with education.
My kids have been raised around guns and safety is most of the utmost importance.
So we don't want to see anybody at her.
I understand the conversation tonight isn't about gun control.
It's about whether there's a moratorium.
If the process has not been followed for them to have their permits,
then at that point there may need to be a moratorium to explore further.
But let's make sure we have the conversation based on education and educated decisions are made not just around the history.
That's all I asked.
Thank you for your concern.
Dr. Sean McAlliet.
Greg Surral.
Trisha Chang.
Sheila Brar B. R. R.
Lauren P. McCumber.
I'm sorry. McCones. I'm sorry. McCones.
That's all right. I can't write either.
Good evening.
My name is Lauren McCones.
I have been a resident of San Carlos for 27 years.
I have raised two children here.
I'm a deacon at the church of the epiphany.
And I would like to say this.
We have a city which is recognized as a city of good living.
I want to continue that.
I want to be a safe place where children can walk and play and laugh
and not be concerned about guns in their schools.
Guns in the movie theaters.
Guns which are accessible.
In a manner which I do not think we want to be known for.
We want to be known as a good city.
Who cares for citizens?
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Anyhow.
Grow Hill.
Get up.
I'm sorry.
Followed by Zoe Crowder.
Followed by Million Nightingale.
My name is Trisha Chang.
Sorry.
I didn't walk.
All right.
Okay.
Thank Carlos is home to me and my family.
And I lost a high school classmate in the Las Vegas shooting.
And my nieces and nephews go through gun drills in preschool.
It's sad.
And we don't want our community to provide access to more guns.
And we already do.
Please support moreatorium.
Thank you for your comments.
I need a girl or a griddle.
Okay.
Thank you.
Zoe Crowder.
Followed by Million Nightingale.
Zoe Crowder.
Million Nightingale.
Okay.
Kelly Lawrence.
Followed by.
Julie Leach.
Followed by Thomas.
Sorry.
Kelly Lawrence.
Go ahead.
I'm a 13 year resident of San Carlos actually 14 years.
And I just say I'm really support moreatorium for the gunmen.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you for your comments.
Julie Leach.
Followed by Thomas Hassan.
Julie Leach.
I moved here six years ago with my parents.
I was obviously very small.
But I never thought I'd be even talking about the debate of.
Automatic guns in this city.
It just makes me sad.
My father was a hunter.
He was a duck hunter.
And we ate the ducks.
And it was all well and good.
But the idea of some of the types of guns that they want to sell.
I just don't think is appropriate for this city.
And I hope you uphold the more moreatorium.
Thank you.
Thomas Hassan.
I'm sorry.
I blew it the first three times.
That's it.
Followed by Norma.
I'm Tom Haxen.
I live about a month.
I'm in live in San Carlos, about a mile from the site.
And my five-year-old and one-year-old.
You get a Kingston Academy.
Which I understand share of parking left the gun with the gun shop.
A lot of people have mentioned about the gun deaths epidemic.
We have in our country.
One way to think about that is that over the course of our lives.
Each of us has a one in a hundred and twenty chance of being killed.
And the federal government continues to do nothing to stop this epidemic.
Then I think it's the moral obligation of us through our states and cities and everything.
It can stop it.
We don't have to look forward to see ways that localities are doing this.
The city of San Francisco.
But in a law that you have to videotape every gun sale.
And the amount of savings that after the law went in.
The last gun shop in San Francisco shut down.
So I think San Carlos should explore what ways it can do to stop the new gun shops robbing.
Or if that's impossible, but in the strongest possible regulations to keep us safe.
And to do that to the full possible extent during that moratorium.
Thanks.
Thanks for coming.
Linda Rossick.
Followed by Norma, followed by Mark Maxwell.
Hi, my name is Linda Rossick.
And I am a mother of two and I lived in San Carlos over twenty years.
And I think some of us have been affected by gun violence.
In 1988, my cousin Helen moved back to the Bay Area and started a new job at a company called ESL.
She'd only been there a couple of weeks when Richard Farley came walked into the ESL.
And shot seven people including my cousin who had two children at the time.
So the idea of another gun store opening in San Carlos is just makes me angry.
And I also think that we can't compare the danger of driving motor vehicles to guns because guns were made purely for killing.
And motor vehicles are not made for killing.
Although we have there a lot of accidents.
They're not primarily made for that reason.
So I don't really personally think that's a valid argument.
So I've strongly support a moratorium.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Norma, followed by Mark Maxwell, followed by Natalie Schlappen.
Good evening.
My name is Norma Blatt and I've been a resident of San Carlos for 17 years.
I'm a mom and love being a mom.
I would like to encourage the council to vote in favor of the ordinance to review zoning.
The public peace, health, welfare, and safety with regards to a new retail firearm establishment.
In general, I oppose weapons dealing in San Carlos.
I believe that keeping the public are police force, the fire department, schools, and hospitals safe.
We should curtail arm sale in our city.
We are not at war.
This is peace time.
So let's keep the peace in the city of good living.
Thank you.
If you're comments.
Mark Maxwell, followed by Natalie Schlappen, followed by Nicole Rells.
Good evening.
My name is Mark Maxwell.
I'm a resident of San Carlos for a decade.
I have free sons.
I grew up in a family of outdoor sports enthusiasts.
I have family members who are live law abiding gun owners.
And even a family member who may come as a surprise to turn.
But who is a very successful bow hunter.
I also currently serve as the committee chairman for troop-321.
Boy Scout troop-321.
Earlier this evening, you were kind enough to recognize three of our recent Eagle Scouts.
I would like to share briefly the Boy Scouts policy towards shooting sports.
That was mentioned in reference earlier tonight.
So I'm speaking not on behalf of Boy Scouts, but just to educate.
Boy Scouts of America has a shooting sports program.
As an adult leader, I'm responsible for facilitating part of that.
Boy Scouts allow shooting sports with single shot rifles.
Both action rifles that do not have large magazines.
Meaning you cannot load several rounds into the chamber or into the gun at a time.
Additionally, Boy Scouts does not have a handgun program.
