Council taking new aim at guns in parks

The Chattanooga City Council will take a shot next week at keeping firearms out of city parks and public places.

During the Legal and Legislative Committee meeting Tuesday, council members discussed prohibiting people with permits to carry concealed handgun from packing their pistols in public places.

"We definitely need to keep guns out of those areas," said Councilman Russell Gilbert. "We need to keep them away from little kids."

The council will take up the issue next Tuesday.

The council took a voice vote two weeks ago, saying it wanted parks to remain gun-free. But it will take an official resolution to opt out of a Tennessee General Assembly bill that passed almost a month ago and allows such weapons in state and local parks.

Many city parks already have signs that prohibit weapons, but Chattanooga Parks and Recreation Administrator Larry Zehnder said he has studied the costs of putting up new signs to address the new law. He said it would cost about $7,500 to post about 150 new signs.

"We've had a prohibition in parks as far back as I can remember," Mr. Zehnder said.

Councilwoman Sally Robinson also spoke against allowing the guns in parks, saying she went to Pops in the Park over the weekend and saw children playing in the fountain at Coolidge Park.

"It's incomprehensible to me that our state legislature would pass a law allowing someone to carry into that type of setting," she said.

In other news, the council voted 9-0 to adopt an ordinance tightening restrictions on bar or restaurant owners who sell alcohol to patrons, then allow the beverages to be passed to minors. Owners could be cited to City Court and fined $50 under the new ordinance.

But questions were raised about how much responsibility should be assessed to the owner of such establishments.

Assistant City Attorney Ken Fritz said there are some state laws regarding underage drinking, but nothing in city ordinances that relates to underage drinking and those responsible for selling to them.

"We're trying to make the owner more responsible," Mr. Fritz said.

WHAT'S HAPPENED

Two weeks ago, the Chattanooga City Council agreed 9-0 in a voice vote to uphold a city ordinance prohibiting firearms in parks. The city now must pass a resolution opting out of the Tennessee General Assembly's bill that allows people with concealed carry permits to pack handguns in state and local parks.