EAST PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
DATE: May 2, 2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: John D. Le, City Attorney
BY: John D. Le, City Attorney
SUBJECT: Local Gun Control Ordinance
Recommendation
Waive a second reading and adopt an ordinance amending various Articles of Chapter 9.24 (Dangerous Weapons) and adding a new Article V (Firearms Storage) of the East Palo Alto Municipal Code (EPAMC) requiring gun owners within the City’s jurisdictional limits to provide safe firearm storage.
Alignment with City Council Strategic Plan
This recommendation is primarily aligned with:
Promote Health & Public Safety
Background
On March 21, 2023, the City Council waived the first reading and introduced a “Safe Storage Ordinance,” after making minor modifications on the dais. On April 4, 2023, the Council tabled the second reading and directed staff to return with an amended ordinance, including amendments to the scope of the Ordinance. On April 18, 2023, after taking public comment, the Council waived first reading and introduced the Ordinance. This agenda report recommends that the Council waive the second reading and adopt a safe storage ordinance.
Analysis
No changes were made during the April 18 introduction meeting. As such, staff recommends that the Council adopt the Ordinance this evening.
Fiscal Impact
There are no fiscal impacts associated with the proposed action.
Public Notice
The public was provided notice by making the agenda and report available on the City’s website and on a bulletin board located at City Hall: 2415 University Avenue, East Palo Alto.
Environmental
The proposed action is not a “project” under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378 and Public Resources Code section 21065 because it does not: (1) approve a project or result in a direct physical impact on the environment, or (2) contemplate known future projects, and as such, no known environmental impacts are known at this time. Instead, the proposed action would clarify procedural aspects related to the implementation of locally adopted building and other related codes.
As a separate and independent basis, the proposed action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.
Attachments
1. Ordinance