They do have a shotgun program all around safety and around the concept of sport.
Boy Scouts of America also has a policy prohibiting laser tag and paintball activities with the understanding
that they don't want things that frankly target that are encouraging humans to target other humans.
I go back to do this, or I mentioned all of this because I think Boy Scouts is actually adopted fairly common sense.
The proposal for gun shooting sports.
I encourage turner to possibly explore the same.
If they were not selling, or if they were selling single shot guns, maybe we would have a different perspective on welcoming them to our community.
I'm out of time, but I would encourage you to support the more to run.
Thank you.
For your comments.
Natalie Saffron, followed by Nicole Reynolds, followed by Jennifer Rudy.
Welcome.
Thank you.
My name is Natalie Saffron and my family and I have lived in St. Carlos for a little bit over five years.
And I just echo all the sentiments all the arguments made by my community members.
My neighbors, my friends, and urge you to support the moratorium.
Thank you.
If you're coming.
Nicole Reynolds, followed by Jennifer Rudy.
Good evening.
My name is Jennifer Rudy.
I've been a resident of St. Carlos for nine years.
I am a family member of Relatives killed by legally obtained handguns that have resulted in deaths caused by an accident, murder and suicide.
I am the mother of three young children in this community who are five, nine and twelve.
And in addition to fire drills and earthquake drills are now participating in lockdown drills, I will ask you to reflect on whether you did that as a child.
I'm also the holder of a Master's degree in Public Health, where alongside things like communicable diseases, heart disease and other types of diseases, I had to learn about handgun violence as a public health issue.
I ask you to think about other countries in this world and why we are the country that is learning those issues in relation to public health compared to the rest of our world.
One of the things that we can do to deal with that issue in public health is to work on systemic change.
You as city council members are in the unique position to vote on a more Toryem that could start that process here.
Your constituents have spoken, please vote yes on the more Toryem.
Think of your comments. Andrea Maxwell, followed by Mary Ann Jet, followed by Michelle Chang.
Good evening, my name is Andrea Maxwell and I've been a resident with my husband of St. Carlos for the last 10 years, where we've been raising our three young boys.
I think one of the things that resonated with me this evening is when the woman from the school spoke and she talked about having to have kids be prepared for this type of incident in a school.
I remember growing up in the state of California and we had earthquake preparedness drills.
I think my greatest fear as a parent is turning on the news, surfing the web, hearing an alert about some incident happening in a school on the peninsula.
I urge you strongly to vote in support of the more Toryem.
Thank you.
Mary Ann Jet, Michelle Chang, Nick Clay Jackson Colachy, followed by Seth Cassini, followed by Dave True.
Trust love. Thank you.
Sorry.
Yeah, my name is Nicky Jackson Colachy.
No, that's okay. I didn't take my husband's name, so that explains me.
I'm actually a resident of Memo Park and I'm here to support the citizens of San Carlos and communicating their support of the more Toryem.
And also just say that I do believe this affects people in surrounding communities as well.
My husband and I have two small boys who are five and seven, and this issue is deeply personal for us.
My husband lost his 15 year old brother to gun violence.
When he was 15, he was shot six times in the head while mowing his lawn in a safe area where no one would have expected this kind of stuff to happen.
So this is real and I also just want to say that the reason that we're not talking about vehicles is when you look around the world, every country has vehicles and barely similar rates of vehicular manslaughter and other types of vehicle related deaths.
What they don't have are the high numbers of gun deaths per year and that's directly because of the number of handguns available in this country in particular.
So I do think that we are not speaking out of fear.
I see a lot of really informed citizens and hope that you listen to our voice when we say that we are in favor of the more Toryem.
Thank you.
If you're coming.
Thank you.
Making the right decision is often difficult and especially when there's strong public opinion against it.
I know that three of you have MBAs and two of you I believe are business owners and I have an MBA as well.
So I thought it'd be interesting to approach this from that standpoint and that is what happens.
What is the, where's the risk analysis?
I didn't find one actually in the staff report but that would include of course litigation costs.
As you probably know, daily city despite what was said about the night circuit, lost their zoning decision.
It was a double loss.
It was the sort of an end of the moving to Walnut Creek.
So they had to pay the legal expenses and additional losing the revenue from the score.
I don't know what turners income is.
Her store.
I pretended to benchmark that by using a publicly traded company.
I'm estimating that their store revenue is somewhere around 20 to 25 million per store.
Given the tax implications for certain carlos.
You know that would represent about three hundred seventy five thousand dollars per year in tax revenue.
You want that to go away.
Now if you delay it, folks, folks, folks, everybody's got an opinion here.
Please, thank you.
Great so far.
If you want to delay it, I'm estimating that's going to cost roughly a thousand bucks a day.
A little over that.
So by, you know, 45 day moratorium would translate into at least another 60 days and probably longer.
So I'm looking at a minimum is 65,000.
You know, we can play with the numbers but it has a significant financial impact.
Lastly, I'd like to speak about a tremendous amount of misinformation.
I know that people are well motivated and thoughtful but I have just heard them incredible about it.
And misinformation and, like one of the other speakers, I would urge you to do your research.
So again, I'm also take issue.
In addition to the no direct fiscal impact that the study claims are obviously easy fiscal impact.
They're also as the impact as I mentioned at the delay.
But also there's also defensive gun use.
So again, thank you very much.
Thank you for your time, sir.
All right.
Mary Thryer.
Clairs.
Senjunga.
I'm sorry.
Sorry, but you're that one.
Sorry.
Followed by Lauren.
Zortis.
Hello, my name is Clare Sensina.
I actually live in San Francisco.
But I'm here to honor my son, Kimilo, who worked in the South Bay as an EMT for Falk ambulance.
So I have his jacket on.
The big red ambulance you see down here in the South Bay.
He may have transported some of you.
And 2014 he completed his paramedic training.
And he may have saved some of the lives down here in the South Bay.
But he was killed in a random shooting the week after he completed his paramedic training.
I now belong to a group of moms and survivors who are speaking up and speaking up to the NRA.
