No firearms to be allowed
As of Monday, June 17, the state law prohibiting firearms at meetings of governing bodies will be actively enforced in the City of Sarasota, the city announced on June 14.
It is suggested that people planning to attend City Commission meetings arrive a few minutes earlier than in the past to allow for security screening before entering the Commission Chambers at City Hall, a city news release says.
“This is simply a precautionary step to ensure all those attending our public meetings will be safe and secure at all times while exercising their rights as citizens,” said City Manager Tom Barwin, in the release.
In his June 14 newsletter, Barwin added, “This change has been carefully considered by the City administration and [DiPino] for some time now. In addition to the [Sarasota Police Department] officers already present at each meeting, we feel this additional layer of security is prudent … It’s an unfortunate sign of the times,” Barwin continued, “but the safety of all our citizens, City staff and officials remains our highest priority.”
The precaution will remain in place until further notice, the city news release points out.