North Liberty Council not moving forward with gun ban

NORTH LIBERTY - For the second time in about two years, North Liberty officials have discussed and dismissed the possibility of banning guns on city-owned property.

In another well-attended North Liberty City Council meeting Tuesday, area residents spoke to the council's discussion of a gun ban. Of the nearly 20 people who spoke, only two expressed support of a firearms ban.

While the council had never officially scheduled a vote on a gun ban, the majority consensus Tuesday was to not move forward with a resolution.

Council member Chris Hoffman said he feels the current procedures in place in terms of staff training and protocol in the instance that a gun is witnessed on city-owned property is sufficient, adding that creating a resolution would complicate matters.

'I think staff is doing that and by us putting a policy in place right now will probably make it worse, even with our best intentions,” he said.

The potential resolution first gained traction last month after officials with the city library board raised questions on the city's policy on guns in city-owned facilities, like the library and recreation center.

In a Friday letter to the council, North Liberty City Administrator Ryan Heiar said city staff have not received enough direction from the council to develop a policy that would ban guns on city-owned property.

Heiar added that one idea discussed at an earlier council meeting to create a policy outlining what staff should do if they see a weapon was 'unnecessary and potentially detrimental.”

Heiar noted that city department supervisors already are dedicated to the safety of employees and the public and have existing protocols in place in the nature of such an incident involving a firearm.

'If the City Council does not want to consider a weapons or open carry ban, I am recommending that no resolution or policy be considered,” Heiar said, adding that if the council wants to consider a gun ban, further direction will be needed for staff to proceed.

'We don't have that authority, if we're going to post a sign banning weapons, that needs to come from this body,” Heiar said Tuesday to the council. 'If we're concerned about what staff should do if they see a weapon or are concerned or uncomfortable, we're taking care of those measures.”

Last month, the council held a public hearing on the potential gun ban on city-owned property, which would include City Hall and the recreation center and public library building. The council chambers were standing room only that night.

In both meetings, opponents cited safety concerns and infringements on constitutional rights as reasons to not pursue the gun ban.

Supporters of such a resolution say a gun ban increases safety.

The issue of gun bans began popping up across Iowa since a 2011 change in state law that eased restrictions on gun permits and removed a sheriff's ability to require guns be concealed.

Since then, several cities and counties have enacted gun bans on city- or county-owned property, including Johnson County and Iowa City, to name a few.

In the nearly five years since their passage, the resolutions in Iowa City and Johnson County have never been challenged in court, said Iowa City Attorney Eleanor Dilkes and Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness.

North Liberty officials first discussed a gun ban in 2013, but the council ultimately voted 3-2 against it.

According to language citing 2011 legislation in the gun ban resolution proposed in 2013, banning guns on city property does not infringe on personal rights.

The topic of guns has reached a state and national spotlight in recent years, due in large part to tragedies like the 2013 shooting that killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. or, more recently, the killing of 14 people last week in San Bernardino, Calif.

On Monday, Gov. Terry Branstad said he does not plan to offer any weapon-related proposals during the 2016 session, such as changing gun-free zones at schools to allow teachers to be authorized to bring the firearm into a school building as a safety precaution.