You don't think it's going to happen to you until it does.
On this council, those of you who are on this council will leave your job one day.
And you will reflect on if you made your community a better place or a worse place.
By supporting the moratorium and really not allowing another gun shop.
You may, you will have prevented maybe another mother from being in my place.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Folks, thank you.
I am a resident of San Carlos.
I have lived here for 13 years and I am raising my 15 year old son here.
This is my first time at a city council meeting.
I can't imagine that you normally have 120 people speaking.
But that lets you know how important this issue is to this community.
And I am just, I am stunned and so proud to be a part of a community with such eloquent speakers.
And I can't add anything more to the reasons why I support the moratorium than all those who have spoken before me.
But I can add some more statistics because I quickly googled what is what are the gun related deaths in our country right now.
And the associated press had an article just 11 days ago that states that roughly, I'm sorry,
the US rate for gun deaths has increased for the second straight year following 15 years of no real change.
Roughly, 2,3rds of gun deaths are suicides and those have been increasing for about 10 years.
Overall, there were more than 38,000 gun deaths last year, according to the CDC.
And that's up from 36,000 in 2015.
This is clearly a problem in our country.
In San Mateo County, I don't know if the council is aware.
We have a wonderful special program with the Sheriff's Office where they confiscate firearms from those who have been prohibited
because they have been the subject of domestic violence restraining order.
And January and February of this year alone, 37 guns were confiscated.
I think we need to have a longer conversation.
More work it needs to be done.
More dialogue it needs to be done.
More research needs to be done about what kind of an impact this will have in our community.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Julie Lendon.
Okay. Angel of housing.
Joanne Wong.
Oh, Joanne Wong. Thank you.
Followed by Rich Bon Tempe.
Welcome.
I wanted to first thank everyone for staying so late.
I was taking a cat nap outside, but I think that's hard for you all of you to do that.
So thank you.
Don't step back.
My name is Joanne Wong and I have been a resident of San Carlos for almost 13 years.
My family and I live in this community and we love this community.
I have been very involved with the schools and with the communities support.
I do not feel that San Carlos benefits from having a second gun store in our community.
It is not necessary and highly questionable place where the gun real tailored with such close proximity to stores and businesses such as
King Swim Academy that serves families and many young children would be located.
In addition to all the things that people spoke about this evening, I just wanted to share some additional information that I found in my own research.
According to 2016 data, San Carlos population is fewer than 30,000 residents.
Our neighboring cities have double or even triple our town's population and they have only one done retailer in their community.
Consider this, San Mateo's population of over 100,000 people has one gun retailer.
Redwood City's population of over 85,000 residents has one gun retailer.
San Bruno's population of over 42,000 people has one gun retailer.
In my hometown of South San Francisco, over 65,000 residents, one gun retailer.
It makes absolutely no sense for a community of our size to have two gun retailers within such close proximity of each other in our same town.
Thank you so much for your consideration of everything spoken this evening.
I respectfully request that you, as our San Carlos city council, vote to place a moratorium on this issue.
Thank you for your comments.
Rich Bon Tempe, followed by Amanda Tattro, followed by Susan Acrely.
Welcome.
Welcome. Greetings.
Rich Bon Tempe's my name.
I'm here to probably refute most of the stuff that's been going on tonight.
I'm against the ban.
I think you should stick with the plan that you did and not change your mind and make course and re-evaluate it.
It's a sporting good store and the second amendment is for all of us.
Whether that's a gun store here or not, somebody can buy a gun.
Everybody in the city could only gun if they wanted to.
If they passed the exams and so on.
There's no reason to throw them under the bus.
There's also been a lot of fake news stories tonight from the other side.
There's a lot of fake news stories.
I appeal to you to stay the course and don't listen to fake stuff.
Thank you very much.
Thank you for your comments here.
Amanda Tattro, followed by Susan Acrely, followed by Frederick Hoy.
I could even name Amanda Tattro.
I've lived in St. Carlos for six years embracing a ten year old, and a six year old who are students in St. Carlos schools.
I'd really urge you to support the moratorium to support where frequenters of that area, and in fact we'll be there Friday night for swimming lessons.
We have friends and businesses there who've already received phone calls from other residents who are afraid to shop there for businesses open.
And while you've heard a business owner who's prospectively looking at coming here and who
I frankly as a business person myself can't believe that they didn't do their research
and understand that we've had a lapse in looking at our rules as respect to gun businesses.
For years, I can't believe that they didn't opportunistically look at that.
I would ask you to think about not only the voices you've heard today of the parents,
the families, the community representatives, the people of elective you and they continue to.
But that you also think about the businesses that are over there now and that you continue
to support the businesses that do exist in our community now.
So I urge you to vote for this moratorium to really listen to what we've had to say tonight.
Thank you.
Have a nice seven more.
Susan Act Burley, thought of by Frederick Oye, followed by Karen Porter.
I am Susan Act Burley, and I...
I thank you all for this opportunity to speak. I don't have fake news. I have statistics that is from the Center for Disease Control. I think that is about as accurate as can get. But one last to throw out there. And this is that in 2015, California had, this is about Ben violence rate. It's 7.7 deaths per 100,000. So if you look at our population in our lovely town of about 29,000, that equates to about 2,000.
I don't hear about gun deaths in this town. And I don't think that someone who is shooting for sport is going to put any of us at risk. I grew up with guns in my house. My father was a duck hunter. But this is a totally different level of gun ownership than someone who is using an assault rifle to hurt little children on a playground.
We all remember Sandy Hook. My kids went to a rental. When Sandy Hook happened, then Craig Baker, the superintendent went around to all the schools and we assure the parents how don't worry.
Because all of our schools are open, there's no security, whether it's a rental, terralandous, central, or even caramont. These schools are wide open. And all it takes is one crazy person to get ahold of a gun. I'm not talking about the sports shooters in the house here.
But it's about controlling what you can control. We can't control the second amendment. But what you can control city council is who comes into our city and the selling of guns.
We can potentially get a gun into the hand of someone who is going to cause harm to our children. And no one in this room wants to look back and say, should I put a coulda. That's all I have for tonight. Thank you.
