Committee continues two ordinances on pharmacy and armed guards to Sept. 28 after public comment

Supervisor Catherine Stephanie moved to continue two ordinance items—one amending the health code relating to retail pharmacies and the other amending the police code to prohibit armed guards from drawing or exhibiting firearms other than a holster to protect property—to the next regularly scheduled Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee meeting on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. The motion passed with recorded aye votes from Supervisor Dorsey and Chair Stephanie.

The clerk described Item 2 as “an ordinance amending the health code to require each retail pharmacy in the city to … ” and Item 3 as a proposed police code amendment to prohibit armed guards from drawing or exhibiting firearms other than a holster to protect their property. Because sponsors and staff agreed, the chair opened the question of continuance and called for public comment on the continuance.

An unidentified telephone caller asked that public comment be taken per item and said the committee’s 9 a.m. Monday meeting time makes participation difficult for many people; the caller also asserted, “Per the First Amendment of the Constitution, it could be about anything.” The clerk paused the caller, reminded them that public comment must be directed to the subject matter of the items, then resumed the caller’s time. No additional callers were recorded in the queue.

Following that exchange the committee voted to continue both items to Sept. 28, 2023. The continuance preserves the ability for sponsors to present the ordinances and for public testimony at the later hearing.