Agenda

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D. 9

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	PUBLIC PROTECTION COMMITTEE
Date:	December 4, 2018

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Letter to the 23rd Agricultural District Regarding the Sale of Firearms

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 12/04/2018

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Paul Reyes, 925-335-1096

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: December 4, 2018
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

AUTHORIZE the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign a letter to the 23rd Agricultural Association to convey the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors' support of a policy prohibiting the possession and sale of firearms on the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds.

FISCAL IMPACT:

No fiscal impact.

BACKGROUND:

The Contra Costa County Fairgrounds are owned and operated by the 23rd District Agricultural Association. The 23rd District Agricultural Association is a “state institution” under Food and Agricultural Code section 3953. Because the Fairgrounds are owned and operated by a state institution, the County is not authorized to prohibit gun shows held on state property.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

Alameda, Marin, Sonoma, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Los Angeles have taken action through county ordinance to prohibit gun shows at their respective county-owned fairgrounds. Earlier this year, there was local interest in eliminating gun shows at the Cow Palace which is owned by Agricultural District 1-A, also a state institution. That effort resulted in the need for special legislation (Senate Bill 221) to be carried by Senator Scott Weiner and Assemblyman Phil Ting to disallow gun shows on the Cow Palace property. The bill passed the legislature, but was vetoed by the Governor in September 2018.

On October 9, 2018, the Board of Supervisors referred to the Public Protection Committee to assist with facilitating a public discussion as to whether or not Contra Costa County should pursue an effort to disallow gun shows at the state-owned County Fairgrounds property and to determine whether facilitating gun shows on public property is an appropriate message to be sending as the nation continues to grapple with mass shootings.

On November 5, 2018, the Public Protection Committee considered the issue of banning guns shows and acknowledged that there are limited options to pursue in prohibiting the possession or sales of firearms on the County fairgrounds due to it being owned and operated by a state institution. The Public Protection Committee is recommending that the County first send a letter to the Board of Directors of the 23rd District Agricultural Association to convey the Board of Supervisors’ support of a policy prohibiting the possession and sale of firearms on the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors's support of a policy prohibiting the possession and sale of firearms on the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds will not be conveyed to the 23rd Agricultural Association.