Thank you for your comment. Frederick way. Karen Porter. Followed by Ingrid Hernandez. Good evening.
I grew up in St. Carlos still have family here. I went to St. Charles in St. Carlos High School. I consider those to be educational institutions not the NRA.
I don't trust a thing the NRA says. I proudly stand with my fellow citizens in support of the moratorium. I would actually go further for a complete ban.
I would just add a couple comments. I noted that Turner's representative only gradually admitted they sell.
I said my automatic weapons when pressed. Now I don't know much about hunting for sport. I prefer to rescue animals.
But I doubt that there's any legitimate hunter worth their bullets who needs a semi automatic weapon to take down a deer or anyone needs that to take out a home and chewed her for that matter.
Lastly, I would just like to mention a couple names. You may recognize. Do I need my glasses?
Emily Garcia Ward, age seven.
Howdy Ward, age five. Noah Holcomb, age 17 months. Those are just some of the youngest victims of the recent Texas massacre.
I really really don't want to see anything like that happening in St. Carlos. Thank you for your time.
Thank you for your comments.
Thank you.
Thank you so much council members for staying late and listening to our comments. My name is Holly and I'm quite unique. I'm a San Carlos resident and my hometown is Palmdale, California.
I was born and raised in Palmdale, California. The place where Turner just opened up a store. Palmdale is a really wonderful place.
We have Eagle Scouts graduating every year and we also have a history of hunting and fishing in our local Finn and feather club where many of my friends worked.
And more than enough people know a lot about gun safety. But that couldn't prevent my friend from dying from the gunshot accident.
She was shot on accident by her brother's best friend and the irony of it all is this happened while they were cleaning guns after they had gone shooting.
And that was tenth grade. I truly believe that access to the guns could have prevented this accident from happening that day.
So I respectfully ask for more to orient for me. This is much more than a statistic or number. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Kathleen Goforth followed by Meg Winslow. Kathleen Goforth.
Thank you for the opportunity to appreciate your patience.
I've lived in San Carlos for 30 years. I am a victim of gun violence. I've lost a family member to a gunshot on the flip side of my grandmother won a rifle shooting contest.
I'm not a bad shot myself and my son might go duck hunting.
But I'm here tonight because I just support the moratorium. I see absolutely no need for another gun store in San Carlos.
And I believe that a store such as Turner's would be inconsistent with the character and image of this city.
I'm particularly concerned by the fact that so many of Turner's existing stores have been robbed or burglarized.
As recently as 2016, so whatever the improvements are that they've instituted aren't working very well.
I've just disturbed to see that they are the number one recruiter for the NRA, which despite all of itsven safety classes really does not have our best interest and safety at heart.
And one thing that I haven't heard mentioned that I found birds serving when I was researching this issue and looking at the Turner website is that they sell equipment.
Detectual gun stocks that essentially get around California's very sensible gun laws by adding to the magazine capacity of their guns so that you can shoot far more rounds far more quickly.
This is advertised on their website as a great plus to help with self defense.
I can't imagine a situation that any of us would be likely to be in where that would really be something we need.
I strongly support the most moratorium.
I think San Carlos can find better ways to bring in tax revenue.
And I'd also like to respond to some of the earlier comments about how unfair this is to Turner.
I did to think about that.
Sorry, I mean we're out of time.
I think it's outweighed by the communities concerns.
Thank you for your comments.
Meg Winslow.
Meg Winslow, thanks again for having everybody here tonight.
I wasn't prepared to speak, but I am neighbors with a very responsible gun owner.
A safe as big as this, you know, in his garage taught kids how to ski shoot all sorts of things.
He has a lot of dead animals on his wall that I'm not interested in, but he is, I think he's been very responsible.
I think his house would be just as tough to break in as what Turner's planning to do.
Great. Those two places, and I'm sure they're more in San Carlos that are very secure.
But I also, the first funeral I went to was a year old and pop Warner outfit,
whose brother accidentally shot him.
And I have other stories like that.
It's not worth mentioning.
So I can see both sides of the issue, and I hope people here can see that.
The heightened anxiety about what's going on in this country with guns.
And I thought I'd just mention something that my son's father was just speaking to,
which is being confirmed as the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs in the Trump administration.
He may get confirmed or not, Dean Winslow was a current retired in the Air Force.
He said, I may get in trouble with other members of the committee,
but just say I know how insane it is that the United States of America in the United States of America,
a civilian can go out and buy a semi-automatic assault rifle like an AR-15,
which apparently was the weapon that was used.
He doesn't know if he's going to be confirmed because of that comment in there.
He spoke up, and people here are just speaking up about their concerns,
and I know a matter of time.
Thank you very much for your comment.
Is there anyone else wishing to speak on this matter tonight?
All right.
But I want to compliment everyone who's here and everyone who was here for your
civility and your respect of people and their comments.
Thank you very much.
You made me proud that showed what San Carlos has made us.
So, Mr. Mayor.
Yes, sir.
I'd like to make a motion to extend the meeting to 11pm.
All right.
Is there a second to that?
That's it.
All those in favor?
All right.
Okay.
Mr. Mayor.
I moved to a doctor and it's number 1526.
1526 and urgency ordinance of the City Council of the City of San Carlos.
We're so into government code section 65858A imposing a moratorium on retail establishment
selling ammunition or firearms as defined in municipal code section 9.24.010.
Second.
All right.
It's moved in second and discussion.
Let me get back to my.
Okay.
Mr. Oberk.
Wow.
I didn't think I was going to be first.
No.
No, it's okay.
No, it's fine.
So it's got to be first.
First of all, I just want to compliment everybody again, particularly when people heard things
that they really didn't disagree with.
I think it was great that everybody kept it under control.
And, you know, it's testament to how great a place San Carlos is.
I have some comments that I want to make that may strike some folks as perhaps not going far enough.
And I'll close out with why you may think that.
It's really important that everybody took the time to come in and share their concerns and perspectives
and ideas and thoughts here tonight.
And I'm glad everybody did.
Decisions involving firearms are always challenging and they always generate discussion and debate.
There's nothing wrong with that.
In fact, it's quintessentially American.
We are, after all, a government of the people by the people and for the people.
Part of what makes firearm discussions complex is that guns to my knowledge are the only good of service
that specifically mentioned in our constitution.
That great guiding document does not protect the right to own a horse or a plow or an axe.
Even though each of those was as important as a firearm to the people who lived at the time of constitution was ratified.
But that very uniqueness demonstrates that the founders expected,
government to play a role in how guns are owned, used, bought and sold.
Because otherwise, they wouldn't have bothered to mention it, just like it didn't bother to mention all those other things.
Firearms are in a special category, not to make them immune to community regulation,
but simply to require the government of the people to take great care when designing laws and regulations involving guns.
That means it is perfectly reasonable and constitutional for St. Carlos to draft local rules and regulations involving firearms,
subject to constitutional constraints and the limitations imposed by state and federal law.
But an important question beyond that is actually whether this council should engage in such discussions.
There are a lot of things that come up that we could talk about, but we don't always do that because of limited time and priorities.
But for me, the clearest answer to that question is contained in all the people who are here tonight,
and the sheer volume of emails, phone calls, letters and personnel outreach,
people walking door to door and collecting signatures at a moment's notice.
All about this proposed new gun store.
Whether those people want us to take steps to stop the store from opening, control its location,
regulated operations, or simply leave it alone so it can open.
An awful lot of residents care about the issues raised by the opening of a new gun store in St. Carlos.
In fact, I've told many people, this is true.
I've received more input on this topic than at any other issue that's come before me,
and that's in 16 years as a local elected official.
And we dealt with some pretty hot issues on the school board, but I was there.
As you might imagine, parents get a little bit concerned about their kid's schools.
That alone argues strongly that this council should undertake a review of our existing rules
and regulations governing firearm stores.
But why impose a moratorium if all we need is a review?
That's simple. Events can make decisions for us preventing thoughtful review.
By law, precedence greatly influenced the rules and regulations which any government of the people can create.
We need a moratorium to stop the music and give us time to learn, discuss, reflect, and decide.
Is there a degree of unfairness to turn around this? Yes, of course.
But one of the very first lessons I learned is an elected official all those years ago.
Is that none, and I mean none of the important decisions that I've ever made on behalf of my community,
benefit everybody.
That's not because we elected officials have a perverse desire to cause problems for our constituents.
That's like the last thing that we want to do because we like to get reelected.
It's because the simplest things we do are complex and inevitably create difficulties for somebody.
I fully support in acting this moratorium and taking whatever time we need to thoroughly consider all the issues and factors involved
and defining some good 21st century regulations covering gun stores in our community.
And for those of you who wonder why I may not go beyond that since I was also the person on a council who matt alluded to several times tonight.
And others did as well who kept bringing up the issue.
Of why this council should take up discussions of further gun-right local gun regulation over the last few years.
The reason I'm not going into that right now is, assuming we get the moratorium in place, which I hope we do, we will have time for all those discussions.
And I have a lot of ideas about that. I've been learning a lot from other people as well. I've been learning a lot from many of you who have reached out to me.
So I hope we get the moratorium. I definitely support it. Stay involved, stay engaged.
Let's build an even better St. Carlos than we have today. Thank you. Mr. Johnson.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I want to thank everybody who took the time to make their voice heard as part of this important discussion.
Whenever there are divisive issues that come before the city council, I remind myself that my job essentially consists of three things.
The first is to follow the law. The second is to listen to the community and try to represent your views.
And then the third is to do my best to represent the entire community and think about your long-term best interest.
So I'm going to be supporting the moratorium this evening.
The first question I ask is, is this legal, do we have this authority? And as has been shown tonight, the ability to regulate where businesses may locate,
how they may operate, is something that we do quite often in the city.
The second question is, what is the community want? A lot of times that's very difficult to figure out.
You guys made it very clear to me tonight. Many of you spoke out tonight. Many, many more reached out via email or called me.
I met with a number of you and I want to tell you what I heard. Many of you told me that you have loved ones who are the victims of gun violence or you yourselves for the victims of gun violence.
Many of you have expressed anguish over many of our fellow citizens who have been the victims of gun violence either through countless daily shootings or some of the more horrific mass shootings in Newtown,
southernland Springs, Las Vegas. Many of you, when you read the news and you hear of yet another random shooting, think to yourself, could that have been me?
Could that have been my child?
And many of you are justifiably outraged that after all this accumulated tragedy seemingly nothing has been done.
Now I want to say that a number of other people have spoken out and have shared emails with me that have a different perspective.
For them guns do not inspire fear, they make them feel safe.
For them guns are a symbol of freedom and liberty. It's a part of their lives. It's something that they've had since they were young children.
Well, I don't necessarily identify myself with those views. I do want to say that you can have those views and you can be a valued member of our community.
And that you deserve our respect.
So, as I said, I think the community has been very clear where it stands this evening.
Lastly, I think about what is in the long term best interest of our entire community.
And I want to share a couple thoughts with all of us tonight.
One way to look at the discussion that we have tonight is that this is a proxy for the national debate on gun control.
I actually don't think that's what this is.
If we pass this moratorium tonight tomorrow, many people in St. Carlos will own guns tomorrow, it will be legal to buy a gun in the city of St. Carlos.
And yet St. Carlos will still be a very safe, very welcoming and very wonderful place to live.
And well, I personally would like to see our gun laws in this country dramatically changed.
We do not have the authority to get that to you.
So I want to actually challenge all of you and ask you to join with all of us on two things.
The first is if you believe that we need to reduce gun violence in this country, and if you want to make a positive change,
your advocacy must go beyond the city limits.
Ultimately, this is going to require a federal or state solution.
And you need to continue to make your voices heard, and I will be there to support you.
The second thing is that whenever we are faced with divisive issues, one of the things that comes out in a community like ours is a recognition that there are other people who are our neighbors who don't share the same view as we do.
And we are all faced with a choice when we find that out.
One we can harden our views and we can dismiss other people.
And I think that there is way too much of that going on in this country right now.
The other choice is to try to understand other people's views to reach out to look for common humanity and to try and find common ground.
And I hope that we can do that not just on this issue, but on all of the divisive issues that are facing our country and our community.
So thank you very much.
Thank you Mr. Johnson, Mr. Collins.
Thank you Mr. Mayor.
I want to add my thanks to everybody who came out tonight and spoke and stayed.
Just a truly amazing album and it's just very, it's very humbling when you sit up here and you just watch all these passionate stories.
But if I've learned one thing over the last two weeks, it's a people feel very passionately about this issue as evidenced by the nearly 600 emails we've gotten.
But this community has always been engaged.
This is how we do things in St. Carlos.
We study things.
We look at the best practices.
We check out what other cities do and what when they face similar issues.
Our decisions are made only after we have had open and honest discussions based on facts and sound assumptions.
As with our major police and fire department changes several years ago, temporary moratoriums on other businesses in town.
Citizen committees to review lot size house rule, lot house size rules and zoning improvements to encourage financially
Staving up to stabilizing economic development.
We have followed a deliberate and focused process.
We have also made some decisions that weren't very popular with some, but they were in the best interest and benefit of the greatest number of people in town.
We don't follow the crowd.
And we're not intimidated by those who would question our intelligence and our patriotism as some emails did.
Mostly by people from who don't live here, some from Southern California, some from Texas.
I was very happy to see so many St. Carlos residents tonight.
We listen to our residents.
When they speak up, we pay attention and they've spoken and you've spoken loudly.
We on the Council are public servants.
This is what public servants do.
No one can claim that they are more American or more patriotic by the views they hold.
It is our unique right indeed our duty as Americans to debate issues like this before we decide how to move forward.
Our goal is not to take anyone's right to own and gun away.
But to make sure that whatever we do is well fought out within the law, preserves, or enhances public safety for our residents.
And as a reflection of the type of community, our residents expected when they chose to live here.
If this more authoritarian is put into effect, which I will fully support,
it won't be because we don't like or want more guns and it won't be because we cave to those trying to deny anyone their second amendment rights.
It'll be because we want to make sure that we make the right decision for the right reasons for the people we were elected to serve.
Thank you.
Well, I don't have any pre-written speech, because this is not supposed to be speech time.
It's supposed to be discussion amongst council members.
And that's something I'm very dismayed about because what I saw here tonight was people coming with one side of a view and very many, obviously a high percentage.
And then a few people come with a different view.
And I was really dismayed.
Well, the rest of the council thinks you're all great, and I'm not saying you're not great, but it was very disappointing to me when this gentleman in the blue shirt over here.
He was the first guy to get up and talk about the NRA and owning a gun and so forth.
I could tell by the audiences noises that they were making or they didn't like what he was saying.
But he sat through, you know, an hour and a half of other people's comments, and he was quiet.
I watched him never said a word or made a noise.
And yet some of you folks had to show your disappointment with what he was saying.
I heard a lot about the NRA tonight.
What a bad organization it is.
Well, that's because you're opposed to guns.
The NRA is a good organization in my opinion.
The NRA, if you get involved with the NRA, they're all about training, teaching you how to own a firearm, what the laws are.
Don't laugh, it's true.
It is true.
I'm looking at this.
It's a good organization.
All these gun violence incidents that you've heard about.
Has it ever been an NRA member that has done that?
I challenge you to find an incident where was an NRA member.
I can't remember if any, not recently, not, you know, Sandy Hook, not Las Vegas, none of them.
And that's because the NRA is all about teaching the proper way to use a gun, to own a gun, to store a gun, et cetera.
And you may not agree with that, but it's true.
I find it interesting that this whole thing with everybody knowing about turners, from at least my understanding of the story, happened because of a priest at a church in town, saw the sign that this gentleman put up.
Saying we're going to be opening our store and we're going to be hiring.
Now that same priest, his church, put up a sign that was three sheets of plywood on the corner where his church is located.
And he was painted, you know, rainbow colors and it said, all are welcome here.
Well, I checked with city staff.
Did that church come to the city to see about getting a permit for that sign?
No.
I asked city staff if they had, would they have been allowed to put it up?
Well, maybe because there are ordinances about how much sign as you can have and where you can locate it, so forth.
But the sign went up and it stood there and I asked city staff that didn't anybody from the city staff notice it and go and talk to the church about, you know, not being properly in the proper place or whatever.
Well, even if we had noticed that we didn't, I don't know that anybody did is the answer I got, but even if we had we wouldn't have done anything about it because we go on a complaint basis.
So if you're, no one complains against something you're doing, then you're allowed to do it.
But the point is there was a leniency towards that church's right to free expression, which it's not people talk about, oh, it's a second amendment right or it's a constitution right.
No, it isn't.
It's a God given right.
It's a natural right.
You have those rights because you're a human being.
Now, Mark talked about the second amendment, it's the only, you know, property thing that the constitution mentions in the bill of rights.
Well, it's not because it's not mentioned in there because the founders that are the framers, excuse me, the framers of the constitution,
want a government involved, quite the contrary, it reads, shall not be infringed.
That's saying, government, stay out of this.
And what I find interesting about the second amendment is that if you read the first amendment, it says,
Congress shall make no law infringing upon free speech, religion and other things.
Second amendment doesn't seem anything about the federal government.
It just says, shall not be infringed, doesn't mention by what government just says it won't be.
Somebody said that Rob here should have looked at St. Carlos better.
Well, maybe he did, maybe he looked at those two council meetings where it was.
We should look at gun sales and gun stores. And so forth. And he got, it was brought up by Mark one time, and I think it was brought up by Ron one time.
And there wasn't any support on the council to discuss the issue. Maybe Rob saw that and said, hey, here's a good place to go, because there's not a majority on the council that wants to make issue out of this.
People talked about, that's a bad location, because my kids go to swimming academy or this, you know, there's other stores around there. You know, if you go over to Dublin, there's a store called guns fishing and other stuff.
And it's right there next to a bunch of other stores, right in the heart of Dublin, which is just over in, you know, on 580 little town, not too different from St. Carlos except it's right there next to Livermore, which, by the way, population, I think 80,000 and they have three or four gun stores in Livermore.
So I've never heard of anything happening in Dublin, and there's a good store right there.
There's not much that's happened in St. Carlos, all the years that we've been here and all the years that,
Smellers and Everett have been here, just a few incidents, and that's it.
I just made the so many people are afraid of guns.
If you're that afraid of a gun and you've probably never handled one, never, never been involved with guns too much.
Yes, they are frightening if they're misused, and you need to know what you're doing when you're handling one.
But you don't have to be afraid of them.
To me, what all this boils down to, I just gave my little speech because Urban else has, but really the issue at hand here is a moratorium.
And if we do a moratorium, the city manager said, it'll be two years.
So one or two things will happen.
We'll end up with lawsuits on our hand from either turners or a gun organization like the NRA or the California Rifle and Pistol Association,
or we cut it short, and turners is allowed to open their stores.
They're sore.
I find it wholly unfair to say to them, we're put in a moratorium, and the $125,000 you've invested, kiss it goodbye.
Another thing I asked city staff about was when we've done moratoriums in the past,
have they been to prevent a business entirely from operating in San Carlos, or is it like we did with the dollar store?
Which had made no investment.
All they did was ask a realtor about that particular location, and that's as far as they got.
We heard wind of it and said, oh boy, we need to do an emergency ordinance to prevent a dollar store from going in at we're being cases.
But that's all they had done.
But it's not like we said, no dollar stores in San Carlos, we just said, we don't want one there.
When we did a moratorium on banks and hair parlors and nails a lot.
We didn't say, you can't have any more in San Carlos.
We just said, if you're going to put in Lord One, and it has to be so many doors away from an existing one.
So the moratoriums we've done haven't been to prevent a business from happening.
But what I hear from most of you who've spoken tonight, you're so afraid of guns,
it's like we don't want any more gun stores ever, ever, ever in San Carlos.
And even in Smithers' closes, we want it gone.
And that's what you want.
I know, that's what you want.
This man's nodding his head in approval.
Okay, hello.
We're still in a finish up here.
So I will not vote in favor of a moratorium because it's not fair.
It's not fair for this business.
I've gotten as far along as they did with the application.
And because a priest from a church finds out about it and then pretty soon we have a fire storm.
Well, that's not fair.
And by the way, we're not at a democracy.
We're a republic.
That's my closing statement.
As the hour is late, let's make a couple of comments and we can vote.
You know, I tried, I've always said I was trying to talk to everybody about everything.
All sides.
I met with the Turner folks.
I met with folks on the other side of the issue.
I read as much as I could.
I might be the only, I'm not sure, I guess I might be the only person up here that wasn't a military.
And if handled weapons before, this is an issue to me of community standards.
That's just what it boils down to.
And what kind of standards does community want?
And it's pretty evidence to me what kind of standards at this point the community wants.
I think we need to take a breath as I need to use the term or one of the gentlemen use the term.
And put this more toriom in effect and see what we can come out of it.
Whether that means we'll have sporting good and gun stores allowed or whether there will be more restrictions.
I think we need to discuss it a little more.
And that's where I'm going to end up and that's where we'll go.
So having said that, I'll call the question.
Councilmember Collins.
Yes.
Councilmember Grukat.
No.
Councilmember Johnson.
Yes.
Councilmember Obert.
Hello, yes.
And Mayor Gersilly.
Yes.
So that concludes item 8A.
We have two or three other items to go here.
I'm going to take a 10 minute recess.
And then we'll go from there.
We'll go from there.
Yes.
And then we'll go from there.
Okay.
We'll see.
Mr. Williams.
And then we can.
We need to have a motion to extend the meeting past 11 o'clock.
Mayor.
I agree.
We have seven meetings to 1115.
Okay, there's a motion for 1115.
It's our second.
All right.
I wasn't there for say aye.
We will come back here at a cross with 11 o'clock.
We'll take the seven minutes.
You
When a clock wears, I think Mr. Groke had the lead, but let's get back to what we have to
do here. Okay. Mr. Groke, unfortunately, wasn't feeling well and had to go home, but
we are going to AP, consideration of adopting resolution, authorizing additional full-time maintenance
worker in the public works department. Who's going to be speaking on that?
I'll do it just for the sake of being speedy here. Mr. Mayor, members of the City Council,
Jeff Malphe, City Manager. In the last budget, the City Council authorized $128,000 in professional
services funding to help clean all the trash capture devices that the regional water quality
control board are requiring cities to put in. What we're asking tonight is to convert that
128,000 from professional services into another maintenance worker position within the public
works department to do that. There's no additional costs to the budget. This is the dollar for
dollar conversion that includes all the benefits and salary and everything, so there's no cost associated with it.
It's something that we would not be able to contract out for without going through a very lengthy
and in contentious process with the labor union, which would be something actually the council has
done in the past on certain issues, but in this case with no cost savings to be had, it doesn't make any sense
to go and do that. Thank you for your statement of comments here. Any questions? If not, I'll
entertain a motion. Mr. Mayor, I moved to adopt a resolution 2017-97. 97, a resolution of the City Council
of the City Council of the City Council, the City Council is authorizing additional full-time maintenance
worker in the public works department. Second, by any discussion? Hearing none, I'm roll call please.
House member Collins? Yes. House member Johnson? Yes. House member Obert? Yes.
In every city? Yes. All right. Moving on to H.C. consideration of adopting a resolution adopted
a memorandum. I'm understanding between the City of San Carlos and the American
local eight five six freight checkers, clerical employees and helpers union, international brotherhood of
teamsters, I.B.T. Unit for the period September 1st, 2017 through August 31st, 2019. Ms. Mendenhall?
We're back and then in the Administrative Services Director. In the interests of time, I'll
try to keep this brief. Before you tonight is a consideration of a memorandum of understanding,
tentatively agreed to by the teamsters unit. This M.O.U. expired their current M.O.U.
expired on August 31st and the City staff is met and conferred with the union for several
months before coming to the agreement. The unit is comprised of 17 budgeted compositions, including
the one you just approved, then mechanics, maintenance workers and senior maintenance workers.
Okay. The demo used for a term of two years, ending on August 31st, 2019.
The fiscal impact of this agreement is approximately $50,000 this fiscal year and is estimated to be
81,000 next fiscal year since we budget conservatively, there's no need to adjust the budget at this time.
Other major components include a salary adjustment of 3% in the first year, effective
upon ratification of all the parties, and 3% effective the first pay period after September 1st, 2018.
Also included is an on-call duty pay increase from one hour of comp time or straight pay time to two hours.
This will be paid when employees are required to be on-call during the week.
There's an increase in the annual uniform allowance of $560 to $725 per year reported to CalPERS
for those employees who are eligible and Union Access to Employer Intation. This is a new assembly
bill that was signed into law of June this year, and it gives the Union the ability to meet with the new
employees during orientation.
City has agreed that we will set aside up to 30 minutes of time during the orientation meetings for the union to meet with the employee.
Okay. Questions from Senator Hall?
If no questions, I'll entertain a motion.
Mr. Mayor, I move to adopt the resolution 2017-98.
98.
A resolution of the City Council of the City of San Carlos, adopting a memorandum of understanding between the city of San Carlos and the American Local 856
Freight Checkers, clerical employees, and helpers union, international brotherhood of teamsters, IDK, unit for the period of September 1st, 2017 through August 31st, 2019.
Second.
All right.
Move in second.
Any discussion on this matter?
Hearing none, roll call, please.
Council Member Collins?
Yes.
Council Member Johnson?
Yes.
Council Member Over?
Yes.
All right.
Number 9 is public hearing.
9A?
Consideration of adopting a resolution of improving a general plan land use map correction and introducing
an ordinance of improving a zoning district map correction.
There's going to need 10 properties on the west side of Elm Street.
APN's 045-311-0702160 to a zoning district of RM59.
Multi-family medium density.
Mr. Savannah?
Mayor and members of the city council.
This is a fairly straightforward general plan mapping area that is before you this evening that
is we're attempting to correct and the planning commission is recommending approval of this
action and we're available to answer any questions or provide you with more information, but at this time,
I'll leave it open to answer questions.
Any questions?
Mr. Savannah?
This is a public hearing.
Is anyone from the public wishing to speak on this matter?
If not on entertaining motion, close the public hearing?
Move to close the public hearing?
Second.
Move to second.
The second.
Seca de Delos and Favor say aye.
Honour.
OK.
Gentlemen, any discussion on this or a motion?
I move to a familiar.
I move to adopt resolution 2017-999.
I do not.
to introduce ordinance.
We normally do it separately, but I think you could do it.
You could do it.
Do you?
No.
I saw the word and I thought it was what's in the hand.
Okay.
So we've got the resolution.
Is there any discussion on this matter?
Do we have a second?
I'm sorry.
I apologize if you're right.
Thank you, Mr. Collins.
Any discussion on this matter?
Hearing none, roll call on 9A number the first part?
Council member Collins?
Yes.
Council member Johnson?
Yes.
All right.
Mr. Mayor, I move to introduce ordinance.
1527.
An ordinance of the City Council of the City of San Carlos, approving a zoning district map correction.
Descendanting 10.
Prantices 10.
Properties on the west side of Elm Street.
APNs 045 311 0702160.
To a zoning district of RM59.
Multi-family, medium density.
Is there a second?
Second.
All right.
I've moved in second and a discussion on this one.
Hearing none, roll call, please.
Council member Collins?
Yes.
Council member Johnson?
Yes.
Council member over?
Yes.
All right.
I'm 10A.
Council member supports on some communities, regional boards, commissions, and committees.
Mr. Oldward.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
First of all, I just want to say I know I told you this privately Bob.
I thought you did a phenomenal job in the meeting tonight.
I really, really mean that.
That's I've ever seen.
And I've had by sure a panel on myself.
So we're challenging once.
So thank you very, very much for doing that.
I also just want to mention and passing that there may be those in the council who think it's appropriate from time to time to deeply
Chastise members of the community for expressing their views and feelings.
I'm not one of them.
I was rather taken aback by some of the comments that were made there.
People are entitled to their opinions even when I don't agree with them.
And sometimes they have difficulty containing themselves.
Okay.
That's life.
Let's move on.
The.
So I just don't want anybody in San Carlos to think that that's a general tone of the that was dius because it's definitely not.
The other specific thing I wanted to mention is I believe it was at the last meeting or the meeting before Cameron had.
I brought up the idea of bringing the citizens climate lobby resolution that would be.
Basically taking a position for congresswoman sphere on the citizen climate lobby approach to dealing with climate change.
And at the time, Ron and I had indicated that we were having some separate discussions about that and wanted to.
Finished those before the matter came back before the council.
Ron and I have finished that we'd be happy to see the the matter come before the council.
If, of course, there are three council members who want to undertake discussing the resolution.
No, Mr. Collins, you're in for that.
Yes, Mr. Johnson.
Yes, sir.
Okay.
I guess that's three.
So it's all we need.
So we'll take that up.
Any other council members have any comments.
I.
Right before we close, I just have one.
I just want to say when we adjourn the meeting tonight.
I just want to say that.
One of our council members to the north is going through a very tough time.
Eric Reed.
And if you can anybody can reach out to him.
He's pretty sick guy.
Yeah.
I think so.
Eric the other day he we had a dedication of the Vietnam Memorial in, or not Vietnam, but the veterans from
More or rather in Twin Pines park and he walked in and he made his statement.
And I think he has a lot more guts than I do.
I'll tell you that.
But he's he's fighting.
He's fighting.
Anybody else have a comment?
If not Mr. Mr. Moppy?
Anything else?
Yeah.
Another example.
Anybody else?
I think that's just about it.
We made it by five minutes.
Thank you.